A Contracted Gangster Who Has to Die to Survive - Chapter 99

Director Kim’s reaction was exactly what Taejoon had expected.

His response was polite and composed, as always.

“Who Hyun Wookyung really is,  doesn’t seem to matter much to me. From the beginning, and even now, the only person I trust is you, Vice President. I apologize for causing unnecessary concern.”

Not that it’s unimportant but he’s given up. He’s accepted that I won’t back down and has decided to compromise instead.

Taejoon smirked.

“The power of a six-story building in Gangnam’s most valuable district, huh?”

Kim’s previously rigid expression relaxed slightly.

“I won’t deny that it played a part.”

Turning back to face Taejoon, he chuckled lightly—as if they hadn’t been at odds just a day before.

“If you had come home just a day later, I might have been the one coming to see you first.”

His demeanor had returned to its usual controlled efficiency, as if nothing had changed between them.

“By the way, I told Manager Yoon to take the day off. He’s been through a lot. And you have a tight schedule today, so we should get going soon.”

Taejoon didn’t know how Kim had truly settled his feelings about Wookyung.

But at least it seemed like he wouldn’t openly show hostility toward him anymore.

Whatever Kim thought privately, this was a relief.

And Taejoon had no intention of revisiting what had happened between them.

There was no reason to—and nothing good would come from it.

The storm of chaos finally seemed to be settling.

“In this case, they believe they can track the transactions by tracing financial account activities. Given the circumstances, it’ll be hard for them to slip through.”

Taejoon stared out at the darkened cityscape beyond the car window.

It looked like he wasn’t paying attention, but in reality, he was absorbing every word, every implication.

Or at least trying to.

It had already been several days since he’d left Wookyung home alone.

He had been checking in from time to time, ensuring he was safe by keeping security personnel stationed nearby.

But he couldn’t shake the worry that some rat would crawl out of the shadows and make trouble for him again.

That was why he needed to finish his work quickly today—so he could get home as soon as possible.

As Kim wrapped up his report, Taejoon pressed a finger against his temple and asked,

“And what did Prosecutor Park say?”

“He’s already applied for a warrant to access financial records and is also investigating the flow of funds through a separate channel.”

“The flow?”

“Yes. Over the past year, at least 80 billion won has moved through Kang Jae Wook’s accounts alone. Once the investigation begins in full, they estimate the actual amount could be at least ten times that.”

“Ten times…? That’s 800 billion won?”

“Yes. The amount is too large to ignore, and they’re already facing increased pressure. The police raid on the Yangjae site was proof of that.”

Taejoon let out a sharp exhale, pulling a cigarette from his inner pocket.

“Of course. Make sure the guys stay in line. No reckless moves—we can’t give them any excuse.”

“Understood, Vice President.”

He had long known that Kang Jae Wook was using his Hold’em pub chain to run illegal gambling operations.

It was also a key money laundering route for his illegal pharmaceutical trade.

But Taejoon hadn’t realized the scale of it.

A trillion won in dirty money flowing through every year…

If they wanted to take Kang Jae Wook down, this was the weak point they needed to target.

But Kang Jae Wook wasn’t a fool.

He had fortified this operation better than anything else—a stronghold that neither law enforcement nor outside threats could easily penetrate.

Now that Taejoon was making a move, it was clear the bastard was panicking.

The counterattacks over the past few days had been getting more aggressive.

“Are you heading home tonight?”

At Kim’s question, Taejoon exhaled a slow stream of smoke, letting it slip through the crack in the car window.

“…Yeah.”

“Understood. Manager Yoon, take us to the Vice President’s residence.”

“Yes, sir. But…”

The driver, Yoon, hesitated, glancing at the side mirror.

“What? Something wrong?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing. I must have seen it wrong. I’ll take us there now.”

The balance of this war was tipping.

It was a zero-sum game—unless he found a way to break the cycle.

Victory would go to the side that struck first and hardest, before the other had a chance to recover.

If he miscalculated even slightly, keeping Wookyung safe would be nothing more than wishful thinking.

A gang war almost seemed simpler in the past—just a bunch of thugs with knives, running wild in the streets.

Now, it was a battle of strategy, money, and control.

Taejoon leaned back against the seat, lost in thought.

Then something caught his eye outside the window.

An ice cream shop.

Ice cream.

“Yoon, pull over.”

He gestured toward the franchise shop they had just passed.

The car came to a halt a few meters ahead.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Vice President, no.”

Kim was already unbuckling his seatbelt.

“I’ll go instead. What flavors should I get?”

“I’ll do it myself.”

Just as Taejoon was about to step out of the car, his phone buzzed with a message.

Hyun Wookyung:
You remember there’s a soccer match early this morning, right?! Can we watch it together?

Ah—he had been excited about this for days.

Taejoon’s expression softened as he read the message.

Noticing this, Kim promptly stepped out of the car.

“I’ll get a variety of flavors.”

“Vanilla.”

“…Excuse me?”

Choi Taejoon quickly added,

“And strawberry. No chocolate.”

“…Understood.”

Director Kim suppressed a dry chuckle before stepping into the ice cream shop.

“Vanilla and strawberry are fine, but no chocolate… You’re picky, Hyun Wookyung.”

He muttered under his breath as he scanned the display, selecting a few flavors. The container filled up faster than he expected.

“That’ll be all. Oh, wait—one more.”

“What flavor would you like?”

“The same… No, add chocolate to this one.”

Might as well get one for Manager Yoon, too. He had been dealing with a lot in his absence, and his child had just turned two.

Glancing between the black sedan parked outside and the staff carefully packing the ice cream, Kim instructed,

“Make sure it’s packed well—it’ll be a while before we get back.”

“Of course, sir.”

Something felt off.

He couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but a cold unease settled in his chest.

“Here’s your receipt.”

The cashier placed the card and receipt on the counter.

“Oh, I don’t need the receipt.”

At first, when Choi Taejoon had taken an interest in Hyun Wookyung, Kim had assumed it was just a passing whim.

He had seen gangsters spoil their lovers before—but a mob boss taking in an undercover cop?

That was unprecedented.

He had tried to stop it, laid out the evidence, even forced the truth in front of him.

But at this point, it was impossible to change Choi Taejoon’s mind.

All Kim could do now was watch and protect him from the shadows.

If this was what Taejoon wanted, then he would comply.

Just as Taejoon had promised to protect Wookyung, Kim would protect Taejoon.

At least this way, he could stay by his side.

Losing that position entirely would have been far worse.

Even if he had joked about the six-story building in Gangnam, deep down, it had stung.

That was how serious Taejoon had been about cutting ties.

It was his way of saying, I’m not backing down. I’ve already made my choice.

“Here you go, sir.”

“Thank you.”

With two bags of ice cream in hand, Kim stepped out into the night.

The air had grown colder.

The kind of chill that signaled the first snowfall of the season.

It reminded him of that night.

The night he had found Taejoon collapsed in front of his office.

A shiver ran down his spine.

Rubbing his arms, he exhaled a slow breath and glanced upward.

The sky hung heavy with clouds, so low it felt like he could reach up and touch them.

He had only looked away for a second.

And then—

“……!”

A shadow moved too close, too quickly.

Kim barely registered the figure before a sharp pressure crushed his gut.

His breath hitched.

A second later, the burning pain hit.

The ice cream bags slipped from his fingers.

For a moment, his mind went blank.

He hadn’t even seen the knife.

His first instinct wasn’t to look at the attacker.

Instead, his eyes darted toward Taejoon’s car.

Don’t get out. Stay inside. Choi Taejoon, please.

But reality never cooperated.

The backseat door swung open with force.

Footsteps—urgent, pounding against the pavement.

“Kim Sun Oh—!”

The second stab came before he could react.

He barely managed to grab the attacker’s wrist, but his strength failed almost instantly.

“Shit. You’re not Choi Taejoon?”

Don’t… don’t come here…

His throat refused to make a sound.

Not a single word left his lips.

His vision blurred.

The world tilted.

Between the slow blinks of his heavy eyelids, he caught a final glimpse—

Taejoon’s face.

Panic. Terror. Rage.

And then,

Silence.

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