Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"What?"

I stared at the grandmother who looked almost like an old witch.

Her wrinkled eyes slanted upward.

Her gaze was sharp.

Her tone was rough.

And now she was suddenly saying she was my maternal grandmother?

For a moment, I was completely confused.

A grandmother with fifty billion won in assets?

Ever since I regressed, strange things had been happening one after another.

At this point, it wasn't even a drama or a movie anymore.

It was just insane reality.

But the information floating in front of me couldn't lie.

Above the old woman's head, the numbers still remained.

[50 billion won. Repayment Ability: 100%.]

It was the ability that first appeared after my regression.

It had never once been wrong.

Then there was a real possibility that this old woman truly was my maternal grandmother.

If you're really my grandmother, couldn't you have shown up before I regressed?

Why did she only appear now?

After I had already suffered through everything and returned to the past?

"Of course, we still need to prove that you're really my grandson. Do it."

The old woman gave a short command.

One of the men behind her stepped forward.

Only then did I realize something.

He wasn't just some ordinary bodyguard.

He looked like a driver, but also a secretary.

His suit was clean and expensive.

His steps were calm.

His eyes never wavered.

Every movement looked planned.

As he approached me, I instinctively felt threatened.

For one brief second, I wondered if they were trying to kidnap me.

My legs tightened.

My muscles stiffened.

This looked exactly like something from a movie.

"W-Why?"

I lowered my voice, but I couldn't completely relax.

"There's no need to be alarmed. A few strands of hair will be enough."

His tone was polite.

But I was still uneasy.

At the same time, another man entered my room.

I immediately guessed what he was doing.

He was probably going to take my toothbrush.

They needed DNA samples.

I understood why.

But that didn't mean I liked it.

I felt less like a person and more like a piece of evidence being processed.

Their eyes seemed more interested in proof than in me.

"You're doing a DNA test, right?"

"You're sharper than you look. We went to the orphanage where you used to live. They still had the baby blanket you were wrapped in."

For a moment, I almost stopped breathing.

The baby blanket.

It had been the only thing connected to my birth.

But after regressing, I had completely forgotten about it.

Too much had happened.

Simply trying to understand my new reality had already been overwhelming.

I couldn't believe the orphanage had kept it all this time.

It was surprising.

And at the same time, I was grateful.

Something dropped heavily inside my chest.

During all those years when I had simply gone on living, that small piece of cloth had quietly remained somewhere, waiting for me.

A sudden wave of emotion tightened my throat.

So many years had passed.

Yet the blanket was still there.

Sadness and gratitude mixed together.

Only now did I think I understood why the director had never thrown it away.

Maybe he had carefully preserved it in case someone came looking for me someday.

Even before my regression, I had nowhere to go during the holidays, so I always returned to the orphanage.

Every Lunar New Year and Chuseok, I would buy a box of tangerines or apples and visit.

The director always came to the door to welcome me.

He gave me meals.

He treated me like family.

Those memories suddenly returned one after another.

I remembered the warm table.

The hand quietly patting my shoulder.

We weren't related by blood.

But he had been the closest thing I had to family.

A painful thought suddenly crossed my mind.

I wonder if the director is still healthy.

"Oh... that thing was still there?"

At my words, the old woman's gaze trembled slightly.

Pain and regret briefly appeared in those cold, hard eyes.

But the emotion quickly disappeared.

"Your mother's blood was still on it. That's why I'm almost certain you're my grandson. Still, there's always a chance I'm wrong."

There was a faint tremble in her voice.

For that brief moment, the old woman looked fragile.

I could feel the exhaustion of someone who had endured many years.

And wounds she had carried alone.

Without realizing it, I clasped my hands together.

An awkward and unfamiliar feeling spread through the room.

The only reason this old woman could find me was probably because I had left my address with the orphanage.

I never imagined someone would trace me that way.

But now everything was starting to connect.

Strangely, something inside my chest began to ache.

It was amazing that nameless connections could eventually find their way back together.

And for some reason...

I suddenly felt a little less alone.

"Anyway, I hope you're really my grandson. I don't have any other blood relatives."

My thoughts immediately became complicated.

Her grandson?

If that was true, then I would become the heir of someone with fifty billion won in assets.

Under normal circumstances, that would sound unbelievable.

The old woman certainly didn't look wealthy.

Her coat was old.

She wore traditional rubber shoes.

She looked like an ordinary elderly woman you might pass at a local market.

Anyone would assume she was simply an old woman who owned a few properties.

But my ability didn't lie.

The number floating before my eyes clearly said fifty billion won.

Assets.

Wealth.

Financial condition.

It all appeared as numbers.

My ability showed reality exactly as it was.

I looked carefully at the woman's fingertips, her eyes, and the wrinkles around her mouth.

The weight of her entire life seemed to stand silently before me.

Questions suddenly began pouring into my mind.

"Grandma, what kind of work do you do?"

"Private loans."

The answer came without hesitation.

I was speechless.

A loan shark?

I hadn't expected her to admit it so openly.

For a moment, my mind went blank.

That one sentence changed the entire situation.

Maybe she really was dangerous.

And yet...

Strangely, I didn't feel threatened.

Instead, there was something about her that felt trustworthy.

Her speech was relaxed.

Her eyes didn't waver.

The atmosphere around her was quiet but firm.

It was the calmness of someone who had survived for a very long time.

Experience filled every word.

She was the real thing.

Just by listening to her, I could imagine the kind of world she had lived in.

She had probably met countless people.

She could probably smell money instinctively.

She must have become skilled enough to see through people's true nature.

Which meant I should be even more careful around her.

"Even if you're not my grandson, meeting like this is still fate. If you ever need money, come find me. I'll even lend it to you without deducting the interest in advance. You never know what life will bring. Looking at the way you're living now, you'll probably have to meet someone like me at least once someday."

Every word was realistic.

It wasn't really a proposal.

It was closer to a statement of fact.

Considering my situation, she wasn't wrong.

It wasn't a polite threat.

It wasn't simply kindness either.

She was just stating reality.

And I could tell.

This woman genuinely wanted me to be her grandson.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone this far.

Her attitude showed that she had already prepared herself for everything.

A loan shark with fifty billion won?

Then she must own a private lending business somewhere.

Maybe she was even famous in that world.

But the real question started now.

What should I say in this situation?

This opportunity was too big to simply stand there and act surprised.

With my ability, I could dominate this entire industry.

I could see people's wealth, debts, credit, and repayment ability in real time.

The moment someone stood in front of me, numbers appeared above them.

I knew how much they owned.

How much they could borrow.

How much they could repay.

I didn't need their permission.

I didn't even need their name.

I only needed to see their face.

If I had become a banker, I would probably already be running the entire bank.

No.

Maybe I would have bought the bank itself.

"Grandma, I'm pretty good at reading faces."

I deliberately said it that way.

I couldn't reveal my supernatural ability.

But I could give her a hint.

"What? Hohoho. Are you some kind of con artist?"

A con artist?

That was what she meant.

"I'm definitely not a con artist. But looking at your face, Grandma... I'd guess you have around fifty billion won in assets."

"Do I look rich to you?"

She tilted her head slightly.

There was even a faint hint of humor in her voice.

It sounded like a joke.

But I could also feel that she was testing me.

I answered without hesitation.

Her clothes were simple.

An old-fashioned floral jacket.

Wrinkled hands.

An old handbag.

Not a single luxury item.

No jewelry.

Nothing.

People often judged wealth by clothing.

But most truly wealthy people I had seen were surprisingly frugal.

There was a difference between showing off and being genuinely rich.

"Simple" was probably the better word.

People who truly had money tended to be more careful and restrained.

Her speech was the same.

There was a strange sense of composure in it.

She never pressured anyone unnecessarily, but her center never shook.

Clear eyes that belonged to someone who had dealt with people for decades.

A firm voice.

And real confidence.

The kind of strength that only appeared in someone who had lived through many things.

"And I don't think you have any debt. Since you said you're in private lending, I'm guessing you're pretty famous in the industry and very successful. And if you've succeeded this much, your credit must be excellent. You probably value gaining trustworthy people more than making immediate profits."

That was all true.