A local café in Zamboanga.
“Do you understand what it means to sell drugs in China?”
“Of course. I know that much.”
“I think you’re planning to go in there thinking that with a population of 1.4 billion, you’ll make money if you sell even a little, but it won’t work out that way. It won’t be easy.”
“How do you know?”
“You think I haven’t seen people like you in this business? In China, if you get caught, it’s the death penalty. Those people couldn’t even find the bodies. China is the kind of place that tells you to bring money if you want to find a corpse.”
“So we just have to be good enough not to get caught.”
“Kekeke. You’re funny, mister. You’re ready to risk death to make money?”
“No? I don’t need money. I already have plenty.”
“Then why are you trying to sell drugs in China? And in a place where you could die?”
“Those bastards are messing with my country. I don’t like that.”
“You don’t like China messing with your country, so you’re going to attack China? Wow~ You’re the most patriotic lunatic I’ve seen lately.”
“That’s a compliment, right?”
“High praise. I’ve never met anyone as interesting as you. My dopamine is already popping off.”
“Then want to work with me?”
“Still, I can’t decide on a job that easily. I’m a technician in this industry, after all. Even if I change jobs, I should be treated properly.”
“Change jobs? I heard you were unemployed.”
“That’s because there was a bit of a communication problem…”
“Enough. Don’t try to get into a pointless battle of nerves over something like that. I’ll treat you well enough. You just focus on making the drugs. I’ll handle the rest. Okay?”
“Wow~ You really don’t hold back. I like it. Okay. I’ll accept that offer.”
The young chemist introduced himself to me once again.
“I’m Edward.”
“Alex. So what can you make?”
“Anything. Mister—no, you’re my boss now. Boss, I can probably make anything you know or have heard of. And I can make other things too.”
“What’s the most effective?”
“Fentanyl, of course. Good effect, cheap, and fast.”
“That’s an injection, right?”
“Yes. It’s administered by injection.”
“But isn’t sticking needles in yourself kind of inconvenient?”
“It is. But if you administer it through the bloodstream, the effect is fast and hits directly. That’s why old-school junkies prefer syringes.”
“Is there no other way? Something people can access more easily.”
“It can be changed into something edible, but the effect definitely drops. The digestive system interferes with some of the components, and the drug spreads more slowly. Of course, if I do it, it’s different.”
“Hm?”
“I’m saying if I make it, I can create an edible drug with effects no worse than an injection.”
“Really?”
“Of course. As long as I have enough equipment and materials, it’s possible.”
“If you made something like that, it would’ve been huge. Why didn’t you?”
“Because no one has wanted something like that until now. The bosses who hired me all just wanted me to make things cheaper, in greater quantities, and faster. No one wanted a new type.”
“So you can make all that, but you didn’t because no one wanted it?”
“For now, yes. It’s not like it just appears on its own. It needs development and testing. It takes quite a bit of time and money. And once it’s made, it gets copied right away. No one wanted to shoulder that burden.”
“But you can make it?”
“Yes. It’s all in my head.”
“Good. Then let’s proceed right away.”
“You’re really that decisive?”
“If everything we want is there, is there any need to put it off?”
“I really like you, boss. Okay. Let’s do it.”
“But here’s the thing. I have a few small requests too. Listen and tell me if they’re possible.”
“What kind?”
“Strong addictiveness, a clear awakening effect, a feeling of overflowing energy, increased confidence, euphoria, things like that would be nice. But instead of injections, it should come in packaging that’s easy to take orally. At the same time, it shouldn’t damage the nervous system. A drug like that. Is it possible?”
“Puhahaha! Boss, isn’t this abuse of power? Classic but modern. Flashy but simple. Neat but dynamic. Cold yet warm. That’s the kind of thing you’re saying. A healthy drug, huh.”
“Edward. Think about it. We risk our lives and struggle to enter China. But if those bastards just get high and die, what does that make us?”
“What?”
“Our customers who are supposed to buy our drugs will disappear. They need to take the drug, get awakened, work hard, and buy more of our drugs.”
“You said earlier that you didn’t need money. That you had plenty.”
“We still have to earn labor costs. I told you, didn’t I? I’ll treat you well.”
********
[Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Arrests Bosses of 10 Violent Organizations in Simultaneous Operation]
[All Leaders of 10 Organizations That Shook All of Seoul Arrested.]
[“Bosses Fell One After Another.” Seoul Police Conduct Simultaneous Crackdown on Organized Crime.]
[10 Organizations That Dreamed of “Controlling Seoul” Collapse in a Single Day.]
[Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Announces Simultaneous Arrest of 10 Violent Organization Leaders. Vows Full Effort to Eradicate Organized Crime.]
[Cheonggang-pa Boss Seo Byeong-mo Arrested After 8 Months in Hiding. Organization Near Collapse.]
[Cheonggang-pa Boss Who Ruled Gangnam Finally in Handcuffs.]
[“The Fall of the Bosses” Leaders of Seoul’s Largest Organizations, Including Cheonggang-pa, Yeongdeungpo-pa, and Dongdaemun-pa, Arrested.]
In the office of Kim Young-jun, head of the investigation division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, where the news was playing, laughter never ceased.
This morning, the commissioner himself had called him in, told him he had worked hard, and patted him on the shoulder.
Though Kim Young-jun had been a police officer for a long time, it was his first time.
A private meeting with the commissioner.
His reputation among police officers had also risen.
Breaking away from the old method of unconditional suppression, the investigation chief’s words that the safety and lives of police officers came first
had given great resonance, emotion, and comfort to officers on the front line.
If the police had actively tried to stop the war between the violent organizations, there was no telling how much damage would have occurred.
The police officers were grateful to have survived, and they directed that gratitude toward Investigation Chief Kim Young-jun.
They praised the investigation chief for knowing in advance and taking measures.
The number of police officers who respected Investigation Chief Kim Young-jun increased.
For Investigation Chief Kim Young-jun, every single day was the best moment of his life.
A quiet Korean table d’hôte restaurant in Gangnam.
It was the same place where he had met Seo Dae-hun last time.
Today, there were only the two of them.
Team Leader Mun Gang-su was not there.
“Good evening.”
“It’s been a while. Have a seat.”
His attitude was completely different from the overbearing posture he had shown last time.
He was being considerate toward Seo Dae-hun.
“Sit down. Do you drink?”
“If you pour for me, I’ll drink gratefully.”
Investigation Chief Kim Young-jun held out a kettle filled with alcohol, and Seo Dae-hun held out his glass with both hands.
Glug, glug, glug.
Once the glass was filled, Seo Dae-hun turned his head and drank it down in one go.
Seeing that, Kim Young-jun smiled and offered him another drink.
“Hahaha. Seeing you drink so well puts me in a good mood. Have another.”
“Yes.”
After receiving the drink, Seo Dae-hun lifted the kettle and asked politely,
“May I pour you a glass?”
“Of course, of course. Now I even get to receive a drink from Chairman Seo. What an honor. Krahahaha.”
Investigation Chief Kim Young-jun thought he had truly made the right decision in accepting Seo Dae-hun’s proposal.
Out of useless pride, he could have kicked back his chair and stormed out, asking what kind of police officer listened to some gangster bastard, asking why a gangster bastard was doing the police’s job.
No, even Kim Young-jun had felt that way.
At the moment he heard the proposal, he had been displeased.
Even so, the reason he remained seated was because Seo Dae-hun’s proposal was rather attractive.
If he ignored the fact that it was an offer made by a gangster bastard, there was nothing for him to lose as the investigation chief.
All he had to do was slightly delay dispatch under the pretext of ensuring police safety.
It was easy.
If things were not properly wrapped up, the police could step in then, and it would still be enough.
But there had been no need for the police to step in.
It was clean.
Seo Dae-hun had handled the job truly well.
No one even knew a fight had taken place.
The gangsters fought among themselves in a soundproof underground club, and that was the end of it.
It was cleaned up so neatly that even the media didn’t catch a whiff of it.
Because the fighting had been fierce, there were many injured people,
but even that was handled by setting up a separate temporary shelter and treating them there.
Normally, when a patient with stab wounds from a sashimi knife appears, a report goes to the police.
He had been wondering how to deal with that part, but Seo Dae-hun had anticipated even that and made arrangements.
The more he looked at it, the more pleased and satisfied he was with how the matter had been handled.
It was a violation of medical law, but if they insisted it had been an emergency, there was nothing that couldn’t be done.
That much deserved to be overlooked.
And most decisively,
he had captured the bosses of ten organizations alive.
Along with evidence that could prove their crimes.
With that evidence, they could not escape.
Didn’t organization bosses have connections in politics or the police?
Of course they did.
But the boss of a collapsed organization was nothing more and nothing less than a common thug.
No one would look after the boss of an organization whose lifeline had been cut.
The days when they received special treatment even at the police station were gone.
They were treated like ordinary criminals.
“When do you plan on releasing the men you’re keeping at that shelter?”
Chief Kim Young-jun asked indirectly.
“Now that the war is coming to an end, I think it should be fine to release them. We didn’t want to confine them either, but if they started a war, it seemed like the war would drag on too long, so we had no choice but to keep them for a short while. I apologize.”
“No. You did well. A war is better wrapped up quickly. On top of that, you treated even the injured men, so you relieved a lot of my worries.”
“They are precious lives, so of course they had to be saved.”
“By the way, is all of Seoul settled now?”
“It’s hard to say everything has been settled, but we have taken control of most areas.”
“Impressive. To take Seoul without shedding a single drop of blood.”
“It is all thanks to your help, Chief. I will never forget this debt, even if it is carved into my bones.”
“Hahaha. Carved into your bones, you say. Is our relationship that stiff? I think of you as a younger brother. Do you not feel the same?”
“No, not at all. From the moment I first saw you, I felt the warmth of an older brother.”
“Is that so? Then what do you say we become sworn brothers here?”
“I would be honored. Thank you for saying so.”
To Kim Young-jun, Seo Dae-hun was like a lifeline dropped from the heavens.
He was someone he could not let go.
Someone he had to hold onto and go forward with.
Seo Dae-hun had good planning ability, and his execution and handling of affairs were clean too.
That alone was enough, but now he was the boss of the largest organization in the country, one that had taken control of Seoul.
He had become a big shot no one could treat carelessly anymore.
Kim Young-jun thought there would be many benefits to becoming sworn brothers with such a Seo Dae-hun.
Just doing what Seo Dae-hun told him would make promotion a sure thing.
Advancement was guaranteed.
If things went well, he might even be able to aim for commissioner.
Seo Dae-hun was at his lowest point right now.
He had to go all in and buy.
Chief Kim Young-jun poured soju and whiskey half and half into a glass.
“This is called ‘brotherhood liquor.’ Once we drink this, we’re brothers from today on.”
“I already serve you as my elder brother.”
The two exchanged a look.
Then they drank the liquor filling their glasses without leaving a single drop.
“Kya~~ Good.”
“It truly is.”
“By the way, what are you going to do about Gang-su now?”
Chief Kim Young-jun casually brought up Team Leader Mun Gang-su of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit.
Mun Gang-su had introduced the two of them, but it meant Team Leader Mun Gang-su was no longer needed.
If anything, if he went around acting up, he could become a headache.
“I promised Team Leader Mun Gang-su that we would go to Seoul together. A promise should be kept.”
“You’re saying you’ll bring Gang-su up to Seoul?”
“I would be grateful if you helped, Hyungnim.”
“It isn’t difficult to bring him up, but… do we really need to go that far?”
Chief Kim Young-jun asked back, as if he did not like the idea.
“We should keep the promise to bring him up to Seoul. However, keeping that position won’t be our responsibility, but Team Leader Mun Gang-su’s. If he steps down because of his own mistakes, wouldn’t it be hard for us to cover for him too?”
Understanding Seo Dae-hun’s meaning—that even if they were going to cut Team Leader Mun Gang-su loose, they had to bring him up first and then cut him loose to avoid trouble—Kim Young-jun smiled in satisfaction.
“That’s right. If he makes a mistake himself, there’s nothing we can do about it. Hahaha.”
*******
A temporary shelter in Chungcheong-do.
Kim Nam-gi was studying The Biography of Seo Dae-hun in his room.
The more he read it, the more moved he became.
He had not known when he first read it, but the more he read, the more hidden meanings it contained.
It was packed with sentences that needed to be chewed over and reflected upon.
Even so, Kim Nam-gi had not received good marks on the recent exam.
He would not make the excuse that the exam had been difficult.
It was all because Kim Nam-gi himself was lacking and inadequate.
I should have studied harder when I was in school.
Regret washed over him.
Kim Nam-gi left his room and headed for the study room in the basement.
People who were studying gathered there, so he could receive help.
The guys who had studied a bit back in school would kindly break down and explain the material.
So when studying did not go well, he would go to the basement and study together with them.
On the way to the basement, he could see all kinds of people.
Guys learning MMA. Guys building their bodies. Guys learning foreign languages. Guys learning first aid. Guys learning basic economics and money laundering. Guys learning law.
They were all programs supported by Daehoon-pa.
Once Kim Nam-gi passed the exam on The Biography of Seo Dae-hun, he planned to study MMA and a foreign language.
Kim Nam-gi passed through them and entered the basement study room.
The study room was already hot with the fervor of learning.
People formed groups of several and held discussions.
“Did you read that part?”
“What?”
“Chapter 7, Verse 12. ‘Loyalty is born when there is trust, and disappears when money is counted.’ That part really moved me.”
“For me, Chapter 4, Verse 8. ‘Money gathers people, but when it is divided, it divides people.’ I really related to that.”
At that moment, a large man responded to their words.
“You petty bastards. If you’re men, you should be reading something like Chapter 2, Verse 3. Why are you fussing over money like cheapskates?”
“Then why are you leaving out the part after that?”
“Huh? The part after that?”
“The part where Hyungnim says, ‘This is my suit, and the world is my stage,’ and Brother Geun-su beside him says, ‘Hyungnim, at least wipe off the blood before you say that.’”
“That’s right. That’s right. Anyway, I’m all about Chapter 2, Verse 3.”
Everyone diligently read and studied The Biography of Seo Dae-hun.
They did not stop at simply reading and memorizing it repeatedly, but tried to uncover its hidden intentions and meanings.
Through heated discussions, they poured out the feelings and emotions they held,
and also listened to the opinions of others.
In doing so, they built a sense of shared understanding while also acquiring diverse perspectives.
And so, the people gathered at the temporary shelter were growing into organization members blindly loyal to Seo Dae-hun.