The Genius Grandson of the Loan Shark King - Chapter 28 (28/840)
< What is this? >
#28
What is this?
Just as the issue with the slot machines operated by Chansoo had calmed down, I set off for Busan with Myeongsoo and Hyunseong during the school break.
After dropping them off at their respective homes, I arrived at 'our' home.
A warm feeling welled up in my chest as I stepped through the gate.
When I opened the front door, the smell of my grandmother's doenjang stew tickled my nose.
"Grandma! I'm here!"
The grandmother, who was in the kitchen, wiped her hands on her apron and ran over.
"Oh~ my child, you must have had a hard time coming. Go take a shower quickly. I've prepared a meal for you."
"Grandma, let me hug you."
"Why are you being so affectionate? You smell."
"Why? What's wrong with Grandma's smell? It's so good. If anyone says anything, tell me. I'll scold them."
I hugged Grandma tightly.
Grandma's smell.
It's good!
Grandma patted my back and said,
"Oh~ you must have had a hard time."
"Grandma, I missed you. Didn't you miss me?"
"Alright, go take a shower and come out."
"Okay."
In front of Grandma, I feel like a child.
Why didn't I know this happiness before?
I quickly took a shower and changed my clothes.
"My child is here, so I made the side dishes you like."
"I cried in Seoul because I wanted to eat Grandma's food."
"Don't fib."
Grandma laughed, seeming to be in a good mood.
Grandma sat quietly, just looking at me.
"Grandma, let's eat."
"Go quickly."
I scooped a large spoonful of steaming white rice and put it in my mouth.
Then, I took a spoonful of Grandma's doenjang stew, and it felt like heaven.
"Is it good?"
"Yeah, Grandma, eat quickly too."
"Alright. Eat quickly."
Grandma laughed and picked up her chopsticks.
"Is life in Seoul manageable? Is it tough?"
"No, it's manageable except for not having Grandma. But isn't Grandma lonely living alone? Are you bored?"
Grandma shook her head.
"No, I go to the senior center and live like that. These days, the weather is nice, so I go out a lot with the other grandmas."
"You're doing well, Grandma."
"Are the in-laws treating you well?"
"Yeah."
"School?"
"I'm doing well. I go to the same school as Myeongsoo, so it's not as boring. I've become very close to my classmates."
"Our Muhyuk can do well anywhere. That's why I'm so happy."
"What...?"
I called Grandma almost every day from Seoul.
I was worried that Grandma might be lonely, so even if I had plans in the evening, I called her at least once every two days.
But even though I heard her voice so often, seeing her face was even better.
I talked with Grandma until late that night.
I spent the day in the warmth of home.
* * *
In a department office building in Jung District, Busan.
Park Dongsoo's office.
"What do you think? I can't figure it out."
Park Dongsoo and a man are having a conversation.
The man, who was looking at documents in front of Park Dongsoo, raised his head.
The man, with a sharp face that didn't fit a gangster, spoke.
"Mr. President, is this all of it?"
Park Dongsoo nodded.
"Wow? Is there a problem?"
"Wasn't this the organization that dominated the Seo area? It seems smaller than I expected."
"Really? You don't think they were playing a trick? They might have disappeared suddenly."
"Hmm..."
The man, who was looking at the documents, kept tilting his head. Park Dongsoo waved his hand.
"Why, didn't all the big organizations go down because of the war on crime? Isn't that what happened?"
"Ah... If that's the case, there's nothing we can do. Why do you want to continue managing them after subduing them? I can't understand your thinking, Mr. Park."
"Using only force will just create more problems. We need to let them earn a living to some extent."
The man sighed deeply, as if he had a headache.
"This business is just as complicated as any other."
"Ha ha ha, of course. By the way, have you met our Dong-sang? He's a smart kid. He's in Busan now, so come to the office and see him later."
"Sure."
The man's reaction was indifferent, but Park Dongsoo didn't mind.
Park Dongsoo mentioned the man's name.
"Seunggeun, I asked a kid to come see you. Isn't it strange? A 20-year-old kid looks like he's seen the world. You should see him. Then you'll understand what I mean."
Seunggeun smiled and said,
"A 20-year-old kid, how much of the world has he seen? He'll just talk a lot. Let's talk."
"Ha ha ha."
* * *
At that moment.
In a nightclub room in Seo area, several men were gathered.
"So, Mr. Byun, are you suggesting we work together to take down Park Dongsoo?"
"That's right. Dongsoo doesn't have many direct subordinates now. If we move quickly, we can take him down. We can ignore the others and just focus on Park Dongsoo. What do you think, Mr. Presidents?"
The four presidents were lost in thought.
Each was busy calculating their own gains and losses.
Byun Seongho was just stimulating their greed a bit...
'You bastard, how dare you humiliate me in front of my brothers? You'll get what you deserve!'
The oldest-looking man spoke first.
"Seongho, what about the territories after we take down Park Dongsoo?"
"Oh, Mr. Gihun. Are you already thinking about that? Let's settle things first, and then we can talk. What do you think, Mr. Kim, Mr. Son?"
At that, the man called 'Mr. Son,' who looked sly, spoke.
"No, we need to decide this first. Will we fight among ourselves after taking down Park Dongsoo? That would mean we're all trying to kill each other. Let's decide now."
Then, a fat man who had been silent spoke.
"Mr. Presidents, I'm fine with anything. But shouldn't we ask Mr. Saseong first? We need a reason for our brothers to follow us, don't we?"
The other three nodded at Kim Byungsoo's words.
The sly-looking Son Gangseok glanced at Huh Gihun and said,
"Mr. Saseong is the senior, so Mr. Gihun should go. We need to maintain the hierarchy, right?"
"Right."
"I agree."
Huh Gihun, who received the looks from the other three, said,
"Hmm, in that case, I'll take Seo area. Seongho, Byungsoo, and Gangseok, are you okay with that?"
"Hmm..."
Seeing no response, Huh Gihun frowned.
"In that case, I won't go to Mr. Saseong. It's obvious that I'll be the one to take the lead. Why should I do it? They don't see me as a fool."
Kim Byungsoo and Son Gangseok quickly replied.
"Mr. Gihun, why are you in such a hurry? Alright. Take Seo area. We'll talk about the rest among ourselves."
"Alright, do as you wish."
Byun Seongho tried to hold out, but he couldn't ignore the looks from the other two.
"Alright, you can have the Seo area. But you need to get Mr. Saseong's approval. Got it?"
"Don't worry. Mr. Saseong is already upset with Dongsoo for hiding without talking to him. He's just holding back. We can handle it."
"Alright~"
Ha ha ha!
Their laughter filled the room.
"Then let's drink. After meeting Mr. Saseong, I'll set the date. Seongho, check Dongsoo's schedule. Got it?"
"Got it. I'll check the schedule and location."
That day, they drank until they were drunk, talking about the bright future ahead of them.
* * *
It had been a week since I came to Busan.
During that time, I had a simple drinking session with the kids, but otherwise, I just rolled around at home without any particular thoughts.
Suddenly, the phone rang.
"Kim Muhyuk here."
- Hey, it's Yoon Changho.
"Yes, Chief Prosecutor."
- You're in Busan, right?
"Yes, I informed you before I came. Is there something wrong?"
- Nothing much, but the first-instance verdict for Chansoo is coming soon, right? I wanted to hear your thoughts.
"Hmm... I think it's best to proceed as agreed with Grandfather."
- That's right? I had a private meeting with the President. It was my first time as a prosecutor. He praised me for handling this case well. I felt so good, ha ha ha.
I laughed appropriately and agreed.
- It's thanks to you. I didn't expect coming to Busan would be a blessing. I was thinking of quitting and becoming a lawyer.
"I'm glad to know you, Chief Prosecutor. You feel like an older cousin and a senior at university."
-Ha ha ha, you're really good with words. Anyway, after the first-instance verdict, my involvement will end. You know that, right? I can interfere up to the second instance, but if we proceed as agreed, it's better for me not to get involved. What do you think?
"Sure. But what about the prosecutor who took the lead? I heard he was offered a seat in the National Assembly."
- Ha~ I'm already getting a headache. He says he wants to stay in the prosecution. He's already marked and can't go higher. You know the ridiculous 'prosecutors are one' rule.
"He wants to continue as a prosecutor?"
- Yes. The Chief called me before the President stepped in and told me to expose it on TV. But it's decided that he'll be sent to Jeju District Prosecutors' Office.
The history has changed.
Originally, he was going to run for the National Assembly, but now, due to my intervention, he's aligned with Chief Prosecutor Yoon.
"Tell him to go for now. I'll compensate him so he can live comfortably. Pretend to give him a salary. He's a good hunting dog, isn't he?"
- Ha ha ha, this guy is really funny. Got it. If I become Chief, I'll take him to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.
"Sure, if it doesn't work out, I'll support his campaign funds. Let him choose."
- Got it. When you come to Seoul, let's have a meal at that house.
"Sure, Chief Prosecutor. I'll hang up now."
As long as Grandfather is around, I can't completely eliminate Chansoo and his brother.
I have to be satisfied with letting them eat some prison food for now.
"Muhyuk! Come eat!"
I got up from the bed at the sound of Grandma calling from outside.
"Grandma! I'm coming now."
I went outside and ate the lunch Grandma had prepared, then got ready to leave.
I had to meet Park Dongsoo to discuss Busan and the Seoul expansion.
If I leave it too long, other people will likely take over.
I need to establish a foothold in Seoul as quickly as possible... How much has Busan been settled?
I drove to the department building and went up to Park Dongsoo's office on the third floor.
Two of Park Dongsoo's subordinates were standing in front of the office. I bowed slightly and opened the door.
In the large, open office, a few big men were waiting, but Park Dongsoo was not visible.
"He's inside. Go in."
I responded with a smile to the unfamiliar big man and opened the door to the office.
"Hey! Dong-sang! How long has it been? Wow, it's good to see you! Come in quickly."
He was the same as always.
"Phew..."
I sighed and closed the door.
The person sitting with Park Dongsoo glanced at me.
Although his young appearance was a bit unfamiliar, I quickly recognized him.
The gangster lawyer, Seunggeun.
He was a gangster with a lawyer's license who had entered the Gangnam area in Seoul, a golden district.
I remembered introducing him to Park Dongsoo because he had helped gangsters in Busan when he was younger.
"Mr. Seunggeun? Nice to meet you."
"Kim Muhyuk? Is that you? Wow, it's my first time meeting you, but why do I feel so familiar? Mr. President has talked about you so much, I know your name by heart."
"Ha ha ha..."
I laughed awkwardly to ease the tension.
"Dong-sang? Are you upset? You're greeting Seunggeun but not acknowledging me? No, that's not right."
"Yes, hello. It's been a while. You've gained weight. Take care of your body. Your stomach won't even fit a knife. If you gained weight thinking about that, you succeeded."
Park Dongsoo looked stunned at my words.
Seunggeun also looked at me as if I were crazy.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! You crazy bastard. You're a real troublemaker. I like you for that. I was worried you had changed in Seoul, but you're the same, the same."
"Let's sit down. We have a lot to talk about after you finish your business."
I sat and listened to Seunggeun and Park Dongsoo's conversation for about 10 minutes.
When they finished, Park Dongsoo looked at me and said,
"So, why are you here? What's up?"
"How much have you settled in Busan?"
"Hmm... Why are you so impatient? What's up?"
"The situation has changed. I think we need to establish a foothold in Seoul as quickly as possible."
"Seoul? Already?"
"Yes. When you go to Seoul... "
At that moment,
Bang.
Crash.
The sound of something breaking and curses filled the air.
Yang Soohyung, Park Dongsoo's right-hand man, burst in.
"Brother Dongsoo! We're being attacked, attacked!"
"What are you mumbling? Who by?"
Park Dongsoo and Seunggeun stood up.
"Seo, Yeonsan, Boshu, Hadan... They seem to have united. They outnumber us. It will take time for our people to arrive. What should we do?"
At that moment, about ten men entered the office.
Some faces were familiar.
Byun Seongho.
"Ha! Dongsoo, did you think you could ignore me and live? What luck, you're even here. I'll take care of you all at once. Good luck."