Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Royal Family 10-1
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Dong-hwi shot up from bed and grinned happily at Jang Woo standing beside it.
He rubbed his eyes crusty with sleep and pointed at Jang Woo.
"Whoa! Charisma!"
"Dong-hwi, let's move first."
"What's going on? Someone busting in?"
"Yeah. Head down to the first floor. You'll find a car, plate number 2544, waiting. Just get in."
"What about you?"
"We've got other business."
"You're sending me away 'cause I can't tag along, right?"
"Exactly. It's dangerous. Very."
"Got it. Then, Charisma! We'll catch up later!"
But Jang Woo didn't even glance at him.
Dong-hwi awkwardly lowered his raised hand, but knowing the urgency, he bolted out the door.
Now that they were finally alone in the house, Jang Woo spoke up.
"Hyung, you gonna introduce me to that guy?"
"Eh, you're not the type to call anyone else 'hyung' besides me anyway. And we won't see him much, so I'm still thinking."
"He's kinda loud."
"A bit, yeah. But not a bad kid. Anyway, save that for later. Where are they now?"
"About ten minutes out."
"All three?"
"Yeah."
Jang Woo's call had come twenty minutes ago.
His crew had started watching Cheol Yeong-gam in Myeong-dong a week back.
The man had stuck to his routine of coming and going without a hitch until he finally made a move, prompting the immediate report to Ji-hyeok.
Jang Woo had arrived home five minutes ago, so it was clear how frantically he'd rushed.
In the end, Kang Heon had chosen the path straight to rock bottom.
They'd fully expected Cheol Yeong-gam to mobilize if Kang Heon pulled something like this.
That's why they'd kept him under surveillance.
But the surprise was who Cheol Yeong-gam had called in.
The Jinsung faction gangsters based in Mapo were moving alongside him.
"He said he'd take us out and hit Dongdaemun while he's at it?"
"Yeah. About twenty guys moving."
"Moving with just that many means they trust Sangcheon."
"Yeah, seems like it. Probably something like 'just take the head'."
"Who'd Cheol Yeong-gam call directly?"
"On the phone, he called him 'Jeo-ae?' or something. I heard it a bunch but it always sounded off, so I gave up. Anyway, Jeo-ae? Ji-ae? That kinda name."
"Not 'Jipangi'?"
"Oh, yeah! That's the vibe."
"Means 'cane'. Ring any bells?"
"Ah! Mapo Cane! There's this guy who carries a cane there—heard he's no joke. Took down some kendo pros, they say. But he's not the boss."
"Guys like that hate stepping up. Anyway, means he knew about the Dongdaemun white-hair."
"Yeah. Otherwise, Mapo guys jumping in is too random. Targeting you makes sense, but hitting Dongdaemun on the way? It's far—why bother unless they think you killed the white-hair."
Ji-hyeok nodded at Jang Woo's words.
The conclusion: they didn't confirm each other's survival by phone.
What could it be?
Observations in Myeong-dong showed no regular Sangcheon gatherings.
'Then the last possibility is the acupuncture network...'
Maybe Sangcheon weren't linked to each other but each was an acupuncture point, connected by a higher line above them.
That line might've confirmed the Dongdaemun white-hair's disappearance and alerted the rest.
"Hyung, we doing it here?"
"Nah, house gets trashed, it's on me. Rooftop."
"Rooftop open?"
"No. Fire sensors auto-open it. But I got the code."
Ji-hyeok slipped on his shoes and headed out, Jang Woo following.
Once outside, Ji-hyeok scribbled on a memo pad and stuck it to the door.
[屋上に来い]
"What's that say?"
"Come to the rooftop."
"Japanese?"
"Yeah."
"Whoa, Korea Uni material."
Ji-hyeok chuckled at Jang Woo's remark and stepped into the elevator.
Glancing at Jang Woo's reflection, he spoke lightly.
"Grow your hair out."
"Should I?"
"Yeah. Hide that viper now. A bared blade ain't scary. Time to sheath your venom a bit."
"Got it. I'll do that."
Jang Woo was always like this.
If the reason was clear, he didn't argue.
Sure, even for purely emotional reasons, he'd follow Ji-hyeok's lead first, but for something like this—where he fully got it—he kept it short.
As they eyed each other's reflections in the elevator doors, a clear ding sounded, and the doors slid open.
Moments later, the two leaned against the rooftop railing, door propped open.
"You geared up?"
"You aren't."
"Yeah, should've last time. Got embarrassingly sliced."
"Tch... There."
Jang Woo pouted, lifting his shirt to flash his side.
Ji-hyeok nodded at the stab vest peeking under the shirt.
But then—
—Vrrr...
Jang Woo pulled out his buzzing phone, checked the screen, and showed Ji-hyeok the text.
They'd just arrived and were in the elevator.
That left about two or three minutes.
"Ask if Mapo guys came with."
"Yeah. Mapo's parked across the street."
"Kids still on bikes?"
"Yup. Even bought 'em cars—half won't touch 'em."
"Tell 'em: five minutes, smash the Mapo car and lure 'em."
"Got it."
It was an old tactic they'd used plenty.
Never step into the enemy's mouth.
Make them crawl into yours.
That was Ji-hyeok's iron rule leading the crew.
Plenty of the current guys knew it cold, so one word from Jang Woo and they'd handle the rest.
If they botched it, that'd be its own problem.
Jang Woo tapped away busily at his phone for a bit.
The moment he pocketed it, the rooftop door creaked open, and three men appeared.
Cheol Yeong-gam stood in the middle.
Having seen dozens of photos via Jang Woo, Ji-hyeok instantly pegged him and his arms.
Cheol Yeong-gam scanned the area briefly before slowly approaching Ji-hyeok and Jang Woo.
"Using this means you know who we are."
"Right."
Cheol Yeong-gam held the memo Ji-hyeok had stuck to the officetel door moments ago.
"Seeing that snake head, you're definitely the viper from Dongdaemun. So Goldsa Temple was you too."
"Right."
"Knowing we're Japanese means Sakagawa talked. Yeah, you might be strong. Strong enough to kill Sakagawa. But him spilling we're Japanese means it's not just tribute demands."
Cheol Yeong-gam seemed to grasp the big picture at a glance.
But he wasn't alone.
So did Ji-hyeok.
Investigations pegged Cheol Yeong-gam at sixty-nine.
Korean name: Cheol Gyoha. Household registry filed in 2004.
Failed to recover the blue booklet, expected it to drag, so he straight-up got Korean citizenship.
In contrast, Mapo Cane and Cheol Yeong-gam's shadow were late forties.
No names or ages on record for those two.
Meant illegal entry, living as ghosts now.
'They didn't all come at once.'
The age gap between the white-hair and those two at Goldsa had seemed odd before, but seeing these three confirmed it.
No telling when they first slipped into Korea.
Probably no more than a dozen at the start.
But they failed on the blue booklet, time passed, they aged, so second wave of burakumin came in.
Otherwise, no reason for such a clear seventy-vs-forty generation split.
'Means more could come.'
Judgment made, Ji-hyeok smiled at Cheol Gyoha.
"Straight to it: did you launder Taesung Card's Kang Jun-woo's money?"
"Yeah. No point hiding it now. I funneled Kang's cash to the States. Exactly 970 billion won. Steady business over ten years."
Less than expected.
Thirty billion a month for ten years was 3,600 billion.
Of course, not all went overseas.
Slush funds needed cash on hand too.
But knowing Kang Jun-woo, hard to believe he'd skimmed less than a third abroad.
'Kang didn't pocket 3,600 billion. Means big chunks went to tribute or bribes...'
But Ji-hyeok's thoughts cut short.
"Do you know Sangcheon?"
Cheol Gyoha wasn't asking for an answer.
He was confirming.
Seeing his face, Ji-hyeok smirked.
"You guys dreaming of Myeoncheon too?"
"Hah, you know that far. What about the blue booklet?"
"Only one of you gets to hear that answer."
"Who?"
"The one with bite marks on their brand."
For a split second, Cheol Gyoha's eyes flashed.
"Well now, you know too much to let live."
"Yeah. But your eyes say it's not you."
"Right. But I know exactly who. And I think I know you too. Only one knows about the brand's bite. You're that girl's son."
"Yeah. One question: is the Myeoncheon price that booklet?"
"Yes. Only way to erase the brand."
"Why hang everything on Myeoncheon? It's the 21st century. People hit the moon. No need to scramble unless you're gunning for civil service or top corp in Japan. Especially since you've settled in nice here."
Cheol Gyoha's face shifted at Ji-hyeok's question.
Regret.
"You wouldn't get it. No one does unless they're burakumin. That shoulder brand ain't a brand—our lives are the brand. Change names, move to the sticks, it sticks. Officials show up without fail, rumors spread. And kids? Brand passes down. Who can fathom that pain?"
"So you said no need to go back to Japan."
"Yeah. Not bad here. Thirty years, I've adapted. But can't go back and won't are different. And it's not just me. Fate of all Sangcheon's kids on the line."
"You know what the blue booklet is?"
"Yeah, intimately. But it don't matter to us. Even blank, if that's our ticket, we chase it."
"This'll be my last question, feels like. Be straight: you got a way to reach the bite-mark branded one?"
Cheol Gyoha slowly nodded.
"First landed here: twelve, me included. Now six left. Time's the cruelest foe—more died sick than fighting. Sakagawa gone makes five. Missed your mom, scattered. Promised: one holds all contacts. To prevent collapse. Answer enough?"
"Yeah. Wasn't banking on much."
"Figured cracking you'd be tough. Just got chatty seeing kin. I'll carve you up till I find that blue booklet."
"No reason to stand around then."
—Sching...
As Ji-hyeok finished, Mapo Cane drew a sword from his cane.
As expected...
Knew it wasn't ordinary, but seeing it slide out movie-style was still kinda wild.
Cheol Gyoha's shadow pulled a mid-sized sword, blade about forty centimeters.
Last, Cheol Gyoha drew a tiny dagger from his breast.
Blade barely ten centimeters...
Meant for deep stabs, not slashing.
Aiming for one cut, one kill.
At that moment, Jang Woo—who'd silently followed the talk—slowly shed his suit jacket.
Reached back, drew two blades.
Only Ji-hyeok stood unchanged, unarmed, no stance shift.
Then—
—Swish... swish...
Like grass in the wind, Cane and the shadow glided softly, splitting left and right.
Leaving Cheol Gyoha front, Cane left, shadow right—encircling Ji-hyeok and Jang Woo.
On paper, bad odds...
In a flash, Ji-hyeok locked eyes with Jang Woo and shot forward like a wedge at Cheol Gyoha.