After the Divorce, a Treasure Map Made Me a 1,000-Trillionaire Chapter 10
When I opened the door, she stood there, smiling a little awkwardly, and handed me a Häagen-Dazs bar.
“Heh… You treated me twice before, remember? I got this one free in a buy-one-get-one deal, so I thought I’d give it to you.”
I just happened to be craving something sweet, so there was no reason to refuse.
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
But even after handing me the ice cream, she didn’t leave.
Hmm… does she have something else to say?
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
“Um… last time, in that restaurant, you were in Room 507, right…?”
She must’ve been talking about the brief moment we saw each other at Ga-hojeong.
I nodded. “Yes, that’s right. I thought it’d be awkward, so I just stayed quiet.”
She scratched her head and smiled shyly. “Thanks for looking out for me that time.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been in similar situations myself, so I know how it feels.”
After my parents passed away, my grandfather and I often fought. We were close, but he was stubborn, and sometimes we’d argue several times a day.
I should have treated him better back then…
But now, even those fights have turned into bittersweet memories I miss.
“This is kind of embarrassing…” she murmured.
She reminds me of my younger self.
I hesitated, then carefully said, “Think of me as just some old-fashioned guy, but… can I give you one piece of advice?”
“I don’t know what happened, but… treat your grandfather well. Once he’s gone, you’ll regret not doing more for him.”
She thought for a moment, then smiled softly. “You’re right. I’m the only family my grandfather has left… I’ll call him today and apologize.”
“That’s a good decision.”
She bowed her head. “Thank you… really. You’ve helped me a lot.”
“Haha, not at all. And thanks for the ice cream.”
Once she left, I turned my attention to the treasure map’s next clue.
[Treasure Map] [LV002 – Stage 2] [Hint: Buy a painting sold by a young old man.] [Location: Gwanak District]
It was short. Almost like the first clue—brief and cryptic. But this time, it felt contradictory.
A young old man? What the hell does that even mean? Was it an old man who looked young? Or a young man who looked old? Or maybe an old man who lived like a young person?
I couldn’t figure it out.
Guess I’ll have to look around in person.
When I answered, a familiar voice rang in my ear. “Kang Chan!!”
“Manager Kim! It’s been a while. How have you been?”
“Hey, Kang Chan… Are you okay, man? You disappeared without even calling…”
His voice was slurred—clearly drunk.
It’s barely past seven…
“Manager, have you been drinking?”
“Of course! My junior gets fired over some ridiculous nonsense—how could I not drink?”
Suddenly, someone took the phone from him.
“Chan-nim!! H-hic… How could you just leave without saying anything?!”
“Assistant Jung Mina?”
“Sniff… You promised to buy me tons of smoothies instead of coffee! How could you just leave—waahh…”
I could tell they’d both had plenty to drink. Soon, the apologies turned into crying, and they just kept repeating how sorry they were.
I sighed. “Where are you two right now?”
They were at a pojangmacha not far from my goshiwon. Out of the six people in our old department, only those two were there. The rest must’ve gone home.
“Ah, Kang Chan!” “Chan-nim!”
Even drunk, they greeted me with big smiles. I pulled them up from their seats.
“You’re drinking here? Come on, I’ll buy you something better. I didn’t even throw a proper farewell dinner when I left.”
“What? You’re buying? No way! I should be the one buying—ugh, I feel so bad…” “She’s right! Manager Kim should pay today!”
“Alright, alright. Let’s go. I’ll take you somewhere nice.”
I brought the two drunks to Ga-hojeong.
The moment we stepped inside, Manager Kim sobered up a little. “K-Kang Chan… do you know how expensive this place is?”
Even Assistant Jung Mina looked uneasy. “This place costs 100,000 won per person! Let’s just go somewhere cheaper…”
But I sat them down. “No worries. It’s on me. Order whatever you want.”
When the server came, I didn’t hesitate. “Six servings of Korean beef short ribs—actually, make it ten. And two bottles of Hwayo soju, please.”
The two of them stared at me in disbelief. “Are you sure you’re not in debt or something? You were always drinking instant coffee to save money…”
“Did you win the lottery?” Mina asked.
“Neither. I started a business after quitting, and it’s doing better than I expected. Honestly, I should’ve quit earlier.”
Manager Kim’s eyes widened. “What kind of business?”
Their faces went blank.
“…If you don’t want to tell us, just say so.” “Yeah, what are you, Indiana Jones?”
Before long, the beef was sizzling, and the rich smell filled the air.
“Alright, enough talk—let’s eat.”
They forgot their suspicions immediately and focused on the meat.
“These people are too pure,” I thought with a smile.
We drank and ate until Manager Kim’s mood darkened again. “Kang Chan… I’m sorry. When you got fired, I didn’t even speak up properly for you… I should have done more.”
“Don’t be silly. You did nothing wrong.”
From what I’d heard, he had spoken up—only to be cursed at by upper management.
Mina started crying too. “When I was a newbie and wanted to quit every day… you always looked out for me. I’m sorry…”
These two… they were genuinely good people. They were one of the few reasons I’d been able to keep working during my miserable marriage.
I reassured them, saying my grandfather’s old business was doing well now. That seemed to calm them down.
After putting them each into a taxi, I walked back toward my goshiwon, a hangover drink in hand.
Not too long ago, I would’ve hesitated to buy even a single Americano… but tonight, I’d blown over a million won on dinner without a second thought.
Was I always this kind of person?
As I strolled along Sharosugil, enjoying the cool night breeze, I noticed someone sitting in the distance, surrounded by stacks of paintings.
I went closer. The person was an old man—wearing a mask and glasses.
[Buy a painting sold by a young old man.]
I carefully asked, “Sir, are these paintings for sale?”