A Dog's Resolve
"Boss. The hold'em pub in Sinyeong-dong was raided."
"Is that so?"
Hearing the report, Dae-hun nodded slowly, as if he had already expected it.
"The old man is getting a bit too greedy, don't you think?"
"It appears so, sir."
"We set up one tiny joint just to keep the boys fed, and he still won't leave us be."
"What is our next move, sir? Do we open another location somewhere else?"
"You think they won't raid that one too? It's a hundred percent guarantee they will. Honestly, can we even trust the cops?"
"We absolutely cannot trust them, sir."
"When we tipped them off to raid Geumho-pa's joints, did they do a damn thing? Not a chance. Only after we made a massive fuss did they finally do a token inspection and write it off as 'no violations found.' The local cops here are exactly that. Geumho-pa's lapdogs. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Then what should we do now, sir?"
"It's not like we didn't see this coming. We were just testing the waters to see how they'd react. At least now we know for sure they don't have any warm feelings toward us."
"That is an absolute certainty, sir. In that case, Boss, what if we leave Gunsan altogether? If you make the move, a good number of the boys will follow."
"Geun-su. Have you ever heard the saying, 'There is no paradise in the place you fled to'?"
"What does that mean, sir?"
"It means that if we run away to another place without resolving this problem, we won't find happiness there either."
"As long as we're together, shouldn't anywhere be fine, sir?"
"For now, we have to hold our ground here as long as we can."
"As long as we remain in Gunsan, Geumho-pa will keep trying to trip us up. Will you be alright, sir?"
"I can't just let it slide. We took a hit, so we have to throw a punch back."
"Should I have the boys stand by, sir?"
"What for? No need to get the boys hurt. We pay our taxes like everyone else, so we might as well get some help from the police."
"Even if we tip off the police, won't they just ignore it again, sir?"
"That's the Gunsan police. But if we tip off the Gwangsu-dae about drugs, wouldn't things be a bit different? If they raid a place for drugs and find an illegal gambling den, do you think they'll just sit on their hands? Especially since it's the Gwangsu-dae?"
"That sounds like an excellent strategy, sir."
Gunsan, South Korea.
In the penthouse suite of the Gunsan Tourism Hotel, overlooking the Eunpa Reservoir.
Yoon Gi-hwan, the boss of Geumho-pa, woke up late. He placed a cigarette between his lips and stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window.
Click. Flick. Fwoosh.
He lit his cigarette with a worn, vintage Zippo lighter and looked down at the view outside.
Through the glass, the Eunpa Reservoir sparkled under the morning sun. Along its banks, he could see people jogging, walking their dogs, and couples enjoying their dates.
Yoon Gi-hwan loved this view.
He loved how peaceful the world looked through this window. It was like a painting.
A painting completely detached from the world Yoon Gi-hwan actually lived in.
In the world outside his window, there were no bleeding men, no stabbings, and no bodies being sunk into the ocean inside cement-filled drums. There was only ordinary, everyday life.
Exercising, walking dogs, dating.
Because he loved this scenery so much, he stubbornly insisted on staying at the Gunsan Tourism Hotel. There were plenty of places with far better facilities, but Yoon Gi-hwan refused to leave. All because of this window.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Chief Secretary Lee Hyeon-seung stepped inside. The moment he entered, he bowed a crisp, respectful ninety degrees to Yoon Gi-hwan.
"Did you sleep well, Chairman?"
"Sure. Why wouldn't I? I slept fine. But what brings you here in person so early, Secretary Lee?"
"I have an urgent matter to report, so I had to visit you directly."
"What is it?"
"The Soryong-dong gambling den was raided."
"What? Soryong-dong? A raid? What the hell was Chief Kim doing?"
"Well... they bypassed the Gunsan Police Station entirely. The Gwangsu-dae came down directly. Chief Kim found out later and tried to scramble to handle it, but the Gwangsu-dae had already seized all the evidence and arrested everyone on-site. There was nothing he could do."
Yoon Gi-hwan pulled out another cigarette. The secretary quickly stepped forward and lit it for him.
"How bad is the damage?"
"Well... they seized about five hundred million won in cash on the spot. Because of the raid, things might be a bit tight this month."
"It'll be tight for a while. Aside from what was seized, it'll take time to find a new spot and set up another gambling den."
"Indeed, Chairman."
"Ah... Soryong-dong was perfect. The location, the size, everything. Where are we going to find another place like that?"
"I will look into it immediately."
"Send a briefcase to Chief Kim. He's probably under a lot of pressure from above, asking what the hell he was doing letting a gambling den of that scale operate. I'm pissed that he couldn't cover for us, but he's someone we have to keep in our pocket anyway. Taking care of him at times like this is how you make it last."
"Understood, Chairman. Shall I send a briefcase of one hundred million?"
"We'll probably need to put in about three hundred million this time. Inflation has gotten ridiculous. Back in our day, one hundred million was enough for assemblymen and cabinet ministers. Now, we have to slide one to three hundred million to a local police chief. Fuck. I swear, this business isn't even worth doing anymore. There's no margin left."
"I will have it delivered by today."
"Right... And by the way. There's no way the Gwangsu-dae just stumbled upon that place on their own. Someone must have tipped them off... Who do you think it was?"
"We are currently looking into it."
"Spit it out. You must have a hunch."
"I suspect... it might be the Daehun-pa."
"Haha... We're on the same page. That's exactly what I think."
"They seem to be harboring a grudge over the hold'em pub raid."
"That's why he should've just stayed in the military, eating his rations. Why the fuck did he have to crawl back out and stir up trouble?"
"...My apologies, Chairman."
"Sigh... Should I have wiped that bastard out back then too? I'm too soft-hearted, that's my problem. I couldn't bring myself to kill a kid who used to follow me around calling me 'Uncle.' I let him live, and now he's turned into a thorn in my side."
The secretary briefly thought to himself: Did a man so 'soft-hearted' murder the boss he served his entire life? But he didn't make the mistake of letting those words escape his mouth. If they had, his tongue would have been sliced out, his eyes gouged, and his body sunk to the bottom of the Gunsan sea.
"I should have dealt with him when he first crawled back to Gunsan with a handful of punks. I was too soft, Secretary Lee."
"Yes, Chairman."
"We need to put a hit on that kid. Get on it immediately."
"Yes, Chairman. I will take care of it right away."
Secretary Lee bowed ninety degrees and left the suite.
Left alone, Yoon Gi-hwan looked out the window again. He didn't want to lose this view. He had no intention of stepping down from the throne he had built.
Yoon Gi-hwan was the King of Gunsan. With a single word, anything was possible in this city.
Though he had used slightly underhanded methods to ascend the throne, he had no choice. He didn't do it for his own sake. He bore the cross for the sake of Gunsan. It was what everyone wanted.
Before him, Seo Mun-sik, who had ruled Gunsan, didn't want change. He didn't want redevelopment. Even though they were Gunsan's largest syndicate, they preferred playing around over making money. Rather than running businesses, they were just a bunch of loafers who hung out and drank together. They got by on protection money from local shops, running a few gambling dens, and distributing alcohol. When they met, they just drank and gambled to pass the time.
Yoon Gi-hwan hated that. He could see so much money to be made if they just mobilized the organization a little, but Seo Mun-sik did nothing, which drove him crazy.
He had brought it up to Seo Mun-sik multiple times, but the response was always the same:
"Isn't this enough for us to live on?"
Yoon Gi-hwan wasn't the only one frustrated. The local elites and politicians felt the same way. They wanted to clear out the street vendors, sweep away the unauthorized settlements, redevelop the land to build apartments, and sell commercial lots—but Seo Mun-sik wouldn't budge.
Seo Mun-sik held such a tight grip on the organization that bringing about any change was nearly impossible.
"Boss, shouldn't we just sweep away those street vendors over there?"
"Those people need to make a living too. Leave them be. They're just living hand-to-mouth. Tell the boys not to touch them."
So, Yoon Gi-hwan eliminated Seo Mun-sik. He partnered with Geumho-pa, who were considered their rivals in Gunsan at the time, to get rid of him.
They were called rivals, but Geumho-pa's scale wasn't actually that large. Even so, the reason they succeeded in eliminating Seo Mun-sik was because Yoon Gi-hwan drew up the plans and made all the preparations.
After Seo Mun-sik died, they rebranded the Munsik-pa to Geumho-pa. To outsiders, it looked like Geumho-pa had completely absorbed Munsik-pa, but the reality was different. It was just Munsik-pa changing its label.
Once he became the boss of Geumho-pa, Yoon Gi-hwan accelerated the development of Gunsan. He bought a shabby construction company. They cleared everything out and redeveloped the land.
The police, politicians, and public officials worked hand in glove. The police turned a blind eye, the officials fast-tracked all the paperwork, and the politicians emphasized the necessity of development while securing budgets.
That was how they tore people apart, crushed them, and broke them down to get to this point.
This is the world I built. It is only right to eliminate anyone who threatens to crack it.
The Daehun-pa office.
"Hey. We really got them this time, didn't we?"
"Yes, sir. We completely cleaned them out. Especially since it was right before they were supposed to send up their tribute, they had cash piled up there. Apparently, the cops seized all of it."
"Really? I didn't know that. Why does this taste so sweet? It's absolutely delicious. Call the boys tonight, let's go grab some meat."
"Are we having beef, sir?"
"Beef? What beef? We're having pork. Pork is good for your health."
"You should have beef today, sir."
"Geun-su~ are you paying?"
"We should have pork, sir. Now that I think about it, pork suits my constitution much better."
Geun-su, an orphanage junior, had stuck to Dae-hun like glue ever since Dae-hun returned to Gunsan. Having grown up in the orphanage, Geun-su had been living like a half-baked punk on the streets of Gunsan. One day, he got caught shaking down high schoolers by Dae-hun and received a brutal scolding. Ever since, he had followed Dae-hun everywhere.
"But why the hell do you keep ending your sentences with 'sir' and 'indeed' when you haven't even served in the military?"
"If I speak like this, won't people think I'm from the same special forces unit as you, Boss?"
"Every kid in this neighborhood knows you got exempted from service."
"Still, there might be some who don't know. Anyway, I like speaking like this."
"Do whatever you want. Anyway, let's get meat tonight."
"Yes, sir!"
Gunsan Kkot-dwaeji Samgyeopsal.
The tables were set with grills, meat, various vegetables, and plenty of soju and beer.
"Alright~ before we officially dig in, let's hear a word from our Big Boss. Big Boss, over here!"
"Hey! Just eat!"
"Come on. Since we're all gathered like this, you have to say a few words."
"Sigh... I really don't want to."
"Get up here, sir!"
Seo Dae-hun was dragged up. He looked a bit embarrassed, but he spoke from the heart.
"Thank you. The only thing I can say to you all is thank you. And the only thing I can promise you is that as long as this organization stands, we will always be together. I may be weak, but our organization is strong. I believe in you all."
"We believe in you too!!!"
As Dae-hun spoke, the twenty or so men sitting in the restaurant shouted in unison. The shout struck a chord deep in Dae-hun's heart. He realized anew that he had so many people following him, and their voices felt incredibly reassuring.
Feeling a sudden wave of emotion, Dae-hun added one more line he didn't need to say.
"We are strong."
"We are strong!!!"
Along with the shout, they emptied their glasses in one shot. Dae-hun rarely drank to keep himself in peak physical condition, but tonight, even he drank. That didn't mean he ate the pork belly, though. He stuck to the lean pork neck.
"Let's go for round two!"
"Round three too!"
The dinner that started at 8 PM continued past midnight. Perhaps because he hadn't drunk in a long time, Dae-hun felt the alcohol hitting him. He handed his card to Geun-su.
"Geun-su. Take this and settle the bill later."
"What about you, Boss?"
"I'm going to head out first. Besides, the boys will have more fun if I'm not hanging around. Let them play to their heart's content."
"I'll escort you, sir."
"No, it's fine. You have fun too. You've been working hard."
"It's no trouble at all, sir. Let me take you home."
"I said it's fine. Don't make a scene with everyone standing up just because I'm leaving. I'll slip out quietly. See you tomorrow."
"Yes, sir. Have a safe trip home."
"Yeah. Have fun, and see you tomorrow."
Dae-hun stepped out of the restaurant. The cold night air cleared his head a bit.
As he walked home, he noticed someone walking toward him from the opposite direction. The guy looked suspicious. Dressed in all black—black clothes, a black cap, and a black mask. The classic outfit of someone up to no good.
Dae-hun edged to one side of the street. He didn't want to bump into him. But the guy kept heading straight for him.
A chilling sensation washed over him. Just as he realized he needed to avoid him, the man suddenly lunged forward.
He pulled a long sashimi knife from his coat.
Before Dae-hun could even react, the blade thrust straight toward his heart.
He wanted to dodge, but his body wouldn't move the way he wanted. His reflexes were sluggish. Shouldn't have had that drink.
He slapped the incoming blade, barely managing to redirect it. But he couldn't redirect it completely. The knife plunged deep into his abdomen.
As the assailant tried to pull the blade out of his stomach, Dae-hun took a step forward.
Don't back away. Don't give him the space to pull the knife out.
At the same time, Dae-hun struck the man's neck.
The man, who had focused all his attention on stabbing and was now entirely consumed with pulling the knife out to strike again, didn't even see the counterattack coming.
Gasp. Wheeze.
The man gasped for air, his windpipe crushed. Dae-hun unleashed a barrage of punches. Unable to even raise his guard, the man took several heavy blows to the face and collapsed to the ground.
Seeing the assailant go down, Dae-hun collapsed to his knees as well. He found it hard to breathe. The knife sticking out of his belly was cumbersome, but he knew he shouldn't pull it out. It had to be removed at the hospital.
He didn't want to interrupt Geun-su while he was having fun, but he had no choice. Geun-su was the only one he could call right now.
His vision began to blur. Damn it, where did he hit?
He pulled out his phone and dialed Geun-su's number.
"Hello? Boss? Are you home yet, sir? ...Boss?"
He heard Geun-su's voice on the other end, but Dae-hun had no strength left. The words won't come out.
He needed to tell Geun-su to come pick him up, but his voice failed him.
Slowly, his eyes closed.