Free Web NovelEven I never expected the alliance between the Black Dragon Society and the Russian mafia to last very long. Once they took over Japan’s drug market, it was obvious that even minor disputes would eventually blow up into something larger—maybe not full-scale war, but close enough. Still, for them to start squabbling over scraps before the first move had even begun was beyond ridiculous.
In just a few days, I was supposed to meet Choi Sunman. Yet, the most critical operation in Japan was already being jeopardized by their greed. That was something I couldn’t possibly overlook.
“Why aren’t you answering? Do you want to go back to prison? It hasn’t been that long—you should still remember it vividly.”
— N-no! I’ll begin immediately!
“Listen, Usoyan. I like people who follow orders. Greed? Everyone has it. But you should only indulge it after you’ve done your job. Understand?”
When I spoke coldly, Usoyan’s voice trembled on the other end.
— Y-yes, yes! I’ll give the order to start right away!
“Once again—follow Chairman Yoo’s coordination. He’s my representative. Ignoring him means ignoring me. Got it?”
— ...Understood.
His answer came a little too slow, but I let it go this time. I knew full well that Usoyan didn’t like taking orders from Yoo Seongjin. The man was an unrepentant racist who’d once mocked Asians right to my face.
Still, I couldn’t be everywhere at once. That’s why I put someone reliable like Yoo in charge as my proxy.
“I’ll be watching.”
Leaving that final warning, I ended the call.
While Manager Ma put away his phone, Yoo Seongjin sat stiffly, tension clear on his face.
“Chairman Yoo, it looks like you’ll be the one working hardest for a while. No matter where you go, it’s always the same—the useless ones with the biggest egos are the ones who never listen.”
“I understand. I’ll get it done.”
His steady voice eased my frown at last.
“Under no circumstances is Chunha Group to step foot in Japan. Even if you’re tempted, you stay out. Absolutely.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“No internal objections?”
Giving up a drug market isn’t easy—especially for an underground ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) empire like Chunha Group. Yoo gave a cool smile and bowed slightly.
“Didn’t we clean house last time? There’s no one left who would defy me now. The old guard that used to be a burden has all stepped down. Of course, I’m taking good care of them.”
They really lived complicated lives. The idea of gangsters talking about ‘elders’ and ‘respect’ was almost comical, but it was their code, so I said nothing more. I simply nodded and changed the topic.
“Anyway, how’s the Eunmi Apartment acquisition going?”
“About 80% complete. But there are still plenty holding out to the end.”
Ever since I’d acquired the land inside the Eunmi Apartment complex from Chairman Jang of the Hyunbo Group, we’d been slowly buying up the rest. During the IMF crisis, I’d scooped up all the properties that hit the market—but that had been less than half the total.
Even now, after years of effort from Eva, Chunha Group, and Jungwoo Construction, we still hadn’t secured it all.
“Soon, the safety inspection will fail and the reconstruction will be scrapped. When that happens, sellers will appear. Offer above market price if you have to—just make sure we buy it.”
“Yes, I’ll handle it that way.”
In my previous life, the Eunmi Apartment redevelopment had never happened. Greedy factions had fought each other endlessly, and the tangled land ownership between Chairman Jang’s private holdings and Seoul City made the project collapse.
But not this time.
I had already bought 600 pyeong of land inside the complex from Chairman Jang, and I’d purchased the portion Seoul City owned as well. The additional 1,000-pyeong lot in Daechi-dong that I’d acquired back then was already home to a new building—now serving as the headquarters of Mirae Investment and Taesan Finance.
Once the Eunmi Apartment acquisition was complete, I planned to turn it into the most prestigious residential district in Korea—no, one of the best in all of Asia.
“I want everything bought before the year ends. If it doesn’t work out...” I gave a faint smile. “Then use the old methods.”
“Understood.” freewebnσvel.cøm
Catching my meaning, Yoo bowed deeply and answered without hesitation.
* * *
Whether it was my threat or his survival instinct, the Russian mafia finally started moving. True to its reputation as one of the most ruthless criminal organizations in the world, it showed no restraint—deploying not just handguns but heavy weaponry. Civilian casualties began piling up in Tokyo.
Prime Minister Koizumi quickly gave an emergency address.
— The Self-Defense Forces will be deployed to maintain public order.
He dressed it up with plenty of political phrasing, but in essence, it meant that Japan’s military would be used for domestic policing.
That same day, Daigo Tadashige, the head of the Daedong Association, convened a meeting at his residence.
“None of you knew? Do you expect me to believe that?!”
The normally composed Daigo hurled his teacup, his fury exploding. Boiling tea splashed onto the subordinates kneeling before him, but none dared react.
“Speak! Why the hell did Koizumi do this?!”
Among those kneeling was even a sitting cabinet minister. Yet even he kept his head down, silent.
“Chief Cabinet Secretary.”
“Yes, Master.”
“You tell me. Am I supposed to believe that no one knew?”
“It’s the truth. Not a single person here knew.”
“Didn’t know...? Then you’re either incompetent or lying.”
The Chief Cabinet Secretary—who also held a ministerial post and wielded power second only to the Prime Minister—bowed lower. He had the authority of the presidential secretary’s office, the cabinet’s executive coordinator, and the nation’s chief spokesman. In other words, no one was closer to the Prime Minister. His own office was right next to Koizumi’s.
That made Daigo’s disbelief all the greater.
“You told me Koizumi could be controlled. Is this what a controllable man does? Don’t tell me you’ve grown ambitions of your own.”
“N-no, Master!”
“Then convince me! If you can’t, I’ll wipe out you, your family, and your entire bloodline.”
The secretary slammed his forehead to the floor so hard it echoed. “Please, believe me! I exist only to serve you, Master!”
“Yes, yes—you’ve always said that. That’s why I kept you close. And this is how it turns out. You of all people should know how long I’ve endured and planned for this day. And now, it’s all gone off track in an instant.”
“...”
Frowning, Daigo pressed his fingers into his temples.
“Speak. Tell me how it happened.”
The secretary lifted his head; his forehead was red and bruised.
“Prime Minister Koizumi...”
“‘Prime Minister,’ my ass. He’s a traitor to the Great Japanese Empire.”
“Yes, my apologies. Koizumi suddenly summoned all cabinet ministers to a meeting—and confiscated everyone’s cell phones at the door.”
“And you just handed them over?”
“When we entered the chamber, the guards were already armed.”
“Ha! So he was fully prepared.”
Traditionally, weapons were forbidden inside the Prime Minister’s residence—a rule dating back to the Meiji-era coup when young officers assassinated or forced out sitting premiers. For Koizumi to break such a long-standing convention in Japan’s conservative political world meant one thing: he’d steeled his resolve.
“Then he ordered the Minister of Defense to replace both the Chief of Staff for the Ground Forces and the Chief of Staff for the Navy.”
“...”
“After that, he authorized the deployment of the Self-Defense Forces to quell the violent gang conflicts in Tokyo and began mobilizing units.”
The secretary went on for a while. Daigo listened in silence.
When the man finally finished, Daigo spoke slowly.
“So, he replaced both chiefs. That means he’s cutting ties with us.”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s safe to assume Koizumi knew about our plans.”
Having calmed down, Daigo began piecing things together. No one dared lift their heads.
“All of this—sudden battles between Russian, Chinese, and Japanese underworlds—it’s giving him popular support, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Civilians are suffering now, and he judged the police couldn’t maintain order. I agree with that assessment, actually.”
Daigo’s gaze shifted to a man sitting at the far end.
“Watanabe.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Why did these clashes break out so suddenly?”
“I don’t know. Our men were attacked out of nowhere, and we had no choice but to retaliate.” freёwebnovel.com
“...If you don’t know, then who does?”
“Forgive me. Please kill me.”
Watanabe Yoshinori, the fifth boss of the Yamaguchi-gumi, slammed his head against the floor repeatedly until blood appeared. Only then did Daigo raise his hand, and Watanabe stopped.
“Were they targeting only your turf?”
“No. They’re hitting indiscriminately. We’re trying to unite and push them back, but... it’s not working.”
“This isn’t the time for you to be fighting among yourselves.”
“...I’m sorry.”
Gang wars among the yakuza had been going on for decades. That same long history made them hesitant even now, when cooperation was essential.
Clicking his tongue, Daigo spoke again.
“Gather everyone as soon as possible.”
The various factions might hate one another, but when Daigo Tadashige summoned them, they came. His influence, inherited from the days of Kodama Yoshio, still ruled the shadows of Japan.
“Yes.”
“Put your petty grudges aside. Right now, our priority is to drive out the Russians and Chinese.”
“Yes, Master.”
Daigo closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. Something felt off. Everything was falling into place too neatly—it bothered him. Foreign syndicates had operated in Japan before, but never this brazenly, never provoking open conflict with the yakuza.
And the moment the fighting began, Koizumi had been ready—taking control of the Self-Defense Forces as if he’d known it would happen.
He had the perfect justification, of course: maintaining national security. And with his emergency speech, his approval ratings—once at historic lows—soared overnight.
“There’s something behind this. Someone drew this entire picture. This isn’t all Koizumi’s doing...”
Muttering to himself, Daigo fell silent, then swept his gaze over the men kneeling before him.
“Watanabe, Araki, Arimoto—everyone else, leave and start planning. Find a way to bring Koizumi down. Dig into everything—his personal life, political funds, family scandals. Understand?”
“Yes, Master!”
Everyone except the three he named vanished at once.
“Arimoto.”
“Yes, Master.”
“How many men can you move? I mean troops who can disobey Koizumi’s orders and still act.”
Arimoto was the commander of the Ground Self-Defense Force’s special unit—officially established but still unknown to the public. His face was hard as stone as he replied.
“Roughly two hundred.”
“Hmm... Could that be enough to seize the Prime Minister’s residence?”
The faces of the three men remaining froze. Daigo raised one eyebrow.
“What’s wrong? Can’t do it?”
“N-no, sir. It’s possible.”
“I see...”
Daigo rolled a fresh teacup between his fingers, sinking deep into thought.
