After finishing all the groundwork behind the scenes, I told them to contact me through a courier.

To avoid attracting attention, I sent someone with absolutely no connection to us whatsoever.

A few days after sending the messenger, Lorenze contacted me first.

— We can’t stay on the phone long.

He spoke without even greeting me, but it wasn’t hard to tell how anxious he was.

Of course, I had no intention of dragging the conversation out either, so I immediately got to the point.

“You roughly understand how things are unfolding, right?”

— ......What exactly are you planning?

“It’s a little difficult to explain the details right now. In any case, I need your help.”

— My help? What could you possibly need from me......

“At the Baltiche meeting, push for the Wall Street banks tied to Baltiche to keep issuing MBS and CDOs.”

I heard Lorenze suck in a sharp breath from the other side of the line.

Silence lingered for a while.

“Family Head Lorenze. Please grant my request. Then even if every other family collapses, the Medici family alone will survive and become the greatest family in Europe. I swear it on my name.”

After remaining silent for a long time, Lorenze finally let out a long sigh.

— I don’t know what kind of plan you have, but make sure you keep that promise. I’ll do what I can.

“I’m a man who always keeps his promises. You of all people should know that best, Family Head Lorenze. Just know this much — I intend to destroy Baltiche with this opportunity.”

— Destroy Baltiche?

“Yes. I intend to rip it out by the roots.”

— Now I’m curious how you plan to bring them down.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

— I’ll think of a way first. I’ll contact you again later.

The short call with Lorenze ended.

Whether Lorenze would actually be able to push my demands through, I didn’t know.

Still, he was an ambitious man. He would struggle desperately to make it happen somehow.

“You trust Lorenze?”

Han Kyungyeong, who had been listening nearby, asked.

“Lorenze? No. I don’t trust Lorenze. I trust his ambition.”

After getting burned by me once, Lorenze’s standing within Baltiche had shrunk considerably.

Because people suspected he had colluded with me, he was constantly under surveillance, and on top of that, he still hadn’t recovered from the losses he suffered back then.

Without a decisive opportunity, he could very well be expelled from Baltiche altogether, with the Medici family’s wealth torn apart by the other families.

That was why he had no choice but to cling tightly to the lifeline I offered him.

At this point, I had already done nearly everything I could.

“I should head back to Korea soon too.”

“Already?”

“Yeah. I’ve done everything I needed to. I need to meet Eva and tell her to keep tracking Michael Burry’s movements. After that, I’d say we’ve done all we can. Hyung, you keep acting like you’re maintaining the position. Pretend you’re still committed to that side. Then once I give the signal, dump everything. Even if it’s bait money, the amount we used isn’t exactly small. We should minimize the damage as much as possible.”

Han Kyungyeong nodded.

The moment Dreamhigh dumped the CDOs they had accumulated onto the market, panic would erupt.

Han Kyungyeong understood that better than anyone, which was why his expression wasn’t particularly bright even as he nodded.

After completing all the preparations for the future, I began getting ready to leave the country.

During that time, Director Max Walker flew to New York to meet me.

“I was surprised to hear you were coming.”

“Thanks to you, the amount of drugs entering the United States has decreased significantly. I came to express my gratitude.”

After shaking hands, I led him into the living room.

Without saying a word, Director Max stared at the New York nightscape beyond the massive windows.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? It’s probably the house with the best night view in all of New York.”

“I suppose it is. How much does a place like this cost?”

“I have no idea myself. I only know it’s the prettiest and most expensive house in New York.”

“Someone like me could never dream of affording this.”

“Hahaha. Honestly, if you’d wanted to, couldn’t you have?”

At my question, Director Max curled up the corners of his lips.

Ever since his days in Colombia, drug cartels had approached Max Walker countless times.

They had offered him enormous sums of money in exchange for looking the other way.

If he had accepted those temptations, buying a house like this would have been easy.

“Would I really feel at peace buying something like this after selling my conscience? Let’s sit and talk.”

As though the desires buried deep inside him had briefly stirred, he finally tore his gaze away from the view and turned back.

After sitting down on the sofa, I offered him wine.

“If you don’t mind, let’s have a simple glass of wine.”

Wine and cheese had already been prepared on the table.

After drinking a glass, we began talking.

“So, what brings you here today, Director?”

“I wanted to thank you. Drug-related crime inside the United States has decreased drastically.”

“Already?”

“Yes. Prices went up. We can’t realistically stop wealthy people from using drugs entirely. But after prices rose, the crimes that used to happen constantly in Harlem noticeably decreased.”

After speaking, Director Max lightly bowed his head.

Since those words came directly from the DEA Director, there was no reason to doubt them.

“Even so, don’t let your guard down. Even if the Mexican cartels keep their promise, drug organizations from other countries will try to fill the vacuum.”

“That’s actually why I came seeking your help.”

“Really? There’s still something I can help with?”

There was already too much on my plate. Asking for more help now? Honestly, I wanted to wash my hands of this entire affair already.

Perhaps sensing my reluctance, Director Max’s voice became more earnest.

“Please help the Mexican cartels wage war against the drug organizations in other countries.”

Without realizing it, I frowned.

This man really brought a bomb with him.

“The Mexican cartels only have influence within Mexico. Starting wars with drug organizations in other countries isn’t realistic. That could escalate into international conflict.”

“Our DEA will handle the groundwork ourselves. If we move directly, those governments will have no choice but to respond.”

Among the drug trafficking organizations in South America, the Mexican cartels were indeed the largest.

But that didn’t mean the cartels in other South American countries were weak.

Colombia’s cartels alone proved that point.

Even after losing influence to the Mexican cartels, countless criminal organizations still remained there.

“It won’t be difficult. Calling it a war sounds grand, but all we really need is to assassinate the key figures so they can’t unite. That’s why I came seeking your permission.”

“Ah, so you want to use the execution squad.”

“Yes. Isn’t it better for them to gain real combat experience instead of sitting around idle?”

I thought about it for a moment.

What Max said wasn’t wrong.

“And if the leaders of the organizations under the Committee learn about this, they’ll feel the fear of the execution squad firsthand. It’ll make controlling them much easier too.”

“Have you already discussed this with Ramos?”

“Yes. Ramos said he’d be willing to try it as long as he had your permission, Charlie.”

Instead of answering immediately, I stared directly at Director Max.

He met my gaze head-on without avoiding it.

I let out a quiet chuckle and nodded.

“Fine. We’ll do it. But this is the last time. I don’t want to get involved in this kind of thing anymore. This will also be the last time I meet you.”

The moment I gave permission, Director Max’s face brightened.

At least his convictions were genuine. I had to give him that much.

“You should head back now. I still need to finish preparing for my departure.”

With the conversation finished, I effectively showed Director Max out.

As he rose from his seat, he casually added, as though something had just occurred to him.

“Oh, Charlie. Thank you for what happened with Rafa.”

I gave him an unreadable smile.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“Haha. I figured you’d say that. Even so, I wanted to thank you.”

Director Max laughed along with me.

And just like that, my long overseas schedule finally came to an end.

* * *

After returning to Korea, I spent several days in Busan.

“So, how’s life in Korea now? Getting used to it?”

“I love it here.”

I chatted with Junho out in the yard.

It had been a while since I last saw him, and he’d changed a lot.

Maybe because he was finally eating and sleeping properly, the once-small boy had shot up in height, and his /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ body had developed solid muscle.

“Really? Then that’s a relief.”

“And...... Grandma treats me so well.”

Watching my reaction carefully as he spoke, Junho looked nervous.

I ruffled his hair and laughed.

“Our grandma’s the best, right?”

“Yes.”

“She talks about you too, you know. Says you’re such a good kid. Thanks for keeping her company.”

Ever since Junho moved into the house, Grandma had become noticeably brighter.

And after living with Grandma, Junho himself had become emotionally more stable.

They were both having a good influence on each other, and I honestly couldn’t have been happier about it.

“What’re ya doin’ out there! It’s still cold! Get inside and eat already!”

At that moment, Grandma opened the front door and called out to us.

Junho and I sat down at the dining table together.

The table was packed with food Grandma had prepared.

“Wow, it’s been forever since I had Grandma’s cooking.”

“Then stay home more often. If you were around, your grandma would feed ya every day. What’s got you so busy all the time?”

“Sorry. I’ve neglected you lately, haven’t I?”

“That’s fine. I’ve got Junho now.”

Grandma spoke gruffly, but honestly, I liked hearing that.

Having someone else in the house definitely seemed to bring more life into her.

Seeing her like that made me mischievous.

“Really? So you don’t need me anymore?”

“You little brat! You wanna keep running your mouth?”

Listening to Grandma’s scolding, I happily finished the meal.

After taking the fruit she brought us, I led Junho to my room.

“I’m glad you two seem to get along so well. But you know you can’t stay here forever, right?”

“Yes. I know.”

“How’s your GED preparation going?”

With an apple in his mouth, Junho nodded.

Seeing him eat so well pleased me, so I pushed more fruit toward him.

“I’ve been attending classes.”

“You probably won’t make it this year, but prepare well and get into college next year.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Have you thought about what you want to do?”

To be honest, even now I still didn’t fully understand why I brought this kid with me.

At the time, I hadn’t really thought about it. I just liked the look in his eyes. And his guts.

But Junho gave an unexpected answer.

“I want to help with your work, Uncle.”

“Hm? You want to help with my work?”

“Yes.”

Junho called me Uncle now.

I still didn’t know whether it was out of genuine affection or simply because I was the only person he could rely on.

“Hm. Do you even know what kind of work I do before saying that?”

“Anything. I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”

I hesitated for a moment.

Would that really be good for this kid?

When I didn’t answer immediately, Junho asked in a slightly uneasy voice,

“Uncle... do you not trust me?”

“Not yet. I can count the people I trust on one hand. And you’re not among them yet.”

It was cold, but true.

Junho was a wonderful companion for Grandma, but whether I could trust him completely was an entirely different matter.

“What do I have to do? How can I make you trust me?”

“Junho. The things I might ask you to do could be crimes.”

“I don’t care. If I’d stayed there, I probably would’ve ended up dead someday without anyone even noticing.”

I quietly looked into Junho’s eyes.

The gaze that had caught my attention back then hadn’t changed at all.

Coming to Korea and living comfortably beside Grandma could’ve changed him.

But Junho hadn’t changed.

“If that’s truly your decision... fine. We’ll do it. But if you want that, there’s a lot you’ll have to learn. It’ll be a hard life. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes. I can do anything.”

At Junho’s spirited answer, I called for Manager Ma. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

“You called for me, Boss?”

“Manager Ma.”

Placing a hand on Junho’s shoulder, I continued.

“Junho says he wants to help with my work.”

Manager Ma stared straight at Junho.

And Junho didn’t avoid his gaze.

More serious than usual, Manager Ma finally spoke.

“Junho.”

“Yes, Mister.”

“Helping the Boss means risking your life. Can you really do that?”

“Yes, Mister. I can.”

At Junho’s answer, Manager Ma nodded.

“What do you think, Manager?”

“If he’s still the same kid I saw back at Nampo Port, then I think he’s worth training.”

“Good. But he’s still lacking. I want him to go through proper training.”

“In that case, we’d need to bring him to Seoul.”

“Hmm, not yet. For now, build up his body first and find someone who can teach him martial arts.”

“Yes. I’ll take care of it.”

For now, keeping Junho beside Grandma in Busan was actually more useful to me.

“Junho. From now on, you’ll follow the schedule Manager Ma gives you. If you skip even once because things are hard, I’ll never give you another chance. Understood?”

“Yes, Uncle. I’ll remember that.”

Before leaving Busan, Manager Ma said he would leave one employee behind to train Junho.

“Do that. That way I can trust it more.”

The employees personally trained by Manager Ma were trustworthy people.

After finishing my brief rest in Busan, I returned to Seoul and immediately headed to Taesan Financial.