Chapter 269: So, What Did You Decide?

The Cheonhwa Group.

It was a company established after acquiring all businesses in the Geuksung Group, except for the construction sector.

With ventures in culture and entertainment, hotels and resorts, as well as trading and distribution, it could be classified as a mid-sized enterprise.

What they did above ground was significant, but the real money moved in the shadows. They managed most of the entertainment venues across the country, dominating illegal activities like alcohol sales and gambling, making them the largest criminal organization domestically.

Now, the head of that crime syndicate was kneeling in front of me, begging for mercy.

“Hmm…”

“…”

I gazed down at Chairman Yoo Sung-jin with cold eyes, deep in thought.

Rather than offering excuses, Yoo Sung-jin simply knelt in silence.

After the death of the first chairman, Dong-soo, who was my brother, the second chairman, Lee Sang-geun, completely dissociated from the organization. By merging the construction sector of the Geuksung Group with the Geuksung Group’s construction-related businesses, he turned it into a specialized construction company and became a legitimate chairman operating above ground.

As the third chairman, Yoo Sung-jin, who is directly related to Dong-soo, took office after Lee Sang-geun’s recommendation.

The first chairman was a thug, but he had a good heart.

The second chairman was also a thug, but he preferred dialogue over violence.

Yoo Sung-jin, the third chairman, was different. He was aggressive and showed no hesitation in using force.

Although I had given orders, I was risking the group’s survival in a war against the black society in Korea and the Southeast Asian mafia.

So he was still a necessary card for me.

“Chairman Yoo, please stand up. Your subordinates are watching. ”

The authority of a leader crumbles if he loses his dignity.

If he had come alone, it might have been one thing, but coming with the board members made his action even more detrimental.

However, contrary to my worries, every board member following Yoo Sung-jin also knelt without hesitation.

‘Look at that. He’s secured his surroundings well, hasn’t he?’

He was definitely different from the Bear.

Being key members of the Cheonhwa Group, they had to recognize my existence, which had influenced their behavior, but not having any other thoughts and immediately kneeling alongside Yoo Sung-jin showed his strong control and charisma.

This was the part that Lee Sang-geun, the second chairman, lacked.

An absolute charisma that commands people and overwhelming power.

Hiding my satisfaction, I continued to silently watch him, and Yoo Sung-jin once again lowered his head.

“I apologize. I heard one of the members drew a knife on you, sir.”

“That’s true. Well, go ahead and take a seat. Manager Ma, please prepare a chair for Chairman Yoo to sit on.”

“Yes, Boss.”

After giving instructions to Manager Ma beside me, he promptly brought a chair. He placed it so we could sit facing each other and returned to my side.

Yoo Sung-jin remained frozen in place, still kneeling.

“Please sit down.”

With the variable of Japan now in the picture, it would be hard to place all the responsibility on Yoo Sung-jin.

After repeated prompts, Yoo Sung-jin finally stood upright, deeply bowing his head.

“Once again, I’m sorry. It’s my fault for not properly protecting the organization.”

Instead of answering, I nodded and pointed to a seat.

“Let’s start by discussing what happened. You couldn’t have overlooked the Busan branch, especially with Dong-soo’s faction…”

Chairman Yoo stood, but the other board members still knelt. Suddenly, I realized there was something I needed to address.

“All board members, please stand up. Also, wait outside. It won’t take long.”

Among the kneeling board members could be someone affiliated with Japan.

Apart from Yoo Sung-jin, the Cheonhwa Group board members from Seoul greeted me and all exited the warehouse.

After glancing around the now-empty warehouse, I turned to Yoo Sung-jin and asked.

“Go ahead and speak.”

“I thought if I left Busan to Bear, it would run smoothly. He’s one of the few younger brothers I trust. But I never expected him to be so foolish. Although he’s ignorant, he’s a straightforward guy…”

Yoo Sung-jin had accurately pinpointed Bear’s shortcomings.

A stupid and foolish guy, but a straightforward one. Bear was far from suitable to hold the position of boss.

“Even in the short time I met Bear today, his flaws were quite evident. Despite being the branch head of a prominent faction like Dong-soo’s, he was sent over with more disadvantages than advantages.”

While Yoo Sung-jin might have seen Bear’s strengths, it was not a good attitude for a boss.

A boss had to always be prepared for the worst.

“It’s not just loyalty that should decide who becomes a branch head; it’s also the capacity of a person to hold that position, that’s your skill, Chairman Yoo.”

“I’m sorry. It’s my negligence.”

Yoo Sung-jin calmly admitted his mistake. I raised an eyebrow at that.

If someone can acknowledge their own faults and be willing to change, they can be trusted.

“This isn’t just a problem in the Busan branch. The Yakuza were involved in this incident. They seem to be changing their strategies after failing to penetrate Korea repeatedly.”

“…Is that so?”

Confusion covered Yoo Sung-jin’s face. It seemed he had no idea this had happened within the organization.

“Even if Busan is close enough for them to invade easily, it’s obvious that the deputy head of a branch becomes their subordinate. Naturally, we’ll have to be suspicious of others as well.”

“I’ll initiate a thorough internal investigation right away.”

At those words, I tapped the armrest with my fingers, falling into thought.

The repetitive sound echoed in the quiet warehouse for quite some time.

“I can overlook everything else and let it slide. But I absolutely cannot forgive an infringement against the legacy of the first chairman. To think someone embezzled money intended for the organization’s members—that calls for severe punishment, as it shakes the foundation of our organization.”

Even thuggery is done to survive. If they’re short on cash, who knows what those at the bottom will resort to?

That’s why I ensured even the basic members received sufficient funds to keep them from thinking about other things.

Additionally, the lower-level members lacked significant power. Ultimately, harassment of market vendors and extortion arose because of the middle managers who intercepted the funds intended for them.

Since they wouldn’t stoop to such tactics themselves, they welcomed local ruffians into the ranks of their members and overcharged market merchants for protection money, effectively double-dipping into their pockets.

Clearly, it was time for a stringent internal inspection.

“Are you struggling a lot? Should I send in some mercenaries?”

If all of Yoo Sung-jin’s nerves were directed towards foreign organizations operating domestically, I wanted to help him manage that first.

“No, not really. Most of it’s been resolved.”

“Really? That was quicker than I expected. I thought it would take at least a year.”

“After the initial confrontation, the Southeast Asian groups quickly backed down. They asked us to ensure the livelihood of their workers and female entertainers from various countries, or they threatened to push back hard.”

“Hmm…”

So these Southeast Asian gangs had started proposing terms after that initial encounter. That speaks volumes about the overwhelming disparity in strength.

“So, what did you decide to do?”

“For now, I’ve called all the heads of the organizations from the various countries to Korea. If they come, I plan to broker negotiations to help them establish a foothold here in Korea.”

I nodded slightly. If coexistence is possible, there’s no need to forcefully expel them.

“As long as we prevent them from getting involved in drugs and gambling, that doesn’t sound like a bad plan.”

“I agree with that too.”

Leaving the Southeast Asian groups to handle it was one thing… just a few particularly cruel individuals remained.

“What about the Chinese and Taiwanese?”

“They’re cockroaches, worse than cockroaches.”

Yoo Sung-jin grimaced and shook his head.

“Drugs, prostitution, human trafficking, and even organ trafficking. They’re involved in any money-making schemes you can think of. On top of that, their resilience is so strong, even if you capture or disable them, the vacant slots get filled by others crawling out of nowhere.”

Perhaps he had gone through a lot, as Yoo Sung-jin’s face scrunched up while he spoke.

The survival instinct of the Chinese was famous. They created kingdoms everywhere they went and seized local interests.

The U.S. and Japan were no exceptions. And, Korea had a little China of its own, Chinatown, where the dark side was dominated by the black society.

“So what are you planning? If complete extermination is difficult, are you going to negotiate with them?”

Chinese people don’t understand satisfaction. Once they concede, they only expect more.

“No. I have no intention of negotiating with the black society. I absolutely won’t negotiate with the Chinese.”

That was a satisfactory answer.

Japan responds to dialogue and threats, but with China, neither approach works.

I smirked with one corner of my mouth curling up and nodded.

“Good call. If you don’t handle China that way, they won’t back off. However, I do think there’s a limit to how much assistance the authority can provide. To minimize friction with the Chinese government, you understand that underground issues need to be resolved underground, right?”

The authorities were assisting with the expulsion of illegal residents.

But they couldn’t suppress those who entered legally with the help of state power; the only way was to forcefully drive them out.

“I’ll uproot the black society from Korea, no matter how long it takes. If you give me just one more chance, I’ll also tighten the internal inspections completely.”

“Of course, I believe you, Chairman Yoo. Everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is to not make the same mistake twice.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Yoo Sung-jin placed his hands on his knees and deeply bowed in gratitude.

“External threats are important, but so is internal inspection. Be sure to sort this out thoroughly. The act of embezzling from the funds owed to organization members, as well as extorting money from normal vendors claiming it’s protection money, will absolutely not be tolerated. Do you understand?”

“I’ll ensure that never happens again. Thank you once again for giving me this chance. I won’t repeat the same mistake again.”

Yoo Sung-jin spoke firmly. I decided to trust him once more.

There wasn’t a suitable replacement for him, and there was no one like him in the underworld.

“Identify the internal enemies and uncover everything they know. If they refuse to talk, I’ll send experts to handle it.”

I had no intention of leaving it all to Yoo Sung-jin. I was planning to mobilize a separate intelligence team to root out the Japanese informants infiltrating Korea.

“When a proper plan is laid out, contact Manager Ma for personnel support.”

“Yes.”

Now, what should be done about Bear? As I thought about that, Bear came to mind.

Since I was going to leave his fate to Yoo Sung-jin, it was only natural I had to ask.

“What should we do with Bear?”

“…Could you give him just one more chance? He’s a valuable friend to abandon. I will demote him from branch head in Busan. It seems that my ambition was the reason he was appointed to that position in the first place.”

I swallowed hard, contemplating how to deal with Bear.

It would be improper to simply overlook Bear’s initial disrespectful actions. Letting it go would only set a poor example.

Yoo Sung-jin, sensing my turmoil, spoke first.

“I will offer up a finger. If Bear’s finger is not enough, I’ll also offer up one of my own.”

“It seems you care about Bear a lot.”

“He started off under Brother Dong-soo. He’s a simple but loyal guy; there’s no way he would betray. Chairman Kim Mu-hyeok, please, just give im one more chance.”

Yoo Sung-jin deeply bowed again, seeking Bear’s reprieve.

Wiping away his debt isn’t a bad idea either. I smiled coldly and said.

“Alright. Raise your head, Chairman Yoo. For this incident, I’ll be satisfied with just Bear’s finger. But along with the finger, send Bear to me. I’ll need to have a chat with him before sending him back.”

“Understood. I’ll make arrangements.”

Feeling that everything had settled, I was the first to stand up.

“There might be informants among the board members waiting outside. Start with them.”

“Yes, sir.”

I reached out to him as he nodded in response.

“There won’t be a second chance. If anything like this happens again, you will be held accountable then.”

Yoo Sung-jin firmly grasped my hand and responded resolutely.

“That will never happen again, Boss.”

Finally done with everything, I set off for home. By the time I arrived, the morning sun was already rising.

Since it took longer than expected, I entered the house cautiously, fearing I might wake Grandma.

“Is Mu-hyeok home?”

Despite my careful movements, I sensed a presence in the darkened living room where the lights were off.

Feeling awkward, I quickly scrambled for an excuse.

“Uh, it’s me. Grandma, weren’t you supposed to be sleeping? Don’t wait for me. Just sleep. That Jung Min-woo, he won’t pull thathat kind of trick again.”

“You did well. Get some sleep as soon as you can. Grandma’s going in too.”

Upon seeing my face, Grandma finally smiled and got up to turn away.

Noticing a mix of relief in her smile, I unconsciously wrapped my arms around her tightly.

“Grandma! Let’s go eat raw fish tonight. Got it?”

“Okay, I got it. Hurry and get some rest, Mu-hyeok.”

Watching Grandma who patted my back as she headed into her room, I couldn’t help but grin.