A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 87

The next morning, Choi Taejoon pressed his fingers against his throbbing temple as he climbed into the back seat. He had managed to get a little sleep, but his condition suggested he had spent most of the night awake.

Woo Kyung didn’t look much better. His face was drawn, his eyes slightly hollow as if he, too, hadn’t slept well. Still, he greeted cheerfully as he sat beside Taejoon.

“Good morning, Director Choi. Hello, Chief Yoon!”

Chief Yoon, sitting in the driver’s seat, turned around with a baffled expression.

“You just walked out of the same house.”

“Well, yeah, but every morning is a fresh start, right?”

“What a weird little punk.”

“Stop talking so much in the morning. Just drive.”

At Taejoon’s curt remark, Chief Yoon quickly muttered an apology and started the car.

It was Taejoon’s first official workday after being discharged from the hospital. As always, the city was just beginning to wake at the early hour.

He had debated whether to leave Woo Kyung at home or bring him along.

Logically, it would have been better to leave him behind.

But…

Taejoon glanced at the man sitting beside him, absently staring out the window. For now, it felt safer to keep him close. Woo Kyung had a habit of doing reckless things, and the situation in Jeju wasn’t entirely settled yet.

Chief Yoon spoke up.

“Director Choi, may I go over today’s schedule?”

“Go ahead.”

After clearing his throat, Chief Yoon began listing the day’s agenda.

There was no doubt about it—the person in Jeju had been targeting Woo Kyung. Even Director Kim had assumed it was Taejoon who was in danger, which only made the situation more baffling.

What kind of grudge did someone have against Woo Kyung that they would go to such lengths to kill him?

“…That’s all.”

Chief Yoon’s voice pulled Taejoon from his thoughts, making him realize he had spent the entire time staring at Woo Kyung’s profile.

He tossed out a question to cover his distraction.

“What about Daeyang?”

“Daeyang? Oh. The, uh… the auction? Are you referring to the auction, sir?”

Chief Yoon fumbled as he tried to recall the details, his hesitation obvious.

“Yes. The meeting with Director Kim this afternoon.”

“Oh, right! The auction—just a moment, please. Let me make a call….”

Still driving, he reached for his phone.

“Who are you calling?”

“Director Kim Seon-oh….”

“Who?”

Taejoon’s sharp response made Chief Yoon freeze.

That tactless idiot had been about to call Director Kim for confirmation.

“This is how you’ve been working while I was gone?”

“I only did it when necessary! Not all the time.”

It was true that with Director Kim suddenly gone, things had become harder to manage.

Still, that was no excuse. Taejoon had been about to reprimand him further but held back.

“Leave Director Kim alone.”

His exasperated sigh seemed to finally make Chief Yoon realize his mistake.

“I’m sorry, sir. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Just drive.”

Director Kim’s absence was significant. He had handled most of the company’s operations.

Technically, Taejoon was still deliberating on how to deal with him, but it was clear he couldn’t keep him away forever. Director Kim was someone he needed.

And yet, ever since Woo Kyung had appeared, Director Kim had started acting strangely—doing things he normally wouldn’t.

He had tried to eliminate Woo Kyung through deception and manipulation.

But why?

Why had he done it?

Taejoon was about to glance at Woo Kyung again when—

“Oh, oh, oh—!”

Woo Kyung suddenly gasped, his voice rising in alarm.

“D-Director Choi! Look at that—what the hell is that?”

Chief Yoon’s voice followed immediately, flustered and panicked.

“What the—what is that?!”

Taejoon frowned and turned to see what they were gawking at.

“What the hell….”

The sun was just beginning to rise.

And there, in the distance, draped across the company’s headquarters like an enormous ribbon on a gift.

Was a massive sheet of fabric covering the entire building’s facade.

A massive banner, large enough to cover the entire facade of the building from the rooftop to the ground, obscured all the windows. Even from a distance, it was impossible to miss.

“…Ah.”

The moment Choi Taejoon realized what it was, he bit down hard on his lip, a curse slipping out instinctively.

“That crazy bastard, Kang Jae-wook….”

It was a blown-up print of that photograph—so large it stretched across the entire building.

A picture of himself kneeling before Kang Jae-wook.

That lunatic had ordered Director Kwak to take the photo at the time. And now, it was clear—he had been planning this stunt all along.

As they approached, Taejoon saw building maintenance staff and security personnel scrambling on the rooftop, struggling to tear the banner down.

“That bastard really put on a show.”

Taejoon scoffed, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it.

He should have finished the job that night.

Narrowing his eyes at the humiliating display, he flicked off a bit of ash.

Kang Jae-wook must have been waiting for this—waiting for the exact day Taejoon returned to work just to pull something like this.

“I apologize, Director Choi. We ordered an immediate removal, but… I don’t know why they’re being so slow about it. We should’ve taken care of it sooner… I’m sorry.”

“Apologies, sir.”

Voices from every direction chimed in, filled with nervousness and guilt. Most of them stood frozen, pale-faced, unsure of what to do.

Taejoon recalled Kang Jae-wook’s words from that night, when he had let his men go. What had he called it? A gesture of goodwill?

Looking back, he had probably been laughing to himself the entire time, planning this moment.

A lunatic who risked his life for petty games.

How should he kill the bastard to make it truly satisfying?

“Director Kim, track down Kang Jae-wook. Now.”

Chief Yoon flinched at Taejoon’s cold gaze, then quickly nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

For once, he didn’t argue, didn’t correct Taejoon by saying, But I’m Chief Yoon, not Director Kim. He simply obeyed.

Taejoon, however, found himself thrown off by his own slip.

Director Kim. Damn it.

He crushed out his half-smoked cigarette.

Compared to the sheer humiliation of the banner, the realization that he had instinctively called for Director Kim left an even filthier taste in his mouth.

“Sir, Kang Jae-wook is still at the hospital. Visitors are restricted, but… they said an exception has been made for you.”

Chief Yoon relayed the information while holding his phone to his ear.

“Oh, and… he also asked if you received his gift.”

That lunatic was probably rolling on the floor laughing right now.

Taejoon pulled out a fresh cigarette and placed it between his lips.

“Tell him I received it well… and that I’ll be returning the favor personally.”

“Yes, sir.”

With that, Taejoon turned and strode into the building.

The memory of that night burned in his mind, his fury simmering just beneath the surface.

That night, he had nearly lost Woo Kyung.

And maybe—just maybe—Kang Jae-wook understood how much Woo Kyung meant to him better than even Woo Kyung himself.

It wasn’t enough that he had tried to kill him. Now, he had to rub it in.

This wasn’t just a prank. It was a declaration of war.

“Bring back the head of security as soon as possible.”

“Are you referring to Chief Seo, sir? Understood.”

At the time, when Director Kim had suggested firing Chief Seo over the Jeju incident, Taejoon had let it slide.

But how was any of this Chief Seo’s fault?

Besides, the real target that night hadn’t been Taejoon—it had been Woo Kyung. No one could have anticipated that.

“No one enters my office today.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Proceed with the morning meetings as scheduled. Leave an hour free in the afternoon.”

“I’ll arrange it.”

“And prepare a bouquet of flowers.”

“…Flowers?”

“For my hospital visit.”

“…Understood.”

Taejoon quickened his pace toward his office.

But then, something made him pause.

Woo Kyung had been strangely quiet since stepping out of the car.

Dead silent.

So much so that if Taejoon hadn’t known better, he might have forgotten he was even there.

“……”

Scanning the crowd of black suits surrounding him, Taejoon’s eyes found Woo Kyung.

He was standing with his head down, staring at the ground.

During his hospital stay, he had already struggled under the watchful eyes of the other men in the organization.

And now, judging by the atmosphere, the moment Taejoon was out of sight, those same men would pounce on him like a pack of hungry wolves.

Taejoon let out a slow breath.

Then, without hesitation, he curled his fingers and motioned for Woo Kyung to come closer.

“Woo Kyung.”

The unexpected call startled him.

“Y-yes?”

But the bigger surprise was the reaction of Taejoon’s men.

They all turned to Woo Kyung with wide eyes, as if they had just witnessed something unheard of.

Taejoon wasn’t the kind of man who called people so… gently.

“Come with me.”

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