I put a leash on Catastrophe

* * *

Fortunately, after this, the pharaoh showed no interest in other items, so there were no additional expenses.

When the auction ended and Zhi-wu and company stood up, an employee approached them.

“I’ll help you receive your item.”

Following him, they went out into a corridor with a row of offices, and the employee stopped in front of one of the doors in the middle, apparently each client was assigned their own.

“Here you can receive your item.”

Passing by the employee who opened the door, they entered inside, where there was a table and a wooden box on it.

“Welcome, dear client.”

Inside was an employee in a suit. He wore a purple mask, like the auction host.

“I’ll help you check the won item.”

The employee in white cotton gloves opened the box and carefully took out the item, placing it on his palm to show its condition. Despite being so dried, nowhere were there visible broken or crushed places.

‘Well preserved?’

Zhi-wu gave an angry look at the pharaoh, thinking why he even ordered to buy this thing, but he was now completely ignoring him. He was smiling as he examined the dried hand on the employee’s palm.

Zhi-wu found this a bit creepy. When Zhi-wu finished checking the item, the employee carefully wrapped it in paper again and put it in the box.

When Zhi-wu took the box handed by the employee, he said:

“By the way, you need to receive not only the won item but also the money from the auction. Do you want to receive the money in cash or to an account?”

“To the account, please.”

“Should the cost of the won item be deducted from the auction amount?”

“Yes.”

The employee said he understood and started doing something on the phone. In less than a minute, Zhi-wu’s phone rang briefly.

It was a notification that 170 million won and something had been deposited into the account assigned to Zhi-wu.

“From the amount of 220 million won, after deducting the commission, 187 million won remained. From this, the cost of the monkey’s hand of 10.5 million won was deducted, and 176.5 million won was deposited into the account. Please check the amount.”

“Yes, it’s correct.”

“Please sign the receipt confirmation.”

After Zhi-wu signed twice, the employee said that all procedures were completed.

“Be careful on your way home.”

When Zhi-wu and his companions came out after the employee’s farewell, the employee who had escorted them here was waiting.

“The exit is this way.”

Following his directions, they went to the exit and saw a door. Going outside, they found themselves in the lobby of the building they had entered earlier.

‘Ah, it can’t be opened from the outside.’

On the other side was a door, but from the lobby, it looked just like a wall. Zhi-wu was wondering, thinking about why he hadn’t noticed this gap when they entered, when someone called him.

“Mister.”

He turned around and saw participant number 74 from the auction and his companions. If someone asked how he recognized them so quickly despite the darkness, it was because of the peculiar appearance of one of them.

Although the face was still hidden by a mask, the light hair braided into two pigtails was too recognizable for a mask to hide the identity.

The blonde girl said something to the person next to her. It was a foreign language, and judging by the fact that Zhi-wu didn’t understand a word, it probably wasn’t English.

After listening to the girl, her interlocutor addressed Zhi-wu again:

“You’re the one who won the monkey’s hand, right?”

Although it was a question, he seemed sure of it. Just as Zhi-wu recognized number 74 by the girl’s hair, they probably recognized Zhi-wu by Martin and the pharaoh.

Realizing that denying was useless, Zhi-wu nodded, and the interlocutor said:

“Our lady is interested in this item.”

“Not for sale.”

Zhi-wu thought they probably regretted missing it and wanted to buy it from him. However, Zhi-wu bought this thing not because he wanted it himself, but because the pharaoh wanted it, so he couldn’t resell it.

Hearing Zhi-wu’s refusal, the translator hurriedly added:

“We’re not asking to sell. The lady just… is interested if it’s really a monkey’s hand.”

“What?”

“Real”? They think it’s a model? Although Zhi-wu had never seen a real dried monkey’s hand either, so he understood why they doubted. However, they weren’t interested in whether it was a model or not.

“If you just show us how to make a wish right here, we’ll pay you 3 million won.”

3 million won? Zhi-wu’s eyes widened at the unexpected offer of money.

“Originally our maximum was 3 million. The auction unexpectedly heated up and reached 10 million… Anyway, we were going to spend this money to satisfy our curiosity anyway, so if you allow us to just check, we’ll give you these 3 million.”

Zhi-wu, amazed that someone was willing to spend 3 million won just to satisfy curiosity, asked about what confused him:

“But… what do you mean by a wish?”

He completely didn’t understand what the interlocutor was talking about. Seeing Zhi-wu’s puzzled expression, the translator became confused and started talking to the girl in a foreign language.

“Um, perhaps you don’t know what this monkey’s hand is?”

“…I don’t know.”

At these words, the interlocutor made a silly face. The girl, hearing the translation, opened her mouth wide and looked at Zhi-wu with disbelief.

Her face read: “You want to say you spent 10 million won on this strange item without even knowing what it is?” Although, if you think about it, the girl was more desperate, but it seemed she didn’t like that she lost to Zhi-wu at the auction, and she pouted and turned away sharply.

“…So, the monkey’s hand is…”

Instead of the girl, the translator briefly explained what the monkey’s hand was. It was an item that supposedly grants wishes, but does so by distorting them and bringing tragic consequences.

“For example, if you wish to become rich, it will come true. However…”

“…”

“It might happen in the form of receiving large compensation for serious injuries as a result of an accident or receiving a large sum of insurance due to the death of a family member.”

Assuming the interlocutor’s words were true, this was not a very useful item. Although Zhi-wu himself bought it forcedly, he didn’t understand the girl who wanted to buy it knowing this.

“Did you have some wish you wanted to fulfill?”

Unless she was trying to get it because of a desperate desire to fulfill some wish. So he asked, but the interlocutor shook his head.

“No, as I said, it’s just curiosity. Even if we bought it, we would ask someone else to use it.”

…Is this normal? Although it fulfills wishes, an equal misfortune comes in return. However, neither the girl nor the translator looked particularly serious.

Their attitude was: if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, and if it does work, it will be interesting. Zhi-wu mentally shook his head, not understanding the tastes of rich people, when the translator asked:

“Will you accept our offer?”

Zhi-wu thought about his words for a moment. Although he thought such a ridiculous item couldn’t exist, honestly, after hearing this story, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

He was also worried that he didn’t know exactly what he would have to pay for the fulfillment of the wish.

‘But…’

Even if he had to pay with his life, what if the wish really came true? Zhi-wu looked at the pharaoh.

As if knowing what Zhi-wu was thinking, the pharaoh smiled widely at him. Looking at his elegantly curved lips, Zhi-wu felt his stomach twist.

Silently, he opened the box and unwrapped the paper in which the item was wrapped. Although the feeling of dry skin on his fingertips and the hair on the back of the hand caused an eerie feeling, Zhi-wu took it in his hand.

“Kill this bastard.”

Zhi-wu didn’t know if he needed to say some spell or perform some ritual to make a wish, but he sincerely prayed. Despite having just heard a request to kill him, the pharaoh’s lips were still curved in a smile.

And nothing happened.

“…Hm.”

Only the translator, who seemed to understand what wish Zhi-wu had made, made an awkward grunt. The girl, who apparently had the situation explained to her, again made a disbelieving face and alternately looked at the pharaoh and Zhi-wu.

Zhi-wu couldn’t hide his disappointment, but at the same time thought “as I expected.”

‘If it really fulfilled wishes, he wouldn’t stand calmly.’

Then he would have killed him or taken the item to make a wish himself. Anyway, Zhi-wu felt disappointed and relieved that nothing happened at the same time, as well as ashamed that he got so carried away with this ridiculous story, and his face turned red.

“The lady is disappointed that nothing happened, but she is satisfied that her curiosity was satisfied.”

The translator handed Zhi-wu three checks for 1 million won each.

‘3 million won for making a fool of myself… not bad.’

Zhi-wu carelessly stuffed the monkey’s hand into his pocket and accepted the offered 3 million won. Putting the money into the wallet he took out from the inside pocket of his jacket, he was convincing himself that he shouldn’t be ashamed as he got a benefit, when the girl said something to the translator. Zhi-wu waited for the translator to pass some message to him, but he addressed not him.

“…And our lady would like to make you an offer.”

“Hm?”

It turned out that the girl’s words were addressed to none other than the pharaoh. The girl, with a reddened face, was furtively looking at the pharaoh.

“The lady says that it seems your current boss is not a very good person, and if you want to change jobs, how about joining us?”

This was an offer to poach an employee. Apparently, the girl was charmed by the pharaoh’s beauty, which even the mask couldn’t hide.

For Zhi-wu, knowing the true nature of this monster, this was just ridiculous.

“She says she’s ready to satisfy almost any conditions.”

The translator passing on the words looked embarrassed and apologized to Zhi-wu with his eyes. It seemed he was troubled by the fact that he not only insulted Zhi-wu’s employer right in front of him on his lady’s orders but also tried to poach his employee.

Although Zhi-wu indicated with his eyes that everything was fine, the girl was still staring at the pharaoh and didn’t notice this exchange of glances.