Chapter 267: Things Are Getting Interesting

The bear could either kneel here or endure; it didn’t matter either way.

The bear, sensing the smile on my face, understood its meaning and began to lower itself slowly.

“I’m sorry, Boss. I’ve overstepped my bounds. Please forgive me just this once.”

In no time, the bear was completely on its knees, bowing its head.

I looked down at the kneeling bear with an emotionless gaze, pondering my next move.

How should I deal with this guy?

The bear’s submissive posture was a typical display of how Yakuza members treat their superiors.

He seemed to wait for my response, his head bowed low to the ground.

Busan, with its frequent interactions with Japan, seemed to have absorbed the Yakuza’s culture subliminally.

But something felt off. There were fewer subordinates kneeling alongside the bear than I expected.

“Your branch leader is bowing, so why are the rest of you acting like statues? Shouldn’t you either persuade the boss or kneel with him?”

“…”

It didn’t look like they were waiting for the bear’s command. They were clearly divided between those kneeling and those still standing.

Upon closer inspection, the men were actually keeping an eye on someone else, not the bear—specifically, the guy with snake-like eyes standing behind him.

“What’s your name?”

I asked the man with snake eyes. Although I addressed him informally, he responded with an emotionless demeanor.

“I’m Yoo Seung-han.”

“What’s your rank?”

“I’m the deputy branch chief.”

“Is that so?”

Yoo Seung-han gave off a strange vibe. Something about his aura triggered a sense of déjà vu in me that piqued my interest.

“Are you from Busan?”

“No, I was born and raised in Seoul.”

Where had I experienced this feeling before? I rubbed my chin thoughtfully while silently studying Yoo Seung-han’s face.

He didn’t shy away from my gaze, meeting my eyes blankly with an emotionless stare.

If he wasn’t at the branch chief level of the Cheonhwa Group, he wouldn’t know who I was.

That explained how the thug with the knife had dared to threaten me earlier.

But this guy seemed aware of my identity.

“Looks like you know me?”

“…”

“Answer me. I don’t like people who don’t respond to my questions. Try staying silent, and you’ll see what happens.”

Even with my deliberately provocative words, his expression didn’t change at all.

After slightly lowering his head, Yoo Seung-han replied.

“I apologize. I’m only aware that there’s a major figure behind the Cheonhwa Group. However, I can’t tell if that person is standing in front of me right now…”

“What a peculiar fellow. How can you be so sure of your judgment? If I were you, I’d stick with the branch chief unless I had other motives.”

At my cool reply, Yoo Seung-han finally knelt behind the bear and bowed his head.

But the situation was ridiculous. After the bear knelt, the thugs who had been watching just followed suit.

It was obvious to anyone that the hierarchy was askew here. At first glance, the bear seemed to be just an ordinary branch leader, while Yoo Seung-han appeared to be the well-respected deputy.

And the ones taken aback by this display were the pathetic thugs who had believed in these two before the Busan branch’s executives and subordinates arrived.

“Everyone, raise your heads.”

At my command, starting with the bear and Yoo Seung-han, the other members slowly looked up.

I pointed to some thugs captured in the market and asked.

“Do any of you know those guys?”

The bear and Yoo Seung-han seemed unfamiliar with them, but one guy in the back raised his hand.

“They’re under me.”

“I see. So you know what they’re up to, then.”

“…What do you mean?”

I clicked my tongue at the guy’s feigned ignorance. So these punk thugs had really believed in such a fool.

“I heard you’ve been extorting protection money from vendors and giving it to the higher-ups. Didn’t you know? Since when did the Cheonhwa Group start acting like third-rate punks?”

I shot a cold glare at Yoo Seung-han and the bear while looking at the man who raised his hand.

The bear looked taken aback as he turned to glance at Jeong Min-woo, while Yoo Seung-han maintained his indifferent expression and kept his focus on me.

“…”

“I really hate being asked the same question twice. If you play your tricks again, I’ll treat you like that guy over there. There will be no second chances.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“So, did you know? Was it your order, or was it the bear or Yoo Seung-han?”

The man who had been silent until I mentioned the bear shook his head at the mere mention of Yoo Seung-han’s name.

“…It was my unilateral action.”

“You acted alone?”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

The man bowed his head again. I turned to the bear in front of me.

“Bear, were you unaware?”

“Not at all. I had no idea. I started eating my meals under Dong-soo Hyung. I have seen with my own eyes how much he hates causing trouble for ordinary people. There’s no way I’d act that way while carrying the Dong-soo faction’s name.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Please believe me. I had no idea about this. I can’t condone such actions either.”

The bear, speaking firmly, turned to glare at the manager who had raised his hand.

“You little… I’ll deal with you later.”

“…”

Though the bear threatened him with a furious expression, the guy didn’t respond at all.

The bear’s anger only seemed to deepen as he glared at him, grinding his teeth.

“We are muscle. We’re not thugs. And what is this? Extorting money from market vendors?”

“I’m sorry, Boss.”

The guy only finally apologized when the bear bit back sharply. But his tone still sounded insincere.

“Bear.”

I called out to the bear in a low voice, and he turned his head immediately. Realizing the error, he quickly complied.

“Yes, Boss.”

“It’s also a mistake for a boss responsible for a region to be unaware of his subordinates’ actions. Not knowing doesn’t grant you immunity.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The nickname ‘bear’ seemed to stem from his demeanor. Watching him nod dutifully made me nod in response.

“And what’s going on with the funds for accommodations? I heard that the lower subordinates have no funds, and they need to find their own money to get by. Is that explainable? The Busan branch must not be out of cash.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

It seemed to be the first he’d heard of this, as the bear instead asked me that.

“I’m asking if your superiors are pocketing the funds meant for accommodations.”

“No way! We send the money every month based on the number of residents. The Busan branch follows the Cheonhwa Group’s guidelines, so there shouldn’t be any wrongdoing…”

With a stunned expression, the bear hesitated as he turned to ask the executives and subordinates behind him.

“No?”

Most of the executives in the back couldn’t even meet the bear’s eyes.

Seeing this, the bear began raising his voice as he berated them.

“What’s going on? You little bastards! Could it be that you’ve pocketed the funds intended for accommodations? Speak up!”

“…The others were just following my orders, branch chief.”

At that moment, Yoo Seung-han, who had been silent, spoke up.

“What? You ordered it?”

“Yes, senior brother.”

Yoo Seung-han met the bear’s piercing gaze without flinching.

“Really? What was lacking that you felt the need to pull such a stunt?”

“I honestly didn’t expect it to be exposed. We weren’t ready yet, honestly.”

Yoo Seung-han’s sardonic smirk was the first change in his expression.

“You’re Kim Mu-hyeok, right?”

Yoo Seung-han rose from his seat, dismissing the bear, and turned to me.

At the same time, most of the executives and subordinates behind him rose to follow his lead.

It seemed only the bear and a few of his thugs were left kneeling.

“Things are getting interesting.”

Alternating my gaze between the shocked bear and the grinning Yoo Seung-han, I nodded.

“If that’s the case?”

“Meeting you like this wasn’t part of my plan, but it’s not bad either. Back home, they told me to take over the Busan branch first and gradually work my way up to reach you.”

Yoo Seung-han snaked his eyes narrow, licking his lips as they glistened. The sheen on his lips made his malicious expression look even more devious.

“I think this might be a better opportunity to deal with you swiftly.”

Back home? Opportunity?

Things were spiraling in an utterly unexpected direction.

His words reminded me of Moon Tae-beom, and I finally recognized the feeling of déjà vu.

As I silently stared at him, Yoo Seung-han casually remarked.

“So, you should die.”

At those words, the bear sprang to his feet.

In that instant, the members of the Dong-soo faction inside the warehouse split to confront one another. Though one side was noticeably fewer in number.

“What kind of nonsense are you talking? You punk… Who the hell are you?”

Despite the bear pressing him for answers, Yoo Seung-han only continued to smirk.

“Bear, I appreciated your stupidity. But plans have changed, and now you’re useless. I’ll handle the organization from here, so you can leave in peace.”

“You little…”

The unmistakable rage in the bear’s face was plain to see.

“Are you Japanese?”

I asked, having listened to the bear and Yoo Seung-han’s conversation.

“I was born and grew up in Korea. But my body and heart belong to the Greater Japanese Empire. I will kill you to wash away the humiliation of that last battle with your blood.”

“What bullshit! Just because you’re not Japanese doesn’t mean you can scheme from behind. You dare say you’ll kill me with just this number?”

Even if the bear had revolted, his crew could be easily subdued.

But Yoo Seung-han spoke with a sly grin.

“Why do you think I’ve been stalling?”

“You’re waiting for backup to arrive then? This changes nothing!”

Just as I had expected, a commotion erupted outside. It seemed the reinforcements had arrived, and they were fighting with the security personnel.

“You moron. Coming here not knowing you’re walking into your own grave.”

As Yoo Seung-han drew out a sashimi knife from his waist, all of his people revealed the weapons they had hidden.

The bear simply stared, aghast, at his own men.

“You guys…”

He seemed incapable of believing that his subordinates had betrayed him, trailing off into silence.

The bear must have trusted Yoo Seung-han quite a bit. I found myself thinking he was too soft for a branch leader.

“Overpower them! You can kill them without a second thought. Just don’t kill that snake.”

Given the order, Manager Ma bowed his head. Acting as my security, he positioned himself in front of me as his subordinates began to move.

“Bear, this situation is largely your fault. Don’t just stand there; do something! Your fate will be determined after this mess is resolved.”

The bear bit down hard on his lips at my words. After stealing a glance at Manager Ma, he turned to face me.

“If Bear steps up, won’t Manager be left out of this?”

“Yes, the others will handle it. I’ll protect the boss.”

Satisfied with his answer, I nodded. As I sat down, I shifted my gaze toward the area where the conflict had begun.

The combatants finally clashed. The loud shouts and the sounds of impact echoed throughout the warehouse.

Unlike those who had come prepared with weapons, the bear and his followers had no arms, using only their bare hands to fight and picking up weapons from fallen opponents.

It seemed the bear was just a prideful buffoon. What kind of thoughts led Director Yoo to appoint such a fool as the branch chief?

For a brief moment, while I watched the fight leisurely, I realized the time it took to subdue them was longer than I expected.

Though the enemy’s numbers were noticeably dwindling, we also managed to see multiple injuries on our side.

Frowning, I inquired of Manager Ma.

“Are those guys just stronger, or are your subordinates unusually weak?”

“I’m sorry.”

Instead of making excuses, Manager Ma simply bowed his head.

Recalling Yoo Seung-han’s words, it was clear Japan had a hand in this. Therefore, it was only natural that the ones who came to back him would be strong.

From their perspective, they surely wanted to tear me apart.

Ultimately, we succeeded in overcoming all the personnel inside the warehouse.

However, our side sustained significant losses.

Some were unconscious due to the injuries, while others were bleeding, making it hard to find anyone who seemed uninjured.

Slowly assessing our situation, I gestured toward the fallen Yoo Seung-han.

“Bring that guy over here.”

Following my order, the subordinates dragged the battered Yoo Seung-han over like a dog and forced him to kneel.

“Hey, you little bastard. Did you really think you could kill me?”

“I, I… I will kill you…”

Even in his beaten state, he stubbornly defied me.

Such guys thought dying a martyr’s death was respectable. But I could inflict even more humiliation than death, and there was no need for me to show mercy.

Shaking my head, I turned to Manager Ma.

“Send the seriously injured subordinates to the hospital, and the ones who showed defiance, cut their Achilles tendons and toss them in a corner. Also, report the situation outside and send reinforcements.”

“Yes, Boss.”

I never imagined that my efforts to turn Jeong Min-woo around would lead to this.

I looked down at Yoo Seung-han, feeling like a tiny snowball rolling down a hill, growing larger endlessly.