24:HNH Associates (4)
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Yuujin didn't say a word. He just stared at James Lee.
James stared back, smiling — not kindly, but with the kind of smile that could cut glass.
A subtle movement broke the stillness. Nobure stepped forward and stood beside James, looming like a silent wall.
James sat there with one leg casually draped over the other, elbows resting on the chair's armrests in perfect balance — like a king receiving an audience.
Moonlight spilled through the window, but Crexa and Nobure's shadows cut most of it off. The only clean beam of silver light touched Yuujin from above James Lee's side, framing him like he'd stepped into a stage he hadn't agreed to be on.
Yuujin's voice finally cut through the cold air.
"What the hell is going on here?"
James Lee's eyes stayed locked on him. "I'll tell you everything. But… why don't you take the seat in front of you?"
Yuujin looked down — a steel stool, cleaner and more polished than any stool had a right to be. He pulled it forward, sat, and met James's gaze head-on.
James smirked. "Alright. Ask what you want to know."
Yuujin picked up the glass of water in front of him, took a slow sip, then set it back down.
"Tell me everything you want."
James chuckled low. "Straight to the point. I like that."
His gaze sharpened, and the air in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.
"As you should know," James began, "I'm entering politics. And in politics, money talks louder than votes. Money is what moves the news, the campaigns… the power."
Yuujin's eyes narrowed slightly.
James leaned forward a little, voice steady but cold.
"I thought about how Charles Choi built his empire. How he pulled people in. I don't have the time to dig in the dirt myself to find loyal talent — so I sent Crexa and Nobure out. A week before I made my announcement, they were already hunting."
Yuujin gave a small nod for him to continue.
James smirked. "They came back with exactly what I needed — four people with power, with experience… and with the right kind of dirt on their hands. The kind that keeps them quiet."
He gestured lazily with his hand.
"You know what I call you all?"
Yuujin stayed silent.
"My Four Money Generators."
The words landed flat, but they stuck.
"And here's the fun part — every one of them is in Korea illegally… except you."
James's smirk deepened. "Two from Japan, one from Mexico… and one from North Korea."
Yuujin's eyes widened slightly. He didn't need to guess who that was.
James's tone turned almost casual. "You've figured it out, right? Aera Kwon."
Yuujin's voice dropped. "You said she was a candidate for an… Apostle."
"I didn't lie," James replied smoothly. "She was. Being from North Korea doesn't change that."
Yuujin didn't push further. His mind replayed Aera's hollow stare, the tension behind her calm.
James tapped the table, shifting the subject. "But we're not here to talk about Aera. We're here to talk about this."
Crexa set the small black chest onto the table. James flipped it open. Inside: three rings — white, gold, and black.
"I borrowed the idea from a older generation of the 4 big crews — the Workers."
Yuujin's breath fogged faintly in the cold room.
"White rings," James explained, "are for the Associates' Presidents — the people you just met. Gold rings are for their enforcers or executives. And black rings…"
James pointed directly at Yuujin.
"Black is for VVIPs and you Mr.Yuujin .You're the third Black Tag. Number Three."
Yuujin didn't flinch, but James could tell the weight of the words landed.
"The presidents make me money," James continued, "and in return, I keep them safe — from the police, from national authorities, from anyone who wants them gone."
He leaned back in his chair, smiling. "That's the arrangement. That's all."
James started to rise from his seat. Turned towards the glass behind , enjoying the Skyline of Seoul.
"Well, that's all good but...." Yuujin's voice stopped him.
James turned slightly, half his face lit by moonlight, the other half swallowed in darkness.
Yuujin's voice was sharper now. "....What's the real reason you told me to stay?"
James's smirk widened, his canine teeth catching the light. He tilted his head like he was assessing a predator that had just bared its fangs.
"Well," James said slowly, his voice low and almost amused, "aren't you clever."
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Next Chapter: What real reason of Yuujin staying back with James Lee....
Author Note: Not Rushed.