The Predator’s Pride

It was a matter that would have certainly been reported to Lee Ja Cheong. Do Guk, holding his spoon, broke the brief silence.

“……It was not an appropriate place for a killing.”

The ‘cleanup’ Lee Ja Cheong spoke of was Yu Seong Tae’s death. However, Do Guk had not executed that order. Instead, he had cut out Seong Tae’s tongue. He had been rushed to the hospital for surgery, but the severed tongue was too damaged to be reattached. Even though his life was spared, he would live with a permanent disability.

Faced with Lee Ja Cheong’s dissatisfied expression, Do Guk added in a calm voice.

“It has not been long since we held the spirit-consoling ceremony at Juji Temple. No matter how well we disguise it, if rumors start that people keep dying at Cheongun…… it could cause setbacks for our business.”

Although it had been a while since they joined the ranks of major corporations, the noise about being a ‘gangster company’ never truly died down. In the midst of that, Cheongun’s position had solidified when they received government approval for the casino business, becoming an immovable leader in the construction industry.

The implication was clear: they shouldn’t let the tower they had built so painstakingly crumble over the life of a mere low-level member.

“Yu Seong Tae is…… a man who will remain loyal to Cheongun simply for having his life spared. Did he not even carry out the task Director Go ordered for the sake of the organization?”

Loyalty to the organization. Lee Ja Cheong wanted men by his side who would live and die for Cheongun. Dogs that would never dare snap at their master.

Do Guk, who was a clear favorite among them, saw the Chairman’s expression soften slightly. It had taken him ten years to earn enough trust that the Chairman would believe whatever he said. That was the price of pouring his entire twenties into Cheongun.

“Do you intend to take him under your wing?”

“If a problem arises, I will handle the cleanup personally then.”

“If you say so……”

“I will not let anything happen that causes you concern.”

Since he was claiming a useful pawn, Lee Ja Cheong did not press the matter further. However.

“I will speak to Director Go myself, so do not worry about it, Do Guk. Director Go has been a bit… very on edge lately.”

He added a warning to be careful not to cause internal strife over this.

Go Je Won. He was a man who had been with the Chairman even longer than Do Guk. Though not blood-related, his relationship with the Chairman’s only sister, Lee Ja Yun, made him practically family. To such a man, Do Guk was a constant thorn in his side.

Do Guk, who had been exceptionally talented since he was young, had been used to handle major tasks within the organization, earning the Chairman’s deep trust with his perfect execution. In this life, the desire to rise to a higher position was a flame every gang member carried. For Do Guk, that opportunity had come faster than for others.

That special treatment was a threat to Go Je Won. The rivalry had started then.

Later, when Go Je Won was appointed as the CEO of Blue Cloud, Lee Ja Cheong placed Do Guk in the vacated position of Action Leader. It was a seat that had to be handed down eventually, but the fact that the recipient was Do Guk made the relationship between the two men deteriorate even further.

Do Guk hadn’t been hostile from the start. He had felt he shouldn’t dare challenge him since he was lacking in age and rank. But things were different now. He had learned that if you stay quiet when someone disrespects you, you become someone it is okay to disrespect.

The moment he stepped out of the main house after breakfast, he felt a wave of nausea so strong he wanted to gag up everything he had eaten. It was the usual feeling, but today it was worse because he came face-to-face with the one person he didn’t want to see.

The man walking through the garden while smoothing his flashy tie wore an excessive smile. His relaxed demeanor, devoid of any guilt over the previous night’s events, made Do Guk’s dark eyebrows twitch. He truly didn’t want to deal with him.

Do Guk walked slowly, his shoes firm against the path. Even without picking up his pace, his long legs quickly closed the distance to Director Go. He passed him by in an instant. He ignored him as if he were invisible. They weren’t on good enough terms to exchange pleasantries anyway.

But at that moment.

“You fcking insolent bstard!”

At the coarse voice flying at his back, Do Guk stopped in his tracks. Even without his name being called, he knew the ‘insolent b*stard’ referred to him. After all, they were the only two standing there.

Do Guk lifted his chin slightly and let out a silent breath. Then, he cast a glance over his shoulder. Director Go, who had been standing with his back turned, spun around fully to face him. Wearing a crude smile, he stood with his weight on one leg and let his eyes roll slowly.

“Ha, this kid.”

He began walking forward, one step at a time, rubbing his short side-hair. He stopped close enough for their breath to meet and tilted his head. He glared with sharp, intense eyes, but Do Guk met him with an expressionless, indifferent face.

Go Je Won let out a smirk and took another step closer, raising his hand. Tap, tap. He patted Do Guk’s cheek before grabbing his shoulder.

“Just because the Chairman dotes on you, you think you can’t see anything anymore, huh?”

“I wonder. Is it not you, Director Go, who can’t see what is right in front of him?”

He didn’t back down, and his retort didn’t seem to faze Director Go. Director Go pulled one corner of his mouth up and let go of the shoulder he had been gripping tightly. Do Guk brushed off his shoulder as if cleaning away dust.

“This son of a b*tch is ignoring rank and climbing over me now? I do not think the Chairman taught you to act like that.”

“Who do you think I learned it from? It was you, Director Go.”

Go Je Won let out a scoffing laugh and wrinkled his nose deeply. Soon, the smile on his face vanished without a trace.

“I stepped in because the Chairman told me to clean it up, but from now on, you will have to handle your own business, Director Go. There is no reason for the organization to endure a matter…… that was not even reported to the Chairman.”

The murder Go Je Won had ordered Seong Tae to commit had not been reported to Lee Ja Cheong. It only reached the Chairman after Seong Tae went into hiding following the killing. However, the reason Lee Ja Cheong covered for Go Je Won was that it wasn’t exactly an independent action. He, too, had been acting on the instigation of someone else.

Go Je Won smoothed out his deep wrinkles, stepped closer, and pointed a long index finger.

“That is why you were put in that position. Did you still not know that? You idiot.”

Do Guk looked down at the fingertip poking firmly against his solar plexus.

“A dog that only knows how to act cute is not needed?”

He finally grabbed the finger that was stabbing at him like a dagger. A subtle crack appeared in his expressionless face. But soon, the corners of his lips curled up gracefully. It was as if the man making threats was nothing but laughable.

“A dog that runs wild without knowing its place is the same.”

Do Guk let go of the hand with a shrug and shoved both hands into his pockets, tilting his head slightly. Director Go, his forehead deeply creased, let out a chuckle and took a step back.

“This b*stard, your brain has gone soft, has it not? Just because people call you ‘President,’ do you think you are not a gangster anymore?”

In an instant, his gaze turned murderous.

“What is so great about killing one wh*re that you had to report it to the Chairman? We should have finished that cleanly on our end. Huh?”

The woman he had used Seong Tae to eliminate was a prostitute. Since the person who requested the hit was a close associate of the Chairman, he meant it wasn’t something that required the hassle of asking for permission. In other words, he was telling Do Guk to stay out of things he knew nothing about.

“Wake up, Do Guk.”

After tossing out the spiteful advice, Director Go shook his head lightly and turned his back. Watching him continue on his way, Do Guk loosened his neat tie knot.

“Son of a b*tch.”

Walking with long strides to the garage, Chi Oh, who was waiting in the car, got out of the driver’s seat. Do Guk climbed into the back seat that Chi Oh politely opened for him and leaned his arm on the door. The moment Chi Oh started the engine.

“Chi Oh.”

Do Guk’s low voice echoed in the car. Chi Oh, about to grab the steering wheel, leaned toward him.

“Speak, Brother.”

“Find out who the woman Seong Tae killed was. Also, if possible, find out how she was connected to Representative Park.”

“Yes, Brother.”

Do Guk rubbed his aching head. After letting out a short sigh, he pressed his eyes shut and opened them again to look at Chi Oh. Seeing Chi Oh’s face, it seemed he had something to say.

“What is it?”

“Ah… about that woman you took to the hotel yesterday, Brother.”

As the person he had momentarily forgotten was mentioned, one of Do Guk’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

“I just got a call from Ki Bum, whom I sent to the hotel…… He said she is gone.”

Her symptoms were exactly those of GHB, and it seemed that was the case. Since it was a nerve suppressant that detoxifies on its own over time, it wasn’t strange that she disappeared at dawn as soon as she woke up.

“Shall I order a search for her?”

Do Guk stared into space for a moment before looking up at Chi Oh’s words.

The quick-witted bstard.* Seeing Chi Oh’s expression as he sensed something was off and offered to track her, Do Guk dropped his arm and leaned back into the seat.

“Forget it.”

Chi Oh’s eyes widened at the definitive tone.

“Let us go.”

“Ah… yes, Brother.”

Chi Oh shut his mouth, straightened his posture, and drove the car out.