Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 11

‘Heh heh. I got really lucky this time.’

Beomseok sat outside the photo finish line with Raemi, analyzing the recent betting.

A total of 21,000 gamblers participated in the betting. The total betting amount was 12.1 million krang [currency in this world], meaning an average of about 576 krang was bet per person. As expected, track and field, known as the world’s top professional gambling sport, surpassed even horse racing.

‘What should I do next?’

He looked at the audience seats.

Seeing that most of the seats were full, there were about 65,000 spectators gathered. Nearly a third of them had bet on this race. There would be some decrease in numbers due to those watching TV and betting through the network, but it wouldn’t be a significant amount.

In other words, his appearance here greatly influenced the betting. This was proven by Raemi’s next words.

“Beomseok, this is a problem. Our betting rate is steadily declining in the 400M Heat 3 race.”

Since he had a record of finishing first in the 200M heat, it was natural for the betting rate in the 400M to decline. Fortunately, the fact that his 200-meter heat record wasn’t great, despite finishing first, meant the decline wasn’t too severe. The tradition of the track and field federation assigning those with good records to later heats was a great help.

However, he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. What was 28 to 1 after the 200-meter race had now dropped to 13 to 1. If he didn’t come up with a plan, his profit margin would continue to decline.

Beomseok immediately told Raemi to take out medical tape from the medicine bag and wrap it around his right ankle. Then, as if advertising ‘I’m injured,’ he diligently walked around the ground.

“Beomseok, is this really okay?”

“What do you mean?”

Raemi pointed to Beomseok’s taped ankle and said.

“If we mess this up, we could get caught for fraudulent gambling.”

Beomseok waved his hand dismissively.

“Do you think they’ll call this fraudulent gambling? Look around. There are plenty of guys taped up like me.”

Indeed, although not very noticeable, there were quite a few elves with tape on their joints like Beomseok.

“Well, yes, but… still….”

“Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m hobbling around. I’ll just say I taped it because I didn’t feel good.”

“Well, yes, but….”

Beomseok, as if it didn’t matter, patted Raemi’s shoulder and pointed to the electronic notebook she was holding.

“What’s the payout rate now?”

“It’s recovered to 15 to 1 now.”

It had risen considerably compared to before he put on the bandage, but it wasn’t at a satisfactory level. After all, for him, who had made over 10.5 million krang in the last 200M heat, 4 million krang didn’t seem like much money.

“400M Heat 1 athletes! Everyone to the track!”

As the announcer’s command was heard, Beomseok moved to the track where the 400-meter starting line was. Even though the expected profit was small, it was still a lot of money, so he had to run hard. Soon after, Beomseok participated in the 400M Heat 3 race, achieved first place, and earned 3.98 million krang.

“Raemi. Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”

The time when all the heats ended was about 1 p.m. By then, the track was quite deserted. Since the semi-finalists had been decided through the heats, all the eliminated athletes had either returned home or were watching the race from the stands in their tracksuits.

Beomseok, who had advanced to the semi-finals, was changing into casual clothes to go to lunch. But then, an announcement calling for Beomseok was heard over the stadium broadcast.

– Today, Oh Beomseok, who has advanced to the 200M and 400M semi-finals, please come to the organizing committee office. I repeat, Oh Beomseok, please come to the organizing committee office.

It was repeated several times, so there was no way he couldn’t have heard it. With a dumbfounded expression, Beomseok looked at Raemi.

“Raemi. Why are they calling for me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe?”

Raemi’s expression, indicating doubt, turned pale. It was unusual to call for an athlete who wasn’t in the awards ceremony.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Maybe, maybe they found out about our fraudulent gambling.”

“Why is that fraudulent gambling? It’s just a legitimate profit earned from a fair competition.”

However, hiding and distorting the truth for the purpose of gaining profit was indeed called fraud. Beomseok couldn’t have been unaware of that fact, but he wasn’t virtuous enough to acknowledge his own faults. Even more so because it was a game, not reality.

Thanks to that, Raemi, who had lost her words, wore a bewildered expression.

“B, but….”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry too much. It’ll be nothing.”

Beomseok turned his steps toward the organizing committee office. He was going to hear the reason why he was called. He turned around the tunnel-shaped corridor under the stands and looked for the organizing committee office.

“Is it here?”

The organizing committee office was surprisingly simple. In a space of about 30 pyeong [approximately 100 square meters], there were only a few desks and some people busily working. Beomseok grabbed a woman holding a file among them and asked.

“Excuse me. I was called here.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Oh Beomseok.”

At that moment, a staff member got up from a desk nearby and called him.

“Oh Beomseok, this way.”

Beomseok stared at the man. He looked to be in his 30s, wearing a white shirt and a blue jumper. Behind him were two elves in neat uniforms, who seemed to be security guards from the Rima Main Stadium.

Raemi, sensing that the atmosphere was unusual, quietly approached and whispered.

“Beomseok. Be careful.”

“Hmph. Careful about what.”

As if it didn’t matter, Beomseok went in front of him and sat down comfortably. The staff member ordered the elf security guards to get coffee and leaned back in his chair, looking at him.

“Hello. My name is Harrison. You are Oh Beomseok, correct?”

“Ah. Yes, that’s right. But what’s going on?”

Harrison placed his clasped hands on the desk.

“I’ll talk about that when the dispatched police officer arrives.”

Instantly, the atmosphere in the room became bleak. Hearing that the police were being brought in, he could tell that the current situation was not easy. Raemi was instantly frightened and lowered her head. She seemed to be shrinking back because she felt guilty. But Beomseok’s expression was calm and even relaxed. He had come prepared for this kind of thing.

Click.

A man in a police uniform came in as the doorknob turned. He had messy hair, and his face was full of fatigue.

But Beomseok’s expression was strangely changing as he looked at him. It was as if he had seen him somewhere before. The officer also tilted his head slightly, as if he felt the same way. After a moment of this, the officer clapped his hands together.

“Ah! That rich troublemaker!”

That word became a hint, and Beomseok was able to recognize the officer’s identity. He had caused a disturbance in the arena on his first day of game access, and this was the investigator who had questioned him at that time. Beomseok glanced at the name tag engraved on the upper left of the police uniform and greeted him.

“Ah. Aren’t you Inspector Lexter?”

“Ah. Yes. But what brings you here?”

At this point, Harrison looked at Lexter with a curious expression and got up.

“Do you know each other?”

“Ah. He’s someone who was dragged into the police station where I work not too long ago……”

Beomseok quickly interrupted the conversation. It was a trivial matter, but if he said that he had been caught causing a disturbance in the stadium, it could give the organizing committee a bad impression.

“Hahaha. I should have come to see you and said hello sooner. Thanks to you, our Venus was able to survive safely. She’s currently hospitalized in the treatment center and recovering.”

“Huh? Venus? Treatment center?”

Beomseok quickly explained.

“Yes. There was an elf who was injured and taken to the police station by ambulance, wasn’t there? Venus is that child.”

“Oh! Really? She managed to live.”

“Yes. If you had hesitated at the time, she probably would have died. She was quite late when she arrived at the treatment center.”

Lexter, recalling the past, smiled warmly. He felt good knowing that he had saved a life with his actions.

“Hahaha. That’s right. Anyway, you worked hard at that time too. You spent all that money to save an elf who had nowhere to go.”

Harrison, who had been listening quietly, asked the previous question again.

“Do you happen to know each other?”

“Yes. I know him. An elf was seriously injured and came to the police station, and he saved her with his own money.”

At that, Beomseok smiled. His identity had transformed from a stadium troublemaker to a great philanthropist.

“Ah. Is that so?”

“We would have been in trouble if it weren’t for him at that time. Hahaha.”

Lexter, who had been laughing heartily for a while, stared at Beomseok’s attire. Seeing him in his tracksuit, he knew that he hadn’t just come to watch the game. There was no way someone who came to cheer would come to the stadium in such clothes. That was something that even a keen-eyed investigator could easily tell.

“Did you come to participate in this competition?”

“Yes. I participated in the 200M and 400M heats today and passed both in 1st place. So I’m currently preparing for the semi-finals.”

“Oh. Really? This is the rising star of the track and field world. This is great news for the Rima City track and field community.”

It was just a polite remark. Lexter was a typical soccer fanatic and had no interest in other sports. So he didn’t know that there were 32 athletes advancing to the semi-finals of today’s competition. He just assumed that only 4 teams were involved in the semi-finals in soccer. In fact, the reason he was temporarily supporting here from the investigation department was because a junior officer had coaxed him, saying that he could watch soccer in the VIP seats whenever he wanted. That’s how much he loved soccer.

Whether he knew this or not, Beomseok was talking nonsense. If he acknowledged this as it was, he might have to bury his bones in the track and field world. It wasn’t that he was ignoring track and field, but his path was already set.

“Well, I’m not necessarily going to do track and field.”

“Then why are you participating in this competition?”

He couldn’t say that he came to commit fraudulent gambling, so he made up a plausible story.

“I’m currently looking for a sport to pursue as a career. So I’m currently experiencing them one by one and checking my talents. This track and field competition is also part of that context.”

At that, Lexter’s eyes twinkled. There is a saying that the talents of all sports are one. If you show talent in one sport, there is a possibility that you will have similar potential in other sports.

But Beomseok here was showing his talent in track and field and achieving good results. Stamina is an indispensable talent in soccer, where you have to run and run. He hoped that Beomseok would choose soccer. If he was lucky enough to become a professional player, he could brag about it to other colleagues in the police station who had the same hobby.

“By any chance, do you have any thoughts of playing soccer? You look like you have the build for it. You may or may not know, but I’m a semi-expert when it comes to soccer.”

“Hahaha. I’ll look into that too.”

“Really. Trust me once. I’m telling you, I’m right.”

Beomseok wore a troubled expression at the continued unreasonable persuasion. It was like trying to avoid a wolf and meeting a tiger instead.

——————

To be continued.