Who Is the Winner? (6)
"What? What's going on?" I grabbed a yakuza member running down the hallway and asked. The man answered urgently and started running toward the front gate again. "I don't know! I'm just running because there's a commotion!"
Seeing all the yakuza in the mansion rushing toward the front gate, Park Gi-su, driven by curiosity, also started running toward the entrance. 'Huh? Is that English I hear?' Amidst the chaos, the sounds weren't just Japanese; the English word "Freeze" was mixed in. The noise was so deafening that it was hard to distinguish individual words, but the sounds of things being smashed and heavy thuds made it clear that something serious was happening.
'Could it be a gang war? No, raiding the Umi-guchi-gumi residence? That's insane!'
Park Gi-su picked up his pace and finally reached the front gate to see the chaos for himself. 'The U.S. military...? The Japanese police...? Wait, why are they together?'
Before his eyes, American soldiers were mercilessly beating the yakuza with batons. Even the fearless yakuza didn't dare draw their blades in front of the U.S. military, so their only option was to be beaten into the ground. Some turned to run, but they were met with rubber bullets meant for riot control, leaving them writhing on the floor in agony.
"Freeze!"
'Damn it, so that's what that meant.'
Park Gi-su trembled, but he raised his hands. Even then, a baton swung his way. Park Gi-su collapsed to the ground, groaning, and was quickly handcuffed by the Japanese police.
"Gomen-nasai, gomen-nasai."
The Japanese police officer apologized, making it clear he was just doing his job. Park Gi-su glanced over and noticed that the Japanese police weren't participating in the suppression; they were simply there to slap on the handcuffs. 'What on earth is happening...?'
Naturally, Park Gi-su knew absolutely nothing about the arms deal. It was because Yoon-gi had strictly requested that he keep his mouth shut about the weapons, citing that his acquaintance was a "pure businessman." Because of this, Park Gi-su truly believed he had married into the family purely through Ryu Geun-tae's introduction, and having experienced Hiroko's extravagance firsthand, he had convinced himself that he understood why he was able to marry her. However, that very ignorance prevented him from properly assessing the situation.
Suddenly, the Japanese police hauled him to his feet and shoved him into a paddy wagon. Park Gi-su asked desperately, "W-where are you taking me?"
"Fuck up!"
Park Gi-su, who received an extra hit from a U.S. soldier's baton for no reason, teared up as he glanced at the other yakuza members being dragged toward the wagons. 'Father-in-law, where are you right now?'
Yasuda, whom Park Gi-su was so desperately looking for, had already escaped to the back of the mansion with his executive members.
"Damn it! I was being used!" Yasuda fumed as he grasped the situation. "Boss, we have word that Hiroko has also escaped safely."
"Cut the radio! They'll track our location!"
"Yes!"
The subordinate who reported it immediately turned off the radio, and Yasuda continued to seethe. 'That idiot Park Gi-su was just bait to make me believe this deal was safe. It was never a safe deal from the start!'
The guy named Yoon-gi hadn't even married Hiroko himself; he had married off an acquaintance. Because his son, Masao, had guaranteed the deal and seemed to be handling things well, he had only checked the surface-level progress, and this was the result. 'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! If only I had completely cut off my attachment to Masao!'
Finally, Yasuda discarded the lingering affection he had for Masao and began to mentally berate the son who had driven the organization to the brink of collapse. But no matter how much he cursed Masao, the fact remained that the U.S. military had raided them with the Japanese police in tow. They were escaping by car now, but it was obvious that the Umi-guchi-gumi would never return to its former glory.
'I have plenty of secret funds, but... can I escape the eyes of the U.S. military?'
The subordinates beside him were loyal enough to give their lives for him, but against the U.S. military, they were nothing more than paper shields. Yasuda chewed his fingernails nervously.
"Boss, don't worry too much. Once we reach the port, you can stow away to China or Southeast Asia. If you hide well, even the U.S. military won't be able to find you, so please try to relax."
"Hmm..."
Somewhat comforted by his subordinate's words, Yasuda, perhaps due to the extreme tension, drifted off to sleep. And how much time had passed?
"Boss, we're almost at the port."
The sun had already set, and Yasuda felt a pang of hunger, realizing a long time had passed. "I never thought I'd leave Japan so suddenly."
"We will serve you so that you face no inconvenience."
The loyalty in their voices gave Yasuda a boost despite his mental exhaustion. A short while later, Yasuda and his men arrived at the port and stopped the car in a desolate area filled with shipping containers.
"You'll have to walk from here."
"It can't be helped."
Yasuda got out of the car and began to walk at a brisk pace, following his subordinate. At that moment—
Click!
A sound he had heard countless times in his life echoed in Yasuda's ears.
"Haha..."
U.S. soldiers were surrounding them. There weren't many, but it was enough to surround the narrow space between the containers. "I guess this is the end."
"Boss, no. We will buy you time."
"It's impossible. Breaking through there would be impossible even for a god."
Yasuda shook his head and raised his hands. But then, another sound reached him.
Bang!
And the sound that followed—Tu-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!
The hail of automatic gunfire was enough to turn Yasuda and his men into sieves. It was an instant death, without even a final cry. The head of a yakuza organization that had once controlled everything had lost his life so pointlessly.
"It's finished."
The U.S. commander reported to someone over the radio. The radio signal reached none other than Guster's ear.
"Good work."
Guster replied lightly and hung up. Sitting in the back of a comfortable sedan, he thought of Yoon-gi. 'I didn't tell them to kill him, but for the sake of that kid's future, it's better to keep things secure. If it's for Merrill and my family, becoming a villain is nothing...'
The monologue he kept to himself was cruel, but it was filled with love and worry for his family.
Over the past few months, Japan and South Korea had undergone a massive upheaval that could only be described as a "vortex." Seth's second son's incitement to murder led to a stock market crash. On top of that, the eldest son was accused of stealing U.S. military weapons. Seth sold Seth Holdings, the core of his Japanese business, to YK Department Store at a bargain price, and subsequently disposed of his hotels and department stores as well. Fortunately, he managed to get a fair price for the hotels and department stores, but his plan to dominate the Korean service industry through them had been completely shattered.
Moreover, Seth could no longer maintain his massive size with his current resources, so he withdrew from and sold off various businesses, drifting far away from being a major conglomerate. He had fallen far below Samwoo. Meanwhile, in Japan, the Umi-guchi-gumi effectively disintegrated following the U.S. military raid and the "disappearance of their leader, Yasuda," leading to full-scale conflicts between yakuza groups in the Tohoku region. From small-scale gangs to massive organizations from other regions, everyone drew their blades to seize control of Tohoku.
Thanks to this, most of Japan's police force was deployed to the Tohoku region, but given the nature of Japanese politics and its intimate ties to the yakuza, the conflict was destined to be prolonged. Furthermore, the theft of U.S. military weapons by a yakuza organization—a fabricated incident created by brilliant minds like Guster—strengthened the U.S. military's position within Japan. Would people believe it if they were told all this happened because Yoon-gi was reborn? It was truly a butterfly effect. However, as Choi Deok-bae had emphasized, "The great flow cannot be changed," and no catastrophic, world-altering shift had occurred. As Seth shrank, other groups grew, and the conflict that would have happened somewhere anyway had simply shifted to Tohoku.
Watching these events unfold, Yoon-gi was once again ruminating on Choi Deok-bae's words. 'Is this a benefit for me, at least?'
If Yoon-gi had been the type of person to agonize and suffer mentally over even the smallest scratch on someone else, it would have been difficult. But Yoon-gi had endured countless pains over his previous 43 years. Both from individuals and from society. The absolute truth that total strangers didn't actually care about him. Because of that, Yoon-gi didn't care much about the "results" of this affair. To Yoon-gi, the most important thing was the people who followed him.
"Has there been any word from Park Gi-su at the detention center?"
Back in his home study for the first time in a while, Ryu Geun-tae shrugged. "I heard he tried to contact me, but I didn't see any reason to take it. Since President Jeong Dong-yun testified to the Japanese police that 'I know the President was also involved,' it won't be easy for him to get out."
"He must be very flustered. He went from the peak of a roller coaster straight into the abyss."
"He brought it upon himself by being greedy beyond his station."
"What about Mitsuko?"
"I heard that the remnants of the Umi-guchi-gumi are rallying around her. They say Mitsuko isn't acting weak and is carrying herself like a heroine, but I don't know the latest news."
"She's been freed from the biggest shackle, so she'll live by exerting her own power to the fullest now."
"As an aside, I heard Hiroko is with her, but well, she wasn't an important figure to begin with..."
"True. The blood relation wasn't something we wanted, but something they wanted. Looking at this, plans always have so many variables. How you use those variables depends on the person."
"I couldn't agree more."
Finishing his primary conversation with Ryu Geun-tae, Yoon-gi looked at Choi Cheol-kyu. "Uncle."
"Yes?"
"Let's assume Seth Department Store is being remodeled as the second branch of YK Department Store."
"Yes."
"It seems the manager position for Seth Hotel will be vacant."
"Are you perhaps...?"
Yoon-gi nodded. "Yes. Please become the President of the hotel from now on."
"Wow, I'm finally getting a President title. But if I vacate my seat, who will be the General Manager?"
"Promote Section Chief Ma Seok-il to General Manager."
"Ah, Section Chief Ma from the Sales Department? Then should I promote Assistant Manager Son to Section Chief?"
"Exactly. You have an idea of how to handle the promotions, right?"
"Of course. President Jeong Dong-yun for Seth Holdings, President Ryu for YK, and I will be the President of YK Hotel. But what about YK Samgang?"
At Choi Cheol-kyu's question, Yoon-gi looked at Ryu Geun-tae. "Don't tell me you want me to take charge of that too?"
Yoon-gi smiled at Ryu Geun-tae, who judged it to be an excessive reward. "Of course not."
"Hehehe, I knew you'd say that. I'm a guy who knows his place."
Everyone laughed for a moment at Ryu Geun-tae's appropriate joke, and then Yoon-gi spoke again. "It's about time Secretary Ryu's uncle received his reward, isn't it?"
Ryu Geun-tae's eyes widened. "That can't be..."
Yoon-gi nodded. "Appoint President Kim Jeong-seon, who is currently working at the construction office, as the President of YK Samgang. Of course, in 7 to 10 years, President Jeong Dong-yun will appoint the President of Samgang, but by then, YK will naturally have grown larger and better positions will exist. And since President Jeong Dong-yun promised to send excellent employees to Samgang, you can appoint them as your close aides."
Ryu Geun-tae jumped up from his seat and bowed to Yoon-gi. "Thank you! Thank you! My uncle will be very happy!"
"The more risk someone takes, the greater the reward should be. This isn't the end of the rewards, so please tell him I look forward to his continued good work."
"I will do so!"
"And Uncle."
"Yes?"
"You said Section Chief Im's child becomes an adult next year, right?"
"That's what I heard."
"Then please place them as an employee in a department that fits their aptitude at YK Department Store. And ask Section Chief Im to recommend a few more among his subordinates who have children who have come of age and are currently unemployed. Section Chief Im and his group really accomplished great things in this matter, too."
Yoon-gi was truly showering rewards for this event. Rewards befitting his close aides, rewards befitting his subordinates. But one thing was certain: everyone would be deeply moved. "Trust me and follow me. As long as you are loyal, I will never abandon you."
To Choi Deok-bae's comment about whether he had forgotten about him, Yoon-gi smiled and ended the meeting, asking Cha Pil-gyu to guide him to the largest temple nearby. Whether Choi Deok-bae complained or not, Cha Pil-gyu, with Yoon-gi in the car, started driving excitedly toward a temple with fresh air.
1983. Yoon-gi had become a third-year middle school student before he knew it. His voice had completely changed, and his Adam's apple was clearly protruding, to the point where the youthful look he had left was almost gone.
'Has YK Samgang, the hotel, and the holdings stabilized?'
Seth Holdings didn't change its name to YK Holdings, but to something completely different. It was named "Japan Commodity." Originally, Japan Commodity could have just kept the name, but Jeong Dong-yun seemed to have spread his wings, operating it at least without a deficit, and thanks to that, no additional YK funds were going into Japan Commodity.
'The second branch of YK Department Store is still under remodeling, Samgang is showing good signs in its own way, and the hotel is doing business smoothly, so I can start moving again soon.'
Yoon-gi, who had risen from the living room sofa, glanced at the Japanese newspaper he had placed beside him. He had read it consistently until yesterday, but today he was too lazy to look at it. As he flipped through the pages of the newspaper he had opened without much thought, a childlike smile spread across Yoon-gi's lips.
"Ah! So this is coming out now!"