Encounter
"Director Gong, why are you only getting here now!"
The moment Sanghae laid eyes on Won-goo, he exploded.
"My work just wrapped up, so I'm here now. Why are you yelling? You act like I'm someone who books appointments with you."
"No, I'm yelling because the thing we feared has finally happened."
"It did feel restless out there. What's going on?"
"Respect finally blew it up into a full incident."
"Over Buri Island?"
"That's right. They've gone at each other for real over Buri Island."
"Is that so?"
"'Is that so'? Is that all you have to say?"
"Wasn't that what we expected?"
"Well, yes... but it wasn't supposed to blow up this big. Did you see the casualties outside?"
"So who won?"
"Respect."
"I see. That kind of fight must have cost Respect dearly, though, right?"
"That's exactly why I came to find you. The situation has turned strange, I'm telling you."
"How so?"
"The Nero Family is finished. Nero is dead. Most of his executives are dead too. And yet Respect came out of it nearly untouched."
A crack ran across Won-goo's expression.
"Did I underestimate Respect? Was that bastard actually that skilled? Or was Nero just a blithering idiot?"
"Neither."
"Then what?"
"First, you know how insanely tangled things were around Buri Island, right?"
"Of course. All the small gangs were drooling over the place, each hoping to grab a piece."
"Word is that after Poke died, the Nero Family had been going around making contact with those smaller gangs."
"So they got stabbed in the back?"
Sanghae nodded.
"Damn fools, the lot of them."
"That's not all. Abal joined the fight too."
At the name Abal, Won-goo's face twisted again.
"That's right. Abal had thrown in with Nero's side, hadn't she?"
"Negotiations were going well, then they collapsed. So Abal went over to Respect instead."
"What a damn fool, truly. I can forgive a lot, but Abal is one they should have locked down."
"That's what I'm saying!"
"Abal siding with Respect, the gangs siding with Respect. Was there any way Nero could win that game?"
"Which is exactly why I'm telling you — things are very likely not going to follow your script, Director Gong."
"So Respect swallowed Buri Island without so much as a scratch?"
"That's the direction things are heading."
"Abal is a handful no matter what else you say."
"Handful is right."
"And if they've cleanly absorbed the Nero Family on top of it, they've only grown bigger."
"Probably so. By the way, the reason Abal hasn't been seen lately is that she'd mostly been operating out of another shelter. Shelter Bed."
"Bed? That's the place past Sheet, isn't it? That's quite a distance she went."
"There are rumors she's gotten stronger."
"She would have. She wasn't exactly sitting on her hands all this time."
Sanghae nodded quietly.
"So the conclusion is you want me to deal with Respect. Because if Respect eats Buri Island, there won't be anything left for anyone else."
"Why do you always have to put it so coldly? The Buri Island matter has been on the table since before this."
"It has, but it feels like I'm the only one doing the dirty work around here."
Everyone was obsessed with Buri Island for one reason: it was a stable source of income. The items coming out of Buri Island weren't so spectacular that they'd knock anyone off their feet.
What mattered was that they could be acquired at a price far below the outside market rate. And steadily, at that.
So from the merchants' point of view, Won-goo was a far better business partner than Respect.
He had his rough edges, but when it came to money, Won-goo kept his books clean.
Won-goo's motto was simple: everyone eats reasonably, and everyone lives.
The other factions did not share that philosophy.
Their mindset was to squeeze as much as possible, for as long as possible, while the squeezing was good. If they took Buri Island, the items would start circulating at seriously inflated prices.
"What kind of talk is that? Our roles are simply different. That's why Sapiens and I support you, Director Gong, in every way we can."
"'Every way we can,' my ass. All this talk of support is making me want noodles. Get me some ramyeon."
"Huh?"
"Ramyeon. You don't want to?"
"Well — there's no one in the kitchen right now. Everyone's out providing medical support."
"Then you go boil it."
"Me?"
"You're not going anywhere, so go boil it. I'm hungry."
"Fine."
Grumbling, Sanghae hauled himself up. The moment he headed for the kitchen, Jeon Hye-ji, who'd been sitting further back, scooted closer.
"I've been wondering this for a while. Is Abal really that strong?"
"She's got talent. Why do you ask?"
"You don't often hear someone praise another person that highly. Is she on the level of Yeom-gwi?"
"If Abal fought Yeom-gwi, Yeom-gwi would probably win. Hard to say for sure until they actually clash — the matchup favors Yeom-gwi. But judged against the Named standard, of all the Named we saw that day, Abal was the strongest."
"Even more than Ralph?"
"Ralph would be a headache, sure. But I'd bet Abal wins in the end. Ralph's ability isn't infinite."
"That's incredible."
"Do you remember why Abal is called Abal?"
"No?"
"Two things about her are exceptional. That's why."
Won-goo made a V with his fingers. Jeon Hye-ji leaned in.
"Jaw and feet."
"Jaw and feet?"
"Yeah. Her mouth is absolutely out of control. So, jaw. And her footwork is equally insane. So, feet. Put together: A-bal."
"So her kicking technique is what stands out?"
"Right. Kicking is her specialty. Unusual, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Making a name for herself at this level with something that unusual means she's that much better than everyone else. Her skill is the real deal."
Sanghae returned with the ramyeon.
Slurp.
Won-goo took the first bite.
"So what you're asking for is... at this point we'd have to treat it as a Respect-Abal alliance, wouldn't we?"
"Exactly."
"That's not something we should touch lightly."
"There's always Dr. Woo."
"This isn't the moment to be leveraging Dr. Woo. So is that everything you came to brief me on?"
"Not quite. If that were everything, why would I have bothered seeking out Director Gong with no solution in hand?"
"Then what is it?"
"The Nero Family. There's a surviving executive."
"And?"
"According to that executive, one of the ones who fled — the one managing the funds — ran to Cheonchu Mountain."
"Cheonchu Mountain again?"
"It's the best place to hide around here."
"So the conclusion is: go to Cheonchu Mountain and drag that executive back?"
"Rescue him, rather."
"Honestly... Buri Island's gone up in the air, so now you want me to raid the Nero Family's storeroom instead?"
"The Nero Family was the oldest gang around here, wasn't it? And Nero was the type who hoarded carefully."
"The storeroom will be full, sure. But with Abal and Respect holding hands, who's going to walk in there easily?"
"Which is precisely why you'd be entitled to a larger cut this time, no?"
"How much?"
"Thirty gold coins. Paid on the spot."
"......"
Sanghae said his piece, and Won-goo stared at him, unblinking.
"What?"
"Sanghae."
"......?"
"Is your surname Kwak by any chance?"
"My surname?"
"Kwak Sang-do, you shameless son of a bitch!"
CRACK! SMASH!
With a roar, Won-goo slammed his fist down on the table. The table snapped apart like a dry stalk of grain.
"You want me to punch straight through territory that Respect and Abal are actively sweeping, and all I get for it is thirty gold coins? You absolute piece of — here, I'll give YOU thirty coins. YOU go dig it up."
"......"
Startled by Won-goo's reaction, Sanghae's mouth snapped shut.
"Sanghae. I told you to skim off people only in moderation. Sometimes I think your greed makes your eyes roll back in your head. I'll grant you're a skilled broker. But is there really no other option?"
"Director Gong! Director Gong! I was joking! Just a joke!"
"Bullshit, that was no joke. It was dead serious. Or was it half joke, half serious? A joke-ment? Running your dungeons and giving me high blood pressure."
"......"
"Why does a man doing well always have to pull cheap street-thug stunts? I warned you — one day the wind turns and it hits you hard."
"Ah... all right. It was a mistake! A mistake, I said! Honestly."
"Our people are eating their meal right behind you, and you're going to make me say filthy things in front of them? Jeon Hye-ji."
Jeon Hye-ji nodded at once. She had already set her chopsticks down.
"Let's go. We'll buy something to eat outside."
"Director Gong! Director Gong! Where are you going?"
"I'm too disgusted to stay. Seriously, stop doing this."
"I said I was wrong! Come on, we'll split it seventy-thirty!"
"What — have you lost your mind? What exactly did YOU contribute to this job? The Nero Family's storeroom isn't even yours, and you're carving it up like it's yours to divide. You sit there brokering incidents, raking in money while hopping around — the whole world must look easy to you?"
"......"
"Get off. Let's keep our distance for a while."
"You're really doing this? I said it was a mistake."
"You. Did you hand the contract for this dungeon to someone else on the side? Is that what this is?"
"......"
Sanghae turned into a man with a mouthful of honey and no words to spare.
"Aigoo... petty. Petty, petty. I told you clearly enough that this whole affair was part of a larger plan, didn't I? And you'd have gotten your cut anyway, one way or another. Why are you so narrow-minded?"
"That's not it."
"Like hell it isn't. The math lines up perfectly. Ugh, I can't even be bothered to explain further. Everyone's on vacation anyway. We just pounded through that dungeon back to back — if I put them straight back to work, *I'd* be the one getting cursed out."
Won-goo rose without hesitation.
"Director Gong. You know today was a mistake, right?"
"A mistake, sure — anyway, I'm taking a break for a while, so don't contact me. If I come all this way and find another scheme like this, I'll show you what a real bastard looks like."
Once outside, Won-goo immediately used the Pathfinders to summon his crew. The Pathfinders who took his request scattered at once.
Won-goo headed for the Trainer's shop.
"Was Sanghae always that kind of person?"
Jeon Hye-ji asked.
"'Sanghae'? Drop the honorific. Just call him Sanghae."
"Still..."
"It's fine. And that bastard — once in a while, just once in a while — his eyes go dead greedy over money. When that happens, he gets pushy like he did today. Then he takes his lumps. He'll keep quiet for about a year and then do it all over again."
"Is this the part where Sanghae tried to squeeze us again?"
A voice slid in out of nowhere. The verbal tic alone was enough to identify Mu Beob-sa.
"You startled me. What is it? Why are you here so fast?"
"Did you not call for me, that being the part in question?"
"You were just passing by, then?"
Mu Beob-sa held up a black plastic bag.
"I was planning to eat some skewers, that being the part."
"You bought generously?"
"It will not run short, that part."
"Hye-ji. There should be some beer in the fridge. Bring a few out."
"Yes."
"What on earth has happened, that being the part? Weren't you and Sanghae getting along well lately, that part?"
"That bastard's old habit flared up again. Is there something wrong with his head? There he goes, trying to squeeze us again."
Won-goo gave a brief rundown of the situation.
"So it truly was the old habit flaring up, that being the part."
"That's why I left in a rage. If it's a matter of claiming the Nero Family's storeroom, Sanghae doesn't need to be in on it."
"So that's why you've called the crew together, that part. Will it be all right? They're the sort who live for their rest..."
"Which is why I'm putting it to them. That's just how this line of work goes. When there's no work, there's absolutely none."
"That is indeed the part of it. The difference in income between times with events and times without is brutal."
The reason Won-goo's crew, for all their skill, hadn't made truly big money until now was that they had always run their jobs with risk reduced to the absolute minimum.
They took requests from time to time, but nothing major, and even those were mostly split with other outfits.
Lately, though, events had been detonating one after another, and Won-goo's crew had grown at a startling pace.
If they liquidated the loot from this dungeon quickly, every single member would cross the threshold into Named-grade coin holders.
So Won-goo was getting greedier.
Leaning toward: when opportunity knocks, when work exists — that's when you move.
"Nero will make for decent income. But..."
"I know. Abal is the sticking point, that being the part?"
"You know me. I'm not the type to throw my people into a meat grinder. It's not that I couldn't beat Abal — it's that she might come out swinging to drag us down with her. That's what worries me."
"Then this time, we go in, and if it looks wrong, we pull out. That would be the part of it, no?"
"You agree?"
"When have I ever opposed Director Gong's decisions, that being the part?"
"Has dementia set in on you, old man?"
"De... dementia! And I am NOT old, I keep telling you!"
"Then who's the one whining and objecting every single time, bastard?"
"That is merely offering my opinion—"
Just then, Lee Hyun-sung appeared, and Mu Beob-sa fell silent. Lee Hyun-sung was panting hard — he had sprinted at full speed.
Given that Lee Hyun-sung's stamina was beyond anything human, it said everything about how fast he had run to get there.
"You called for me, Hyeong-nim!"
"Hey. Catch your breath. What are you sprinting over here for?"
"Not at all, Hyeong-nim. Your little brother ran here on foot!"
"Like hell you did. Anyway, I'm sorry to pull you off vacation. But a good job just came up. Well — good in the long run, I suppose. Everyone sit down first. I need to give you a briefing."
The crew all took their seats.
"First of all... Buri Island is gone. Across the water, for good."