Setting the Stage

"Since you've come all the way to Korea, why don't you rest for a few more days before heading back?"

"No, sir. We're ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the final stages of construction, so I need to go check the site."

"I need to check on the art contest too."

"Do you have any idea how much GoGo Casino is pulling in a day right now? This is no time to be slacking off."

They spent three frantic days. They drank as if they intended to empty Mokpo of its alcohol, and ate as if they wanted to consume every scrap of food in the city. Once the partying was over, it was time for everyone to return to their respective posts. Jang Yun-mi's Seoul team was the first to leave, followed by Sandro and his syndicate heading back to the Philippines.

In the process, In-bae suggested to the Koreans—Nam Yong-woo, Kang Jae-ho, and Im Yu-na—that they stay behind and rest a bit longer since they were already in Korea. However, they insisted they had to get back, claiming they had too much work to do. They boarded the private jet with Sandro and flew back to the Philippines.

In-bae stayed behind. There was nothing left for him to clean up, but he simply wanted to linger a little longer. Perhaps I just wanted to wander a bit more.

He sat across from Dae-hoon, sharing a cup of coffee.

"Thanks for looking out for me. I was able to hold a proper funeral thanks to you."

"Of course. I haven't partied like a madman in ages either. It was fun."

"Sandro said he'd invite me to the Philippines next time."

"Yeah, he told me that too. We should set a date and go. Have a real wild time there."

The thought of Daehoon-pa and Sandro's syndicate running wild in the Philippines gave In-bae a headache, but at the same time, he couldn't help but look forward to it.

"Anyway, you spent a lot of money, right? Let me pay you back."

"It's fine, Boss."

Dae-hoon casually rejected his offer. Still, In-bae wanted to pay him. Dae-hoon must have spent an astronomical amount of money. He had heard that Dae-hoon covered everything—from the funeral expenses to the food, drinks, entertainment, and lodging for everyone over those three days. Covering the expenses for that many people all by himself was bound to be a heavy burden, even for a mob boss.

"What do you mean, 'Boss'? Besides, I have plenty of money. You have a lot of mouths to feed. Just take it."

"You crazy bastard. Do you even know how much GoGo Casino is pulling in a single day?"

"GoGo Casino? I heard it's doing well, but I don't know the exact figures."

"Lately, GoGo Casino's daily net profit is over one billion won."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So don't worry about money. And our faction has grown so much that the revenue from our businesses is nothing to sneeze at either. You think I can't do this much for a friend?"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Anyway, I'm just glad I could be of help to you."

"Then I'll gladly accept."

"How long are you planning to stay here?"

"I don't know. I'd like to just stay here for a while."

"Stay as long as you want. So we can see each other often. Want me to assign Geun-su to you?"

"No, I'm good. I just want to be alone for a bit."

"Sure. Do whatever you want. Let me know if you need anything."

"Yeah. Thanks."

In-bae didn't return to the Philippines right away. Instead, he kept his phone turned off and enjoyed his solitude. He walked into random diners to eat, sat in cafes with scenic views to sip coffee, and spent hours staring blankly at the sea.

Here, he was neither Alex nor In-bae. He was just an ordinary person. Just another jobless wanderer roaming the streets during the day. He deeply appreciated the title of "unemployed." He wanted to hide beneath its mundane cover, melting into the crowd of ordinary people.

Yet, he ultimately had to return to the Philippines. Because the people he had chosen to build a life with were waiting for him there.

"Hey, try calling him again."

"He's not picking up, sir."

"Ah, where the hell did this guy go? He told me to have it ready in ten days. Damn it, where is he?"

Simon was pacing back and forth anxiously, holding a well-prepared PowerPoint presentation as he searched for Alex. He couldn't find him anywhere. He could only wait, calling Alex's number endlessly.

"Sorry. I was a bit hard to reach, wasn't I?"

"What happened? Do you have any idea how much I've been looking for you?"

"Sorry, sorry. Something came up."

"What could possibly come up to make you completely unreachable like this?" Simon asked irritably.

"My father passed away."

Simon flinched in surprise. Realizing his reaction had been a bit insensitive, he looked sheepish.

"I... I figured a reliable guy like you wouldn't just vanish without a good reason. Did the funeral go well?"

"Yeah, thanks. Shall we take a look at the materials you prepared?"

Simon pulled up the data. It contained detailed profiles of the four major rebel groups in the Philippines. He spent a long time explaining each one.

"So, we have Abu Sayyaf, the Bangsamoro Liberation Front (BLF), the New People's Army (NPA), and your group, Damaya. Right?"

"Correct."

"Abu Sayyaf is first, BLF is second, NPA is third, and Damaya... you guys are dead last."

"Instead of 'dead last,' I'd prefer if you called us a rebel group that pursues peace and humanitarianism."

"A rebel group pursuing peace? Give me a break. Why didn't you just start a civic group or join the UN?"

"..." Simon trailed off. "Still, we try to be as peaceful as possible..."

"By peacefully killing people?"

"No, to create peace."

"This is exactly why I hate rebels. You form these groups out of your own greed, but your excuses are always so damn grandiose. Whatever. So, first ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and second place are both Islamic-based, right? Why are they fighting? If they teamed up, wouldn't they take over the region in an instant?"

"They could, but Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Liberation Front (BLF) pursue completely different paths."

"How so?"

"To put it simply, Abu Sayyaf is like the Philippine branch of radical Islamism. Their goal isn't just the Philippines. They want to establish an Islamic state spanning the entire world. Naturally, they receive massive funding from other Islamic ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nations, and their weaponry is state-of-the-art."

"Oh, shit. An Islamic franchise?"

"Yes, exactly. That's why their headquarters backs them up so well. They get plenty of money, weapons, and have the largest numbers. But on the flip side, the Philippine government hates Abu Sayyaf the most. Abu Sayyaf wants the government to collapse and be replaced by an Islamic regime."

"Ah. They don't just want to expand Islamic influence; they want to overthrow the government and build a caliphate? Those kids have blockbuster-scale ambitions."

"And to achieve that, they use extremely violent and extremist methods. If you hear about a terror attack or kidnapping in the Philippines, you can almost guarantee Abu Sayyaf did it."

"True rebels indeed. If you're going to be a rebel, you should at least go that far. What about the Bangsamoro Liberation Front (BLF)?"

"The BLF is a coalition of Muslims living in the southern Philippines. Their primary goal is to secure political autonomy from the Philippine government. Literally, their ultimate objective is to secure their own territory. Naturally, they want to maintain a good relationship with the government, since the government has to grant that permission. That's why they try to negotiate and strive to appear legitimate."

"Ah. So they throw tantrums asking for a separate autonomous zone, but they're relatively well-behaved?"

"Exactly."

"And the relationship between the two?"

"They're constantly at each other's throats. Abu Sayyaf calls the BLF traitors, accusing them of begging for a victory that should be won through blood. Conversely, the BLF despises Abu Sayyaf, saying their extremist actions disrupt peace and breed distrust from the government and the international community."

"Oho... interesting. A bunch of mediocre bastards fighting over high-minded ideals."

"They curse each other like they're going to tear each other apart, but they don't actually fight."

"Really? That's a shame. What about the New People's Army (NPA)?"

"They are a communist guerrilla organization, operating mainly in the mountainous and rural areas of the Philippines. They advocate for a revolution to combat the wealth gap."

"Communists? Revolution? What, are they trying to pull off a Cultural Revolution?"

"Cultural Revolution? What's that?"

"Never mind. Just a movement where people destroy what they built with their own hands. How big are they?"

"We estimate them to be around a thousand strong. And they seem to be covertly receiving support from communist nations."

He listened to the information about the rebel groups from Simon. To summarize:

"Anyway, their ability to rake in money from all over is truly spectacular."

"Huh?"

"Think about it. If those bastards were actually carrying out an Islamic or communist revolution, would the country be this quiet? They'd be launching terror attacks and causing chaos every single day. But it's reasonably quiet, isn't it?"

"I suppose so."

"So they just establish a decent position, and then contact their sponsors: 'We've done this much, but we need money to maintain it. Send some cash. We're planning a terror attack this time, but we're a bit short on operational funds. Wire it to our account.'"

"Ah..."

"Then the sponsors have no choice but to send it, even if they don't fully trust them. Otherwise, the rebels will complain that their influence is weakening because of the lack of funds."

"I... I guess so?" Simon replied, looking a bit guilty.

"Simon, you're not after the money too, are you? Since you claim to pursue peace and humanitarianism?"

"Of course not! We are, in a way, the last bastion of peace in the unique circumstances of the Philippines."

"So, what's the solution?"

"The solution?"

"Didn't you hear me tell you to bring a plan to deal with the rebels?"

"Uh... I did hear you, but..."

"Up to this point, you get a fifty. Let's hear the plan before I decide."

Simon, flustered as if he hadn't prepared a proper solution, stammered.

"W-well, first, we attack the weakest, the New People's Army (NPA), to expand our territory. Then we attack the Bangsamoro Liberation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Front (BLF). After that, we strike Abu Sayyaf, and we're done. How about that?"

"Are you climbing a tower? Going up step-by-step from the first floor to the hundredth? Third place, then second, then first? Is this a protagonist going to defeat the villains? Do you honestly think that's possible?"

"If we do it well, wouldn't it work?"

"Even if you do it well, it won't work. If you're so confident, go ahead. If you succeed, I'll praise you."

"No, don't we need to have something in our hands to plan an operation? We have to plan based on our firepower," Simon said, sounding a bit defensive.

"Are you asking for a sponsorship? Who in their right mind would sponsor you after hearing such a brainless plan?"

"What?"

"While you're busy striking third, second, and first place in order, how many casualties will Damaya suffer? Can you even win? Do you think second and first place will just sit idly by and wait for you to invade? Won't they prepare? And even if you defeat third place, will their entire force submit to you? If they don't, you'll have to fight the BLF or Abu Sayyaf with your measly force of less than two hundred men. If that's the case, why not just fight Abu Sayyaf right now? That would actually be better in terms of raw power."

"From now on, we can draw up a detailed plan..."

"I told you to bring that detailed plan."

"Ten days was barely enough to gather information!"

"What were you doing when I was out of reach? You should've been drawing up operations."

"I thought about it! But what can I do if no good plans came to mind? And shouting at me like this isn't going to solve the problem! Sigh... Under these conditions, I might have to reconsider cooperating with you."

"Cooperating? Who said anything about cooperating? I'm buying you. I'm employing you, and you act according to my orders. If you don't like it, you're free to walk out that door anytime. I gain absolutely nothing from buying and sponsoring you. The only benefit is that the rebel eyesores will finally shut up. If you understand, get the hell out."

Insulted, Simon trembled with rage, his hands shaking. He looked ready to throw a punch again. But he managed to hold back. The memory of getting beaten and throwing up must have flashed through his mind. Indeed, fists build patience. History has proven it time and again. Since ancient times, no one could withstand a good beating.

"Sigh... you dense bastard. The answer is already in the information you gathered."

"The answer?"

"Didn't you say first and second place hate each other?"

"Yeah, they do."

"Then we make them fight."

"They'll never fight. It's always just talk."

"That's why we set the stage so they have no choice but to fight. Making them tear each other apart is our job."