44 – How Gangsters Deal with School Violence (15)
1.
[······I sent the address via text. But is it really okay to suddenly call and ask someone to come in the middle of the night when it’s not even morning yet?]
“It’s urgent. And if it’s not you, who else can I ask for this favor? Please think of me as your younger brother.”
[If I could only fight, I’d pick a fight every day. Anyway, I’m going to sleep now.]
“Yes, go to sleep. I’ll call you after work. Have a meal then.”
Click.
“You ended it without even saying you understood.”
Well, I guess it’s only natural to get irritated since I canceled our plans and threw up in succession lately.
My older brother looks like the most generous person in the world, but he’s secretly narrow-minded.
“Did you get the address? Can we trust this person called Informant?”
While I was wondering how to calm down my irritated brother, Mr. Ha Hyeok-su, who was sitting in the driver’s seat next to me, asked a question.
“Yes, the person is trustworthy. And that punk named Geum Deok-soo is also from this neighborhood, and Geumilsa is an organization that has a reputation in this neighborhood. So the information you sent cannot be wrong.”
Seongkyeongho may seem like an ordinary security company on the outside, but it was not your typical security company.
No, to be precise, the work they do is that of a typical security company, but the members who make up the company are not your typical security guards.
“My subordinates are really sharp in this area. Especially when it comes to what’s happening in this neighborhood.”
The employees of Seongkyeongho are people who suffer from a severe hatred of gangsters who resort to unjust violence.
They are people who, after my brother disbanded the Jeongdopa, went around the country and met people who shared the same goals as him.
In other words, they are people who despise gangsters who trust only their petty power and are willing to use violence to deal with them.
And they are the people who, led by my brother, have come together to create Seongkyeongho.
It was Seongkyeongho that completely destroys gangster organizations that torment victims of gang violence throughout the country.
Of course, there weren’t that many people who shared the same goals, and there weren’t more monsters disguised as humans like my brother, so in reality, my brother is responsible for more than half of their power.
So the goal of establishing Seongkyeongho, which was to completely eradicate gangsters nationwide, could not be achieved due to the wall of reality, and they are mainly protecting the businesses that are being harmed under the name of Seongkyeongho.
Anyway, because of these reasons, Seongkyeongho was a company that knew more about the underworld than the gangsters themselves, even though they were not a gangster organization.
Moreover, the neighborhood where Geumilsa is active is not far from Seongkyeongho headquarters, it’s like a front yard.
So it was easy to find out where Geumilsa and Geum Deok-soo, the punk who carries Geumilsa on his back, were and what they were doing.
“Well, you’ve had your meal. Your stomach must be full. Shall we start soon?”
“To catch every single one of them, we have to move quickly. Let’s go! Where’s the address?”
“I’ll mark it. It’s, um…”
“…over there, oppa.”
Just as Ha Hyuk-soo was about to enter the address on his phone’s navigation system after mentally preparing for the journey, Lira, who was sitting in the backseat, spoke up.
“Huh? Why?”
“There’s something I want to check.”
“Yeah. What is it?”
As Ha Hyuk-soo turned his head back to face Lira for the conversation, her face seemed strangely tense.
It wasn’t the unease about seeking revenge on the Gang of Geumdeoksu, but a different kind of unease.
Earlier, Lira had a somewhat disappointed expression, but she seemed to be secretly looking forward to revenge. Suddenly, her complexion changed. What on earth is making her anxious?
The question that floated in his mind was resolved with Lira pointing at the trunk and asking a question.
“I saw it while getting in the car after having a meal… Why are there so many of those in the trunk?”
“The trunk? If you’re talking about what’s in the trunk… Oh, that?”
“Yes, that.”
“Well, that’s obviously…”
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
“Ugh, ugh. Ugh…”
“Huh? Are you okay?”
“Oh, no, I’m fine!”
“But why are you gasping for breath? You just smoked a cigarette.”
“Yes, uh-huh.”
“Smoking a cigarette and suddenly out of breath. Quit smoking, damn it, if you don’t want to kick the bucket early.”
*Sob*, ah, okay…
“No, isn’t it? It’s gonna end here anyway, right? So, smoking until now won’t be unfair. You won’t die from smoking-related illness anyway.”
“Ah, ah-huh-uh!”
Why, why on earth is this happening!
With lightning-shaped scratches on his temple and clear tattoos on both arms, nineteen-year-old delinquent Yoo Beom-soo, who looked like a troublemaker to anyone, was terrified of the moment unfolding before him.
He had just played some billiards at the hideout as usual. How did things end up like this!
Yoo Beom-soo woke up early in the morning to attend the regular meeting of the Gold Line Crew he belonged to.
On the way, he encountered a chubby kid who looked like a middle schooler on the street, managed to get some easy money, and played billiards with crew members while waiting for the crew head, Geum Deok-soo.
Luckily, his cue skills were sharp today, and he even managed to sweep the money from his friends’ games.
Wanting to make as much as possible before entertaining Geum Deok-soo, the head of the Gold Line Crew, who was about to arrive, he quickly urged his friends to move on to the next game.
And then, when he opened his eyes, he was here.
Opening his eyes, he could see himself lying in the midst of a perfect mountain of trees, where not even the sound of passing cars could be heard.
“Hey, are you gonna do it quickly or not?”
“Oh, no! I’ll do it quickly, hyungnim!”
“Hyungnim? Is this punk asking to die? Who’s your hyung!?”
“I-I’m sorry!”
What Yoo Beom-soo discovered next was the intimidating, expressionless gangster Kang Jin-hyuk in a black suit, sitting next to him.
To win, Yoo Beom-su, who knew that he had to dominate the initiative, grabbed Kang Jin-hyuk’s attention and said, “Hey, mister. Where the hell are we?” in an impudent manner, followed by an absurd boast. Naturally, a thorough education followed this.
After becoming docile and following Kang Jin-hyuk’s lead, there were members of the Gold Line Crew who had been waiting for Kim Duk-soo to play billiards.
Not just standing there, but each holding a large shovel in both hands.
“Why, why? Why is everyone here? And in such a damn scared state?”
Seeing Yoo Beom-su standing dumbfounded at the inexplicable sight, Kang Jin-hyuk swung a shovel at the back of his head just like the crew members were holding.
“Kid, your friends are waiting because you’re the last one to get up. Now we can finally start.”
Then, unconsciously handing a shovel to Yoo Beom-su, he sent him to his crew members, smiling refreshingly enough to feel cool just by looking at it.
“Now, dig there.”
And so began the most dreadful day of Yoo Beom-su’s life.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
At first listen, the sound seemed like someone hitting a person, but it was actually the sound of hitting the ground, not a person.
To be precise, it was the sound of hitting the very hard ground with a shovel.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thwack!
The soil of their homeland, the Republic of Korea, was exceptionally hard compared to other countries.
To the extent that there was a separate method developed for digging land exclusively in Korea.
With such hard ground, it was impossible for the arrogant kids of the Gold Line Crew, who had only bullied pretty girls and enjoyed themselves without ever doing real labor, to easily dig a hole.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh. Ughhh.”
“Ugh, ack! Ugh! Ack! Ughhh!”
“Ugh! Oooh! Ughhh… Ugh!”
The delinquents who usually gathered to beat up weaker or solitary individuals, tormenting them with alcohol and cigarettes, naturally faced the limits of their stamina before even creating a small pit.
However, even if their stamina was at its limit, they couldn’t afford to rest.
“Huh? Are these crazy bastards playing around? Did I tell you to dig the ground? Play around?”
“Heeek!!! S-sorry!!!”
“Are your brats full of energy only for playing? Can’t you use that energy to dig the ground? Well, if you don’t have the strength to resist, just die fighting! Let’s just get beaten to death right now!”
“aaargh!!! W-We’ll dig! We’ll dig!”
It was because a demon disguised as a human was closely monitoring them right next to them.
Why on earth is such a monster doing this to us!
When Yu Beom-soo, who had hesitated before Kang Jin-hyuk and suffered a humiliating defeat, met the crew members again, he could gather courage once more.
Dozens of crew members gathered, each holding a sturdy shovel that could be used as a weapon.
Alone, they were nothing more than a bunch of troublemaking thugs who were easily defeated by Kang Jin-hyuk in a matter of seconds. But at that moment, they were the Gold Line Crew armed with shovels.
Therefore, believing in two truths universally accepted in combat—extension and numerical superiority—the Gold Line Crew charged simultaneously against Kang Jin-hyuk, a formidable enemy.
“Yeah, why aren’t they rushing in.”
In less than a minute, he found himself in a state with no intact part of his body, erasing the word ‘resistance’ from his mind.
“Hee, heeek…”
Thud!
Just recalling that miserable and gruesome scene made Yu Beom-soo’s legs lose strength, and he slumped down.
And, of course, Kang Jin-hyuk, who had tormented Hari Ra, couldn’t allow himself to see the young punk sitting on the ground, taking a break. With determination in his eyes, he stood in front of him.
“Sit? You’re sitting and resting? Hey, is this situation a joke to you?”
“N-No! Not at all! I swear!”
In response to Kang Jin-hyuk’s question, Yu Beom-soo quickly stood up, vigorously nodding his head and waving both hands in the same direction.
Yoo Beom-soo pondered over what words he could say to prolong his life, resorting to dishonesty and deception.
Yeah, that’s it! Let’s say I was curious about that!
In extreme situations, people sometimes use all their energy to come up with the best solution to survive.
Yoo Beom-soo was currently in such a situation, and he uttered a single phrase that had come to his mind in order to stay alive.
“U-um, I was just wondering how far I should dig, so I momentarily lowered my posture! I never intended to rest!”
Of course, it was an excuse, but it was the best option Yoo Beom-soo could come up with.
“······.”
“······.”
After uttering those words, a silence that felt eternal passed by Yoo Beom-soo, and he trembled in the fear of death, unable to even swallow his dry saliva.
But soon, Kang Jin-hyuk’s face showed a sense of understanding, as if saying, “I guess that could be possible.”
“Oh, right. I didn’t tell you how far you should dig.”
And with Kang Jin-hyuk’s following words, Yoo Beom-soo silently celebrated his narrow escape.
“Yeah, I’ll let you know about that.”
But Kang Jin-hyuk’s words didn’t end there, and the answer to Yoo Beom-soo’s question began to unfold.
“Who’s the tallest among you guys?”
“M-me!”
In response to Kang Jin-hyuk’s question, Kim Ji-tae, the biggest member of the Gold Line crew, quickly raised his hand and answered.
Upon seeing Kim Ji-tae, Kang Jin-hyuk nodded his head a few times, then pointed at him with his finger and calmly said,
“Dig about 10cm deeper than him.”
At that response, Yoo Beom-soo and all the crew members of the Gold Line Crew sank into deep despair.