Jang Min-jae, who had spent the whole night drinking, came back in the morning and slept all day, only waking up groggily in the evening.

When he looked at the clock and saw the hands pointing to 7 PM, he felt a wave of dismay.

‘Ah, fuck, I was supposed to work today.’

It was the day he had agreed to do a day job through a friend’s introduction.

He checked his phone and saw seven missed calls.

‘Ah, I’m screwed.’

Frowning deeply, Jang Min-jae soon gave up and put his phone down.

After breaking up with the girlfriend he had been living with, there was no one to wake him up in situations like this.

His life had become increasingly dissolute.

Ever since he extorted a large sum of money from Hwang Byeong-cheol, he had lost all sense of direction in life.

The unexpected windfall had messed with his head.

After getting money without paying a price, he couldn’t bring himself to do part-time work anymore. It felt pointless to suffer through hard labor for mere pocket change.

He borrowed money from people he knew, but didn’t repay them, and soon ran out of people to borrow from. As a result, his relationships gradually deteriorated.

Friends who used to hang out with him began to avoid him, and left alone, Jang Min-jae continued living by squeezing money out of Hwang Byeong-cheol.

As his shamelessness grew day by day, so did the amounts he demanded.

‘I guess I’ll head out.’

Scratching his head, Jang Min-jae picked up his clothes, got dressed, and stepped outside.

Wandering aimlessly down the street, he pulled out his phone and called the friend who had introduced him to the job. His judgment had returned just enough to realize he should at least apologize.

“Hello? Han-soo, I’m sorry. I was a bit sick, so all day I just—”

—Cut the crap. I heard you were out drinking all night. I called around, and they said you were with them, you bastard.

“…Ah, I’m sorry. Next time I’ll—”

—Save it. Don’t contact me again. I’m writing off the money I lent you. I’m done with you. That’s the better choice for me.

The call ended abruptly.

“Han-soo, hey!”

He yelled, but the call had already ended, making it nothing more than talking to himself.

He thought it was petty of him to make a big deal over such a small amount of money. But knowing deep down that he was in the wrong, he sighed and wandered the streets with a heavy heart.

‘How did I end up like this?’

Sitting alone on a bench at a deserted playground, Jang Min-jae asked himself the question.

Then, it happened.

A man was approaching the playground. A well-built middle-aged man walked straight toward him, and Jang Min-jae felt a surge of fear for no reason.

“Sh-should I go?”

He stood up and started walking in the opposite direction, pretending he was just heading home.

But from that direction, another man was also approaching.

‘Wh-what the hell?!’

Trying not to show his fear, Jang Min-jae changed directions again.

…There was another man approaching from that way too.

Three men were closing in on him from three directions, eyes fixed directly on him.

Feeling a strong sense of impending danger, Jang Min-jae suddenly broke into a sprint.

The men didn’t chase after him in a hurry—they just walked slowly.

There was no need to rush.

Thwack!

“Aagh!”

As he turned a corner in an alley, another man appeared and struck him hard.

Rolling across the ground, Jang Min-jae was caught by the man and dragged back to the playground.

“S-someone help…!”

“You’d better stay quiet.”

One man ominously held up a crowbar as he spoke.

It wasn’t even a common weapon like a knife—it was a crowbar. The sheer fear of it clamped Jang Min-jae’s mouth shut.

“W-why are you doing this?”

“You really don’t know?”

“Huh?”

“Maybe this will jog your memory.”

One man grabbed Jang Min-jae’s right hand and laid it across the bench.

Another looked at the hand and raised the crowbar as if to strike at any moment.

“Ah! Wait! Please don’t!”

Jang Min-jae shrieked in terror.

“Do you get it now?”

“Y-yes… I was wrong!”

He whimpered.

As the men threatened to shatter his right hand, a certain incident came to mind right away.

There was nothing else he could think of that would warrant such violent retribution.

‘Hwang Byeong-cheol? Did that bastard snitch? Or could it be…!’

There was no time to think further.

When the crowbar merely tapped his right hand, Jang Min-jae screamed and thrashed in panic.

“I haven’t even hit you yet, dumbass.”

“Uwaaah! Please don’t! I was wrong!”

His pants grew warm and damp around the crotch.

“Then why’d you do something so wrong?”

“I-I just needed money…!”

“So if you need money, it’s okay to mess someone up? Then I guess we can do the same to you?”

“N-no! I was wrong! I-I just meant to hurt him a little, but it hit too hard… I didn’t mean for it to be like that!”

Jang Min-jae rambled incoherently.

“Jang Min-jae, listen carefully. If you forget even a single word, you’ll lose that hand.”

“Y-yes…!”

“You have three days. Disappear. Go down to Cheongju, live with your parents, work the fields, and be a good son. That’s your life from now on. Got it?”

“Yes…”

“We were going to break you for real, but your life is already trash, so we’re sparing you out of pity. But if three days pass and you’re not in Cheongju? Then you’ll be classed as Grade 3 Disabled. Understand?”

“Yes, yes!”

One of the men showed Jang Min-jae his smartphone.

He opened a recording app, and a clip played of Jang Min-jae’s frantic words from earlier.

[I-I just meant to hurt him a little, but it hit too hard… I didn’t mean for it to be like that!]

It was an unspoken warning that calling the police wouldn’t help him either.

Technically, a recording obtained through threats wouldn’t be valid evidence—but they figured that an idiot like Jang Min-jae wouldn’t know that.

After the men disappeared, Jang Min-jae stood alone, dazed, his face blank with shock.

He couldn’t believe what had just happened to him. But the cold sensation on his legs reminded him of reality.

“Ugh! Shit!”

Realizing too late that he had wet himself, Jang Min-jae hurriedly rushed back to his studio apartment.

On the way back, a few people whispered as they looked at him.

He felt so ashamed he could die.

The next day, Jang Min-jae vanished from the Hongdae area.

He likely wouldn’t show up again.

Thus, the issue with Jang Min-jae was resolved, but for Lee Shin, a new problem had arisen.

And it was a major incident shaking all of South Korea.

[‘God of Games’ Lee Shin, dating IT media group Alldoor chairman’s second daughter?]

[Lee Shin spotted entering a hotel with Alldoor Group's second daughter Ji Soo-min]

[Ji Soo-min, the vice president at Alldoor and rumored girlfriend of ‘God’s Woman’—who is she?]

[Received gifts such as a top-tier sedan Rolls-Royce Phantom and a high-end wristwatch]

[Lee Shin dating rumors trending #1 in real-time searches]

[Alldoor states “Rumors are completely unfounded”]

[Chairman’s daughter enchanted by the God]

[Lee Shin fan club president is a chaebol heiress? ‘Shock’]

Lee Shin, who had holed up at home for the entire 3-night 4-day vacation, was completely unaware of this.

Living in a high-security luxury officetel, no one could barge in, and he had been too absorbed in gaming to even go online.

But when his vacation ended and he stepped out to go to work, reporters swarmed him like bees in the underground parking lot.

Lee Shin, who was about to get into his Rolls-Royce Phantom, was surrounded by the press and had a hard time.

His driver, Jung Sang-beom, ran out and tried to hold them back, but alone he wasn’t enough. Rather, the reporters relentlessly took pictures of Lee Shin and the blue Rolls-Royce Phantom alike.

“Mr. Lee Shin!”

“Please just one comment!”

“Is it true that you’re dating Alldoor Group’s second daughter, Ms. Ji Soo-min?”

“You were spotted entering a hotel together three nights ago. Is that true?”

“They say you received a Rolls-Royce and an expensive wristwatch as gifts?!”

Lee Shin was dumbfounded by the barrage of questions. But soon realizing what was going on, he opened his mouth to speak.

“Ms. Ji Soo-min is the president of my fan club and occasionally helps me with things.”

“But you were seen entering a hotel together three nights ago.”

“I recently received help from her, so I treated her to a meal at the hotel restaurant.”

“Is it true you were gifted a Rolls-Royce Phantom?”

“Isn’t that an excessive gift for a regular fan?”

Lee Shin answered the continuous questions calmly.

“I bought it myself.”

“Isn’t that an expensive car for an individual to buy?”

“Yes. It’s not.”

The reporters burst into laughter at Lee Shin’s brief reply.

“Isn’t the wristwatch you’re wearing right now also a gift from Vice President Ji Soo-min?”

“I received it as a fan club gift.”

“Isn’t it too expensive to be considered a gift from just a fan?”

Lee Shin tilted his head.

“Is this expensive?”

He genuinely asked because he didn’t know.

Regardless of his pure intent, the line became a legendary quote that would be remembered for a long time.

[Lee Shin’s ultra-luxury wristwatch stirs buzz: “Not expensive to me”]

[“Rolls-Royce Phantom, Vacheron Constantin watch—Not expensive for me” The wealth of the most successful pro gamer in history!]

[Lee Shin’s wristwatch priced at around 60 million won ‘Shock’]

[Lee Shin denies dating rumors: “Just my fan”]

[Lee Shin and Vice President Ji Soo-min known to meet regularly even before rumors]

Thanks to diehard members of the Lee Shin Sect and e-sports enthusiasts who knew about Ji Soo-min, it was clarified that the dating rumors were false.

However, Lee Shin remained a hot topic, with his name constantly appearing in online media.

The only pro gamer to own a luxury sedan like the Rolls-Royce Phantom.

And the price of the elegantly designed dark brown Vacheron Constantin wristwatch!

It all harmonized with Lee Shin’s usual handsome appearance and fashion, forming the image of a luxurious life everyone envied.

Especially his reaction to the Vacheron Constantin watch—asking if it was expensive—made netizens laugh.

Fans who knew Lee Shin well were aware that he genuinely had no idea about luxury brands.

But it was also true that Lee Shin had the financial means to own such luxury items without issue, which made it a recurring source of humor.

In truth, Lee Shin had always been self-centered and arrogant by nature.

That’s why his indulgence in luxury cars and watches was received not with envy or dislike, but as a joke.

When Lee Shin entered the practice room, the players, trainees, and coaches all turned their attention to him.

“Dating rumors with a chaebol heiress……”

“That’s next-level.”

“I seriously need to grind hard at games now.”

“I wanna ride a Rolls-Royce Phantom too.”

“Can you really succeed that much just by being good at games?”

Lee Shin ignored all the stares and murmurs and sat at his seat.

Even Judy was staring at him intently, clearly wanting to ask a bunch of things.

And then…

“Hey.”

From the other side, manager Bang Jin-ho called out.

“What?”

“Feels good having a lot of money, huh?”

Lee Shin’s face twisted.

“Getting a 60 million won wristwatch as a gift, aren’t you something?”

“……”

Coach Bang Jin-ho chuckled as he teased, satisfied that he’d finally managed to get under Lee Shin’s skin.

Lee Shin tried calling Ji Soo-min to get clarification on the supposedly “reasonably priced and sturdy” wristwatch, but all he got was a voicemail saying her phone was off.