Chapter 22 – Provocation [Irritate]

Siguk gazed intently at Lee Jeonghoon as he spoke.

“From now on, try not to step forward unless absolutely necessary. Especially, never enter the territory of those we might have to fight. I’ll always be present in places where conflicts are likely to erupt, but the more Chairman Lee becomes a major figure as per our plan, the more knives aimed at you will increase in everyday life, not just on the battlefield. Even in preparation for that time, refrain from dangerous actions like earlier. Always keep meat shields in front of you. Understood?”

Lee Jeonghoon smiled and nodded.

Siguk poured soju into Lee Jeonghoon’s glass and continued.

“But how did you know the names of those three bastards earlier?”

Lee Jeonghoon poured cola into Siguk’s glass as he answered.

“I heard from the moles I planted in the Bucheon-Incheon Alliance that those three bastards would come to our place and cause trouble within a few days. So I received their profiles and memorized them.”

“Really? You’re well-prepared.”

“Well, I couldn’t pinpoint the exact date, though. If I had gotten the date right, I would have sent them to the room with the CCTV installed when they came.”

The two laughed, clinked glasses, and emptied them.

Siguk opened his mouth.

“Anyway, things will start in earnest from now on. Unexpected clashes will occur here and there. That will be the starting point.”

“Right.”

“If Baek Minsik is as cunning as we think, and as vicious as we expect, he’ll probably try to reach out to Chairman Lee’s wife and Nayeon too.”

At the mention of Yoo Seoyoung and Nayeon, Lee Jeonghoon’s expression hardened for a moment.

“Assign guys to stick close to Seoyoung and Nayeon.”

“Right. When Nayeon goes to and from school, and when the two go out. Always have them attached like drivers. And have them guard outside the house until I get home.”

Lee Jeonghoon nodded.

“Don’t worry too much. If it really comes down to it, I can just stay home until we cut off that bastard Baek Minsik’s head.”

At Siguk’s words, Lee Jeonghoon chuckled.

“Come to think of it, isn’t tomorrow your first day back at school?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“But is it okay for you to stay out this late?”

“Well, I can just be late.”

“Don’t make me have to call your homeroom teacher on the very first day.”

“Won’t you be calling often from now on?”

It was clearly a joke from Siguk, but Lee Jeonghoon couldn’t take it as just a joke.

With a bitter smile, Lee Jeonghoon finished pouring cola into Siguk’s glass. Siguk also finished pouring soju into Lee Jeonghoon’s glass.

The two clinked glasses and drained their last drinks.

Crash-!

A glass flew through the air, shattered against the wall, and fell to pieces. The fragments fell straight to the floor, and the contents slowly trickled down the wall, soaking the carpet.

“Damn it!”

The one who threw the glass, Baek Minsik, stared into space with blazing eyes. His face was contorted with rage, and not only his tightly clenched fists but his entire body was trembling.

The squad leader who had reported to him knelt on the spot.

Lee Mincheol, who was beside Baek Minsik, kept his head deeply bowed in silence.

After trembling with rage for a while, Baek Minsik chugged a beer straight from the bottle.

After emptying the beer bottle, Baek Minsik roughly slammed it onto the table.

He spoke to the squad leader, who was kneeling with his head bowed.

“So, where are the guys now?”

“They’re in the holding cell at Guro Police Station.”

“Did you see them yourself?”

“I got a call from the guys and went there.”

“What are the pigs saying?”

“They said they’ll apply for an arrest warrant since Snake Eye is a serious matter.”

“…… Fuck……”

Baek Minsik turned his gaze to Lee Mincheol. Feeling that gaze, Lee Mincheol flinched for a moment. The palms of his hands, neatly placed on his knees, began to grow damp with sweat.

“Lee Mincheol.”

“Yes, Hyungnim.”

“Go right now and get the guys out. There’s no way an arrest warrant would be issued when their identities are clear and there’s no flight risk!”

“Understood.”

Lee Mincheol immediately got up and left the room.

“Lee Jeonghoon… that son of a bitch…”

The muscles in Baek Minsik’s face twitched.

“That son of a bitch!”

Baek Minsik picked up the beer bottle and threw it at the wall. The beer bottle shattered into pieces, and fragments flew everywhere.

The squad leader lying on the floor even assumed a prone bombing position.

For a while, Baek Minsik vented his anger, snorting furiously, trembling, spitting curses, and pounding the table with his fist.

After venting his anger for about ten minutes, Baek Minsik took several deep breaths, took out his smartphone, and made a call.

After a brief dial tone, the other party answered.

“Yeah, it’s me. Gather all the Honam faction Oyabun tomorrow evening at the place in Gocheok-dong. Damn it, why are you asking me how to gather them, you should figure out how to fucking gather them yourself, you bastard! If even one person is missing tomorrow evening, I’ll break as many fingers as the number missing, so handle it, you bastard! Hang up!”

After roughly ending the call, Baek Minsik let out a deep sigh. He took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and spoke to the squad leader trembling with his head pressed to the floor.

“You go out and make sure the guys are properly controlled. Bring two bottles of that 17-year-old soju… no, soju into the room. With fruit side dishes.”

But the squad leader didn’t move. Baek Minsik’s facial muscles twitched momentarily.

“Get out, you bastard! Did you stuff sausages in your earholes, you bastard?!”

Only then did the squad leader scramble to his feet. He bowed deeply to Baek Minsik and then dashed out.

Left alone, Baek Minsik frowned and silently smoked cigarette after cigarette.

March 2, 2018, 20:30.

Gocheok-dong Entertainment Bar.

With Baek Minsik seated at the head, six leaders of the Honam faction from the Southwestern District were seated on either side of him.

Baek Minsik rose from his seat, personally poured soju into each of their glasses one by one, filled his own glass last, and then sat back down.

He looked at the six and opened his mouth.

“First, I must apologize for suddenly gathering you busy Seonbaes like this.”

As he said this, Baek Minsik bowed his head deeply.

The man seated closest to Baek Minsik’s right, Oh Chunsik, the leader of the Yeongdeungpo Chunsik Faction, spoke on behalf of the Honam faction leaders.

“Ah, do we look like people with no sense? If CEO Baek urgently called for you all, there must be a reason, so don’t be so formal.”

At Oh Chunsik’s words, the others all nodded and chimed in.

Baek Minsik raised his head, gave Oh Chunsik a slight nod, and continued.

“As those who know are aware, last night some of our guys caused a bit of trouble at Clover. Well, we’ve had various clashes with the Clover guys before, but it seems a few of our guys got drunk and made a mistake.”

At Baek Minsik’s words, Oh Chunsik chimed in.

“Ah, at a young age, isn’t that possible? Right?”

“That’s right.”

“Exactly.”

“You all were like that when you were young too.”

Amidst the responses from the Honam faction leaders, Baek Minsik smiled bitterly and spoke.

“Yes, as you Hyungs say. And honestly, aren’t we gangsters, even if we’re not openly at war? Well, can’t gangsters fight amongst themselves? But the problem is that the Clover side did something that violates the unspoken rules of our world.”

Oh Chunsik asked.

“What did they do?”

“It’s… they say they handed our guys over to the police.”

Except for Oh Chunsik, who had already heard the story, the other five were hearing this for the first time.

“What, what did you say?”

“Handed them over to the cops?”

“No, it’s not like they stabbed their bellies with a sashimi knife?”

In response to the Honam faction leaders’ reactions, Baek Minsik nodded in affirmation.

“Well, if Lee Jeonghoon says he wants to wash his hands of this world and live as an ordinary businessman, I think that’s possible. But if he wants to become such an ordinary businessman, shouldn’t he at least stop the Bodoband operations? Shouldn’t he also stop backing CEO Oh of Seonam Construction?”

“Exactly. It’s impossible to do what gangsters clearly do and then say ‘I’m not a gangster.'”

“Right. So today, I’ve gathered you Hyungs here to advance the stagnant discussion of unification.”

At the mention of unification from Baek Minsik’s mouth, the other five besides Oh Chunsik tightly closed their mouths.

The atmosphere suddenly grew cold.

Oh Chunsik tried to revive the atmosphere by raising his glass first.

“Come on, come on, come on. We’ve been chattering away like crazy while our CEO Baek was talking, so let’s all down a glass.”

At Oh Chunsik’s words, Baek Minsik and the other five raised their glasses.

“Here’s to!”

Oh Chunsik shouted a toast, but no one responded. Nevertheless, Oh Chunsik smiled slyly and downed his soju.

After refilling the empty glass, Baek Minsik continued.

“They say Lee Jeonghoon has liquidated all of Mr. Kim Yanggi’s assets into cash, amounting to about 3 billion won. With that money, he could immediately bring in mercenaries from the provinces and wipe us all out. But instead of doing that, Lee Jeonghoon has only been irritating us. Coming to our place to cause trouble, going to establishments we back to make a scene, and later even hiring local thugs to cause more trouble.”

The Honam faction leaders listened to Baek Minsik’s words in silence.

Baek Minsik continued.

“I wondered, why is this guy doing this? It’s not like he lacks money to mobilize manpower, so why is he doing this? But through last night’s incident, I realized. Ah, this guy wants me to start the war first. He wants me to first give the guys weapons to smash up all his establishments. Then he’ll call the police, have us all arrested and locked up, and then swallow all our turf.”

At Baek Minsik’s words, several leaders flinched and reacted.

Seeing this, Baek Minsik concluded with a more determined tone than before.

“After I fall, it will be you Hyungs next. What Lee Jeonghoon wants is not simply to take all of Mr. Kim Yanggi’s organization and assets for himself. He wants to make this entire Southwestern District his own turf. That’s why we need to join hands quickly.”

When Baek Minsik finished speaking, Oh Chunsik nodded and opened his mouth.

“CEO Baek’s words make sense. Even now, those Joseonjok bastards in Daerim-dong are acting up, calling themselves the Black Dragon Faction and all that nonsense. If that pedigree-less upstart Lee Jeonghoon acts like that, it will be difficult for all of us.”

Even Oh Chunsik came to Baek Minsik’s defense, but the other five didn’t seem particularly moved.

For a while, silence hung in the room.

The silence was broken by Choi Youngcheol, the leader of the Noryangjin Youngcheol Faction.

“Now, I understood CEO Baek and CEO Oh’s words well. But here’s the thing. Even if we talk about unification, we must clearly settle the share distribution.”

At Choi Youngcheol’s words, the remaining four nodded in agreement.

Baek Minsik spoke again.

“That’s right. As CEO Choi says. But considering the immediate threat before us right now, shouldn’t we put minor issues like share distribution aside and first unify…”

Choi Youngcheol cut off Baek Minsik’s words.

“No, CEO Baek. What kind of talk is that now? A minor issue? How can share distribution be a minor issue?”

Baek Minsik momentarily couldn’t answer and hesitated.

Oh Chunsik tried to speak for him.

“Ah, CEO Choi, CEO Baek’s words are…”

Choi Youngcheol cut off even Oh Chunsik’s words.

“Is CEO Oh CEO Baek’s spokesperson? Why are you stepping forward now?”

Ignoring Oh Chunsik’s hardened expression, Choi Youngcheol looked at Baek Minsik and said.

“I have no intention of unifying until the share distribution is settled, so CEO Baek, think about doing the share distribution first and then find me again.”

Choi Youngcheol abruptly stood up from his seat.

“Oh my. It’s getting a bit late. You all should get up too. We drank well.”

Then the other four also smoothly stood up.

Choi Youngcheol glanced once at Baek Minsik and Oh Chunsik, then left with the four others.

In the room left with only two, Baek Minsik gritted his teeth.

Oh Chunsik consoled him.

“Please understand, CEO Baek.”

“…… No. I just misspoke.”

“Right. Anyway, I’ll try to persuade the other Oyabun, so for now, CEO Baek should try talking with Lee Jeonghoon.”

“Talk with Lee Jeonghoon?”

“Right. First, meet him, have a drink, and talk frankly man-to-man. Who knows? Maybe things will be resolved surprisingly easily?”

“…… That seems like a good method.”

“Exactly. Come on, let’s finish our drinks.”

And so the two drank and spent the night talking about this and that.

But the conversation with Lee Jeonghoon that Oh Chunsik suggested ultimately did not take place.