Free Web NovelHao Xun rose from his seat.
“Then I’ll be in touch.”
“Chief, give him a card. I imagine he’ll be calling tonight.”
With a nod, Ma Chief pulled out his business card case. Hao Xun accepted the card and told his men to pick up their guns. frёewebηovel.cѳm
“Leave the guns. If you wave weapons around in Korea again, you’ll all die where you stand. Remember that.”
The subordinates froze mid-motion, and Hao Xun, stiffening himself, ordered them to leave the weapons.
With that, his group turned and left the restaurant.
As soon as he was gone, I turned to Wang Wei with a cold smile.
“Hey, pig.”
“······.”
“You can open your mouth when I ask you to.”
Clinging to the last shreds of pride, Wang Wei just glared at me in silence.
“Trying to act proud now? You should’ve thought about that before betraying a friend of decades. What good is flaunting your pitiful pride now?”
Flushed red, Wang Wei exhaled and finally spoke.
“Hu······. Spare me, and I’ll give you as much money as you want.”
“You said you knew me, didn’t you? And yet you talk about money? Even if you handed me every cent your organization owns, it wouldn’t move me.”
“······Bullshit! No matter how much money—”
“Believe what you want.”
If he wanted to negotiate, he should’ve had a real card in hand. I cut him off coldly, and he bowed his head. He didn’t even dare to look properly at Yoo Seongjin beside him.
“Chairman Yoo.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“What will you do? Kill him here? Or drag him off, get what information you can, and decide later?”
“······If you’ll trust me, I’d be grateful.”
Yoo Seongjin hesitated, clearly {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} ashamed even to ask, but finally spoke.
I decided to trust his rage and resolve.
“This is your last chance. I’m giving you four days. No more. Clean up this mess, including your internal dissenters. Fail, and your own seat may not last.”
“Yes, Boss.”
As he lowered his head, I stood. My eyes flicked across Wang Wei and I sneered.
“You came here thinking you could take Korea, knowing nothing. You ignored the golden rope beside you and grabbed onto Kang Junwoo instead. That was your mistake.”
“······Who are you really? At best you’re just a loan shark with money, aren’t you?”
Instead of answering, I continued.
“You betrayed Chairman Yoo, the man I was backing, the man who called you friend. That’s where you went wrong.”
“······Chairman Yoo was too stubborn. He was never going to sit by and watch us enter Korea. I had no choice—”
Excuses. Nothing but excuses. I had no interest in hearing more.
“Bullshit. Even if your bosses ordered it, you should’ve staked your life to stop it. That’s friendship. That’s loyalty. But you didn’t. All you cared about was your own skin. Yoo Seongjin’s life meant nothing to you.”
“No, that’s not it! I never intended to kill him!”
Panicked, Wang Wei shouted, but to me it was nothing but the yapping of a dog.
“Don’t make me laugh. Even if you didn’t, Kang Junwoo would have. As long as Yoo Seongjin lived, his seat was never safe. That coup was doomed from the start.”
Killing the boss to climb into his chair. A coup. Even if Kang Junwoo had some flimsy excuse, no one else would buy it. And in a coup born purely of greed, sparing Yoo Seongjin was never an option.
If Yoo lived, war would continue. Kang wasn’t stupid—he knew it was kill or be killed.
It was the same reason I’d once told Park Dongsu to put down his own boss.
“Beijing may have been your stated goal, but that wasn’t all you had in mind, was it? Let’s see. You wanted to sell drugs in Korea, but the Black Dragon Society was in the way. Too strong. You wanted the money, but not the fight. So you schemed to topple them while seizing this chance. But too bad for you—I was here.”
Wang Wei’s face drained white.
“H-How could you know that······.”
“Gangsters like you will do anything for money. You must’ve had dealings with Kang before this. Whatever the details, talk it over with Chairman Yoo.”
There was no further point in speaking with him. Hao Xun had at least been worth negotiating. Wang Wei wasn’t.
“Chairman Yoo, deal with him and report back.”
“Yes, Boss.”
I frowned at the sight of Wang Wei’s men sprawled lifeless on the floor.
“Leave the bodies. Ma Chief’s people will take care of it. Chief, bring in the cleaners. Make it neat.”
Turning, I walked out. At the elevator, I spoke again.
“Contact the Commissioner General of the National Police.”
The doors opened and I stepped inside. Soon I was in the hotel lobby.
Outside, crowds had gathered to gawk. I turned away.
“Too many people. Let’s head underground.”
Back in the elevator, we descended to the basement garage.
“The Commissioner’s on the line.”
Ma Chief handed me the phone.
“Yes, Commissioner. This is Kim Muhyuk.”
― President Kim, long time no see. What brings you to call me?
“You wound me, Commissioner. You make it sound like I only call when I need something.”
― Ah, I didn’t mean it like that. If I gave that impression, forgive me.
As we spoke, the car pulled up. Ma Chief opened the rear door for me and I got in.
“I can’t even joke with you, Commissioner.”
― Hahaha. Not at all. I’m just glad to hear from you after so long.
Even he, stiff at first, had loosened up once the money started flowing.
“There was a bit of a commotion at the Myeongdong Hotel today. Chief Ma already contacted the local station, but I thought it polite to let you know as well.”
― Ah, yes, I was briefed. I heard it was a film shoot. No trouble, I hope?
He knew well enough how to phrase things.
“Haha, nothing serious. Sorry for bothering you. Let’s have a meal together soon. I’ll take you somewhere nice.”
― If President Kim calls, I’ll come anytime. Please do.
“Then I’ll be in touch.”
I ended the call and handed the phone back to Ma.
“Send two cases of liquor to the Commissioner. One to the head of the Central Station too. And make sure this doesn’t hit the papers. Talk to the press.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“I’ll rest a bit. Wake me when we arrive.”
Leaning back, I closed my eyes. They might have been shut, but my mind was busy.
I’ll move the Chinese to seize the Japanese drug market. The Yakuza will lose their minds. A blood war between triads and Yakuza······ now that will be entertaining.
A thin smile spread across my lips.
* * *
Hao Xun contacted me in less than a day.
“Boss, Hao Xun wants to meet. What should we do?”
“Fast. Tell him to come to the Myeongdong office tonight. Six o’clock.”
“Yes, I’ll pass it on.”
When the hour came, Hao Xun arrived—alone, without a single subordinate.
“President Kim, I apologize for not recognizing you.”
He bowed deeply the moment he stepped inside, as if ready to kneel.
“You look quite different from yesterday. Had a word with the man behind you, did you?”
“Yes. He sent me.”
“Good.”
When I extended my hand, Hao Xun clasped it with both of his, carefully.
His attitude had transformed in a single day. I smiled.
“Sit. I suppose your superior told you what to say.”
I sat first, and Hao Xun took the seat to my left, back bent.
“Did you explain things well yesterday?”
“······Yes. I was scolded harshly.”
“Scolded?”
“They were furious I moved the black agents on my own. Luckily you didn’t kill them, so it didn’t escalate further.”
At the scene, I’d claimed they were dead, but in truth we’d only subdued them. Killing them would have created pointless friction with Beijing, bad for me and for the companies I’d invested in.
“I don’t kill unnecessarily. Wang Wei’s armed men left no choice. But had those gunmen been your people, they’d be dead now.”
“Thank you.”
Hao Xun bowed again. I smirked at how completely he’d folded.
“No need to thank me. Anyway, let’s hear why you came.”
“Yes. But may I ask one favor first?”
“A favor?”
“Yes. One my life depends on.”
I studied his eyes—full of fear.
“Speak. If I can, I’ll help. I need you alive to bleed in Japan.”
“The man behind me has nothing to do with drugs. If word gets out I used black agents to push drug sales in Korea, I’ll be executed. Please, let the drug business slide.”
“You didn’t know?”
“You know how drugs are treated in China. If it’s revealed, I’ll disappear without a trace.” freewebnovel.cσ๓
Nonsense. Of course he knew. But this was clearly scapegoating—a way to save himself if negotiations collapsed. Same everywhere.
“Let’s say you didn’t know. But you’re not quitting the drug trade, are you?”
“······No.”
“Then I can ignore it. Fine, I’ll keep it secret.”
“Thank you.”
He bowed so low his forehead nearly hit the table.
“Is that all you came for?”
“No. One moment, please. I’ll take out my phone.”
He asked permission, then pulled a phone from his jacket and made a call.
“Yes, it’s Hao. Yes. I’m with President Kim. Understood. I’ll hand him the phone.”
Even while speaking, he kept his head low, full of deference. Then he held it out to me.
“It’s him.”
“Him?”
“You’ll know when you hear.”
“Hm······.”
It had to be a top Youth League figure.
I took the phone.
“This is Kim Muhyuk. Who is this?”
― Ah, Mr. Kim Muhyuk. This is Hu Jintao.
The man behind Hao Xun was none other than Hu Jintao, head of the Communist Youth League.
