Monopolizing Fortunes (6)
Monopolizing Fortunes (6)
"As an advance, six nyang of silver, with a monthly salary of two nyang, and I will also arrange a house for the two of you to live in."
Jang Yu-seom's expression did not change as he trimmed the medicinal herbs he had gathered himself.
The room was cramped, the furniture old, and the smell of medicine hung thick in the air. It was the very picture of a poor household with a sick person in it.
It was a household that looked as though it had to worry about its next meal, so they were clearly struggling to pay for the patient's medicine.
Gong So-seong was certain Jang Yu-seom would come around. If he could recruit Jang Yu-seom, there would be no underworld group in Hangzhou capable of facing the Haerang Society by force.
Because of Jang Yu-seom's sigh, the herbs he was trimming trembled.
"I will contact you soon."
At Jang Yu-seom's words, Gong So-seong rose from his seat.
"I will await good news."
Once Gong So-seong left, Jang Yu-seom stopped trimming the herbs and sat staring blankly for a long while.
Then there was a sound from outside, and the door opened. It was his wife, Seon Hye-min, her face plainly marked by illness.
"You should be lying down. Why are you up?"
She sat in the chair across from Jang Yu-seom.
"Do you regret it?"
"What?"
"Leaving the military."
Jang Yu-seom could not answer readily. The first time Seon Hye-min had asked that question, he had said no.
There had been no choice, so there had been no regret. But the world he had seen in the military and the world he now faced directly were different.
In the military, he had been an instructor of outstanding ability, but once he came out into the world, he was just an unemployed man who was good with a sword.
He had believed that with his martial arts, he could easily earn enough money to treat Seon Hye-min, but that confidence had been foolish.
When Jang Yu-seom gave no answer, Seon Hye-min spoke.
"I won't say I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. You were against it from the start."
She had tried desperately to stop Jang Yu-seom from sacrificing himself for her, but in the end she had not been able to break his stubbornness.
"We have three paths. We can live as we are now, or you can return to the military."
Because his abilities were so outstanding, if he went back, they would welcome him with open arms.
"And the one remaining path is sinking into a swamp. Once you step into it, you will probably never be able to pull yourself out."
"But then I could save you."
She shook her head.
"You can't guarantee that you'll cure my illness. Countless physicians have failed so far."
"That's because we could only pay enough for them to fail. A world without you is a swamp I can't escape from anyway."
"It seems you've made up your mind."
"The first two paths you mentioned aren't paths I can choose, so there's only one choice left."
Seon Hye-min's gaze, filled with so much emotion that it was impossible to tell what she was thinking, lingered on Jang Yu-seom for a long while.
"I'll go rest."
Her steps back to the room seemed especially weak today.
'There's no helping it. If I have to become a demon to save Hye-min, then that's what I'll do.'
A stranger's voice came from outside.
"Is anyone home?"
Two visitors in one day—how unusual. When he opened the door, he saw a man standing in the yard.
The man, who had an ordinary appearance and looked to be in his late teens, bowed his head when he saw Jang Yu-seom.
"Hello, my name is Do Tong-dal."
There was no gate, so Jang Yu-seom couldn't scold him for walking into the yard uninvited.
"What brings you here?"
"May I come inside to tell you?"
He seemed worried about being turned away too quickly. But Jang Yu-seom was not so cold as to send a guest away without even hearing his business.
"Come in."
"Thank you."
Do Tong-dal took the seat where Gong So-seong had sat. Jang Yu-seom hadn't noticed it at first, but as he watched Do Tong-dal cross the yard, enter the room, and sit down, he felt something unusual.
His appearance was ordinary, and there was no particular sign that he had trained in martial arts. Yet somehow he seemed like a single blade.
That was a special sense that only Jang Yu-seom, who had lived on battlefields for a long time, could feel.
'A sword, but a sword still in its sheath.'
Jang Yu-seom was not the only one who felt something special. Do Tong-dal also sensed in Jang Yu-seom a finely honed sword. The difference was that the sword called Jang Yu-seom was vividly, fiercely alive.
"From the look of it, you came here knowing who I am."
"I'm from the Red Tiger Society. You've probably never heard of it."
Jang Yu-seom lived on Seoil-ro, which was managed by the Haerang Society, and this was a time when he did not yet know the underworld. Still, he would have guessed something from the name Red Tiger Society.
"What business does the underworld have with me?"
"I'd like you to come work with us, Mr. Jang."
Whether it was a prestigious orthodox sect or a renowned escort agency, doors had never opened so easily when he knocked. Yet these pieces of darkness had somehow found out about him and come looking.
"If that's your business, you'd best be on your way."
"I know the Haerang Society came to you first. Still, couldn't you at least hear my offer?"
"Go ahead."
"As a signing bonus, I'll give you five nyang of silver, with a monthly salary of one nyang. And I'll introduce you to the most skilled physician I know. Ah! The last condition, I'll tell you even if you don't join the Red Tiger Society."
It was a worse offer than the Haerang Society's. And a skilled physician could be found anytime, as long as he had money.
Do Tong-dal could tell from Jang Yu-seom's expression. He wanted to present better terms, but for now, this was the best offer he could make.
Trying to persuade him with more words here would only make Jang Yu-seom uncomfortable.
Do Tong-dal placed a pouch containing silver on the table.
"This is the signing bonus."
"I never said I would join the Red Tiger Society."
"If you go to the Haerang Society, return it the next time I come."
Jang Yu-seom stared intently into the other man's eyes for the first time in a long while. No one had left as strong an impression on him at a first meeting as Do Tong-dal.
There was that sword-like first impression, and the boldness of entrusting five nyang of silver to someone he had never met before was something only possible for a man who trusted not just Jang Yu-seom, but himself.
"How old are you?"
"Eighteen."
It was a little embarrassing to say his age, but it wasn't a lie.
"That's young, if anything. But seeing you entrust five nyang of silver, you must have earned considerable trust in the Red Tiger Society."
"Actually, rather than the Red Tiger Society as a whole, you could say the Gwanghwa-ro Fixer Office is the group I properly belong to."
Jang Yu-seom didn't know much about the underworld, but judging from Do Tong-dal's words, it didn't seem like a very large place.
"It seems small. Is it all right for you to give me this much money?"
"I apologize about that. I know the terms I've offered are woefully inadequate compared to your true worth, Mr. Jang."
"You're overestimating me. I've already been turned away at the door in many places."
"You're free to laugh at those blind fools. Even in the dirt, a gem is still a gem. Among the gems I can find, Mr. Jang, you are probably the largest and brightest."
It sounded like embarrassing flattery, but when Do Tong-dal said it, it felt like the truth.
'Eloquent, too. Truly a rare young man.'
After that, quite a lot of conversation passed between them. It was mostly Jang Yu-seom asking and Do Tong-dal answering, and thanks to that conversation, he came to know the Red Tiger Society and the Gwanghwa-ro Fixer Office well.
He hadn't intended to talk for long, but somehow it had turned out this way.
"I think I've kept you too long, Mr. Jang."
Do Tong-dal was flawless right up until he ended the conversation and stood.
"I'm sorry the hospitality for a guest who came to see me was so poor."
"Then treat me well next time I come. Ha ha ha!"
Do Tong-dal, who had been crossing the room after making the joke, suddenly spoke as if the thought had just occurred to him.
"And if you join our Red Tiger Society, there is one thing I can promise you for certain. You will not have to do anything you do not wish to do, Mr. Jang."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You are not someone who can become a thug like me. If you became a thug like me, both you and your family would end up unhappy. I do not want you to become unhappy. So even if I wanted something, if you dislike it, you don't have to do it."
"What if I do nothing at all?"
"A tiger can guard a house just by existing."
* * *
"What? Boss, what do you mean?"
Wang Chil repeated himself to Jo Pyeong-do, who had jumped to his feet.
"Starting today, Tong-dal is the squad leader. So from now on, you treat Tong-dal with proper respect as your squad leader."
"How does that make any sense? I'm a year older than him, and I joined the Red Tiger Society two whole months earlier."
"You little shit, is age a rank? And what are you trying to show off about, joining just two months earlier?"
"Even so, there's no rule like this!"
"You keep going on about rules in the underworld. Want me to really show you the rules?"
Jo Pyeong-do looked at Seo Wang-su with eyes pleading for rescue.
"Boss......"
"Boss made the decision, so I won't object. And honestly, Tong-dal is on a different level from you...... no, from us."
"How long have you even known the guy?"
"Do you have to know someone a long time to see that? Tong-dal is just someone who's going to make it big. So if you stick close to him, it won't be bad for you either."
"Then you stick close to him!"
Jo Pyeong-do stormed out of the office and ran into Do Tong-dal, who was coming in.
"Lucky fucking you!"
Do Tong-dal watched Jo Pyeong-do's back as he clattered down the stairs, looking bewildered.
"What?"
"Squad Leader, you must be thirsty. Have a glass of water."
Gang Bu-song scurried over and held out a glass of water.
"Why is everyone acting like this today? Squad leader?"
Seo Wang-su spoke.
"Boss made you squad leader."
"What?"
Do Tong-dal's gaze turned to Wang Chil.
"Why did you suddenly do something like that?"
"Something like that?"
"No, I've only been a member for ten days. How can you stick a title like that on me?"
"You need to rise fast so I can laze around in a high position too. You're not going to put me under you, are you?"
"You should think about the others too......"
Gang Bu-song quickly spoke up.
"I have no complaints, Squad Leader!"
He was a guy whose change of allegiance was lightning fast.
"Pyeong-do will accept it eventually, so don't worry. Anyway, when is that sword-and-shield you're spending a fortune to recruit going to contact us?"
"We'll have to wait and see."
Knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the door. Hoping it might be him, Do Tong-dal opened the door, and a kid of about eight was standing there.
"Which one is Uncle Tong-dal?"
"That's me?"
"The spotted uncle says to meet him in the alley with the Nokryu fortune-teller's place."
There was no one more unmistakably spotted than Jang Baek-dong.
"Boss, I'm going out for a bit."
Do Tong-dal walked quickly toward the place the kid had told him about. Gwang Hae-bong was frightening, so it was admirable that Jang Baek-dong was helping Do Tong-dal even by resorting to such secretive methods.
When he entered the alley with the Nokryu fortune-teller's place, Jang Baek-dong, who had been leaning against the wall, greeted him.
"You came?"
"Where'd you find such a sharp errand boy?"
"He's my cousin. Here, take this."
Jang Baek-dong handed over a thin, rectangular wooden box. When Do Tong-dal opened it, he saw the impressions of two keys pressed into clay.
"The Branch Chief is really gunning for you, so you absolutely can't get caught."
"When is there no one at the branch?"
"Dawn, most likely."
"Got it. And there's something else I need you to do."
"Again? Tong-dal, give me a break. Do you know how much the Branch Chief has been chewing me out lately just because I'm your friend? If the Branch Chief finds out I'm doing this with you, my head's gone."
"Blade-death omen."
Do Tong-dal patted the shoulder of Jang Baek-dong, who let out a long sigh.
"Hey, if Gwang Hae-bong gets knocked out of the picture, you'll be comfortable too, won't you?"
"Knocked out of the picture?"
"Dig into Gwang Hae-bong's background. He definitely has a woman."
"What are you planning?"
"What do you think happens if Gwang Hae-bong falls out of the Society Leader's favor because of a woman?"
"Would something like that really happen?"
"I can see a peach-blossom fate on Gwang Hae-bong. Trust my divine sight."
Jang Baek-dong's expression brightened considerably.
"The thing I trust most in this world is your divine sight. Heh heh heh......"
* * *
The sword-and-shield Do Tong-dal had spoken of came to the office. Wang Chil could tell at once that this sword-and-shield was the one, even though the man had not identified himself.
It was a kind of instinct you naturally acquired after surviving the threat of death in back alleys for twenty years.
'I've come to see a man named Do Tong-dal. I'll wait.'
He said only those two sentences. The sword-and-shield, by his mere presence, plunged the office into silence.
* * *