SU | Chapter 2.4

“Raise your head.”

Ji Youngwon commanded flatly as he received a pair of leather gloves from Gu Kangsan. Lee Seongmin, bound tightly to a wooden chair with ropes, shot him a fierce glare, as if he were seething with anger. Wonsung-i standing next to him yanked at the back of his neck, twisting it.

“Ugh.”

The man bit down hard to suppress a groan.

“Mr. Lee Seongmin?”

Ji Youngwon gently called his name, his right hand now clad in black leather gloves.

“According to the information we received, the amount you borrowed from the client is ninety-two million won.”

“……”

“Is that correct?”

The man shot Ji Youngwon a glare, as if he had no intention of answering. He didn’t care that the grip on his neck was painfully tight.

“I’m speaking politely, so open your mouth and answer properly.”

His voice was soft but had a chilling undertone. The anger in Lee Seongmin’s eyes wavered for just a moment.

“I’ll ask again. The amount you borrowed from the client is ninety-two million won. Is that correct?”

“…I didn’t borrow it.”

Lee Seongmin replied, his voice strained from shouting. Ji Youngwon scratched near his eyebrow with his ungloved hand.

“Stop with the wordplay and just confirm if the amount is correct.”

With a casual gesture, Ji Youngwon signaled Gu Kangsan, who pulled a pen with a recording function from his shirt pocket.

“Huh… The amount is correct, but I really didn’t borrow it!”

“Recording.”

“I’m doing it, Director.”

As the grip on the back of his head loosened, Lee Seongmin straightened his stiff neck, his gaze naturally dropping to the floor. Ji Youngwon kindly crouched down in front of him to make eye contact.

Lee Seongmin flinched. Somehow, the gaze coming from below felt more threatening than the one looking down at him. The man’s aura was ominous. Realizing that things were not normal, Lee Seongmin’s breath began to tremble.

“Cut to the chase. Where is all that money now? Ninety-two million is a lot to spend; a poor guy like you probably didn’t know how to use it.”

Lee Seongmin bit his lip, which felt like it might burst into tears, and replied through clenched teeth.

“I… I don’t have the money.”

“I know. You only left behind eight hundred forty-five million won. Huh? Where did you spend it? I brought all your bank accounts and cards from home, so just be honest.”

“…Huh. I really didn’t borrow it. That bastard gave it to me to shut me up… Huh. It was money I was supposed to receive legitimately!”

The corners of Ji Youngwon’s eyes twitched slightly. His gloved fist tightened subtly.

“Appealing to us is pointless.”

“…Hah.”

“If you answer properly, nothing bad will happen. Even though I’m an expert in instigating violence, I can be quite flexible.”

As tears streamed down Lee Seongmin’s face, he met Ji Youngwon’s gaze once more.

“…I spent it all on my mom’s hospital bills. The life-extension injections cost thousands, so I had no choice. She passed away a few days ago, and without a funeral… Huh. I had her cremated right away. That’s all. The money you found in my room is all I have, and I can’t pay it back.”

Ji Youngwon stared at the man, trying to gauge the truth in his eyes. A heavy silence followed. After finishing his thoughts, he slowly stood up.

“Bring me a wrench.”

Lee Seongmin, who had been gasping and holding back tears, suddenly lifted his head.

“Y-You said you wouldn’t hit me!”

Wonsung-i moved to rummage through a toolbox carelessly left in the corner. Lee Seongmin’s face began to pale.

“You said you wouldn’t hit me!”

“Did I?”

“You said if I just answered properly, you’d be flexible!”

Having been hit hard in the gut during his abduction, the sensation still lingered, making him feel nauseous. The thought of tools only added to his dread. Just like no one could remain calm in the face of violence, Lee Seongmin’s rationality began to slip away.

“That’s right. But I never said I wouldn’t hit you.”

“You said nothing bad would happen, you bastard!”

Wonsung-i handed Wonsung-i wrench to Ji Youngwon. Unlike the subordinates who mindlessly tortured people into half-wits, Ji Youngwon, who knew how to use his head, was far more skilled. His cruelty was on another level. From the moment he abandoned all sense of morality in pursuit of money, any remnants of conscience had long been destroyed.

“Bastard? Wow…”

Ji Youngwon mimicked Lee Seongmin’s curse, dragging it out.

“Huh… Ugh. You bastards… I’m going to kill you all.”

“If you keep that up, I’ll get hurt, Mr. Seongmin.”

He spun Wonsung-i wrench in his hand, feigning genuine hurt as he frowned. It was a clear mockery.

“Hah. Well, I get it. It’s been a long time since I poured water into a bottomless pit, so there’s no way to find any money.”

“Huh. I told you a million times that I didn’t borrow it!”

At that moment, Ji Youngwon raised his remaining hand into the air. Gu Kangsan clicked the pen to stop the recording.

“I know. You didn’t borrow that money; you just received it.”

Lee Seongmin’s frantic movements came to a halt.

“…You know?”

“Yeah.”

“You… you guys… know and are still doing this?”

“Mr. Lee Seongmin.”

“……”

“Choose between your wrist or your ankle, and I’ll make you a fantastic offer.”

With a confused expression, Lee Seongmin swallowed hard.

“What do you mean choose? What kind of offer…?”

Ji Youngwon checked his watch, as if time were running out.

“In movies, they use something like a wooden plank to break bones, right? But that doesn’t work as well as you’d think. You have to hit it multiple times for it to break, which is incredibly painful for the person being hit.”

“……”

“With something like this metal piece, if you just control it well, it can be done in one shot. That’s my specialty, so you’re lucky from your perspective, Mr. Seongmin.”

Unaware of how malicious his expression was, Ji Youngwon rambled on with his twisted logic. As Gu Kangsan turned the recorder back on, Wonsung-i pulled out a phone and started filming.

“I’d rather not touch your body if I can help it, but you have to pay for the money you received. No matter how much we look like thugs, we take our professional ethics seriously.”

After finishing his words, Ji Youngwon raised the wrench high. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Crack! A brutal sound echoed through the basement, like hitting a hard stone.

“……”

After a few seconds of silence, a suppressed groan finally escaped.

“Ah… ugh…”

“……”

“AAAH!!”

Ji Youngwon grimaced at the sound of a pig being slaughtered and threw the wrench to the ground.

Clang!

The handle flattened upon impact, making it uncomfortable to grip. In the process of exerting force, his wrist twisted slightly.

Even though he had worn leather gloves to prevent slipping, it was all in vain. Deep lines formed on Ji Youngwon’s forehead.

“Shit, is it a compound fracture?”

“Ugh! Aaaah!”

After a few seconds of groaning, Lee Seongmin’s eyes fluttered as if he were about to faint. As the noise subsided, a choking sound followed. Enduring pain required both mental strength and physical stamina. Most targets lacked such capabilities, and Lee Seongmin was no exception.

“Fainting from just one broken bone, huh?”

Wonsung-i chuckled, and Baem added a comment.

“Remember that bastard from a year ago? The one who dyed his hair yellow? He fainted after breaking just one wrist.”

“That guy really messed with the Director’s mood and ended up dead.”

Ji Youngwon walked past his chuckling subordinates and said, “I’ll be back from the office shortly, so let me know when this bastard wakes up.”

***

“Director. You’re back.”

Executive Director Gu strode over to Ji Youngwon. As Ji Youngwon lounged on the sofa with his arms draped over it, Executive Director Gu quickly presented the documents he had prepared.

“As I mentioned over the phone earlier, President Sung visited. He would like you to personally handle his security. He plans to be overseas for about a week, and the amount he offered is double that of a VIP.”

“Now he’s being so blatant about it. If he wants a bodyguard, he should at least go to a host bar.”

“I did make excuses, saying you have a busy schedule, so it might be difficult.”

Ji Youngwon squinted lazily, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the sofa.

“Has that crazy guy who sold drugs really turned into a drug addict?”

Executive Director Gu adjusted his rimless glasses to gauge Ji Youngwon’s mood. Noticing the leather gloves on Ji Youngwon’s right hand, it seemed he had just come back from the basement.

“Double means three hundred million, right?”

“Yes. He said he would cover all travel, accommodation, meals, and additional compensation.”

Ji Youngwon clicked his tongue, continuing to tap on the sofa.

“He’s really lost it. What a ridiculous thing to say…”

“What will you do? He said he would send the exact schedule by email this evening. He asked for a reply by tomorrow morning.”

With three hundred million won dancing in front of him, Ji Youngwon was deep in thought. If he calculated the costs, this job was a no-brainer. There were no additional labor costs, and he just had to take it easy for a week. Normally, he would have accepted without a second thought, but the client was President Sung.

“Gu Minah.”

“Yes, Director.”

“President Sung isn’t the type to just drop off a request and leave.”

“……”

“What else did he say?”

Noticing Ji Youngwon wasn’t even looking at the documents, Executive Director Gu wisely withdrew his hand and replied.

“Should I tell you everything as it is, or would you prefer a brief summary?”

“Everything.”

Executive Director Gu immediately recited the message as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“…I know that Director Ji Youngwon hasn’t been seeing anyone lately. Since your lower half must be feeling empty, Executive Director Gu should set up a date for you. If it goes well, I could get you a new car.”

If you excluded the content, Executive Director Gu’s expression was as neutral as someone discussing the weather. Ji Youngwon tilted his head back, a smirk creeping onto his face as he laughed heartily.

“You’re saying I should sleep with someone and then give you a car? What kind of math is that, haha. That’s just weird.”

“I’m sorry.”

Executive Director Gu apologized out of habit. Ji Youngwon straightened up and splashed some water on his face.

“Hah… President Sung, President Baek…”

President Sung had been a key client with whom they maintained a friendly relationship for years. Known as the Midas of the drug trade, he was well-connected and had excellent information networks, making him someone you couldn’t treat lightly.

The reason Ji Youngwon could supply drugs to President Baek without any issues in exchange for personal information was all thanks to President Sung. He had taken a liking to Ji Youngwon, and during good months, he would sell high-quality drugs for only 30% of the market price. So, if things went south with President Sung, it would complicate dealings with the quite capable President Baek.

However, Ji Youngwon saw no reason to play the doormat just to appease President Sung. Selling “laughter” was something only those desperate for money would do, and for someone like Ji Youngwon, who had accumulated enough wealth to support several generations, it was a non-issue.

“Kang Minah.”

“Yes, Director.”

Hearing about the lower half comment made steam rise in his head.

“Isn’t it about time we opened up other routes besides President Baek?”

At the sudden suggestion, Executive Director Gu’s pupils flickered slightly.

“President Baek? Are you sure about that?”

“If you only dig one well, the risks get bigger. I’m tired of that bastard whining for more drugs.”

“……”

“As long as it’s not President Baek, there’s no reason to be involved with President Sung. None of our guys are into drugs anyway, right? It’s about time we made a change.”