novelraw Chapter 62 : Let’s Finish This Like Gentlemen
Chapter 62 : Let’s Finish This Like Gentlemen
Chapter 62: Let’s Finish This Like Gentlemen
At President Wang’s question, I nodded.
“I was planning to approach it more slowly, but the situation left me no choice.”
“Mr. Baek. The Yeongdo Gang and I aren’t exactly on good terms.”
Not all of Chinatown, but he personally wasn’t on good terms with them? In Noh Gi-tae’s data, it clearly said they maintained a friendly relationship...
As expected, surface-level information wasn’t enough. I realized I needed more accessible intel.
“You must’ve seen Aseong... With this incident, those guys might ramp up their pressure on Chinatown.”
“Are you afraid of an all-out war with the Yeongdo Gang?”
“Mr. Baek.”
President Wang let out a deep sigh.
“We’ve always been outsiders. And the new government is anything but friendly toward us.
In a situation like this, we can’t afford to stir up unnecessary trouble.”
His calm voice carried a heavy weariness— the hollow weight of someone who existed within society but could never truly belong.
“So when it comes to matters involving the Yeongdo Gang, I can’t offer much help. There will be strong opposition even within Chinatown.”
“Seems like you haven’t fully taken control of Busan’s Chinatown yet.”
“I’m not like Master Yang. I’m closer to an administrator than the head of the Chinese community here.”
“Then, what exactly are you trying to say?”
“Our Chinatown will not get involved in the dispute with the Yeongdo Gang. I’m sorry.”
President Wang bowed his head slightly.
“Master Yang asked me to assist you, Mr. Baek, but I can’t risk the entire Chinatown to do so.”
“So, you’re asking me to leave?”
“No. You may stay here, but...”
“In other words, if a physical conflict breaks out with the Yeongdo Gang, you can’t help me.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I hadn’t planned on asking for help anyway. And I wasn’t stupid enough to start an all-out war with the Yeongdo Gang alone.
“Understood. I’ll respect your position. I’ll let Master Yang know you handled this appropriately.”
“Thank you for understanding. In exchange, Aseong will continue to assist you.”
At that, Aseong, who had been quietly listening beside us, puffed out her chest and exclaimed,
“I serve every guest to the end once I take them in!”
Her pure yet bold attitude made me chuckle unconsciously. Aseong giggled as well, smiling like the young girl she was.
“I’ll take my leave now. Please, rest well.”
After President Wang left, only Aseong and I remained in the room.
“You worked hard today. We’ll be moving early tomorrow morning, so go get some rest.”
“Yes, hyungnim.”
Hyungnim? She was calling me that now? Earlier, it was ‘mister.’ She must’ve corrected herself after overhearing my conversation with Kang-hyuk.
“Well, it does sound better than ‘mister.’”
After Aseong left, I lay down and soon drifted off to sleep.
The Yeongdo Gang’s office wasn’t actually located in Yeongdo, but rather in the heart of Busan—Jung District’s city center.
Deputy leader Choi Dae-ho let out a dry laugh, finding the sight before him ridiculous. Three of his subordinates were kneeling, battered and humiliated.
One had a split lip, another had a badly swollen eye, and the worst off was the one who acted as their field captain.
His ankle and foot were swollen grotesquely, and he kept letting out suppressed groans of pain.
“So you’re telling me... all of you ended up like this because of one damn rookie?”
Choi Dae-ho’s voice was low but clearly irritated. The field captain hurried to explain.
“H-Hyung! That bastard’s not normal! The way he fights... it’s—it’s freakish!”
“Freakish? Don’t spout bullshit!”
Choi Dae-ho suddenly shouted and hurled a heavy glass ashtray at the wall.
The sharp crash rang through the office, and the subordinates flinched in unison.
“You disgraceful bastards! You went out there under the Yeongdo Gang’s name, and this is how you come crawling back after losing to one punk? How the hell are we supposed to show our faces now, huh?!”
Unable to contain his fury, he paced back and forth before pausing, recalling what one of them said.
“Wait a second. Did you just say that punk said he’d come here himself to repay his debt?”
“Yes, hyung. He said he’d come by tomorrow...”
“Ha! That bastard’s got some nerve, huh?”
Choi Dae-ho turned toward Seo Man-cheol,
who sat quietly deep in thought inside the office.
“Hyung, if that guy really shows up tomorrow,
should I get ready to strip him down to the bone?”
“...Doesn’t it seem strange to you?”
After a long silence, Seo Man-cheol finally spoke. Unlike the hot-headed Choi Dae-ho, Seo was calm, calculating.
“In all of Busan, someone beats up our guys like this and then says he’ll walk into our office himself? Let’s just see his face tomorrow and decide then. For now, get those men treated.”
“Come on, hyung! What’s there to think about? Just—”
“Do as I say.”
At his cold command, Choi Dae-ho shut his mouth. Clicking his tongue, he gestured at the injured men.
“Hey! Take these idiots and get them treated!”
“Yes, hyung!”
After the wounded were escorted out, only Choi Dae-ho and Seo Man-cheol remained.
“Hyung, seriously, what’s there to think about? We could just crush the guy. And while we’re at it, we could finally put Kang-hyuk in his place too! He thinks he’s tough, but he’s not that strong. Why go to all this trouble?”
“Forget that. You said one of President Wang’s lackeys was with him?”
“Yeah. You should take care of Chinatown too. How long are we gonna leave them alone? Once we get rid of that old man Wang, the rest will crawl to us on their own.”
Seo Man-cheol pondered briefly. His eyes glinted coldly—he had long been eyeing Chinatown.
He finally spoke quietly.
“We’ll move ahead of schedule. Get ready.”
“For real, hyung? Then I’ll start flying right now! But don’t you go changing your mind later!”
Seo Man-cheol didn’t answer. He only looked out the window at his city.
* * *
Early in the morning, Aseong and I left Chinatown. When we arrived at the hospital and entered the lobby, I spotted Kang-hyuk dozing off, hunched over a hard wooden bench.
I walked up and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Wha—what the hell! Who’s there!”
Kang-hyuk jerked up like a spring, startled wide awake.
He darted his eyes around suspiciously, then relaxed when he saw me. The tension in his face melted away.
“How’s your grandmother?”
“They said visiting hours aren’t allowed yet. Probably this afternoon at the earliest.”
“So you stayed here all night?”
“The old man told me to stay put.”
He sure knew how to listen—except when it came to not calling me ‘mister’ anymore.
I said firmly.
“Call me hyung.”
“It’s just… I’ve never called anyone that before, so it feels kinda awkward.”
“Still, call me hyung. If you call me mister one more time, I won’t answer you. Got it, Aseong?”
“Yes, hyung-nim!”
“See? That’s how you do it.”
Kang-hyuk, fidgeting nervously, barely managed to open his mouth in a mosquito-like voice that didn’t suit his build.
“Hy, hyung…”
I chuckled at the sight and headed toward the payment counter.
On top of the 50,000 hwan I had already paid yesterday, I added another 150,000 hwan to cover the remaining hospitalization deposit in full.
The clerk’s eyes widened at the sight of me handing over such a large sum of cash without hesitation.
Kang-hyuk, standing beside me, was chewing on his lip. He was clearly about to say something about repaying me, so I cut him off first.
“I told you not to worry about paying me back, didn’t I? Just focus on saving your grandmother.”
After finishing all the procedures, I led the two of them out of the hospital.
“Let’s go wash up first. You both smell terrible.”
We headed to a shabby public bathhouse nearby.
As soon as we stepped inside, we were hit by a wave of hot steam, soap, and a faint whiff of sulfur.
After leaving our clothes in the old wooden lockers, we entered the bath area where a few older men were washing themselves.
Maybe it was because he’d done rough work since childhood, but Kang-hyuk’s body was solid. I noticed an old scar on his back and pointed at it.
“This scar— you’ve had it since you were little.”
“What the… How do you know about this scar? I thought about it all night, but I’m sure I’ve never met you before, hy… hyung?”
“It’s natural you don’t know. We met again after taking a very long detour. Even if you don’t remember me, I remember you. That’s enough.”
After washing thoroughly, we came out and each drank a bowl of cold herbal tea sold in front of the bathhouse.
The chill seeped down to my bones.
“Let’s grab a meal and move. You know a good place for pork soup, right?”
“Of course. Follow me.”
Following Kang-hyuk’s lead, we arrived at an alley near Jagalchi Market famous for its pork soup.
From a large cauldron, thick white steam was rising nonstop, and the rich aroma of pork bone broth filled the entire alley.
“Auntie! Three bowls of pork soup here! And plenty of radish kimchi, please!”
For the first time in a while, Kang-hyuk spoke in his normal voice as he placed the order.
Soon, steaming hot pork soup in earthenware bowls was set before us. But the two of them just stared at me without touching their spoons.
“Eat. Why aren’t you eating?”
“You should eat first, hyung-nim.”
Seriously. Showing respect like I’m some elder. I picked up my spoon and took a sip of the broth. Only then did the two start shoveling food into their mouths like they hadn’t eaten in days.
They were literally shoveling it down. Watching them silently, I raised my hand again.
“Auntie, two more bowls, please.”
The elderly owner smiled warmly at the sight of Aseong and Kang-hyuk devouring their meals before heading back into the kitchen.
In the end, Aseong polished off two bowls, and Kang-hyuk cleaned out three before our long meal finally ended.
Leaving the restaurant, we began walking silently out of the market.
“Aseong, you go back to Deokhwa-ru and wait.”
“I don’t want to! I’m going with you!”
“It could get dangerous.”
“I’m the one guiding the way. How could I leave the customer alone in danger?”
Despite his youthful face, Aseong spoke with the stubbornness of an adult. I ruffled his hair and smiled.
“Alright then. Just guide us to the office, and wait downstairs.”
“Yes, hyung-nim!”
“Lead the way.”
Aseong brightened up and started walking ahead again. I tossed the heavy leather bag I was carrying toward Kang-hyuk.
“Carry it carefully. Think of that bag as your life.”
After walking about thirty minutes, we arrived in front of an old commercial building where the Yeongdo gang’s office was located.
“This the place?”
“Yes. The whole building belongs to the Yeongdo gang.”
“Got it. Aseong, wait here. Kang-hyuk, you’re with me.”
Two burly men were standing guard at the entrance. As Kang-hyuk and I approached, they scanned us up and down before one of them recognized Kang-hyuk.
“Hey, isn’t that Kang-hyuk?”
After confirming his face, the man squinted his eyes at me.
“You’re that punk, huh? The one who turned our boys into half-cripples yesterday.”
“Is Seo Man-cheol upstairs?”
“What? Seo Man-cheol? You bastard, watch your mouth when you say our boss’s name!”
“Save it. I’m here to pay back the money, so show me the way.”
“You little piece of—!”
“Hey, enough. The boss said to let them through.”
The other man stopped him. Looks like Seo Man-cheol had already given the order.
“So, what’ll it be? You gonna let us in or make us wait?”
I asked mockingly. The thug glaring at me like he wanted to kill me sighed deeply and turned around.
“…Follow me. Don’t even think about running.”
We followed them up the creaking wooden stairs to the third floor.
The hallway was thick with cigarette smoke, and muscular men with tattoos glared at us with sharp eyes as we passed.
Our guide knocked on the door at the very end.
“Boss, they’re here.”
“Send them in.”
A low voice replied, and the door opened.
I entered with Kang-hyuk. The floor was covered with a red carpet, and the walls were lined with a golden Japanese folding screen.
Behind a massive ebony desk hung several Japanese swords, their blades gleaming coldly.
‘What is this, Japan or Busan?’
The Yakuza-like décor made me scoff.
Behind the desk sat Seo Man-cheol, the leader of the Yeongdo gang.
He didn’t even look up, just kept carving a wooden doll with a small knife. Beside him stood Choi Dae-ho, the underboss, glaring at us with folded arms.
“So you’re the one.”
Seo Man-cheol spoke without looking up.
“The one who did that to my boys.”
“I came to pay back the debt.”
I ignored his question and got straight to the point.
“Debt, huh…”
Seo Man-cheol chuckled softly and set down his knife. Then he slowly raised his head and met my eyes for the first time.
“Shouldn’t I collect my men’s hospital fees before the debt, then?”
At his signal, the door opened, and the three men I’d beaten at Kang-hyuk’s house yesterday hobbled in, wrapped in bandages.
“My men won’t be able to work for quite some time. How do you plan to take responsibility for that?”
He asked me quietly, but the chill in his voice was unmistakable.
“Busan’s supposed to have the toughest gang in Korea, yet your behavior isn’t much different from street thugs.”
“What? You bastard, what did you just say?!”
Choi Dae-ho couldn’t hold back and tried to step forward, but Seo Man-cheol raised a hand to stop him.
With cold eyes, he asked,
“Thug, huh… Kid, do you even know where you are right now?”
“This is the Yeongdo gang’s headquarters, isn’t it? You think I came here to pay a debt without knowing that?”
At my calm, confident tone, Seo Man-cheol narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t know what gives you that confidence, but…”
I cut him off.
“Shouldn’t you first think about what it means that I walked into the middle of Yeongdo’s base with just Kang-hyuk here?”
Before he could respond, I continued.
“Let’s settle this like gentlemen, Mr. Seo Man-cheol—‘the Goblin.’”
The moment his nickname left my lips, a blade-like silence filled the office, and a chill swept through the room.