PAST LIFE RETURNER

Side Story 28 – The Day of the Auction - Kwon Seong-Il

"In the end, he too must be short on money."

Humphrey agreed with Hans' words, but felt uneasy about everything that led up to this moment, especially given that one of the heroes had appeared in person and was searching for another person to pitch in. This situation felt contradictory.

Nothing would be more miserable than the phrase [Caliber short on money].

Then, Hans said as he read the look in Humphrey's eyes, "But he seems to be genuinely enjoying the moment."

The beauties were aggressively pressing themselves against Caliber. Each time they brushed against Caliber’s back and arms, an uncontrollable smile spread across Caliber’s eyes.

Hans continued, "As you've already said, the way we trust Him is different. Our perspectives on His greatness also differ. They have sacrificed a lot and have transcendent abilities that reached divinity. Of all the aspects, I think his strictness is the essence of his greatness.”

Hans added, “I also thank him every day for showing us a tomorrow that’s no different from the past. The Caliber’s visit here is the beginning of that. Humphrey, I won't tell you not to go to the meetings from now on. Just promise me you'll pull out the moment it goes against His wishes."

Humphrey's previously dark expression brightened. "You're making sense for once. But how do we get in there? Do you have a good idea?"

There were multiple people trying to approach Caliber. However, Caliber never made any gestures to invite them closer after a quick glance at their appearances.

"Korea is known as the land of courtesy. You should know best, right?"

"Courtesy? What kind of courtesy should we have?"

Instead of answering, Hans showed his phone. It was an era where technological advancement outpaced aging, and the fruits of Hans' efforts to keep up with the trends started with his phone. He launched a browser, accessed Google, and successfully accessed a web page with translation technology.

[English: hello → Korean: yeo-bo-se-yo]

***

Seong-Il didn't need to search the world for the rich. According to the information he obtained, such individuals were going to gather at the auction. That was why he flew here.

He had managed to borrow a large sum of money from Hera through Ji-Hoon, but that wasn't enough to guarantee his win in the bid. However, he couldn’t borrow more money from others as his credibility came from Him. He had to be cautious not to ruin his reputation. The people here were Arabs, Russians, and Chinese. Some were from royal families, while others came from long-time associates of dictatorships.

Some of the Chinese had faces full of confidence. If he asked them, then he could easily secure money comparable to the amount he borrowed from Hera.

Nonetheless, those capitalists who believed in false religion were the ones he had to be most wary of. They extracted the blood and sweat of the people to amass wealth under a dictatorial regime and only focused on serving their interests, taking advantage of the country’s crisis.

Now, they even wanted to exploit the memories of Him and Mary noona to fulfill their personal greed. Seong-Il briefly made eye contact with some Chinese, but he immediately ignored them. They didn’t seem just friendly. In fact, there was evidence of deep connections between them.

They are all in this together. After all, they don't have to reach out to Him. Just being in the eyes of the King of Hell is enough to maintain power.

Currently, China was being taken advantage of by foreign companies from across the sea. However, the immediate concerns of China's privileged class probably weren't about the outflow of state-owned assets.

China was now experiencing the painful times that Korea had endured under the IMF.

The ones involved in this matter must have been sent by the Chinese President. They say they have a lot of hidden money. But how will they use it? They made the wrong move. Both Him and the King of Hell show no interest in this item.

And it was true. When Seong-Il had asked the King of Hell for help, he had been dismissed with this reply.

"Do you not think there's a reason for everything I overlook?"

"The memories of Him and Mary noona are at stake. The precious memories of their first meeting… The collection is such a precious item. We should respect their... Okay. Fine. I won’t expect your help, but don't think about stopping it."

"You can do whatever you want."

"Huh? Thank you for being so clear, but… Are you actually not going to help me?"

"No. Go back."

Maybe, He and Mary noona might not be interested in the item like the King of Hell. However, the thought disappeared immediately when eyes filled with greed cast a smiling glance at him.

King of Hell, if you were here in person, you would have changed your mind.

Of course, not everyone was there to gain something from His item, and that was another big problem. Seong-Il was more worried about an Arab man who was sent by the existing power elites than the Chinese or Russians. The man was noticeable from the moment he entered. He loudly proclaimed the dignity of Him and said he would even give up his soul for Him.

His words were both a praise and a passionate love confession toward Him. It was different from the worship the citizens of the Savior’s City had shown. It was creepy. He must have been from the Arab royal family.

How much money would he have? More importantly, what would he do with the item?

Seong-Il had an ominous hunch somehow. He imagined the man sticking his face close to the piece of the floor in the collection and shivering. It was a disgusting scene that he never wanted to visualize

Shoot. All of them are not normal. I might not be able to secure it at this pace.

It was then.

"Yeo-bo-se-yo."

It was an old voice.

Seong-Il didn't understand at first, but then realized it was the Korean word for 'hello' when answering the phone.

Did this old man just speak in Korean? Yeoboseyo? Well, good mindset to learn and at least try speaking in Korean.

Seong-Il moved away from the women surrounding him for the first time.

"You said 'yeoboseyo.' Do you even know what it means?"

Seong-Il stood in front of Humphrey and Hans. When he looked down on them, Humphrey seemed to be a wicked old man like Scrooge, while Hans looked robust with his posture upright.

"Gentlemen, 'yeoboseyo' is what we say when answering the phone, or when a wife is nagging her husband in a teasing way. If you were trying to greet me in Korean, you should say 'annyeonghaseyo,’ not 'yeoboseyo'. Are you still not able to greet in our language correctly?"

"Annyeonghaseyo...... annyeong―haseyo."

When Humphrey repeated it, a smile appeared on Seong-Il's face.

“Although your pronunciation is still a bit off, it was pretty good for a first attempt. I am Kwon Seong-Il, Caliber. And you, old gentlemen?”

“I am Humphrey.”

“I am Hans.”

“Why did you come all the way here at your age, seeking more wealth and glory?”

Humphrey answered, “As you said, we are not at the age to desire more wealth and glory. May we have a private conversation, Mr. Caliber? We can’t offer soondae stew, but we will try to arrange some soju as soon as possible.”

Hans added, “We have not prepared much for you, and we are sorry about that. We will do our best to bring as much as we can.”

They both spoke in a British accent with the diction of the upper class.

Seong-Il was reluctant but found no alternative. He felt it was more worthwhile to listen to the stories of these old men than to those of the Chinese, Russians, or the dangerous Arabs. Especially considering the effort they made to greet him in Korean.

Others should have at least tried to speak in Korean! It is an era where Korean can be considered a universal language!

After scanning the other guests, he followed the two old men.

***

"These old men are really cunning."

Seong-Il did not fully trust them. Life experiences were reflected in one's appearance. In this regard, Humphrey's peculiar appearance was subpar to Seong-Il. He had met many sly old men in the past. He could never forget them, especially the old man named Joo Pan-Seok.

“You better stop and follow me, brother. If things sort out well with Odin, we won’t touch you at all. So no need to be afraid of us.”

“Afraid? Did you just say ‘afraid?’ Hahaha.”

“There are almost twenty thousand people behind me.”

“So what? I have Odin.”

Seong-Il was reminded of Joo Pan-Seok when he looked at Humphrey. He wiped away his emerging smile and looked straight at Humphrey. He wasn't in a position to hide anything. And certainly not in a position to accept money from China or Russia.

"You're saying you'll support me with all your assets? Without any strings attached?"

"That's right."

"You expect me to believe that? All of your family's assets?"

Seong-Il laughed and added, "I despise liars. Every Awakened knows that. I haven't come across any liar who hasn't faced consequences. However, there is another undeniable fact. Everyone wants something in return. Whether it's something you can buy with money or something you can't. Regardless of what it is, humans don't act without a price. In your case, it's my trust. You will win the favor of the Caliber, Kwon Seong-Il. Before that, there's something you need to know. Listen closely."

"Please go ahead, Mr. Caliber."

Seong-Il continued in a serious tone, "I have a son, Kwon Ki-Cheol. I can't go to outer space until he becomes an independent and mature man. Even when I do move on..."

He let out a sigh.

"I've incurred significant debts. Besides principal, interest will accumulate nonstop. It will take time to pay it off, and I can't guarantee how long you two will be around. Even if you are, it will take time to repay the debts.”

Seong-Il sighed again and continued, “There are many people I need to take care of. Can you see the picture now? Our venture can only start later, so I cannot guarantee you exclusive rights, but I am not going to stop you from getting on my side.”

To be honest, Seong-Il was not confident against the competitors. The money borrowed from Hera was substantial, but he was not certain if he could win the bid from the long-established wealth of dictatorships and royal families.

"However, I'm telling you this because you're betting all your assets on me. Isn't your family's money and the fates of numerous family members tied to this decision? Make no mistake, I won't be able to move to outer space for several years. That's all I have to say. I'll give you another chance to decide."

He raised his voice, "Will you still support me?"

Humphrey and Hans were dumbstruck. They were in awe of Seong-Il's noble character and sense of responsibility.

Seong-Il said casually after looking at speechless Hans and Humphrey, "You made an excellent choice for your age. Today, instead of His things, you've won my trust. That alone is..."

He gave a thumbs-up.

As their conversation came to an end, there was a sudden commotion. Although it was not as noisy as when Seong-Il walked in, it was pretty loud. The yacht's owner seemed to be making an entrance. Seong-Il hesitated for a moment.

Humphrey looked up at Seong-Il's suddenly bright face and asked, "Do you know him?"