Chapter 80
Chapter 80
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Into the VIP Lounge
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The moment Lee Jae-hyun headed toward the stairs leading to the second floor, the last remaining bouncer stepped up to block him.
“Sorry, sir. If you didn’t reserve a room, no entry.”
“I know, but my friend’s in one of those rooms right now. It’s urgent, and she’s not picking up her phone, so I need to go get her.”
“No can do.”
Lee Jae-hyun tried explaining to the bouncer, but the guy was stubborn as a mule.
He blocked him with a curt tone, and Lee Jae-hyun narrowed his eyes slightly before speaking.
“Hey. I’m just gonna bring her out.”
“That’s exactly why it’s a no.”
“A no...? Suddenly dropping the formalities, huh.”
“Hey, get lost while I’m being nice. Unless you want to get hurt on your way out.”
The bouncer shoved Lee Jae-hyun’s chest as he spoke.
Lee Jae-hyun let out a deliberate, hollow laugh.
Oh Seo-hyun was inside, and he hadn’t even assessed the full situation yet.
He couldn’t flash his badge right now, so he’d tried to bluff his way in, but this stonewalling left him no choice.
“You swung first?”
“Tch, wanna argue? Take it up over there...”
The bouncer reached out to shove him again.
In that instant, Lee Jae-hyun snatched his hand with his right, yanking it outward.
The bouncer stumbled off-balance in a blink.
Lee Jae-hyun swung a fist straight into the exposed side of his torso.
Crack!
Right where the liver sat.
“Guhk...!”
The bouncer gasped out a ragged breath and crumpled.
Thud.
Confirming the man down, Lee Jae-hyun shook out his hand and straightened up.
“I was gonna let you open up quick. Why make it annoying?”
He muttered at the fallen bouncer, then headed up the stairs.
But another guy, who’d been heading to a VIP room, heard the commotion and turned to block him.
“What the hell are you?”
This one skipped straight to informal.
Of course—he’d seen the bouncer go down.
“Hey, just came to get my friend, but you’re blocking me. I’ll grab her and go.”
Lee Jae-hyun shrugged as he replied.
No point acting now that things had escalated.
Time to move fast.
The bouncer scowled at his casual response, going on guard.
“...You from the Tiger Gang?”
“What do you take me for? Do I look like one of those thugs?”
Lee Jae-hyun straightened up, serious.
How could anyone mistake a cop for a gangster?
“What’s in the eye is all you see, but there’s things you say and don’t say in this world, punk.”
“Crazy bastard, for real.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot.”
Finally, some real talk.
As Lee Jae-hyun thought that, the bouncer cracked his knuckles with pops and closed in.
Towering at least 185 cm with solid muscle, the guy in a suit cracking his knuckles radiated menace.
Any regular guy would’ve frozen in fear.
Sensing that, the bouncer smirked down at him.
“You a cop?”
“Nope.”
Just when it seemed like they could talk...
Cop? The hell?
He was the sacred protector of the people.
‘Never talk to thugs. Pointless.’
None of them could hold a proper conversation.
Lee Jae-hyun shot back, and the bouncer grimaced.
“Then what the fuck are you?”
“Told you. Friend of the girl in that VIP room?”
With that, Lee Jae-hyun stepped right up to him.
Close enough that their arms could touch.
The bouncer swung a fist at him.
‘Big one.’
That was Lee Jae-hyun’s thought as the punch came flying.
Bigger than the last bouncer, the guy’s fist matched his size.
Lee Jae-hyun stepped back, leaning his body slightly.
Whoosh.
Watching the punch graze past his nose, he sized up the bouncer.
Not a random hire—his build rivaled Park Dae-hyung’s.
‘Can I take him now?’
After regressing, he’d lost his trained physique.
Before, skill had covered any gaps, but...
This guy was a fighter too.
Skill alone couldn’t bridge two weight classes. Risky matchup.
But the doubt lasted only a moment.
Lee Jae-hyun scoffed.
‘Since when do I calculate before charging?’
He was the Mad Dog.
If there was prey, he pounced.
Mad Dogs didn’t tally odds.
As the man swung again, Lee Jae-hyun raised his hands.
The guy outclassed him in size—embarrassing to even compare.
In pro fights, that gap was insurmountable.
But this wasn’t a ‘pro fight.’
Thwack.
Staring down the incoming fist, Lee Jae-hyun shot out both hands, wrapping the man’s arm.
A fluid, precise motion that sucked in the punch like a vacuum.
“Huh?”
The man panicked as his arm locked, but too late.
If he suspected a cop, don’t swing wild.
Cops mastered judo basics.
Why extend your arm first?
Lee Jae-hyun pivoted, pressing his back to the man’s gut.
Whoosh.
He yanked the captured arm in the punch’s arc.
Then...
Boom!
The massive bouncer slammed into the club floor, the impact echoing down the hall.
“Gaaah...”
Judo used the opponent’s force.
The stronger they were, the harder they fell.
Charging blind? Down in one.
He’d live, but he’d be flat a while.
“Gotta hit the gym more.”
Lee Jae-hyun muttered, rolling his stiff shoulders.
A few more like this? Even he’d struggle.
Time for more training.
Looking down at the unconscious bouncer, he scanned the hall.
MDs peeking nervously.
He spotted a familiar face and pointed.
“You...”
“Eek! M-me?”
“Yeah, you. Pigeon.”
The MD who’d taken Oh Seo-hyun—Pigeon—stared awkwardly.
Lee Jae-hyun closed in.
“The girl you took earlier. Where?”
“Uh...”
Pigeon rolled his eyes, stalling.
Lee Jae-hyun smirked at the obvious scheming.
“End of the hall, VIP room, right?”
“How’d you—! Mmph!”
He clamped his own mouth, but it was too obvious.
VVIP guest, few VIP rooms in a club like this.
Location was a given.
Just confirming.
And his slip confirmed it...
‘On my way.’
Hope not too late.
He trusted Inspector Oh Seo-hyun, but crime scenes bred surprises.
He strode straight down the straight hall to the end.
Faced the gold-lettered VIP door, he flung it open without hesitation.
* * *
Empty bottles strewn everywhere, half-melted ice leaking from the bucket.
On the L-shaped sofa, Inspector Oh stared at Lee Jae-hyun in shock.
He turned to the man beside her.
“Park Man-seok.”
Park Man-seok gawked at him in disbelief.
A few trailing bouncers and MDs hesitated to intervene.
They’d seen their guys down, and a glance back from Lee Jae-hyun froze them.
“...What the hell’s that about?”
No answer, and Park Man-seok’s face twisted in irritation.
One word revealed his self-view.
King.
He saw himself as absolute ruler.
Lee Jae-hyun? Nothing.
Natural.
One man vs. a company?
Park Man-seok glared.
“Hey, who the fuck are you?”
“...”
“Didn’t hear? Who are you, punk?”
Lee Jae-hyun stayed silent, scanning.
Eyes past Park Man-seok.
To Inspector Oh Seo-hyun.
Safety first—she looked fine.
But...
‘That...’
Checking her wrist, his brow twitched.
Grabbed roughly?
Red marks on Inspector Oh Seo-hyun’s wrist.
“Ha, punk. Answering’s like pulling teeth. Who are you...”
Lee Jae-hyun turned to the ranting Park Man-seok.
“That.”
“Oh, finally talking.”
“You do that?”
His finger pointed at Oh Seo-hyun’s wrist.
Park Man-seok sighed heavily.
“...Sigh. Why do all you hard-working types pull this shit?”
He unclasped his watch, fuming.
Interruption mid-fun? Mood killer.
Eyes bulging, ready to swing.
“Keep playing silent. I’m pissed already. Let’s see how long you hold out...!”
Park Man-seok swung at Lee Jae-hyun.
Unlike the bouncer, he took it full-on, staggering back slightly.
Drip.
Lip split, blood trickling.
Lee Jae-hyun wiped it with his thumb.
“You swung first...”
“...You little shit.”
Realizing he’d eaten it on purpose, Park Man-seok’s face hardened.
Lee Jae-hyun smirked faintly.
“Now... it’s self-defense.”
Madness gleamed in his eyes.