[ Monday, 3:30 PM - Somyung High School ]
The whispers followed Kang Jin-woo down the hallway like a swarm of flies.
Usually, the students of Somyung High ignored him. He was a "Ghost"—too poor to be popular, too quiet to be bullied. But today, he was the main character.
"It's definitely true," a girl whispered near the lockers. "Hye-jin saw it. A Porsche Panamera. And the woman looked like a model."
"So he's a kept man?" a boy snickered. "I heard his family has massive debt. Maybe he sold himself to pay it off."
"Wah, look at him acting so innocent. He's actually a gigolo."
Jin-woo walked past them, his face expressionless. He adjusted his backpack.
In his pocket, his phone buzzed.
[ From: Director Lee ][ "I hear I've been promoted to 'Sugar Momma.' Should I pick you up in a gold limousine next time to confirm the rumors?" ]
Jin-woo almost smiled. Ji-eun was enjoying this too much.
[ To: Director Lee ][ "Focus on the wire transfer. And don't be late." ]
He put the phone away.
He didn't mind the rumors. In fact, they were perfect. If people thought his sudden access to money came from a "Sponsor," they wouldn't look for the truth. They wouldn't suspect that the high school student was actually the puppet master.
He turned the corner toward the school exit, aiming for the back gate to avoid the paparazzi-like gaze of the student body.
"Jin-woo-ya."
The voice was ragged. Desperate.
Jin-woo stopped. He turned around.
Park Min-ho was standing in the shadow of the gymnasium building. The "Golden Boy" looked like he hadn't slept in twenty-four hours. His uniform tie was loose, his hair was unstyled, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"We need to talk," Min-ho rasped.
Jin-woo checked his watch. "I have to study, Min-ho. Unlike you, I can't rely on my father's company."
Min-ho flinched as if he'd been slapped. He stepped forward, grabbing Jin-woo's arm. His grip was shaking.
"Don't mock me," Min-ho hissed. "You know, don't you? That woman in the Porsche. The one who dropped you off."
Min-ho swallowed hard, his pride warring with his desperation.
"My dad... his contract with Myung-il Construction got blocked. Someone blacklisted us. We're going to lose everything. The villa, the cars... everything."
He looked at Jin-woo with wild, pleading eyes.
"That woman looked powerful. Is she your sponsor? Does she know people in the City Planning Office?"
Jin-woo looked at the hand gripping his arm. [ Truth Eye ] flashed passively.
[ Target: Park Min-ho ][ State: Despair. ][ Threat Level: Zero. ]
"Maybe," Jin-woo said simply.
"Please," Min-ho begged, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Ask her for a meeting. Just five minutes. My dad just needs a chance to explain. I... I'll do anything. I'll get you that job moving boxes. I'll pay you double!"
Jin-woo laughed. It was a cold, dry sound.
"You still don't get it, do you?"
Jin-woo pulled his arm free from Min-ho's grip. He dusted off his sleeve as if he had touched something dirty.
"You thought you were a tiger, Min-ho. Because you had money. Because you had a future."
Jin-woo stepped closer. Min-ho instinctively stepped back, intimidated by the sudden, crushing pressure radiating from the "scholarship student."
"But you were just paper," Jin-woo whispered. "And now, you're wet paper."
"Jin-woo..."
"I don't need your job," Jin-woo said, walking past him. "And I don't help people who kick me when I'm down. Goodbye, Class President."
He walked away.
Behind him, Min-ho sank to his knees on the pavement, burying his face in his hands.
Jin-woo didn't look back. The trash had been taken out.
[ Tuesday, 11:00 AM - The Conrad Hotel ]
The suite was silent.
Ji-eun sat at the desk, her laptop open to the Apex Investment corporate account. Jin-woo stood by the window, looking out at the Han River.
"It's time," Ji-eun said, her voice trembling slightly.
She hit refresh.
[ INCOMING WIRE TRANSFER: SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOV ][ AMOUNT: 85,000,000,000 KRW ][ STATUS: CLEARED ]
[ CURRENT BALANCE: 85,012,400,000 KRW ]
Ji-eun let out a breath she felt like she'd been holding for a week. She slumped back in her chair.
"85 Billion," she whispered. "We actually did it. We turned a toxic dump into an empire."
Jin-woo turned around.
A grey window popped up in his vision.
[ SYSTEM ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: 'The First Pot of Gold' ][ Net Worth Milestone Reached. ][ Reward: 'Truth Eye' Upgrade (Level 2). ][ New Feature: 'Weakness Finder' - Can now identify the structural or personal weakness of a Corporate Entity. ]
Jin-woo ignored the reward notification for a moment. He walked over to the desk and looked at the number on the screen.
It was real. The capital he needed to fight the war.
"Transfer 20 Billion to the Swiss Clinic escrow account," Jin-woo ordered. "Secure Eun-ji's treatment for the next five years. Hire the best team money can buy."
"Done," Ji-eun said, typing rapidly. "And the rest?"
"Keep 10 Billion liquid for operational costs," Jin-woo said. "The remaining 55 Billion..."
He smiled, a predator baring its teeth.
"...we use to hunt."
[ Tuesday, 2:00 PM - Myung-il Construction HQ ]
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the executive floor.
Chairman Choi threw a heavy crystal tumbler against the wall. It exploded into shards, spraying whiskey everywhere.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE LOST THE STATION?!"
His Chief of Staff cowered near the door. "Chairman... we tried. We submitted the bid for the Green Line Station this morning. But the City Planning Office rejected it."
"Why?!" Choi roared. "We are Myung-il Construction! We built half this city!"
"Because... the land for the station is privately owned," the Chief of Staff stammered. "The owner already signed an exclusive development rights deal with the City. They dictated the terms. They chose a different contractor."
Choi froze. His face turned a dangerous shade of purple.
"Who?" he hissed. "Who owned that toxic wasteland? Who knew about the project before I did?"
The Chief of Staff opened a folder. His hands were shaking.
"It was a holding company, sir. They bought the land in an auction last Wednesday."
"NAME!" Choi screamed.
"Apex Investment," the staffer read. "Represented by a Director... Lee Ji-eun."
The silence that followed was terrifying.
Chairman Choi sank into his leather chair. The anger didn't vanish; it curdled into something colder and sharper.
"Apex," he whispered. "Lee Ji-eun."
He remembered the dinner. He remembered the insolent daughter of the textile merchant. He remembered the check she threw at him.
I paid the debt.
He realized then that it hadn't been a lucky break. It hadn't been a coincidence.
"She didn't just pay the debt," Choi muttered, his eyes narrowing. "She used my own stock crash to fund it. And now... she stole my government contract."
He looked up at his terrified staff.
"This isn't business," Choi said softly. "This is war."
He reached for his phone.
"Get me the Seven Star Gang. If Apex wants to play games, let's see how they handle a real fire."