This message and implied threat meant that our New York funds alone were deemed enough to affect the global economy, thus a potential challenge to American interests. In other words, an ultimatum. The current White House wanted to know who owned 51% of Jonathan Investments despite being busy with its current lame-duck status, sex scandal, and abysmally low approval ratings. (EN: Yep, him. In 1998, this President had been elected a second time, and his term of Presidency would end in 2001, and due to the twenty second amendment to the Constitution, he cannot not be elected again. In American politics, an elected official in his or her last term, or the loser of an election, before his/her replacement takes office, is called a lame-duck. ^_^ )
“They may already know who you are. That means they want to publicly reveal your identity, or…”
I thought Jonathan’s irritation yesterday had merely been a setup for his joke. However, he may have wanted to talk about this situation and not the success of our group. I felt sorry for the stress he was under these days.
“Or, I should prepare for a Senate hearing. I need to check with our friends in Washington for their REAL agenda. Damn.”
Jonathan took out his cell phone and made some calls.
“I thought as much. They won’t subpoena me outright but they will have me on the witness stand, under oath to make me say your name. I will refuse to testify.”
Then, IRS employees would come in unexpectedly one day to take every hard disk and ledger in the Jonathan group. I had prepared paper companies in tax havens for this, and it would take at least three years for them to discover our firm’s secrets. However, in this golden era, right in the middle of the Dot-com boom, an aggressive audit could cost us billions.
“It’s natural they’re curious about me.”
The New York firm had grown too big after they had given us their pension accounts. We had known the exposure after getting the US Government’s pension funds would be a double edged sword.
“Tell them who I am. We have to comply this time.”
“That’s not the only thing they would be curious about.”
“I know. They will want to know how far I have intervened in our investments.”
“Yes. They will want to know why I had given an Asian teenager majority shares.”
“It’s all right. I will show myself to the public by next year.”
Jonathan brightened at my words, and he spoke like he suddenly remembered something.
“However…”
“Speak.”
“They may have called us because the Russian Chief of Staff is now the Prime Minister. Sun, did you know he was going to be chosen? It was last week.”
Did it already happen? I opened my mouth.
“Did he contact us?”
“Not yet, but he will after we settle his profits at the end of this year.”
I do not know the exact timing, but he will become the acting President after the current Russian President resigns. Then, he will become the Dictator of Russia. (EN: Yep, it’s THAT Russian president. In chapter 61, Jonathan bribed him. ^_^ )
“Continue to watch him.”
“I will.”
Jonathan breathed deeply.
“You really won’t take me with you for tonight’s party?”
It was obvious he wanted to change the subject.
**
Part of the profit Jillian earned during the Russian Financial War was used to buy a company called Golden Lands. I was Ethan, the CEO of Golden Lands for now. I saw glamorous models walk around under the instructions of professional party planners, to mix with the VIPs invited for tonight’s party. Golden Land’s opening ceremony was being held at a New York penthouse, near the company’s offices. I had been preparing this during the first half of the year, and now it was time.
I whispered to the planner to bring the company officers inside as the party was limited to the extensive balcony area. My employees came in one by one, and it was then they knew I was their boss. They looked at me with varied emotions.
“Hello, I am the one who brought you here. I am Ethan.”
They were all experts in the American real estate market. The only thing they would do at present was to buy the dungeon sites in America. Then, they would travel around the world to do the same thing in other countries. My memories were focused on Korean and American dungeons. The others I knew of were the special dungeons over A class that had been famous. I would need to buy them as soon as possible to monopolize the field before things even began.
**
I spent the last days in New York “decompressing” from the stresses I had felt in dungeons. I had chosen from the women who were interested in me, those who would settle for a carefree one-night stand and came back to Seoul two days before school began.
<Where are you?>
<I am at Hwasung. I couldn’t get through you. You must have been busy.>
<I’m satisfied that you seem to be better. I will go there.>
<Here?>
<I will arrive in two hours.>
I took a taxi from the airport to go to Hwasung. While the monolithic walls were still the same, I could see the young trees growing as I stepped inside. The grass was green in front of the hospital building, and the increased number of streetlights brightly lit up the newly paved access roads. This was the first time I had come to Yeonhee’s new workplace.
She was waiting for me sitting on a bench, and I thought her clothes would be formal, but she was wearing oversized cargo pants. No one would know she would be hiding a dagger there, as her eyes were innocent as she looked at me.
It seemed that the hospital was being adequately maintained as it was nearly closing time since this was more of a sanatorium than a hospital.
Yeonhee looked at me with a question in her eyes, and I answered.
“I know that you have something to say to me.”
She nodded and led me to her car in the outside parking lot. While there was nobody nearby, Yeonhee drove us to a more secluded area. It was completely dark except for a few lit windows at the hospital ward after turning off the engine.
“Have you used it yet?”
Yeonhee looked astonished at my question as I was referring to Isis’s Gaze. (EN: Chapter 102)
“You know what it is, right?”
“It seems so dangerous. I mean, I can use it on a person.”
The skills were not limited to monsters, and history would have changed if it had been so. Yeonhee was looking back and forth between me and probably her skill window. I took off the Deva King’s gloves as they would block Yeonhee’s skill at her current level.
“You need to test if the skill does what it says.”
I had been curious for a long time, as my will had not been controlled before. I had heard from those who had been like sleepwalking, except that one knew what was going on. They had been under a strong command that prevented them from acting on their own.
“Let’s test it.”
Yeonhee looked disturbed, and I told her that she needed to know how the skill worked to use it in the future. Her shaking stopped, and after a moment asked me with her eyes whether I was ready.
I nodded, and it was then a black aura came out from Yeonhee and seeped through me before I could really see it. The rumors had been true, as I felt like I was stuck between dream and reality. I could see what was going on and saw her face contort before she screamed.
The shriek was like a punch to the stomach, and I could see Yeonhee curl up in her seat, and bury her face between her legs with tremors shooting all over her body. I knew then her skill had not worked on me.
“Are you all right?!”
I saw that she was not, as Yeonhee could not even look at me, her body racked with uncontrolled shivering. I forced her head up, and only then she blinked, and actually recognized me. Her voice shook as she spoke.
“It was hell…”
I realized then that Yeonhee had seen one of my memories.