Free Web NovelIt did not matter whether Bulgom knelt here or tried to resist.
The body of Bulgom, realizing the meaning of the smile on my face, slowly, slowly lowered itself.
“I apologize, Boss. I overstepped. Please forgive me just this once.”
Bulgom finally knelt completely, bowing his head.
Looking down at him with emotionless eyes, I wondered.
‘How should I deal with this man?’
Bulgom’s posture was the typical way Yakuza bowed to their superiors.
He just kept his head lowered to the floor, waiting for my answer.
Perhaps because Busan had frequent dealings with Japan, some of the Yakuza culture had seeped in unconsciously.
But something felt strange. Not many of the subordinates followed Bulgom in kneeling.
“Your branch chief has bowed his head, so why are the rest of you stiff as logs? Shouldn’t you either stop him or kneel with him?”
“......”
It was not as if they were waiting for Bulgom’s orders. They were split—some knelt, some did not. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Watching closely, I saw the men were not looking at Bulgom but at someone else. They were watching the snake-eyed man standing behind him.
“What’s your name?”
I asked the snake-eyed man. I spoke casually, but he answered with a calm face, showing no emotion.
“My name is Yoo Seunghan.”
“Your rank?”
“I am deputy branch chief.”
“Really?”
Yoo Seunghan gave off a peculiar feeling. Something about him stirred a sense of déjà vu, sparking my interest.
“From Busan?”
“No. Born and raised in Seoul.”
Where had I felt this before? Stroking my chin, I stared silently at Yoo Seunghan’s face.
He did not avoid my gaze. He just looked at me steadily, eyes devoid of emotion.
Unless someone was at least a branch chief in Chunha Group, they would not know who I was.
That was why earlier some thug had dared to pull out a knife at me.
But this man acted like he knew.
“Looks like you recognize me?”
“......”
“Answer me. I don’t like people who don’t respond to my words. Try keeping your mouth shut any longer.”
Even when I provoked him deliberately, his expression did not change.
Yoo Seunghan lowered his head slightly, then answered.
“Forgive me. I only know there is someone powerful behind Chunha Group. I wasn’t sure if that person is the one in front of me now...”
“You’re an odd one. How can you be sure your judgment is right? If it were me, I would have followed the branch chief until I was certain. Unless you’re entertaining other thoughts.”
As I spoke coldly, Yoo Seunghan finally knelt behind Bulgom and lowered his head.
But the scene was ridiculous. When Bulgom knelt, the others just watched. Yet when Yoo Seunghan knelt, everyone followed him.
It was obvious they were tied to different lines of loyalty. At a glance, Bulgom looked like just another branch chief, while Yoo Seunghan looked like the one trusted by the subordinates.
The ones who turned pale were the street punks who had relied on them until now.
“Raise your heads.”
At my words, Bulgom and Yoo Seunghan raised their heads first, followed by the rest.
I pointed at the men dragged here from the marketplace.
“Anyone know those bastards?”
Bulgom and Yoo Seunghan seemed unaware, but one man in the back raised his hand.
“They’re under me.”
“Is that so? Then you know what they’ve been doing.”
“...What do you mean?”
He feigned ignorance. I clicked my tongue. So his underlings extorted people in his name.
“They’ve been collecting protection money from the market people and sending it upward. You didn’t know? Since when has Chunha Group sunk to third-rate thug behavior?”
I asked coldly, glancing not at the one who raised his hand but at Bulgom and Yoo Seunghan.
Bulgom looked flustered, glancing toward Jeong Minwoo, while Yoo Seunghan just stared at me with the same blank expression.
“......”
“I hate repeating myself. Try that crap one more time and I’ll make you like that guy over there. There’s no second chance.”
“...I apologize.”
“So you knew? Was it your order? Or Bulgom’s, or Yoo Seunghan’s?”
The man had stayed quiet when Bulgom’s name came up, but when Yoo Seunghan’s was mentioned, he quickly shook his head.
“...I acted on my own.”
“On your own?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
He bowed again. I turned to Bulgom.
“Bulgom, you didn’t know?”
“I had no idea. I started eating rice balls under Brother Dongsu. I saw with my own eyes how much he hated harming civilians. How could I dare do such things under the name of Dongsupa?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Please believe me. I truly didn’t know. That’s something I cannot tolerate either.”
Bulgom spoke firmly, glaring at the subordinate who had raised his hand.
“You bastard... we’ll settle this later.”
“......”
Though he threatened with anger, the man stayed silent, which only made Bulgom grind his teeth harder.
“We are fists. Not thugs. And you extorted money from market merchants?”
“I’m sorry, Brother.”
Only after Bulgom snapped did the man apologize, but it still looked insincere.
“Bulgom.”
I called softly, and he immediately turned his head. The way he accepted correction reminded me a little of Brother Dongsu.
“Yes, Boss.”
“A boss responsible for a region not knowing what his subordinates are doing is also wrong. Ignorance isn’t an excuse.”
“Yes, I understand.”
His nickname, Bulgom, seemed to come from his stubborn nature. He nodded heavily, and I nodded back.
“And what about the allowance money for the dorms? I heard the foot soldiers aren’t being given money and have to scrape by on their own. Can you explain that? It’s not as if the Busan branch lacks funds.”
“...What do you mean?”
He sounded genuinely surprised, as if hearing this for the first time.
“I’m asking if your higher-ups are skimming the money meant for the dorms.”
“That’s impossible. Each month we send money according to the number of people in the dorms. Busan branch follows Chunha Group policy too. Surely...”
Bulgom looked back at his officers and subordinates with a doubtful expression.
“Is that true?”
Most of them avoided his gaze.
Seeing this, Bulgom roared furiously.
“What? You sons of bitches, did you steal the dorm money? Answer me!”
“...The others only followed my orders, Branch Chief.”
At that moment, Yoo Seunghan finally spoke.
“What? You ordered it?”
“Yes, Brother.”
Even under Bulgom’s furious glare, Yoo Seunghan looked him straight in the eyes without fear.
“Why? What did you lack that you had to do that?”
“Well... I didn’t expect it to be exposed so soon. We weren’t finished preparing yet.”
Yoo Seunghan smirked coldly. For the first time, an expression flickered across his face.
“You’re Kim Muhyuk, aren’t you?”
Standing up, Yoo Seunghan ignored Bulgom and looked at me.
At the same time, most of the officers and subordinates stood with him.
Only a handful remained behind Bulgom.
‘Things are getting interesting.’
I looked between the shocked Bulgom and the sneering Yoo Seunghan, then nodded.
“And if I am?”
“I wasn’t supposed to meet you like this, but this isn’t bad. Headquarters told us to secure Busan first, step by step, before reaching you.”
Yoo Seunghan licked his lips with snake-like eyes, the glisten making him look even more vile.
“But killing you quickly seems like a better opportunity.”
Headquarters? Opportunity?
Things were going in an unexpected direction.
His words reminded me of Moon Taebeom, and I finally understood the source of my déjà vu.
I stayed silent, just staring at him. He spoke as if it were trivial.
“So you must die.”
At those words, Bulgom sprang to his feet.
Immediately, the men of Dongsupa split in two, facing each other. Though Bulgom’s side was clearly outnumbered.
“What the hell are you babbling? You bastard... Who the hell are you?”
Bulgom demanded, but Yoo Seunghan only smirked.
“Brother Bulgom, I liked how stupid you were. Well, the plan’s ruined, so you’re useless now. I’ll handle the organization. You can just die in peace.”
“You son of a...”
Bulgom’s face twisted with rage.
“You were Japanese all along?”
I asked, listening to them.
“I was born and raised in Korea. But my body and soul belong to the Great Japanese Empire. I will wash away past humiliations with your blood.”
“Bullshit. Typical Japanese rat, plotting in the shadows. You dare say you’ll kill me? With this handful of men?”
Even if Bulgom had switched sides, they still didn’t have the numbers.
But Yoo Seunghan said slyly,
“Why do you think I wasted time kneeling before you?”
“So reinforcements are coming. And you think that will change anything?”
Sure enough, noise suddenly erupted outside. Our guards were fighting with incoming reinforcements.
“Fool. You came here not even knowing it’s your deathbed.”
Mocking, Yoo Seunghan pulled a sashimi knife from his belt, and all his men drew hidden weapons.
Bulgom stared in disbelief at his own subordinates.
“You bastards...”
He trailed off, unable to believe the betrayal.
He must have trusted Yoo Seunghan deeply. Too soft to lead a branch.
“Subdue them all. Kill them if you have to. Oh, but don’t kill that snake.”
At my order, Manager Ma bowed his head. He stood before me as a shield, while his men moved.
“Bulgom, this is also your fault. Don’t just stand there—do something. That will decide what happens to you after this.”
Bulgom bit his lip. I glanced at Manager Ma.
“If Bulgom fights at the front, you won’t need to step in, right?”
“Yes. The boys will handle it. I’ll stay by your side.”
I nodded, satisfied, and sat down, turning my gaze toward the fight.
At last, the clash began. Shouts and dull thuds filled the warehouse.
Unlike the armed traitors, Bulgom and his men fought barehanded, snatching up weapons from fallen enemies to swing back.
‘So Bulgom is just a prideful brute. What was Chairman Yoo thinking, making him a branch chief?’
I watched casually, but soon frowned. The fight was dragging on longer than expected.
Though the enemy numbers shrank, our side suffered heavy injuries.
I asked with narrowed eyes,
“Are those bastards really that skilled, or are your men just weak?”
“...I’m sorry.”
Manager Ma bowed instead of making excuses.
From Yoo Seunghan’s words, Japan’s involvement was clear. Naturally, their reinforcements were elite.
They would desperately want to tear me apart.
Still, in the end, we subdued everyone in the warehouse.
But we too had taken heavy losses.
Some lay unconscious, others bled while standing. It was harder to find anyone unscathed.
After checking our side, I jerked my chin toward the collapsed Yoo Seunghan.
“Bring that bastard here.”
My men dragged him forward like a dog and forced him to kneel.
“Hey, Jap. Did you really think you could kill me?”
“K... kill... you...”
Even beaten to a pulp, he stubbornly muttered.
These types thought dying was patriotism. But there are worse shames than death. No mercy was needed.
I shook my head and told Manager Ma,
“Send the badly injured to the hospital. Cut the leg tendons of all the rebels and toss them aside. Then check outside and send reinforcements.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Who would’ve thought my attempt to rehabilitate Jeong Minwoo would roll out like this.
Watching the small snowball grow endlessly larger, I looked down at Yoo Seunghan.
