“And that’s the progress I have made so far.” I explained to Choong-hoon and the old man everything that I found thus far – from the missing players to the company’s cover up. I don’t know what their expressions since we were on a conference call. However, I suspect Choong-hoon is blushing red with embarrassment with my lack of progress and the old man must be disappointed and annoyed.

“That’s good.” The old man slowly answered to break the silence. Well that's surprising - he doesn’t sound disappointed just very patient. “Though it is strange that so many people have gone missing and yet, there isn’t so much as a whisper?”

“Strange but not that strange.” Choong-hoon answered. “Hundreds of people go missing every year and the players who went missing aren’t exactly the cream of society. Based on what Stan has uncovered so far, most of the cases have been dispersed across the world. With 12 missing players across four years, and only Korea with 2 players missing – this wouldn’t exactly be breaking news.”

Well that’s one way to put it in perspective Choong-hoon. Talk about being insensitive. “What Choong-hoon means to say is just because players are missing from the game doesn’t mean that they are missing in real life, they could have simply quit.” I quickly explain.

“Do you believe that?” The old man asked me.

“…I believe in facts. What we need most now is to establish facts.” I answered.

“What will you do now?” The old man continued, ignoring my reply.

“This really depends on how much money….”

“Money is no objection.” The old man cut into my reply.

“If that is the case…. we need a three-pronged approach to this. There are the missing players, the mysterious gaming company, and the game itself. Google searches aren’t enough to get the information we need – most of that information has been erased or removed. What we need is information from the ground. If players are missing and their family has signed an NDA, they aren’t going to talk to us over the phone.”

“Right, it would be better to meet them in person.” Choong-hoon chimed in. “But other than in-game names, we don’t have any other information on players….it would be very difficult to find players…”

I roll my eyes – this bugger just wants to earn credit without doing any work. It’s so obvious it hurts to hear him.

“No, only some of the players who went missing later left their in-game names. Many of the top players in the earlier cycles of the game gave multiple interviews to media channels. I am sure we can track down their relatives or something. The problem is the manpower and resources required to investigate this.” There is a solution to every problem, we only need to think of the solution.

“I can lead the investigation in the US.” Choong-hoon hurriedly replied.

This idiot. He sees a free vacation to the US and he’s jumping to seize the first opportunity. I want to dissuade the old man from letting Choong-hoon lead investigations from the US but I hold myself back. As useless as he is, he is good at managing people – he’s got me dancing to his tune, doesn’t he?

“Similarly, we need to dig up as much as we can about the company. If there is a prize money, I am guessing they need to hold the actual funds somewhere. No person, would hold that kind of money in cash, so I am guessing it is held in funds of sorts. That would leave a paper trail which can help us trace it back to the original investor.” My experience in dealing with a ponzi scheme is beginning to show. “The only problem is my lack of contacts. I am not sure if I could find the right people to find this information.”

“I have a few contacts in the US.” The old man spoke up. “Leave that to me.”

“Lastly, what we do know is that the very best players of the game go missing. So, our best bet is to play the game. I am with Juan Lee’s old team mates, so if I use them well, we could uncover this faster.” This is it – the master plan.

“Wouldn’t it be better to hire professional players to do this?” Choong-hoon asked.

“Maybe…but…it’s too early at this stage.” I explained. “There are two problems – firstly, the waiting list for the gaming capsule is 2 years. The only way to get early access is to be invited. We only have one capsule.”

“And the other problem?” The old man asked.

“We know nothing about the game or the team. Playing a game, rising to the top, and acting as bait, is the slowest way to catch the criminal. I am not too confident if this path would even lead us to an answer…if we hit a dead end everywhere else then maybe playing the game would be our only option. At that time, it would be a worthwhile avenue to invest in. So, it would be best if I explored this path.”

“Hmmm…I am glad Choong-hoon introduced me to you. You have found yourself a capable employee, Choong-hoon.” The old man praised me with a hint of warmth in his voice. Maybe he saw a bit of hope.

“Haha…of course I have a great eye…” Choong-hoon shamelessly agreed.

“Hyung, what about my interview?” I politely asked.

“Oh no, my battery is dying….Let’s continue this conversation soon.”

“Hyung…”

The call dropped.

%^$#&*!!