Genius Grandson Of The Loan Shark King

Cheon Taesan and Lee Yonghyeon smiled like old friends meeting after a long time.

To an outsider, they would have seemed like two ordinary acquaintances catching up over tea.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes, let’s.”

Without further words, the two walked side by side.

Cheon Taesan moved without hesitation, clearly familiar with the layout of the estate.

After a while, the two dismissed everyone and sat alone across from each other in a wide reception room.

Lee Yonghyeon was the first to speak.

“Chairman Cheon, what wind blew you all the way here?”

Cheon Taesan set his teacup down without responding.

“What’s with the silence? You didn’t come all this way just for tea, did you? We’re not in the kind of relationship to be sharing cups like the old days.”

Lee Yonghyeon shrugged jokingly.

But Cheon Taesan’s expression remained cold.

When he finally spoke, his words were a declaration—a warning.

“Stop it. Whatever you’re planning.”

Cheon Taesan spoke as if he knew everything.

“What are you talking about?”

“What you’re planning to do to my grandson. If you go through with it, you’d better be prepared to see this through to the very end with me.”

“Oh—Chairman Cheon. What are you saying?”

Lee Yonghyeon feigned ignorance, but Cheon Taesan’s gaze pierced right through him.

“No matter how unhinged you may be, did you really think I’d just sit there and take it? Not a chance.”

The amusement faded from Lee Yonghyeon’s face.

“If anything happens to Muhyuk, I’ll bring you down with everything I have.”

Cheon Taesan twisted his mouth—not quite a smirk, not quite a sneer.

“I know you had a hand in my daughter’s death. You know why my sons ended up the way they did. All because of your greed. Just what were you lacking?”

Lee Yonghyeon, who had been expressionless, suddenly burst into laughter.

“Haha! My greed? Come on, Chairman Cheon. What could I possibly gain by killing your daughter? You know better than that. Sure, I get that you want to dump all the blame on me. But your children were the greedy ones.”

Cheon Taesan’s eyes shook violently.

Lee Yonghyeon grinned as if mocking him.

“You’ve always been that way. A ruthless man—except when it came to family. Your children didn’t know, but you only acted cold so they’d grow strong. You think I don’t know that?”

He glanced at Cheon Taesan’s trembling hands and brushed the teacup off the table.

“Fine. Yes, I did it. At your son’s request. Why? Do I need a reason? If I had to name one, maybe it’s because your children—not you—were useful to me. Killing two people to gain them? You’ve done worse for money, haven’t you? So don’t come crying to me now like I’m the root of all evil.”

He spoke like he was narrating someone else’s story—without a shred of emotion.

“I originally planned to kill the son too. Couldn't leave loose ends. But your son... I guess he couldn’t bring himself to kill his nephew. Who would’ve thought that little brat would grow up to come for my throat?”

“You...”

Cheon Taesan’s voice started to shake.

But Lee Yonghyeon remained composed.

“Come on, Cheon. You think threats work on me, of all people? If you really meant to go to war with me, the moment you found out I was the one who ordered your daughter’s death, you would’ve already mobilized everything. But you didn’t. Because you were afraid—afraid of losing everything.”

He spoke as if he saw right through Cheon Taesan.

They knew each other too well—cut from the same cloth, having watched each other for decades.

Lee Yonghyeon clicked his tongue as Cheon Taesan remained silent.

“Yes, I planned to get rid of Kim Muhyuk. Not immediately, mind you—only after you were gone. But then he went and eliminated the man I had planted. Don’t know how he found out, but he ruined years of preparation. Just one blood-stained brat. Why should I let him live? You tell me.”

Lee Yonghyeon picked up the teapot and poured fresh tea, watching Cheon Taesan closely. The old man had his head lowered.

“...Yes, you’re right. I was afraid. That everything I’d built would disappear. I knew what you did. Knew you killed my daughter. But I held it in.”

Lee Yonghyeon nodded, smug.

“I’ve got nothing left now. Only Muhyuk. I’ve thrown away my sons, my other grandchildren. Only Muhyuk remains.”

When he lifted his head, the tremble was gone from his eyes.

“But if you touch that, what do you think will happen? With nothing left to lose, what would I be afraid of? Sure, I probably won’t win. But I promise you this—I’ll make you bleed. Like you said, I’ve done anything for money. You know better than anyone what I’m capable of.”

Lee Yonghyeon swallowed hard.

“No reason to let him live, huh? Go ahead, try it. Maybe I can take you on now—if I throw everything away. Want to test it?”

Their eyes clashed midair.

In the end, it was Lee Yonghyeon who spoke first.

“...Fine. I’ll leave him be while you’re still alive. But tell him not to push me. I’m not like you. I don’t have to lose everything to bring you down. Don’t forget—I’ve held back a lot because of our past.”

He sounded like he was backing down, but Lee Yonghyeon wasn’t one to surrender easily.

“This is as far as it goes. I consider our debts settled. If you keep eating into my influence... it won’t just be you—your grandson’s safety won’t be guaranteed either.”

He still believed this was all Cheon Taesan’s doing—not Muhyuk’s.

But Cheon Taesan simply nodded.

For now, he had to be the shield standing in front of Muhyuk.

“I’ll be going, then.”

“Leaving so soon? It’s been a while since we shared tea like this. Brings back memories.”

“We’ve come too far down this road to reminisce. If you hadn’t reached for Myeongdong, maybe things would’ve been different. Don’t you think?”

“You could’ve compromised a little.”

Cheon Taesan chuckled bitterly as he rose from his seat.

“Compromise? With the Japanese? You know what they’re like. They ask for one thing today, ten tomorrow. You can’t trust people like that.”

“Stop living in the past. No matter how much you resist, the loan shark market will be theirs. I’ll make sure of it.”

“It’s not because they’re Japanese. It’s because they’re trying to invade my territory. Not as long as I draw breath.”

Their conversation ran parallel, never to meet.

Cheon Taesan turned away, deciding further words were pointless.

“The next time we meet will be at your funeral—or mine. I won’t be long. Take care.”

As he exited the reception room, Lee Yonghyeon called out one last time.

Chief Ha met him outside and helped him to the car.

The car pulled away from Lee Yonghyeon’s estate at high speed.

“Are you alright, sir?” freewēbnoveℓ.com

Chief Ha, driving, asked with concern.

“I’m fine. Just a little tired from being out. I’ll close my eyes. Wake me when we arrive.”

“Yes, sir.”

Cheon Taesan closed his eyes, fatigued.

The memory of his first meeting with Lee Yonghyeon came to mind.

He dozed off, reminiscing, until they reached Pyeongchang-dong.

* * *

Seoul’s Gangnam district was the most coveted territory among criminal organizations.

With clubs and entertainment businesses packed into areas like Yeoksam-dong and Seolleung, even managing the venues brought in a fortune.

Not long ago, in a room salon once managed by Baekho, Park Dongsu and Kim Muhyuk were sitting together.

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“If you can’t eat the meal when it’s been cooked and spoon-fed to you, you oughta starve. Right?”

“Haha. Have you absorbed the rest of the gangs?”

“I filtered them out. Took in the ones worth keeping, retired the others. We need more mid-tier managers now anyway.”

“Don’t let your guard down. This is a world where backstabbing happens in a heartbeat.”

“Sigh... So, how long do you think Soohyeong and my boys {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} will serve?”

“The likes of Yang Soohyeong and the action squad leaders should be out in a few years. We’ve hired the best lawyers. Even without my direct involvement, they’ll work the sentences down as much as possible. Cost a lot, though.”

“Thanks.”

With control of Gangnam, Park Dongsu had now become an undisputed titan of the underworld.

“Who’s managing Yeongdeungpo?”

“Executive Director Lee. Geukseong Construction is there too. But there’s a real lack of reliable men.”

“Don’t just force retirement on the well-known ones. Give them posts and keep them in line. They can’t pull anything now. But under no circumstances are you to allow extortion or intimidation of civilians.”

Park Dongsu looked annoyed.

“Maybe not in Gangnam where they’ve got money to live on. But it ain’t that easy elsewhere. People gotta eat. You banned drugs too, right?”

“Drugs are a hard no.”

“Why? You think just because we don’t touch it, it won’t circulate? Chinese syndicates are already sniffing around, pushing their supply.”

“Let them. For now. We’ll hit them with law enforcement when the time comes. There’s no major group left that can check you, is there?”

“There’s still the old-timers in Gangbuk. The Gwangju faction in Jeolla, Jagal in Daegu—can’t underestimate them. With the three big Gangnam organizations wiped out, no telling when one of them might move in.”

“You can’t afford another war—not now. If anything happens, even the prosecutors and police won’t be able to protect you.”

Thanks to the president’s firm stance and Prosecutor Yoon’s efforts, the heads of Gangnam’s three major syndicates had been arrested.

They were all charged as leaders of organized crime groups—facing sentences ranging from 7 years to life, even death.

But the situation was still unstable. Just as Park Dongsu said, another group could strike at any moment.

It was easier to take on one Park Dongsu than three Gangnam factions.

“Let’s take this chance and unify Seoul.”

“What?”

That thought had come to me while speaking with Andrew of the Genovese family in the U.S.

If we could settle disputes through negotiation like the Mafia—dividing profits and keeping them under control—we could avoid unnecessary attention and violence.

“Let’s make Seoul one organization. Not through war, but through negotiation. You’ll hold ultimate authority, even if profits are shared. All you have to do is convince the old-timers.”

No matter how much money these gangs were raking in—it wasn’t big money to me.

I wasn’t backing Dongsu just to pocket scraps. I needed him ready for the coming war with the Yakuza. The less bloodshed now, the better.

“Can you do it? Don’t worry about the money.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“You already control Busan. If you restructure Seoul under one umbrella, you’ll control the capital and the second city. The rest of the gangs, weakened from the War on Crime, won’t dare challenge you. You’ll dominate the shadows of this country.”

In a normal country with a strong central government, organized crime always operated under the guise of legality.

They used violence and intimidation when needed—but still walked the tightrope between legal and illegal.

The clearest examples were Japan’s Yakuza and the American Mafia.

They never fully shed their criminal nature, but they didn’t pick open fights either. Governments wouldn’t tolerate that.

In weaker states, drug cartels might overpower governments—but not here.

“We’ll give it a try.”

“You already hold two power bases in Seoul. The remaining big players are those Gangbuk elders, right?”

“Their strength isn’t the problem. It’s the networks and the respect they command. Beating them in a fight would be easy.”

“Exactly. So try talking to them.”

“Fine. I’ll start.”

They’d probably accept.

When the Yakuza tried to take Korea’s underworld with Gangnam’s help, those Gangbuk elders had submitted just to keep their positions.

Respected figures? Please.

Just washed-up relics clinging to past glory. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

< Cheon Taesan and Lee Yonghyeon > End.