Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Luring the Hunter
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After hanging up the phone, Min Seung-su's face flushed red.
"Ha! If you want to hold onto that president seat? Looks like Kim Jin-taek's reached his limit too."
Did he think he was Yu Jae-man or something?
But now wasn't the time to quibble over that.
Dealing with Park Jung-gi came first.
Grinding his teeth—
Min Seung-su stepped up to the computer.
Tap tap tap—!!!
He typed "Haemin Construction President" into the search bar...
[Haemin Construction President, Mr. Park. Preparing a conscience confession...]
Similar headlines still flooded the monitor.
The details varied slightly, but they all boiled down to the same thing: Park Jung-gi was going to hold a press conference about Sejin Construction and Kim Jin-taek.
'Too late to send the off-the-books team. It'd take too much time.'
Min Seung-su crossed his arms, furrowing his brow.
Better to use one of Park Jung-gi's underlings that he'd already bought off. That would be faster.
'Have to take him out today.'
Grinding his teeth again, Min Seung-su pulled another burner phone from his desk drawer.
A phone registered under a false name, used only for "jobs" like this.
'I'll make sure to attend your funeral, President Park.'
But at that moment, Min Seung-su couldn't have foreseen it.
Park Jung-gi would survive, and his connection to Kim Jin-taek would drag on for a very, very long time.
***
Lee Dae-hyuk had been in a good mood since morning.
Thanks to the call from Park Jung-gi, who had come up to Seoul.
- Save me, please!
'Something's happened.'
Probably Sejin Construction had sent someone after him.
Or maybe his own men had betrayed him.
The answer was the second one.
- That bastard Min Seung-su bought off my guys!! I nearly got stabbed twice!! Save me, please!!
"Where are you right now?"
- Seoul Station. I'm standing in front of the ticket booth, so please help me.
Park Jung-gi's voice was thick with tears.
How could he not feel pathetic?
Kidnapped and beaten by Lee Dae-hyuk, and now even his trusted underlings had turned on him with knives.
He must have been dying to see his brother, Jung Hyuk-su, back in the hospital.
- Isn't this all because of you, Mr. Lee Dae-hyuk? You have to help me!
"Got it. I'll send some guys over, so stay put. Don't even go to the bathroom. Just stand right there."
- I'll stick here even if I die, so hurry up and send someone!!
Click—!!
Lee Dae-hyuk shook his head as he hung up.
For a gang boss to crumble this pathetically in an instant.
But what could he do?
Park Jung-gi had to stay alive until the interview was over.
Lee Dae-hyuk called Kim Min-gyu next.
- Do we really have to escort that thug bastard too?
After hearing Lee Dae-hyuk's explanation, Kim Min-gyu grumbled.
He still couldn't stand Park Jung-gi, the kind of guy who used hired thugs to terrorize residents.
Of course, he had no intention of defying Lee Dae-hyuk's orders, but he voiced his displeasure anyway.
"He's in the same line of work as us. Might as well help him out."
- ...Understood.
It had been a playful joke from Lee Dae-hyuk.
But perhaps stung by the words "same line of work," a brief silence followed.
Click!
Kim Min-gyu hung up.
***
Fortunately, Kim Min-gyu and his crew secured Park Jung-gi without any incidents.
Who could stab a guy right in the middle of Seoul Station?
On the verge of pissing himself, Park Jung-gi ran to the bathroom with Kim Min-gyu as soon as they met.
'Now I have to stand guard in front of the damn bathroom too...'
Kim Min-gyu lamented his own fate.
In the end, he protected Park Jung-gi and got him safely to a motel.
At that moment.
Lee Dae-hyuk was making a request to Nam Sung-il, the president of Daehan Construction, where he worked.
"You're going to repair the parking lot, so you want a notice sent to all employees to use the nearby lot for two days?"
"And request a street closure too."
"Hmm..."
"Is that too much?"
"Two days is fine, but why repair a perfectly good parking lot?"
"For employee welfare."
Nam Sung-il couldn't find a good comeback to Lee Dae-hyuk's reasonable lie.
It was absurd.
But if it was Lee Dae-hyuk, there had to be a reason.
Instead of asking, Nam Sung-il nodded.
"I'm going to take a lot of heat for this too."
"......"
"Consider this as settling the debt."
With Nam Sung-il's hearty response, Lee Dae-hyuk bowed his head without hesitation.
"Thank you!"
***
"Will Wolfgang make a move within two days?"
In Kim Min-gyu's hideout.
Kim Min-gyu, who had listened to Lee Dae-hyuk's plan from the living room sofa, asked back.
"He will."
Lee Dae-hyuk was confident.
He had a way to provoke Wolfgang further.
"President Park. I need a favor."
"W-What favor?"
Park Jung-gi, sitting on the sofa opposite Lee Dae-hyuk and pretending to be oblivious, widened his eyes.
He hadn't stayed long at the motel.
Fearing a sudden raid from Sejin Construction, he refused to leave Kim Min-gyu's side.
In the end, Kim Min-gyu had no choice but to bring the tearfully begging man home.
So absurdly, Park Jung-gi—the one who had commissioned the hit—now sat with Lee Dae-hyuk and Kim Min-gyu as they planned the "Wolfgang hunt."
Kim Min-gyu couldn't wrap his head around it.
"By the way, boss. Why is this guy here?"
He had planned to stick him in an empty room during the meeting, but Lee Dae-hyuk had seated Park Jung-gi right in the middle.
Lee Dae-hyuk smiled meaningfully at Kim Min-gyu's question.
"He's going to help us out."
"This guy?"
At those words, Kim Min-gyu glared at Park Jung-gi, bulging his eyes.
Park Jung-gi was just as baffled.
"Help? What the hell could I do?"
"Call Wolfgang. Right now."
Park Jung-gi frowned at Lee Dae-hyuk's instruction.
"You guys don't know him at all. Even if I call and cancel the job, it won't change a thing."
Park Jung-gi explained about Wolfgang.
A psychopath who gets his thrills from killing people more than the money.
A madman who even slaughtered clients after they tried to cancel...
And other terrifying tales.
"Ha, what a real psycho. But..."
Kim Min-gyu, who had been listening, clicked his tongue.
But the point wasn't that Wolfgang was crazy.
"You commissioned that freak to kill our boss?"
"Ah, well..."
Park Jung-gi hemmed and hawed, turning his head.
Lee Dae-hyuk spoke first.
"I know all about it. Wolfgang doesn't stop a hunt once it's started. That's why we're using this chance to end his reign of terror."
"...H-How?"
"I'm going to teach him that he's the prey from now on."
"That guy's the prey?"
The words slipped out of Park Jung-gi's mouth in informal speech without thinking.
The atmosphere turned icy in an instant.
"......"
"......"
"N-No, I mean, he's the prey?"
With Lee Dae-hyuk and Kim Min-gyu both clamping their mouths shut and glaring, Park Jung-gi quickly corrected himself.
"But how do you plan to catch him?"
Park Jung-gi hurriedly changed the subject.
The method was obvious, but Lee Dae-hyuk, not wanting to waste more time, played along.
"Simple. We'll block the beast's rear and cast a net. A terrifying one with iron spikes densely packed in."
"Fine, whatever. Net, gun, harpoon—doesn't matter. The problem is he won't budge just because I say a few words. And he'll kill me too."
Lee Dae-hyuk nodded as if agreeing with Park Jung-gi.
"But isn't that better than dying right now?"
"......!!!"
"Just kidding. Relax."
Park Jung-gi dropped his head at Lee Dae-hyuk's sharp-witted joke.
Of course, making the call was easy.
He'd probably pick up for at least one "conversation."
But what if Lee Dae-hyuk failed to kill Wolfgang?
'...No, not the time to worry about that.'
He had already, albeit forcibly, bet everything on Lee Dae-hyuk.
He had to help unconditionally.
"What do I say?"
Pleased with Park Jung-gi's response?
Lee Dae-hyuk smiled meaningfully.
"Simple. Call him and hand over the phone. I'll handle the talking."
.
.
.
Park Jung-gi's hand, holding the phone, grew slick with sweat.
Unlike when placing the contract, now he was teaming up with Lee Dae-hyuk to catch Wolfgang.
His whole body trembled the moment he hit the call button.
A few seconds later.
A strangely modulated voice came through the phone.
- Speak.
A single short word, laced with anger.
Park Jung-gi couldn't open his mouth easily.
Instead, Lee Dae-hyuk extended his hand.
Thud—!
Taking the phone from Park Jung-gi, Lee Dae-hyuk spoke.
"This is Lee Dae-hyuk."
Was it because of the unexpected voice?
A chuckle echoed from the phone.
- Ha! Putting on a show.
"Not a show. Giving you a chance."
- A chance?
"You took the contract, no personal grudge, right? So I'm thinking of letting you live."
- Letting me live... You're insane. Banking on your daddy?
Wolfgang's voice trembled at Lee Dae-hyuk's provocation.
'He's getting riled up.'
A smile spread across Lee Dae-hyuk's lips as he read the emotion.
Wolfgang had taken the bait.
'Good.'
To lure him in for sure, he needed to make Wolfgang truly want to kill him.
"A guy scraping by on cheap hits and a chaebol heir? Worlds apart. That's why I'm offering mercy. Be grateful."
Lee Dae-hyuk, arrogantly boastful unlike his usual self.
Kim Min-gyu and Park Jung-gi, unaware it was acting, both flushed red.
Lee Dae-hyuk's face heated up too, but what could he do?
Provoking Wolfgang came first.
Fortunately, his efforts paid off—Wolfgang's enraged voice came through.
- Mercy... Sorry, can't return the favor.
"You're throwing away your chance to live."
- ...Especially you. I'll kill you slow. Very, very slow.
Click—!!!
As the call ended, Lee Dae-hyuk flashed a confident smile.
"He's hooked."
"You sure? Even an idiot would see the trap with how things are playing out."
Kim Min-gyu asked worriedly.
But Lee Dae-hyuk remained certain.
"You know what drives guys like him? A superiority complex."
Lee Dae-hyuk had learned their common trait from dealing with villains.
Superiority complex.
The delusion that they're above ordinary people.
Just like humans eat animal meat without guilt.
They harm humans without a shred of remorse.
'Park Cheon-ho was that type too.'
He had shattered Wolfgang's superiority.
No villain would sit still after that.
"He'll move to prove the superiority I crushed. Trash like this always chooses pride over reason."
Especially with the delusion that he could smash any trap.
"So let's quietly wait for this damn trash to show up."
While pondering how to dispose of the trash.
***
After hanging up, Wolfgang took a deep breath.
Lee Dae-hyuk was far more entertaining than he'd imagined.
He'd seen the news articles too, so he knew Park Jung-gi had sided with Lee Dae-hyuk.
That's why he'd answered the call.
Curious how Park Jung-gi—or this Lee Dae-hyuk—would play it.
Beg for his life?
Try to negotiate?
Ordinary people usually tried to buy their lives with money.
'Offering multiples of the fee, please spare me'—that sort of thing.
He'd expected Lee Dae-hyuk to do the same.
But offering mercy and letting him live?
The unexpected words made his blood boil.
However.
"Hoo..."
Calming himself with deep breaths, Wolfgang realized Lee Dae-hyuk's aim.
'Provocation.'
And the reason was simple.
They'd set a trap.
'Fine. I'll walk right into whatever trap.'
He had the skills and weapons to kill anyone.
In a motel room in a corner of Seoul.
Wolfgang, lying on the bed resting, glared sharply at the dark ceiling.
As if Lee Dae-hyuk were visible within it.