A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 74

The blade, lying flat against the underside of my chin, seemed ready to sink into my flesh with just a little more pressure.

“Woo Kyung is just the right kind of punching bag, don’t you think? He’s incredibly useful. Look, I was even able to call you out here with just him. Oh? Why do you keep stepping closer? If you take another step, who knows what might happen to our dear Woo Kyung, Taejoon?”

Choi Taejoon halted mid-step. Since Jae-wook Kang had threatened to kill me if he moved even an inch, he seemed unwilling to act recklessly.

Jae-wook chuckled when Taejoon obediently followed his instructions.

“Good boy, Taejoon. Always listening so well to your elders.”

“Cut the crap.”

“A pathetic little minion like you comes waving around a weapon, thinking he can kill me? I can’t just let you leave after that, can I? My men are watching, and I have a reputation to uphold. If I let this slide, how foolish would I look? Don’t you agree?”

It was pure nonsense—his pride meant more than any logic or reason.

“…So, what is it that you want? Do you want me to kill Woo Kyung?”

Taejoon’s anxious voice cut through the stagnant air.

“It’s simple. Just compensate me with something equivalent to my dignity.”

Jae-wook’s gaze swept over the men standing behind Taejoon like a personal guard.

“First, get rid of those muscleheads you brought with you.”

He smirked as he gestured toward the men standing behind Taejoon. Without hesitation, Taejoon turned to them and said,

“…All of you, leave.”

But despite his command, the men hesitated, shifting uneasily rather than stepping out. They knew that leaving now would put Taejoon in danger, so they lingered, uncertain.

If Mr. Kim had been here, he would have dragged Taejoon out of harm’s way, even if it meant sacrificing me. After all, to him, I was expendable—protecting Taejoon came first.

Damn it, where did that bastard Kim disappear to after throwing me into this mess?!

“Woo Kyung.”

Since Taejoon’s men refused to move, Jae-wook turned the knife, redirecting its tip toward my hand.

“Why don’t you choose, Woo Kyung? Which finger do you find the most useless?”

This lunatic! What kind of question is that? There’s no such thing as a useless finger!

“T-they’re all important! Every single one of them!”

“Hmm… That makes it difficult. If you can’t choose, I’ll just pick for you. Let’s see… Can you guess? Ding-ding-ding!”

The chosen finger was my ring finger.

“Perfect! It’s thick and cute.”

He finally pulled the knife away from my throat, only to raise it high above my selected finger.

He was going to chop it off.

“Ahhh— No, please!”

I twisted my wrist in panic, my face drained of color.

Taejoon barked out sharply,

“I said, get out!”

“But, sir—!”

“Do as I say!”

“…Understood.”

Torn between duty and orders, the hesitant men finally retreated from the room.

“My f-finger…!”

“Hmm…”

Jae-wook clicked his tongue as if disappointed, before putting the knife away. Then, with a grin, he brought it back to my throat.

“Now it’s nice and quiet. Don’t you think?”

With Taejoon now alone, Jae-wook’s men surrounded him, closing in.

Taejoon squared his shoulders and clenched his jaw, his sharp eyes scanning the room.

“Is this what you wanted, Jae-wook Kang?”

His dulled gaze sharpened, and the exhaustion in his face was replaced with a menacing resolve. At this critical moment, his survival instinct flared up—along with his unwavering determination to protect me.

Taejoon tightened his grip around the steel pipe in his hand. He looked like a wild beast baring its fangs, and some of the men instinctively took a step back.

‘I will never let you go first. If it comes to that, I’ll die in your place.’

His words from before echoed in my head.

…Surely, he wasn’t actually planning to do that, was he?

Desperate, I called out to him.

“D-don’t do this! Executive Director Kang! Just let him go!”

“Stay quiet, Woo Kyung.”

Even if Taejoon was strong, he was still recovering from surgery. And this wasn’t a one-on-one fight—it was dozens against one.

His only weapon was a steel pipe, while the enemies were fully armed with knives and other weapons. Sheer willpower and luck wouldn’t be enough to win this fight.

“If you’ve got such a big mouth, why don’t you come out and fight me yourself, Jae-wook? Stop hiding behind your men.”

“What a joke.”

Jae-wook scoffed, shaking his head.

“Why would I do something so stupid? If I fight a guy with a hole in his stomach and win, what do I gain? If, by some miracle, you manage to knock me down, I’d just embarrass myself. Why would I set myself up for that?”

“You mean to say that, even with my injury, I still have a good chance against you? If I were in perfect condition, you’d already be dead.”

“Tsk, listen to you running your mouth. Getting nervous, are we?”

“Sounds like you’re the one who’s scared.”

Despite his words, it was obvious Taejoon would be at a disadvantage in a fight against Jae-wook.

Jae-wook just kept smirking, teasing Taejoon without making a move. Taejoon frowned, his patience thinning.

“What do you want? The Gangnam redevelopment rights?”

Even as he spoke, his guard never lowered.

“The Seocho-dong business rights—if not that, then do you need the Sinsa branch operations? That should be enough to satisfy your so-called pride.”

As Choi Taejoon listed the business rights he either owned or was currently handling, Jae-wook Kang merely smirked, his expression unimpressed.

“Or maybe ST Entertainment?”

“Do I look like I care about that?”

Then, as if being generous, Jae-wook puckered his lips and spoke in a patronizing tone.

“Taejoon, you’re too naive sometimes. Did you really think that if you handed those over, I’d say, ‘Thank you, here’s your lover back’?”

He scoffed.

“All of that is going to be mine eventually anyway. Don’t you get it? The old man just parked it under your name for now.”

With that, he pressed the blade against my throat, applying more pressure.

“Urgh…”

“You should be grateful for my kindness—letting your men walk out of here safely.”

As the cold blade sliced into my skin, something warm trickled down my neck.

At the same time, Choi Taejoon’s eyes widened in shock.

“Stop it!”

“Kneel.”

“……!”

I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard.

“Kneel, Taejoon.”

Jae-wook tilted his head, still holding the knife to my throat, staring at Taejoon with a smirk.

“And while you’re at it, beg for my forgiveness. Apologize for doubting me. End it by saying you respect me, Jae-wook Kang.”

This bastard…!

“You need to show some sincerity if you want to restore my dignity, don’t you think?”

I could feel my own fury boiling over.

Not my Taejoon!

The best “Mad Dog” in <Alcohol Swab>, Choi Taejoon, kneeling before this lunatic? Not in a million years.

If I had to die anyway, I had nothing to lose. Without thinking, I screamed in defiance.

“You bastard, Kang Jae-wook—!”

Clang—

At that moment, Choi Taejoon threw his steel pipe aside.

Yes! Let’s fight, Taejoon! But… why are you dropping your weapon?

His hand moved toward the inner pocket of his jacket.

Oh, does he have a hidden weapon in there?

But instead of pulling out a weapon, he buttoned up his open jacket and glanced at both me and Jae-wook.

Then, without hesitation, he bent his knees and knelt on the floor.

“If this is what you want.”

Even Jae-wook hadn’t expected this reaction. He stood there, momentarily stunned, before bursting into laughter.

“Wow! Ahaha! He actually did it! Holy shit. Kwak, take a picture!”

“Uh… P-picture, sir?”

“Yeah! We have to preserve this moment for generations to come. I’ll print a banner and hang it on every damn building.”

“U-understood, sir.”

Chief Kwak immediately pulled out his phone and started snapping photos from various angles.

Fuming, my face burned as I shouted at the top of my lungs.

“Hey! Get me out of this! Kang Jae-wook, untie me right now! Taejoon! What the hell are you doing here instead of staying in the hospital?!”

Amid my yelling, a low voice cut through the chaos.

“Kang Jae-wook, you son of a bitch. Enough of this. Let Woo Kyung go.”

His voice was heavy and cold, silencing the entire room as if dousing it in ice water.

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