Chapter 31. A Ponzi Scheme (1)

Chosun Hyangwoo Association (朝鮮鄕友會)!

This was a gathering of Koreans who had left their hometowns for various reasons and settled in Hubei Province, a place I belonged to and where I received significant support.

Of course, that's not the important part.

"What's going on? You mean the association was scammed?"

What kind of trouble could my beloved association be in? The youth leader frowned, his face clouded with worry.

"That's right."

"Let's sit down first. I'll listen to the story slowly."

I brought a cold cup of green tea and offered it to him. He drank it slowly but steadily, then let out a quiet breath.

"Hmm. The green tea is quite refreshing."

"I'm sorry it's not better."

"No, it's fine. I feel a bit calmer now."

Though there seemed to be no visible change, having observed him for quite some time, I could intuitively tell that he had brought a serious issue.

"What exactly is a ponzi scheme?"

"The internal fund of the association has collapsed. The fund manager has fled."

But it seems like a rather minor issue.

"It's not a big deal, is it? This isn't the first time it's happened."

"This time is different in scale."

He shook his head and began to speak in a low voice.

"That's what I mean..."

***

The Chosun Hyangwoo Association in Hubei Province was known for its strong bonds compared to other provincial associations.

The mutual support was very strong, so much so that it often attracted people from other provinces due to its strong cohesion.

Naturally, there were many fund gatherings among the association members. I knew of about ten such funds.

There was the sow fund for buying pigs, the 60th birthday fund, the Sangdodong and Donggyodong funds for people from those areas, and the 60 fund for raising money to buy clean chickens, among others.

It was natural that there were occasional cases of fund managers running away with the money. How could there not be people who would take the money and run in a world of human affairs?

While it wasn't a frequent occurrence, it wasn't rare either. I thought it wasn't a big enough issue to cause such a fuss.

"But this time, it's not just that."

"Then...?"

"The total loss is over ten thousand silver taels!"

"Wha—!"

I was so shocked that I gasped. Ten thousand silver taels would be over 1.5 billion in modern terms.

An enormous sum of money, one that I might never see in my entire life as a bodyguard!

'If you save two silver taels a month, it would take 416 years to save up.'

A dizzying sensation swept through my head. It was indeed a massive amount.

"How could such a large sum of money move? Or rather, who managed it?"

It wouldn't be acceptable for the youth leader to claim he didn't know about such a large sum of money circulating within the association.

Depending on the details, I might have to report him directly!

Naturally, my voice became sharp.

But his answer left me no choice but to accept it.

"It was a women's group, so I had no idea."

"Is that so."

It couldn't be helped if it was a women's group.

The women's group within the association, often referred to as a shadow organization, was where he might not know what was happening.

Even as a high-ranking member of the youth group, interfering with the women's group was almost impossible.

"Let me explain how it happened..."

***

The incident began as follows.

There was an old fund within the women's group called the land fund, which was created for people who wanted to buy land.

Since land prices were high, the amount of money circulating within the fund was also significant. Therefore, it was a very secretive and exclusive fund, with strict membership requirements.

According to the youth leader, it was a fund with a history and tradition, having never collapsed in over ten years.

"But it has collapsed this time."

"Who was the fund manager?"

"Mrs. Kaesong."

"Mrs. Kaesong?! You mean that Mrs. Kaesong?"

"Indeed."

I remembered Mrs. Kaesong, having seen her a few times. Though she was a bit older, she was a beautiful woman, very sociable and friendly, and quite popular within the association.

"I can't believe it. I never thought she would do something so heinous..."

"I still can't believe it. Who would have thought she would do such a thing? Not only did she take the fund money, but she also took the operating funds of the women's group."

"That's why the loss is over ten thousand silver taels."

"I'm trying to control the information, but rumors will spread quickly."

I sighed.

"I understand. But shouldn't we chase after Mrs. Kaesong immediately?"

That would be the easiest way.

Recruit a pursuit team to chase her. She probably didn't get far, considering the weight of the money.

The martial world is different from the modern world, where you can deposit money in a Swiss bank and escape to a foreign country.

Money is heavy and difficult to exchange, as it's not in the form of paper bills.

For reference, the money in the martial world consists of copper coins, silver coins, gold coins, silver ingots, and gold ingots. These are all heavy metal chunks. Some are so heavy that they can be used as throwing weapons.

Paper money, which was printed in large quantities during the Yuan Dynasty with the slogan "Money can be copied!!", led to inflation and was eventually eliminated, a great tragedy in the history of the martial economy.

Occasionally, promissory notes issued by famous trading houses are used, but they are mainly for transactions between companies, not individuals.

In response to my question about recruiting a pursuit team, the youth leader said:

"It's not that easy. We've already sent pursuit teams, but they haven't found any traces yet."

"Hmm..."

"I suspect someone might be involved. There are rumors of unknown men lurking around. They probably have a gang."

I thought for a moment and asked:

"Is there a possibility that Mrs. Kaesong hasn't left Meyang County yet?"

"That's what we suspect."

I recalled the geography of Meyang County and the surrounding area.

"If so, they might be hiding here and planning to secretly cross into Anhui Province!"

"That's why I came to you."

"Indeed. I understand."

Ten thousand silver taels would require over ten boxes, each weighing several dozen kilograms. It's a weight that can't be handled by just one or two people. It would require professional help to transport.

The only organization in Meyang County capable of such a task is the Baiyun Escort Agency.

"If Mrs. Kaesong is moving the money, the Baiyun Escort Agency must be involved."

"Right. That's why I came to you. Can you help?"

I pondered. I didn't have to help, as it wasn't my fault.

But if this issue isn't resolved, the entire association could be in danger. If this fraud isn't resolved, the association might collapse.

'Considering my future position in the association, I can't refuse this request.'

After some thought, I nodded.

"I understand. Go back for now. I'll go to the escort agency and check immediately."

"Thank you. I'll leave it to you."

After he left, I headed straight to the escort agency. The sooner, the better.

It was quite late, but fortunately, Chief Jiang was still at the agency.

He was surprised to see me and asked:

"What brings you here at this hour? Aren't you still on leave?"

"Chief, I have an urgent matter."

"Urgent?"

For such a large shipment, Chief Jiang would know.

I asked if there had been any recent requests to move over ten boxes, without revealing the association's involvement, as it was related to a major fraud.

However, Chief Jiang's face hardened, and he replied coldly:

"I can't tell you what the escort agency is transporting."

"But it's related to a major fraud."

"It doesn't matter. It's beyond your authority."

"If it's proven that our Baiyun Escort Agency is involved in this fraud, it could severely damage our reputation."

"No exceptions."

"Chief..."

"Go back!"

I was clearly dismissed. Realizing there was no room for negotiation, I had to leave.

Outside, I slumped my shoulders. It was my mistake to approach him so casually, thinking I had a good relationship with Chief Jiang. He was very strict as the head of the branch.

Reflecting on it, his response was justified. The nature of the cargo is something lower-ranking bodyguards shouldn't know.

If I were a thief's informant, knowing the cargo and its destination would put the entire shipment at risk.

Therefore, only mid-level bodyguards and above are informed about the cargo and destination. Asking a new bodyguard to reveal this information was inappropriate.

Feeling frustrated, I composed myself.

'But I can't leave it at that.'

I couldn't just sit and do nothing. Time was crucial. If we missed this, it would be over.

While it was manageable within Meyang County or the nearby counties, crossing into Anhui Province would make pursuit impossible.

Anhui Province, unlike the rural county of Meyang in Hubei Province, has many large trading houses. Promissory notes are frequently issued and exchanged, even to individuals.

With the help of a suitable company, one could exchange silver for promissory notes at any trading house, then exchange them again at another trading house, effectively laundering the money and making it nearly impossible to trace.

'In that case...'

I decided to seek out Sima Yu, one of the few mid-level bodyguards I knew.

Fortunately, he didn't get too annoyed when I suddenly visited his home late at night.

"Hmm, you have a problem, huh?"

"Yes, brother. Is there any good solution?"

"There is."

I asked urgently:

"What is it?"

"First, buy some drinks."

"Huh?"

"Buy drinks."

What the heck.

***

"Come this way."

"Hehe. Sure, sure."

I took Sima Yu to the Longmen Inn where I was staying. He seemed excited about the drinks. The waiter bowed politely when he saw us.

"Welcome."

"Hehe. What should we eat?"

I stopped Sima Yu, who was looking at the menu with a smile, and said to the waiter:

"Southern Fried Chicken Thighs."

"Ah!"

The waiter's face froze, and so did Sima Yu's. The waiter confirmed the order.

"Southern Fried Chicken Thighs... Is that correct?"

"Yes. Bring it quickly."

"Understood."

The waiter bowed and left. Watching him go, Sima Yu asked, puzzled:

"Are you serious?"

"Of course."

"You're really serious, huh."

Sima Yu's face hardened. It was unusual for him to be so serious. The dish I ordered, Southern Fried Chicken Thighs, had a special meaning.

In the martial world, Southern Fried Chicken Thighs symbolized a serious intention to form a close bond. Without eating it, one couldn't be part of the "line."

Sima Yu's serious demeanor was understandable, knowing the significance of the dish.

"Since you're so serious, I'll tell you seriously."

'So, if I hadn't bought the Southern Fried Chicken Thighs, he would have just made some vague statements and gotten free drinks, right?'

I knew it.

"First, the cargo you mentioned hasn't come to our branch."

"Really?"

"Yes. If it were that much, I would have heard about it."

Sima Yu, despite his casual appearance, is a mid-level bodyguard, equivalent to a manager in a company. It's not a low position.

Why is he a manager? Because everything can be done by a manager. It's true.

In this rural branch, he would know about any significant confidential matters. Considering this, the possibility of him lying was very low.

"So, the silver isn't in Meyang County."

"Not necessarily."

"Why not?"

He picked up the Southern Fried Chicken Thighs and chewed them while speaking.

"It's stolen goods, isn't it?"

"!"

Indeed, thinking about it, it made sense. It was stolen goods, so it wouldn't be unusual for it to bypass normal transportation routes.

"I wouldn't entrust stolen goods to the escort agency. It's too risky."

"Really?"

"Yes. There's no proper documentation. You need to verify your identity when entrusting and receiving the cargo. It's cumbersome.

And it can be traced."

"True, that makes sense."

"So, we can rule out the escort agency."

"Then what route could they have taken?"

"There are several possibilities. Maybe they used the Wujiang Mountain Route, or they could have moved it directly. Hiring a few laborers would be enough."

I hadn't considered that, but it made sense.

"So, it might be hard to find them."

"Not necessarily. It might be easier. The movements of laborers are predictable.

If we investigate, we can find out quickly."

"True."

Sima Yu paused, poured himself some white wine, and drank it. I followed suit, and the wine washed away the greasy taste of the seasoning.

After finishing the Southern Fried Chicken Thighs, Sima Yu said:

"By the way, I have an idea."

"Yes?"

"What about visiting the Juejian Sect?"

The Juejian Sect?