This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 495

As Seolhwa began to feel a strange sense of discomfort while conversing with Dogun, it just so happened that Dogun was experiencing a similar feeling at that very moment.

‘How strange…’

She thought that perhaps her senior might know something about it.

So, she casually tried to bring it up, but to receive that kind of response was unexpected.

This meant her senior didn’t know anything about it…

‘Maybe I should have just asked Chae-rim unnie…?’

She was curious, but didn’t think it was urgent enough to rush, so she tried to steer the conversation toward other topics.

Although her time as a hero had only been for three years, it was surprising that even her well-connected senior didn’t know about it.

‘What on earth is going on…?’

No, that aside, Yoonseo was going to be okay, right…?

Honestly, she wasn’t the type to get into trouble, but it was only natural for worry to take priority in people’s minds.

Despite being busy to the point where even a phone call was difficult, she was relieved that Yoonseo still made sure to text regularly.

‘Please tell me she’s not involved in anything weird…’

Though Yoonseo was now an adult, it made her worry a bit could be justified, considering she started being a hero before she even turned eighteen, unlike others.

Still, Yoonseo had her clumsy sides.

If she couldn’t even handle paying utility bills alone, how much more for other things?

Well, that was a common issue among most heroes, not just Yoonseo.

It was no wonder there had been discussions within the association about teaching the basics to aspiring heroes.

Of course, any such proposals were quickly brushed aside due to the heroes’ reluctance to invest their precious time.

In that regard, her senior was a rare case.

Though it was a situation where it couldn’t be different, it was quite unusual for a hero like her senior to be able to handle most things by herself.

Maybe that was why the association tried to gather retired heroes for financial management workshops.

If both active and retired heroes managed to live well without falling into scams, it would make their profession more appealing.

If a retired hero ended up scammed and lost everything, it wouldn’t be surprising.

Of course, it was almost impossible to scam someone who once held the title of a hero.

But money has a way of making people lose their sanity.

It wouldn’t be hard to find people willing to take big risks, thinking they could make a huge profit and escape to a place beyond the association’s reach.

Thinking that way, her worries began to surface.

Chae-rim was certainly the type to have sound financial acumen, so there was no need to worry about her, but others weren’t as fortunate.

“Hey, Senior.”

“Yeah…?”

“Have you received any offers like that?”

“What kind?”

“You know, the type that says they have a great investment opportunity and want you to put in your money…”

“Oh…”

As she asked with a glimmer of hope, it seemed her senior had indeed received similar offers.

Her senior’s expression changed to one that seemed to convey understanding right away.

“Actually, I’ve been hearing those offers a lot lately…”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they said if I invested now, I could make several times over, and pushed me toward some coin investment saying I should save up for a building.”

That was typical of her senior.

Anyone else would have jumped at the opportunity to make a quick buck, but her senior seemed completely uninterested.

Well, she had to stand on her own much sooner than most, so she would know how harsh the world could be; flimsy tricks wouldn’t work on her.

‘Speaking of which…’

Though she was only in her third year, the fact that her senior, who was actively making a name for herself, received such offers was concerning.

If even her senior received such proposals, it likely meant that many other heroes had also been approached.

I really needed to talk to Chae-rim about this.

Investments were ultimately personal choices; it wasn’t my place to dictate how or what they invested in. But if this was a planned scam targeting heroes, the association could end up in a whole heap of trouble.

It would be better if those planning to scam simply took the money from those heroes who decided to invest and left it at that, but unlikely conditions would lead them to be satisfied with that alone.

The likelihood was high that they would use the fact that active heroes decided to invest to lure in more investors.

And once they made off with the money, people’s resentment wouldn’t just be directed at them but also toward the heroes.

If that happened, the association’s image would plummet right alongside it. My suggestion to present myself like a mascot to alleviate people’s concerns would hardly yield any meaningful results.

Though there might have been a chance for a twist in the plot at that moment, the moment things began to take a turn for the worse, any hope for a twist would vanish completely.

Perhaps keeping each other warm unclad had made her senior feel particularly affectionate, as she reluctantly bid me farewell, saying she should head back for tomorrow’s sake.

The moment she left the hospital room, she whipped out her mobile phone.

And just like that, as she clutched her phone in her hand, she quickly searched for Chae-rim’s number and dialed.

Beep beep beep—

Familiar ringing rang in her ears, and how much time passed since then.

It appeared that Chae-rim was working late again, as a soft but slightly fatigued voice drifted through the phone after the click.

“Huh? Dogun, what’s going on at this hour?”

“I just suddenly thought of you, unnie.”

In truth, there was a specific reason for my call, but it didn’t feel right to jump straight into it.

If it were purely a professional affair, that would be one thing, but she and I had a close relationship, so I needed to pay attention to the small details.

With that thought, my lip service seemed to brighten her mood.

Chae-rim let out a soft hum, and her voice became just a little lighter. Of course, it was impossible for just this to wipe away all her fatigue.

Anyway, while I chatted with Chae-rim about trivial matters, I began to carefully time my approach.

It wasn’t bad to talk about small stuff, but when a man draws a sword, he should at least slice through something; I had to achieve the purpose of my call.

“Oh, right, unnie.”

“Yes?”

“My senior visited me in the hospital today.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, and she said something interesting.”

“Interesting?”

Since I was the one saying it was interesting, it was only natural for Chae-rim to show interest.

Seeing a chance, I quickly continued, tweaking the story about the coin investment proposition I’d heard from my senior.

And as Enun continued to chime in, expressing her curiosity, her voice suddenly turned serious.

Of course, that made sense.

She wouldn’t be someone to overlook the possibility that sprang to my mind.

In fact, Chae-rim was one of those people with a keen understanding of economics.

So, she probably realized very quickly how problematic this situation could become.

“Uh… Dogun.”

“Yes, unnie.”

“I’m really sorry, but can I call you back later? I need to investigate something urgently…”

“Oh, sure. If it’s work, I understand.”

If Chae-rim, who usually never cut phone calls abruptly, was saying something like that, there was no doubt something significant was going on.