Chapter 19
I found an office near Gwanggyo Jungang Station, not too far from my home. The rent was 2000/140. It wasn’t brand new, but it had the advantage of easy parking and—best of all—was in a place where not many people passed by.
Considering the kind of treasures that might end up in my hands in the future, a high-traffic area wasn’t ideal for security reasons. So the fact that it was quiet here was actually a big plus.
“Phew… I think this should do.”
After setting up a desk, chairs, a computer, a safe, and even a refrigerator, the place finally looked like a proper office. Now, it was time to find teammates to work here with me.
Of course, I’d need someone like Manager Min to appraise treasures, but that could wait until after I found the next one. What I needed first was a partner who could join me in treasure hunting.
If the pattern on this treasure map so far was anything to go by, the treasures I’d find next would definitely be worth more than before. Banksy’s painting had been worth 7 billion won… So the next treasure? At least 10 billion, minimum.
Honestly, even with the Ripple coin, if I’d trusted the map a bit more, I could have made 10 billion or even 100 billion—not just 2 billion in futures.
‘In the end, trust is the most important thing…’
I was still mulling over how to find someone I could truly trust when my phone rang. [Caller: Pyo Ji-hwan]
It was Ji-hwan, the guy I’d lent money to not too long ago.
‘What’s going on?’
The moment I answered, his cheerful voice burst through the speaker. “Chan! Ha-young’s surgery went well! It’s all thanks to you!”
Good news. And honestly, while opening a new office, I couldn’t have asked for a better piece of news.
“Really? She’s okay now?” “Yeah! She still needs about a week of rest in the hospital for stability, but the doctors say there’s nothing to worry about from here on.” “Ha… that’s such a relief. Then once she’s discharged, let’s have a drink together.” “Deal. I’ll buy you a proper drink. And thank you so much, Chan. I’ll pay you back real soon! I even told the agency director that I’ll be back to work as soon as Ha-young is discharged.”
‘Wait a second… maybe I don’t have to look far.’
Pyo Ji-hwan. Compared to a stranger, he was far more trustworthy, physically fit, and an expert at field searches and tough tasks.
“Ji-hwan, you said you were in the UDT in the military, right?” “Huh? Yeah, I was. Why?”
‘Perfect.’
“Hey, you’re still in good shape, right?” “Of course… What else do I have besides my body? But why do you keep asking me this?”
I got straight to the point. “Ji-hwan, instead of going back to the field, why don’t you help me with my business? I’ll pay you well.” “…What?”
A week later, as soon as Ha-young was discharged, Ji-hwan came to the office just like I’d asked. He looked around. “Whoa, it’s pretty spacious.” “I’m still working alone, so there’s not much here. Have a seat. Want something to eat?” “Sure.”
I headed to the fridge. “How about some ice cream?” “Ice cream? Yeah, why not.”
I took out one of the many Häagen-Dazs tubs stacked in the freezer and handed it to him. He stared at me in disbelief. “Dude… Did Häagen-Dazs wrong you in a past life or something?” “I just buy them in bulk so I don’t have to keep running downstairs.”
I grabbed one for myself and took a bite. “Mmm… still the best. Anyway, Ha-young’s really okay now?” “Yeah. So healthy she’s running around too much at home now.” “That’s good to hear.”
He took another look around, ice cream in hand. “So… what exactly will I be helping you with? What does your company even do?” “Mainly excavation, development, and investment.”
He gave me a suspicious look. “Excavation, development, investment…?” “Eh… just a bit of everything.”
Even I had to admit, the more I explained it, the more I sounded like a scammer.
“So what’s the company name?” “Terramap Invest.” “What’s that mean?” “Terra for land, map for… well, map. And invest as in investment.”
Honestly, there wasn’t a deep meaning. I just wanted it to sound cool.
He looked uneasy. “Chan… It’s not some illegal gambling front, right?” “Come on! If it was, would I be stupid enough to set it up in Korea?” “…Fair point.”
“It’s nothing shady like that. Don’t worry.”
Still, he didn’t seem entirely convinced. So, I handed him the employment contract I’d prepared. “How’s this? 4 million won a month plus 1% incentive.” “What…? 4 million? You’re joking, right?” “Why would I joke? And the salary will go up later.”
Without asking more, he signed the contract and stamped it. “Boss, what’s first?”
First employee: hired.
[At the Sanctuary of Spice, there exists pure water. Beneath the highest floating mountain in that village with pure water lies a cave where the spirit of Goryeo sleeps.] [Location: South Chungcheong Province]
The next day, I handed Ji-hwan a piece of paper with the hint and location. He gave me a puzzled look. “What is this?” “Well, you see…”
I decided to show him the treasure map—it would make working together easier. I took it from the safe and laid it in front of him. “This is the secret behind how I’ve been making money.” “What… is it?”
I pointed to the hint and the location written on it. But Ji-hwan frowned. “What are you talking about? It’s just a blank sheet of paper.” “…What?”
To me, the hints were clearly written. To him? Nothing.
“Seriously? You don’t see anything?” “Why are you being creepy? I told you—it’s blank.”
‘Wait… so I’m the only one who can see it?’
For a moment, I wondered if I was crazy, but no—the rewards I’d gotten from this map were very real. ‘Actually, this might be good… at least no one can steal it.’
I put the map back in the safe. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
I switched the topic back to the hint. “This is classified information. If we solve it, there’s treasure there.” He thought for a moment, then nodded. “Fine, I believe you. Honestly, if it weren’t for you, Ha-young might not be alive right now. If I can’t trust you, who can I trust?”
“Thanks. So we need to find this place from the hint.” He read it again. “Sanctuary of Spice in Chungnam… This has to be Cheongyang, right? They’re famous for Cheongyang chili peppers.” “Yeah. Not originally from there, but if it says Chungnam, Cheongyang makes the most sense.”
The exact details didn’t matter—the map’s hints often worked in strange ways.
Ji-hwan stood up. “Come on. What’s there to think about? Let’s just go to Cheongyang and search.”
Quick to act. Definitely a good hire.
The trip to Cheongyang was easy enough. The problem started when we arrived.
“Damn… this place is huge.”
I’d lived in Seoul and the metropolitan area my whole life, so I never realized just how big rural counties could be.
Cheongyang County covered 479.6 km²—comparable to Seoul.
‘Where do we even start?’
We stopped near the entrance of the county to think. Ji-hwan got out of his car with a map. “Chan, this is way too big. We should split up.” “Yeah. I’ll check the downtown area, you head that way.”
He drove off in the company car, and I went toward the town center.
In a rural county like this, the internet wasn’t much help. Population under 30,000, most of them elderly. The only thing online about Cheongyang was information on Chilgapsan Mountain, the main tourist spot.
“Guess I should start by finding where the water’s clearest…”
In towns like this, the busiest spots were always near the local agricultural co-op or Hanaro Mart. Sure enough, there was a small commercial area there.
That’s when I spotted two elderly women selling wild greens in front of the co-op. They definitely weren’t outsiders—they had to know the area well.
I approached. “Ma’am?”
The one in a pink vest looked up. “Hm? Want to buy something?” “Not exactly, I just wanted to ask a question.”
She looked disappointed. “I’m just an old lady, what would I know…” “Do you know where the clearest water in Cheongyang is?”
She answered flatly. “Clearest water? That’d be Chilgapsan, of course… Now, if you’re not buying, move along. Haven’t sold much today…”
‘Hmm… not enough.’
Sometimes, you have to give them what they want first. “Ma’am.” “What now?!” “I’ll take all your greens.” “…What?”
I also turned to the woman in the hat beside her. “I’ll take all of yours too.”
“Is that… for real?” “Of course.”
Their faces lit up instantly.
“Where’s the clearest water?” I asked again.
Pink Vest looked at Hat Lady. “Jeong-sook, you know anywhere else?” Hat Lady thought for a moment. “No, just Chilgapsan.”
Both gave the same answer. ‘So Chilgapsan, huh…’
The problem was, it was a provincial park and a well-known tourist spot—if there was treasure there, it would’ve been found ages ago.
I was about to pay when Hat Lady suddenly clapped her hands. “Oh! Wait! There used to be a place—Cheongsu-ri. People used to say the water there was crystal clear. That’s even where the name came from.”
Pink Vest chimed in. “That’s right! Though… didn’t the water stop flowing well about 20 years ago?” “Hmm… maybe. I think so.”
‘Cheongsu-ri… in Cheongyang… This has to be it.’
Whether the water was still clear didn’t matter—the hint matched.
I handed each of them four 50,000-won bills. “Thank you, ma’ams!”
They looked shocked. “Oh my, this is too much!” “Even 50,000 each would’ve been enough…”
I grinned. “No, I bought so many good greens. Thank you!”
Then I called Ji-hwan. “Hey, Ji-hwan! Where are you?!”
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