Chapter 723: Do You Not Need My Help?

Han Hyun-soo stared down at Han Hyun-jin and Han Hyeon-woo in silence for a long while.

Then, glancing briefly at his wristwatch, Han Hyun-soo finally spoke.

“Big Brother, do you really think the people you sent can make it here to kill me?”

“I’m sorry, Hyun-soo. Just spare my life. I promise to leave Korea for a place where no one knows me…”

“Did I ask you that, brother? Just answer the question. Can they come here or not?”

‘…’

Han Hyun-jin remained tight-lipped.

He realized that no matter what he said, Han Hyun-soo wasn’t in the mood to listen.

Han Hyeon-woo, who had been gauging the atmosphere, spoke up in a hushed tone.

“Hyun-soo, do you remember how I looked after you when we were kids? You can’t treat me like this. I… I’m not guilty of anything. It was all Big Brother’s doing. I was just…”

“I know. You’re not smart enough to come up with a plan like this. But right now, what does that even matter?”

Han Hyun-soo retorted indifferently, dismissing Han Hyeon-woo as if he didn’t exist.

“…So I have no fault in this.”

Han Hyeon-woo felt a lump in his throat but forced himself to speak submissively.

If Han Hyun-jin was begging this much, it clearly meant their plan had gone awry.

Han Hyeon-woo wasn’t foolish enough to miss that.

“You think you’re innocent? That’s nonsense, Little Brother. You’re the worst. You should have done something to stop Mother from plotting my death!”

“What power did I have? I was only trying to clear your name later…”

“You just lie whenever you speak, don’t you?”

Han Hyun-soo cut off Han Hyeon-woo’s protests coldly, shaking his head as he sunk deeper into the sofa.

He then crossed his legs and turned to the mercenary leader.

“What’s the situation?”

“So far, nobody’s come this way.”

Han Hyun-soo nodded at the straightforward yet reassuring response.

When he first heard the plan that Han Hyun-jin had gathered the Chinese nationals to kill him, memories from his time in Japan resurfaced, urging him to cancel his promise.

However, the mercenary leader had reassured him it was fine to proceed, giving him the courage to be present at this moment.

He felt good after witnessing a satisfying scene, but that didn’t mean he was free from anxiety.

“Once tonight is over, everything will be settled.”

Han Hyun-soo mumbled to himself, akin to a death sentence, causing both Han Hyun-jin and Han Hyeon-woo to shudder simultaneously.

* * *

Yoon Chang-ho woke up to the loud ringing of his phone early in the morning.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and fumbled around for his phone, which was buzzing noisily.

“…What’s going on?”

—Mr. President! We have a huge problem. There’s been a major fight between gangsters in Gangnam!

“And you think that’s something I need to hear at this hour?”

Yoon Chang-ho responded irritably as he glanced at the clock.

The hour hand had just passed 2 AM.

—Well… firearms have been used.

“What? What on earth do you mean by that?”

The startling news jolted him awake.

It wasn’t just a turf war between gangs; guns had been involved?

He shot up from bed, waking the First Lady beside him, who rubbed her eyes sleepily.

“Honey, what’s going on?”

“Oh, you’re awake? It’s no big deal. Just go back to sleep.”

Yoon Chang-ho left the room holding his phone. Once in the living room, he collapsed onto the sofa and asked.

“Give me all the details.”

—Two hours ago, police received reports of a battle in the heart of Gangnam.

The Chief Secretary continued, detailing everything that had been reported.

Yoon Chang-ho pressed his fingers to his temple, an involuntary groan escaping him.

“…What about civilian casualties?”

—Not confirmed yet.

“What kind of thugs are they? In this day and age, shooting in the middle of Seoul? Get the Police Commissioner here right now!”

—We don’t know which gang it is yet. The scene is contained, and there have been confirmed casualties.

Casualties already… Yoon Chang-ho felt a headache forming.

At that moment, a name appeared in his mind.

The only person who could pull off something like this in Korea was Kim Mu-hyeok.

“Got it. Immediately convene an emergency meeting. If it’s not just a simple gang fight and firearms are involved, this is serious. Ensure the scene is tightly secured.”

—Understood. We will do that.

“I’ll head to the office as soon as I can.”

Yoon Chang-ho tossed his phone onto the sofa with frustration.

Then he ran his hands through his hair irritably.

“What on earth is this lunatic trying to accomplish?”

There was no evidence pointing directly to Kim Mu-hyeok.

Yet Yoon Chang-ho was convinced Kim Mu-hyeok was involved.

After a moment of thought, Yoon Chang-ho picked up his phone again.

—Yes, Mr. President.

“Do you know anything about this incident?”

The person he was calling was Lee Myeong-su.

—…I don’t know.

“Be honest. Is Kim Mu-hyeok connected to this incident in any way?”

—I’m not sure.

“There was a shooting in the middle of Seoul, especially in Gangnam. You seriously don’t know anything?”

Yoon Chang-ho pressed him, but Lee Myeong-su replied calmly.

—I just received a call while I was sleeping. The office is in chaos; I’ll be leaving urgently. I really don’t know what’s happening, Mr. President. Why would I lie to you?

“Haa… Is Kim Mu-hyeok still in Japan?”

—Yes, I believe so.

“This is something I can’t protect. There are too many eyes on us.”

—…I doubt it. He shouldn’t be that reckless.

Though Lee Myeong-su spoke gently, Yoon Chang-ho nodded unconsciously.

“Right. Kim Mu-hyeok isn’t the type to stir up trouble like this without telling me first.”

—Nothing has been confirmed yet. Let’s keep watching the situation. I’ll head to the office and find out more right now.

“I appreciate that. Thank you.”

After hanging up, Yoon Chang-ho exhaled a deep sigh.

Instead of organizing his thoughts, his head was spinning.

Although the situation bore Kim Mu-hyeok’s fingerprints, the gang conflicts across the nation had vanished entirely under the Heavenly Group’s influence.

Since then, the Heavenly Group had maintained its power while appearing to remain corporate.

Of course, Yoon Chang-ho was aware of it. He knew that the Heavenly Group was involved in illegal activities.

But it was easier to feign ignorance as long as the Heavenly Group was the only one managing it.

The return of complacency felt bitter in his stomach.

“Hah… What on earth is going on here?”

With another deep sigh, Yoon Chang-ho walked aimlessly into the bathroom.

* * *

The moment I woke up, I opened my laptop to the Korean portal site.

As expected, the clash between the Chinese nationals and the Heavenly Group was the top news.

[Gang Wars Break Out in the Heart of Gangnam.]

[Security is Breached in South Korea.]

[Citizens in Fear: Gangsters’ Brawl.]

[Gunshots Echo in Seoul!]

I skimmed through the articles.

As if an embargo had been enforced, there were no articles properly explaining the situation.

There was only chatter about the bloodshed occurring in the entertainment district of Gangnam.

The articles lacked substance, but I read through them quickly to gauge the atmosphere.

“Hmm.”

Manager Ma entered with coffee and toast, placing them down in front of me.

I closed the laptop and asked.

“Did we get any updates from Korea?”

“Yes. A few Chinese nationals made their way into the Heavenly Group, but the mercenaries managed to subdue them.”

“Then Han Hyun-soo should be safe. What about Han Hyun-jin and Han Hyeon-woo?”

“They’ve been locked up in an Incheon warehouse along with the hired thugs that summoned the Chinese nationals.”

As I lifted my coffee cup, the fragrant aroma wafted into my nostrils.

“What do they think Han Hyun-soo will do?”

“It seems they intend to kill him.”

“If he shows any sign of weakness again, they were planning to eliminate him. Guess that’s good news.”

After taking a sip of coffee, I asked again.

“What’s the Korean government’s response?”

“There seems to be significant civilian casualties, causing quite a serious reaction.”

“Is it because they’re Chinese nationals? They really have no fear.”

If it was a conflict between Korean gangsters, they never would have behaved in a way that harmed civilians.

While they might tolerate gangster brawls, they knew that the moment civilians got hurt, the government would break them apart without hesitation.

“The Heavenly Group must have prepared an organization to act as bait…”

If this escalated, the Heavenly Group would also be in danger.

After setting my cup down and pondering for a moment, I told Manager Ma.

“Manager, please get in touch with Yoo Sung-jin.”

“Yes.”

Manager Ma took out his phone and made a call. After a brief conversation, he handed me the phone.

“Chairman Yoo Sung-jin, it’s Kim Mu-hyeok.”

—Yes, President. This is Yoo Sung-jin. How have you been?

“Oh, you know, same old. But it looks like I’m about to take a big hit because of this incident.”

—No, this is nothing compared to what you’ve done for us. We’ll be alright.

“Can you manage this?”

Could the Heavenly Group really handle this solely on their own?

Since civilian casualties had already occurred, I was considering extending help if necessary.

However, Yoo Sung-jin responded firmly.

—We will manage. We may take a hit, but it won’t lead to a full-scale investigation on the Heavenly Group. We’re not the same as before.

His words brimmed with confidence. Indeed, it was different from before.

“I’ve heard that Chinese nationals used firearms.”

—Yes, there were casualties among our organization members due to this. I apologize.

“What’s to apologize for? If you’re feeling burdened, then that’s understandable.”

Of course, losing one or two members of the Heavenly Group wouldn’t cause Yoo Sung-jin any real sorrow.

After all, he wouldn’t send his most valued people into harm’s way.

—No, there’s nothing to apologize for.

“So my help isn’t needed, then?”

—No. We’ll handle it ourselves.

“Alright then. You’ve worked hard. Those captured in the Incheon warehouse can be handled however Han Hyun-soo sees fit.”

Listening to Yoo Sung-jin’s response, I was about to hang up when something suddenly came to mind.

“Oh, Chairman Yoo, which organization is responsible for smuggling guns into Korea? What kind of lunatics would do such a thing?”

—We haven’t been able to trace that far yet. But we suspect that the guns entered Busan through Russia. We’re managing to intercept most of them, but it seems a few slipped through the cracks. I apologize.

“It’s fine. The Heavenly Group can’t block everything that the government can’t control. What does Ussoyan say about it?”

—He said he’d look into it and contact you.

Ussoyan probably had nothing substantial to add. Even if I pressed him for information, I doubted anything fruitful would come from it, but at least we had a reason to act.

“Make sure to clean this up. There are factions supporting this within Korea, which is why this happened.”

—Yes. We will take care of it.

“Then let’s keep in touch for now.”

I passed the phone back to Manager Ma.

Manager Ma continued his call with Yoo Sung-jin while I finished my coffee and took a moment to organize my thoughts.

I wondered how Yoo Sung-jin would handle this situation.

It was a riot in the heart of Seoul.

With civilian casualties already reported, the government had no choice but to respond aggressively.

Then, my phone rang. I checked the caller ID before answering.

—Hey, Kim Mu-hyeok! You lunatic!

Myeong-su yelled without preamble. His booming voice echoed through the receiver.

I expected this, so I held the phone away from my ear.

—You lunatic! You said this would be contained within our organization! What’s going on?! Why are the Chinese nationals firing guns in the middle of Seoul! Can you hear me? Hey, Kim Mu-hyeok! Muu-hyeok! You bastard!

That’s why I liked Myeong-su.

The others, including Hyun-seong, seemed to have developed some distance from me as of late.

I thought it was inevitable, but Myeong-su hadn’t changed one bit.

He was always the one to say exactly what was on his mind.

“I can hear you, I can hear you. I had no idea it would escalate like this.”

“—You’re full of crap. How could you not know?”

“I knew this might happen, but I didn’t think it would blow up like this. Is it serious?”

Myeong-su answered my question with irritation.

“—Of course it’s serious! We’re talking about dozens of civilians injured! Luckily, no one has died, but this cannot be overlooked. This is not something I can manage!”

“Just let it be. Stay out of it. It might come back to bite you. Just let it flow naturally. That’s the best approach.”

Myeong-su then asked worriedly.

—Are you really going to be fine? President Yoon Chang-ho is furious right now. The Police Commissioner’s already blown a gasket over this. You might end up in hot water too.

“Ha ha! How old is the Police Commissioner anyway? This is probably a long-overdue outcome for him.”

I chuckled unconsciously.

Seeing Yoon Chang-ho storm out without a care for his reputation, he must have been seriously irked.

“Don’t worry. I’m not involved in this at all. Everyone related has been arrested, right?”

—Yeah. We took them into custody on the scene. Those Chinese nationals thought our police were a joke. They’re scared of the Chinese public security but completely disregarded the Korean police.

“One side’s Chinese, what’s the other side?”

—There are a few Koreans involved, but most are illegal immigrants from Southeast Asia. That’s what’s really tiring. Two Koreans died without even getting a chance to go to the hospital after being shot on the spot.

Now I understood why Yoo Sung-jin believed the Heavenly Group wouldn’t be implicated in this.

—According to testimonies from the Chinese nationals, they claimed they entered South Korea to kill Han Hyun-soo, and during their approach, they were suddenly ambushed. They were merely defending themselves, they insisted. The Chinese embassy has already lodged a complaint with our government…

How ridiculous. They come here to kill someone and then protest when things get messy. It’s absolutely ludicrous.

Listening to Myeong-su, I wrote something down on a piece of paper and passed it to Manager Ma.

[Please get in touch with Premier Wen Jiabao.]

While the Heavenly Group was handling the situation, I still felt it necessary to lessen some of the pressure off President Yoon.