Most people dream of becoming wealthy, and dragons were no exception—especially Hakase, who had recently become very interested in investing. After running a street food stall for quite some time, he managed to save about 50 million won in his bank account. To grow his savings, he decided to try his hand at the stock market. “Hakase!” a small child called his name from afar, running toward him in her bear pajamas and hastily worn sneakers. Seeing Byeol toddle over, Hakase smiled and asked, “Taiyaki?” Byeol handed him some coins from her coin purse. Hakase looked inside and saw it was full of coins. Even with a quick estimate, there were plenty of 500 won coins, probably totaling over 5,000 won—a hefty sum for such a small wallet. Lately, Byeol had been coming to buy taiyaki every day. “Here you go, enjoy,” Hakase said, handing her the taiyaki. Hakase chuckled as he sat down. Opening his smartphone’s stock app, he continuously monitored the market. With such a large sum of 50 million won invested, he couldn’t afford to take his eyes off it even for a second. Munching on a custard-filled taiyaki, Byeol waddled over to Hakase’s side. “What’re you doing?” she asked. “This is called investing.” It was a big word for Byeol. “Inbesting? What’s that?” Do-Jun put down his newspaper and glanced over at Byeol, who was sprawled on the living room floor, scribbling furiously on some sheets of paper. Was she practicing her Korean? Curious, he walked over and asked, “What are you doing?” “Inbest... Investing?” It was a word far too advanced for a child’s vocabulary. Momentarily puzzled, Do-Jun looked at the ten-ish identical sheets of paper Byeol was scribbling on. I got inbestment from Byeol. “All done!” Pleased with her completed investment confirmation forms, Byeol smiled. “Do you even know what investing means?” Do-Jun asked. “Oh? Do you mind telling me?” “First, you give your money.” “Then you get more money later.” Do-Jun chuckled softly. Honestly, she wasn’t entirely wrong. Besides the risk of losing the money, her understanding of the concept was surprisingly accurate. He had no idea where she planned to invest, but experiencing something wouldn’t hurt. “So, you’re investing because you don’t have enough allowance?” he asked. Byeol shook her head and showed him her wallet stuffed with coins. She had a total of 5,300 won. “No, I have too much. So, I decided to invest.” Byeol carefully put her completed investment confirmation papers into her bag and then rushed to the front door. “See you later, Daddy!” In the past, while affiliated with the Huashan Sect[3] in the Central Plains, Do-Jun had eliminated the notorious bandit group, the Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds, who had grown their power by plundering travelers. This act had earned him immense wealth, enabling him to live in luxury. Perhaps because of this, Do-Jun now placed little importance on money. The value he sought in life was not wealth but the peace of a mundane, everyday existence. Unfortunately, the dragon he was watching at that moment didn’t seem to share the same sentiment. Hakase had recently started trading stocks, and the market had plummeted immediately after opening, resulting in a loss of over 10 million won. “That’s why I keep telling you to buy lottery tickets, like me!” Kiriel sneered. “Shut up!” Hakase yelled back at Kiriel, who was wearing a smug grin. “I’ve told you before, I don’t care about money! This food stall is just a hobby, too! Making money isn’t the goal!” Hakase had even searched “how to get rich” online. If Kiriel ever found out, he would want to crawl into a hole out of sheer embarrassment. Meanwhile, Karsiel, sipping her cola in silence next to Do-Jun, glanced at Hakase and then shook her head in silent disapproval. It was a slow lunchtime for a weekend. On the first floor of a commercial building in Bangbae 3-dong, there was a Chinese restaurant that had been open for about three months. Named Manbokru, the restaurant was completely empty during what should have been a busy lunch hour. Every seat was unoccupied, with no customers, but plenty of flies buzzing around. Park Yi-Do, the chef and owner of the restaurant, let out a long sigh as he looked beyond the glass window. Outside, crowds of people bustled about. Many were office workers taking a quick lunch break, yet not a single group chose to enter Manbokru. Was it because of the economic downturn? Or was it simply that the food wasn’t good? “What am I supposed to do?” he wondered. He had taken out loans to open the restaurant, stretching himself way too thin. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect the business to be this poor. The monthly loan payments weighed on him, and he was already two months behind on rent. If this continued, he would have no choice but to close, leaving him with debt. The sound of the door opening reached his ears. Could it be a customer? Park Yi-Do’s expression brightened as he turned toward the door. Instead, what he saw was... a lone child. There wasn’t anyone nearby who looked like the child’s guardian. “Uh... Hi, kiddo, how did you get here?” Park Yi-Do asked. “I came to inbest!” Byeol replied. An investor? Out of nowhere? And the one saying this was a child? Park Yi-Do couldn’t help but let out a bewildered laugh. He felt ridiculous for getting even slightly excited by the word “invest.” His judgment was clearly clouded by the pressure of loan payments and overdue rent. “Sign here. Byeol will give you money.” Byeol handed him a form. I got inbestment from Byeol. Hopeful for a moment, Park Yi-Do read the paper, but it only drew another wry laugh. What on earth was he expecting from a child? “Sorry, little one, but I’m not in the mood to play right now.” At his words, Byeol’s head drooped. “This... is the last one... I just need this filled to finish...” Seeing that, Park Yi-Do scratched his head in confusion. He had no choice but to neatly write his name in the signature section. “Is this good?” he asked after filling out the form. “Yay! All done!” With that, Byeol had used up all ten of the investment confirmation papers she had brought with her. Overjoyed, Byeol smiled brightly, but after wandering around all day, she now felt the pangs of hunger. In the silent restaurant, the sound of her rumbling stomach echoed loudly. Park Yi-Do looked around the empty restaurant and let out another sigh, then chuckled. Since there were no customers, he figured he might as well go along with the child's play for a little while. “Looks like our little investor is hungry. Come, sit here, and I’ll whip up some jjajangmyeon for you.” “B-but... I don’t have that much money...” Byeol looked at the menu stuck to the table. The price of jjajangmyeon was a steep 6,000 won. Her entire fortune totaled 4,300 won—enough for snacks at the local store but far short of a meal at a restaurant. “Haha. It’s on the house. Don’t worry about it.” With that, Park Yi-Do headed to the kitchen and began stir-frying black bean paste. It took less than ten minutes to prepare the dish, and soon, a steaming bowl of jjajangmyeon was placed in front of Byeol. “Go ahead, try it,” he said. Smiling, Byeol dug in without hesitation, devouring the noodles eagerly. It took less than three minutes for Byeol to polish off the entire bowl. “Thank you for the meal!” “How was it?” Park Yi-Do asked. “It was super tasty!” Park Yi-Do gave a bittersweet smile. “I’m sorry. I’ll pay the overdue rent no matter what it takes,” Park Yi-Do apologized and bowed his head to the landlord. “Are you going to shut down?” Do-Jun asked him. “Yes... I can’t think of a way to keep it running...” The empty shop, where only flies buzzed around, reflected his despair. Do-Jun observed Park Yi-Do’s face, shadowed with fatigue and despair. At that moment, Do-Jun reached out and picked up a piece of paper from the table. It was Byeol’s investment form. “Ah, th-that’s...” Park Yi-Do stuttered, flustered. Do-Jun quietly set the paper back down and asked, “Could I have a bowl of jjajangmyeon, please?” “Oh... yes, of course.” Moments later, Park Yi-Do served a bowl of jjajangmyeon. Do-Jun took a bite and finished the dish cleanly in one sitting. “About the rent...” Do-Jun said, but was interrupted. “P-please, just give me a little more time,” Park Yi-Do said. Park Yi-Do exhaled in relief. Do-Jun added, “You can start paying it back once your business is more stable.” Do-Jun smiled. “Business is going to be good.” The next day, the restaurant bustled with activity. “Boss! Three bowls of jjajangmyeon and one order of tangsuyuk, please!”[1] “We’ll have two bowls of jjamppong, please!”[2] Park Yi-Do pinched his cheek in disbelief. Customers were pouring in like a tidal wave. How on earth did this happen? “This place is supposed to be really good.” One customer showed his companion a post on social media. On the screen was a brief status update from none other than Sword Emperor Lee Kang-Hyun: Manbokru in Bangbae-dong is really delicious. Park Yi-Do’s eyes widened in shock. How could he not know who Lee Kang-Hyun was? He wasn’t just Korea’s number-one Hunter—he was an international sensation, especially after leading the raid of the Core. Lee Kang-Hyun had never even been to Manbokru! At that moment, Park Yi-Do remembered what the landlord had said a few days earlier: “Business is going to be good.” Could it be his doing? Park Yi-Do thought. A few days later, on his way home, Do-Jun noticed an envelope in the mailbox. The sender was none other than Park Yi-Do, the owner of Manbokru. Opening it, Do-Jun found a long, heartfelt letter of gratitude and a small ticket enclosed—a lifetime free dining pass for Manbokru. Entering his home, he saw Byeol and Karsiel lying fast asleep on the rug in the living room. Judging by the open picture books scattered around, it seemed Karsiel had been reading to Byeol before they both dozed off. Do-Jun opened Byeol’s slim wallet, carefully placed the lifetime pass inside, and zipped it shut. Manbokru finally closed its doors at 11 PM. Although their regular hours ended at nine, the overwhelming line of waiting customers had forced them to stay open late. Park Yi-Do hung a new frame next to his business registration certificate on the wall. It displayed the slightly crooked “Inbestment Paper,” now beautifully framed. 1. Think of tangsuyuk as sweet and sour pork :) ☜ 2. Jjampong, or noodles in spicy broth, is one of the classic dishes on the Korean-Chinese restaurant menu! ☜ 3. Apparently, it’s also the real name of Mount Hua, one of China’s Five Great Mountains. ☜