Yeonhee was sitting down. She reclined in front of the window and drank a cocktail. Her silhouette looked like a poster from a classic Hollywood film.
“This seems like a dream. I mean, I never thought things like this would happen in my life. Thank you for today…”
“Don’t say that yet. We’re staying for at least two more days.”
“Really?”
Yeonhee reached out to grab the Cirque du Soleil pamphlet on the table. That show seemed to have left a deep impression in her mind. For me, it was Changho Cho. It was not the money but his arrogant attitude of entitlement. He reminded me of the atrocities the guilds under the Eight Goods and Eight Evils had done after they became uncontrollably strong. If there had been at least a fair distribution rate…
I decided to forget about a future that would not come. This time, I would make sure that dungeons were maintained under a ‘World Awakened Association.’ It would be the strongest group in history and would work as the core for the fight against the seven Demon Kings.
To do so, I needed to protect my assets spread around the world from the Nation-States, even in the countries where they were located, even after the Day of Reckoning. Since my plan was far and wide, I needed as much money as possible.
**
I had to put additional funds into the American real estate account. I managed to remember over a thousand American F class dungeons while conquering the ones I had already known. It was a large country, and the number was continuously increasing in my Palace. I wrote up the lists of newly remembered dungeons in my room computer and emailed them to myself as I recalled more and more.
However, I would need to use another way to get the money for the purchases since I could not do so from this computer. As the hotel was one of the best, it provided such services. I called a number from the list next to the phone, and a middle aged man who had a career in Wall Street came in.
“Congratulations. Did you have fun?”
“I want to play with more money tomorrow. Will the hotel block me?”
“I do not work for the casino. If you’re not cheating, what’s the problem?”
“It was a joke. Sit down.”
I got down to business.
“I have an account in Panama that I want to withdraw from, but there’s no way to do so from here. That is why I brought you in.”
While the list mentioned him as an investment consultant for VVIP guests, no millionaire would use him for such purposes. He mainly dealt with shadowy deals, in particular, getting a guest’s overseas money into his or her pockets somewhat legally. This was done through creating investment accounts for the client and connecting the guests with brokers who will lend money on short notice, using their foreign assets as collateral. A fast, quick and efficient money laundering service, finessing all those bothersome federal regulations on importation of significant liquidity into the United States. So, his job was getting gambling money for the guests. Therefore, my transaction was actually not that bad.
“What bank is it?”
“Silvermann, Panama. The account owner is Gold Wind.”
The man looked at his watch.
“I will bring an employee in the Panama branch who has authority by five o’clock tomorrow afternoon.”
**
The hotel service team worked hard to find a dress that fit and looked good on Yeonhee. White suited her. She wore an evening dress with jewelry rented from the hotel. The service team finished and left, gossiping and chatting.
“I think skirts are all right. The thought of my skin chafing made me wear wide pants, but…”
It took me a moment to realize she was talking about hiding daggers on her person. She placed her other dungeon items in her handbag and placed a dagger inside her dress.
We had found another dagger for her in the seventh dungeon. It was the Sinner’s Blade, which was a D class. It restricted enemies at a certain percentage and would be stronger than her other weapons.
Yeonhee wrapped the dagger blade with a handkerchief and tied it deep inside her thigh. While the method was rough, it was the best we could do since daggers and sheaths sold in this world had metal in them.
“Do you think this is all right?”
“If you’re not uncomfortable.”
“I still felt nervous when we passed metal detectors.”
Such detectors did not work on dungeon items, and Yeonhee always wanted to have a weapon on her. She was antagonistic of the other prior Awakened and remained wary of them.
We passed the metal detector again without a problem, and Yeonhee nodded as she got her handbag back.
Today, we were playing with ten million dollars.
“I wish you luck again today.”
I sat at the same place at the same table with the same female dealer, who smiled at me. Yeonhee sat next to me with wide eyes at the chips.
“You can lose, but it’s more fun trying to win.”
Our table’s minimum bet was ten thousand dollars. Yeonhee maintained the minimum bets, and her hand shook with each chip. Another woman at our table asked whether we were on our honeymoon.
The dealer won as Yeonhee tried to explain that was not so, and Yeonhee looked at the chip the dealer took with sad eyes. While her facial expressions lightened the mood, the dealer seemed nervous under her smile at my winnings.
The dealer gave up after an hour, as I had won a few million even withou the two million I had given Yeonhee. Other guests began to talk with us, and a couple who managed a food firm in Boston even invited us to dinner.
When the dealer changed, Yeonhee sent me a look. A man had been looking at me for the past thirty minutes, and his gaze was not normal. He sat at the next table. He was Caucasian, wearing expensive clothes. Did Changho Cho send him? However, I thought it was not so from his persistent gaze. The White House?
“Lose up to five million.”
I gave Yeonhee all of my chips, and she nodded like she realized something was up. I went to the restroom to see if he would follow me, and he did so after grabbing his chips.
He washed his hands and stood next to me, and it was evident that he was an amateur from how he tried to avoid my eyes here.
“My luck’s not good today.”
I was now certain he had an agenda as he spoke to me.
“That’s gambling. Good luck.”
I wiped my hands and got out first but did not return to the table. I went out of the casino and sent Mick a message. He was still following me from a distance, and I took him to a secluded alley that held the dumpsters from the hotel.
I could question him easily here without civilians bothering me, but one thing lingered in my mind. That was why I had called Mick and others, who now covered the entrance and the exit. They would not let him escape.
“Who are you guys?!”
I heard a surprised voice at the end of the alley.