The door opened, and he was immediately greeted by the Witch—the evil overlord of his domain. She controlled everything, from the laundry to the food. He was basically living in a prison. A Russian one, probably, he smirked internally.
"Ohhh! A dog! He looks so sad, but I will pamper him!" she cooed.
She focused on petting the dog, which remained inert, still distraught and grieving. Dong-seung knew instinctively that it needed space. It had to learn to open up again before it could accept love from others.
While she was distracted, Dong-seung opened the carrier. The orange cat shot out, a blur of fur zipping around the room to inspect every corner before finally settling on the balcony window sill. It sat there, quietly observing the humans. Didn't expect such a calm start.
"Ah! A furbaby!!" Seo-yeon yelled, but quickly quieted as she realized her mistake. She had frightened the cat, which now bolted to hide behind the couch.
Just like I thought. Haha.
Quietly triumphant, he began unpacking the furniture from his large shopping bags, all in pristine white boxes bearing the pet store's logo.
The assembly took a considerable amount of time. He placed the water bowls far from the food, knowing cats instinctively dislike their water source being near their food. The litter box was stationed at the end of the hallway—easy for the cat to access, easy for him to monitor for cleaning, and, most importantly, far enough that his bedroom would remain a poop-smell-free sanctuary.
…
SNAP
"Let's program something. I haven't opened my code editor in a while."
He could theoretically release a patch for his detangler, but he was completely fed up with it. The analogy was like eating chocolate every day—eventually, you'd get sick of it. He had coded too much on that single project. He needed a new one!
The goals were simple: Money. Prestige. And Women! Well, maybe not the last part.
He fired up Visual Studio Code.
Now, he needed a concept.
A finance tool! Users could input their data, and it would format everything neatly into beautiful, interactive charts. It would, of course, need robust backups and a companion app to view data on a phone. Maybe even tablet functionality for on-the-go editing.
This sounds good. I'll contact my UI designer, then program the front and back end. The app can be built later as a "DLC." Of course, he wouldn't charge extra for it; that would be included in the package. He wasn't like Electronic Arts, after all.
He quickly messaged his "employee" with the specifications. $400 spent, minus 3% cashback.Why does Fiverr even show the currency in dollars? He decided not to dwell on it.
BRRRR
[Shinhan Bank: Your Balance is 203,178,889.84 ₩]
First, he designed the interface—the face of the app. He envisioned it as clean and familiar, similar to Discord. A left sidebar would host the various tabs, each with intuitive pictograms.
He added a sleek bottom bar for data input, with buttons to quickly classify an entry as an expense or profit. For the overall layout, he used the DeepSeek website as a reference. They probably hired a professional for that, he reasoned. Why reinvent the wheel when you can use a proven, effective design?
Now for the fun part. The main interface would be split: one side showing the raw data, the other displaying a dynamic pie chart or graph of the user's choice. Of course, he studied his trusty friend, Stack Overflow. Browsing through proven, battle-tested code was intoxicating. He felt a sudden urge to increase his efforts, a drive not unlike the rush an adrenaline junkie seeks.
This is it! He thought. Now I truly understand why my uncle loves driving so much. It's the same feeling of flow.
Finally, a tab for a final report. It would display everything neatly in large, clear letters. Why colored data? He had always been against boomer aesthetics, but what about users with eyesight problems? I just found a selling point, he realized. Let's apply this principle everywhere. He selected a modern, sleek font as the default, but if a user enabled "Easier Reading" mode, it would switch to Arial with a larger font size.
He moved back to the "Encyclopedia" tab—the app's built-in wiki, designed to give users curated financial insights. Of course, he wasn't a certified financial advisor. With a few keystrokes, he added a disclaimer at the bottom in fine print, absolving him of all liability if someone decided to invest their life savings based on a glossary entry about compound interest. It was the most important feature of the entire section.
Now for the cruel part: the initial build. He estimated the backend would take about two days. Splitting the workload would be ideal, but since it was just him, he would have to suffice.
He started his first lines in C++. First, he blocked out the structure—the necessary variables and classes. Then, he began to code, knowing he'd readjust as he went.
The code began to flow. He built functions to calculate percentages and crafted a lean algorithm to sort and categorize numbers. There were other additions, minor utilities not worth mentioning.
Two hours had passed.
"Alright, got the core logic done," he muttered to the screen. "Now to debug this, slap the UI on top, and I can call it a day on this project."
While his code compiled, he periodically checked his Fiverr messages, half-watching a YouTube video in the background. This was his version of the Pomodoro Technique: make a plan, execute in a focused burst, and then take a break. He just didn't bother with the strict timers.
BING
A notification announced the arrival of the UI assets, neatly packaged and documented by the designer. He imported the files, wired them into his Electron framework, and stitched everything together.
The application window launched. A cartoon duck filled the screen, wearing thick-rimmed glasses and holding a finance guidebook. Below it, a clean, friendly prompt appeared:
Activate Easy Reading Mode?
- Increases font size
- Changes font to Arial
A slow, satisfied smile spread across his face. Nice.
He leaned back in his chair. Let's just chill.
…
RING—RING
The silence was shattered.
"Hello?"
"Good afternoon, Mr. Dong-seung. This is Joel Kornberg from Pragma Group AG. I've just arrived in Korea."
What? He came personally? A spike of adrenaline cut through his surprise. The excitement was now palpable. He couldn't bring the dog; Agito still needed time to adjust, and he didn't want to disrupt the fragile integration process.
"We've secured the vehicle in a private warehouse at Incheon International Airport."
"Meet me at the ground personnel entrance. It's located on…"
Beep—Beep
Perfect. He needed to change, immediately. He grabbed his newly purchased suit. I need a cool watch, too! But for now, his Junghans Meister S Automatic would have to do—its metal bracelet and dark green face were classic and understated.
He adjusted his tie in the mirror, meticulously checking his suit and pants for any dust or lint. He finished the look with the leather shoes his uncle had gifted him.
"You look just like a little businessman," Seo-yeon exclaimed, struggling to hold the squirming orange cat, which clearly wanted to be set free. She seemed oblivious to its discomfort.
"Don't worry," she said, her tone shifting to one of focused seriousness. "I won't be bothering you."
…
The bus ride was terrible, mired in what could only be rush-hour carnage. Traffic was a gridlocked battlefield. Trucks blocked key intersections, trapping even garbage trucks in the metallic snarl.
He opened Spotify and started a playlist, hoping the music would calm his nerves and make the agonizing flow of time feel faster. Let's just wait and see.
After finally arriving at the personnel entrance, he spotted a man who stood out unmistakably—a towering figure of about 203 centimeters. He wore a brown coat, a Nike cap, and a pair of Jordan sneakers.
"Hello, Mr. Dong-seung," the man said, shaking his hand with a strong, firm grip that felt more like an assessment than a greeting.
"Let me guide you."
He entered the airport property under the escort of security staff. But when they arrived at the warehouse, the escorts were gone.
Instead, he was surrounded by a group of Caucasians—some bald, some with full heads of hair, many adorned with intricate tattoos. The truly fascinating part: they were heavily armed, kitted out in armored vests. He spotted G36s, HK416s, and one man even cradled a P90.
"We are close."
A guard turned, revealing the patch on his back: Jäger Security.
Hmh. That doesn't sound like a typical PMC. Weren't Korean laws extremely strict on firearms? Even for foreigners. He wasn't sure if he should trust Pragma. They seemed ominous, but they had only contacted him after his system upgrade. They knew everything about him.
And then he saw it. A car painted in a deep, shimmering purple obsidian.
"This S-Class is not standard," the man explained. "It's based on the Mercedes-Maybach S680 Guard¹ Edition."
He pointed to a distinct emblem on the side.
Mansory².
"This is the Mansory S680 Royal 900 E."
As Dong-seung stepped closer to the driver's side, the door opened automatically with a smooth, pressurized HISS.
"As you can see, it features automated doors. And, of course, they are heavily armored."
The man rapped his knuckles against the window frame. CLANG.
"VR9 security rating. Enough to stop an AK-47 or Dragunov round."
He pressed a button inside the driver's cockpit and walked back to the front of the vehicle.
HISS
The engine bay opened.
"Take a look at this, Mr. Dong-seung."
It was confusing at first. A BMW engine was mounted sideways, with only a few auxiliary systems visible. He could make out a reservoir and a pump.
"What is this?"
"The air compressor. It has double redundancy. It's used for the brakes, doors, suspension, and even for launching smoke from the ejectors."
"Ah," Dong-seung exhaled, the pieces falling into place.
"It's also electric. I'll send you a full spec sheet. But all you need to know is that the transversely mounted engine functions primarily as a generator. You can drive it as a pure EV, but with the diesel engine running, you get significantly more range. It also has a self-sealing, 100-liter fuel tank."
Kornberg crouched and pointed toward the wheels. "These are 23-inch forged carbon fiber alloy wheels. The suspension is adaptive, meaning it can stiffen to prevent body roll or soften to absorb potholes. It's supplied by a company called ClearMotion³."
"The tires are run-flats. You can drive on them even when blown for a limited range. This allows you to escape with no risk of being trapped."
Dong-seung moved to look inside.
The interior was a sanctuary of Arctic White, diamond-stitched leather, accented with dark carbon fiber trim. Overhead was a starry sky roof, a canopy of tiny LED lights that could undoubtedly shift color. The cabin was incredibly spacious, easily capable of accommodating a man of Kornberg's stature.
"Everything is sealed in here. There is a redundant AC system for harsh climates and an ABC (Atomic, Biological, Chemical) suite for threats."
"It also has an integrated fire suppression system."
Dong-seung had practically enough information. He just wanted to go home. I'm tired.
"Thank you, Mr. Kornberg. I'll contact you if I need to travel to Switzerland."
Kornberg smiled, shaking his hand firmly. "There is also a backup vehicle, which you'll receive. Consider it a gift for trusting Pragma Group. We estimate delivery in 7 business days."
Dong-seung entered the car and quietly drove away from the airport. The ride was near-silent, the quiet whir of electric motors the only sound. Every surface screamed luxury; even the buttons felt premium under his fingertips.
Good.
…
Footnotes:
^1 Mercedes-Maybach Guard: The armored version of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. It is a factory-built vehicle that combines the luxury and comfort of the Maybach lineage with integrated ballistic protection, meeting rigorous VR9-rated security standards against military-grade threats.
^2 Mansory: A German automotive modification and tuning company specializing in high-performance and visual enhancements for luxury and super sports cars. Their work often includes extensive use of carbon fiber, custom bodywork, engine power upgrades, and exclusive interior refinements for brands like Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce.
^3 ClearMotion: A technology company that develops advanced, proactive ride systems. Its flagship product is a predictive active suspension that uses software and actuators to read the road ahead and cancel out vibrations, bumps, and body roll in real-time, significantly improving vehicle stability and passenger comfort.