The Genius Grandson of the Loan Shark King - Chapter 15 (15/840)
< The End of Three Years. Graduation Ceremony. >
The end of three years. Graduation ceremony.
Busan Yeongnak Park. Second Columbarium.
This is where my mother and father are enshrined.
I haven't been here in a very long time. In my previous life, I didn't even have the leisure to visit.
I can't even remember their faces.
My parents, whom I only remember from photographs, were smiling in those pictures.
Deceased Kim Jin-ho
Deceased Cheon Mi-suk
Their names were written there.
No tears came.
Thinking back now, there were some suspicious points about my parents' deaths.
Although it was treated as a simple robbery, the culprit was never caught, and it remains unsolved.
This time, I resolved to investigate thoroughly.
"Mother, Father. This time, I will live a proper life. Watch over me from heaven. I will definitely uncover the truth about your deaths."
Beside me, my grandmother was wiping away her tears sorrowfully.
My grandmother. The poor grandmother who lost her only son.
I hugged her.
"Is this okay?"
"Just wait. Our grandmother."
The struggle between me, who wanted to keep hugging her, and her, who wanted to pull away, ended with my victory.
Holding my grandmother, I looked at my parents' photos again.
"Grandma, live a long life."
"Hey, I have to see you get married."
"Okay."
When we left the columbarium, it was already dusk.
"Let's eat dinner and then go home."
"Huh?"
"Just because. I want to treat you to something delicious. Let's go, Grandma!"
I held her hand tightly and walked slowly, matching her pace.
The sun had set above our heads.
I felt both proud and empty.
The day to go to Seoul for college was approaching.
One day, Chairman Cheon visited my grandmother at our house in Busan.
When he said he wanted to talk alone, I reluctantly went outside.
"Why did you ask me to leave, Manager Ha?"
"I don't know either."
"Hmm."
"Chairman Cheon coming all the way to Busan means he acknowledges you as a relative. That's not a bad thing, is it?"
"Right?"
"Yes."
Manager Ha said nothing more after that.
* * *
"Relative. I'm sorry for coming so late."
Chairman Cheon bowed to Jo Gyeong-ja.
Jo Gyeong-ja waved her hands, at a loss.
"Oh, sir. You don't have to do that for me. Just for our Mu-hyuk..."
"You've raised Mu-hyuk until now, haven't you? In the past, your son and our daughter... they eloped, and I forgot about it, but now let's keep in touch."
"Yes..."
While Jo Gyeong-ja wiped her eyes at the mention of her son and daughter-in-law, Chairman Cheon waited silently.
"Will you not go to Seoul with us, relative?"
"I want to stay here. I don't know how to read, and I don't have any connections in a place where I don't know anyone."
"I see."
"Mu-hyuk asked me to go with him, but I said no. I want to live and die here."
"Hmm... Then I'll make sure you have everything you need."
"Oh! Sir, don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."
After that, they talked for quite a while about Mu-hyuk.
* * *
The front door opened, and my grandfather came out.
"Go in. When will you tell me about the bet?"
"When I go to Seoul."
"Alright. I heard you talked to the relative. Take good care of yourself. See you in Seoul."
"Yes, Grandfather."
Manager Ha opened the back door for Chairman Cheon to get in.
After the car door closed, Chairman Cheon rolled down the window and asked again.
"Can I look forward to your wish?"
"Yes."
The door closed, and the car started moving. When the car was out of sight, I went back inside.
Grandma's eyes were slightly red.
"Grandma! What did you talk about?"
"Nothing much. We talked about your future."
"But why are your eyes red? Did you cry?"
Grandma wiped her eyes.
"Ah, just... "
"What? What did he say?"
"..."
"Tell me. What did he say?"
Under my persistent questioning, tears finally burst from Grandma's eyes.
Taking the tissue I offered, Grandma sobbed.
"Your father... He said he was sorry because he opposed it, and that's why the two of them ended up dying. When I heard that... I thought of your father and mother... Even now, what good does it do? But at least they can rest in peace in heaven."
"..."
It was the first time I faced the wound that had been buried in Grandma's heart all this time.
I pulled her close and hugged her tightly.
Grandma, who had been crying, finally sobbed uncontrollably.
"Grandma, let me take care of you. I'll be your child, not just your grandson."
I held Grandma tightly and stayed silent.
After a while, Grandma calmed down and pulled away from my embrace.
"When did you grow so tall, my child?"
"I've been taller than you since middle school, Grandma."
"Yes, you've really grown well."
A few days later.
Before going to Seoul, I went to a nearby restaurant with Park Dong-su, who had come to my house.
"What? You're buying drinks at a good place?"
"Let's just eat here, Uncle."
"Damn. Even if you're buying, it's still a pain."
Park Dong-su grumbled but sat down.
His younger brothers took seats around our table.
"Hey, what's good here?"
His voice was loud.
"Uncle, the eel stew here is good."
"Is that so? Bring a big one of that eel stew. And a bottle of soju! You guys order what you want."
"Yes, brother."
When the auntie brought the soju, Park Dong-su immediately opened the bottle and poured half into a beer glass.
"Let's have a refreshing drink, shall we?"
What, pouring half a bottle of soju at once?
"Hmm... Alright. Just the first round."
"Hey! You're a man, a man!"
We clinked glasses and did a shot.
"Ah! This is the taste."
Park Dong-su's exclamation and my lack of reaction strangely matched.
"Wow! Look at this kid's expression. He doesn't change at all. Can he drink well?"
"I don't drink."
"Ha ha ha. I see. But what's your real identity? You have a lot of information, you study well, and you fight well."
"I'm Kim Mu-hyuk, a twenty-year-old college student."
"Ah, you're really funny. Hey! Two more bottles of soju."
When he tried to pour soju into a beer glass again, I stopped him and offered a soju glass.
Park Dong-su looked at me, chuckled, and filled the soju glass to the brim. He then poured half into his beer glass, raised his glass, and extended it forward.
"So, what should I do now?"
"How did you handle the situation at the nightclub?"
"That guy is a bit naive, but he's a close friend, so I sent him to manage the Boksu area. I left him alone because he didn't have a gang, but thanks to you, he now has one."
Park Dong-su smiled, saying, "Killing two birds with one stone."
"Then, are you managing Nampo and Boksu? All of it?"
"Well... Nampo, Yeongdo, Boksu... I've taken over the entire Jung District. It was originally our territory, and most of the troublemakers were caught, so there wasn't a big fight. What should I do now?"
Park Dong-su, while pouring soju, asked.
"First, find a lawyer. Then, establish a legitimate security company. Wash your money that way."
"And then?"
"First, completely take over Busan. Make sure you don't get caught by the authorities. You have connections with the police and prosecutors, right? Bribe them generously and manage them well."
"Will that be enough?"
"Taking over Busan is easy?"
Park Dong-su chuckled.
"Most of them are in jail, leaving only the small fry. I can do it in a year."
I decided to trust his confidence.
"Then, take over first. Absolutely don't touch drugs. Drug enforcement will become much stricter. It will be much tougher than before, even with connections. Work on coming out of the shadows slowly and into the light."
"Huh, come into the light?"
Park Dong-su laughed bitterly.
"We can't come into the light. If I do, another guy like me will come from the shadows and take over. Then, it will be war again."
"Ha ha ha. Uncle, I'm not saying to come out into the light completely. I mean to wear a mask of legitimacy. Why be a gangster if you're going to do legitimate work?"
"What?"
Park Dong-su, after drinking the soju he poured, continued.
"Already, the Seoul gangsters have started the process of corporatization. Busan needs to do it quickly, or you'll be eaten by the Seoul guys. Gangsters have their networks, so they probably know, but... first, corporatize. That's the priority. Take over Busan, and then we'll work on expanding to Seoul separately."
Park Dong-su, pouring soju into his beer glass, drank it in one go.
"Damn, listening to you, I feel like I'm being swept away. So, take over Busan and come to Seoul? And work with me?"
"Yes, that's it."
"Damn, I don't know if this is a good idea."
At that moment, the auntie placed the eel stew on the table.
Steam was rising from the eel stew.
"Hey! Two more bottles of soju."
Park Dong-su, taking the soju, poured half a bottle into his glass and drank it quickly.
"Damn, I've only seen you a few times, but why do I trust you? Well, I'll trust you and do it."
"Thank you, I appreciate it."
I raised my glass and clinked it with Park Dong-su's, who chuckled.
"Then, how will you contact me when you go to Seoul? Don't have a pager?"
"When I go to Seoul, I'll probably buy a mobile phone. I'll contact you then. I'll leave my number with Mr. Myeong-su's father. Oh, and take care of the Arabian Night. It's my friend's father's place. Don't put fake alcohol in there."
He glared at me with narrow eyes.
"Damn, am I a thug? Don't worry about that. I already told the kids not to cause trouble."
"Thank you."
"But a mobile phone? That's really expensive, right?"
"It's still too big to carry around. Soon, Il Sung will start selling a more portable one, and I'll buy that."
"Hmm... Should I buy one too?"
"It would be convenient to have one."
After thinking for a moment, Park Dong-su poured more soju.
"I wanted to buy you a good drink, but since you don't like it, let's drink this for now. Next time, let's really have a proper drink. Got it?"
"Ha ha ha. When you expand to Seoul, we'll have a proper meal then."
"Right. I'll trust you and do it."
"If you have any really difficult problems, contact me. If it's something I can handle, I'll take care of it. But my existence must not be exposed. You understand?"
"Got it. Let's have one last drink. Cheers!"
The sound of clinking glasses filled the restaurant, along with Park Dong-su's and my laughter.
"By the way, Uncle, don't call me 'little brother.' I don't want to look old."
"You're not my little brother! Call me 'brother.'"
We didn't reach an agreement on the title until we parted ways.
After getting a free drink from Mr. Myeong-su's father and spending good time with my grandmother, the day of the graduation ceremony arrived.
Graduation day.
The banner that had been hanging at the school gate for a long time was finally taken down.
Every time I saw it, my face would burn, and I didn't want to come to school.
Listening to the principal's boring speech in the auditorium, the graduation ceremony, which seemed to have taken three years, ended quickly.
Since I didn't have many friends, I took photos with Myeong-su and Hyun-seong. My grandmother and Prosecutor Yun Chang-ho, who came to the ceremony, were also there.
"Mu-hyuk, congratulations on your graduation. You'll be a school senior now, and even a senior in the same major."
"Yes, didn't I tell you before? I'll see you as a senior at Korea University soon."
"Ha ha ha, that's right. Your words have come true. Let's meet before you go to Seoul. I have another appointment, so I have to go."
"Yes, I'll visit you before I go to Seoul, senior."
"Calling me 'senior' sounds good."
The prosecutor patted my shoulder and left.
I called a few friends who were hovering around me and took a group photo.
When we were about to leave the school gate with Myeong-su and Hyun-seong's parents and my grandmother, a loud voice suddenly came from the other side.
"Hey! Dong-sang! Congratulations on your graduation!"
I saw Park Dong-su, who was waving from his car with the window down.
"Do you know him?"
"No. Let's go eat quickly."
I hurried my grandmother along.
But Park Dong-su was quite persistent.
"Hey, Dong-sang! It's me, Park Dong-su!"
Ah... Can I really trust this guy?
< The End of Three Years. Graduation Ceremony. > End