KTSR | Chapter 3

The Korean restaurant, surrounded by a small artificial lake, was essentially a high-class joint. As an off-road SUV, caked in mud, pulled into the parking lot, a group of well-dressed, burly men hurried out and lined up on both sides.

The man who got out of the less-than-clean or luxurious vehicle was oddly dressed for the occasion and the welcoming party, in a faded leather jacket and a flamboyant shirt. Upon closer inspection, the shirt was deep crimson with a pattern of little umbrellas like the ones you’d stick in a cocktail.

“Hyung-nim! You’ve worked hard!”

“Ah, you guys too.”

With a brisk slam of the car door, the man tossed the keys to one of the lined-up men.

“Take good care of our beauty.”

“Yes!”

Their obedience was reminiscent of the military.

Hands in pockets, the man sauntered across the beautifully landscaped garden. His boots were coated with salt and sand, perhaps fresh from the sea, with semi-dry sand spilling out with each step.

“It’s been a while, Executive Director.”

“And the old man?”

“He’s in the Plum Blossom Room.”

Acknowledging the greeting, the man nodded at the female staff bustling about.

The separate Plum Blossom Room was noisy even before the door was opened. The laughter from inside prompted the man to dig his pinky into his ear, muttering, “Damn old men, always so noisy.”

“Hyungdo-ah?”

A booming voice from inside responded, perhaps having heard his grumble. The voice was gravelly, likely from age.

Hyungdo, as he was called, sat on the front step, untying his bootlaces. Impatient, Chairman Choi approached with loud footsteps.

The sliding door opened, and the man only tilted his head back to look up at his frosty-haired boss.

“You’re in such a rush, Chairman. You’ll make it to the afterlife before me.”

“Damn it, you brat. Is that something you should say? What’s with those clothes and shoes? Don’t you have money for clothes?”

“Why? They look cool. They’re American-made, from the military. You love American-made stuff. I dressed to match you.”

Hyungdo chuckled, lifting his boot. His tone then turned teasing.

“I could even puncture a tire with this. Where’s your car, old man? Let me show you.”

“That little shit. Are you messing with me because I got a new car?”

Hyungdo, having undone his laces, stood up, feigning innocence.

“Got a new car? I didn’t know. Show me. I’ll take it for a spin.”

“I’d rather leave it to my grandson.”

“Your grandson is what, eight? I’m worse than an eight-year-old?”

Despite the casual banter, Chairman Choi just laughed and slapped Hyungdo on the shoulder, a considerable height between them.

“Our Hyungdo is here!”

The men seated around the large room shifted their attention to the newcomer.

He was obviously the youngest there, from his appearance. The men varied in age, some with just starting to gray hair, but all were dressed in fine suits.

“Kwon Hyeongdo. Ma. Long time no see.”

A man in his late forties slammed down his soju glass, his voice loud enough to sound almost angry.

“It’s been a while, seniors.”

Kwon Hyeongdo responded cheerfully.

Chairman Choi kept his arm around Kwon Hyeongdo’s shoulder, passing by the seated seniors, and the atmosphere grew tense. The tension was notably caused by Executive Director Ma, who had recognized Hyungdo just before.

“Let’s toast, then, to our reunion.”

Ignoring Ma’s glaring eyes, Kwon Hyeongdo filled his glass himself. Chairman Choi clicked his tongue.

“What’s this soju? There’s all this fancy liquor here.”

“I prefer cheap stuff. I’ll leave the expensive drinks to you and the seniors.”

“Damn kid, always so unfriendly. That’s why everyone says you lack manners. Just accept it as his nature and let it slide.”

Despite his joking manner, Chairman Choi scanned the room with a sharp gaze, and finally, Executive Director Ma turned his head.

“Alright, let’s make a clean toast. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

Kwon Hyeongdo quietly downed his drink, not joining the loud cheer.

Arriving an hour late, everyone was already tipsy. Chairman Choi was the drunkest, able to hold his liquor only as well as Kwon Hyeongdo and, after him, Executive Director Ma. Naturally, Kwon Hyeongdo and Chairman Choi ended up conversing more.

“Hyungdo-ya, it’s time you move up.”

“Why?”

“Why my ass, kid. How long will you stay stuck in the backwoods?”

“It’s not the backwoods. It’s the seaside. It’s good for health, and the food is great. Why don’t you come down? It’s better than quitting smoking.”

“I like the city. I love looking down from a high-rise apartment in the city at night. It’s the best kind of body nourishment.”

Kwon Hyeongdo chuckled. Fancy words like ‘night city’ make his skin crawl. Maybe it’s true what they say about his roots.

“Do you also stomp around like that in your apartment? The people downstairs must have a terrible time.”

“Damn brat.”

Chairman Choi laughed heartily, refilling Kwon Hyeongdo’s glass. Taking the bottle, Kwon Hyeongdo returned the favor.

“You know the horse track, Colosseum.”

“Yeah, the muzzle? I’ve heard of it. Still going strong.”

“Still, my ass. That place is a cash cow. Makes a good penny.”

“I guess if it were really doing well, you wouldn’t have called me.”

Chairman Choi just smiled wryly. Kwon Hyeongdo’s quick wits pleased him.

As the night went on, the suited gangsters, now drunk, started leaving one by one, heading either to the lodging building with women or home—up to them. However, some still lingered, prompting Chairman Choi to call for Executive Director Ma.

“Ma Gijung.”

Ma, perhaps too upset to hear, was grimacing and guzzling down his drink.

“Hey. Executive Director Ma.”

On the second call, Ma finally looked up, his eyes a bit unfocused.

“Take the guys and go.”

“Go? Are you telling me to go?!”

His voice cracked, possibly choked up. Kwon Hyeongdo nearly burst out laughing, holding back by drinking. Ma was… surprisingly sentimental, he thought, making light of him.

“Ah, Chairman, I’m disappointed.”

Suddenly complaining, Ma seemed to be genuinely upset.

“Are you going to keep this bastard beside you again? Do you know how bad that makes me feel?”

“What the hell are you talking about? You shouldn’t say things like that. Didn’t I tell you I’d give you the business Hyungdo has been grooming? I was trying to appease you with that.”

Ma snorted. The mood turned sharply tense, yet Kwon Hyeongdo inspected Chairman Choi’s Zippo lighter and lit his cigarette.

“How much could that possibly be worth?”

As Ma grumbled, Chairman Choi threw a liquor bottle at him. It smashed against the door with a loud crash, startling Ma into sobriety.

“Spit it out then, you ungrateful bastard. You don’t even realize that’s the goose that lays the golden eggs.”

“Ah, no! Ah! Chairman, you’re so impatient. I misspoke, okay?!”

Ma Gijung grumbled as he dragged the remaining seniors out. Just before the door closed, Chairman Choi said, “Tell Hyungdo thank you.” Ma glared through the crack in the door.

“Thank you, huh? Very thankful, Kwon Hyeongdo.”

It sounded like he added a curse at the end. Kwon Hyeongdo just nodded slightly.

Finally alone, Chairman Choi sighed deeply. Kwon Hyeongdo, finishing his drink, spoke nonchalantly.

“Stop stirring things up with me. If something goes wrong, will you take responsibility?”

“That’s exactly why I called you.”

Chairman Choi poured more liquor, then lowered his voice.

“It seems like there’s a snitch in the Colosseum.”

“A snitch? We don’t deal with trash.”

“Right. Trash is for the Incheon Port guys. We handle gambling; they handle drugs. But now there’s talk of drug money at the Colosseum.”

Chairman Choi whispered urgently. This was his real face; the jokes were just a facade.

But Kwon Hyeongdo was unphased.

“Then maybe we should handle it for once.”

Chairman Choi shook his head, disgusted.

“I’d knock some sense into you if you weren’t you. You know why we don’t deal with that stuff, right?”

Chairman Choi’s youngest son had died from drug use. An overdose was the official cause. Since then, he had declared that our organization would never handle drugs.

Yet drugs were circulating in his territory, which must have infuriated him considerably.

This wasn’t going to end simply. Catching a few salesmen as an example wouldn’t be enough.

As Kwon Hyeongdo expected, Chairman Choi revealed a larger plan.

“We need to find the rat first. The stable boss isn’t capable of this alone. The prosecutors are hot on drugs lately. Maybe they planted someone to leak from us.”

“Complicated as a tangled mess of pubic hair. You always call me for these things. Do you enjoy seeing me suffer?”

Kwon Hyeongdo grumbled, barely concealing his annoyance.

“That’s why I’m entrusting it to you.”

“What if the one I handle turns out bad, old man?”

Chairman Choi scoffed.

“Ma Gijung wanting to partner up with you seems more plausible, you bastard.”

Chairman Choi slapped his palm with a fist to emphasize his point, which Kwon Hyeongdo found repulsive.

“I have an eye for things, you know?”

“Exactly. You wouldn’t handle something so messy and easily caught.”

“You’ve got too much nerve, which is why you wouldn’t engage in such risky business.”

That wasn’t entirely wrong, so Kwon Hyeongdo just grinned.

Chairman Choi was stubborn; once he decided to task Kwon Hyeongdo, it was going to happen. It was better to keep it short and direct.

“Any suspects?”

Chairman Choi’s eyes lit up.

“I don’t suspect my family without evidence. The officers might be a bit mossy, but they’re my boys from their diaper days.”

“I see why you’re asking me.”

Kwon Hyeongdo snickered, then drove the point home.

“Chairman, you know I don’t have seniors or juniors, right? I’m an orphan in this hierarchy.”

He meant to prepare himself to accept any outcome, given the responsibility.

“As you said, I’m a bastard without roots.”