Round Two Wants to Monopolize: Episode 3
Seonghwan went home, and Uhyeok changed into a suit.
The deeply embedded smell of cigarettes was familiar.
It was the same commute as always, but for today's Uhyeok, it was a new beginning.
‘If my goal were simply to make money, there’d be no need to go to work at Zeus.’
Using Toto and other economic knowledge he possessed, multiplying his money wouldn’t be difficult.
Nevertheless, the reason Uhyeok was going to work was because there were still things he needed to gain there.
‘I need to snag a scholarship and make some friends too, don’t I?’
Flashing neon signs.
Uhyeok looked up at the flashy Zeus sign.
It was a place that was beginning to become his roots, so he felt attached to it.
As soon as he entered the shop, Gangmin, who had just arrived for work, spotted him and approached.
One cheek, swollen from being struck by him the day before, was still reddish.
“You bastard, I’ve finally caught you.”
He threw a fist before even finishing his words.
Uhyeok leisurely evaded the attack with nothing more than a turn of his head.
“You dodged? You really have a death wish, don’t you?”
At some point, employees had gathered and were watching as if some entertaining spectacle had begun.
To anyone watching, Gangmin looked ready to beat him indiscriminately, yet not a single person intervened.
Rather, their eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if expecting Uhyeok to get hit.
Even the fellow waiters were no different.
‘Bastards without a shred of loyalty.’
Uhyeok glanced toward Gang Jihun’s office.
Seeing his lackeys standing in the hallway watching blankly, it seemed they were tacitly allowing it.
He had been willing to overlook the disrespect with yesterday’s beating, but simply taking a beating here was another matter entirely.
‘I can’t keep letting a wet-behind-the-ears kid beat on me in front of everyone while being treated like a cripple.’
Gangmin swung his fists wildly again.
Uhyeok avoided the attack by lightly tilting his head back and seized Gangmin’s wrist and arm.
Then he twisted the joint behind his back.
Gangmin thrashed to free his arm, but as it was raised even higher, he screamed in pain.
“Let go of me, you bastard?! You really want to die?!”
“You’re still making threats in this situation?”
Scoffing at him, Uhyeok applied more force.
“Urrgh!”
Just one centimeter more and his shoulder would pop out.
At the perilous situation, the big men who had only been watching moved.
Uhyeok pushed Gangmin forward and raised his hand.
“We’re not mortal enemies trying to kill each other. Isn’t this enough?”
More than the pain in his right arm, Gangmin was humiliated by the situation.
The old Uhyeok had been a fool who would cower and be unable to speak just from being shouted at.
The bastard who couldn’t say a word even when worked like a dog had suddenly rebelled.
He couldn’t back down now, not with everyone watching.
“Where did a worm like you crawl out from? You just take it when I hit you. Don’t you know that?”
Looking around, Gangmin picked up a beer bottle.
Watching this, Uhyeok’s eyes turned ice-cold.
‘He’s crossed the line.’
Uhyeok lightly shook out his hand and warned,
“Put the beer bottle down, yeah? Otherwise, I might have to get serious too.”
“What? Get serious? Do I look like a fucking pushover?”
Gangmin approached with a sneer.
“Die today!”
Uhyeok dove into his chest in an instant and wrapped his arm around Gangmin’s shoulder and neck.
Then he used his body weight to slam Gangmin to the floor.
Thud—
With his body flipped over, his arm was captured.
“Ugh! Let go!”
“Doesn’t this feel like the same thing repeating?”
“I’ll kill you, you bastard!”
“You’re saying the same thing again.”
Uhyeok snatched the beer bottle and swung it.
Swoosh—
“Kurk!”
Gangmin squeezed his eyes shut and trembled.
The beer bottle had stopped right before his eyes.
“If you can’t even move, why are you rushing at me like this?”
Uhyeok tapped Gangmin’s cheek and got up from his spot.
With both arms twisted and devoid of strength, Gangmin flopped on the floor.
Everyone watching was shocked.
No matter how unimpressive Gangmin was, he was Gang Jihun’s younger brother.
Seeing him handle Gangmin so casually, their gazes toward Uhyeok changed.
“......Uhyeok!”
Gangmin barely rose from his spot and could only glare, unable to charge again.
“If you’d charged at me this time, I was going to dislocate your arm. What a pity.”
Contrasting with his calm tone, the icy light in his eyes frightened Gangmin.
Seeing him intimidated, one of Gang Jihun’s lackeys who had been watching finally stepped forward.
“Hey. Stop squirming and put the beer bottle down. Where does a little fry think he’s causing trouble?”
“The one causing trouble was Gangmin, though?”
“A young bastard talking back so stubbornly.”
It was Kim Uram, a former judo athlete boasting a large physique.
He was a nasty bastard who had tormented Uhyeok just as much as Gangmin.
He didn’t seem to want to stop the fight and swung his pot-lid-like hand.
‘I tried to end this nicely, but that’s not happening.’
Uhyeok had no intention of showing mercy to Kim Uram either.
Uhyeok stepped back and swung the beer bottle.
Thwack!
Kim Uram clutched his hand and stepped back.
His palm, which had struck the beer bottle barehanded, swelled up immediately.
“......Did you learn some martial arts? Is that why you’re rampaging like this?”
“I defended against you trying to hit me. If I’d decided to beat you up, do you think you’d be standing here talking fine like this?”
“This guy’s really crazy.”
Kim Uram’s gaze glanced toward the back.
In the direction of Gang Jihun’s office.
“Why? Do you have to wait until the owner calls you off?”
“Tsk. I was going to stop before the shop opened, but I guess not. Something’s going to break today.”
Kim Uram raised both hands and lowered his stance.
His posture alone conveyed that he intended to face him properly.
He bellowed and tried to grab Uhyeok’s waist.
As if he had expected as much, Uhyeok stepped backward.
Lowering his center of balance, his wide eyes never left Kim Uram.
Swish—
“Beer?”
Uhyeok shook the beer in his hand and splashed it toward Kim Uram’s eyes.
As white foam surged up and covered his face, Uhyeok seized that opening to grab Kim Uram’s waist.
“Kurg! You think you can throw me?”
“At least do your breakfall properly.”
Kim Uram tried to plant his feet, but they slipped on the beer splashed across the floor.
Uhyeok yanked his airborne body and slammed him into the ground.
Kuuung—
“Kuhuk!”
Having landed on his back on the bare floor, he gasped for breath.
“See? I told you to do your breakfall properly.”
After looking down at him for a moment, as if remembering something, Uhyeok lifted the beer bottle.
“You said you’d break something, right? I’ll return those exact words to you. Reflect while your bones heal.”
He struck the ankle.
Crack—
“Kuaaaak!”
Kim Uram rolled across the floor, screaming.
For someone who had put on airs inside Zeus, it was a pathetic sight.
The people watching this spectacle were amazed.
It was Uhyeok, the youngest and treated like a pushover in the shop.
Yet he had subdued two of the influential figures who tormented him in an instant.
‘At this point, it should be about time for him to come out?’
Just as he expected.
He was finally summoned from Gang Jihun’s office.
A smile hung on Uhyeok’s lips as he passed by the fallen Kim Uram and Gangmin.
‘Still, paying off old debts feels refreshing.’
Even if it was a debt they couldn’t even remember.
When Uhyeok entered the office, Gangmin vented his anger on those who had watched for no reason.
Unlike before, the gazes directed at him were now mixed with derision.
“Damn. Hyung Uram. We’re not letting that bastard get away with this, right?”
“Of course not.”
But they didn’t know.
That Uhyeok had intended all of this, including the fact that this very conversation would take place.
* * *
Windows so heavily tinted that the inside couldn’t be seen.
Upon entering through the door decorated with ornate gold leaf, Gang Jihun was sitting on a leather sofa.
“Oh. So you’re Uhyeok.”
“Hello, sir.”
Unlike when facing Gangmin, Uhyeok bowed politely.
Gang Jihun exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke and looked him over with sharp eyes.
Unlike his thug of a brother, he had rugged features and sharp eyes.
“You have good manners. Is it an act?”
“No, sir.”
Two big men similar in build to Kim Uram stood by the closing door.
He wanted to scoff at the childish intimidation but didn’t show it.
“Sit.”
He personally poured whiskey into a crystal glass and handed it over.
“Thank you.”
Without refusing, Uhyeok drank.
Snake-like sharp eyes quickly swept over him.
“I heard you fought with my brother?”
“I’m sorry. It was my fault. I’ll apologize properly and make amends.”
Gang Jihun crossed his legs and looked down at him.
Contrary to his groveling attitude, Uhyeok’s eyes glinted.
‘Gang Jihun.’
He was someone who had worked at Zeus and risen to become the owner after having his abilities recognized.
Unlike his thug of a brother, he was highly ambitious.
Depending on whether you caught the eye of Gang Jihun, the real power here, the quality of clients you handled changed.
‘But it didn’t last long. He messed around with the players’ money and the shop’s sales, got caught, and was expelled from the industry.’
And the one who pulled him down and took that position was, of course,
‘me.’
“No. What apology? Min is immature and a bit rude. I should have scolded him harshly, but I failed to.”
It was a probing remark.
If he accepted it as is here, Uhyeok would end up at fault regardless of the circumstances.
“No, sir. It is all my fault. I’m sorry.”
At the sight of him bowing his head once more, Gang Jihun finally smiled in satisfaction.
Patting Uhyeok’s shoulder, he poured more whiskey.
Ironically, it was Royal Salute, the drink he had drunk before his death.
“Today I just wanted to talk, but I like you more than I thought. Have you ever thought about going pro?”
“You mean a player?”
At Zeus, there were largely two types of players.
Type 1, who hooked high-class customers, and Type 2, who took money from anyone without discrimination.
In old terms, Type 1 were high-class courtesans skilled in poetry and arts, while Type 2 were low-class ones who sold alcohol.
What Gang Jihun was offering was naturally Type 2.
“If you do well, you could secure a regular and earn several times more than a waiter’s salary. Want to try?”
“Would someone like me be alright?”
“Of course. You worked as a waiter for a year, so you know the shop well, right? I’ll put in a good word for you, so try starting today.”
Uhyeok appeared hesitant, but he wasn’t.
It was the situation he had been waiting for.
“But, sir...”
“Say whatever you want.”
“Rather than being a player, I’d like to manage a box.”
“A box?”
If each host in a host bar is called a “player,” the team they form is called a “box.”
“More greedy for money than I thought?”
Gang Jihun seemed to think for a moment while gesturing to a lackey behind him.
“Box 4. The main position is empty, right?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“You probably know, but Box 4 is a bit difficult to handle. You still want to take it?”
“I’ll do my best!”
The corner of Gang Jihun’s mouth twisted.
Box 4 was literally a gathering place of trash.
Seeing Uhyeok accept it when he couldn’t possibly be unaware, Gang Jihun thought he was simply blinded by money.
This misunderstanding was exactly what Uhyeok wanted.
‘Right now, I just need to look like a naive fool.’
“Then give it a try. But never be late with the collections.”
“Of course. I won’t disappoint you.”
Mockery filled Gang Jihun’s eyes as he looked at the back of Uhyeok’s head.
But just as much, Uhyeok’s eyes glinted with an unusual light.
* * *
The news that Uhyeok had taken over Box 4 spread among the waiters and players.
Most of the reactions were ridicule toward Uhyeok.
“Stupid bastard. Where does he think that is, jumping at it like that?”
“The main who handled Box 4 couldn’t collect properly, took out loans, and got ousted.”
“There was talk about sending him to another shop, but in the end, he’s being recycled like this.”
Gangmin and Kim Uram, who had been targeting Uhyeok, were especially delighted.
“He’s crawling into the pit all by himself without us laying a hand on him.”
“But we’re not going to just leave it, right?”
“Of course. Soon enough, I’ll crush not just his ankle but his whole body. Hehe.”
At that time.
Uhyeok headed toward the room where Box 4 was.
Even before arriving, the cigarette smell seeping from the room permeated the hallway.
Click—
When he opened the door and entered, the players playing cards glanced at him.
True to the nickname “gathering place of trash,” most were drifters he couldn’t even remember.
“Whew. Smoke with some ventilation at least.”
Uhyeok opened and closed the door to let the smoke out.
The gazes directed at him were not favorable.
“As you all heard, I’m now the main of Box 4. Anyone dissatisfied?”
Most players just exchanged glances.
No player would like a rookie main.
Then someone raised his hand.
It was Lee Dongyeong, who received the most requests here.
“Anyone else?”
With no particular reaction, most followed Lee Dongyeong and raised their hands.
After checking them one by one, Uhyeok snickered.
“All of you, follow me out. No, Lee Dongyeong, you come out as the representative.”
He took him to Lee Cheonsu, the main of Box 3.
Seeing him look puzzled, Uhyeok spoke straightforwardly.
“Please take the Box 4 kids.”
“What?”
Surprised by the sudden words, but realizing the targets were Lee Dongyeong and his followers, his eyes lit up.
“They’re the only ones in Box 4 who can hold their liquor. If they leave too, what about the sales?”
“Thanks for the concern, but I’ll handle my own business.”
“I have no reason not to accept them. Hey. You think you can do well?”
“I’ll drink until my stomach has holes.”
At the words that Box 3 would take them, Lee Dongyeong smiled brightly.
Without a care, Uhyeok sent out all who followed him.
Only two remained in the Box 4 room.
“Only the elite remain.”
The very reason Uhyeok wanted to become the main of Box 4 was these two.
Jeong Utae. Son Seokhwan.
Jeong Utae was close to 190cm tall and looked robust at a glance.
On the other hand, Son Seokhwan had a slender build and an androgynous face.
Both of them were people Uhyeok absolutely needed going forward.
“Nice to meet you. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
Despite his words, the two only let out light sighs without answering.
Rather, Jeong Utae got up and tried to leave.
“Move.”
“The shop’s about to open. Where are you going?”
“There’s no need to stay at a shop where I can’t make money.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make you earn so much money you’ll get sick of it.”
“How’s a waiter who was treated like a cripple until yesterday going to make money? You have any regulars?”
“I can build up customers slowly from now.”
Enjoying their gazes full of distrust, Uhyeok grinned.
“Then shall we start with the tutorial today?”
* * *
It was intentional that Uhyeok sent everyone out from Box 4, leaving only two.
They wouldn’t have listened to him anyway, and even focusing on just these two was barely enough time.
‘Jeong Utae. A promising prospect in boxing, but stripped of his athlete status after causing an accident. A man of fiery temper and a useless sense of justice.’
A personality ill-suited for working in a place like this.
‘Son Seokhwan. He took responsibility for dating a fellow idol trainee, got caught, and was expelled? Later found out she was pregnant and came to work at Zeus to earn money. Of course, the child wasn’t his!’
Neither were ordinary in personality or character.
Yet the reason Uhyeok chose them was because if he just pointed them in the right direction, completely different lives would unfold.
It was a confidence born from having already seen the future.
“What do you mean by tutorial?”
“It means exactly that. You two are too self-willed. So I’m going to teach you how to earn money.”
At the word “money,” the two’s faces, which had been stiff, relaxed somewhat.
“But there’s a condition. Today, you only do what I say. That much is fine, right?”
Jeong Utae and Son Seokhwan nodded.
They had never earned more than pocket money since starting work here.
Screech—
Uhyeok pulled a chair and placed it in front of the table.
“Good. Now, let’s start with the basic theory.”
“Theory class? Is that necessary here?”
“It is. In the end, it’s people dealing with people.”
Anyone can wipe condensation off a glass or light a cigarette.
But touching the other person’s heart isn’t something anyone can do.
What Uhyeok was trying to teach was that kind of hospitality.
“It doesn’t matter what I’m thinking. Only care about what the other person wants to hear, the actions they want to see, the things they want to eat.”
“Is it as easy as it sounds?”
“Of course it’s hard. That’s why it’s a tutorial. A sparrow chick can’t become an eagle right away. Think simply. In the room with the customer, the other person is the one I love most in the world—chant that like a spell.”
Son Seokhwan, who had ignored him as a mere former waiter, felt something and nodded.
On the other hand, Jeong Utae still had a stony expression.
“This is enough for theory, and you’ll soon have a chance to enter a room, so wait.”
When Uhyeok came out of the room, rough sounds were heard from the hallway.
Waiters and players with deeply furrowed expressions poured out of a nearby room.
Through a briefly open door gap, a lavishly dressed woman was visible.
‘The real-world opportunity is coming faster than expected.’
Uhyeok approached a waiter standing in front of the room, at a loss.
“Is it over capacity?”