Fortunately, Madoff’s fund wasn’t all that large yet. Of course, it was still worth several billion dollars—but not to the extent it had reached in my past life, when every major institution had poured money into it.
Right now, Madoff’s fund was still heavily reliant on the wealth of certain affluent groups like the Jewish community.
The managing partner, well aware of that, fell into deep thought.
“To be perfectly honest... I still don’t understand. How was this even possible?”
“Hmm, that’s what we need to find out from now on. Even if it’s a Ponzi scheme, it should still be at a stage where I can recover my money. Not all of it, of course—but mine, at least.”
As I said that, I rested my chin in my hand and lightly touched my cheek, as though deep in contemplation.
John Quinn, whose top priority was recovering his client’s funds, finally nodded.
“Ah, yes. Even if it’s a Ponzi scheme, in a case that’s dragged on this long... small amounts can usually be recovered.”
There’s no way that, over decades, no one tried to withdraw their money. And Madoff’s fund had mountains of cash stored up.
It just wasn’t investing any of it.
So retrieving my money would be relatively easy. If it had been difficult to withdraw from in the first place, I wouldn’t have risked my hard-earned money on it.
Understanding that, the partner cautiously asked me,
“If retrieving the money isn’t your only goal, then... could it be...?”
I blinked, as if the question were obvious.
“Hmm, of course I should report it... right? Getting my money back is one thing. I haven’t acted yet because of potential legal complications, but still.”
Reporting a fraud of this scale takes enormous courage. And when you’re not yet certain it’s fraud, it feels like outrageous meddling.
Anyone who knows Yoo Ha-yeon would just shake their head and say, “She’s up to something again.”
But... he was different.
“Phew... yes. With a fraud this big, the number of victims must be enormous. And most of them would be wealthy clients.”
For one, he didn’t know me well.
He thought I was a young, earnest investor with a strong sense of justice and enough gall to get involved even though I hadn’t been harmed during the LA Riots.
From his point of view, me reporting this wasn’t strange at all. I’d done similar things before.
And, most importantly...
This was the kind of case no lawyer could pass up.
The process of exposing Madoff’s scam was divided into two major steps:
1. Make contact with the Jewish community.
2. Claim it’s fraud and somehow force money to be withdrawn.
That’s all. Just those two things. Everything else would unravel on its own.
It might seem too easy, but honestly... the fact this Ponzi scheme hadn’t been discovered until now was what was strange. Madoff would do everything in his power to bury me.
After a moment of hesitation, John Quinn humbly acknowledged his own limitations.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t yet have the reputation necessary to approach the Jewish community... I might need to refer you to someone else...”
He stepped back slightly, but ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) greed gleamed in his eyes. And how could it not? We were talking about a Ponzi scheme worth billions.
That alone meant legal fees of at least ten million dollars.
I smiled faintly and decided to feed his expectations.
“Mm, don’t worry about that. I’ve got a card to play.”
With that, I shifted the mood.
“You know I was in Hollywood because of the LA Riots, right?”
I spoke slowly, dreamily, as if recalling something precious. Like a young person speaking of meeting a hero.
“Ah, yes. But if you were in Hollywood...”
“I met Director Spielberg. He told me he’d invested in the Madoff fund too. Said it was because of him that I invested in it. Haha... thinking back now, I guess his financial instincts weren’t all that sharp.”
A piece of paper fluttered down.
“Fortunately, I have a card that can reach the Jewish community.”
I gave him a sweet, knowing smile.
A masterpiece by the famous director Steven Spielberg, released in late 1993. A black-and-white film.
Technically, some scenes and modern-day footage were in color, while the past was portrayed in black-and-white—a stylistic choice that was quite bold.
The important thing here is that the movie is about the Holocaust and the Jewish people. Many involved in the film, including the director, were Jewish.
Thanks to this movie, the identity of post–World War II Jews was significantly reinforced. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it a cultural landmark.
Not using that would be a massive waste, wouldn’t it?
So... I clung to the production however I could and managed to bring the release forward by six months.
It was hard. The shooting schedule was already packed. And it wasn’t like I could just skip what came before—Spielberg had scheduled Jurassic Park to shoot before Schindler’s List.
Originally, it was supposed to be shot from August over three months... But thanks to the advanced CG tools I’d developed, the timeline was significantly shortened.
—“This is way too high-spec for making a game... Was this really meant for games?”
Because of that, poor Myryeon got worked into exhaustion without even knowing why, but I paid her plenty, so it’s fine.
Strictly speaking, my first meeting with the director wasn’t during Schindler’s List, but during Jurassic Park’s post-production.
—“Ahaha, hello. I’m Yoo Ha-yeon, a developer at Pigmalion Soft. Wow, I’ve always wanted to meet you—it’s an honor.”
—“I’m actually a huge fan of yours. My father too... Would you mind if I asked what your next project is?”
—“Oh wow, Schindler’s List sounds like it’s going to be a massive hit! Huh? You’re not interested in box office returns? Oh come on, don’t say that...”
Yeah, it was something like that.
While I was handling the LA Riot stuff, I also got this done. With two computer geniuses transcending their time, it’s entirely possible to create CG work that even a Hollywood giant couldn’t pass up.
“That’s why I’m starting to expose the scam at the end of 1993. Once Schindler’s List is released and Spielberg becomes a massive star within the Jewish community, even Madoff won’t be able to ignore it.”
Lee Si-hyun stared at me with an ambiguous look. I stretched my arms wide in self-praise and poked my chest with my fingers.
“Hmph, you look at me like that even after witnessing this genius plan? Hurry up and worship me.”
“Miss... You’re sure you’re not involved in any of this, right?”
I stared at her as if I didn’t understand the question.
“You know what I mean. The Soviet collapse, the riots, Barings Bank, all of that...”
“Well, I did bring down Barings Bank. But the Soviet Union collapsed before I was even born, didn’t it? That’s not fair, Si-hyun.”
“So... let me get this straight. You’re telling me this black-and-white film—which not even the director expected to be a commercial success—will become one? This is all just a coincidence? The plan is way too detailed. When did you even come up with it?”
Hmm. Well, I’d known about it a long time.
If anyone traveled back before World War II, the first thing they’d check is what Hitler was up to. I was no different.
“I just knew. Oh, that number? No way that’s not fraud—something like that. And when the timing felt right, I moved.”
She didn’t drop the suspicious look, but she sighed lightly and patted my hair.
“Yes, yes. Understood. Still... I’d really appreciate it if you trusted me a little more, Miss.”
“Why? I already trust you plenty. Mm-hmm, absolutely.”
“Haah... then would you please give me a little heads-up next time so I can mentally prepare?”
“I don’t want to. It ruins your reactions.”
Leaving my grumbling chief of staff behind, I focused on the two letters I’d received from Universal Pictures and started writing replies.
The first one, a typical “thank you for attending our preview screening,” was basically code for “give us money.”
The second was a thank-you letter for the technical consultation I provided for Jurassic Park. Not much to say there, so I’d just send a polite reply.
I carefully wrote my responses, making sure not to confuse my affiliations. Accidentally sending it under the Alpha Fund’s name would be a disaster.
Of course, I didn’t neglect managing both the Alpha Fund and the Berlin Bank while I was at it.
Really, I wish I had five bodies. Though if I did, I’d probably just use them all for masturbation... but anyway...
“We just have to wait a little longer now. Filming for Jurassic Park is done... and Schindler’s List is about to start.”
With Spielberg’s network, it was entirely doable.
Suddenly, I looked up at the sky.
It was unusually warm despite being early summer. Maybe it was because I’d come out dressed in full formalwear. Even wore a tight necktie, something most women wouldn’t.
The weight of a black suit... felt a little heavier than expected.