"Don't worry, I'll keep your secrets safe."
Muttering nonchalantly, the Leader then opened a small lacquer box placed on the table. Inside the intricately patterned box were thick, thumb-length needles packed tightly together. He picked two needles and placed one in each of the tea cups in front of Chairman Jang and Chief Kim. They exchanged puzzled looks at his incomprehensible actions.
"But, I'm not the only one who needs to keep secrets."
Chief Kim, still dazed, stared into his tea cup.
"Huh..?"
The next moment, his eyes widened. The metal needles, as if they were some sort of dissolvable pill, melted away into the tea. It was an unbelievable sight, even though he was witnessing it with his own eyes.
At that, the Leader casually nodded his chin.
"Please drink."
At the sudden demand, Chief Kim looked up, bewildered.
"...Ye- yes?"
"I thought you might understand, but just in case."
The Leader's calm suggestion to drink the needle infused tea left the two men visibly unsettled.
"If... if you could tell us what kind... of tea this is first..."
Chief Kim mustered the courage to speak, but,
"It's okay. It won't kill you."
The Leader chuckled and waved his hand nonchalantly. Chief Kim glanced at Chairman Jang, seeking guidance. The Chairman wore a similar expression. How could they drink something without knowing what it was? The idea of drinking an unknown substance filled them with a peculiar fear. Chief Kim wiped the sweat from his forehead, unsure of what to do.
"Don't tremble over something like this."
The Leader, resting his chin on his hand, playfully urged them.
However, the two men remained frozen, like paused figures in a video, just staring at their tea cups.
"..."
Finally, the Leader's lips curled into a smirk.
"Alright. 'i'll drink it first then."
He snatched Chief Kim's tea cup and brought it to his lips, downing it in one go. Chief Kim was more startled by the bold action than anything else. He almost reached out to stop the other man.
"See? I'm perfectly fine."
The Leader, having gulped down the tea, showed the empty cup triumphantly. He even turned it upside down and shook it.
Chairman Jang and Chief Kim exchanged pale, anxious glances.
"..."
"..."
The Leader poured more tea into the empty cup and dropped another needle in. Then he pushed the cup back towards Chief Kim.
His attitude was oddly authoritative, making it hard to refuse any longer. Ultimately, Chairman Jang was the first to lift his tea cup.
Seeing this, Chief Kim also picked up his cup hesitantly, and both men drank simultaneously.
"See? It's not so bad, right? It's nothing serious, so don't be afraid."
The Leader smiled broadly as he confirmed their cups were empty.
"Nothing will happen, as long as you keep the secrets."
"Secrets? Wh-what secrets are you talking about?"
"Everything you see and hear here, it's all a secret."
The Leader explained, holding up his index finger.
"Just remember one thing. The moment you speak a word about what you see and hear on this mountain, that needle will pierce your heart."
The other two people flinched and widened their eyes.
"What do you think will happen when a needle pierces your heart?"
The Leader playfully poked his chest with his finger and grimaced exaggeratedly.
"You're not thinking it'll be just a little prick, are you? It'll hurt a lot more."
This was how they maintained security.
"If you want to find out how much it hurts, I won't stop you."
Chairman Jang raised his hand and felt around his chest. The idea of a vanished needle piercing his heart seemed logically impossible.
But then again... was it logically possible for a needle to dissolve in tea? And he had seen it with his own eyes. In retrospect, most of what he had experienced since arriving here defied logic. He felt his ability to discern reality fading.
At that moment, Chief Kim, trying to maintain a composed expression, spoke up.
"So, does this mean you'll take the job?"
The Leader nodded readily.
"Of course. I don't refuse work as long as the payment is adequate."
Chief Kim cautiously began to broach the subject.
"How much will it cost?"
"One clean bill."
Chairman Jang spoke up.
"Will 100 million won suffice?"
The Leader raised an eyebrow, amused.
"I thought you were the chairman? But your sense of finance is quite modest."
He tapped the business card on the table with his finger.
"It's 1 billion won per bill."
He added with a grin, leaving the two men speechless.
".."
"..."
The amount was much larger than they had anticipated. Chief Kim
looked at Chairman Jang with a troubled expression. It wasn't an impossible amount to gather, but it was difficult to provide such a large sum immediately, especially since it had to be done discreetly to avoid detection.
"Make a generous donation for the sake of the unfortunate young generation."
Watching their reluctance, the Leader pulled out the bills he had received from them on the mountainside. "Or just think of it as giving pocket money like you did before." There was a subtle bite to his words. With an indifferent expression, he lazily rested his chin on his hand while examining the bills from every angle.
Then, Chief Kim, hesitantly, began to speak.
"That amount of money..."
"So what?"
The Leader cut him off immediately, not interested in hearing more.
"This isn't a marketplace. Are you trying to bargain right now?"
He chuckled, playfully shaking his crossed legs.
"If you think about it as the price of your son's life, it's not that expensive."
"W- well... it will take some time to liquidate the cash..."
"Look here, Chief Kim."
The Leader knocked on the table as if to interrupt, stopping the other's mid-sentence.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but that's none of my concern?"
He leaned forward, his eyes cold and humorless. Chief Kim instinctively averted his gaze.
"..."
The Leader then turned his head to Chairman Jang.
"How about you, Chairman Jang? Do I need to concern myself with such matters?"
Chairman Jang remained silent, his face grave.
"Whether you empty your slush fund, sell your stocks, or launder the money, figure it out yourselves."
When he grumbled irritably, Chairman Jang reluctantly spoke.
"I understand. If you can cure my son's illness, I'll give you what you ask."
"Good."
With the agreement settled, the Leader pulled out a notebook that was near the lacquer box. He flipped through the pages until he found a blank one, then rotated the notebook 90 degrees to make it easier for Chairman Jang and Chief Kim to see. "First, I'll tell you about four key points." He clicked his pen and began to explain while taking notes.
"By the way, it's an advance payment. Prepare the money in 50,000 won bills."
He helpfully noted down the details as he began to kindly explain.
"If you fill it with 50,000 won bills, one apple box will hold 300 million, so put 300 million in each box and bury them ten meters deep in the ground at each of these four locations. If you go on the designated date and they are gone, you'll know the deal fell through."
As Chief Kim listened to the explanation, he suddenly raised his head hesitantly.
"Umm... If you bury 300 million won in four places, isn't that a total of 1.2 billion won?"
"Yes."
"But earlier you said 1 billion..."
"Oh, that..."
The Leader wrote down '12' on the paper, circled it boldly, and then flung his pen aside.
"I added 200 million because the negotiation annoyed me."
His nonchalant response left the two men with peculiar expressions.
"If you have any complaints, speak now. If I find it reasonable, I'll cut the price."
Resting his chin on his hand again, he twirled his finger around the rim of his teacup.
"Oh, and by the way, if you annoy me again, I can add another 200 million."
Chairman Jang bit his lip, while Chief Kim just watched for his reaction.
"..."
"..."
The Leader's whims were unpredictable, making it hard to guess his true intentions. Dealing with this man's caprices was exasperating.
But they had no choice, so Chairman Jang reluctantly nodded.
"Alright."
The Leader, seeming surprised, widened his eyes.
"Oh? I like that attitude. Just now, that was good."
He picked up his pen and scribbled again in the notebook. Over the
'12', he drew two casual lines and wrote a big '1 1' over it.
"'ll only take 1.1 billion."
Acting as if he was doing them a favor, he smiled sweetly, wrinkling his nose.
This insolent brat...
Chairman Jang's face flushed red.
It was humiliating.