Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Daepo Club Stakeout
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Lee Jae-hyun swayed lightly to the music, casually scanning his surroundings.
His wandering gaze didn't stand out at all, and even if it did, no one would think twice about it.
Most of the guys were already darting their eyes around, hunting for someone to hook up with.
‘Looks like all the rooms are upstairs.’
If Park Man-seok was coming to this club, he'd definitely book a room.
They'd probably hold one empty for him, or whip up a new one on the spot when he showed.
A construction company president who hit the clubs two or three times a week because he loved playing that hard... Of course he'd throw money around like water.
To the club, he'd be a VVIP.
Lee Jae-hyun headed to the bar area, ordered a drink, then shifted his eyes toward the staircase leading to the second floor.
In the meantime, Inspector Oh Seo-hyun reappeared and approached him.
“What are you staring at?”
“Just wondering if we should've grabbed a room ourselves.”
Lee Jae-hyun glanced around.
According to the info from Oh Seo-hyun, Park Man-seok frequented this club.
Would a guy like that really hang out in the main hall?
No way.
Sure, he came to party sometimes, but the real reason he kept showing up was probably for discreet deals.
No chance he'd play in the open hall.
Guy had money to burn, so he'd snag a room.
At his words, Oh Seo-hyun looked at him with a curious expression.
“How much do rooms run here?”
“Expensive ones might be 100 to 200... but probably around 50 max here?”
“200...! Blow your whole monthly salary on one room...?”
Inspector Oh Seo-hyun muttered in disbelief, shaking her head lightly.
Lee Jae-hyun ignored her and glanced at the burly guys standing in front of the stairs to the second floor before speaking up.
“Something feels off about the vibe.”
“What? Aside from the noise, I don't notice anything.”
“No, the security heading to the rooms is tighter than I expected.”
“...Ah.”
Oh Seo-hyun followed his gaze to the stairs and let out a small sound.
She nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, it's definitely overkill.”
Even if Inspector Oh Seo-hyun had never set foot in a club before, she wasn't an idiot.
She knew two big guys blocking a single staircase in some random club wasn't normal.
Lee Jae-hyun watched them from a blind spot out of the guards' line of sight.
‘Not even the entrance, and they've got two dudes guarding just the stairs to the rooms?’
He eyed them sharply.
Even in much bigger Gangnam clubs, there was only one guard per staircase.
It wasn't a staffing shortage—too many guards inside made customers uncomfortable.
So if they had two on the stairs anyway, it was one of two things.
“Means there's someone important up there?”
Oh Seo-hyun, with her experience, picked up on it and asked.
Natural deduction.
Guards protected someone or something.
Customer, info, whatever—the goal was protection.
If they were beefing up security, there had to be a reason.
“Could be.”
“Park Man-seok up there?”
Oh Seo-hyun furrowed her brow as she asked.
From the club's perspective, VVIP Park Man-seok was plenty important.
Possible.
But it was too early to jump to conclusions.
That'd be targeting your investigation from the start—tunnel vision.
Sergeant Kim Jun-ho had warned him about that before they came.
Don't let focus on Park Man-seok blind you.
“Or maybe something they want to hide.”
“Ah.”
When Lee Jae-hyun voiced the other possibility, Oh Seo-hyun's face lit up with realization.
Sex crimes, drugs...
Rooms were more secretive than people thought.
Sealed off from prying eyes, conversations and noise drowned out by the thumping music.
That's why club rooms had always been hotbeds for crime.
In his past life, most club-related busts happened in rooms.
Couldn't dismiss it out of hand.
“...Or it could be both.”
“...”
Oh Seo-hyun nodded, staring at the guards.
Staring too hard might tip them off.
She glanced casually then looked away.
Lee Jae-hyun did the same.
But both had their full attention locked on the guards.
‘Something's definitely up.’
It reeked.
Familiar, pungent.
The foul stench of criminals that words couldn't capture.
As Lee Jae-hyun scanned around with a strange expression for a moment.
The crowd's vibe stayed the same, but the staff's atmosphere shifted.
Their footsteps quickened, growing busier bit by bit.
“Jae-hyun.”
“Yeah, heads up from now on.”
Lee Jae-hyun wet his throat with his drink while eyeing the suddenly hectic staff.
They looked slammed at a glance—someone big was inbound.
Whether it was Park Man-seok or not, they'd find out soon enough.
He downed the rest of his drink in one gulp and tapped the empty glass with his finger.
* * *
Gu Chan-hyeok, the MD at Club Daepo.
Known as 'Pigeon,' he surveyed the club.
Pounding music, flashing lights.
Men and women shaking their bodies in between.
Gu Chan-hyeok nodded with a pleased smile as he took it in.
‘Gonna bury my bones here.’
He'd transferred from another club just three months ago, and lately his wallet was getting fatter by the day, lifting his mood.
He actually looked forward to coming to work.
Base pay was tens of thousands a day, and on good days, 100 to 200 grand.
Plus, he scored with girls sometimes.
Where else could you find a gig like this?
‘Let's crush it today.’
Work like a dog, spend like a butterfly.
That was Gu Chan-hyeok's motto.
Work hard, spend fancy—simple as that.
He was grinning to himself when a man approached from the side.
The guy called out to him lightly.
“Bro, water looks good tonight, huh?”
“Yeah, some fun ones and cute ones too.”
Gu Chan-hyeok nodded at his fellow MD, Yu Ho-dong.
In club MD work, effort paid off big, but luck played a part too.
Days like this, tips flowed heavier than usual.
It fired Gu Chan-hyeok up more than normal.
And then.
“Bro, bro. That guy's here.”
“Which guy? Be specific.”
“VVIP dude.”
“Dude? Oh, Glass-Breaker?”
His junior nodded at Gu Chan-hyeok's words.
The guy MDs called 'Man-seok the Glass-Breaker' was a total asshole who smashed a glass or two every visit.
But he was a VIP of VIPs who dropped serious cash.
The club could overlook a couple broken glasses when they saw his tab—made 'em smile every time.
Even the rowdiest customer got a grin if they paid up nice.
That's a club for you.
And Gu Chan-hyeok lived off those tips.
“Yeah, arriving in 10.”
“That guy's lucky. Always shows on prime water nights.”
Gu Chan-hyeok chuckled.
Truth was, he didn't care how—he knew it wasn't luck.
‘Some staffer he texts tipped him off. Water's good tonight, come on down.’
Obvious.
How many MDs had pocketed his tips? None weren't buddy-buddy with him.
A heads-up from a pal when the night's hot? Normal.
What Gu Chan-hyeok really wondered...
How much did the staffer get for the hookup with VVIP 'Man-seok the Glass-Breaker'?
He'd scored tips from him before working here.
Three small bills that time.
Three million won.
Just basic service, and he tossed that out easy.
What about his real buddies?
At least one or two more bills, right?
‘If I play it smooth, I could steal that role.’
Gu Chan-hyeok was confident a quick chat would snag him the pigeon gig.
Needed an in, though.
Nail tonight's booking, and he'd open the door.
Once it flowed, cuckoo duty was easy for him...
And those cuckoo tips would trickle his way.
Decision made, Gu Chan-hyeok got moving.
“Alright, double-check the VIP room setup. I'll scout a girl to sit next to him.”
He told Yu Ho-dong that, then swept his eyes over the club.
Man-seok the Glass-Breaker's taste was simple but tricky to nail.
Pretty was key.
But not too jaded—had to look like she didn't haunt clubs.
‘Dude's got standards.’
Gu Chan-hyeok muttered to himself.
Matching his type wasn't easy.
Club girls who bombed bookings didn't come back much—only winners stuck around.
He knew the ecosystem but scanned desperately anyway.
Hard to find didn't mean impossible.
And land one? Tips galore.
Effort like this barely registered.
Gu Chan-hyeok's eyes zipped around the women in the club.
Then he spotted her: long straight hair, sipping a drink at the bar.
Fresh-faced, looked fresh out of college—maybe.
Vibe was awkwardly out of place, screaming club newbie.
“Oho, tips incoming today?”
Perfect fit for Man-seok's taste, looks exceeding specs.
Spot on.
Gu Chan-hyeok grinned wide and hurried over.
Of course, he had no clue.
Who the woman he was approaching really was.