Chapter 6: Growing My Fortune and Moving Up

Three months.

That's how long I had been carefully and discreetly betting on K-League matches while spreading out my activities across different locations. Unlike a reckless gambler, I wasn't just throwing money at random outcomes—I was systematically using my knowledge of match results to build wealth.

I had followed a simple strategy:✔ Never bet too much at once—small, frequent wins were better than huge, suspicious jackpots.✔ Switch between different betting shops—never return to the same place too often.✔ Lose on purpose sometimes—to blend in as a "normal" bettor.✔ Keep a low profile—no flashy spending, no unnecessary risks.

By the end of three months, my small fortune had grown into something substantial.

🔹 Leaving My Old Life Behind

With the money flowing steadily, I quit my part-time job.

There was no reason to keep working for a few hundred thousand KRW a month when I was making millions from betting. My time was better spent managing my money, planning my next move, and ensuring my safety.

The slum-like area where I had been living was no longer suitable. It was too dangerous to store large amounts of cash in a place where anyone could break in. Even though I had been careful, carrying around large sums of money and living in a poor neighborhood made me a target.

So, I decided to move.

I found a better, more secure apartment in a decent neighborhood in Seoul, far from my previous life. It wasn't luxurious, but it had 24-hour security, surveillance cameras, and controlled entry.

The rent was 1.2 million KRW per month, a small price to pay for peace of mind and safety.

As I sat on my new bed, feeling the comfort of a real mattress instead of the hard, second-hand one from my old place, I took out my notebook and counted my savings.

🔹 Current Financial Status (August 2007)

💰 Total cash on hand: 58 million KRW (~$60,000 USD in 2007)🏡 Rent per month: 1.2 million KRW (Paid for 6 months in advance)🎲 Money allocated for continued betting: 5 million KRW (For safe, small bets to maintain income)🏦 Planned investment money: 50 million KRW (Reserved for bigger financial opportunities)

From a high school dropout with 78,000 KRW to having nearly 60 million KRW in cash, I had built my first fortune from nothing.

And this was just the beginning.

Preparing for the Big Opportunity

Sitting in my new secure apartment, I stared at the stack of cash on the table. Fifty-eight million KRW. It was more money than I had ever seen in my past life at once. Yet, in the grand scheme of things, it was still not enough.

I had a clear goal now—I needed to build a massive amount of capital within the next year to fully invest in the 2008 financial crisis when the markets crashed. That meant I had to scale up my operations and move beyond sports betting.

This was my one chance to reach the top.

The Path to 1 Billion KRW

I sat at my desk, staring at the notebook where I had written my financial goals. 1 billion KRW.

A number that once seemed impossible.

But I knew something that no one else in 2007 did—I knew the future. And with that knowledge, I had the ultimate edge.

If I wanted to turn my current 58 million KRW into 1 billion KRW within a year, the best option was clear:

🔹 Betting—The Ultimate Fast Track to Wealth

✔ It was fast. Unlike business investments, where profits took months or years to grow, betting provided immediate returns.✔ I had near-zero risk. Unlike normal gamblers, I knew exact match results before they happened.✔ It was scalable. I could increase my bets exponentially as my capital grew.

However, betting was dangerous. Not just because of legal risks, but because if I made too much money too quickly, it could attract the wrong kind of attention.

So, I needed to be smart about it.