Key

Li Ming sat in the corner of a Seoul café, anxiously fiddling with his phone. The screen displayed the interface of a cryptocurrency exchange, with numbers fluctuating wildly, mirroring the turbulence of his current mood. His sole purpose in coming to South Korea was to complete this enormous transaction.

Across from him sat a Korean man in a suit, his eyes flickering behind gold-rimmed glasses, always carrying a hint of an elusive smile. He introduced himself as Mr. Park, the intermediary for this transaction.

"Mr. Li, are you ready?" Mr. Park asked in fluent Chinese, a hint of urgency in his tone.

Li Ming took a deep breath and nodded. He handed his phone to Mr. Park, displaying the address and QR code of a cryptocurrency wallet.

"This is my wallet address. It contains Bitcoin worth one million US dollars," Li Ming said, his voice slightly trembling.

Mr. Park took the phone and examined it carefully. He took out his own phone, scanned the QR code, and then began to type rapidly on the keyboard.

"Please wait a moment, I am confirming," Mr. Park said without looking up.

Time passed slowly, and Li Ming felt his heartbeat quickening. He stared intently at Mr. Park's fingers, fearing he might miss any detail.

Suddenly, Mr. Park stopped, looked up at Li Ming, and his smile became even more unsettling.

"Mr. Li, your Bitcoin... I have received it."

Li Ming breathed a sigh of relief; the weight lifted from his chest.

"So, where is my cash?" he asked.

Mr. Park didn't answer, but instead pulled a USB drive from his pocket and handed it to Li Ming.

"What is this?" Li Ming asked, taking the USB drive with confusion.

"This is your cash," Mr. Park said with a smile, "or, more accurately, the key to unlock your cash."

Li Ming was stunned. He looked at the USB drive in his hand and suddenly realized something was wrong.

"What do you mean? Where is my cash?" he raised his voice, a hint of anger in his tone.

Mr. Park maintained his smile and pointed out the window.

"Right there."

Li Ming followed Mr. Park's finger and saw a black car parked on the side of the road, its license plate covered by a white cloth.

"In that car?" Li Ming asked.

Mr. Park nodded.

A sense of foreboding rose in Li Ming's heart. He took the USB drive, walked quickly out of the café, and approached the black car.

He pulled open the car door, and a strong smell of blood rushed out.

The car was empty, except for a black briefcase on the back seat, covered in blood.

Li Ming's hands trembled as he opened the briefcase. Inside, stacks of brand-new US dollars were neatly arranged, but each bill was stained with dark red blood.

He understood.

This wasn't a transaction; it was a meticulously planned murder.

The USB drive in his hand was not the key to unlocking his cash, but the key to his death.

He slumped onto the car seat, the USB drive slipping from his hand and falling into the pool of blood.

In the distance, police sirens sounded, growing closer.

Mr. Park stood at the entrance of the café, watching the scene, a triumphant smile on his face. He made a phone call and said softly in Korean, "Mission accomplished."

An icy voice came from the other end of the line: "Good. Remember, leave no trace."

Mr. Park hung up the phone, turned, and walked back into the café, disappearing into the crowd.

He knew that no one in this world would ever know the truth.

Except for him, and the cold cryptocurrency.