Chapter 74: The Underbelly of Seoul

Chairman Cheon and Lee Yong-hyun greeted each other with smiles, like old friends reuniting after a long time.

To an outsider, they looked perfectly ordinary.

"Please, come in."

"After you."

Without much more to say, they walked side by side.

Chairman Cheon strode confidently, as if he was quite familiar with the layout of the mansion.

Moments later, they shooed everyone else away and sat facing each other in the spacious reception room.

Lee Yong-hyun was the first to break the silence.

"Chairman Cheon, what brings you all the way here?"

Chairman Cheon set his teacup down without responding.

"Why the silence? You didn't come just to sit in silence, did you? We're not close enough to share tea without a reason."

Lee Yong-hyun shrugged playfully.

But Chairman Cheon's expression remained serious.

What followed from his lips felt like a declaration.

"Stop what you're planning right now."

Chairman Cheon spoke as if he knew everything.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean your plans for my grandson. Clearly, you intend to see this through to the end."

"What? Chairman Cheon, what on earth are you saying?"

Chairman Cheon's eyes pierced through Lee Yong-hyun, who feigned ignorance.

"You think I'll just sit by quietly while you're in such a frenzy? Absolutely not."

The humor vanished from Lee Yong-hyun's face.

"If Mu-hyeok is harmed in any way, I'll be ready to sacrifice everything to ruin you."

In contrast, Chairman Cheon twisted his lips into a smile that was either mocking or self-deprecating.

"You know you're involved in my daughter's death. You understand why my sons ended up the way they did. It's all because of your greed. What more do you want?"

Suddenly, Lee Yong-hyun burst into laughter.

"Ha! You think it's all because of my greed? Come on, Chairman Cheon. What gain would I have from killing your daughter? You know that, right? I get your desire to shift blame onto me, but that's your children's greed we're talking about."

Chairman Cheon's eyes shook with intensity.

Lee Yong-hyun smirked in response.

"You've always been ruthless, yet weak when it comes to family. Your children may not have realized it, but you only pretended to be harsh, hoping to raise them strong. Did you think I didn't see through that?"

Lee Yong-hyun glanced at Chairman Cheon's trembling hands and then swept the teacups off the table.

"Yes, I killed her. I did it at the request of your son. Need a reason? Does it matter? If it comes down to it, while you weren't involved, your children were my tools to get the job done. Just two lives taken. You've done countless unscrupulous things for profit, haven't you? So don't act like I'm the root of all evil now."

Lee Yong-hyun continued, speaking as if recounting someone else's story, without a flicker of emotion.

"I even planned to kill your son. I couldn't leave behind any loose ends. But it seems your son wouldn't dare kill his own nephew. He probably didn't expect that the little pup would turn into a rabid dog, ready to sink its teeth into him."

"You…"

Chairman Cheon's voice began to tremble.

Yet, Lee Yong-hyun remained unfazed.

"Listen, Chairman Cheon, it's me, Lee Yong-hyun. Do you think threats will intimidate me? If you were serious about that, the moment you discovered I was the one behind your daughter's death, you would have thrown everything at me for a fight. In the end, you were too scared to lose everything."

Lee Yong-hyun spoke as if he knew everything.

Having known each other for so long, they understood each other far too well.

Lee Yong-hyun clicked his tongue at the speechless Chairman Cheon.

"Yes, I was considering taking out Kim Mu-hyeok. Initially, I thougt I'd wait until after your death. But it turns out the pawn I set in place was removed. How he found out, I have no clue, but I was ready for this moment for over a decade. After your death, of course. But that little brat Kim Mu-hyeok ruined everything fr me. What reason do I have to let him live? Tell me."

As he filled the empty teacups with tea, Lee Yong-hyun watched Chairman Cheon's face; Cheon kept his head lowered.

"…You're right. I was scared. The thought of everything I've built disappearing scared me. I bore with it, even knowing you killed my daughter."

Lee Yong-hyun nodded, as if to say, 'See?'

"I have nothing left to lose now. Mu-hyeok is all I have left. I've abandoned my other children and grandchildren. It's just Mu-hyeok now."

The tremor in Chairman Cheon's eyes had vanished.

"But what if you go after him? What do you think I have to fear if I have nothing left? I might not be able to defeat you, but one thing's for sure: you'll face significant losses. As you said, I'm just a man who would do anything for money. You know better than anyone how far I'm willing to go."

Lee Yong-hyun swallowed hard.

"There's no reason to let you live. Go ahead, try it. Maybe I'll find you a worthy opponent now that you're so desperate. But are you willing to risk it all?"

Their gazes clashed in the air.

Finally, it was Lee Yong-hyun who spoke first.

"Hah… Fine. I'll spare you for now, but don't provoke me again. Unlike you, I don't have to give up everything to take you down. Remember, I'm holding back out of respect for our past."

He seemed to step back, but Lee Yong-hyun was not the type to retreat easily.

"This is where it ends. I consider my debts to you settled. If you continue to encroach on my territory… well, you and your grandchildren might find yourselves in danger."

Lee Yong-hyun believed the entire scheme was orchestrated by Chairman Cheon, not Kim Mu-hyeok.

However, Chairman Cheon showed no sign of reaction, merely nodding.

For now, he needed to serve as a shield for Mu-hyeok.

"Then I'll take my leave."

"Stay a bit longer; it's nice to reminisce over tea after such a long time."

"We've come too far down this road to reflect on memories. If you hadn't coveted Myeong-dong, we'd still be doing well, wouldn't we? Am I wrong?"

"All you had to do was back off a little."

Standing up, Chairman Cheon let out a hollow laugh.

"Nonsense! You think the Japanese would stop at one demand? They'll ask for ten more after the first. You can't trust those scoundrels."

"It's not about hating Japan; it's about not wanting them encroaching on my territory. Don't even think about it until I'm gone."

Their conversation ran parallel, never converging.

Realizing further discussion was pointless, Chairman Cheon turned away.

"The next time we meet will likely be at your funeral or mine. Don't stray too far. Be careful."

As Chairman Cheon exited the reception room, Lee Yong-hyun's voice trailed behind him.

Chief Ha assisted Chairman Cheon out of the room and guided him to the car.

The car carrying Chairman Cheon sped away from Lee Yong-hyun's mansion.

"Are you alright?"

Chief Ha asked with concern while driving.

"It's alright. I'm just a bit tired from finally getting out. I should catch a few winks; wake me when we arrive," he said.

"Understood," came the reply.

Chairman Cheon closed his eyes, looking weary.

Memories of his first meeting with Lee Yong-hyun flashed in his mind.

By the time they reached Pyeongchang-dong, he had drifted off, lost in the past.

* * *

Gangnam, located in Seoul, was the area that organized crime groups coveted most.

With so many entertainment venues in Yeoksam-dong and Seolleung, managing these places meant a steady influx of cash.

Not long ago, Park Dong-su and Kim Mu-hyeok were sitting in a rom salon once controlled by the Baekho faction.

"You've had a rough day," Park said.

"If they serve food and you can't eat, you might as well leave, right?"

"Haha, have the rest of the crew been absorbed?"

"We needed some middle management, so I filtered them out. I took in some and retired others."

"Don't let your guard down; betrayal is common in this line of work."

"Huh… how long do you think Suhyeong and our son will live?"

"Guys like Yang Suhyeong and the action leaders will be around for a few years, but with the best lawyers on their side, they'll minimize their sentences. It cost a lot, though."

"Thanks, man."

As Park Dong-su tightened his grip on Gangnam, he solidified his position as a true crime lord.

"Who's managing Yeongdeungpo?"

"I left it to this executive; there's also Geumdong Construction there, but I can't trust many of them."

"Don't just retire the somewhat reputable ones; give them proper roles so they can manage. They won't dare step out of line now, but no more extortion or threats against civilians."

A frown crossed Park Dong-su's face.

"The kids in Gangnam have enough to survive without resorting to that, but it's not the same elsewhere. I need leverage to ensure my words mean something. You blocked the drugs, right?"

"Absolutely not; no drugs here."

"What? Just because we say no, drugs won't circulate? The Chinese gangs are already easing into the drug trade."

"Let it be for now. We can use state power to crack down on it. There aren't any major organizations that can challenge Mr. Park now, right?"

"There are the elders in Gangbuk and the Gwangju and Daegu factions that shouldn't be underestimated. With three major organizations in Gangnam taking a hit, we don't know when they'll strike back."

"No wars for now. If anything happens again, neither the police nor the prosecutors will look the other way."

Thanks to the President's unwavering resolve and Chief Prosecutor Yoon's efforts, most of the gang leaders from the three organizations in Gangnam were arrested.

All were marked as heads of criminal organizations, facing sentences of at least seven years or even death penalty.

However, the situation wasn't entirely positive; as Park Dong-su mentioned, they could be attacked by another organization at any moment.

Dealing with three gangs in Gangnam would be much easier than tackling just Park Dong-su for any other organization.

"This is our chance; let's unify Seoul properly this time."

"What?"

While discussing matters with Andrew from the Genovese Family in the U.S., a thought crossed his mind.

If they could negotiate and share interests like the mafia, there would be no need to draw unnecessary attention, allowing for a smoother resolution.

"Let's unite Seoul under one organization. Not through war, but through negotiation. Even if we distribute the profits, all power should remain with Mr. Park. Convincing the elders shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Even though the profits from gangs were significant, they didn't mean much to him personally.

He wasn't in it for petty cash or bribes; his goal was to grow Park Dong-su to fight against the Yakuza, so reducing unnecessary conflicts was essential.

"Are you willing to try? Don't worry about the money."

"It won't be easy, though."

"With Busan already under our control, restructuring Seoul into one organization means taking two cities: the capital of Korea and its second-largest city. Once that's done, other gangs weakened by the war on crime won't dare challenge Mr. Park. He'll naturally dominate the underworld of Korea."

In a country with a strong government, organized crime groups pretended to operate within legal bounds.

They'd use violence and threats without hesitation if needed, but they carefully walked the line between legality and illegality.

The Japanese Yakuza and the American mafia are prime examples of this.

Ultimately, they couldn't escape the framework of organized crime, but they at least didn't openly rebel, knowing the government wouldn't allow it.

If you go a little south of the U.S., you'll find stronger drug cartels that can overpower the government, but that's only possible due to the government's weakness. In a normal state, they'd try to manage organized crime.

"I'll give it a shot."

"You already have two territories in Seoul, right? The bigger groups are those old elders in Gangbuk, correct?"

"It's not about their strength; it's about their connections and the respect they command from the thugs. Winning a war isn't the issue here."

"Exactly, so have a discussion."

"Got it, I'll see what I can do."

The elders in Gangbuk would likely accept.

When the Japanese Yakuza teamed up with Gangnam to take over the Korean underworld, the elders in Gangbuk submitted, securing their positions.

Respect from thugs? Not really.

They're just washed-up relics stuck in past glories.