When Poison Fox Cheol Myungho stumbled out of the gambling den—his face a wreck, his hands shredded, his whole body battered—the gamblers, who had already been tilting their heads at the commotion inside, turned to look at him.
They had thought the screams were from the Eunha Merchant Group's First Young Master, but now, somehow, Cheol Myungho was the one coming out like that?
The gamblers exchanged glances.
'There's Cheol Myungho.'
'He's wrecked.'
'Even we could beat him like that.'
Those who harbored grudges against Cheol Myungho stood up from their seats. They were thinking it was their chance to beat him to death, or at least get him to cough up the money he'd taken from them.
Then, Cheol Myungho grinned through his blood-smeared face.
He realized now that getting out of here in this condition wouldn't be easy. Even if the doorkeeper tried to protect him, the others might catch him and beat him to a pulp. Only now did Cheol Myungho understand how it felt to be weak. Still, laughter escaped through his lips.
"Hehehe… bunch of bastards."
He glanced around with madness in his eyes and said,
"If you don't kill me here and now, you're all dead men. Think carefully before you come at me."
A man blocking his way drew a dagger from his waist and said,
"Just hand over the money. Unless you want to die. I'll just take back what I blew in this place."
The man's gambling buddy chimed in.
"Yeah. Let's settle the money first, Poison Fox."
Cheol Myungho chuckled and said,
"What a joke… did I force you to gamble? You goddamn gambling addicts. Did I ever force you?"
At that moment, clank—the door opened, and Dan Woosung appeared with the Twin Bo brothers.
As Dan Woosung took the lead, the gathered men parted like a wave.
Dan Woosung recognized the faces of those standing in Cheol Myungho's path. They weren't as nasty as Cheol Myungho, but they looked like they were ready to beat a half-crippled man to death now that they had the chance.
Human nature really is despicable.
Weak to the strong, strong to the weak.
One man, drunk on the atmosphere, scoffed as soon as he saw Dan Woosung and said,
"Hey, you piece of trash, did you buy off the Twin Bo brothers with money?"
From their perspective, it could look that way.
After all, the First Young Master was unharmed, while even the Twin Bo brothers were injured. It seemed like they'd all fought and come out equally damaged.
Dan Woosung, walking calmly, slapped the man who had just spoken. Whack—the man flew backward from just a slap, rolling along the ground, unable to even stay upright. The onlookers flinched and stepped back in shock.
Dan Woosung continued walking and said,
"What the hell are you babbling about, you crazy bastard. Don't try to stir up drama—just get lost. If you want to kill Cheol Myungho, wait until he recovers. Anyone who tries something before that, I'll turn into a cripple just like him."
Cheol Myungho pouted and glared at Dan Woosung.
Dan Woosung continued,
"You couldn't even meet his eyes before. Now you're all trying to act tough? Step aside."
A path opened.
Dan Woosung, the Twin Bo brothers, Cheol Myungho, and the gatekeeper walked down the road formed as people stepped aside.
Cheol Myungho stared at Dan Woosung's back, cursing under his breath like a mantra, afraid of getting hit again by the First Young Master.
'Damn bastard… acting all cool. So annoying. Where the hell did he learn martial arts from all of a sudden? Ugh, pisses me off.'
Anyway, if he wanted to get out of here alive, he had no choice but to stick close to the First Young Master.
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The Eunha Merchant Group had gained two new members.
On the day Dan Woosung brought the Yuk Myungbo and Yuk Jinbo brothers, the merchant group was lit up all night long.
Dan Woosung briefly watched the physicians affiliated with the group treat the Twin Bo brothers, then went to Lee Hwa-Eon, his second brother, and entrusted him with the wealth taken from Cheol Myungho.
While safekeeping and record-keeping fell under the Chief Steward, the money was ultimately classified as the First Young Master's personal property. Even excluding the gold and jewels, the cash alone came close to fifty thousand nyang—a massive sum.
Lee Hwa-Eon was dumbfounded.
"Where on earth did you get this fortune? Did you steal it, brother?"
"Beat it out of Cheol Myungho."
"Ah…"
Lee Hwa-Eon found it absurd but also kind of funny. Since his older brother had learned martial arts, this was probably the first obvious target to rob.
Of course, what mattered more to Dan Woosung than money were the Twin Bo brothers.
Once the two recovered, Dan Woosung planned to teach them the Black Dog Reversal Technique—a martial art that fortified the body so thoroughly that even blades and spears couldn't pierce it. It was notoriously difficult to master and painful to train in—so much so that those with ordinary bodies were advised not to even start.
But among the martial arts Dan Woosung knew, it was the most suitable for the Twin Bo brothers. Not only were their bodies well-suited for it, they had also taken hits from Dan Woosung without so much as a groan—making them even more fitting.
Dan Woosung returned and silently watched the Twin Bo brothers lying side-by-side after receiving treatment.
"Once the treatment is done, have the staff guide you to my villa. It's a separate building."
"Understood."
That was the entire conversation. The Twin Bo brothers weren't talkative, and Dan Woosung didn't bother with needless words either. At some point, the three had grown to the point where mere eye contact was enough.
Dan Woosung stayed up late, inspecting various parts of the merchant group, before finally heading to his quarters to sleep.
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.
.
Sibi carefully spoke outside Dan Woosung's door.
"Young Master, breakfast is ready."
Dan Woosung replied without opening his eyes.
"Call the two brothers we brought last night. They should be in the villa. Their names are Yuk Myungbo and Yuk Jinbo. Let the others know too, since they'll be living with us from now on. Just think of them as new guard uncles."
"Understood."
"Prepare plenty of breakfast. We're eating together. The Yuk brothers probably eat a lot. Wake me when everything's ready."
"Yes, Young Master."
Since he had gone to bed late, Dan Woosung closed his eyes again.
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.
.
Yuk Jinbo, while eating the rare feast laid out before him, occasionally closed his eyes gently.
Dan Woosung watched them, curious what they were doing. When both brothers closed their eyes again while chewing on meat, Dan Woosung tilted his head and asked,
"Why are you closing your eyes?"
Yuk Jinbo snapped his eyes open and looked at Dan Woosung, speaking in a serious tone.
"It's just so delicious."
It was, in truth, a rather amusing thing to say, but Dan Woosung didn't laugh.
"That's good. If it's delicious… still, eat with your eyes open. If you're eating at a place like an inn, a throwing weapon could come flying at you, or some shady bastard might poison your drink or water."
From the perspective of Dan Woosung, who had lived in the Jianghu, this was something he couldn't easily overlook.
The Twin Bo brothers accepted Dan Woosung's advice without question.
"Understood."
They decided they wouldn't close their eyes even when eating delicious food anymore.
Dan Woosung said in a calm tone,
"Let's eat together from time to time."
"Yes, thank you."
"Thank you, elder brother."
Dan Woosung said to the Twin Bo brothers,
"If I'm not around during meal times, don't go hungry. Just go eat at the shared dining hall that the other members of the merchant group use. Since there are people who work late or return from afar, you can always go and ask for a meal to be prepared."
The Twin Bo brothers looked at each other in surprise.
"This merchant group is truly incredible."
"Then we'll be eating at night often."
Dan Woosung nodded.
"Eat as much as you like. Somehow, the more you two eat, the stronger you seem to get. It's a strange feeling, but… it really seems that way."
The Twin Bo brothers didn't feign modesty.
"Yes, we'll eat often."
"This is really great."
Suddenly, Dan Woosung set down his chopsticks and said to the two of them in a respectful tone,
"Myungbo, Jinbo. I'll be counting on you. I need people to protect things when I'm not around. I'll help you both grow stronger, so when I'm gone, I want you two to protect the merchant group."
"Yes, understood."
Dan Woosung had considered assigning the Twin Bo brothers to the guard division, but he changed his mind.
Their personalities were unusual, and their appetite was something else entirely—it felt like putting them in the guard division would only make things harder for everyone. It was better to have them stay at his villa and teach them martial arts when time allowed.
The Twin Bo brothers had no curiosity whatsoever about how the First Young Master of the Eunha Merchant Group had suddenly become so strong.
Just as they were finishing their meal, a messenger from the Chief Steward came in to deliver a message: the general assembly was about to begin.
Embarrassingly, the former First Young Master had never once attended this general assembly.
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The general assembly was led by the Chief Steward.
Representatives of each department were present, along with division heads who could be considered the executives of the main group: the vice-captain of the guard division, the head of the inspection division, the head of the administration division, and others.
Dan Woosung listened silently for nearly a full two hours, and only opened his mouth when the topic of personnel came up.
"Where is the Captain of the Guard Division? He doesn't attend the general assembly?"
When people looked around, responding with expressions that said they didn't know, Dan Woosung continued.
"I meant to speak while the Captain of the Guard Division was present, but I suppose there's no helping it. The guests from the Ouyang Family caused trouble, and that's partially the responsibility of the Captain of the Guard Division. Even the Chief Steward got injured. And regarding the Smiling Immortal Sect demanding compensation, the Ouyang Family hasn't been helpful at all. Most importantly, the Captain of the Guard Division's role has always been to protect the leader of the merchant group, but from what I understand, Vice-Captain Han Yeop has been handling that instead. Isn't that right?"
Han Yeop nodded.
"That's correct."
Dan Woosung spoke.
"Since this is a general assembly, I'd like to bring up a personnel motion. I propose we dismiss Ouyang Hou as Captain of the Guard Division… and also cut off the tribute money we've been paying to the Ouyang Family under the guise of protection fees. Furthermore, I want all external members of the Ouyang Family currently within the merchant group to be dismissed as well. They serve no purpose and only cost us money. If I don't speak up now, I fear we'll keep pouring hard-earned money into the Ouyang Family forever."
No one responded.
As Dan Woosung said, it wasn't a simple matter. The head of administration, Lee Shiyang, spoke.
"First Young Master, we can't easily decide the matter of the Ouyang Family here. The head of the merchant group must also be present for a final decision."
Dan Woosung shook his head.
"Uncle, my father is unwell right now. It's better to simply relay the results of the assembly. He can make the final decision. But if the members of this group don't express their will and just wait on my father's decision for every little thing, then there's no point in holding this assembly. Even if he makes the decision, I'm sure he'd like to know what the group thinks."
Lee Shiyang went silent.
He had been an orphan taken in by the previous head of the merchant group and was sworn brothers with the current head, Lee Seong-min. Technically, his proper title was "adopted uncle," but Dan Woosung intentionally addressed him simply as "uncle."
Dan Woosung looked around the room and continued.
"I hear we decide matters in this room by a show of hands… Let's vote on the dismissal of Captain Ouyang Hou first. Only those opposed, raise your hand."
Out of the twelve present, only two raised their hands in opposition. Dan Woosung turned to Lee Hwa-Eon.
"Say that the majority is in favor of dismissal, and request my father's approval."
Lee Hwa-Eon responded.
"Understood."
Just as Dan Woosung was unilaterally pushing through the personnel matter, a middle-aged voice rang out from outside the great hall where the general assembly was being held.
"Who are you saying you'll fire?"
The moment he heard the voice, Dan Woosung smiled.
Outside, Ouyang Hou, Captain of the Guard Division, walked in with his hands behind his back. Of course, having heard what the First Young Master said, his face was twisted with displeasure.
< Fist King, You're All Fired > The End