Chapter 316: You Should’ve Listened When I Spoke Kindly.

‘Do I really have to give guns to real thugs?’

The situation had spiraled completely out of control just five minutes ago.

Wang Wei, present here as a mediator, was a greedy man, just as he looked.

Yoo Sung-jin’s face flushed red with anger, fists clenched, feeling resentful for being betrayed by someone he had considered a long-time friend.

“Hey, you think Hao Xun would just waltz into Korea without any plans?”

Even though the gun was pointed at his head, there was no sign of panic from Hao Xun, making me chuckle involuntarily.

Whether that was bravado or genuine preparation, he was certainly a daring man.

“Kill every last one of those armed bastards!”

I instructed Manager Ma quietly. My words were relayed through the phone in his pocket to the subordinates waiting outside.

Before long, as the glass of the restaurant shattered, Wang Wei’s henchmen fell to the ground, blood spilling from their heads.

“Who says Korea is a gun-free zone? Everyone’s waving guns around like it’s nothing.”

I brushed my hair back and stood up. When I muttered to myself, both Wang Wei and Hao Xun turned to look at me.

Wang Wei’s face was filled with confusion, while Hao Xun wore a victorious smirk.

I called out to Yoo Sung-jin, who was frozen in shock.

“Chairman Yoo.”

Snapping back to reality, Yoo Sung-jin hurried over to me.

“Yes, Boss.”

“You said he was a reliable friend?”

“…I’m sorry.”

I patted Yoo Sung-jin’s shoulder, a look of shame on his face as he hung his head, and walked past him.

“There’s no need to apologize.”

As I moved away, Yoo Sung-jin and Manager Ma followed towards the table.

“Manager, if anyone besides Wang Wei or Hao Xun so much as twitches a finger, shoot them on sight. It’s going to get noisy outside, so control the area a bit. What should I say? Ah, just say we’re filming a movie.”

“Understood, Boss.”

As I walked, I stumbled over a gun lying at my feet. Picking it up from the floor, I shook my head.

“Pathetic, waving guns in someone else’s country. That’s just how thugs are, I guess. Or maybe it’s because they’re Chinese?”

Wang Wei and Hao Xun’s faces contorted with rage as they heard my words through the interpreter.

Unfortunately for them, I understood Chinese even without an interpreter.

I smirked, ignoring their insults completely and headed towards the table.

Reaching the table, I faced Wang Wei and said to Yoo Sung-jin who followed me.

“Don’t just stand there, take a seat.”

Yoo Sung-jin sat down in the same spot he had occupied earlier.

To my left sat Yoo Sung-jin, to my right Hao Xun, and directly across from me was Wang Wei.

I turned to Hao Xun to speak in Chinese.

Even if I wanted to phrase my words gently, thinking about how these guys had acted in Korea made harsh words slip out naturally.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be smart, right? What on earth were you thinking, sending a sniper here? Did you want them to kill everyone present? You must be a fool for sending such a shallow ploy.”

“…”

“You think those guys who sniped Wang Wei’s men were on your side? You think the guys you planted already got them? They’re either dead on that building rooftop or at least half-crippled, so don’t get your hopes up.”

Hao Xun, who had been smiling at my words, went pale with shock.

“What?”

“I can’t believe I’m seeing a thug using agents from the National Security Division in an embassy. Is this even normal for a country?”

Receiving reports that Hao Xun, upon entering Korea, had made an appearance at the Chinese embassy in Myeong-dong only left me feeling uneasy.

Thus, I focused the Black Bear Korea branch’s intelligence team on the Chinese embassy.

As a result, we discovered that a Black agent from the National Security Division, disguised as an embassy employee, was preparing for a sniper position across from Myeong-dong Hotel.

Immediately, the Black Bear strike team moved in. The strike team, which had been waiting at the sniper point, subdued the snipers and was keeping watch with the sniper rifles they had brought.

I had already issued a command for them to shoot when I gave the word.

And the moment the command was given, the strike team first shot at Wang Wei’s armed men.

“Huh, how?”

Hao Xun couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

“How could that be? This is Korea, not China. Take your time figuring out how they moved their agents, but for now, let’s clean up this mess.”

Surprised at the loss of his trusted men, he couldn’t even properly speak.

He wasn’t big-time but rather just a fool. I clicked my tongue in disappointment.

“You’re Kim Mu-hyeok, right?”

At that moment, Wang Wei suddenly spoke to me as if he recognized me.

I turned to him, wanting to take charge of the atmosphere. His chubby cheeks melted in and out with each word he spoke.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. But you look younger than I expected…”

“What are you babbling about, you pig? Do you know me? Where did you get the nerve? I don’t talk to beasts, so don’t even think about saying anything until I permit it.”

“W-what? You little bastard!”

Wang Wei’s face turned bright red as he boiled over with anger.

They said he was a senior member of the Black House, but seeing him lose control so quickly was laughable.

I gazed coolly at Wang Wei as he stood from his seat.

“Sit back down. Unless you want a hole in your head.”

I gestured towards the window where sunlight splintered through shards. Wang Wei’s gaze naturally followed to the window.

“This is your final warning. Manager, if he so much as twitches a finger, shoot him on sight.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“You said you knew me, right? Then you also know I wouldn’t bluster. Feel free to test me, but you might regret it while standing there.”

As I finished speaking, I raised my hand and began folding down my fingers.

Wang Wei kept glancing furtively at the window.

Anger management issues are easily dealt with by greater force.

Just before I folded down the last finger, Wang Wei sat back down.

“You should’ve listened when I spoke kindly. Until I address you, keep your mouth shut.”

Wang Wei tightly sealed his lips, unable to utter a word.

He bit his lip so hard that a trickle of blood rolled down his chin.

“Chairman Yoo.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“I feel like it’s time for me to intervene, don’t you?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“I’m quite disappointed. You can’t even control your subordinates, and you get betrayed by someone you considered a friend. Can you truly say you’re the boss of Korea’s underworld? I guess I expected too much from you, Chairman Yoo.”

“N-No, it’s not like that.”

Yoo Sung-jin quickly bowed his head.

“You can trust friends. Especially if they’re old friends, you’d want to trust them even more. But that doesn’t excuse this. You must think of your position, Chairman Yoo. You need to develop an eye for judging people. The moment I saw that pig’s face, I realized he was scummy. Don’t you think Kang Director’s incident was similar?”

“I’m sorry.”

“If I delay this any longer, it might turn messy, so I’ll handle it myself.”

“Please do as you wish, Boss. But Wang Wei over there…”

Yoo Sung-jin, lifting his bowed head, glared at Wang Wei with a murderous glint in his eyes as he spoke.

“That’s only natural.”

Having conveyed my intention, I turned my head back to Hao Xun.

“I can see your eyes rolling. Do you still not comprehend the situation? All your cards are gone.”

“…Are you saying you just killed a National Security agent? You’ve got to be out of your mind. You won’t come out unscathed either.”

“Why’s that? You think the Chinese government will complain to the South Korean government over a dead agent? You really think an assassin trying to kill someone with a sniper rifle in the heart of Seoul will go unnoticed?”

I gazed at Hao Xun, my face filled with a derisive smile. He had gone pale.

“Go ahead, try it. I’ll ensure the Chinese intelligence agency officially complains through the foreign ministry when they do that. No, give this information to the out-of-control Americans, and they’ll love it. It’s a good card to pressure China. The Chinese government supports drug trafficking organizations, and the funds are flowing into the pockets of Chinese Communist Party officials.”

Hao Xun’s hands trembled, his face ghastly pale.

“The more this gets out, the less chance you have of walking away from this alive. But if you still want to threaten me, feel free to try. China executes drug dealers without hesitation, right? They don’t spare foreigners either.”

Not too long ago, one of our citizens was sentenced to death for smuggling meth, executed surprisingly quickly.

The news rocked Korea.

Despite diplomatic customs requiring prior notice to the South Korean government, they only informed us a month after the execution.

We lodged a strong protest through the foreign ministry, but the response was simply that it was a normal procedure.

But if news broke that an agent from the Chinese embassy attempted an assassination under the instructions of a drug trafficking organization, the aftermath would be a foregone conclusion.

Hao Xun’s face turned fearful as if he had caught on to what I was implying.

“I know you’re from the Communist Youth League as well. You understand exactly what I mean, don’t you?”

“…Dammit.”

“I’ve heard you’re clever for a thug, so let me lay it out straightforwardly. It’s simple. Effective immediately, cease all drug trafficking operations in Korea. And kick out every other Chinese gang operating here. Make sure no Chinese organization can sell drugs in Korea again.”

“We’ll cease drug trafficking. But the other Chinese gangs…”

I raised my hand to cut him off, effectively silencing him.

“Hao Xun, do I sound like I’m making a request?”

“…”

“Don’t get it twisted. This is a command. If you refuse, I’ll let the Chinese and U.S. governments know. Chairman Jiang will definitely appreciate the opportunity to pressure the Communist Youth League.”

“…I’ll comply.”

Hao Xun had no choice left.

If he faced serious political fallout that could impact not only him but the Communist Youth League backing him, it would truly be the end.

“In return, hand over all drug trafficking operations entering Japan through our country to the Black Dragon Society. I’ll handle everything else. This way, the Black Dragon Society won’t be disappointed. Selling drugs to Japan is more profitable than selling to Korea, isn’t it?”

Only then did light return to Hao Xun’s eyes.

“What difference will it make if you’re overseeing things?”

Even cornered, he didn’t shy away from profitable deals, which I found somewhat appealing.

“That depends on how your organization reacts. If it’s unclear, ask the higher-ups in the Communist Youth League about me. You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Just who are you, anyway…?”

“You’ll know once you ask. Then you’ll realize I’m not just spewing nonsense.”

Hao Xun wore a perplexed expression, clearly unsure. Tired of dragging it out, I waved my hand dismissively.

“What’s your choice? Do you want to just die here, or will you accept my proposal?”

“I accept the proposal.”

“Good. You’re a smart guy, so you wouldn’t pull any ridiculous stunts. If you think you can get away with something as soon as you leave here, you’re sorely mistaken. The moment you make a move, you and your family will plummet into chaos.”

“…”

Hao Xun flinched slightly, clearly struck by my words. Thugs tend to think alike.

“By the way, regarding Director Kang’s approach, are you sure it has nothing to do with the Black Dragon Society?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He and I are just like sworn enemies.”

“That’s just what I thought. It seemed odd, you know? Even a thug wouldn’t make such proposals during a bloody war. Fine, you’re free to go now.”

I instructed Manager Ma standing behind me.

“Tell the team waiting below to let Hao Xun and his men go.”

“Yes, Boss.”

It was time to deal with that pig who orchestrated this mess.