Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 12

At that moment, the door opened, and an elf security guard entered, carrying an armful of coffee cups. Harrison, who had been excluded from the conversation until now, quickly organized the space and gathered everyone. It was time to stop chatting and get down to business.

“Everyone, please have a seat. We have a lot to discuss.”

Lexter looked at Beom-seok, a question in his eyes. He’d been temporarily forgotten during the casual talk, but he was here to provide legal advice regarding illegal gambling. Initially, he’d enjoyed the chat, assuming Beom-seok was just another player. Now, sensing the shift in atmosphere, it seemed Beom-seok was the suspect.

“Hey! Was that you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Anyway, let’s sit down first.”

As everyone settled, Harrison pulled up the electronic documents and looked around the room.

“Actually, the betting system flagged a warning today, and it concerns Mr. Oh Beom-seok.”

“About me? What specific warning? Please explain it in layman’s terms.”

“In short, it indicated a potential risk of illegal betting.”

Beom-seok, feigning disbelief, shrugged.

“That can’t be right. Why would I engage in fraudulent gambling?”

Harrison glared at Beom-seok, a ‘look at this guy’ expression on his face. The association’s betting system used highly advanced artificial intelligence, capable of detecting and reporting virtually all unfair gambling activities. The fact that Beom-seok’s name was flagged suggested some form of betting manipulation.

Harrison began presenting the data extracted from the system.

“Looking at Mr. Oh Beom-seok’s record, his time in the personal entry test fifteen days ago was 11.630 seconds. Today, it drastically improved to 11.019 seconds. That’s a significant 0.611-second reduction. Is it possible to shave off that much time in just a few days?”

“Hahaha. Absolutely impossible, you say? Records can improve, though.”

“But how did that happen?”

“Didn’t I just explain? I said the record could drop. I slightly twisted my ankle during the test, so my condition wasn’t optimal.”

Harrison, sensing Beom-seok was no ordinary person, swallowed hard.

“Ah, you had an unfortunate incident. You must have sought treatment at a hospital, then?”

If Beom-seok claimed he did, Harrison would undoubtedly request to see the hospital records, exposing the lie. Unless Beom-seok was an idiot, he’d naturally deny it.

“No.”

“Why not? Isn’t it natural to seek treatment for an injury?”

“Geez. I’m busy trying to make a living. How can I rush to the hospital for a minor ankle twist? Is that what you do, Harrison?”

That resonated with Harrison. Being swamped at work, it was difficult to prioritize a minor pain.

“Hmm. Well, I don’t always go either. But aren’t you an athlete preparing for a competition? Most athletes consult the team doctor or hospital for even minor injuries to maintain peak condition.”

“Is that so? Until recently, I was just an ordinary person, so I wasn’t aware of that. Actually, the personal entry test was my first time running on a track, and today is only the second. Hahaha.”

What could Harrison say to that? According to the documents, Beom-seok’s athletic career was indeed short, as he claimed. He couldn’t press him further on this point.

“Well, I suppose that’s possible. Let’s move on. Why did you bet such a large sum—100,000 krang [currency in this world]—on your victory? Including the owned elf, that’s 200,000 krang.”

“Why? Is there a law against it?”

No such law existed. Unlike professional games, amateur competitions were typically structured as tournaments, minimizing the risk of fraud as long as the player bet on themselves to win. They wouldn’t intentionally lose to lose money.

Therefore, the law permitted amateur players to bet as much as they wanted on themselves, up to the allowed limit.

“No, that’s not the issue. It just seems like you’re being overly confident in your abilities.”

“Isn’t that natural? Being confident in oneself is human nature…”

Harrison, shaking his head, noticed the taping on Beom-seok’s foot and brought it up again. He recalled that the betting odds in the 400M Group 3 preliminary round had shifted significantly because of that taping.

“By the way, are you aware that gamblers tend to avoid betting on injured players?”

“Really? Well, I suppose that makes sense.”

“But that ankle taping… After you achieved good results in the 200M Group 1 preliminary round, the odds shifted unfavorably. Then, after the audience and viewers saw the taping, the odds recovered somewhat. Did you intentionally apply that taping to manipulate the odds?”

“Oh, did that happen? If so, it’s purely coincidental. As I mentioned, I twisted my ankle earlier. I don’t know if it’s neurological, but after the 200M preliminary round, I felt a slight throbbing in that area, so I applied the taping as a precaution. Is there a problem with that?”

There was no problem at all. Athletes commonly used taping to prepare for potential injury risks.

Harrison took a sip of his hot coffee, crumpled the paper cup, and tossed it into the trash. He strongly suspected fraudulent betting but lacked concrete evidence. Moreover, Beom-seok was adept at providing plausible explanations, making it impossible to even form a solid guess.

He turned to Lexter, seeking his advice. He needed input from an investigator to prove Beom-seok’s illegal activities.

“Detective Lexter, what’s your take on this?”

Lexter, who had been listening intently, made a strange expression and snatched Harrison’s electronic documents. While nothing particularly suspicious had emerged in the conversation, something might stand out when cross-referenced with the data.

Examining the documents, he was astonished by Beom-seok’s earnings. The money he’d made today was an enormous sum, beyond the dreams of an ordinary person like himself.

“Sigh. 4.74 million krang for playing two games… And doubling that with Venus’s [Beom-seok’s elf] bet. It’s definitely suspicious.”

Harrison pressed him, sensing agreement.

“Right? Isn’t this enough for a police investigation?”

However, Lexter shook his head. While he found it somewhat suspicious, he couldn’t determine guilt based solely on the amount of money earned.

He quietly spoke to Harrison.

“The amount is substantial, but I can’t find any grounds for suspicion. There’s no evidence or witnesses. Based on what I’ve heard, the circumstantial evidence is weak. Even if I fabricated a report and sent it to the prosecution, it would be immediately dismissed.”

“I… is that so?”

“Yes. Frankly, I don’t even think he committed fraudulent gambling.”

“But isn’t it unusual for an ordinary person to wager 200,000 krang per game?”

“He’s just a bit extravagant. When I first met him, he pulled out hundreds of thousands of krang on the spot.”

That was regarding Venus’s medical expenses. Beom-seok quickly joined the conversation.

“Exactly 600,000 krang.”

“Yes, 600,000 krang. Harrison, could you produce 600,000 krang right now?”

600,000 krang was nearly Harrison’s salary for three years. He was too intimidated to do that.

“W-well, I can’t, but…”

“But he’s the kind of guy who can. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions based on common sense.”

Harrison pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Even the police were saying this, so he began to reconsider. A guy who spends 600,000 krang wouldn’t be fazed by 200,000 krang.

“I… I see. Okay, I understand. I’ll trust the detective and drop this here.”

“Yes, you’ve made a wise decision.”

With everything resolved smoothly, the atmosphere in the room lightened. Harrison apologized to Beom-seok for suspecting him without cause, and Beom-seok nonchalantly accepted, saying it was okay. After exchanging pleasantries, Beom-seok left the organizing committee office with Raemi.

At that moment, Lexter quietly followed behind him and made a suggestive remark.

“By the way, you’re not planning on shortening your record even further in the next game, are you?”

Beom-seok was startled by Lexter’s sudden question. He thought it was over, but a new crisis was looming. An investigator’s intuition was indeed formidable. He adopted a relaxed posture and stretched.

“Of course, the record will improve.”

“You… Don’t tell me…?”

Beom-seok waved his hands frantically, dismissing the idea.

“It’s nothing like that. It’s a common strategy to conserve energy by running slower in the preliminary and semi-final rounds before the important final. Especially since I’m competing in the 200M, 400M, and 100M, I have to do that even more.”

“Ah, is that so? But are you confident about reaching the final?”

Beom-seok pondered how to answer. If he revealed the truth, it could affect his future earnings. Lexter was also motivated by money and would likely bet on him. However, on closer inspection, it didn’t seem to matter. From the semi-finals onward, audience interest would increase, and the total betting amount would rise significantly, while the betting limit remained at 300,000 krang. Even if Lexter joined in, it wouldn’t significantly alter his income. It seemed acceptable to reveal his strategy to silence him and repay the favor of getting Venus.

“Will I just reach the final? To be honest, I’m only telling you this, but I’m confident I’ll win this tournament.”

Lexter’s eyes widened.

“R-really?”

“Yes. My best time in the 200M is 10.461 seconds. That’s 0.1 seconds faster than Agelia, the best runner in this city.”

Lexter, his eyes bloodshot, looked around and led Beom-seok, Venus, and Raemi to a secluded corner. He sensed a strong scent of money. No one in the world hated money.

“Y-you’re not kidding, are you?”

“Am I the type to joke about this? Of course, I’m serious.”

“Then how many people know this?”

“Well, I don’t think anyone knows except me.”

Lexter swallowed hard. How many years had he been living frugally? Now, he had the chance to buy a dozen elves and live a life of luxury. If he trained them as a police riot squad and put them to work, he could live comfortably for the rest of his life.

“Hey, can I bet on you?”

“Well, I don’t mind.”

“Even if it reduces your income?”

“Didn’t I say I’m not participating for the money?”

Lexter, trembling, slapped Beom-seok on the shoulder.

“Good! I’ll empty my savings and go all-in on you. But you absolutely can’t lie. Got it?”

“Oh, if I lie, I’ll repay all your savings. Or should I give it to you now?”

Lexter’s expression brightened considerably. He felt there was no need for further doubt, given what Beom-seok had said.

“It’s okay. That’s enough. I need to go to the bank, so I’ll be leaving.”

“Yes, goodbye. Be sure to bet as soon as the betting opens. That’s how you maximize your returns.”

Without answering, Lexter hurried away, driven by impatience. The most significant opportunity of his life was at hand. He needed to go to the bank and gather information for betting.

—————–

I’ll go again next time.