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In search of his missing sister, Chae Min had uncovered a secret: a travel company was a front for an illegal gambling ring. Cloaked in a black hoodie, tight pants, and a mask to hide his face, he slipped into the den like a shadow.
The room was thick with smoke and tension. Men clustered around tables throwing dice and betting fortunes, while others whispered deals in dark corners. Clenched in his hand was a photo—a young man who might be the mastermind behind it all.
Suddenly, a group of burly men noticed his entrance. Their eyes narrowed, and they closed ranks, blocking his path.
"Who the hell are you?" snarled one, cracking his knuckles.
Without a word, Chae Min's body moved like lightning. He ducked under a heavy fist, his elbow smashing into the first thug's ribs with a sickening crack. The man doubled over, gasping for air.
Before the others could react, Chae Min spun, delivering a crushing kick to the kneecap of the second man. He collapsed, howling in pain.Chaos erupted as more men lunged at him, but Chae Min was a whirlwind of violence. Fists and feet flew through the air, bodies hitting the floor one after another. Blood spattered across the grimy walls as he ducked a wild swing, grabbed the attacker's wrist, and twisted it until a snap echoed through the room.
Blood pooled on the sleek floor like ink on glass. Screams had faded into silence, replaced by the hum of broken lights and the soft drip-drip of spilled drinks and open wounds.
Chae Min stood among the wreckage, blade dripping crimson, eyes scanning for movement.
Then — footsteps. Fast. Panicked.
Someone was running.
Without a word, Chae Min darted after the sound. He crashed through a side hallway lit only by flickering bulbs. Behind a thin metal door, a figure stumbled into a stairwell, gasping and clutching something.
Chae Min followed like a shadow with purpose.
The man was fast, but fear made him sloppy. He tripped on the last step.
Before he could rise, Chae Min was on him— slamming him to the ground, knee pressed between his shoulder blades, arms twisted behind his back.
"Let go—!" the man grunted, thrashing beneath him.
Chae Min wasn't listening.
He yanked the man's head up by the collar and turned his face into the light.
Sharp jawline. Gold earring. Snake tattoo peeking above his shirt.
He sprinted after the figure, his boots pounding on the wooden floor. Reaching out, he grabbed the man's jacket and slammed him to the ground.
Leaning down, he held up the photo. "Cha Xiu Min, right?"
"Yes, that is me." The man under Chae Min talk in a laughing manner.
"Who and where is Mr Kim?" Chae Min said.
Cha Xiu Min just laughed at Chae Min and said :" I thought it was some loan shark,hey I don't have drugs if that is what you are looking for."
Chae Min's fist slammed into Cha Xiu Min's jaw with bone-cracking force. Xiu Min staggered but sneered, wiping the blood from his lip.
"You think hitting me will get you answers?" Xiu Min spat, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'll kill you before you ever find Mr. Kim."
Chae Min's eyes darkened, his grip tightening as he shoved Xiu Min against the grimy wall. "You don't get to play games. It is either you tell me where is his right now or you are going to die right now."
Suddenly, Xiu Min lashed out with a swift elbow, narrowly missing Chae Min's ribs. The fight exploded into chaos—fists and kicks flew, bodies collided, and the stench of sweat and blood filled the air.
Chae Min moved with deadly precision, each strike calculated to disable. His training shone through as he ducked a wild punch, swept Xiu Min's legs, and pinned him once more.
"Where is Mr. Kim?" Chae Min growled, his voice low and menacing.
Xiu Min's grin faded, his breathing heavy. "You're not ready for what you'll find, Got it! "
Chae Min's patience snapped. With a furious grunt, he slammed Xiu Min's head hard against the concrete. Once. Twice. The third blow left a sickening crack. As he continues to slam his head to the floor,he shouted:"Where is him?."
Xiu Min's body went limp.
Chae Min stood over him, chest heaving, blood on his knuckles and darkness in his eyes. When he noticed, Xiu Min bleeding from his head and he is not responding,he stood up from the blood, look around,started hitting his head with his hand and screaming,he then said while looking at Xiu Min body "You brought this on yourself."
He stepped back, wiping his hands on his hoodie, and scanned the room. Something tugged at his attention—Xiu Min's locked cabinet in the corner.
He broke it open and rifled through the contents. Inside was a thick leather ledger, filled with building plans, coded transactions, and marked locations. It wasn't just gambling site they operate —there were illegal construction sites, human trafficking routes, and hidden properties under the travel company's name.
His hands tightened on the pages. "Mr. Kim… you're deeper in this than I thought. What was my parents connection with you?" Chae Min was lost in thought .
Then—sirens. Faint at first, then growing louder.
Chae Min's eyes widened.
"Damn it."
He grabbed the ledger, shoved it into his bag, and darted out the back exit just as flashing red and blue lights flooded the alley. His boots splashed through puddles as he vanished into the shadows.
Unknown to Chae Min, one of the men he once fought survived his beating. While Chae Min was distracted checking the locker,he secretly took pictures of him. When Chae Min saw the ledger and became distracted by it,he quietly pulled away from the scene to avoid Chae Min seeing him...
Chae Min slammed the apartment door shut behind him, chest rising and falling with every ragged breath. Blood—some dry, some fresh—still clung to his fingers as he stumbled into the dim kitchen.
He flicked the light on. A single bulb buzzed above, casting harsh shadows on the cracked walls of his modest apartment.
Without hesitation, he stripped off his black hoodie and shirt, tossing them into a metal bucket he kept in the corner. He doused them with lighter fluid, lit a match, and dropped it in. Flames burst to life, devouring the evidence of the night's carnage.
He stood there a moment, watching the fire dance.
Then, with slow, deliberate steps, he walked to the table and pulled out a sealed leather folder from his backpack—the ledger. The one he found hidden in Xiu Min's cabinet.
He opened it.
Dozens of names. Company codes. Hidden assets. Schedules. Locations.
His eyes moved quickly, then stopped.
"Keunsa…" he muttered. His jaw clenched. "Mr. Kim."
His knuckles whitened around the pages as the pieces of the puzzle began snapping together.
He looked up, eyes glinting coldly.
"Found you."