8. The Conviction of Scum
8. The Conviction of Scum
With just the funds that the former Doksahoe Chairman had possessed, it was enough to buy a new house suitable for his family to live in.
After securing a house near the building he received from the Association, replacing all the furniture and appliances with brand new ones, Shingen moved his parents there.
At first, they asked where such money came from, but after giving a vague excuse, he finished the move.
After the move was complete, they spent some time eating jajangmyeon he had delivered.
A few days passed like that, and finally, a call came from Ban Yeo-hee.
[Shingen-ssi, I've decided to accept your proposal. From now on, I'll be professionally handling villains.]
"That's a relief, at least."
[By the way, since you wiped out the Doksahoe in one go, how do you plan to handle the remaining tasks?]
The voice coming through the smartphone seemed filled with curiosity.
As if she was also expecting his next moves.
"First, I plan to completely overhaul it from the inside and out. It needs to transform into a somewhat clean organization, not a criminal one."
[Well, if you're not going to stay in the shadows forever, that should be the top priority.]
She showed a reaction as if she agreed.
[Then, I'll also erase your younger sibling's criminal records for you.]
"...Is it really okay to just erase those so freely?"
[It doesn't really matter. Besides, your sibling wasn't directly involved in drug trafficking. They also didn't kill any innocent civilians.]
Shingen felt a bit unsettled by the sudden offer to erase criminal records, but for him, it was a good thing.
[Just think of it as an investment. While we do support returnees in adapting to society, we also want to somehow hold onto talented individuals.]
"......"
It seems the Association, or at least... the Association Chairman, considers him a talent they must secure.
'I haven't really shown anything though.'
Regardless, since they're offering support, he decided to accept it.
It was better to take it than to stubbornly refuse and regret it later.
"Is there anything else that needs to be handled separately?"
[Not at the moment. It seems like work will come up soon though... It might be assigned to you, Shingen-ssi. Most returnees who haven't been back for long go through an adaptation period...]
Well, that's understandable.
They fell into another world, spent a long time there, and returned—it would be insane to throw them into the field immediately after signing a contract.
Efficiency wouldn't be achieved either.
To maintain cooperative relations with returnees, this method was likely the best.
[For now, please focus on changing the Doksahoe. If there's any part you need support with, we'll provide it.]
"Alright, I'll contact you if needed."
With that, he ended the call.
In a situation where he could receive the Association's support, there shouldn't be any obstacles in progressing with his work.
'Now, once I deal with the remaining small fry, it'll be over.'
It wouldn't take too long.
Groups that lose their leader tend to collapse easily.
Of course, even if the leader were still there, it probably wouldn't have made much difference.
Heading to the building where he had caused a commotion and taken Ah-yeong a few days ago, there was a whole truckload of thugs in black suits.
They seemed to be remnants still under the Doksahoe.
As he got out of the car, all their gazes turned toward him.
"What's with bringing such a big crowd? Here to avenge the dead ones?"
"You son of a bitch...!"
As the guy at the front drew a sashimi knife and tried to charge, a large man behind him grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.
"Yong-sik, if you go now, you'll definitely die."
"Hoh..."
The calm warning and the act of stopping his subordinate were enough to pique Shingen's interest.
"I thought you were all just useless idlers flaunting cheap pride, but it seems there's at least one guy with some sense?"
"If I didn't have this much sense while eating blade-rice, I wouldn't have survived..."
Gulp.
He was so tense you could hear the sound of his saliva going down his throat, but he said what he intended to say.
"What's your name? Before you die, let me at least hear your name once."
"Eom Pil-gu of the Toryong-pa."
"Eom Pil-gu. Alright, I'll remember that for sure."
At the same time, the real fight began.
As Eom Pil-gu raised his hand, all the halted members started charging toward Shingen.
"Uwaaaaaah!!!"
They desperately charged at the man before them to survive.
Some had axes, some had sashimi knives, and those who didn't even had those had their fists.
To get ahead and live lavishly.
Abandoning all thoughts of living without worrying about their parents' money in the future.
Shingen watched the men who charged with nothing but the mindset to survive.
"Nothing is more important than surviving. No matter how wretched a person becomes, they want to survive. Because you have to survive to plan for what comes next."
I understood their position, but understanding was all I did.
Peobeobeobeobeobeobeobeok!!!
With two fists, not a sword, I pierced through them in one go.
Those who couldn't even use magic, or those whose skills were paltry even if they could, had their limbs broken instantly and were sent flying.
"G-guh...!"
Yet, even as their bones broke and muscles tore, they did not give up.
Clenching their lips tightly, they struggled to move somehow.
"......"
They were different from the Doksahoe members Shingen had faced before.
Those others had always been dominated by confidence and arrogance, thinking they were the best.
So he thought these men would be no different.
But seeing them cling on so tenaciously, they seemed a bit different.
'They must have clawed their way up from the bottom, that's why they're so desperate to survive.'
Their appearance reminded him somewhat of himself from a certain day, as if he could vaguely see his former self from a time before he had anything.
"Right. You guys are men's sons too, I see."
Kwaang!!!
As he looked at the men trying to get up again and stamped his foot once, the asphalt ground cracked and they fell once more.
"Originally, I planned to kill you all and then cleanly take over the Doksahoe."
"......"
"I thought trash without any convictions or anything were useless to keep around."
He passed by the fallen men and stood before Eom Pil-gu, who was still standing and watching Shingen.
"But you all are different. You have conviction, and a desire to survive."
Perhaps Shingen, having spent a long time in that other world, had assimilated to them to some extent.
Things like conviction and romanticism were things he never even thought about before falling into that other world, but now they had become indispensable, important values.
"I've changed my mind. Toryong-pa's Eom Pil-gu. If you can withstand one of my punches, I'll take you and all your men under my wing."
"...Is that really true?"
"Yeah, of course, excluding those who committed crimes against innocent civilians."
That much was non-negotiable.
He wasn't lenient enough to accept those who had dispositions that harmed civilians.
"What's... your reason for doing this for us?"
Eom Pil-gu asked as if he didn't understand.
"You could just wipe out trash like us and devour the Doksahoe."
"I judged that you guys weren't trash like that."
Shingen saw conviction and aspiration in them.
They weren't just superficially dazzling; if hammered, they would surely become solid.
"Trash with conviction is no longer trash. Rather, it can be called raw gemstone. And I intend to hammer such raw gemstones into jewels."
"......"
"Does that make a bit more sense now? Even if it doesn't, it doesn't matter. You'll find out eventually anyway."
Complex emotions were clearly revealed on Eom Pil-gu's expression.
He tried to gauge Shingen's intentions but couldn't.
In the end, there was only one thing he could do.
Accept the offer of the man before him.
"I'll do it. I don't have any particular attachment to the Doksahoe anyway."
"Good. A man should respond like that."
This figure, not running away and choosing sacrifice for his subordinates—isn't it admirable?
Shingen immediately clenched his fist and took a stance.
If the man had made his resolve, responding to that resolve was human nature.
Gugugu...
The immense power flowing down his arm gathered in his fist.
Hwoong!
Peok!!!
With the sound of cutting through the wind, the fist precisely slammed into Eom Pil-gu's solar plexus.
"Keuh, heuk...!"
As his solar plexus caved in, the man flew far away.
His legs, which had been planted on the ground, lifted into the air as he flew.
His eyes became bloodshot, and he vomited a mouthful of blood.
But he did not lose the conviction he had at the start.
After flying for quite a distance, he tumbled on the ground several times before finally stopping.
"Keuheuk... hup."
Still vomiting thick blood and dying, he moved his trembling limbs and barely managed to stand up.
"Heuk... heo... Does this... mean I pass...?"
Eom Pil-gu asked, clutching his solar plexus where a distinct imprint remained.
Shingen looked at that sight, then raised the corner of his mouth and smiled.
"How can a man go back on his word with one mouth? A man's word is worth a thousand pieces of gold, so I'd say you pass."
"I see... then."
The moment he heard the word 'pass,' Eom Pil-gu's eyes rolled back and he collapsed onto the ground.
His face slammed into the cold asphalt, but his expression held peace.