I realized it after talking with Team Leader Hwang Onyu.
No, I was certain.
I couldn’t trust the government on this.
I couldn’t go forward relying on the government.
They were bastards who couldn’t even kill a chicken with a cow-slaughtering knife.
They were the kind of bastards who would quietly put down the knife and start using “diplomatic language.”
The kind who would be satisfied with having dodged a punch.
So I had to devise another method.
Honestly, what did I have?
The only thing I knew how to do was fight,
and the only thing I had was money.
Ah. I’m good at guiding too.
Anyway.
I figured I needed to establish some kind of line on the Japanese side as well.
I needed people I could pull out and use when necessary.
Guys who knew the local situation inside and out, and whom I could send on errands.
Guys who wouldn’t ask whether this was right or wrong.
Guys who wouldn’t argue over whether it was legal or illegal.
I needed guys like that.
There weren’t many who fit those conditions.
After thinking it over, what I chose was the yakuza.
A place where promises and power still worked.
Guys who were honest about the smell of money, and who knew the price of betrayal.
That was why it was the yakuza.
.
.
.
The moment the door opened, the air changed.
The smell of cigarettes hit first.
Couldn’t these bastards at least open a window?
They had smoked so much among themselves in this cramped room that it felt like nicotine was floating in the air.
Were they so desperate to die early?
On top of that, there were glasses of liquor placed in front of all of them.
Hard, hard whiskey.
To be honest, even if they didn’t drink and smoke that much, it seemed like they didn’t have many days left to live.
They were all fairly old.
I’d seen news saying even the yakuza were aging. Looks like it wasn’t a lie.
They said more than half were over fifty. It seemed true.
They were all up there in years.
I walked in among people I wasn’t sure whether to call yakuza,
or just middle-aged men.
As we entered, the twenty or so people gathered there all looked at us at once.
They were old, but as expected of yakuza bosses, their gazes were sharp.
Of course, they weren’t friendly looks.
But their eyes were filled with curiosity.
Who the hell were these Koreans, and why had they called them here?
Why did the man called the king of South Korea’s gangsters want to meet them? Their eyes were full of that question.
I glanced at Daehoon beside me.
The Daehoon who had been shaking his leg nonstop on the private jet just moments ago was gone.
In his place stood only the dependable boss of the Daehoon faction.
He stood there with a solemn expression.
Daehoon’s role ended here.
By arranging this meeting and gathering these people, Daehoon’s role was finished.
From now on, it was my turn.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you like this. I am…”
“Enough with the greetings. Get to the point.”
In the center.
The man seated in the highest seat cut me off cleanly.
He was a middle-aged man with white hair.
But his eyes were no joke.
I could tell at once who the center of this room was.
The man seated in the seat of honor.
The person who could throw out whatever words he wanted without permission.
That man was the real leader here.
His words nearly made my mind go blank too, but I barely held on.
“Fine. The matter is important, after all.”
I pretended to be relaxed, but inwardly, I took one deep breath before speaking.
“Do you want a part-time job?”
In that instant, the conference room exploded.
At my words, several people who had been drinking sprayed their liquor,
someone set down his glass and bumped it against the table,
and a few looked at me like I was insane.
I had gathered the bosses of the Japanese yakuza
and asked if they wanted a part-time job.
But the white-haired man who had cut me off did not look surprised or flustered.
He merely set down the glass he was holding and looked me up and down.
As if slightly angry, and somewhat disappointed, he spoke.
“I came here thinking that since you were called the king of Korea’s gangsters, perhaps we might build a good relationship. But it seems this was a waste of time.”
“If you’re this much of a fool, we’re better off not knowing each other.”
“Let’s end it here.”
He rose from his seat just like that.
As if he had no desire to remain here any longer, he tried to leave.
I couldn’t let him go like this.
If he left, this meeting would fall apart.
He was the invisible boss here.
If I couldn’t persuade him, I wouldn’t be able to work with anyone in this room.
If he walked out, there was a high chance everyone would follow him.
Of course, I could stop him by force.
But then I’d have to be prepared for that.
A knife might really end up in my stomach.
I had a gun in my inventory,
but I didn’t want to use it.
If I did, there would be no turning back.
I had to change the atmosphere somehow.
“But you’re not going to ask how much it pays?”
“What?”
The white-haired man whipped his head around and glared at me, looking truly angry.
Still acting as if nothing was wrong, I answered calmly.
“The pay. If you work, you should get paid, shouldn’t you? I just thought it was a shame that you were leaving without even hearing the terms.”
I shrugged.
“It’d be a waste to leave without hearing the conditions. You came all this way with such effort. And the terms should be pretty good too.”
The white-haired man slowly turned back around.
His expression had changed.
It wasn’t irritation. It was a test.
If I failed to satisfy him here, he looked ready to kill me on the spot.
It seemed he intended to collect the price for mocking him no matter what.
“Is it an amount you can handle?”
the man asked.
I smiled.
“If money were going to be a problem, I wouldn’t have come here.”
The noise in the room gradually died down.
The scattered gazes gathered on me again.
The white-haired man returned and sat down.
Then he spoke in a low voice.
“Fine. Let’s hear what this part-time job is first.”
I grinned.
“It’s not difficult. When I ask for help, you help me.”
“What?”
“It’s exactly as you heard. There are things I need to do in Japan, and there are things I’ll need in the process. I’ll need people who know the local situation well, connections, and information. I need people who can handle all of that for me.”
The atmosphere in the room returned to tension.
The white-haired man tapped his fingernails on the table as he thought, then soon spoke.
“Are you telling us to become your errand boys?”
“Errand boys? Why errand boys? Partners? Running mates? Companions? There are such nice words available, but errand boys is going too far. Don’t lower yourselves like that.”
“I don’t like the sound of it. Helping you would mean turning our backs on Japan, wouldn’t it? I don’t think we’ll be able to help.”
“Is that so? Then leave.”
At my words, the man’s brow furrowed.
“What?”
“You’re saying you don’t want to take money from a Korean and work. The yakuza I know weren’t like that. Weren’t the yakuza the kind of people who would do anything for money? I miss the yakuza who had spirit and passion.”
At those words, everyone seemed to think of the old days.
The yakuza there had all once had blood boiling in their veins.
“Ahem.”
“We’re looking for assistants who will handle things cleanly, not patriots. We’re looking for people here who can do work for us. The pay will be one hundred million.”
“Puhaha.”
At the words one hundred million, laughter burst out all around.
“What are we supposed to do with that?”
“Is that lunch money?”
“Looks like in Korea, one hundred million is enough to turn a man into a dog. Maybe we should go to Korea too.”
Their tone was mocking.
The yakuza sneered.
One hundred million was a large sum, but in this world, it wasn’t endlessly large either.
Since I had brought that amount out as pay for a part-time job, they had no choice but to laugh.
“One hundred million as a daily wage shouldn’t be a small amount, though? Of course, that’s the standby fee for days when you do nothing. Isn’t three billion a month decent?”
In that instant, I saw several people’s eyes go round.
“That’s only the standby fee. If you carry out the tasks we assign, the payment for those will be settled separately. We’re still a little unsure of what to do ourselves, so we’re thinking it over. If you think it over with us, we’ll pay a consultation fee too. Is there anyone here knowledgeable in that field?”
Once specific terms came out, calculators began running in everyone’s heads.
One hundred million a day.
Three billion a month.
Money received even if they did nothing.
There wasn’t a single reason to refuse.
No, they absolutely had to do it.
“I know that area well.”
“I’m very familiar with that side of things.”
“I don’t know what field you mean, but I know a lot of people. I can introduce them to you.”
“Use me.”
They really were yakuza.
Yakuza who would do anything as long as you paid them.
I had made the right choice after all.
Because of the government’s strict crackdowns, their work had dwindled,
and with no money, these old men were just sitting around sucking their fingers.
But their greed remained exactly the same.
When I waved money in front of them, there was no way they wouldn’t move.
They were wagging their tails.
The spirit that thought of the nation had disappeared long ago.
Of course, I also had to take into account that they might stab me in the back at any time.
These bastards were always ready to smash you in the back of the head if you gave them the slightest opening.
At times like this, there was a best method.
The best way to raise loyalty.
“It’s first come, first served. We don’t need all of you. We don’t even know what we’ll be doing. But we will give you the best treatment in the industry.”
At my words, their competition grew even fiercer.
The white-haired man seemed interested too.
But because of his dignity, he couldn’t bring himself to step forward.
“Now. Line up. We’ll hold meetings with each of you individually. We’ll decide after the meetings. Don’t worry. We’ll give each of you one hundred million as a meeting fee. Prepare what you can do. If you have strengths, write them down too.”
When I spoke, the old yakuza became busy taking notes.
It was only a few lines. They could have just memorized it.
Seeing that was honestly hilarious.
In truth, I planned to hire all of them.
If I could spend one hundred million per organization, that was cheap.
It wouldn’t be wrong to call it a greeting fee either.
Twenty organizations.
If I could extract information from there for twenty billion a day, it was efficient.
Watching them, unaware of that, blinded by the money in front of them as they checked the strengths of their own organizations, made me laugh.
Of course, the money paid to them would be paid in Candy Coin.
And even through GoGo Casino.
I would say it couldn’t be helped for money laundering.
I would say it couldn’t be helped in order to pay clean money.
I would say they had to exchange it at GoGo Casino.
Coincidentally, a pachinko corner had newly opened at GoGo Casino not long ago.
I wonder if these old yakuza could see pachinko in front of them and just pass it by.
If they pulled at first, they’d definitely win.
I’d heard the feel of pachinko was absolutely killer.
I sincerely hoped they would manage to cash out safely.
******
A ryotei in Tokyo, Japan.
Behind buildings that seemed to pierce the sky, a single low building could be seen.
It was in the middle of the city,
but this place alone felt like a space separated from the city.
A luxury car stopped in front of it.
A place that did not appear on maps.
A place where people who should not be known came and went.
There was no signboard either.
A single old lantern served that purpose instead.
“Hyeonwol (玄月).”
Like its name, meaning black moon.
This place did not suit the glamorous image of Tokyo at all.
It was as if a forest from the Edo period had been moved here exactly as it was.
Sato, the CEO of Mizuhara Heavy Defense, got out and looked up at the building for a moment.
Mizuhara Heavy Defense.
It was the largest of Japan’s defense companies.
From ship design and manufacturing to aircraft parts and missile defense systems.
It was the company at the forefront of the defense industry.
When Sato entered Hyeonwol, the inside felt like an entirely different world.
It felt cut off from Tokyo.
“Welcome.”
A woman in a kimono greeted Sato.
There was no warmth, nor any softness.
Even so, her movements seemed dignified.
There was nothing superfluous in her actions.
Guided by the woman, he entered deeper into the ryotei, and it felt as if he had stepped into a small forest.
After crossing moss-covered stepping stones, he arrived at the reserved room.
The kimono-clad woman quietly opened the sliding door.
Inside, people had already gathered.
Ishikawa Technologies.
Toyo Electronics.
The heads of Japanese defense companies whose names anyone would recognize were gathered there.
“I apologize. I’m late.”
Sato entered while apologizing politely.
He was not late for the appointed time, but everyone except Sato had already arrived.
“Welcome.”
“Not at all. You arrived on time.”
“We only just arrived ourselves.”
“It’s been a long time.”
Formal greetings were exchanged.
Sato sat down in an empty seat and swept his eyes over the room.
Once Sato was seated, Miyamoto, Director of the Export Strategy Office at the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency, who had been sitting at the head of the table, began to speak.
“Thank you very much for gathering here despite being called on such short notice.”
“I’ll get straight to the point.”
“Regarding ‘Mangwol,’ which I mentioned last time, we have conveyed an unofficial protest to the Korean government.”
At those words, a subtle look of relief passed over the faces of the defense company representatives.
They were reassured by the news that the troublesome Mangwol had been shackled.
“The Korean side has yet to grasp the situation accurately.”
“Korea is focusing on finding Mangwol’s development logs.”
“We must make good use of the time Korea is spending focused on those logs.”
When Miyamoto finished speaking, everyone nodded.
One of the representatives quietly asked a question.
“What is the next step?”
“We will spread rumors to the defense ministries of each country that Mangwol’s core technology originated not in Korea, but in Japan.”
“Will they believe it?”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that they’ll hesitate to make a decision. They’ll ask the Korean government to confirm it. The Korean government won’t be able to produce proper evidence. That will be enough for us.”
Miyamoto paused for a moment, then spoke.
“In our estimation, the most time we can buy is two years. Within that time, we must create a new radar that surpasses Mangwol. Is that possible?”
No one met Miyamoto’s eyes.
In truth, none of the people here had any real sincerity toward the defense industry.
The defense business was merely a business where one could make a great deal of money with a small investment.
No matter how wretched a product they made, the Ministry of Defense would buy it.
So they did not invest large sums into technological development.
All they had to do was take technology from another affiliate, dress it up a little, and make it look like new technology.
They only needed to make something that looked plausible.
No one would be injured by it, and no one would die.
The government would simply pay a little too much for the goods.
After all, there would be no war.
Japan could not wage war.
So it was fine to make things roughly.
But radar was different.
It was the one product in the defense sector where Japan possessed competitiveness.
Radar was important to Japan as well.
As an island nation, Japan needed radar all the more.
It had to monitor the sky and the sea at the same time.
Yet those radars had nearly found their exports blocked by Mangwol.
There was already a country in export negotiations with them.
The price, schedule, and conditions had all been settled to some extent.
But if Mangwol appeared, that contract would become complicated.
Performance comparisons would begin, and there was a high chance the price would also go back into renegotiation.
They had to finalize the contract before Mangwol entered the market.
Once the export was completed, it would mean far more than simply having sold one unit.
First, they would gain the title of having a country where it had been deployed in actual service.
Operational data would accumulate.
Based on that data, they would gain an advantage in negotiations with other countries.
That was why this contract had to be protected.
Mangwol could not be allowed to interfere.
If they had managed to put a blemish on Korea, that was enough.
If Mangwol did not come out, that was enough.
“We’ll do our best.”
Someone answered perfunctorily.
“Then how far will the support go?”
When the support policy was brought up, the representatives showed interest.
It was the part they cared about most.
“Nothing has been decided yet. However, as long as you make it, there will be no problem with our government purchasing it. No matter the price.”
Miyamoto wore an unreadable expression, and it did not take long for the defense company representatives to grasp the meaning behind it.
It meant that if they brought him something—anything—he would buy it.
The representatives looked satisfied.
It had been a satisfying meeting.
They had obtained everything.
They had removed Mangwol, which had been an obstacle to exports,
and they had received a promise that their radar would be purchased.
After the meal, on the way out,
Miyamoto exchanged farewells with the representatives.
“Please get home safely.”
“I enjoyed today.”
“It was a good time.”
As they shook hands, USB drives were discreetly passed into Miyamoto’s hand.
The other representatives slipped them into his palm while shaking his hand.
Miyamoto did not refuse.
Inside, there were probably coins.
In truth, Miyamoto knew as well.
He knew they would not develop anything.
It did not matter.
By then, he might not even still be in this position.
His successor could deal with it.
However, thanks to this meeting, Miyamoto’s retirement was guaranteed for life.