Whether or not he sensed what was on Seong-ho's mind, Il-gyeong Dan turned his head and looked out at the office scene visible above the conference room window.

"Now, from what I understand, this Future Advisory or whatever it's called is an office for stock-jockeys—so why is a stock-jockey playing at being a real-estate broker too?"

Seong-ho followed Il-gyeong Dan's gaze to the office, where people had now come back in and resumed their work, and answered.

"It started with stocks, that's true, but the business is gradually expanding."

"Expanding? What's there for stocks to expand into?"

"Not just stocks—bonds, real estate, and even deposits; we plan to broaden the scope of the business by degrees. And we intend to expand the territory too, from Korea across Asia and on to Europe and the Americas."

"You plan to? Are you the spokesman for this place?"

Il-gyeong Dan looked strangely at Seong-ho, who spoke as if he were the one running it.

It wasn't the sort of thing a client would say.

Seong-ho gave Il-gyeong Dan a slightly sheepish smile and explained why.

"I'm an investor in this place."

"An investor? You mean the owner?"

"Not the owner. I merely hold a 20 percent stake, that's all."

"You hold 20 percent of this place? Ha ha."

Perhaps finding it unexpected, Il-gyeong Dan burst out laughing and said,

"You're a busy man, aren't you. Holding the most important post in the Ilhyeon Group while being an investor in Future Advisory and sweeping up buildings all at the same time. However many things are you juggling—each one hard enough to handle with a single body?"

"It's all just done in odd scraps of time. With Future Advisory I've only invested; I don't take part in the management. And the buildings I'm only buying because the chance came up—it's not as though I'm devoting myself to real-estate investment."

"An interesting fellow. Very interesting indeed."

Il-gyeong Dan laid the cane he'd been leaning on across the table.

Had he been displeased, Il-gyeong Dan would have kept gripping the cane so as to rise and leave…