Chapter 28: What’s This Now?

It was around the time when the Cheon Su-han slot machine issue had died down.

With the school break, I set off for Busan with Myeong-su and Hyeon-seong.

After dropping them off at their homes, I arrived at ‘our’ house.

As soon as I opened the front gate, a wave of nostalgia washed over me.

When I opened the front door, the scent of Grandma’s soybean paste stew tickled my nose.

“Grandma! I’m home!”

Grandma, who was in the kitchen, came running, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Oh my~ My baby’s here. You must be tired. Go wash up, I’ve made food for you.”

“Grandma, let me hug you.”

“Why are you being so sappy? You smell.”

“What? What’s wrong with how my grandma smells? It’s so nice. If anyone says anything, tell me. I’ll teach them a lesson.”

I hugged Grandma tightly.

Grandma’s scent.

It’s wonderful!

Grandma patted my back and said,

“There, there. You’ve worked hard.”

“I missed you, Grandma. Didn’t you miss me?”

“Alright, alright. Now go wash up and come out.”

“Okay, okay.”

I feel like a child again in front of Grandma.

Why didn’t I realize this happiness before?

I quickly showered and changed clothes before coming out.

“I’ve made all your favorite side dishes because you’re here.”

“Did I tell you I cried in Seoul because I missed your food?”

“Stop your nonsense.”

Grandma laughed, clearly in a good mood.

Grandma just sat there, looking at me.

“Grandma, let’s eat.”

“Go on, eat up.”

I scooped up a big spoonful of steaming white rice and put it in my mouth.

Then I took a spoonful of Grandma’s soybean paste stew, and it was heaven.

“Is it good?”

“Yes, Grandma, you eat too.”

“Alright, hurry and eat.”

Grandma smiled and picked up her spoon.

“How’s life in Seoul? It must be tough, right?”

“No, it’s manageable except for not having you around. But Grandma, don’t you get lonely by yourself? Aren’t you bored?”

Grandma shook her head.

“No, I go to the senior center and spend time with other grandmas. The weather’s been nice lately, so we often go for walks nearby.”

“That’s great, Grandma.”

“And your in-laws, are they treating you well?”

“Yes.”

“How about school?”

“It’s going well. I go with Myeong-su since we’re at the same school. It’s less boring that way, and I’ve become really close with my classmates.”

“My Mu-hyeok will do well anywhere. That makes Grandma so happy.”

“What…”

I called Grandma almost every day in Seoul.

Worried she might be lonely, I made sure to call at least every other day, even if I had evening plans.

But even though I heard her voice so often, seeing her face in person was even better.

Grandma and I talked late into the night that day.

That’s how I spent the day in this warm home.

* * *

In an officetel in Jung-gu, Busan

Park Dong-su’s office

“How is it? I can’t make heads or tails of it.”

Park Dong-su was talking with another man.

The man looking at the documents in front of Park Dong-su raised his head.

A man with sharp features that didn’t fit the image of a gangster opened his mouth.

“Boss, is this everything?”

Park Dong-su nodded.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Wasn’t this organization controlling the entire Seomyeon area? It seems too small for that.”

“Really? They wouldn’t be playing games, would they? That’d be asking for trouble.”

“Hmm…”

As the man kept tilting his head while looking at the documents, Park Dong-su waved his hand dismissively.

“Didn’t all the big organizations get taken down during the war on crime? It’s probably because of that, right?”

“Sigh… If this is really all there is, we can’t do much about it. But why are you keeping them in charge of management after subduing them? I just can’t understand your thinking, Boss Park.”

“If you use force for everything, you’ll only create more enemies. You’ve got to let them make a living somehow.”

The man let out a deep sigh, as if he had a headache.

“I guess this world isn’t so different from any other business.”

“Hehehe, of course not. Oh, right, you haven’t met my little brother yet, have you? He’s a smart kid. He’s in Busan now, so come by the office and meet him sometime.”

“If you say so.”

The man’s response was lukewarm, but Park Dong-su didn’t seem to mind.

The name of the man slipped out of Park Dong-su’s mouth.

“Sang-geun, the kid I told you to look up is him. Isn’t it amazing? The kid’s barely twenty, but he’s got the face of someone who’s seen it all. You should meet him and see for yourself. Then you’ll understand what I mean.”

Chuckling at that, Lee Sang-geun said,

“A twenty-year-old kid, how much could he have experienced? You’re going to talk my ear off. Enough already.”

“Hehehe.”

* * *

At that same time

In a room at a nightclub in Seomyeon, several men were gathered.

“So, Byeon, you’re saying we should work together to take down Park Dong-su?”

“That’s right. Dong-su doesn’t have many direct subordinates now. If we move quickly, we can ignore his boys and just work on Park Dong-su himself. Don’t you agree, bosses?”

The four bosses were lost in thought.

They were all busy calculating their own gains and losses.

Byeon Seong-ho had merely stimulated their greed a little…

‘That bastard dared to humiliate me in front of my brothers? You’re going to get a taste of your own medicine!’

The oldest-looking man among the four spoke first.

“Seong-ho, after we take out Park Dong-su, what about the territory?”

“Oh come on, Gi-hoon hyung, why are you worrying about that already? Let’s clean house first, then we can talk about it later. Right, Boss Kim, Boss Son?”

At those words, the man called ‘Boss Son’, who looked as cunning as a rat, opened his mouth.

“No, we should decide this first. After we deal with Park Dong-su, we’re not going to be at each other’s throats, are we? That would be like asking all of us to die together. Let’s decide now.”

Then the man who had been quiet until now, looking like a pig with his rolls of fat, spoke up.

“Brothers, I’m fine with everything, but shouldn’t we ask Sa-seong hyung before dividing up the territory? We need a good reason for our boys to follow us, don’t we? Don’t you think?”

The other three nodded at Kim Byeong-su’s words.

Son Kang-seok, with his cunning looks, glanced at Heo Ki-hoon’s expression and said,

“Gi-hoon hyung, you should go to Sa-seong hyung. You’re the most senior, after all. It’s only right, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“I think so too.”

Heo Ki-hoon, receiving the gazes of the other three, blurted out,

“Fine, then I’ll take Seomyeon. Seong-ho, Byeong-su, Kang-seok, you three are okay with that, right?”

“Hmm…”

When no one answered, Heo Ki-hoon frowned.

“Well, if that’s the case, I won’t go see Sa-seong hyung. Anyone can see it’s a thankless job, why should I be the one to do it? You guys don’t think I’m a fool, do you?”

Kim Byeong-su and Son Kang-seok quickly responded,

“Hyung, why are you in such a hurry? Alright, take Seomyeon. We’ll talk about the rest among ourselves.”

“Yes, hyung, do as you wish. Take Seomyeon.”

Byeon Seong-ho tried to hold out without answering.

But faced with the looks from the other two, he had no choice but to respond.

“Hah… Fine, let’s do that. You can have the Seomyeon area, Gi-hoon hyung. Just make sure you get Sa-seong hyung’s approval, okay?”

“Don’t worry about that. Sa-seong hyung is already upset with Dong-su for hiding out on his own, right? He’s only keeping quiet because Dong-su’s been taking care of things. We’ll take care of that part, won’t we?”

“That’s right~”

Hahaha!

The laughter of the four filled the room.

“Alright, let’s drink now. I’ll set a date after I meet with Sa-seong hyung. Seong-ho, you keep a close eye on Dong-su’s schedule. You know what I mean, right?”

“Of course. I’m in frequent contact with him, aren’t I? Once we have a rough date, I’ll take care of the location.”

That day, they drank until they were completely drunk, laughing and talking for a long time about the rosy future that lay ahead of them.

* * *

It had already been a week since I came down to Busan.

During that time, apart from one brief drinking session with the guys, I had been lazing around at home without a care in the world.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

“This is Kim Mu-hyeok.”

– Oh, it’s Yoon Chang-ho.

“Yes, Chief Prosecutor.”

– You’re in Busan, right?

“Yes, didn’t I contact you before I came down? Is something wrong?”

– Nothing serious. The first trial verdict for Cheon Su-han is coming up soon, isn’t it? I wanted to hear your thoughts on it.

“Hmm… I think it’s best to proceed as agreed with grandfather, don’t you?”

– That’s right. You know, I had a private meeting with the President recently. It was my first time in my career as a prosecutor. He praised me for handling this case well. I can’t tell you how good it felt, haha.

I laughed along appropriately, saying, “Is that so?”

– It’s all thanks to you. I never knew going down to Busan would turn out to be such a blessing. I was thinking of retiring and becoming a lawyer, you know.

“I’m glad I got to know you too, Chief Prosecutor. It feels like you’re both a college senior and an uncle to me.”

– Hahaha, you really know how to talk. Anyway, once we get the first trial verdict, it’s out of my hands. You know that, right? I could interfere up to the second trial, but if we’re going to proceed as agreed, it’s better if I don’t get involved anymore. What do you think?

“Go ahead with that. But what about the prosecutor who took the lead? I heard he was offered a seat in the National Assembly, but what’s going to happen?”

– Sigh… It’s giving me a headache. He’s insisting on staying in the prosecution, but he’s already been marked. He can’t go any higher now. You know about that ridiculous law about the unity of prosecutors, right?

“He’s going to continue as a prosecutor?”

– Yes. Before the President stepped in, the Prosecutor General had contacted me. He told me to back him up and let him blow the whistle to the media. Sigh… But it turns out they’ve already decided to send him to the Jeju District Prosecutors’ Office.

The history has changed.

Originally, he was supposed to run for the National Assembly, but this time, because of my intervention, he’s grabbed onto Yoon’s coattails.

“For now, tell him to go down there. I’ll make sure he doesn’t have any financial troubles, so why don’t you give him some money as a gesture? There’s no better hunting dog than him, is there?”

– Hahaha, you’re really something. Alright, if I really become the Prosecutor General later, I can bring him to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, right?

“Yes, and if that doesn’t work out, tell him we can support his campaign funds for the National Assembly election. Let him make the choice.”

– Understood. When you come to Seoul, let’s have a meal at that place again.

“Yes, Chief Prosecutor. I’ll hang up now.”

As long as grandfather was around, I couldn’t completely get rid of the Cheon Su-man and Cheon Su-han brothers yet.

For now, I had to be satisfied with making them eat some prison food.

“Mu-hyeok! Come out and eat!”

Hearing Grandma calling from outside, I got up from the bed and stretched.

“Oh, Grandma! I’m coming out now.”

I came out, ate the lunch Grandma prepared, washed up, and got ready to go out.

I had to meet with Park Dong-su to talk about the Busan situation and the advance into Seoul.

If I left it too empty, there was a high chance that other guys would take over.

I needed to establish a bridgehead for the Seoul advance as quickly as possible… I wonder how much of Busan had been cleaned up.

I drove to the department store.

I climbed the stairs to Park Dong-su’s office on the third floor.

Two of Park Dong-su’s subordinates were standing in front of the office. I nodded briefly to them and opened the door.

In the quite large open office, several big guys were on standby, but Park Dong-su wasn’t visible.

“He’s inside. Please go in.”

At the words of a big guy I didn’t recognize, I responded with a smile and opened the door to the president’s office.

“Hey! Little bro! It’s been a while! Wow, it’s good to see you! Come on in.”

He hadn’t changed at all.

“Phew…”

I sighed as I closed the door.

The person sitting with Park Dong-su glanced this way.

Although his youthful appearance was a bit unfamiliar, I could recognize him right away.

The gangster lawyer, Lee Sang-geun.

He was a gangster with a lawyer’s license who had advanced into Gangnam, the golden district even in Seoul.

I remembered that he had entered the gang world after helping out gangsters in Busan when he was young, so I had introduced him to Park Dong-su.

“You’re Lee Sang-geun, right? Nice to meet you.”

“Kim Mu-hyeok? That person, right Wow! It’s our first time meeting, but why do I feel so familiar with you? The boss has talked about you so much that your name is etched in my ears.”

“Hahaha…”

I laughed awkwardly to hide my embarrassment.

“Little bro? Are you upset? I greet you, but you only say hello to Sang-geun? This isn’t right.”

“Yes, yes, hello. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? You’ve gained a lot of weight. You should take care of your health. A knife wouldn’t even go in that belly now. If that was your intention in gaining weight, you’ve succeeded.”

Park Dong-su looked blank at my words.

Lee Sang-geun was also staring at me like I was crazy.

“Wahahahaha! You crazy bastard! This is why I like you, you know? I was worried you might have changed after going to Seoul, but you’re exactly the same!”

“Let’s sit down first. We have a lot to talk about once you’re done with your business.”

I sat there for about 10 minutes, listening to Lee Sang-geun and Park Dong-su’s conversation.

Soon, as if they had finished their business, Park Dong-su looked at me and said,

“So, what’s up? What did you want to talk about?”

“How much of Busan have you cleaned up?”

“Sigh… Why are you in such a rush? What’s going on?”

“The situation has changed a bit. I think we need to establish a bridgehead in Seoul as quickly as possible.”

“Seoul? Already?”

“Yes, when you go to Seoul…”

That’s when it happened.

Crash!

Smash!

Suddenly, there was a sound of something breaking and scattering, along with cursing, and the outside became noisy.

Park Dong-su’s right-hand man, Yang Suhyeong, burst through the door and shouted,

“Dong-su hyung! We’re under attack! We’re under attack!”

“What are you mumbling about? Who is it?”

Park Dong-su and Lee Sang-geun stood up.

“Seomyeon, Yeonsan-dong, Bosu-dong, Hadan… It looks like they’ve all joined forces. We’re outnumbered. It’ll take time for our boys to get here. What should we do?”

At that moment, about 10 men entered the office.

There was a familiar face among them.

It was Byeon Seong-ho.

“Ha! Dong-su, you bastard. Did you think you could live after disrespecting me like that? Oh, look at that, even that kid is here. Looks like we can take care of everything at once. How lucky.”

‘What’s this now?’

I swallowed the sigh that was about to escape.