A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 102

Familiar voices murmured around me, occasionally drifting in and out of my awareness. They were speaking softly, either discussing something amongst themselves or directing their words at me.

“Are you awake?”

It was Choi Taejoon’s voice. But through my barely opened eyelids, all I could see was darkness.

“E-Executive Director?”

“Yeah. It’s me.”

The moment Choi Taejoon said, Yeah, it’s me, the surrounding chatter fell silent.

“You know, I think I just saw a ghost earlier. Director Kim appeared and said, Welcome, sir, and then—”

“Who are you calling a ghost?”

Agh!

My sluggishly blinking eyes snapped wide open. That voice… it was unmistakably Director Kim.

I shot upright, my vision still unadjusted to the dim surroundings, causing my head to spin.

The first thing I saw was Choi Taejoon looking down at me. A little farther away stood Director Kim.

His face was as pale as a corpse, but he was undeniably alive—not a ghost.

“…You’re really… Director Kim?”

“I didn’t think you’d be this shocked. Yes, it’s me.”

Choi Taejoon let out a small chuckle, shrugging his shoulders.

“No one else knows he’s alive except me. Well, now you do, too.”

“…Hah.”

Too overwhelmed, too baffled, I could only stare at them in stunned silence. What kind of absurdity was this?

“Are you disappointed that I’m alive?”

“N-no! Absolutely not. It’s just… I really am glad you’re alive, but…”

Director Kim was alive. More than relief, I was consumed by curiosity—why had they faked his death?

“He wouldn’t stop crying, so I had no choice but to bring him here. But you cannot tell anyone about this.”

According to Choi Taejoon, this was all Director Kim’s idea.

As soon as he realized his injuries weren’t fatal, he insisted that faking his death would be the best way to observe Kang Jaewook’s movements and determine who his true allies and enemies were.

With the help of a trusted doctor, he had been secretly moved to this house, where he was now receiving treatment. The doctor had been well compensated to keep his mouth shut.

Hearing all this, I finally felt my tense nerves begin to relax.

“…I see. That makes sense.”

No wonder. No matter how composed Choi Taejoon was, even he wouldn’t have acted so normally if Director Kim had truly died.

“Thank goodness. Really… I’m so relieved.”

At my exhausted smile, Choi Taejoon’s expression softened, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“For a moment, I thought I really lost him this time.”

“I knew I wouldn’t die. I have too much left to do… I can’t just die first.”

Now that I had confirmed Director Kim was alive, I felt both relief and an unsettling sense of inevitability—everything was still following the original story.

Every time I thought the plot had deviated, events always found a way to realign.

Which meant that, in the end, not only I but also Choi Taejoon would die.

I had already resigned myself to my fate, but I couldn’t let Choi Taejoon die.

How could I stop it? Was it even possible?

“Kang Jaewook has started making his move.”

“I expected as much. Since he mistook me for the Executive Director and launched an attack, their side must be in chaos right now.”

A thought occurred to me—I could help.

If I could ensure that Choi Taejoon and Kang Jaewook’s power struggle ended as quickly as possible, then maybe I could change the course of fate.

“Wait.”

Both of them turned their eyes toward me.

“I know how to take down Kang Jaewook.”

I knew the story.

I knew what would happen next, how Kang Jaewook would strike, and exactly how Choi Taejoon would ultimately win while Kang Jaewook fell.

Up until now, I had kept my knowledge of the novel a secret. But now, there was no reason to hide it anymore.

“…Ha. Really?”

Yet neither Choi Taejoon nor Director Kim so much as blinked at my declaration.

“You don’t believe me?”

The two men ignored me and continued talking amongst themselves.

“Executive Director!”

“Be quiet.”

“No, seriously! I know how to deal with him!”

I really did.

Why weren’t they listening?

Taking a deep breath, I finally began to explain.

“The redevelopment project you’re investing in… the one with all the issues between the association leader and the residents?”

“It’s a common tactic.”

The tone still carried an air of skepticism, as if questioning how I could possibly know this. Undeterred, I gathered the details I remembered and laid them out more specifically.

“The cost increase they’re citing as inflation adjustment is actually based on the construction cost index. Legally speaking, the way it’s structured is deliberately skewed in our favor.”

Director Kim, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke.

“…How do you know that, Hyun Wookyung?”

Right. How was I supposed to explain this?

I hesitated, unable to come up with a response, but before I could fumble, Choi Taejoon stepped in to answer for me.

“How else? He probably saw it on the news or read about it somewhere.”

He must have assumed that, as a police officer monitoring Taeseong Industries, I had picked up on their business dealings.

And he was likely trying to preempt any unnecessary scrutiny from Director Kim.

“Executive Director is right. I’ve been watching a lot of news and current affairs programs lately—my general knowledge has improved a lot.”

But thinking about it from another angle, did I really need to pretend not to know?

Since they already thought I was a police officer, maybe I could take a more active role in helping.

If both of them were already aware of my identity, there was no harm in using that to my advantage. Given my supposed position, it wouldn’t be suspicious for me to know about both Kang Jaewook’s and Choi Taejoon’s movements, as well as the police’s stance.

“Enough business talk in front of a kid.”

“A-a kid? I’m not that young, you know?”

But it seemed like Choi Taejoon wasn’t too keen on me inserting myself into the conversation. On the other hand, Director Kim seemed intrigued.

“So, what exactly are you trying to say, Hyun Wookyung?”

“Well, imagine I were Kang Jaewook.”

“Stop. No need for that kind of imagination.”

Choi Taejoon looked disgusted at the mere suggestion.

Still, I cautiously pressed on.

“Well… if I were him—”

The situation had only been a brief mention in the original novel, but at the time, my aunt’s company had been going through something similar, so I remembered it vividly.

“The thing businesspeople fear most is a tax audit. I think Kang Jaewook’s most likely move will be to come after us with tax-related issues.”

“The tax situation shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Yes, that’s true. Even if we’re audited, it won’t be a major issue, but it’ll be an enormous hassle. And while that’s happening, they’ll be doing everything they can to delay construction.”

They’d bring in government officials, stir up conflict between the union members and the association leader, and ultimately, they’d manipulate the residents’ representative into exposing past corruption and unfair contract terms.

“We need to block that before it happens.”

“So, what’s your plan?”

“…Manager Kwak.”

This time, it was Choi Taejoon who asked,

“Who?”

“Kang Jaewook’s right-hand man—Manager Kwak. From what I know, he’s the very definition of a traitor. If we get to him first, we can turn him to our side.”

In the original story, Manager Kwak eventually betrayed Kang Jaewook.

But why wait for that?

If we could bring him over now, we could cut the upcoming trouble in half.

“…….”

A heavy silence fell over the room, starkly contrasting my casual tone.

Choi Taejoon finally stood up as if he couldn’t take any more of this.

“Let’s go. Hyun Wookyung, get up. And you, Director Kim—stay put and don’t move until I say so.”

It seemed best to leave things here for today.

Just as we were about to exit, Director Kim’s cautious voice stopped us.

“…By the way, how was the funeral?”

“…….”

Choi Taejoon adjusted his coat collar and glanced at Director Kim.

His expression seemed to ask, Do you really want to know?

At the cold reaction, Director Kim let out a bitter chuckle and leaned back against the bed.

“Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked.”

After a moment, Choi Taejoon finally spoke.

“What did you expect? These guys have seen this kind of thing more than once. Life and death aren’t things we can control. But thanks to you, their morale is through the roof.”

Hearing that, Director Kim’s expression relaxed somewhat.

It wasn’t a bad thing—his supposed death had only strengthened the resolve of those left behind.

As we started walking away, Choi Taejoon suddenly paused, as if remembering something, and pointed at me.

“Come to think of it, you were the only one wailing and making a scene. You cried so much that I had no choice but to bring you here.”

“…….”

“You cried while eating, cried in the car, cried and cried and cried.”

I did cry, but he was exaggerating way too much.

Had I really cried that much?

It must have looked that way to him—so much so that he felt the need to drag me all the way here.

“Director Kim! You know Executive Director is completely exaggerating, right? It was just… a few tears…”

“…Hyun Wookyung.”

Director Kim’s voice trembled slightly, as if he were actually touched by what he had just heard.

It seemed like he trusted Choi Taejoon’s version of events over mine.

I was about to deny it again but decided against it.

“Well… I mean, Director Kim and I bickered a lot, but thinking I wouldn’t even get to say goodbye really got to me…”

Yeah, this little white lie was necessary.

And truthfully, it was more than half sincere.

Since I hadn’t brought anything for a hospital visit, I figured my tears would have to count as my offering instead.

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