23.The Arrival Of Ah-Chi

In the manager's office of the arcade, after sending Ding Qing away, Lee Tae sat alone, quietly reviewing the accounts. The arcade's cash flow was simple, averaging around one million won a day, with minimal fluctuations. Closing the ledger casually, he pondered how much the profits might increase after upgrading the circuit boards. However, the current arcade model felt somewhat basic to him.

Recalling future business models, particularly the "three-store system" widely used in Japan, he began to see potential improvements. So, what is the three-store system? Store A operates the arcade, selling game tokens only, and rewards players with prizes upon winning. Store B buys back these prizes from customers but cannot resell them directly to Store A to avoid suspicion. Therefore, Store C steps in to purchase prizes from Store B and then sells them back to Store A. These three stores are technically separate companies, yet this model allows Japanese arcades to legally bypass gambling restrictions and flourish. Due to its success, arcades elsewhere adopted the same model to minimize risk.

This approach may not be entirely "legal," but at the very least, it isn't illegal—and that's good enough! There are countless possibilities for arcades, too. Once the timing is right, he could bring in claw machines, mystery boxes, and more. An industry with long-term profitability like this simply shouldn't be overlooked.

After his recent big score, the cash Lee Tae now had roughly equated to tens of millions in Hong Kong dollars. This amount was more than enough for the ventures he'd planned, and it would allow him to recruit around a hundred men under his command. With these calculations, the start of his journey looked brighter, and things would only improve from here. Smiling to himself, he thought, "Since there's no going back, I'm going to live it up here; otherwise, what's the point of crossing over?"

"Boss," Zhang Qian said respectfully from the doorway, "someone's here to see you."

"Send him in."

The glass door opened, and in walked a man with perfectly styled hair, no eyebrows, and a hearing aid in his ear. Wearing a sharp suit, he was the spitting image of the "suit thug" from the movies.

"Ah-Chi?" The man gave a slight bow and spoke in a muffled tone due to his hearing. Lee Tae's eyes landed on the hearing aid again. This guy, a master with a folding knife and deadly skills, would make an excellent bodyguard. "From now on, stay by my side," he commanded.

He had long grown tired of living in a modest apartment. Now that he had money, it was time to upgrade his lifestyle. "Let's go." Tossing his car keys to Ah-Chi, he directed him to Yeosu's most luxurious hotel, Zeus Hotel, where he booked the presidential suite. Only then did he go pick up Han Ah-rin.

"Oppa!" she cooed, nestling against his broad chest. "You're finally back!"

"Missed me?" he replied casually. Ah-rin was beautiful, a doctor, and utterly charming—simply ideal.

As they entered the spacious 200-square-meter suite, Ah-rin froze, looking around in awe. "Oppa," she said softly, "are we really staying here? It's so expensive."

In South Korea, aside from government jobs, the professions with the most status are lawyers and doctors. However, she was only an intern, so her salary wasn't very high. A luxurious suite like this was far beyond her current means.

"It's not expensive." Lee Tae waved off her concern. "We'll stay here for now."

Blinking her long eyelashes, Ah-rin was finding it hard to understand her boyfriend. Just days ago, he had been barely scraping by, and now he had a luxury car and was staying in such an extravagant place. Could working for a gang really be this promising? But her heart swelled with pride at his success. She dashed over to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the distant sea. Even at night, large ships lit up the harbor, making for a breathtaking view.

"Do you like it?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her as she whispered, "Yes, I love it. I love being with you, Oppa."

"Tomorrow, we'll go shopping for new clothes. Forget the old ones." Gazing at the view with her, he added, "Out with the old, in with the new. The good days have only just begun."

"Okay," Ah-rin replied, her eyes sparkling. Just as she was about to say something, Lee Tae interrupted, "You can leave your hospital job behind now. Just focus on being a rich lady."

Traditional by nature, Lee Tae believed a woman's place was at home, not striving for independence. The concept didn't exist in his world.

"Oh." Ah-rin didn't protest. Lately, she had been working the night shift and sleeping through the day, so the job had lost its appeal anyway.

"In the future, I'll be going to Seoul to expand. I'll take you with me when the time comes."

"Really?" she asked, her slender, alabaster neck tilting up toward him like a piece of jade. "You're going to Seoul?"

South Korea was dazzling on TV, but aside from a few cities, most places were countryside. Yeosu, where Lee Tae currently lived, was a harbor town with a population of only 300,000, filled mostly with low-rise buildings. It was easy to imagine the conditions of inland cities. Seoul, on the other hand, was a true international metropolis, the center of the nation. For young Koreans, establishing themselves in Seoul was the ultimate dream, albeit an elusive one. Many people spent half their lives struggling there only to return home in defeat when they could no longer keep up.

"Yes," he said with a smile. "If you're going to do something, aim to be at the top. Life should be grand and full of enjoyment."