KIDNAPPING (I)

"Ah~ spring breeze is always refreshing at night"

Robert remarked as he walked towards Ijin's house to attend the dinner to which he had been invited. He had spent the afternoon at Seon-joo's apartment, casually conversing about various topics.

From mundane things like music preferences and favorite foods to slightly more personal topics like studies and family, although it was mostly Seon-Joo who talked about the latter as our protagonist didn't have much to share.

This was their first time conversing without any games or provocations, making it feel more like a date.

However, it was a positive experience as Seon-joo realized that Robert was also adept at handling conversations with women, sparking her curiosity and interest.

As for him, needless to say, he was enjoying the moment. His decisions had proven to be more than correct. 

Now he knew that getting involved with women who have a vital connection to a manhwa's storyline would yield good returns, which got him thinking about the future.

Thus, he was content with how things had unfolded so far.

To relax a bit more, he decided to stroll and browse through the different stores that caught his attention before arriving at Ijin's house.

Brrr, Brrr, Brrr

Suddenly, a buzz came from his pants. Our protagonist took out his smartphone and saw a message.

{You nailed it again honey, the score was Manchester United 1 - Liverpool 3, just as you said! Even with all three goals from the away team in the second half! You're truly a predictor. Your gain was 1,000,000 ₩; I've already transferred it to your account, hope to see you soon, kisses}

"Oh, things were going well with the women so far, only the money aspect was left to complete a good day" - Robert murmured joyfully upon reading that message.

He quickly logged into a banking app and verified the transferred amount, which matched what was written in the message.

And it wasn't just the amount mentioned in the message that was deposited into his bank account, there were a few more deposits, totaling a considerable sum of money.

But who was the person who had written to him?

And why were they transferring money to him?

Well, the answer lay in what had happened a few days ago on the roof of the main building of the institute, when Robert had proposed to Mia to be his exclusive actress.

Knowing he needed money to carry out all his plans, he immediately contacted one of the women he had slept with in the army. This girl had studied accounting at university and was now working at a trading company.

Robert asked her to start moving a certain amount of money in a sector in which he was good in his previous life, apart from women and murder, of course.

That sector was betting, specifically sports betting.

The Ruska Roma, the assassin agency for whom he worked in his previous life, managed many front businesses, including betting houses. Since their business moved to the heart of Europe, the sport they excelled in was football.

The people who ran these sectors had to know about the types of businesses into which they entered.

And Robert was extremely good at betting.

Everyone in his organization believed that the damn boy seemed to be blessed by the goddess of luck because his earnings were very juicy and his losses minimal.

Some even came to believe Robert was deliberately losing so that it wouldn't seem strange that he almost always won.

That's why our protagonist didn't just limit himself to European football matches, but also to other sports like baseball and basketball, where he could make hefty profits.

To say that Robert amassed a fortune exceeding nine digits between the earnings from his murders and his bets was not an exaggeration!

And since he had already decided to gain power in this world, Robert decided to start amassing money for future investment.

That's why he would take advantage of a fact that only he knew.

All the matches he watched in his previous life, except one, were the same matches that were happening in this world!

In his past life, Robert died in 2024, and currently, it was 2017, so he had about 7 years of sports knowledge with which he could make a fortune.

Could this fact, mixing real-world things with the realities of these stories to make good profits, have been orchestrated by that old man who sent him to this world?

That would be the most plausible answer.

The reason? No idea.

Nevertheless, Robert wouldn't let this golden opportunity pass him by.

That's why he, without hesitation, allocated part of the money assigned to him by the defense department and transferred it to that woman's account. 

He gave her some instructions to start with small bets on certain matches, accumulate the winnings, and then transfer them to a long-term trust account in her name.

With this, he had not only recovered his initial investment but already made a net profit, as 1 million won (approximately $700) was not a small amount to earn in a week.

And if we added the previous deposits in that account, we would have an approximate total of 15,000,000 ₩ ($12000).

But why did Robert ask someone else to place the bets and handle the banking transactions?

Easy, the answer lay in his age or the age assigned to him by the government.

In South Korea, adulthood is reached at 20 years old if we use the age assignment system that the government uses. It's a bit confusing but can be explained as follows:

When a child is born, they are already assigned one year of age since the time of conception counts towards their life.

Therefore, if you have 20 assigned years (19 since birth), you already have legal adulthood for civil, criminal, and judicial rights and responsibilities.

Now, due to our protagonist's peculiar condition, the government had assigned him the age of 19, despite him being biologically 19 years old.

They did this so that Robert could be admitted to high school.

That's why, although a special bank account had been created in his name, it had been set up by the FSC (Financial Services Commission) at the request of senior military officials, and they controlled the flow of money involved.

Moreover, you must be of legal age to legally place bets.

For these reasons, our protagonist had to find a third person to conduct this type of business, which is why he asked that woman to open a bank account.

He even requested that this account be a trust account, where he could deposit money in small amounts, and that this account be fixed-term so that the deposited money could not be withdrawn for at least a year, ensuring the accumulated money was secure.

Robert himself managed the application for this bank account, so there would be no problems with losing those profits.

But why would that woman agree to such a deal?

Well, the answer lay in our protagonist's pants. It's surprising what a good fuck can achieve. Apart from that, she was also making a lot of profit.

That's why this business seemed poised to be truly profitable.

"It's good to know that things are going smoothly" - Robert murmured and put away his smartphone.

While he was pleased that the betting was bearing fruit, he knew that sooner or later, the FSC might notice the accumulation of undeclared money by that woman, so he needed to find an alternative.

The woman currently doing him this favor was good at what she did, but unfortunately, her nature wasn't relevant to his plans.

He needed to find someone who knew about these matters, who was reliable, and who had a direct connection to the plot of one of the stories mixed in this world.

And most importantly, it had to be a woman.

Brrr, Brrr, Brrr

Suddenly, his smartphone vibrated again. However, this vibration was constant, indicating an incoming call.

When Robert checked who was calling, he saw that it was Ijin.

"You told me dinner was at 8 pm? There's still an hour to go" - Robert answered the call in a teasing tone.

[... I need your help],

However, Ijin's response on the other end of the phone was not humorous at all.

A coldness could be sensed in his words.

"Tell me, what happened" - Robert knew this wasn't the time to joke around and quickly responded.

[... Dayun has been kidnapped].

.......

"Ah... things aren't going the best right now"

Sitting on a long velvet armchair, a man with rugged features complained as he exhaled cigarette smoke through his nostrils.

This guy had short hair, a face neither ugly nor attractive, but clearly, one that had seen its share of hard times, evident from the large scar on the left side of his face.

This individual was Cha Dusik, the leader of the gangster group that had been defeated by Ijin the previous week.

Dusik exhaled a puff of smoke as he lazily reclined in the chair and placed his smartphone on the table in front of him, which was almost full of several liquor bottles.

Right now, he just wanted to keep drinking and smoking to forget about all the things his business was currently going through, which were completely overwhelming him.

He still remembered when he was young, remembered the horrible things he had done to climb the ranks in the underworld, to become someone.

He recalled everything he had managed to achieve thanks to his partners... and also how he lost it.

That moment was still vivid in his mind when the members of the Sunshine group swept through almost all underworld organizations!

Thinking about that night when the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean mafias united to fight for their autonomy and freedom... only to be crushed by just two people.

Kang Sun, the founder of Sunshine Corp, and his partner, that woman who was the very devil incarnate, were the two people who turned the underworld upside down ten years ago!

Before Sunshine, the feared 'Castle' group from the south tried to control the entire Korean underworld, possibly having the strength and resources to do so, they just lacked connections to ensure their permanence.

But with Sunshine, things happened so quickly that by the time everyone wanted to act, they had already established themselves as the almost absolute ruler of the criminal world in the capital and almost the entire northern territory of the country.

The small groups that resisted this new 'ruler' were eliminated, serving as a lesson to the rest.

And those who accepted, despite not being restricted in their respective businesses, knew that when the Sunshine agents pulled the leash, they had to respond.

This last part frustrated them the most!

Even with Kang Sun's sudden death a year ago, Sunshine Corp's power had not diminished at all because that terrible woman had taken control of the entire corporation while Kang Sun's newly discovered teenage son would take command in the future.

That's why, even though Cha Dusik's group seemed to be independent of Sunshine Corp, the truth was that they were still under their thumb and were forced to do as they were told.

From dealing with a stupid politician to running errands like watching over and beating up high school students!

What kind of job was that for someone who had dreamed of being an influential figure in the mafia world?

That's why Cha Dusik was in the state he was in because as much as he hated doing this kind of work, he had no alternative.

"Boss... one of those high school kids is here"

Suddenly, one of his subordinates opened the door to the room and spoke quietly.

"Hm? Do I have to open a school in my place now?" - Cha Dusik exhaled smoke in response - "Which one of the two?"

"Hey Tony Montana, how's life treating you?" - At that moment, Robert walked in so casually, as if he were entering his own home.

Cha Dusik just stared expressionlessly at our protagonist for a moment before gesturing to his subordinate to leave them alone.

"Why are you here?" - Cha Dusik stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray - "And I've told you to stop calling me that, kid."

"Bah, you've got such a poor sense of humor," Robert retorted as he took a seat. "Especially with that mafioso cosplay complete with a scar on your face."

"Are you here to mock me?" - Cha Dusik responded angrily, annoyed by our protagonist's jests.

The first time they met, after Ijin had given him and his men a beating, the first thing Robert called him was that nickname, which had even caught on among his subordinates!

Do the youth these days not know how to respect their elders?

However, Cha Dusik couldn't do much to stop this, as he couldn't harm this kid, figuratively or physically speaking.

Among all the orders he received from the higher-ups at Sunshine Corp, both Robert and Ijin were targets to keep an eye on.

Of the two, Robert was a priority target for the Sunshine group leaders, with Ijin being secondary.

They even ordered him to test the fighting abilities of that boy named Ijin, to see what level he could reach.

And boy, did he get to test those skills!

Being defeated by a high school kid was truly embarrassing, but soon he understood why the bosses were so interested in both boys.

When this mafia boss saw the video of them beating Cheo Gunner, one of the most promising boys to become a leader in the underworld and who was almost on the same level of strength as Cha Dusik himself, he realized that both subjects were true monsters.

So right now, he had no choice but to endure this brat's mockery.

"One talks mockingly and ironically... the other barely speaks... Phew, what a strange pair" - thought the scar-faced man.

"Relax, I didn't just come to mock you, but for something serious" - Robert said as he settled into his seat, pouring himself a glass of wine from a bottle.

"It turns out that I was near this place when I received a call from our good friend Ijin, who asked me to help him with a matter"

"And what does that brat want? And how does it relate to me?" Cha Dusik didn't comment on the boy's action of pouring himself a drink, he just asked what interested him.

"Well, the point is that-"

"Sir... the other student has also arrived" - suddenly, just as our protagonist was about to speak, a subordinate interrupted by opening the door.

Without even saying anything, two individuals entered the room.

Both of them looked battered, with traces of blood and dirt on various parts of their bodies.

This appearance caught the attention of both Cha Dusik and our protagonist, though not for the same reason.

"Is he injured? Was there a fight and they left him in that state?" - wondered the scar-faced man upon seeing Ijin's condition.

"Hm? Who the hell is that?" - thought Robert.

Ding, ding, ding

[Congratulations on meeting a main character: Goh Suk-joo from 'Teenage Mercenary,' you have earned 1 additional point.]

"Oh! It's a free point, let's see what's good about it" - Robert only now paid attention to the presence of the newcomer.

He was a tall, slender but athletic-built young man with short black hair and a sharp gaze, who was currently staring intently at our protagonist.

[Goh Suk-joo - Human race: He is a main character from the manhwa 'Mercenary Enrollment.' Since childhood, he was trained to protect Shin Yuna, the youngest granddaughter of the SW group president. He has prevented several kidnappings over the years, making him a noteworthy figure.]

[Age: 19; MP: 20; HP: 20; STR: 45; AGI: 40; VIT: 50; INT: 30; PERC: 30]

"Well, those stats aren't half bad, huh?" murmured our protagonist to himself.

"Now you" - Cha Dusik rubbed his face as he saw Ijin enter - "Tell me what you want, I don't have all day to waste with kids."

"I need information" - Ijin, who had only glanced at Robert, responded sharply.

"Wow, aren't you guys supposed to handle more information than me?" - Dusik responded sarcastically, trying to light a cigarette - "With Congressman Kim, you even knew about deals I had made with several prosecutors, something I didn't even know about"

"The granddaughter of the SW group president has been kidnapped."

"Oh... well, that's messed up," - the gangster replied - "It wasn't me. I don't do those things... you'd have to be crazy to mess with SW"

"Do you have any idea who might have done it?"

Ijin didn't seem very upset at the moment, but Robert knew that this calmness wasn't normal, not for someone like Ijin. Right now, he was trying to be rational and think with a clear head, because getting desperate wouldn't help at all.

"And even if I knew something, why should I tell you?" - After a moment of silence, Dusik spoke - "Do you have any idea what pain you guys are causing me right now? I had to-"

"My younger sister was kidnapped too" - Ijin quickly interrupted Dusik.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment, as gazes began to intersect.

Cha Dusik stared intently at Ijin.

Ijin stared fixedly at the gangster.

The boy named Suk-joo, who had been silent, alternated his gaze between Ijin, the gangster, and Robert, evaluating everything.

And he... he was now updating his stats with the points he had accumulated.

"I'm not sure if this is worth it" - after an awkward moment, the gangster spoke - "There have been people from abroad asking about a warehouse. They also requested a large number of cars and some men. They offered a lot of money for some other things, but I turned them down. That kind of work smelled rotten from all sides."

He paused to light his cigarette, under the watchful eyes of the boys.

"I heard a new group took the job, a group led by two brothers, based in Incheon Port. That's all I know about it."

"Thanks."

It took only a moment for Ijin to turn around and leave the place, followed by Suk-joo, who just gave one last look at Cha Dusik.

"Well, I was about to ask for your number to give you any extra information... but I don't blame you, after all, it's your sister" - the gangster took another drag of smoke.

"Well, once you get used to their rhythm, it becomes somewhat normal" - Robert stood up - "Here, add my number, I'll tell you anything you find out."

Robert tossed a small folded paper just before leaving, leaving the gangster completely alone.

After a moment, and after several puffs of smoke, he unfolded the paper to jot down the number written there. However, when he read the content of the paper, his eyes widened in surprise.

Apart from our protagonist's phone number, there was a small note.

Are you tired of feeling like Sunshine's leash is tightening around your neck and don't know how to be free again? Call ########## and get a business proposal that will solve your problems (^_^)

Cha Dusik stared at that note for a moment, then grinned widely.

"Hahaha... you damn brat, you're something"