CH8 | MCT

IOU from a Loan Shark (1)

Tae-soo’s eyes sparkled.

"Wanna make a bet?"

"What?"

"If I manage to get an IOU from the loan shark, you have to call me 'hyung' and speak formally to me from now on."

"Look, at least say something that makes sense—"

"Are you in or not?"

Tae-soo grinned slyly, infuriatingly.

Han-soo clenched his fists on instinct.

"Fine. But if you fail, you’ll work under me. You do everything I say, no questions asked."

"Deal!"

Han-soo smirked.

"Better start practicing how to swing a pickaxe."

"And you better start practicing your honorifics. I won’t push for full formal speech, but at least add ‘-yo’ at the end of your sentences."

A sharp grin.

Between the two brothers, sparks flew.

1970s South Korea: A Haven for Loan Sharks

Unlike developed countries, institutional finance—represented by banks—had yet to take root.

As a result, people had no choice but to turn to underground loans, despite interest rates soaring to 40–50% annually.

Even major conglomerates were among the primary clients of loan sharks.

One of the biggest names in the Myeongdong loan shark business was Jang Maldong.

His house was as extravagant as one would expect.

Inside, the stern-faced seventy-year-old sat on a silk cushion, fanning himself.

At the far end of his spacious 20-pyeong (approximately 66 square meters) room, Song Jingu was kneeling.

"I hear some guests have come looking for you."

"Strictly speaking, they’re not my guests."

"Then who are they? Why would they come here looking for you?"

"That’s… something I don’t know either."

"Eh?"

"We didn’t even properly exchange names."

Jang Maldong's eyes glinted with interest.

Even Song Jingu had only stepped into this house a handful of times.

How had these strangers managed to track it down?

"Who are they?"

"To put it simply, a crazy bastard."

Song Jingu recounted his encounter with Kang Tae-soo at Oh Chunsik’s house in full detail.

Upon hearing about the mining plans, Jang Maldong’s eyes gleamed.

"A crazy bastard, huh… People tend to call those they can't predict 'crazy.'

Whether in a good way or a bad way.

Jang Maldong turned to a man dressed in hanbok.

The man nodded, as if giving his silent approval.

"Alright. Since he’s come all the way here, let’s see what this kid’s about."

"Sir?"

"What are you waiting for? Bring him in."

"Yes, sir."

This was rare.

Countless people came seeking Jang Maldong’s money.

But only a select few ever got to meet him in person.

"A lunatic."

That was the word Song Jingu had used.

And that word alone was enough to pique Jang Maldong’s curiosity.

With a creak and a clack, the door opened.

Two tall young men stepped inside.

Jang Maldong’s eyes immediately landed on one of them—a cold, elegant-looking man with an air of arrogance.

He couldn't help but admire him.

"Impressive. Anyone would want to get their hands on someone like him."

A truly valuable talent.

"And who might you be?"

"It's an honor to meet you. My name is Kang Han-soo."

The cold, refined man gave a polite bow.

"Ah, the fixer from Yeongdeungpo?"

"You know of me?"

"Of course. Handsome, resourceful, and highly competent—I've heard plenty. Now that I see you in person, I can see why."

"You're too kind."

Everything about him—his posture, his speech—was impeccable.

Jang Maldong was thoroughly pleased.

"So, what brings Yeongdeungpo’s fixer to my doorstep?"

"Forget him. Talk to me instead."

The man beside Han-soo raised his hand.

He looked like nothing more than a frivolous playboy at first glance.

But there was something unsettlingly aged in his gaze.

"Strange… His eyes are as calm as a seventy-year-old's."

What an odd young man.

"Where on earth did this one come from?"

From the very first impression, he felt different.

Like an intricate mix of youthful ambition and an old man’s wisdom, blended together into something rare and extraordinary.

"I can’t even put it into words."

In Korea, if there were two men known for their eye for talent, one was Han Cheongho, chairman of Cheongil Group.

The other was Jang Maldong, Myeongdong’s loan shark king.

And now, Jang Maldong couldn't take his eyes off Tae-soo.

"And who are you?"

"Kang Tae-soo."

"Ah, so you’re the lunatic I’ve heard about?"

"Luna— …Well, whatever. Since you already know me, we can skip the tiresome introductions."

With that, Tae-soo plopped down onto the floor.

His brazen confidence made Jang Maldong narrow his eyes.

"Well, well. Look at this impudent little brat."

With a sharp flick, he folded his fan shut.

Song Jingu’s eyes widened in shock.

"The old man closed his fan?"

That meant one thing—Jang Maldong had decided to take this conversation seriously.

"You came looking for Song Jingu, didn’t you?"

"I’m here to find an investor."

Jang Maldong raised an eyebrow.

"I see. You won’t even spare Song Jingu a glance, huh?"

"I’ll make time to look at him later—plenty of time, in fact."

"No need. Tell me, are you in need of a job? How about learning a thing or two under my wing?"

Jang Maldong gave a subtle smile.

Even Song Jingu wasn’t the only one surprised this time. The middle-aged man in hanbok also studied Tae-soo with newfound interest.

"The old man is intrigued? That’s rare."

For the first time in a long while, Jang Maldong felt a hunger stir within him.

"Kid, do you even know who I am?"

"Aren’t you Jang Maldong, the great hand of Myeongdong?"

"Hah, at least you did your homework before coming here. But how exactly did you find me? And how did you even know about this house?"

Most people only knew him as Myeongdong’s biggest loan shark.

He had always operated from the shadows, never once revealing his true name or address to outsiders.

Yet here was this young man, not only calling him by name but walking straight into his home.

Jang Maldong instinctively turned to Song Jingu.

"That crazy bastard… He’s talking to the old man as if they’re equals."

The sheer absurdity of it left Song Jingu with his mouth agape.

That alone told Jang Maldong that Song Jingu hadn’t leaked any information.

"Impressive, kid. You’ve got quite the resourcefulness."

"I haven’t even started yet."

That cocky confidence amused him.

"I’m sure you know what this is, sir."

With that, Tae-soo pulled a document from his inner pocket.

A mining rights certificate.

Han-soo’s stomach churned as he watched.

"Is he really about to just hand that over?"

His hands clenched into fists.

But when he met Tae-soo’s gaze, his brother simply smirked, not saying a word.

Then, a memory surfaced.

"Just trust me. No matter what nonsense I spout, just watch."

"Today, I’m walking out of here with an IOU from a loan shark."

"Wanna bet?"

Han-soo exhaled sharply.

Tae-soo had already made it clear—he was about to pull off some insane stunt.

"Alright, fine. Let’s see where this goes."

Tae-soo leaned back, completely at ease.

"Sir, how about a partnership?"

"Why should I? Not interested."

"Oh dear, you’ve just let a golden opportunity slip through your fingers."

Jang Maldong was baffled as he watched the young man casually tuck the mining rights certificate back into his pocket.

"You came here to propose a partnership, yet you’re not even trying to convince me? Normally, at this point, you should be crawling on your knees, desperately pleading your case."

"Would you even listen?"

"······."

Jang Maldong fell silent.

Because, truth be told, he wouldn’t have listened—no matter how many times the boy tried to persuade him.

"What a bold and clever brat."

"If a partnership doesn’t interest you, then how about an investment?"

"Not interested."

A partnership would mean sharing both profits and ownership, but now the kid was proposing an investment—where only the profits were shared.

"Your offer just got even stingier. Give me something tempting enough to pique my interest."

"You already rejected the best offer I had."

This kid had guts.

"Samcheong Electronics, Geumsan Construction, and Daehyun Motors—they all bow their heads before me."

"So if I bow my head, will you invest?"

"······."

For the second time, Jang Maldong found himself speechless.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

'This one… he’s definitely not ordinary.'

It had been a long time since anyone had dared to talk this big in front of him.

The middle-aged man in hanbok watched with amusement.

"Impressive. To shut Jang Maldong up this many times…"

Jang Maldong shook his head.

"Kid, you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m a loan shark, not an investor."

"Fine. Then let’s go with a loan."

"How much do you need?"

"20 million won."

In this era, an apartment costs around 7 to 8 million won.

"The interest rate is 50% per year."

"Can you lower the rate a little?"

"Not happening. If you don’t like it, try a bank. There’s a reason they call it loan sharking. Now, let’s check the collateral."

"Will this do?"

Tae-soo pulled a mining rights certificate from his pocket.

"An abandoned mine from the Japanese occupation? That thing's barely worth 100,000 won. Not interested."

With a smirk, Jang Maldong swiftly tucked the certificate back into Tae-soo’s pocket.

"How about deferred payment?"

"Deferred? You mean you want the loan without collateral?"

"Instead of collateral, I’ll pay you back through a reputable bank in the future."

"Not happening. I don’t do unsecured loans."

"What a shame."

Despite his words, Tae-soo grinned even wider.

His composure was so unnerving that even Jang Maldong felt uneasy.

"I can’t get a read on him… This one’s no ordinary punk."

A wild card—completely unpredictable.

In Jang Maldong’s experience, people like him always went on to achieve great things.

They didn’t follow the conventional path.

They made the impossible seem effortless.

Throughout his lifetime, Jang Maldong had encountered five such people.

And every single one of them ended up ruling the world.

His sharp, snake-like eyes gleamed with interest.

"Let’s cut the pointless back-and-forth. What is it you’re really after?"

Tae-soo grinned.

"I came to sell you information."

Jang Maldong was speechless.

"The guy who came here to borrow money… now wants me to pay him instead?"

Tae-soo smirked, mocking him.

"This is top-secret information."

"The kind that determines whether you lose your entire fortune in an instant—or not."

"What?!"

Everyone in the room snapped their heads up, eyes widening in shock.