"Hell yeah, I'm not short on cash!" Lee Joong-gu laughed, leaning back. "Name your split."
He was sold. Seoul's cutthroat scene, plus Seok Dong-chool's disdain, made overseas expansion tempting. "I'll talk to Jung Chung myself," he said.
"Fine by me, hash it out," David replied. "Overseas, we split profits fifty-fifty. You handle the men, the bars, all yours. Just pay me on time. Like I said, I'm in for money and women."
David extended his hand, grinning. "Deal?"
Lee Joong-gu shook it firmly. "Deal!"
The agreement was set, far better than a bloody turf war. "Hell, let's drink!" Lee Joong-gu said. "Pick any girl tonight, I'll cover it."
After a few drinks, Lee Joong-gu leaned in. "This cop and Zhang Su-ki plot to take us out, that's real?"
"Dead serious," David said, eyes narrowing. "I've got an inside source. They're coming for us, so we strike first. You handle the cops, I'll sniff out the traitor leaking our info. Once it's done, you're free to conquer America."
David's cold, murderous glint silenced Lee Joong-gu's doubts. "Alright, I'm meeting Jung Chung now," he said. Just then, both their phones rang.
They locked eyes, answering simultaneously. "The chairman?" David asked.
At Seoul City Hospital, the emergency surgery wing was packed. Jung Chung had flown back, standing among rows of suited enforcers outside the operating room. Their silence was heavy, tension thick enough to choke on.
Five Players from Jaebum Clan lingered nearby, heads bowed, guilt-ridden. They'd been part of the hit on Seok Dong-chool, and it weighed on them.
David's gaze landed on a familiar face, a striking woman. He approached, smirking. "What's your name?"
Mizu, sucking on a lollipop, pointed at herself, surprised. "Me? Mizu."
"Not bad," David said, pinching her chin. "Join me for dinner later."
Mizu bristled, wanting to snap back but holding her tongue. Crossing a superior was a bad move, and she knew it.
The operating room's light flicked on, the door swinging open. The surgeon emerged, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, we did all we could."
Jung Chung slammed his palm against his forehead, cursing. * Too soon * he thought. He needed Seok Dong-chool alive longer, until his plans were solid.
Lee Joong-gu's face darkened, his silence deafening. Then he exploded, grabbing the surgeon's collar. "You quack! You call that doctoring? Lying bastard, the chairman can't be dead!"
His men pulled him back, calming the outburst. Despite Seok Dong-chool favoring other successors, Lee Joong-gu was loyal, raised by the chairman like a son. Even without support, he'd never disrespected him. The sudden death hit hard.
After the chaos, Lee Joong-gu and Jung Chung retreated to a private room to talk. With Seok Dong-chool gone, a new chairman had to be chosen, either Jung Chung or Lee Joong-gu, no one else.
No one knew what they discussed, but both emerged grim-faced, the weight of the decision clear.
Jung Chung led them to an old warehouse, a place for dirty work. He tossed his jacket aside, grabbing an iron shovel. Ja-sung's lackey bent to pick up the jacket, but Jung Chung snapped, swinging the shovel into the man's skull with a sickening crack.
Ja-sung flinched, confused. * Why my guy? * he thought, but stayed quiet, trusting Jung Chung had a reason.
David, unfazed, lit a cigarette, passing one to Ja-sung. "No surprise there. That guy was a mole, planted by Section Chief Kang to watch you. You think Kang trusts you? How's it feel, your identity and family held over your head?"
Ja-sung's hands shook, his life laid bare. "You ever doubt me, brother?" he asked, voice low.
David clapped his shoulder, blowing a smoke ring. "Don't be stupid, we're brothers. You didn't sell out me or Jung Chung, that's enough. If you had, we'd be in jail. Kang doesn't trust you, so what's it gonna be? Go all in with us, or keep playing cop? Time to choose."
Jung Chung beat the mole to a pulp, then waved his men to drag the body away. He took David's cigarette, still panting. "Well, brother?" he asked Ja-sung, handing over a stack of files.
Ja-sung skimmed the documents, horrified. They listed every mole in Goldmoon, including his wife, sent to spy on him. * She's one of them? * he thought, gutted.
David patted his shoulder. "Chin up, she still loves you, don't give up. I've got a deal with Lee Joong-gu. He'll go overseas, you take over his operations here. Make sure Jung Chung takes the chair without a manhunt. We all win, we all get rich. Hesitate, and everyone dies."
David didn't care about forcing task completion, his goal was consolidating power and looting resources for his main world. * Women are fun, but money and power get you more * he thought.
Ja-sung's face twisted, guilt and resolve warring. He looked at David and Jung Chung, ashamed. "I know what to do," he said. "Only you two, Kang, his boss, and Shin Woo know I'm a cop. Shin Woo's yours, so we just need to kill Kang and the commissioner."
He'd finally chosen to go all in, no turning back.
*New World* was a story about seizing Goldmoon's throne, and David had cracked the game. His plan was simple: money, money, and more damn money.
"I've got Lee Joong-gu on board," David said to Jung Chung. "He's taking men and resources overseas, no retaliation from me. You did good, Ja-sung. Now you'll handle Lee Joong-gu's gigs. You up for it?"
Jung Chung's gaze was steady, calm but expectant.
"No problem," Ja-sung said, taking a deep breath. "I want Kang, the commissioner, and Zhang Su-ki dead. Zhang's already talking to the cops."
"You handle it," Jung Chung said, passing him a phone. "This is the old man's contact. Come on, let's drink tonight!"
The deal came together fast, Lee Joong-gu even joining them that night. It all boiled down to profit, split the pie right, and everyone played nice.
A day later, David and Lee Joong-gu landed in San Francisco. That same day, they wiped out a local gang, claiming their assets and expanding fast. By night, David alone slaughtered the gang's leaders.
In a villa, blood still warm on the floor, bodies lay headless, men and women alike. Lee Joong-gu, no stranger to violence, felt his skin crawl. * This guy's a monster * he thought.
"It's done," David said, exhaling smoke. "I'm flying back. This is your turf now. My rep should keep things smooth, but call if you need me."
"Got it," Lee Joong-gu said, eager to see David gone. * If he snaps, I'm dead * he thought. Goldmoon's reinforcements had arrived, and with his experience, he'd rebuild here, just in a new city.
Two days later, Section Chief Kang sat in an abandoned building, fishing rod in hand by a pond linked to the river. * Perfect spot * he thought, smoking as he waited for Ja-sung.
For ten years, Kang had pushed the New World plan, aiming to install a puppet chairman. Failure wasn't an option, not after a decade of grit.
The door creaked open, and a scruffy man in a cap entered, a large bag slung over his shoulder, looking like another fisherman. The spot was remote, but not empty, Kang had shooed off hobbyists before. This was his meetup point, no interruptions allowed.
The man glanced at Kang, dropping his bag, rummaging inside. Kang frowned, a bad feeling creeping in. When the man pulled out a gleaming combat knife and licked the blade, Kang slumped in his chair. "It's all over," he muttered.
Only Ja-sung knew this location, not even Shin Woo, Kang's trusted protege. * He's turned * Kang realized, betrayed.
At the same time, on a rural road, a train crossing blocked traffic. The commissioner's sedan idled, the driver waiting patiently for the barrier to lift.
A taxi pulled up beside them, its windows rolling down. Two rough-looking men leaned out, one from the passenger seat, one from the back, shielding their eyes as if confirming a target.
The commissioner raised an eyebrow. * Weirdos * he thought. Then he froze, spotting silenced pistols in their hands. They fired, bullets ripping through him and the driver.
Darkness swallowed him, his last thought the searing pain in his forehead and the ugliness of his killers. The hired assassins, brought from overseas, would vanish with their pay, untouchable.
Meanwhile, Ja-sung stormed Zhang Su-ki's home with his crew. They beat the elder mercilessly, baseball bats cracking against his skull. No one could withstand that punishment.
"Take him away," Ja-sung ordered, exhaling. * Everyone who knows my secret is gone * he thought. He was safe now.
That night, in a private restaurant room, David, Jung Chung, and Ja-sung raised glasses, celebrating with soju.
"I'm chairman now," Jung Chung said, grinning. "Ja-sung, you're vice-chairman. David, you too. We three brothers keep building, make more money."
Jung Chung had never doubted them, not Ja-sung's cop status, not David's shady moves. Trust was his strength.
"I'll just take the title," David said, smirking. "I'm planning to travel with Shin Woo, clear my head, maybe start a business. Next time I'm back, I might have a few women and kids. Get those red envelopes ready!"
His grin was wicked, dripping with mischief. Jung Chung laughed. "Anything you want, I've got you. I'm wiring you a billion, ask for more if you need it."
"Thanks, brother," Ja-sung said, guilt heavy in his voice. Choosing his path had freed him, but it stung. "I owe you both, I'll down a shot for it."
"One shot? Make it a bottle!" Jung Chung roared, laughing.
David pulled out a red envelope. "For your kid, Ja-sung. Tell her she's got a cool uncle. I'm out, gotta go, I'm hard as hell and need to fuck."