Chapter 10

Chapter 10. At Least 300 Billion

The atmosphere in the office turned tense in an instant. Lee Dong-shik stared with a hardened expression for a while before he let out a snort of disbelief and laughed.

“Ha, seriously. Are you starting to joke now?”

“Does it sound like a joke to your ears?”

“Are you out of your mind?! Who in their right mind would invest 300 billion in a minor who isn’t even from a noble lineage?!”

Lee Dong-shik finally exploded with anger.

“Do you know how much the most promising talent of South Korea, Yoo Junho, was worth when he was a minor? 1 trillion! 1 trillion!”

“Oh, really?”

“The highest-ever valued guy was worth 1 trillion, and you’re telling me that a skinny skeleton kid who was bullied just a few months ago is worth 300 billion? A third of that?”

“What does it matter?”

“What, what?!”

“What does it matter if Yoo Junho was worth 1 trillion or 100 trillion? I’m the club’s representative, and I value my player at over 300 billion.”

Representative Jo delivered his final verdict to a speechless Lee Dong-shik.

“I’ll say it again, I won’t sell Jinsung for less than 300 billion. Pass that on.”

After that, Representative Jo crossed his arms and kept silent, showing an unwavering stance that there would be no negotiation. Lee Dong-shik’s face turned red and then pale, but he soon sighed and calmed his excitement. Then, with a much more subdued but still intensely angry voice, he warned.

“Don’t do this, friend.”

“You should know better than to mix personal and business matters. Just because we went to the same university, you think you can take the club’s top star for a bargain?”

“Should I really separate personal matters from business?”

Lee Dong-shik’s eyes narrowed.

“Should I let the whole country know that you’re running illegal death matches with minors here? That you’re making money off gambling, and burning the bodies of boys? Should I spread that news all over the place?”

Representative Jo’s expression hardened as he listened to Lee Dong-shik. He too spoke in a colder tone.

“You’re crossing a line. Do you think I don’t know that your Dream Gold is running an illegal drug factory in Hwaseong?”

“That you’re forcing minors and disabled people to work there 24/7? Should I arrange for a raid by a news team? Want me to spread that all over the country?”

Lee Dong-shik, unable to respond and looking flustered, was met with Representative Jo’s gaze as he tried to persuade him in the gentlest tone possible.

“I’ve said it before, haven’t I? We deal fatal blows if crossed. Let’s not start a fight over a mere kid and end up hurting each other, okay?”

“Go tell Yang Joog-geun about Jinsung’s price. Now leave.”

With Representative Jo’s dismissal, Lee Dong-shik trembled with rage and then abruptly turned around.

Bang!

Lee Dong-shik slammed the door as he left. Representative Jo quietly clicked his tongue as he looked at the door.

‘Do they forget that I never let these kids out alive?’

Honestly, even if the offer was higher than 300 billion, Representative Jo had no intention of selling Kim Jinsung. Beyond money, there was an ironclad rule he had to follow to keep the club going.

Lee Dong-shik immediately reported back to Yang Joong-geun.

“What? 300 billion?!”

Yang Joong-geun was predictably furious.

“That guy’s completely insane! I’m hesitant to even give 10 billion, and he says 300 billion?!”

“You’re telling me you came back empty-handed after hearing that crazy talk?! You idiot…!”

“That damn bastard!!”

Yang Joong-geun stopped in his tracks, about to throw an ashtray, as Lee Dong-shik suddenly shouted.

“I will never forgive him. The humiliation he openly inflicted on me today, I will never forget. I will stake everything I have on revenge!”

Grinding his teeth and with eyes bloodshot with rage, Lee Dong-shik’s demeanor left Yang Joong-geun with an incredulous expression. Lee Dong-shik had never shown such a side in front of him before.

“Even if you’re angry, what are you doing in front of me?!”

“I’m sorry, Master.”

Seeing Lee Dong-shik bow his head, Yang Joong-geun let go of the ashtray. Lee Dong-shik internally breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Phew, thankfully it worked.’

He had acted out of desperation, not wanting to be hit. He hoped that showing unexpected anger would make Yang forget about hitting him, and it worked. Of course, his anger towards Representative Jo was real.

“So, how do you plan to get revenge?”

Sitting down, Yang Joong-geun asked, and Lee Dong-shik laid out the plan he had been considering.

“The word ‘revenge’ has only one conclusion for the Dream Gold Clan, Master.”

Murder. And the destruction of evidence.

The fate of those who had crossed Dream Gold had always been the same, without exception.

It would be no different for Representative Jo.

“Are you saying you’re going to kill Representative Jo?”

“More precisely, to take control of the entire Fight Club. To deal with or capture all the employees, including Representative Jo. There are three benefits to this.”

“What are they?”

“Firstly, we can get our hands on Kim Jinsung. Secondly, I can have my revenge on Representative Jo. And most importantly, thirdly, you can take over the operation of the Fight Club.”

“Hmm…”

“You’ve been very interested in the profits of the Fight Club lately, haven’t you? Imagine that golden goose in your hands.”

Yang Joong-geun’s expression showed he was intrigued. Seeing this, Lee Dong-shik continued to persuade him.

“If you allow it, I will lead our forces to take over the Fight Club. With the current power of Dream Gold, we can easily take control of the Fight Club.”

“I know that! That’s not the problem!”

Yang Joong-geun suddenly raised his voice.

“What if even one person escapes and snitches to the police? Especially Representative Jo, wasn’t he quite the fighter?”

“He was a prominent Hunter until five years ago.”

Up until five years ago, there wasn’t a Hunter who didn’t know the name Jo Kang-hyun. Representative Jo was a rising star in the Hunter community of South Korea until he retired due to a spinal injury. Even with his current condition, he would be capable of escaping with his life.

“And doesn’t Representative Jo have some connections in the government? Don’t you know we could be finished if we mess this up?”

“You’re right. Without a perfect plan to keep it quiet, it would be difficult.”

“You know that and still…!”

“Do you want to hear my detailed plan?”

Lee Dong-shik’s words made Yang Joong-geun fall silent. He was ready to listen.

“The best method is, of course, to eliminate Representative Jo separately. The safest way is to do it when he leaves his territory, the club area.”

“But doesn’t he hardly ever leave the club?”

“He hardly leaves, but he does go out. Specifically, when he has to deliver ‘gifts’ to the government side.”

‘Gifts,’ huh?

Yang Joong-geun caught on immediately and asked.

“When does he go out?”

“I’ve recently recruited someone from inside the club, and they say he drives himself to the government complex once every quarter.”

“A quarter… There’s not much left of this quarter, is there?”

As Yang Joong-geun checked the calendar and asked, Lee Dong-shik nodded.

“Yes. He’s scheduled to move on September 30th, exactly one month from now.”

***

“It’s soon September 30th, brother…”

“What’s on the 30th?”

At Daejoon’s words, Representative Jo checked the calendar.

“The day I go to the government complex? Why? Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s the date Go Junkyung’s contract ends, brother.”

“Ah~!”

He had momentarily forgotten.

It had already been nearly two weeks since the contract with Go Junkyung was about to expire.

“Is the 29th Go Junkyung’s last match?”

“Yes. Once that match is over, we’ll have no reason to hold onto Go Junkyung, brother. If we don’t act quickly now…”

“I’ve already taken care of it.”

Representative Jo answered calmly.

“You also take turns being on duty in the waiting room, right?”

“Yes, brother. I was there today too.”

“Then you know about Go Junkyung’s condition?”

“They say he’s been showing severe flu symptoms. He’s been sick for about a week now and still hasn’t recovered. But, just the flu can’t be…”

“Do you really think it’s just the flu?”

“…What?”

Representative Jo smirked on one side of his mouth.

“Think about it. Does it make sense that an Awakener like Go Junkyung can’t get over the flu in two weeks?”

“Is it some other illness?”

“Of course.”

“What kind—?”

Daejoon asked with a curious face. Today, the central area of the waiting room was packed with boys. However, there was a clear difference from a few months ago.

“Everyone, listen up!” Where Go Junkyung’s gang used to dominate, now Park Seongtae stood at the center of the boys, giving a speech.

“We’ve got new members joining our KP crew, the brothers Lee Yoon-sung and Lee Yoon-hwan! You know, the twins who fought bloodily in the arena yesterday?”

“Ah, those guys?”

“They both survived, huh?”

“I thought they’d be spared. Their match was the most entertaining yesterday.”

“Yeah, if the audience reacts well, Representative Jo, that pig, tends to give them a break.”

“That pig is really obsessed with money. How could he think of making twins fight each other?”

The boys murmuring around were all members of the crew following Kim Jinsung and Park Seongtae.

“Let’s give a round of applause to welcome the two new members to our crew!”

About 50 boys around them cheered and rushed towards the twins, starting to hit them on the back. It was a kind of initiation ceremony.

“Ouch!”

“You got me… Ah! Ahh!”

Apart from the two, everyone else was smiling at this scene, which seemed pathetic to a group of boys looking on from the sidelines. Pushed from the central position to a secluded corner without Go Junkyung, was Go Junkyung’s gang.

“Ah, it’s so noisy.”

“Do they own this place? It’s not just for them.”

Go Junkyung’s gang grumbled, but unlike before, they couldn’t openly complain. The numerical difference was too significant now. The power of individuals wasn’t much different anymore, as all the promising fighters had joined the KP crew.

All that the displaced group could do was quietly crack pumpkin seeds or lament their situation.

“Damn it. If only Go Junkyung was in good shape, we could’ve crushed those bastards without them making a peep…!”

“Is Junkyung still sick?”

“It seems to have gotten worse? He went to the bathroom almost ten times today.”

“Eleven times. He’s in the bathroom right now.”

As they said, Go Junkyung, who had gone to the bathroom again, sat on the toilet.

“Huff, huff…”

Anyone could see he was struggling to breathe, his face red as if showing symptoms of a high fever.

“Damn… Why isn’t my body recovering?”

It had started two weeks ago. Not just a simple fever, but stomach pains, diarrhea, muscle aches all came at once.

And as time passed, the symptoms worsened. Nowadays, he spent more time sitting on this toilet than lying in his room.

He wanted to grind his teeth in frustration, but he was too weak to do so.

“Representative Jo, what did you feed me two weeks ago…!”

It all started the day after he had beef with Representative Jo. Naturally, he couldn’t help but suspect something was wrong.

But then again, Kim Jinsung, who had eaten the same meal, was fine. So why only me…?

“It can’t be because of the woman I slept with that day! No, it can’t be!”

Go Junkyung forcibly erased the thought that came to his mind. It was a conclusion he truly didn’t want to consider.

However, Go Junkyung’s ominous premonition was about to become reality.

***

“Enuko disease…?”

“Yeah.”

At Daejoon’s surprised question, Representative Jo nodded.

Daejoon’s eyes widened as he continued to ask.

“Isn’t that the STD with the highest mortality rate?”