009. The Alliance of Three Gangs

In the basement parking lot of the Daemyung Building.

Kang-hyuk Lee stood alone in the underground parking lot as demanded by Dong-hoon Choi, the boss of the Tiger Organization. He had no way of knowing what would happen next, but he was willing to endure whatever came if it meant restoring the honor of his organization.

After Tae-su Jang, the boss of the Black Dragon Gang, had died, Kang-hyuk realized something: his loyalty had never been to the boss himself, but to the Black Dragon Gang as a whole. It was like how an employee joins a company for its brand and reputation, not for the CEO.

‘The Black Dragon Gang won't fall apart so easily,’ he thought.

Moments later, a line of black cars entered the parking lot. The most luxurious of them stopped in front of Kang-hyuk.

Whirr.

As the rear window of the car slowly lowered, Dong-hoon Choi’s face appeared.

“It’s been a while, Kang-hyuk.”

“It’s been a while, sir.”

Kang-hyuk greeted him as politely as possible.

Even if Choi was from a rival organization, he was still a boss. It was the proper thing to do.

Choi nodded, and one of the Tiger Organization members stepped out of the car and placed a blindfold over Kang-hyuk’s eyes.

***

After a short while, the blindfold was removed, and Kang-hyuk found himself in an unfamiliar place. Before him was a set of stairs leading underground.

“This way,”

said one of the Tiger members.

Kang-hyuk descended the stairs and opened a door to find a small room. A round table sat in the middle, and on the other side of the room was a door identical to the one he had just come through. Through this door, Dong-hoon Choi, the boss of the Tiger Organization, and Jun-su Seo, the boss of the White Panther Gang, entered the room.

“Damn, it’s been ages since we’ve gathered like this,”

 Choi laughed, unable to hide his excitement.

“Let’s keep this brief,”

Seo responded coldly, arms crossed.

“You’re still the same, huh?”

 Choi said, glancing at him sideways.

“Did you call us here to fight?” Seo’s eyes narrowed.

Tension hung between the two.

“Well, if you want to fight, I’m game. Unlike you, who just sits behind a computer, we settle things with our fists.”

“Fine, if that’s what you want—”

“Let’s stop this. Now’s not the time to argue over such matters,”

Kang-hyuk interrupted calmly. Only then did the two bosses reluctantly back down.

“We’re all facing a serious threat right now. As you both know, since our boss Tae-su was killed, the balance between our three organizations is on the verge of collapsing.”

The two bosses turned their attention to Kang-hyuk.

“Explain what you mean,”

Choi exclaimed, his expression turning serious.

“First, I need to share some information about Cheol-su Kim. Here are his photos.”

Kang-hyuk placed two printed photos on the table.

The two men looked at them. Seeing Cheol-su’s ordinary appearance Choi scoffed.

“He looks like an idiot. Are you telling me Tae-su died because of this moron, Kang-hyuk?”

Choi leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs, the seriousness on his face disappearing.

“Not worth considering,”

  Seo said dismissively, closing his eyes as if he had lost interest.

‘How can the bosses of these powerful organizations be so complacent? They don’t understand how dire the situation is!’ Kang-hyuk had underestimated Cheol-su Kim as well. When Han-su Lee went missing, he should have suspected Kim right away.

‘That’s how we ended up in this mess!’

“Bosses, I can assure you, Cheol-su Kim is dangerous,”

Kang-hyuk said earnestly, hoping to instill a sense of urgency.

“No matter how strong he is, how strong can he really be Kang-hyuk?” Choi smirked.

“It seems our organization can step back from this one,” Seo stood up abruptly, ready to leave.

Kang-hyuk felt a surge of frustration at their reactions.

‘This isn’t going to work. I need to find a way to pull them in.’

Then, an idea struck him.

“Cheol-su Kim currently has 92.3 million dollars in cash and 40 kilograms of drugs.”

As expected, both bosses’ eyes lit up.

“And the serial killer the news has been talking about lately? That’s Cheol-su Kim.”

  Seo’s gaze sharpened.

Seizing the moment, Kang-hyuk continued.

“That’s why he’s dangerous.”

“Hm, in that case, you may have a point. Is he a mutant?”

 Seo asked.

“Yes, it’s suspected that Cheol-su Kim, like you both, is a mutant. That’s why it’s difficult to take him on alone. Our three organizations must work together.”

Choi fell silent, deep in thought.

“92.3 million dollars… That’s reason enough to get involved.”

‘In the end, it’s the money that moves them.’

The reason didn’t matter to Kang-hyuk. What was important was securing their cooperation.

“No matter how strong he is, if the Tigers and White Panthers join forces, it’s more than possible,”

Seo said, and Choi nodded in agreement.

At that moment, a member of the Tiger Organization rushed into the room.

“Boss, you need to see this.”

Choi frowned.

“Can’t you see we’re in the middle of something important?”

“I’m sorry, but this is really urgent,”

the member handed Choi a phone. On the screen, an emergency news bulletin was playing.

[…sources say the recent serial murders are linked to the drugs that were left at a police station a few days ago, and that the suspect is also responsible for the death of Tae-su Jang, the former boss of the Black Dragon Gang…]

Choi and Seo’s faces hardened. Kang-hyuk, too, realized the gravity of the situation.

‘Now all we have left is the 92.3 million dollars in cash.’

Kang-hyuk clenched his teeth in frustration.

***

Over the past few days, many things have happened to me.

First, I quit my job. Of course, I didn’t tell my parents. My mom would freak out if she found out.

It was true that after learning about the events to come, I had lost motivation. But that wasn’t the only reason I decided to quit. I had enough money, so I was going to quit anyway.

Out of the 92.3 million dollars I got from Han-su Lee’s memories, I gave half—about 46.1 million dollars—to my parents and kept the remaining half in a safe place.

When I showed them the cash in the box, my mom and dad were left speechless, their mouths hanging open. It was the reaction I had expected, so I wasn’t too surprised.

“W-where did this huge amount of money… come from?”

I quietly pressed a finger to my lips, signaling them to keep quiet, and whispered softly.

“I won the lottery. So, mom, dad, you both need to keep this a secret. Don’t go buying anything extravagant all of a sudden. And you can’t tell the rest of the family either, got it?”

My mom and dad both nodded in unison.

Thankfully, my parents were quick to grasp the situation. And since I told them it was lottery money, they didn’t probe further about its source.

Now, I’ve started living with Seia. Since I’ve decided to trust her, I’m going to help her as much as I can.

Seia had her own unfortunate circumstances. Though, that didn’t change the fact that her personality was still sharp.

The news about the Black Dragon Gang was all over the media, and public reaction was intense.

└ Wasn’t Tae-su Jang the Black Dragon boss? Wow, the killer suddenly appeared and took down someone from the TOP 11?

└ At this point, he’s like a serial killer taking out other criminals.

└ The way he handed the drugs to the cops was badass.

└ What’s the Universe Special Investigation Bureau doing? Where’s the bounty?

Most of the comments were favorable toward me. But there was one thing that concerned me.

The Universe Special Investigation Bureau.

‘I wonder when they’ll decide to make a move.’

I suspected they were already paying close attention.

Anyway, now I have only two days left. I need to kill someone again within the next two days.

“I don’t know who I should target,” I said aloud.

“You could just pick from someone from the memories you have,”

Seia chimed in from the kitchen, though I hadn’t really been asking for her opinion.

“We’ll have to announce ourselves as ‘Executors’ soon.”

“So?”

Seia’s face showed genuine confusion rather than sarcasm.

“Well, I want to make a more striking debut. Something that makes people sit up and take notice. Something that makes them fearful and grabs their attention.”

Seia nodded in understanding.

“Looks like your brain isn’t just for show.”

Seia often had a unique way of turning compliments into something that didn’t sound like one.

I began searching the internet for any incidents. I wasn’t looking for someone who had committed a legal crime but rather a person who had done something morally wrong. So instead of browsing the news, I scrolled through popular community forums.

I wanted someone who had caused harm to others, someone who couldn’t be punished by the law but still deserved to be held accountable.

While scrolling, a word caught my eye.

“Parking villain?”

The writer had kindly attached a photo.

Someone had parked their car sideways, blocking the entrance to the underground parking lot of an apartment building.

“Where is this?”

It didn’t take long to find the "parking villain’s" address, thanks to the post’s author, who had generously shared the person’s personal information.

‘Bold move.’

But the "parking villain’s" address was…

“Eunha-dong Sky Village Apartments?!”

That was my apartment complex. I didn’t have a car, so I had no idea what was going on in the underground parking lot. Besides, I’d been using the rooftop exit recently, so I hadn’t noticed.

I quickly logged onto the apartment website. Surely, I’d be able to find out where they lived.

“Found it.”

My guess had been right.

“What did you find?”

Seia asked as she set a bowl of ramen on the dining table. She had been obsessed with ramen lately.

It was ridiculous, but I decided to answer her question.

“My next target. And how I’ll announce my presence to the world.”

***

After finishing the funeral for her beloved family, Yuna Lee spent several days at a hostel. She couldn’t bear to return to the house where her family had been murdered. Surrounded by strangers through the nights, she was consumed by feelings of helplessness and fear.

Now, Yuna found herself hesitating in front of the headquarters of the Universe Special Investigation Bureau.

She had come all the way here intending to go inside, but she wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do.

“Well, let’s at least get a consultation. I don’t have anywhere else to go anyway.”

With renewed resolve, she stepped into the building. At the entrance, security checkpoints and police officers stood guard. The grand glass doors and the modern design of the building gave off an imposing atmosphere.

“Please step this way.”

Following the officer’s guidance, she stepped into the scanner.

Her belongings passed inspection without issue. Now it was time to go through the security gate.

“What brings you here?”

asked the officer guarding the gate.

Yuna handed over a business card that Gun-woo Lee had given her.

“He told me to come here with this.”

The officer took the card and shone a portable UV light over it, revealing a hidden symbol. After confirming it, the officer made a phone call.

Yuna felt a bit nervous at the thorough verification process but also realized just how meticulous this place was.

“What’s your name?”

 the officer asked.

“Yuna Lee.”

The officer relayed her name over the phone.

“She’s confirmed.”

After ending the call, the officer pressed a button, and the gate opened.

“Take the elevator on the right and go down to the 8th basement floor.”

The elevator was clean and quiet.

Contrary to her worries that the underground floors might feel dark and stifling, the air was even fresher as she descended.

As she neared the 8th floor, Yuna’s heart began to race with nervousness.

When the elevator doors opened, Gun-woo Lee was standing there, smiling brightly.

“You’ve made it.”

A few days ago, she had been too out of it to notice, but his demeanor was kind and gentle.

“I haven’t decided anything yet. I just… I just came to ask how things work.”

Her nerves made her blurt out words nobody had asked for.

Gun-woo nodded understandingly and said,

“Of course. Ask anything you like. Coming here alone was already a great act of courage, even if you might not realize it, Yuna.”

He led her into a meeting room, which was clean and modern.

“Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea or coffee?”

“No, I’m fine. But what do I need to do to become an investigator?”

Gun-woo smiled kindly as he replied,

“You’ll need to endure pain and hardship.”

Yuna hesitated for a moment before quietly admitting,

 “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be staying here, and we’ll support you in all aspects of your life.”

A brief silence fell. Yuna took a deep breath and prepared herself.

“What do I need to do?”

Gun-woo stood and smiled gently.

“Follow me.”

A short while later, Yuna found herself lying on an operating table under bright lights. The sudden decision had surprised even her, but there was no turning back now.

‘This is the best option.’

Gun-woo approached her and spoke.

“For safety reasons, I’m going to restrain you. And as you’ve already signed, this process is dangerous, so brace yourself.”

Tension filled her body at his words. She felt cold metal wrap around her wrists and ankles.

“Will I really be able to avenge my family with this?”

Yuna’s voice trembled.

“Yuna, it all depends on your will. But I believe in you. I believe you can do it.”

Gun-woo’s words made Yuna close her eyes. She nodded.

“The needle will sting a bit.”

“I’m ready.”

Just as he said, there was a slight sting in her arm. Then, a searing pain shot through her body. It was an overwhelming agony like nothing she had ever experienced before. Her entire body felt like it was on fire, and her heart pounded furiously. It was as if every cell in her body was resisting the change.

‘I have to endure… I have to overcome this…’

Her consciousness began to fade. The sounds around her grew distant, and her vision darkened. The last thing she saw was the faces of her family.

‘I will…’

And with that, Yuna’s consciousness slipped into a deep darkness.