Chapter 8

Detective Choi, the Top Crime Solver! Chapter 008: Becoming a Tycoon

“Ouch~ It’s not number 7…”

He glanced over and glared as if to say, "What’s it to you?"

“Manager Nam.”

“This race is a showdown between number 3 and number 5.”

I subtly hinted because I had marked a star next to number 7, making it obvious that I was betting on number 7.

He reacted.

“Who said that?”

“Trust me and place your bet. If you lose, I’ll take responsibility.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Just enjoy it on your own.”

“I’ll take responsibility, I promise.”

“Really? Stop joking around.”

His words and eyes conveyed a different nuance.

He had refused once, but now he was suspicious, wondering if there was something to it.

There are so many people like this at the racetrack that he didn’t really suspect anything.

That’s why he didn’t seem overly cautious.

“Since I’m not joking, just trust me once.”

“Where did you get your information?”

“I can’t reveal my source, but I’m sure it’s a sure bet. There’s only 1 minute and 30 seconds left.”

With only 1 minute and 30 seconds left before the betting deadline, many people were crowding the windows.

If 30 seconds more passed, it would be difficult to buy a ticket, so Kim Byung-mok had to make a decision—whether to follow his own analysis or trust my information.

“Just see if it’s not.”

Even if he says that, as long as he doesn’t exceed his personal betting limit, he can place a variety of bets. He will probably distribute his bets between the numbers he analyzed and the number I told him.

It’s hard for him to fully trust me.

‘Seeing how much he’s struggling, did he already lose everything?’

They said the cash and gold bars he stole from two houses were worth hundreds of millions of won.

It’s been about two weeks since the incident, and it would be hard to lose all that just by feeding horses.

Excluding that, he must have lost it all at an illegal gambling house or through some other means.

The betting deadline passed, and the horses lined up at the starting line.

With a bang, the horses took off.

Ten horses ran 1,400 meters in a counterclockwise direction, and even on TV, it looked dynamic.

They say once you get into horses, you can’t get out. Seeing the well-trained, muscular racehorses run, I got excited too.

‘Phew~ Is this why people get obsessed?’

As the horses entered the straight course after the fourth turn, I stood up without realizing it, and Kim Byung-mok was shouting, “Run!”

“Yeah. Run. Run~~!”

Number 3, a wild horse, took the lead after the fourth turn, and number 5, Hurricane, which was in the middle, suddenly picked up speed and started to catch up.

Seeing Kim Byung-mok on the verge of losing it, I looked around, and he wasn’t much different from the others.

“Ah…!”

“Wow~ Why is number 5 coming in now?”

“I’m going crazy. I almost bet on number 3, but this one is coming in.”

“Are you crazy? Number 3 is the favorite.”

The race ended with number 3 and number 5 finishing first and second, respectively, and people expressed a mix of cheers, regret, and anger.

“Wow~ It really came in?”

“Haha! Did you bet on it?”

“I bet half and half, but I’m sorry for doubting you.”

Half and half means he bet 50,000 won on each. With the payout of 34.8 times, he won a little over 1.7 million won.

It seemed like it was his first win of the day.

“Do you have any information for the next race?”

“Really?”

For someone who had stolen a lot of money, he seemed surprisingly hungry for more.

I gave him plausible information for the remaining races, but not all of it was accurate.

If I gave him information that was always right, it would be obvious that I was in cahoots with the jockeys.

* * *

I helped Kim Byung-mok win a little over 10 million won by the last race, and I managed to secure a little under 20 million won.

He said he wanted to buy me a drink, so we headed to a nearby chicken foot restaurant.

“I’m Kim Byung-mok.”

“I’m Choi Mu-jin.”

“Thank you for today.”

“No problem. We all help each other. But it seems your performance hasn’t been good lately.”

“I was having a rough day, but you saved me.”

“I didn’t save you. I just had a good day, so I shared my luck.”

“So, what do you do?”

“Ah, it’s a connection. Since you’re like an older brother to me, just speak casually. It’ll be more comfortable for me.”

“Sure, no problem.”

Kim Byung-mok smiled awkwardly.

They say there are no bad people, and looking at him now, who would think he’s a three-time burglar?

“What do you do?”

“I do whatever comes my way, so I don’t have a fixed job. How about you?”

“I used to be a civil servant at Dong District Office, but I was fired for accepting a bribe after having a meal with someone from a construction company.”

“Oh, really!”

“Damn, I was just unlucky and got caught as a test case.”

I subtly hinted that I was in a similar situation, but he didn’t seem suspicious.

“Do they do worse things and get away with it just because they had a meal?”

“That’s right. Even the chief always eats expensive meals…”

“Exactly…”

As one bottle of soju turned into two, and two into three, Kim Byung-mok’s tongue started to slur.

I started to feel a bit tipsy too, so I began to control my drinking.

I was much more sober than usual...

“I’m not the kind of person to live like this…”

“Seems like you have some grievances.”

“Yeah, there’s a saying, ‘The bear does the work, but the man eats the honey.’ I’m so disgusted… If it were an organization, it would be an organization, but they’re using me?”

He started pouring out his heart, complaining about the injustice he faced.

‘Organization?’

What organization is he talking about?

Could it be the organized crime group I know?

My ears perked up.

“Why are you so angry? Who’s using you?”

“There is. That bastard!”

“Such a person shouldn’t be left alone…”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“But why are you just sitting there? Usually, if you don’t say anything, they think it’s your right.”

“Damn! I want to, but that bastard is too strong. I can’t do anything. Sigh~”

Kim Byung-mok is one of the best burglars, but it seems he wasn’t doing it for himself.

Who is this strong person?

“What did you do to him…?”

I filled his glass and spoke as if to myself.

“Are you curious about who that bastard is?”

“No, just curious because you mentioned it.”

“Black Moon number three! Baek Sang-cheol is that bastard.”

Black Moon is a nationwide organization that controls Incheon.

The number one target of the Incheon Regional Investigation Team is Black Moon.

But I pretended not to know to keep the conversation going.

“What’s Black Moon?”

“Don’t know Black Moon? Well, most people wouldn’t. Black Moon is a nationwide organization. They do anything for money, from drugs to contract killings. They’re also close to businesses and politics, making it hard for the police to act.”

Kim Byung-mok’s emotions seemed complex, probably because he was drunk.

While listening, I wondered if he was complaining or boasting, as his voice was filled with pride.

He seemed to enjoy the superiority of sharing something I didn’t know.

“They’re scary people.”

“Damn right! They’re no joke.”

“But what did Baek Sang-cheol ask you to do?”

“There is. I haven’t found it yet….”

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

“Haven’t found it?”

I set the stage to make it sound natural.

“Yeah, I haven’t found it. Damn!”

“Finding something isn’t easy. But you seem skilled. For someone so scary to ask you to do it…”

“Of course. I’m the best. Between us, I can open a safe door like no one else.”

“Wow! Really?”

“Haha… I’m good.”

“I’m envious, brother!”

“What’s there to envy? I’m envious of your horse racing skills.”

“Ah, just lucky today.”

“I’m envious of that luck.”

I was about to dive into a more serious conversation, but Kim Byung-mok tried to get up.

I hesitated.

‘Should I stop him?’

No.

If I act too hastily, I might not get the answer I want.

Gamblers who feed horses can’t easily pass up Saturday and Sunday, so I thought I could get closer to him tomorrow and gently coax the rest out of him.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yeah, I have to. I’m drunk. If I drink more, I won’t be able to go to the racetrack tomorrow. You’ll come, right?”

“Of course. Saturday races are a must.”

“Haha! See you tomorrow.”

He waved and left, even paying the bill before disappearing.

* * *

By the time I got home, I was tipsy.

Our home is a 50-year-old, run-down apartment.

It’s embarrassing to call it an apartment; it’s more like a row house.

As I tried to enter, a sigh escaped me. Maybe the old appearance made me not want to go in.

‘Phew~ If I didn’t have hope, could I enter so easily?’

Now I have two 10 million won checks in my pocket, and next week, over 30 billion won will be mine.

‘I can’t get drunk on money, but I won’t live like this anymore.’

With the hope that I don’t have to live like this anymore, I happily passed through the old door today.

“Ouch. Where did you get so drunk?”

“Just had a drink.”

As I opened the door, I noticed Yujin quickly changing the TV channel.

But I had already seen the previous screen.

‘Laptop?’

It seemed Yujin and Sujin were watching a home shopping advertisement for a laptop.

Thinking about it, they’re at an age where they want a lot of things.

We didn’t even have a desktop computer at home.

“Do you need a laptop?”

As soon as I said it, I realized it was a silly question.

“Huh?”

“Let’s go buy a laptop tomorrow morning.”

“Really?”

“Home shopping is cheap!”

Sujin and Yujin’s reactions were slightly different, but they both wanted one.

Even though our situation had improved, they didn’t refuse.

Seeing Yujin say that, it seemed her mental state was improving, which made me happy.

“Let’s go to a store and get a good one.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll get you a good one.”

“Brother! Can we get an Oseong laptop?”

“Of course.”

It seemed they thought Oseong laptops were the best because of their after-sales service.

“Dinner?”

“Of course, I ate.”

“Hurry up and take a shower and go to bed.”

“Okay.”

Our house is so small that it only has two rooms and a tiny living room.

After a quick shower in the small bathroom without a bathtub, I went to my room and lay down, but I felt more awake.

I use the small room, and the slightly larger bedroom is used by the three of them. I thought I should move as soon as possible.

‘I’ll start looking for a new place next week.’

In a way, it’s late.

The lottery is next Saturday, so I should have started looking earlier to prepare for the move.

I was so drunk that I fell asleep without realizing it. When I opened my eyes, the sun was already up, and Sujin and Yujin were ready to go out.

Looking at the clock, it was already past 10.

I quickly took a shower, got ready, and we headed to the Oseong Electronics store in Jooan with Sujin and Yujin.