The "office" was a cramped, fourth-floor walk-up in Yeouido, the heart of Seoul's financial district. It was barely large enough for two desks and a server rack, but the view through the grime-streaked window looked directly at the Shin-Hwa Group's headquarters.
"This place is a dump," Seo-yoon said, though she was already busy wiring her 'Aegis' algorithm into the local fiber line.
"It's not a dump. It's a cloaking device," Kang-min replied, taping a small sign to the door that read: Future Dividend Capital. "Director Choi will be looking for us in high-rise penthouses. He won't look for the man who just humiliated him in a building that smells like tteokbokki."
[System Notification]
[Quest Update: The First Strike]
[Time Remaining: 28 Days]
[Target: 'Star Logistics' – A shell company used by Choi for money laundering.]
Kang-min stared at the System window. Star Logistics was the very company that had swallowed Seo-yoon's father's business. Bankrupting it wasn't just a mission; it was justice.
"Seo-yoon, check the shipping manifests for Star Logistics," Kang-min commanded. "Use the new 'Insider's Whisper' data I uploaded. Look for a discrepancy in the oil futures they're carrying."
Seo-yoon's fingers blurred across the keys. Her Golden Aura flared, casting a warm glow over the dark room. "Wait... they're reporting full tankers, but the draft levels of the ships in the Busan harbor photos are too high. These ships are empty, Kang-min. They're faking the cargo to pump the stock price."
"Exactly. It's a classic pump-and-dump," Kang-min said, a cold smile touching his lips. "And we're going to be the ones to prick the bubble."
CRASH.
The office door was kicked open. Three men in cheap suits and heavy jewelry stepped in, followed by a middle-aged man with a jagged scar across his eyebrow.
"Mr. Kang-min?" the scarred man asked, his voice a low growl. "I'm the building manager's 'consultant.' There's been a change in the lease. You need to vacate. Now."
Seo-yoon stood up, her face pale. "We signed a year-long contract yesterday!"
"Contracts are for people with lawyers," the consultant said, stepping toward her laptop. "Move, little girl."
Kang-min stepped between them. He didn't look scared; he looked bored. He activated his Dividend Sight.
Target: 'Consultant' Kim (Level 0 Thug)
Weakness: Deeply in debt to a gambling den in Incheon.
Current Dividend: -100% (Imminent arrest).
"Tell Director Choi that his tricks are as outdated as his suits," Kang-min said. "And tell him that if you touch that laptop, I'll leak the ledger of the Incheon 'Golden Phoenix' gambling den to the Prosecutor's Office. I believe your name is on the third page of the VIP debt list, Mr. Kim?"
The man with the scar froze. His eyes darted around the room, searching for a camera or a hidden file. "How... how do you know about that?"
"I see the future's dividends," Kang-min whispered, leaning in close. "And yours looks very, very red. Get out."
The thugs scrambled out, the door slamming behind them. Seo-yoon let out a breath, her hands still shaking. "How did you know about the gambling?"
"The System shows me more than just stocks, Seo-yoon. It shows me people's debts," Kang-min said, returning to his desk. "Choi is getting desperate. He tried to take our office. Next, he'll try to take our lives."
He looked at the monitor, where the Star Logistics stock price was beginning to flicker.
"Ready the short-sell orders," Kang-min ordered. "Tomorrow, we stop talking. Tomorrow, we bleed them dry."