Streaming Life After Paying Off Debt - Chapter 37
People do not pay attention to others when they are talking in a cafe.
“Wow… I was wondering what kind of nonsense it was to come all the way out to this cafe. There was a reason after all…”
“Did you ever see me deceive you? How is it? Was it worth coming?”
“f*ck, I love you, my friend.”
From these trivial conversations,
“I wish I were only 10 years younger. Right now, it’s like a chicken coop…”
“You crazy pedo b*stard.”
To slightly inappropriate conversations.
Maybe thinking their words would be drowned out by the bustling noise, they speak freely about topics they usually cannot in front of others.
However, I learned one thing while working part-time at the cafe.
“I can hear everything~”
Working part-time at a cafe is a profession optimized for eavesdropping.
Of course, it is called eavesdropping, but I do not listen carefully.
Usually, I just passively hear it.
“I… I only trusted the teacher and took a loan to invest…”
“Mother, please calm down for now, just wait a little longer.”
“How can I wait longer?! My daughter has already found out that I took a loan!!”
The reason I became focused on the conversation at the window table was complex.
It could be that someone familiar came to mind based on the woman’s appearance, or perhaps it was because I sensed a fraudster’s vibe from the man.
“You saw us succeed with the coin, didn’t you?”
“Right! I want some of that successful Udon Coin… You said you’d give it, so why haven’t you?”
“Mother… I have to say it again, Udon Coin is over! Over!”
However, there was one thing that was certain in an unclear situation.
“So… that b*stard is related to Udon Coin?”
A hundred million won resentment is very deep.
“What menu would you like to order?”
“Ah… Um…”
While attending to customers, my focus is entirely on the window table.
Perhaps scared by the shouting man, a trembling voice could be heard.
“Then… what about me, who believed in that and put in my money…”
“Mother. We are in trouble too… We have been repeatedly telling you that selling is prohibited until the designated date, but someone broke that rule and sold everything.”
“It’s not my fault… I haven’t received anything… Then at least give me back the money I invested.”
“Sigh… Did we embezzle that money? We spent it all on creating coins! Where’s the leftover money?!”
The man, who seemed to be yelling at the woman, appeared more aggressive in response to her demands.
As I was about to intervene in that insufferable man’s attitude, a voice like a snake dirtied my ears.
“But it’s fortunate that you met a person like me with a conscience. Although we can’t give you Udon Coin, considering your unfortunate situation, we will give you a pre-purchase right for a new coin we are currently developing.”
“I have no more money…”
“Oh! Do you think I would ask for money from a VIP customer like you? You don’t need to worry. All you need to do is agree to film a few videos with your daughter, the broadcaster.”
Pushed to the brink before offering a bribe, the situation gave me a furrowed brow at the cunning way he manipulated his opponent.
“I don’t have the right to say that to my daughter right now…”
“Mother. If this goes on, you will truly become a victim who has been scammed to your daughter. But if you take just one step further from here, you can pay off all your debts and become a solid sponsor for your daughter.”
“Is that so…? Then right now I should contact…”
A shaky hand pulls a mobile phone from her bag.
The person who stopped that action was the man who had been encouraging the woman until now.
“Mother! What are you believing that you’re starting this right now?!”
“Excuse me??”
“I… Luckily, you met a nice person like me. If it had been someone else, you would have been really scammed.”
“So what should I do…?”
“We will hold a presentation for a new coin we are listing nearby. You can see the atmosphere there and decide after listening to our explanation.”
The snake-like man controlled the pace and swung the person as he wanted.
Even the mask of pretending to be good couldn’t hide the smell.
The disgusting odor of a sewer wafted through the pleasant aroma of coffee.
“Really, we need more honest people like teachers…”
“Haha. It’s hard to find a good person in the first place. In that sense, Mother, you are the luckiest person. Now, shall we embark?”
“Yes!”
With those words, the two men and women left the cafe.
I wanted to chase after them right away, but my remaining working hours held me back.
After anxiously watching the direction the two left for five minutes, the long-awaited quitting time finally arrived.
“I’m leaving first! I’m sorry, manager!”
Once I confirmed this, I dashed out onto the street.
Seeing the woman who looked terribly thin, as if she had suffered greatly, she probably hadn’t moved far.
I ran around the nearby area centered on the cafe.
“Ah… Did I miss them?”
However, no matter how much I searched the surroundings, the man and woman could not be seen.
Realizing they might have left in a car, I stopped in my tracks.
“That b*stard, I feel like I must catch him…”
At first, it was simple resentment, but listening to conversations turned my goal into rescuing a fraud victim.
However, as the situation had already slipped from my hands, I was contemplating whether to report it to the police when
“Give me back my money! You bunch of fraudsters!”
A voice full of resentment echoed.
I ran toward the direction the sound came from.
When I arrived, a man was sitting on the ground, crying.
“How did I earn that money! I’ll k*ll all you fraudsters! I’ll d*e too!”
“Sir, we didn’t steal your money, you all invested it yourself, calling us fraudsters… that’s too harsh.”
The middle-aged man who was howling, and the man responding to him with a slouchy demeanor caught my eye.
“I found you.”
The face radiating snake-like energy was the one I had been searching for.
However, while I was looking around for the absent woman, a middle-aged voice filled with sorrow came through.
“I didn’t know! My wife secretly brought that money! Give me back my money!!”
“Couples are one heart. If your wife took the money, you should look for it from her, how can you come to us?”
The scammer continued to spew mockery as if deliberately provoking the grieving middle-aged man.
Unable to bear it any longer, the middle-aged man rose and lunged at him.
“I’ll go to jail, but I will definitely k*ll you all!”
At that moment, as if waiting for this moment, the police burst out of the building.
“You must not cause a disturbance.”
“No! That b*stard is a fraudster! That b*stard stole my money!!!”
However, as if they couldn’t hear the man’s voice, the police silently escorted the middle-aged man away.
“Arrest that fraudster, not me!!!”
Behind the man being taken away by the police, the scammer’s lip movements were clearly visible.
-How is that your money, you idiot-
After the commotion ended, the scammer went into the building where the police had come from.
Cautiously following him revealed a large auditorium.
“Do you believe you will become rich!”
“I believe!!!”
The auditorium was already filled with countless people.
Most of the people were middle-aged adults, and the atmosphere was reminiscent of a cult.
“Are you ready to welcome our coin!”
“Ready!!!”
Looking around, I found a familiar face among the crowd.
However, before I got close to her, a huge shout struck my ears.
“Apo! Apo! Apo!”
The shout was on a different level from before.
Receiving fiery support, a middle-aged man walked toward the podium.
Eventually, when he gestured after standing before the podium, countless people began to fall silent.
“Yes, everyone, nice to meet you. I am Bang Seong-yeob, the chief person in charge of Apo Coin.”
Thunderous applause erupted with the greeting.
But as the man gestured again, silence returned as if it had never been.
“As you all know, I was also the person in charge of the previous Udon Coin. I had created a coin that could be used as cash through nationwide partnerships with Udon shops.”
At that moment, the big screen in the auditorium showed a news report.
Recognizing the familiar feeling, I read it and realized it was the same content sent by the viewer who had deceived me in the past.
‘Those bastards, don’t tell me…’
“However, the major problem with Udon Coin was its volatility. Due to the betrayal of the investors I trusted, I suffered significant losses.”
The man’s expression appeared to wipe away tears as if feeling heartbroken.
Yet, the man in my sight had completely dry eyes without a hint of moisture.
“However, I overcame this and finally created an innovative coin that will lead the world. This coin will make you rich! Introducing! Apo Coin!”
“Apo! Apo! Apo!”
The man continued to speak while moving side to side.
The eyes of the people watching him were filled with frenzy.
“Apo Coin guarantees cash value of one-to-one at all times through internal linkage.”
Further trivial explanations followed.
However, my conclusion after listening to the continued explanation was one.
‘This… is a scam?’
A coin that had already been created overseas in a similar way had collapsed, proving that such a system could not be maintained.
Yet most of the people here were older adults.
Many of them probably did not know the problems with this method.
‘I need to inform them.’
Realizing it’s a scam, the speech continued unabated.
To not be overwhelmed, I gathered strength in my lower abdomen.
“This is all a scam!!”
Even without a microphone, my booming shout shook the auditorium and all eyes turned to me.
“….”
Silence fell in an instant.
I informed the people looking at me again with the truth.
“That b*stard is a scammer…”
“What the hell are you saying?”
“That’s heresy! It’s heresy!”
“What?”
However, an unexpected reaction greeted me.
“Are you going to take responsibility if our chief doesn’t issue the coins because of you?”
“Right! I already have three hundred million in my account!”
People were now expressing discontent with me for exposing the truth.
Caught off-guard for a moment, I could read the situation through the shaking eyes of the people.
“You all… know it’s a scam, don’t you…?”
These people already knew all the truth.
Yet they turned their eyes away to deny the fact that they had been scammed.
“What nonsense! Look! It’s clearly shown in my account!”
The moment they acknowledge it’s a scam, they will realize that all the money they thought they had gathered was fake.
Scared of this cold reality, people were living in a dream.
“Then… can I withdraw my money?”
“If I leave it be, it will keep accumulating interest at twenty percent! What do you mean withdrawal!!”
“Right! You don’t even know that! Get out of here now!!”
My last question seemed to have triggered their anger as people began approaching me.
While I pondered how to escape the tightening encirclement
“I’ll talk to you directly.”
A familiar voice reached my ears.