Chapter 293: Chulsoo88 (1)

A worn sofa and a low table.

Two men sat facing each other, legs splayed wide, vigorously mixing their jjajangmyeon.

Slurp, slurp, slurp.

They scooped up heaping portions of the glistening noodles and devoured them ravenously, slurping them down as if their lives depended on it.

In less than five minutes—including the time it took to mix the noodles—an entire bowl of jjajangmyeon had vanished without a trace.

After scraping every last drop of sauce with their pickled radish slices and wiping their mouths with chopstick wrappers, one of them spoke.

“I think they must have changed the chef here.”

“Right? It doesn’t taste as good as it used to.”

“From now on, let’s order from Dongbosheng.”

“Got it.”

Considering they had practically licked their bowls clean, their criticism seemed surprisingly harsh.

After their quick meal, the younger of the two men, who was clearing the empty dishes, suddenly spoke up as if a thought had just occurred to him.

“Oh, right, Hyung. Did you hear about this?”

“What news?”

“Apparently, some big spender has been throwing money around lately.”

The mention of a “big spender” piqued the interest of Park Dongshik, president of the Dongsik Detective Agency.

“A big spender?”

“Well, you know… they say he’s looking for someone and offering a hefty down payment in ‘yellowish stuff.’”

“Yellowish stuff?”

“Ah, you know. No need to beat around the bush—it’s gotta be gold, right? Pure gold!”

“Our Yangchul’s really grown up, huh? You’re almost forty yourself. Should we have a little cleansing ritual soon?”

“Ahem… Anyway, this big spender has been going around to all the detective agencies in the area, making the same request.”

Park Dongshik reluctantly let his younger brother’s awkward attempt to change the subject slide.

“Just how much gold are they throwing around to cause such a fuss?”

“I heard it’s over 100 grams.”

“How much is that worth?”

Park Dongshik quickly checked the current gold price on his smartphone. His eyes widened when he saw that 100 grams was worth over 7 million won.

“Are you sure it’s 100 grams? They’re handing out gold bars that size as a down payment?”

“Yeah, that’s what I heard! But here’s the weird part… those gold bars don’t have serial numbers.”

“Is that even allowed? Aren’t serial numbers required for trading?”

“I wouldn’t know. But I checked, and they’re 99.9% pure. So there’s nothing wrong with the gold itself.”

“Where did you hear that story?”

“From Mansik at the other office.”

“Mansik? That Mansik from Bitnari Detective Agency?”

“Is there any other Mansik I know?”

“You little shit! Didn’t I tell you not to fraternize with those guys? We’re already fighting over scraps—why the hell are you cozying up to the competition?”

“What’s the point of fighting over scraps when there’s nothing to divide? Both our offices are dead as doornails these days. What’s the point of fighting?”

”…”

“Besides, to be honest, if I hadn’t been friendly with Mansik, I wouldn’t have gotten this information.”

Park Dongshik couldn’t argue with Gwak Yangchul’s point. Instead, he grumbled with a sour expression, “What’s the use of gathering all this information if the real benefactor never comes to us?”

“Exactly,” Gwak Yangchul replied. “Bitnari Detective Agency is practically next door… why wouldn’t he come here instead?”

“But who is this guy anyway, throwing around advance payments like that? Some nouveau riche hiring us to dig up dirt on his cheating mistress?”

“I’m not sure about that. I didn’t pry into the details of the job itself. But from what I heard, he’s quite young. Oh, and he’s a foreigner.”

“A foreigner?”

“But he speaks Korean fluently.”

”…”

A young foreigner fluent in Korean is going around detective agencies, showering them with gold?

Something smelled fishy.

“Did anyone mention what this foreigner looks like?” Park Dongshik asked.

“Handsome, apparently,” Gwak Yangchul replied.

“This bastard…” Park Dongshik muttered.

“What else are you supposed to say if he’s handsome?” Gwak Yangchul retorted.

“He must have some distinguishing features!”

“Hmm… let me think.” Gwak Yangchul scratched his cheek, then abruptly stopped. His gaze drifted past Park Dongshik’s shoulder, and he spoke as if in a trance. ”…They said he looks exactly like that.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Park Dongshik turned his head, puzzled.

Just then, Louis strode through the tempered glass door, filling their view. “I’m here to hire your services.”

Park Dongshik and Gwak Yangchul exchanged a quick glance.

Is that him?

Looks like it.

They had worked together for over a decade.

Now, they could understand each other with a single glance. Their roles were perfectly divided, each knowing exactly what to do.

Clatter!

Gwak Yangchul whisked away the empty dishes with lightning speed.

“Welcome! Welcome!” Park Dongshik greeted with a radiant smile, hurrying toward the door.

“Please, have a seat over here.”

In the meantime, Gwak Yangchul had already placed paper cups filled with green tea on the table. Their speed defied description—it was almost supernatural.

“I apologize, but green tea is the only beverage we have prepared.”

Louis chuckled softly, watching the two men bowing obsequiously before him. Without warning, he pulled a gold ingot from his pocket and placed it on the table. Park Dongshik and Gwak Yangchul’s eyes sparkled at the sight.

“Judging by your reaction, you must have heard something somewhere,” Louis remarked.

“Haha…” Park Dongshik responded with an awkward laugh, his tone hesitant.

Louis didn’t bother pointing out the obvious. In fact, he preferred it that way. No need for unnecessary explanations.

He cut straight to the point. “This is an advance payment. If you find the person I’m looking for, I’ll give you two more like this. And…”

”…?”

“I’ve already visited nine detective agencies. The first one to find the person and contact me will receive an additional five.”

”…?!”

Park Dongshik’s mind began racing. 7 million won just for accepting the case, another 14 million upon resolution, and a special bonus of 35 million?! This was the largest commission he’d ever received, not just recently, but in all his years running the detective agency.

Gulp.

He swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry.

Park Dongshik nervously scrutinized Louis. This guy’s no ordinary client.

In my line of work, I’ve met countless people. That’s why I’ve developed a certain intuition when face-to-face with someone. I can usually tell if they’re putting on an act to appear important, or if they genuinely have connections.

In Louis’s case, it was the latter. Though polite and respectful, there was something he couldn’t quite conceal. The eyes of someone accustomed to ordering people around. Arrogance, coupled with towering self-esteem and confidence—I could sense it radiating from Louis’s gaze.

Park Dongshik straightened his posture. “Who are you looking for?”

“Someone who used to publish a webtoon on a personal blog under the nickname ‘Chulsoo88’.”

“Hmm… is that all you know?”

“If I knew more details, why would I be paying you a fortune to investigate?”

“Haha, you’re right. By when do you need this done?”

“As soon as possible.”

With that, Louis left a piece of paper on the table and stood up.

“Just contact me when you find them.”

Then he walked away without a backward glance, acting as if the advance payment meant nothing.

After Louis left, Park Dongshik picked up the note from the table. A low murmur escaped his lips:

“What an eccentric.”

“And he’s a benefactor, too? The kind who brings wealth and good fortune?” Gwak Yangchul grinned slyly.

Park Dongshik returned the smile. “Don’t even think about going home for a while.”

“Will we get a bonus when this job’s done?”

“What if we pocket the extra special allowance?”

“What are you waiting for? Get moving!”

Although their agency received the case slightly later than other detective agencies, it was only a matter of a day or two.

We’ve got a real shot at this! Park Dongshik and Gwak Yangchul were confident. When it came to finding people, they were the best.

And so, spurred by the gold Louis had promised, countless individuals set out to find Chulsoo88.

A luxury hotel in an exclusive district of Seoul.

An opulent suite costing over a million won per night.

Louis gazed at the glittering Seoul skyline and murmured, “Money really does make things easier.”

A million won a night?

Back in his previous life, when he trembled at the thought of paying 350,000 won for a month’s rent, this kind of extravagance would have been unimaginable.

Making money is surprisingly easy, Louis thought.

His method was simple: he had an agent dispose of the gold and jewelry he possessed. Due to his uncertain identity, he had to pay a hefty commission, but even after that, he still received a considerable sum—an amount he could only have dreamed of in his past life.

With money in hand, everything else fell into place effortlessly.

Residential area, clothing, contact information, even a false identity—all secured in a single day.

Louis was struck anew by the immense power of money in a capitalist society.

Having taken care of his immediate needs, he began his full-fledged search for Chulsoo88. He had already commissioned inquiries from roughly a dozen different sources.

Now, all he could do was wait for a response, but Louis’s expression remained troubled.

I need to hear back as soon as possible…

His anxiety stemmed from the relentless passage of time.

Over the past few days, Louis had uncovered a startling truth: barely five years had passed on Earth since his death.

Five years on Earth… Five hundred years on Evan…

The time ratio was a staggering 1 to 100. Every day spent on Earth translated to 100 days passing on Evan.

The problem is, even that isn’t entirely accurate.

This was all just Louis’s speculation; he had no way of knowing exactly how time flowed differently between Earth and Evan. The time ratio could be smaller, or it could even be larger.

A single day here could mean a year on Evan.

Even as he stood there, Louis couldn’t imagine what Kaiders might be plotting on Evan. If decades had passed by the time he returned, it wouldn’t be surprising to find Evan under Kaiders’s control.

…I have to believe.

If Balotus had escaped to Silver Flower Castle, the other dragons would surely have taken countermeasures. For now, trusting them and focusing on what he could do was his best course of action.

Well, finding Chulsoo88 seems to be roughly settled for now. The real problem is this…

Louis glared at the smartphone in his hand. A smartphone that refused to power on.

And the device that would take him back to Evan.

He bought a charger and plugged it in, but there was no sign of it charging.

Was it really a one-time use thing?

A creeping anxiety began to fester in Louis’s chest.

“Ah, this is driving me crazy. I really need to get back there soon…”

If Louis stayed on Earth, he could live a life of unparalleled luxury, free from any threat or hardship. Yet he desperately wanted to return to Evan.

Because that place had become his true home.

A family overflowing with blind, unconditional love, perhaps to an excessive degree. Friends who, despite their constant bickering and occasional shortcomings, truly understood him. Comrades and acquaintances forged through years of shared experiences.

Things he’d never had before—things he might crave even more than money itself.

Because everything he cherished remained in Evan, Louis knew he had to return.

But to do so, he had a mountain of problems to resolve.

One step at a time… It’s only been three days. Let’s take it easy.

Louis repeated these words to himself, forcing himself to relax.

“Right, I’ll probably end up in a knock-down, drag-out fight with Kaiders later anyway… For now, let’s just think of this as a vacation.”

With that thought, Louis shook off his worries and turned around.

“Time for a midnight snack.”

The most satisfying thing about being back on Earth was rediscovering the true flavor of MSG, which he’d almost forgotten.

The combination of ramen and kimchi, in particular, was so delicious it could make him temporarily forget about his troubles in Evan.

And with his metabolism allowing him to eat endlessly without gaining weight, Louis had spent the past three days indulging in a culinary binge.

“Hmm~”

Louis walked away with a slightly giddy expression, his steps light.

Dring-dring.

The default ringtone of Louis’s latest smartphone sounded.

“Huh?”

Thinking it might be spam, Louis glanced at the 010 area code and answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Good evening, President. We met earlier today around lunchtime. This is Park Dongshik from Dongsik Detective Agency.”

The caller was the president of the detective agency Louis had visited last, around lunchtime.

Did he already find something?

It was already around 10 PM. Since Louis had visited the office around 1 PM, only about nine hours had passed. It seemed too soon to expect any results. As a result, Louis’s voice remained utterly impassive.

“Yes, hello.”

“I apologize for calling so late.”

“It’s no problem. What can I do for you?”

“Um… I was just wondering if you’ve received any updates from other agencies saying they’ve already located her?”

Louis shook his head, detecting a hint of concern in Park Dongshik’s voice.

“No, not yet.”

“Ah! That’s a relief!” Park Dongshik’s voice suddenly brightened. “Then we’ll be number one!”

”…What do you mean?”

“Haha! Yes! We found him! We scoured his entire residence and finally tracked him down!”

A strange light flickered in Louis’s eyes at Park Dongshik’s words. His voice grew urgent. “Where is he? No, I’ll head to the office right now.”

“Huh? You’re coming now? It’s late… Should we wait until tomorrow?”

“If this is the person I’m looking for, I’ll pay you a special overtime bonus.”

”…Not that it matters! In two hours, it’ll be tomorrow anyway! Two hours is nothing! I’ll get everything ready right away!”

Excited, Park Dongshik hung up the phone with a cheerful click. Louis stared at his now-darkened smartphone screen.

“Guess I’ll have to skip my late-night snack for now.”

His eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Poof!

In an instant, he vanished from the room.