Free Web NovelChapter 930: Friend (1)
After leaving the film set and heading back to his hotel, Gi Do-Hyuk tried to calm himself down in the sauna. However, he couldn't suppress his anger at all and ended up moving to a nearby hotel club with Na Soo-Hyuk.
Arriving at VIP Room No. 3 in the basement club of Hotel J in Gwacheon, Gi Do-Hyuk ordered an expensive whiskey set. A 5 million won "Prince Set" was spread across the table, filled with premium liquor and a variety of side dishes. However, Gi Do-Hyuk didn't touch the food. He filled his glass to the brim with whiskey and downed it straight.
"Ah..."
Na Soo-Hyuk picked up some food from the table and handed it to him. "Hey, eat with something, you idiot. You're gonna wreck your stomach like that."
"I just got completely humiliated in front of the staff, and you think my stomach is the problem right now? I need to drink and forget it."
Originally, Gi Do-Hyuk had planned to win favor with Ju Yung-In and President Ahn Yung-Hee by introducing them to influential people who could help grow JU Entertainment. But everything had gone wrong when Jung Yoon-Ho showed up.
Ju Yung-In had started keeping her distance from him, and Gi Do-Hyuk had deliberately acted harshly to break her pride. Yet contrary to his intentions, Ju Yung-In hadn't bent at all. Instead, she looked at him with contempt, and he even got chewed out by the director. Because of that, Gi Do-Hyuk's anger toward Jung Yoon-Ho had reached its peak.
At that moment, Na Soo-Hyuk, sitting beside Gi Do-Hyuk, poured more whiskey into his empty glass and asked, "By the way, Do-Hyuk... doesn't something feel off?"
Gi Do-Hyuk replied sharply, "What?"
"Isn't it weird that Jung Yoon-Ho stepped in like that? He's just some company Chief. Why would he get involved?"
Gi Do-Hyuk's eyes flashed. "Do you think that bastard... likes Ju Yung-In?"
"Yeah. I think that asshole's into Ju Yung-In. You know I've got good instincts."
Gi Do-Hyuk's eyes lit up. After all, Na Soo-Hyuk's words sounded convincing. "Come to think of it, it was strange how hostile he was toward me the moment he saw me. It's not like I've ever been bad at managing my reputation..."
Still, there was one thing he couldn't understand.
"Wait, isn't that guy dating Jung Yoo-Jin?"
"Hey, that rumor was debunked ages ago. And from what I saw today, it looked like the whole dating thing was fake from the start."
"Fake?"
"Yeah. If he keeps Ju Yung-In tucked away in a subsidiary while going around with Jung Yoo-Jin, people will naturally assume he's involved with Jung Yoo-Jin. That way, he can hide the real scandal."
Gi Do-Hyuk let out an exclamation. "Damn, that's smart as hell. So that's why he stepped in for anything related to Ju Yung-In."
As always, the more he listened, the more Na Soo-Hyuk's reasoning made sense. "So what are you gonna do now? As long as Jung Yoon-Ho's backing her, getting Ju Yung-In's gonna be a hard time."
Gi Do-Hyuk gripped his whiskey glass tightly. "You know me. I burn even harder when there's an obstacle."
"So you're going straight ahead?"
"Of course! If that bastard Jung Yoon-Ho's out of the way, what can Ju Yung-In do?"
"Alright. Then should we call the guys—"
Just then, they heard a voice.
-I'll come in for a moment, hyung-nims.
The door suddenly swung open, and a waiter walked in carrying a tray piled with food.
"What's this?"
The young waiter, wearing a name tag that read "Can" bowed repeatedly. "The owner said you ordered a lot, so he asked me to bring you some complimentary dishes."
Gi Do-Hyuk flicked a ten thousand won bill between his fingers and tossed it over. "Good work. Go buy yourself some cigarettes with that."
Even though the tip was only ten thousand won, the waiter didn't show any displeasure and simply bowed his head deeply. "Thank you, hyung-nim. But what about booking...?"
"Forget it. About ten of the guys will be coming later, so just bring them here when they arrive."
"Yes, hyung-nims. Then please enjoy your time."
The waiter opened the door, stepped out, and turned to close the door.
Creak.
The moment the door shut, Na Soo-Hyuk continued what he had been saying. "Then I'll call the guys over, let them eat well tonight, and have them take care of that bastard Jung Yoon-Ho tomorrow."
Na Soo-Hyuk had plenty of juniors from athletic backgrounds he was connected to. He had kept them close by regularly treating them to drinks, meat, and pocket money, so they would come running with just a single phone call. Since they were still students, he could use them without much burden. As long as they didn't use weapons, students could get off easily.
"Yeah. Call them quickly," answered Gi Do-Hyuk.
Na Soo-Hyuk nodded and called his juniors from the prestigious sports university, Youngin University.
"We're in the basement of Club J in Gwacheon. Get me about five guys who can keep their mouths shut and know how to throw their weight around. There's this one guy getting on my nerves, so we're gonna rough him up. Oh, and I heard he boxes. Says he used to be an athlete, so come prepared. Yeah. Yeah. Got it."
Hanging up, Na Soo-Hyuk spoke to Gi Do-Hyuk.
"They're in Gangnam right now. Said they'll be here within an hour. Let's treat them well tonight and have them move tomorrow evening."
"How many?"
"I asked for five, but they said ten are coming."
Gi Do-Hyuk asked with a slightly worried look, "You told them not to carry weapons, right? That'll make things messy."
Even though he was a celebrity, Gi Do-Hyuk came from a family who mainly worked in law, so he knew better than anyone how dangerous weapons could be.
"Hey, haven't I been hanging around you long enough? Don't worry. If anything, it could turn into a mutual charge, so they'll go barehanded. Besides, I called plenty of people. You can relax."
Gi Do-Hyuk smirked. "Well, yeah. No one can beat a group beating."
"Exactly. No one wins against a group beating."
Thinking about the ten guys showing up to rough up Jung Yoon-Ho, his sour mood began to lift. Once Jung Yoon-Ho was out of the picture, there would be countless ways to make Ju Yung-In his.
At that moment, the alcohol started to taste sweeter.
'Jung Yoon-Ho... Ju Yung-In is my woman.'
***
Chief Choi Go-Yoon sent the seasoned Team Lead Gu Tae-Jong from his office to follow Gi Do-Hyuk and Na Soo-Hyuk. After confirming that the two had entered their hotel, Gu Tae-Jong reported their location in real time.
Then, the moment they left the hotel, he called me. He said Gi Do-Hyuk and Na Soo-Hyuk had entered Club J.
I immediately called waiter Lackey in Seoul and asked about the situation inside Club J in Gwacheon. Having worked as a waiter for ten years while diligently taking care of his hoobaes, Lackey had built an extensive network across nightlife venues in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. In the end, through his connections, I even found out that the two, drinking in VIP Room No. 3 of Club J, had called their guys over.
The moment I confirmed that information, I called Kang Eun-Gi and asked him to gather some capable guys and come to Club J in Gwacheon. Since Kang Eun-Gi was also an investor who had put a large sum into Missing – The Lost Ones alongside LT Entertainment, a scandal involving Ju Yung-In would mean a significant loss for him. Besides, if we brought our own people, it might prevent a fight from breaking out in the first place.
After wrapping up things at the filming set, I headed to Club J at the Gwacheon hotel.
From the passenger seat, Gu Tae-Jong of The Best Detective Agency pointed toward the entrance of the underground parking lot. "There it is."
"How long has it been since they went in?" I asked.
"About an hour and a half. And just a little while ago, Na Soo-Hyuk came out to the parking lot, picked up around ten people, and went back in."
It seemed like the guys they called from Seoul had arrived. I immediately called Kang Eun-Gi.
"Eun-Gi, where are you?"
-Right around the corner.
"How many guys did you bring?"
Kang Eun-Gi laughed.
-Twenty!
"What?"
-You know how it is—no one can beat a group beating.
"What do you mean group beating? We're just setting the tone and ending it, so cooperate properly. Today's target is Gi Do-Hyuk and Na Soo-Hyuk anyway."
-Tch. Fine.
I already knew who the guys Na Soo-Hyuk had called were. They were judo club students from Youngin University, so as long as things didn't escalate into an actual fight, dealing with them would be easy for me.
A moment later, I spotted Kang Eun-Gi's car approaching from the opposite road.
"Yoon-Ho!"
I stuck my hand out the window and signaled for him to park on the side street behind the hotel. "Park over there!"
"Got it!" ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Now that Kang Eun-Gi had arrived, it was time to meet Gi Do-Hyuk and Na Soo-Hyuk and crush them.
***
As we headed down the underground stairs of Club J, I spoke to Kang Eun-Gi. "Did you come here to start a war?"
Kang Eun-Gi had brought over twenty guys, including Lee Soo-Chan and Lee Ho-Jae. All of them were dressed in black suits, wearing sunglasses. I told him to bring a lot of people, and he really brought a whole crowd.
"What? You said to bring a lot."
"Still, I didn't expect you to bring twenty."
From the back, Lee Soo-Chan shouted, "They all wanted to see you, hyung-nim. So they tagged along. Hahaha. You haven't called for us lately, you know?"
Ever since I started using The Best Detective Agency, I hadn't made any special requests of Lee Soo-Chan. Maybe because of that, they all looked genuinely happy to see me after so long.
"Did you come on a picnic or something? Why do you all look so cheerful?"
Lee Soo-Chan grinned. "Hey, you said we're not here to fight, right?"
"Well... looking at your faces doesn't exactly make me want to fight."
Twenty well-built men were in suits and sunglasses. Even though their expressions had softened compared to before, there was still a trace of their old gangster aura left. No one would find it easy to pick a fight with a group like this.
Still, there was a problem. The waiter Can, who had been waiting at the entrance of Club J, froze the moment he saw us.
"Um... hyung-nims, you're not here to start a war, right?"
I stepped forward—the one with the "kindest" face among them—and said, "No. We're just setting the mood. There's nothing to worry about."
The guys Na Soo-Hyuk usually used were from the Youngin University judo club. They were all just college students in their early to mid-twenties. That was why bringing this many people to dominate the atmosphere would actually prevent a fight from breaking out.
Even so, the waiter Can idgeted nervously. "Ah... what should I do..."
At that moment, Kang Eun-Gi stepped forward. "Could you tell me who manages this club?"
"Huh?"
"I've washed my hands of that life now, but I used to be Kang Eun-Gi from the Kanghan gang. If it's someone managing this place, they'll recognize my name."
At Kang Eun-Gi's words, the waiter Can spoke cautiously. "It's being managed by Fist hyung-nim from the Guldari gang."
At that, Kang Eun-Gi grinned. "Ah, Fist hyung-nim? I know him too. Just a moment."
Kang Eun-Gi immediately made a call and put it on speaker.
-Hello?
A rough voice of a man in his forties came through the speakerphone.
"Fist hyung-nim, it's me, Eun-Gi."
-Oh, Eun-Gi! Long time no see.
"Yes. I happened to come to Gwacheon, so I dropped by Club J with my guys."
-Oh, really? What should I do... I'm in Bucheon right now, so I can't come over, but just use my name and enjoy yourselves. I'll stop by your company next time I'm in Seoul.
"Come on, how could I do that? I'll make sure today's sales go through the roof."
-You don't have to, you punk.
"Haha. I make good money. Oh, by the way, could you say a word to the waiter here? About twenty of us showed up, and he got scared."
Right then, the man's rough voice began to waver.
-Twenty...? You're not here to start a war, are you? I don't think I've done anything wrong to you.
Kang Eun-Gi scratched his head awkwardly. "Ah, hyung-nim, come on. I told you, I've really cleaned up my act."
-Ahem. Alright. Even if you cause trouble, don't make it too big. Keep it within something I can handle.
"...Should I just flip the place over?"
The man's voice turned flustered.
-No! Just relax and have fun. Make yourselves at home!
Click.
The call ended abruptly.
With an aggrieved expression, Kang Eun-Gi tried to explain himself to me. "I only met him a few times before... seriously..."
"Then why's he acting like that?"
"How should I know!"
"Yeah right. You're just pretending not to know."
"I'm not!"
Leaving Kang Eun-Gi sulking, I took out some money from my pocket and handed it to the waiter, Can "Here, take this."
It was ten of the ten thousand won bills.
The waiter's eyes widened. "This much...?"
I nodded. "Yes. There might be a bit of a disturbance, so this is in advance. Use it to smooth things over, and if things escalate, I'll negotiate separately with the madam. So please call her if that happens."
The waiter Can bowed deeply, his face brightening. It was because he realized Kang Eun-Gi knew Fist hyung-nim, and that I knew how to handle things if trouble arose.
"No wonder Lackey hyung-nim said you could be trusted. Understood!"
Only then did the waiter, now visibly relieved, guide us to Gi Do-Hyuk's room.
***
"As soon as we go in, just maintain the mood. I'll handle everything," I said.
Kang Eun-Gi nodded. "Got it."
I opened the door to VIP Room No. 3. As all twenty of us entered, Gi Do-Hyuk and his group froze mid-drink.
Pffft!
Na Soo-Hyuk spat out his drink and asked, "How the hell did you—"
I gave him a cold glare and said, "You don't need to know that. Why don't you send the kids aside and let the involved parties talk?"
With twenty of us, not only Gi Do-Hyuk and Na Soo-Hyuk, but even the bulky guys with them looked visibly intimidated.
Still, Na Soo-Hyuk shouted at the men beside him without backing down. "Hey! That guy's the one you're supposed to hit tomorrow! Since it's come to this, just take him out now! They've got numbers, but you guys are athletes!"
At that, the men hesitated.
"You never said the target was Chief Jung Yoon-Ho."
"We were only told he used to be an athlete. If we knew it was Chief Jung Yoon-Ho, we wouldn't have come."
"Exactly. If we mess with someone like Chief Jung Yoon-Ho, how are we supposed to deal with the aftermath?"
Na Soo-Hyuk snapped back in anger. "So what, you're saying you can't do it? After everything you've taken from me all this time?"
The moment the bulky guys hesitated again, I played my trump card and completely crushed their morale. "I'm about to call Coach Choi Woo-Sik, so don't get any funny ideas."
Choi Woo-Sik was the head coach of Youngin University's judo team, nicknamed the "Tiger of Cheonggye Mountain" because he made his students run up the mountain whenever he felt like it.
Back when I was in high school, he had been my school's judo coach and had tried hard to recruit both me and Kang Eun-Gi. He used to buy us jajangmyeon when we had no money, always treating us with warmth and kindness, but he was still strict to a fault.
Maybe that was why, the moment I mentioned his name, the judo team guys rushed forward, dropped to their knees, and began begging desperately.
"Wait a second!"
"Hyung-nim!"
"M-Mr. Jung! We're sorry!"
"W-We just came because he said he'd buy us food!"
"It's true!"
To athletes, a coach wasn't just a teacher but they were an absolute authority. Especially for those who had followed an elite path, it was hard to shake off that deeply ingrained, almost conditioned sense of obedience built over more than a decade. That was why they were all bowing and pleading like this.
Still, I couldn't just let them off the hook. If it hadn't been me, someone else could have been seriously hurt. So I ignored their pleas and made a call on speaker.
-Who is this?
Choi Woo-Sik's gruff voice came through.
"Coach, it's me—Yoon-Ho. Jung Yoon-Ho."
-Oh! Yoon-Ho! Have you been well? I've been seeing you on TV. You've made it big!
"I'm sorry I haven't come to visit. Actually, there's something I need to tell you."
-Go ahead. If it's a request from you, I'll do anything.
"You're not planning to turn your judo team into gangsters, are you?"
At that moment, a killing intent seeped through the phone.
-So my kids caused trouble, huh?
"Yes. They were trying to jump me and got caught."
-Where are you right now?
"...At Club J in Gwacheon."
-Got it. I'm in Suwon right now. I'll be there soon.
Click.
The call ended. At that instant, the Youngin University judo team members staggered, dropping their hands to the floor as if all strength had left them.
'I'll fix your attitudes properly later.'
I immediately turned to Lee Soo-Chan. "Soo-Chan. Take them to Room No. 1 in front."
"Yes, hyung-nim." Lee Soo-Chan gestured toward the students. "Alright, boys. We're moving to the next room. Let's go! Hurry it up! Yoon-Ho hyung-nim and Eun-Gi hyung-nim are busy, so move!"
The Youngin University judo team, completely spiritless, filed out in a line with Lee Soo-Chan and the others.
Click.
After the commotion died down, Room No. 3 closed. Now, only Kang Eun-Gi, me, Gi Do-Hyuk, and Na Soo-Hyuk remained.
Kang Eun-Gi asked me, "Yoon-Ho, what are you gonna do?"
'What am I going to do? I'm going to crush them.'
"Just watch."
After saying that, I walked over to Na Soo-Hyuk.
Na Soo-Hyuk pulled out his phone and threatened me. "If you so much as touch me, I'll call the poli—"
Before he could finish, I twisted his arm.
"Agh!"
Na Soo-Hyuk dropped his Galactica phone. I snatched it mid-air and pressed his right thumb against the screen.
[Fingerprint does not match.]
"Hm? Not this one? Then next. Right index finger."
"Agh! You bastard—"
[Fingerprint does not match.]
"Alright then. Right middle finger. Open sesame!"
"Aaaagh!!"
[Unlocked]
At that moment, Pandora's box containing the crimes the two had committed opened.
'Got you.'
