Chương 115: Chapter 115: Rest in Peace, Brother Dong-su
Park Dong-su.
In the original timeline, he took the fall for his boss, Lee Sa-seong, during the war on crime, ended up in prison for life, and never saw the outside world again.
'Hey, kid. Come here.'
When we first met, I had nothing in my hands.
He was just a thug, but I thought I could use him.
Later, when I found out about my grandfather's hidden power, Dong-su's usefulness had drastically diminished, but by then, we'd already formed a bond.
Dong-su never missed his chance.
With my help, he grew into the boss of a nationwide gang, uniting Korea's thugs under his control.
But when his childhood friend, Yang Suhyeong, died, he was consumed by fury. He got his revenge, but in the end, he died too.
As I opened my eyes, I saw a temple outside the window.
Several police buses circled the area, and the riot squad kept a close watch as I stepped out.
One of my men recognized me from a distance and rushed over.
"You've arrived."
"Not many people here know me. I'll keep a low profile, just let Director Lee know I'm here."
"Understood."
He bowed his head and hurried off.
I slowly walked into the mourning hall where Dong-su's portrait was displayed. Men in black suits stood silently inside the large temple hall.
From a distance, I saw Lee Sang-geun give me a small nod of acknowledgment.
In the large portrait, Park Dong-su was smiling brightly.
'What's got you so happy? Are you at peace now? Why did you do it yourself when you could've sent your men…?'
I shook my head and lit the incense.
'Rest in peace, Brother Dong-su.'
After exchanging greetings with the chief mourner, Lee Sang-geun, we moved to a smaller room nearby.
"How were his last moments?"
"The same as always. He smiled and told me to hurry up and leave…"
Lee Sang-geun's voice trailed off, dark circles visible under his eyes.
Dong-su had been shot multiple times, and with severe blood loss, by the time the paramedics arrived, it was already too late to save him.
"There was no way to get him out, was there?"
"No. He was too stubborn. I'm sorry."
"You've got nothing to apologize for. How's the mood within the organization?"
Sang-geun smirked, as if he found it all amusing.
"Rumors are already starting to spread. The succession issue is causing quite a stir."
"Is there anyone bold enough to make a move?"
Dong-su had been the face of the organization, but the real management had always been handled by Lee Sang-geun.
Still, the idea that someone would dare make a move right after Dong-su's death…
"The old guard in Gangbuk is pushing hard for one candidate. Now that Dong-su's gone, they're starting to rear their heads again."
Sang-geun spoke as if it was all too predictable.
I couldn't help but smirk myself.
"Those old fools are always so greedy. If you need anything—money, manpower, whatever—just let me know. And feel free to retire any unnecessary old men. I'm expecting a different approach from you than from Boss Park."
Sang-geun was a ruthless man.
He had softened a lot under Dong-su's influence, but the Sang-geun I remembered wasn't like that. He hadn't taken control of Gangnam for no reason.
In some ways, maybe it wasn't Park Dong-su who was suited to be the boss, but Lee Sang-geun.
"Brother Dong-su entrusted everything to me. I have no intention of handing it over to anyone else, even if it's the old guard."
There was a steely determination in Sang-geun's voice, and I believed him.
He looked bitter, but maybe it was the hyenas circling around that made him so resolute.
"Is your faction strong enough within the organization?"
"I've got most of the guys from Busan and Seoul under my influence, except for the ones from Gangbuk. The ones from Jeollado are definitely with the old guard, and the guys from Gyeongsangdo are staying neutral."
"Neutral, huh… Those are the ones you can never trust. Keep me updated."
"Understood, Boss."
I patted Sang-geun on the shoulder before leaving the room.
As I stepped out, I caught the sight of some gangsters sizing me up, and I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.
Just then, one of them muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"What's Director Lee doing in there with that kid? The chief mourner shouldn't be leaving his post."
The guy who said it was a balding man I didn't recognize.
One of the men standing near the portrait stepped forward to block him. Judging by his face, he was one of Dong-su's men.
"That's Boss Park's guest you're talking about. Watch your mouth."
"Oh, so he's some big shot, huh? Can't even speak? Don't push it."
The two of them squared off, glaring at each other.
I decided not to bother with him.
I was angry, but I didn't want to cause a scene in front of Dong-su's portrait. Besides, I could see Dong-su's men were holding themselves back, too.
"I've paid my respects to Mr. Park, so I'll be leaving now. Finish up the funeral and give me a call."
I turned to leave with Manager Ma.
Just as I was about to walk out, an unpleasant voice came from behind me.
"Hey, you bastard! Where do you think you're going?"
A group of unfamiliar thugs blocked the entrance to the temple hall.
I was dumbfounded. Even Manager Ma and the others looked shocked.
"What the hell is this?"
"Where do you think you're going when the boss is calling you?"
I turned around and saw the balding guy from earlier grinning like a fool.
"What's the matter? Got cotton in your ears, you bastard?"
"Ha…"
I couldn't help but sigh.
Before he could say anything else, I cut him off.
"What, you piece of shit?"
The noisy temple hall suddenly fell silent.
"…What did you just say?"
"You're not the one calling me, are you?"
The dumbfounded look on his face was priceless.
"If you want to die, do it somewhere else. Why act like a fool where there are people watching?"
Ignoring his stuttering, I turned to the old men who had been quietly watching from the back.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch, gentlemen?"
All eyes in the hall turned to the old guard.
"Ah, Boss Kim, it's just a misunderstanding."
One of the old men stepped forward to speak.
"A misunderstanding, huh? So can I take this as my own misunderstanding and act accordingly?"
"No, it's not like that…"
A fool wouldn't even be allowed in this room.
Right now, it might look like this idiot was just picking a random fight, but there was definitely a purpose and an order behind it.
It was obvious why. With Dong-su gone, they wanted to see what stance I would take.
"Whatever the reason, what the hell is this nonsense at a funeral? The service isn't even over yet."
"Ah, right, right. One Director must've been on edge. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."
The old man waved his hand dismissively, and the others quickly nodded in agreement.
The greed behind their wrinkled faces disgusted me.
"Handle your business however you want, but I trust this kind of bullshit won't happen again. Out of respect for Mr. Park, I'll let it slide this once."
"Yes, yes, terribly sorry. One Director, what are you waiting for? Apologize immediately!"
The man they called Director One had a dumbfounded expression as he looked back at the old men.
"Come on, Director One! Apologize already!"
"…I'm sorry."
I patted his shoulder as he bowed his head in apology.
"Mr. Park must've had a rough time working with you. He really was too soft-hearted for his own good."
I turned and headed toward the exit.
The thug who had blocked my way earlier flinched and stepped aside.
"Manager Ma."
"Yes, Boss."
Without missing a beat, Manager Ma slapped the thug across the face.
Before the guy could react or defend himself, Ma hit him a few more times, leaving his face a bloody mess.
I started walking again.
The situation ended with Manager Ma kicking the thug out of the temple hall, leaving him sprawled on the ground, still dazed.
The thug lay there, spitting blood, unable to get up.
"Let's go. I'm tired."
As we stepped outside, rain poured from the sky.
One of Dong-su's men, whom I'd seen back in Busan, approached with a black umbrella.
"Here you go, Boss."
Manager Ma took the umbrella and opened it.
As we walked away, all of Dong-su's men bowed deeply in respect.
The sound of the rain calmed my anger, leaving behind only a bitter taste.
'Hey! Little bro!'
It almost felt like I could hear Dong-su's voice.
The rain didn't stop until I arrived back in Seoul.
* * *
Yoon Chang-ho, the Prosecutor General, couldn't stop smiling these days.
After receiving orders from the Blue House, the first thing he did was mobilize the inspection division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to arrest the Seoul District Prosecutor and his lackeys.
It was an event that would go down in the history of the Prosecutors' Office.
"Prosecutor Bae, you've worked hard all this time."
"Are you here to mock me?"
Bae Beom-gyu, sitting alone in the interrogation room, looked utterly defeated.
Yoon chuckled.
"The Blue House has given the order. Anyone connected to the Cheongpung Group or who's received bribes will be dragged to court. Congratulations, you're the first on the list."
"…"
"You must've had a good time being backed by the Cheongpung Group, huh? Don't feel too bad. The humiliation you'll face from now on will only get worse."
Before Yoon could finish, the door opened, and Oh Hyeon-woo walked in.
"Prosecutor Oh, don't go easy on him just because he's a senior. You've got your friend's case to think about too. You get what I'm saying, right?"
"Yes, Prosecutor General."
When Yoon picked a young prosecutor like Oh Hyeon-woo to handle his case, Bae Beom-gyu looked shocked.
"Prosecutor General, this is too much."
"Too much? Do you still think you're a prosecutor? Don't kid yourself. You're a criminal now. You'll be rotting in jail for the rest of your life. Take care, Prosecutor Oh."
"Don't worry, sir."
Oh Hyeon-woo bowed deeply as Yoon left the room, then turned to Bae with a cold, unfamiliar expression.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Prosecutor Oh Hyeon-woo, and I'll be handling your case, Mr. Bae."
"What? Have you lost your mind, you bastard?!"
"Mr. Bae, lower your voice. You've been a prosecutor long enough to know better than to shout in an interrogation room."
"What? You little punk! Do you even know who you're talking to? You wanna die? What year did you graduate?"
Bae's face turned red as he pointed and yelled at him.
But Oh Hyeon-woo didn't even flinch, simply sitting there looking at him like he was nothing.
"Isn't this what you've been doing all these years? Sit down. You'll want to act civil while I'm still treating you like a person. Have you called a lawyer?"
Bae didn't respond, but Oh Hyeon-woo didn't wait, pulling out a laptop and setting it on the desk. A pile of documents lay stacked beside him.
"Have you contacted a lawyer, or are you planning to represent yourself?"
"…"
"Sit down. My neck's starting to hurt."
"…Oh Hyeon-woo, was it? Do you really think you'll get away with this?"
Finally, Oh Hyeon-woo cracked a smile.
"When people try to talk things out, they always end up making a mess. Hey! Sit down, you son of a bitch!"
He suddenly got up and kicked Bae Beom-gyu's shin.
"Agh!"
"If even half of what's in these documents turns out to be true, you're finished. Think you'll make it out of this? Worry about your own skin."
Bae was so shocked he couldn't even respond, clutching his leg in pain.
Oh Hyeon-woo sighed and sat back down.
"No matter how much things have changed, there are still plenty of ways to make you suffer. If you don't want to experience firsthand what you've done to others, sit down and start talking."
As the regime had changed twice, most of the secret torture methods used by police and prosecutors had been abolished.
But there were still plenty of ways to inflict pain, like sleep deprivation or withholding water.
Bae Beom-gyu knew that better than anyone.
"Where's your lawyer?"
Bae finally slumped down in his chair.
"I've called one."
"Then we'll wait for them to arrive before we start. In the meantime, let's have a little chat."
Oh Hyeon-woo grinned as if nothing had happened, but Bae's face twisted in rage.
"What is there to talk about?"
"You don't have anything to say, but I do. Mu-hyeok wanted me to pass along a message."
Oh Hyeon-woo added with a smirk.
"You'll be surrounded by people who are no strangers to prison life. Sounds like you're in for a good time. When you get there, be sure to let them know I'm curious to hear how you're holding up."
Bae's face turned ghostly pale.
* * *
Eva had just finalized the main contract with the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation.
"Congrats. You finally got what you wanted."
"It's all thanks to you, Boss. I appreciate it."
"When will the merger be done?"
"It'll take about six months. We need to hand over the bad bonds to the government and sort out the share distribution."
"I thought most of the negotiations with the government were already done?"
"The share allocation is tricky."
"Make sure we get 51%. Let the government handle the rest. Why are you trying to do everything yourself?"
Eva, who had been grumbling, suddenly brightened up.
"Got it. I'll also need to make a trip to Hong Kong. I've got to deal with some Peregrine matters and meet someone important."
"Who's this person?"
"Some representative of a high-ranking Chinese official. Things got a bit complicated during the Peregrine acquisition. I'll report back once I return."
"Make sure you bring your security detail."
"Aww, are you worried about me?"
Eva tried to cling to me with a playful smile, but I gently pushed her away.
"What about the work in Korea?"
"I've left it with Director Baek. He can handle it."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry. He knows his place. As long as he gets the recognition he craves, he'll play his part."
"Alright. Let's talk again after you return from Hong Kong."
In the end, I let Eva lean into me as I started planning for the future.
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