Free Web NovelI finally arrived at the house in Pyeongchang-dong after a long time.
“You’re back, Young Master.”
A familiar and welcoming face greeted me.
I walked up with a broad smile.
“Chief Ha, are you sure you should be discharged already? You should’ve rested a bit more. Don’t overdo it.”
“I couldn’t just lie in bed while worrying about the Chairman, haha. I can move around just fine now. The doctor even comes to the house every three days.”
Chief Ha didn’t look perfectly healthy, but there was a soft smile on his face that I hadn’t seen before.
“Where’s Grandfather?”
“He’s in the study.”
“Mm. Is the renovation finished?”
“Yes. The Chairman seems to love the study the most—it’s where he’s spent most of his time.”
“I should go see him first.”
I stopped in front of the study door and spoke softly.
“Grandfather, it’s Muhyuk.”
No answer.
I carefully opened the door.
He was sitting in the chair at his desk, eyes closed.
My heart sank.
“Grandfather?”
“Mm? Muhyuk, you’re here.”
Only then did he slowly open his eyes and smile at me.
“If you’re tired, you should rest in your room.”
“Must’ve dozed off for a moment. Did you finish everything in America?”
“Yes.”
Grandfather nodded, but his expression turned somewhat forlorn.
“I have nothing left to do now.”
“Just sitting in that chair gives us all strength. Don’t say things like that.”
“Myeonghun told me. Said you’re planning to create Taesan Financial Group.”
“Oh, you’ve heard? I was planning to tell you once everything was finalized.”
Grandfather looked at me with a slightly troubled face.
“I’m wondering if that’s a pointless thing to do.”
“I know what you’re worried about. But I want your name to be remembered. Not just in Korea—your name will be known all over the world.”
“It could become a weakness for you.”
“Being your grandson could never be a weakness for me. I respect you, Grandfather. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it must have been to build this much influence in the loan shark world.”
“Heh, you really know how to make an old man feel good.”
Then Grandfather suddenly coughed violently.
“Grandfather!”
“I’m fine. It happens sometimes.”
I hurried closer, but he waved me off and drank some water.
The coughing subsided soon, but I couldn’t hide my concern.
“It’s natural to weaken with age. But before I die, I want to see you get married.”
“I’m not thinking about marriage yet.”
“I know. That’s why I don’t nag. You’re still just friends with Hyeonji, right?”
“Yes. After entering university, we naturally grew apart. She’s too free-spirited for me.”
Living like that might be what makes her happiest.
“The Song family must’ve been disappointed.”
“Haha, they didn’t say much. They probably didn’t expect anything anyway.”
“That’s true.”
He said that, but I could see the hint of regret on Grandfather’s face.
“If I ever meet someone I truly like, I’ll bring her to you first. Don’t worry.”
“I trust you to handle it. Maybe it’ll be after I’m gone.”
The aura of the “Loan Shark King” who once overwhelmed everyone was gone. After his revenge was complete, he was just an ordinary old man with no regrets left.
“You’ll live a long life, Grandfather.”
“Of course. I need to live long enough to see my great-grandson.”
Originally, Cheon Jiwon would already be married, and Grandfather would have seen his great-grandson by now.
Because of me, many things had changed.
“You should meet the other cousins too. I don’t mind.”
“No. Those kids don’t even think to visit me first.”
Thinking of Cheon Jiwon and Cheon Jisoo seemed to irritate him; his brows furrowed as he muttered.
But I knew—if they came to him first, he would welcome them with open arms.
“Does Jiyoung visit often? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“Yes, about once a week. But she’s always so busy... check on her when you can.”
“Yes.”
“All right, go get some rest. You must be tired from the flight.”
I wanted to talk more, but seeing how tired he looked, I decided to stay quiet.
“Yes, rest well then.” freewebnσvel.cøm
Leaving the study, I saw Chief Ha and Chief Ma talking.
“I’ll go rest upstairs, so please continue your conversation.”
I stopped Chief Ma from following me and went up to the second floor alone.
I dozed for a while in my room, then headed to a club in Gangnam after sunset to meet Lee Sanggeun.
“Welcome, Boss.”
Lee Sanggeun himself greeted me at the entrance. His face had slimmed down a bit since last time, but he still looked sharp and composed.
“Let’s go inside.” freewebnøvel.com
We walked to a private room, leaving only the three of us—Lee Sanggeun, Chief Ma, and me.
Lee Sanggeun didn’t waste time with pleasantries.
“Boss, I contacted you because I need your help. Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
“I plan to end everything tonight.”
I nodded.
“It might get noisy. Please hold off the police and prosecutors for a bit. Once it’s done, I’ll have those responsible turn themselves in.”
He’s definitely different from Park Dongsu.
He knew how to use me properly.
“Not planning to stage a street brawl, are you?”
“I know better than to get torn apart like that. It’ll mostly be over once we take the hotel in Gangbuk. Director Han’s power comes from the elders, after all.”
There was a sharp glint in Lee Sanggeun’s eyes as he spoke.
“I wanted to let it go, for Brother Dongsu’s sake. But they keep shaking the organization. People who never wavered before are starting to have their own ideas.”
People’s greed knows no limits.
Even with territories divided, human desire always longs to take what belongs to others.
“Are you confident of winning?”
“Brother Dongsu’s influence isn’t gone yet. Many people still respect him. But time will change that quickly. We need to cut the weeds now.”
Though his body had turned to ashes, Park Dongsu’s presence still lingered.
I signaled Chief Ma, who bowed slightly and stepped outside.
“I’ll hold them off for now. Just keep things quiet.”
“Thank you.”
Lee Sanggeun bowed again.
“I plan to remove all the troublemakers this time. I’ll avoid killing if I can, but I intend to send at least one person to join Brother Dongsu as an example.”
“You’ll act personally?”
“Yes. I have to. Only then will people fear me.”
“Don’t step too far into the open like President Park Dongsu did. It’s dangerous.”
“I know.”
Since Park Dongsu’s death, Lee Sanggeun seemed to have grown harder, more resolute.
A few moments later, Chief Ma returned and whispered a report to me.
I nodded and turned to Lee Sanggeun.
“The police won’t interfere for now. But finish everything within an hour and withdraw.”
“Thank you. I’ll contact you as soon as it’s over.”
Lee Sanggeun rose and bowed deeply.
I stood as well, patting his shoulder.
“President Park Dongsu was a good man, but that’s not what I expect from you. I think you understand exactly what I mean.”
“Yes, Boss. Don’t worry.”
Leaving Lee Sanggeun behind, I walked out.
“What about Eva?”
“Still no contact.”
“Hmm...”
Was something going wrong in Hong Kong?
This had never happened since I recruited Eva.
Eva had always been the type to report back regularly—once a day at the very least, sometimes every other day.
This silence was starting to worry me.
“Send someone to check on her.”
“Yes, Boss.”
In the distance, I could see Lee Sanggeun’s men moving busily.
Tonight was going to be noisy.
The next morning, I got a call from Lee Sanggeun.
“Did it go well?”
— Yes, we subdued all the elders. It ended easier than I expected.
“The old bastards must have been shocked.”
— They probably never imagined we’d strike this quickly. I’ll come see you and give a proper report.
“All right. Come to Myeongdong. You know my office, right?”
— Yes, I’ll be there right away.
I was already there, having coffee, when Lee Sanggeun entered with Chief Ma.
A large piece of gauze was stuck to his cheek.
“You’re hurt?”
“Just a scratch.”
“I told you not to put yourself out front too much. What if something like what happened to President Park happens again?”
“I know. It was an unexpected attack, and I couldn’t react in time. But our side suffered almost no casualties.”
“That’s good, then. Sit.”
I poured him a cup of coffee as he sat.
“Thank you.”
“Explain while you drink.”
After taking a sip, Lee Sanggeun started talking.
“They weren’t prepared at all. Thanks to that, we subdued them with minimal conflict.”
“And that wound?”
“Someone nearby suddenly pulled a knife. I got cut dodging it. My mistake for letting my guard down.”
Whether the elders had been too used to Park Dongsu’s peaceful reign or had underestimated Lee Sanggeun, the fact that he took control with little resistance was a good sign.
“And Director Han, the one the old men were backing?”
A cold smile spread across Lee Sanggeun’s face.
“He’s probably somewhere in the waters off Incheon.”
Lee Sanggeun was nothing like Park Dongsu.
He left no loose ends—anyone who could become an enemy or rebel against him was eliminated completely.
I nodded.
“The seniors who moved under Director Han each paid a price—one lost a leg, the rest lost a finger.”
“No backlash from below?”
“The justification is on my side. Dongsu hyung hasn’t been gone long, and they dared stir up internal conflict. We worked too hard to unify to let it split again. I’ll resolve things peacefully where I can, but I won’t be as soft as Dongsu hyung.”
Exactly the answer I wanted.
Finally, a knife worth wielding.
“I plan to use this opportunity to clean things up. It might get noisy. Even if we retire all the old-timers, there are still some idiots who don’t know their place.”
“Keep it quiet. For now, all eyes are on Cheongpunghoe in the news, but if gangsters start making a scene, public opinion might turn on us.”
“Yes, I’ll keep it quiet. But this cleanup is necessary.”
“Park Dongsu was too soft. That’s why he was a good man.”
“Yes... he was a good man.”
The thought of Park Dongsu briefly silenced us.
I pushed the sentiment aside and continued.
“I’ll keep the police off you. But when this is over, you’ll need to hand over some people.”
“I’ve already arranged stand-ins.”
“If you need money, tell me.”
“No need. This isn’t something money can fix. We have enough from the businesses and fronts we control.”
“Hahaha. Not every day someone refuses money from me. The orphanage—everything fine?”
“Thanks to you, Boss, everyone’s living well without any shortages.”
The only weakness Lee Sanggeun had was the orphanage where he grew up.
It was why he hardened himself, why he’d chosen to become a lawyer despite passing the bar with excellent scores—he needed money.
“Don’t worry about the orphanage. Do what you need to do. I trust you.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Lee Sanggeun stood and bowed deeply.
“Let’s go. We should eat.”
“Yes.”
As we walked out, a name popped into my head.
“Oh, what was his name again—the one we talked about last time, the one in the detention center?”
“Do you mean Bae Beomgyu?”
“He’s being taken care of, right?”
“Of course.”
I had tracked down everyone related to Cheongpunghoe, including Prosecutor Chief Bae Beomgyu, who was now in detention, and had asked Lee Sanggeun to handle it.
“They were powerful people once, so you might feel uneasy, but they’ve already lost everything. Do it properly. Make sure they can’t live or die.”
“The inmates are excited about it. They’ve been grinding their teeth, waiting for their turn.”
Gangsters were useful for this kind of thing.
They controlled almost every detention center and prison in the country.
If I could move them, I wouldn’t need to dirty my own hands—I could exact revenge piece by piece.
“Make sure they can’t commit suicide.”
“I’ve done this before. Don’t worry.”
Thinking of Bae Beomgyu rotting in detention brought a natural smile to my face.
A week had passed since I returned to Korea.
The loan shark war between Myeongdong Capital and Rush&Money was nearly over.
Most Japanese-backed loan companies were withdrawing, and rumors spread across Myeongdong that Rush&Money would soon pull out as well.
News about Cheongpunghoe, which had once consumed all of Korea’s attention, was fading, and ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) public interest was shifting elsewhere.
“Still no sign of Eva?”
“No, Boss. No trace since her last appearance in Hong Kong. Even the bodyguards who were with her have disappeared.”
“I don’t like this...”
Eva was giving me a headache.
I had even sent people to Hong Kong, but it was as if she had vanished into thin air.
“She knows too much about me. I don’t care how much it costs—find her. Even if it’s just a corpse.”
“Yes, Boss.”
I checked her accounts just in case, but there was no suspicious movement of money.
“What about Peregrine’s CEO?”
“He’s the one who told us about her last movements. She left to meet someone, and after that, he couldn’t reach her either.”
If she had betrayed me, I’d kill her myself.
But if something had happened to her... I’d find whoever was responsible and kill them.
