Chapter 35: Chapter 34: Preparations
After leaving the living room, I returned to my room and closed the door. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I pulled out my phone and dialed Dowan. He picked up almost immediately.
"Jin?" Dowan's voice sounded calm but slightly curious.
"Yeah, it's me. Listen, we're dealing with Bongcheon-dong tonight." I said, keeping my tone steady. "Be ready."
There was a pause on his end before he sighed. "Alright. I figured it was coming. Oh, by the way, remember how Siyeon mentioned she wanted to introduce me to someone?"
"Yeah." I replied, already getting an idea of where this was going.
"She introduced me to him yesterday during a Boramae-dong meeting." Dowan said. "A guy named Shin Se-Hee."
'Shin Se-Hee.' I thought, picturing the red-haired guy with shaded glasses. His vibrant and cheerful personality and reluctance to fight immediately came to mind. 'So they've already met. That wasn't supposed to happen yet. Siyeon must've felt pressured because of my actions.'
I stayed quiet as Dowan continued. "Oh, and Se-Hoon was there too."
'Of course, he was.' I thought, sighing internally. 'With everything I've done, it's no surprise Siyeon had to accelerate things. She's probably trying to stabilize Boramae-dong by introducing Dowan to someone reliable, but this is all happening way earlier than it should've. The plot's completely off track.'
In the past, I might've laughed at how far things had deviated from canon, but now? Now, I didn't have the luxury of underestimating the situation. I didn't know what was coming anymore, and that realization hit harder than I wanted to admit.
"Well..." He said after a moment, "Where should we meet tonight?"
"Near the Bongcheon-dong construction site. Usual spot at 10." I replied.
"Got it. Be ready." Dowan said before hanging up.
As soon as the call ended, a familiar blue system panel materialized in front of me.
---
[Quest: Eliminate Bongcheon-dong] Objective: Go to the construction site on XXX Street at night and defeat Bongcheon-dong's forces.
Reward: ???
Penality: None
---
I stared at the quest details, my jaw tightening slightly. The system wasn't exactly subtle about its timing. 'So it's not just my actions pushing things forward. The system itself is pushing me too.'
I let out a long exhale, scrolling through my contacts. Yu's number, which I'd saved yesterday, was right there. I tapped it, and the line rang twice before his familiar monotone voice answered.
"What?"
"It's Jin." I said. "Are you free tonight?"
"Not busy." Yu replied simply, as if nothing in the world could faze him.
"Good. Meet me at XXX Street. There's a construction site. We're dealing with Bongcheon-dong tonight at 10." I said. "Dowan will be there too."
There was a short silence on the other end before Yu replied, "Okay." He hung up without another word.
I pocketed my phone, already shifting my focus to the night ahead. The system panel vanished, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
....
Ji Baek Chang nervously approached Seokyoung Jeong's office deep within Bongcheon-dong. His usual arrogance was nowhere to be seen as he hesitated before knocking on the heavy metal door. The muffled sound of Seok's voice allowed him entry, and he pushed the door open, stepping into the dimly lit room.
Seokyoung sat behind a modest desk, his sharp eyes glaring as if he could cut through stone. His small stature was deceptive, his reputation as a terrifyingly strong fighter made even his closest subordinates tread carefully. Ji Baek, usually confident, felt himself shrinking under Seok's scrutiny.
"Speak." Seok ordered, his voice cold and impatient.
Ji Baek swallowed hard before beginning. "Boss, for the past week... w-we've been having problems." He glanced at Seok's unreadable expression before continuing. "Two masked men have been attacking our guys. They hit us at random times, day or night, and take everything: money, clothes, even food."
Seok leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing. "And you're just telling me now?" His voice, though calm, sent shivers down Ji Baek's spine.
"I thought... I thought we could handle it, boss." Ji Baek stammered. "I didn't think it was worth troubling you over."
Seok slammed his palm on the desk, making Ji Baek flinch. "You thought wrong. How many of our guys are out of commission?"
"...Too many." Ji Baek admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "We've lost a lot of money too. These bastards even robbed the businesses we control."
Seok leaned back in his chair, his glare intensifying. "If you can't even handle a couple of small fries, why are you still here, Ji Baek?"
Ji Baek dropped to a deep bow, trembling. "I'm sorry, boss. Please give me one more chance."
Seok sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. After a moment, he stood up, his movements precise and deliberate. "Enough groveling. From now on will be at the construction site, I'll deal with these motherfuckers myself."
Ji Baek's head shot up. "You will, boss?"
Seok's lips curled slightly, a rare hint of anger surfacing. "Nobody messes with my subordinates and gets away with it. Let them come. I'll crush them."
....
Seok sat back in his chair, his cold eyes fixed on the door after Ji Baek's departure. He rested his elbow on the armrest, fingers absently tapping against his temple as he processed what he'd just learned. Two masked men had been systematically dismantling his operations for a week, and Ji Baek was too spineless to admit it sooner.
A sharp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in." he said without looking up.
The door creaked open, and Eunsung Han stepped in, his composed presence contrasting with Seok's brooding. His clean-cut appearance and sharp gaze hinted at someone who never left anything to chance.
"You're here earlier than I expected." Seok muttered, finally lifting his head.
Eunsung walked in, his hands in his pockets, and leaned casually against the wall. "I thought I'd pay a visit before heading to the council meeting in five days. Will you be attending?"
Seok scoffed, leaning forward in his chair. "I don't care about the council or their petty squabbles. As long as nobody messes with me or my men, it's not my concern."
Eunsung's brows furrowed slightly. "You should care. Jin Lee has made a habit of attacking bully council members. He's already done significant damage to Sillim-dong and other territories over the past few weeks."
Seok's eyes narrowed at the mention of Jin. His mind raced back to Ji Baek's earlier report about the masked men. "Jin Lee." he repeated, his voice low. "You think he's one of the masked guys Ji Baek was whining about?"
"It's probable." Eunsung replied evenly. "Jin isn't the type to let things go. He's unpredictable, but he has a clear pattern of targeting council members."
Seok stood, with his cold gaze turned toward the window, where the setting sun bathed the room in an orange glow. "If it is Jin, I'll handle him myself. I'll stay at the construction site for a few days. If he's bold enough to attack again, I'll put an end to it."
Eunsung stepped away from the wall and followed Seok as he moved toward the door. "Call me if he shows up." Eunsung said, his tone firm but calm.
"Why" Seok asked and Eunsung answered, "He also took down many of my men."
Seok nodded but stopped in the doorway, turning to face Eunsung with a glint of something darker in his eyes. "By the way." he said, his voice measured, "I've obtained the recording."
Eunsung froze, his casual demeanor slipping for just a moment. "The recording?"
"The one showing who tampered with Ha Jin-oh's car wheels." Seok clarified. His lips curled into a faint smirk, though his expression remained cold. "It's all there."
Eunsung's tone hardened. "Show me."
"Not now." Seok's smirk faded as he waved a dismissive hand. "I'm not in the mood for that. I'll show you another time."
Eunsung stared at him, his fists clenching slightly before he exhaled and turned away. "Fine. Just make sure it doesn't 'disappear.'"
"I keep my promises." Seok replied coolly as he stepped out of the room.
The two parted ways outside the office, their mutual understanding unspoken but clear. Seok headed toward his men to prepare for the night ahead, while Eunsung walked off into the fading light, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of both Jin Lee and the recording Seok now held.
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1398 words.