CH9 | MCT

IOU from a Loan Shark (2)

Jang Maldong—the biggest name in Myeong-dong’s loan shark business.

Since the Japanese occupation, he had been buying and selling information to support the Korean independence movement.

Over time, this trade became his main business, bringing him to where he was today.

As such, the fact that Jang Maldong dealt in information was a top-secret among top-secrets.

Even Tae-soo himself only learned of this years later, when he became the Chief Secretary of Cheongil Group.

"You bastard! Who’s backing you?!"

Backer? What backer?

But what choice do I have?

If you have nothing, sometimes you just have to bluff.

But I have something better than a backer—I know the future.

In just two weeks, Jang Maldong really will go bankrupt.

What could be a more certain advantage than that?

"You call yourself an information broker, yet you don’t even know this?"

"Ha—"

How many times had Jang Maldong been left speechless today?

"He’s cornered," the man in traditional clothing smirked.

"That kid holds the hilt, while Jang Maldong is gripping the blade. This is a fight he can't win."

"Tsk, Jang Maldong’s going to take a heavy loss today. Thanks to this kid, I got to watch a hell of a show. Hahaha."

Jang Maldong suddenly barked at Song Jingu and Kang Han-soo.

"Get out! All of you! I need to talk to this brat alone!"

The atmosphere turned cold.

Han-soo turned to Tae-soo, shaking his head.

"Look, you mess with a loan shark, and you could disappear without a trace."

"I know."

"Then quit while you can. Let’s just go back."

"It’s already too late to turn back."

"It’s dangerous."

Tae-soo didn’t even glance back.

"Just wait outside. This won’t take long."

"This isn’t the time to be stubborn. I’ll handle the investment. It’ll take some time, but—"

SMACK.

Jang Maldong slammed his folding fan onto the table.

"Quit stalling! Get out of here! Or do I have to throw you out myself?!"

The man in traditional clothing stepped toward Han-soo.

Han-soo had no choice but to leave.

SLAM.

The sliding door shut behind him.

Now, in the vast, empty room, only two remained.

Kang Tae-soo and Jang Maldong.

Jang Maldong’s gaze was sharp and piercing.

"So, you think you can toy with me?"

His predatory eyes locked onto Tae-soo.

The pressure of a loan shark was enough to suffocate a man.

But in Tae-soo’s eyes, there was a venom of his own.

"So… are you buying it or not?"

"You dare threaten me, Jang Maldong, and expect to walk out of here in one piece?"

"Are you paying upfront or after?"

Tae-soo did not back down.

"For the record, if it’s after, you’ll need to write an IOU."

"What?!"

"I don’t take promissory notes. It has to be cash, in full, immediately."

Jang Maldong glared daggers at Tae-soo, as if ready to kill him.

But Tae-soo casually glanced at the calendar and the clock.

"If you’re not buying, then that’s that. I’ll be on my way."

"Sit down!"

As Tae-soo started to rise, Jang Maldong bit his lip in frustration.

"I can’t trust a damn word you say. What could possibly make a loan shark lose everything?"

"What can I say? When the orders come from above, you either comply or get crushed."

Tae-soo gestured upwards, not to the sky, but to the ceiling.

Jang Maldong’s fingers twitched around his folding fan, his body trembling.

"Above? Don’t tell me... Park Junghwan is up to something again?"

Tae-soo gave a slight nod.

"If you really think it’s nonsense, feel free to ignore it. But you’re still sitting here talking to me, aren’t you?"

Thud.

Jang Maldong’s hands shook with anger.

He was furious.

But if Park Junghwan really was making a move that could wipe out his entire fortune, could he afford to not listen?

As an information broker, no one understood the value of classified intel better than Jang Maldong himself.

"I didn’t sense anything… No, wait. If it’s Park Junghwan, he’d strike without a sound—without a trace."

Jang Maldong fell deep into thought.

"What should I do? Even if there’s only a slim chance, if it’s true…"

Jang Maldong’s eyes shut tight.

"No. I have too much to lose. My fortune is too vast to take that risk!"

Finally, he made up his mind.

"Fine. Let’s hear it."

"Upfront or after?"

"And why the hell would I just hand you money outright?"

"If it’s after, you’ll need to sign an IOU."

"Tsk!"

Jang Maldong was seething.

If he could smack this insufferable brat upside the head, he’d have no regrets.

Finally, with a long sigh, Jang Maldong gave a reluctant nod.

"If this information turns out to be worthless, you won’t see a single cent."

"Fair enough. Let’s get the IOU signed."

Jang Maldong felt deeply conflicted.

"Ha! Now I’ve lived long enough to see a loan shark forced to sign a damn IOU?"

"Or you could just pay me right now."

"······."

His teeth gritted in frustration.

He had survived everything—the Japanese occupation, the Pacific War, and the Korean War.

But never in his life had he met such an unbearable little bastard.

Tae-soo pulled out a neatly prepared IOU, with only the signature and seal left blank.

Jang Maldong’s jaw nearly dropped as he read it.

"So, you knew it would come to this… and prepared everything in advance?"

Tae-soo said nothing.

Jang Maldong closed his eyes in bitter resignation.

"I lost. Me, Jang Maldong, played like a fool. Outsmarted by a kid who doesn’t even have dried blood on his head yet."

His hand trembled as he signed and sealed the document.

But when his eyes opened, they gleamed with venom.

"Fine. Now let’s hear this damn expensive information."

Finally, Tae-soo spoke.

"August 2, 1972. At exactly 11:40 PM, President Park Junghwan will announce the ‘Emergency Order on Economic Stability and Growth.’"

"Emergency order?"

"Also known as the August 3rd Private Loan Freeze."

"What?!"

"As of midnight on August 3rd, all private loans will be frozen. Creditors will have to disclose the source of their funds to claim repayment. The deadline? One week. After that, it’s over."

"Son of a bitch!"

Thud!

Jang Maldong slammed his fist onto the table.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

He struck it again and again, his rage boiling over.

Until—snap.

The folding fan in his grip broke clean in half.

The August 3rd Loan Freeze.

A drastic move by President Park to absorb the underground financial sector into the regulated banking system.

With no legal recourse, loan sharks would lose everything—their debts, their power, their empire.

For someone like Jang Maldong, one of the biggest players, this was the most critical piece of intelligence imaginable.

But human nature is stubborn.

Who would willingly accept that their entire fortune was about to be erased overnight?

Jang Maldong was no different.

"That’s absurd! No civilized country would allow such a thing!"

Tae-soo smirked.

"You really think this country is civilized right now?"

Jang Maldong stopped pounding the table.

But then, he shook his head again.

"That’s something that can’t happen—that must not happen."

"Jein Foods, Jein Textiles, Daehan Fertilizer, Geumsan Electronics, Daehyun Construction, Korea Airlines, Hyodo Trading. All classified as insolvent in the October 1969 audit, correct?"

Of course, he knew.

As an information broker, how could he not?

"And what does that have to do with private loans?"

"They’re freezing the private lending market to rescue these so-called ‘too-big-to-fail’ companies."

"What?!"

"It’s a trademark of President Park Junghwan’s state-led economic policies, isn’t it? A radical measure to restructure corporate finances."

It made sense.

"Damn it. That bastard Park would do something like this. Kill two birds with one stone—rescue the conglomerates and strengthen the banks."

Jang Maldong felt his strength drain away.

His back slumped against the wall.

His eyes shut tight.

For a long while, he didn’t move an inch.

The only sound in the room was the rhythmic ticking of the clock.

"If—if that policy is announced, I’ll be ruined in an instant. The brat is right."

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

"Should I believe this? Should I not? I don’t want to believe it. But what if—what if he’s right?"

His mind was racing.

"Is this information certain?"

After what felt like an eternity, Jang Maldong finally spoke.

His voice, in that short time, had become hoarse and dry.

"Believe it or don’t. That’s your decision."

Tae-soo didn’t wait for a response.

He rose from his seat, adjusting his clothes.

Jang Maldong’s blood boiled in frustration.

"You think you can just walk out of here with that IOU and nothing will happen to you?"

A sharp threat.

But Tae-soo didn’t flinch.

He had no reason to.

This was the man who would one day rise to become the Chief Secretary of Cheongil Group, the most powerful conglomerate in Korea.

Few people understood Jang Maldong’s ways better than Tae-soo.

"Jang Maldong’s credibility was legendary. Respected by everyone."

Without credibility, an information broker was nothing.

And Jang Maldong had protected his reputation with his life.

So then, why was he resorting to threats now?

Tae-soo saw right through him.

"His pride must be hurt. And on top of that, he wants to dig into my connections."

So Tae-soo chose a method that would both protect his interests and save Jang Maldong’s face.

"Elder, where do you think this top-secret information came from?"

With a serious expression, Tae-soo once again pointed upward—not at the sky, but the ceiling.

Naturally, Jang Maldong’s gaze followed his finger.

Tae-soo gave a slow, heavy nod.

"How could I possibly get my hands on such classified information? Something even you, an information broker, didn’t know?"

"Hmm."

It made sense.

"Obviously, someone higher up whispered it to me so I could secretly pass it to you."

An information broker like Jang Maldong—knowing less than an ordinary man like Tae-soo?

That was a humiliating thought.

But if someone from the inner circle of power, close to the President, had sent Tae-soo as a messenger?

That was a favor, not an insult.

And better yet, if Jang Maldong thought a higher-up was watching over Tae-soo, he’d be less likely to harm him.

"Who is it?"

"You’ll find out soon enough. You are an information broker, after all."

"Tsk—"

"Just keep this in mind: someone powerful enough to access this kind of classified information wants your IOU. Now, what does that make this IOU?"

Tae-soo dangled the IOU in front of Jang Maldong’s face, waving it lightly.

"Tsk—"

Jang Maldong finally gave in, throwing up both his hands and his pride.

"Fine, take it! Now get lost, you damned brat!"

"Until next time, then."

As Tae-soo turned to leave, Jang Maldong’s voice called out from behind him.

"If this turns out to be true, I won’t forget this debt."

"Sounds good."

Not even a single polite reassurance.

Tae-soo was more than happy to accept gratitude, no questions asked.

Jang Maldong gritted his teeth, his eyes sharp like a viper's.

"But if this is a lie, know this—neither you nor your family will leave behind so much as a speck of dust on this earth."

Even faced with such a deadly threat, Tae-soo simply chuckled.

He even waved goodbye.

"I’ll be looking forward to seeing how the great Myeongdong tycoon repays his debts."

With that, Tae-soo strolled out, completely unfazed.

He had done exactly as he boasted—securing an IOU from a loan shark.

Click.

As the door closed behind him, Jang Maldong collapsed like a deflated balloon.

Even his muttering was weak, drained of its usual vigor.

"What a persistent bastard. What a ruthless bastard. What a gutsy bastard. What an infuriating bastard."

Grrrind.

God knows how many times the old man gritted his teeth today.

"In all my years, I’ve never—never—met a lunatic like him!"

A bitter laugh escaped him.

"That kid must have some serious backing."

Did he really think I wouldn’t find out who?

Jang Maldong clenched his jaw.

"Where’s that rock salt?"

First things first—he needed to ward off bad luck.



TL/n -

 During President Park Chung Hee’s rule (1961–1979), South Korea underwent rapid economic development, often referred to as the "Miracle on the Han River." As part of his economic reforms, Park’s administration took measures to regulate loan sharking (illegal private lending), which was a widespread problem in South Korea at the time.