A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 111
In the outskirts of Incheon Port, within an abandoned building, Choi Taejoon walked down a stairway leading to the basement, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. The air was thick with the damp scent of cement, mold, and the metallic tang of blood. The overwhelming stench made his head throb.
Frowning, he turned to the men following behind him.
“What’s the situation with Manager Kwak?”
At Choi Taejoon’s question, Team Leader Seo responded.
“He’s completely drained now. He’s much more cooperative. After confirming that his lover is safe, he seems to have resigned himself.”
There was no time to waste. Keeping him any longer wasn’t an option. If Kang Jae Wook found out that Kwak had disappeared, he wouldn’t sit still.
“Let’s wrap this up quickly. Make sure he doesn’t get any ideas.”
“Yes, we’ll proceed without any issues.”
Once this was over, Kwak and his family would be sent to a country of their choice with a hefty compensation. Until then, he had to survive without revealing his betrayal to Kang Jae Wook.
Beside him, Attorney Kim spoke up.
“And there’s some additional information. Kang Jae Wook has started selling off several properties that he can quickly liquidate. Golf practice ranges, motels, even small commercial buildings.”
“Is he planning to leave the country? Why is he selling so much all of a sudden?”
At Team Leader Seo’s question, the lawyer shook his head.
“I don’t think so. My guess is that he’s got a serious financial hole to fill somewhere.”
“A financial hole?”
Choi Taejoon raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, Executive Director. From what I can infer, it’s likely related to his Macau operations.”
At the mention of Macau, Team Leader Seo cleared his throat and averted his gaze.
Years ago, he had fled to Macau with the organization’s slush funds. Just before he gambled it all away, Choi Taejoon caught him. It was one of the reasons why Attorney Kim still didn’t fully trust him. And after what had happened in Jeju, it was also part of why Seo had been cast aside.
“Macau is something our Team Leader Seo is very familiar with.”
Seo cast a sidelong glance at Taejoon, his face slightly reddening.
“Executive Director… that was a long time ago.”
“So, what exactly is happening in Macau?”
Ignoring Seo’s discomfort, Taejoon turned back to the lawyer.
“There’s no concrete evidence apart from what Manager Kwak has mentioned. I was planning to gather more information before reporting it…”
“What is it?”
The lawyer hesitated, looking displeased.
“It seems they’ve started manufacturing.”
“Manufacturing?”
“Yes. Apparently, distribution alone wasn’t enough for them.”
“That crazy bastard…”
Choi Taejoon muttered under his breath, twisting his lips.
If Kang Jae Wook had expanded from trafficking to full-scale manufacturing, he wasn’t just facing a few years in prison—he could be locked away for life. And considering the country he was operating in, if caught, he would face the death penalty without question.
But why take such a risk in a place with such strict laws?
Sensing Taejoon’s unspoken thoughts, Attorney Kim quickly elaborated.
“That’s why I wanted to confirm it first. It doesn’t make sense for him to start something so dangerous in Macau.”
Scratching his head, Team Leader Seo spoke cautiously.
“Actually, given the current situation, it might be the perfect place. As long as he has enough money, it’s easier to buy off the higher-ups. He also won’t stand out, blending in easily with the local population. Plus, I’m sure he has a puppet in place to take the fall. That’s why he’s confident enough to go all in.”
That puppet must be Manager Kwak.
“Well, Team Leader Seo is an expert in that area.”
“E-Executive Director…”
Seo wiped his forehead, clearly uncomfortable, making Taejoon smirk.
“Are there still useful contacts over there?”
“Yes, I have a few. I’ll reach out.”
“Good. Look into it.”
By now, they had reached the underground level. The group pushed open a heavy steel door.
“You’re here, sir!”
Manager Yoon and a few other subordinates immediately stood at attention.
In the corner of the warehouse, a man was slumped against the wall, his arms bound. His entire body was covered in blood.
“Did you kill him? What’s with his condition?”
At Seo’s sharp question, Manager Yoon quickly shook his head.
“We followed orders. He’s still breathing.”
“Bring him here.”
The man was dragged forward and forced onto his knees. He wobbled as if he might collapse at any moment.
Taejoon pulled a metal chair over and sat down in front of him. Manager Yoon yanked the man’s head up, forcing him to meet Taejoon’s gaze.
“Look at me.”
The man sluggishly lifted his face. He had been beaten so badly that his features were barely recognizable. His swollen eyes, broken nose, and split lips made it difficult to distinguish one from the other. Blood pooled in the whites of his eyes, and every breath sent more crimson bubbling from his mouth.
Leaning forward slightly, Taejoon spoke quietly.
“You’re the hitman Kang Jae Wook hired, aren’t you?”
Manager Kwak had provided his name.
“Ugh… I… I messed up…”
The man’s words came in strained gasps, barely holding on between life and death.
Taejoon remained indifferent.
“Manager Yoon. How many times?”
He asked the question calmly.
“How many times has he begged for his life?”
The man’s swollen, half-lidded eyes glimmered with desperation. But that moment of hope quickly faded. He lowered his head in resignation, coughing violently.
Standing beside him, Manager Yoon silently counted on his fingers.
As if recalling each plea for mercy, he tallied up the number of times the man had begged while being beaten.
“At least twenty times.”
“Then cut him into twenty pieces.”
At Choi Taejoon’s cold command, Manager Yoon swiftly brought over a razor-sharp blade.
The man, realizing what was about to happen, struggled in horror. When the cold steel touched his big toe, he let out a bloodcurdling scream.
“W-wait! Just a moment! P-please! AARGH!”
“Attorney Kim, give me the documents.”
The lawyer, who had accompanied them to this place for the first time in a while, handed over the papers with a deep frown. When Kim was around, there was no need for him to step into these situations personally, but with Kim gone, his workload had increased—and clearly, he wasn’t happy about it.
The man glanced back and forth between the knife and Choi Taejoon, sobbing.
“P-please….”
“Im Kyungho. Twenty-nine years old. Born in Seoul. One younger sibling.”
At the mention of his sibling, the man trembled violently, his entire body shaking with fear before he finally broke down in loud sobs.
Taejoon smirked bitterly, as if remembering something.
“So you were the bastard I saw that day in the restroom.”
This was the man who had driven the car that charged at him in front of the bar earlier that summer. That accident had left Hyunwook injured and led to Taejoon’s current cohabitation with him.
Had circumstances been different, this man would have been torn apart without hesitation. But since he had inadvertently given Taejoon the excuse to live with Hyunwook, he could overlook it—just this once.
However, the attempted murder with the truck and Chairman Gil’s murder? Those couldn’t be ignored.
Taejoon opened the next file and pulled out several photos along with a bloodstained note.
The pictures were of Hyunwook and himself. The note contained the address of Hyunwook’s house in Jeju.
“What’s this about?”
“T-that wasn’t me! P-please, believe me!”
“I know. I’m asking why you had it.”
He already knew this man wasn’t the one who had stabbed him. That attacker was still half-conscious in a hospital.
“I-I swear! I don’t know anything! I just did what I was told, and the money showed up in my account! I didn’t kill that man! The documents… ugh!”
Before he could finish, Manager Yoon’s boot struck his jaw.
“You son of a bitch! Speak clearly!”
Taejoon raised a hand, signaling Yoon to stop. The man, now sprawled on the floor, screamed desperately.
“I-I was supposed to kill him too!”
He stared at the photos in Taejoon’s hands.
“But… someone else got there before me.”
That someone else must have been the attacker Taejoon had confronted.
“I swear, it’s true! Please believe me! I was sent to kill the Executive Director… but I wasn’t the one who actually did it.”
Piecing together his frantic words, it became clear. Kang Jae Wook had sent this man to Jeju to assassinate Choi Taejoon.
But someone had beaten him to it.
“So someone got to him first?”
This meant that aside from Kang Jae Wook, there was another person targeting Hyunwook.
“Y-yes! That’s right! I saw a guy in a black raincoat attacking the man who was with you that day.”
Taejoon studied the man carefully. He didn’t seem to be lying.
“What about the truck incident?”
“T-the truck? No! That wasn’t me! I don’t even have a truck license!”
The man looked up at Taejoon with dazed eyes, shaking his head furiously.
If his words were true, then he was only responsible for the murder of Chairman Gil and the attempted hit-and-run in front of the bar.
That meant someone else had orchestrated the Jeju attack.
Someone had been trying to kill Hyunwook, not Taejoon.
“If you’re looking for that guy… If you let me live, I can—!”
“You know who it is?”
At Taejoon’s sharp question, the man shrank back before hesitantly speaking.
“His knife grip was weird, so I remember it.”
“If you’re bullshitting me, I’ll kill you right here.”
Manager Yoon snarled menacingly.
“N-no! I swear! It was unusual, like a left-handed person forcing themselves to use their right hand. I’ve seen someone like that before. If it’s the same guy, then I know who he is.”
“The other guy—he’s still in the hospital, right?”
“Yes, he’s still unconscious, last I heard.”
Taejoon stood up.
“Throw this bastard in the car. We’re going to the hospital.”
“S-so you’ll let me live?”
“Shut up and move.”
If what he had just said was true, then Kang Jae Wook had ordered this man to carry out Chairman Gil’s murder and the bar attack.
He had also been sent to Jeju but lost his chance.
So who had orchestrated the Jeju attack and the truck incident?
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