Oh In-muk called President Choi Tae-ho.
"Sir, it's him. The Kim Myeong-gil we know is indeed the CEO of Smile Capital."
Choi Tae-ho's face darkened, a deep furrow appearing between his brows. His voice was low and heavy.
"I see. I understand."
"I'm on my way to pick you up. I'll be there soon, sir."
"Right."
Tae-ho gave a short answer and ended the call. As he gazed out the window, a blurred memory from years ago began to bleed into his vision—a time when he was younger, sharper, and ruled the streets with an iron fist.
---
A decade younger Tae-ho stood tall before his men. Among them stood Hwang Yang-jung, Lee Du-yeong, Moon Gwang-mu, and Kim Myeong-gil, lined up alongside the other subordinates. Tae-ho spoke with a solemn weight in his voice.
"I apologize for this sudden decision. Recently, I've gone through something personally devastating. After thinking it over, I've reached a conclusion I hope you'll all understand. This company will be terminated by the end of the month. I'll be wiring everyone's salary and severance pay. Thanks for everything."
Gwang-mu asked, looking unsettled, "Sir, what about... all the money we currently have out on the streets?"
"I'll take care of it myself."
The subordinates nodded, their faces grim. But one man remained different—Kim Myeong-gil. His face was a mask of expressionless stone, staring at Tae-ho as if chillingly determined to hide his true thoughts.
That night, Tae-ho lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. After a lifetime in that world, the decision to leave felt both surreal and relieving. Suddenly, his phone shattered the silence.
"Yes."
"Sir, it's Oh In-muk from security. Robbers have broken into your office."
Tae-ho's eyes snapped open. "How many?"
"I think there are two of them."
Inside Tae-ho's office, In-beom was barking at someone.
"Hey! What's taking so long?"
A professional locksmith, hunched over the safe, wiped sweat from his brow. "This model usually has a six-digit combination, but this one has eight. I think it's been modified."
In-beom, who had no patience for complexities, scowled. "What does that mean?"
"It means I need more time."
In-beom glanced around cautiously, urging him on. "Hurry it up. We need to end this quietly."
After a few tense moments, a mechanical click echoed through the room.
"Got it!"
In-beom shoved the locksmith aside. "Out of the way."
The safe was packed with documents. The title [Private Loan Standard Agreement] was visible on the top stack. The locksmith's eyes widened as he peered in from the side.
"These promissory notes... they're worth a billion won a pop."
In-beom let out a low curse. "Fuck! We hit the jackpot."
Down in the lobby, Tae-ho arrived wearing a black leather jacket. In-muk met him by the elevators.
"No one has come out yet. I've held the elevator here for you."
Tae-ho nodded. "Thank you."
"Sir... shall I accompany you?"
Tae-ho patted In-muk on the shoulder. "No, I'll be fine. Thank you." He glanced at the flashlight in In-muk's hand. "Let me just borrow this."
Tae-ho stepped into the elevator. When the doors opened at his office, he spotted a shadowy figure standing by the safe in the distance. Tae-ho clicked on the flashlight, the beam cutting through the dark to hit In-beom directly.
"Who are you?"
In-beom shielded his eyes with his hand. Tae-ho approached slowly.
"How did you get in? Who sent you?"
In-beom, who had been crouching by the safe, hauled his massive frame upright and let out a guttural growl like a cornered beast.
"Hey, old man. If you want to die in peace, why don't you just turn around and pretend you didn't see a thing?"
Tae-ho didn't bother answering. He tossed the flashlight onto the floor; the beam hit the ceiling, casting long, jagged shadows across the room.
"I asked who sent you."
Instead of answering, In-beom lunged like a wild animal. As the man-mountain hurtled toward him, Tae-ho calmly pivoted. In-beom's fist whistled through empty air, and in that split second, Tae-ho's elbow slammed into the back of In-beom's skull with surgical precision.
Thwack!
"Arrgh!"
In-beom ate the floor. But the bastard was built like a tank. He immediately rolled over, reaching out to snag Tae-ho's ankles. Tae-ho leaped back, launching a snap kick that buried itself deep into In-beom's chest.
Crack!
In-beom's ribs shrieked in protest. Tae-ho didn't let up. He drove an uppercase into In-beom's wobbling jaw, followed by a straight punch buried into his solar plexus.
In-beom's head snapped back. Leaving the giant reeling, Tae-ho grabbed the locksmith by the collar and hauled him up.
"Talk. Who gave the order?"
Suddenly, a shadow rose silently from behind the sofa. It was Kim Myeong-gil. In his hand, a sashimi knife glinted coldly under the moonlight.
Myeong-gil lunged, holding the knife in a reverse grip and aiming straight for Tae-ho's throat. Tae-ho jerked his head back by instinct. The blade hissed past his collar, missing his skin by a hair's breadth.
Myeong-gil was relentless. He slashed horizontally, then carved upward in a diagonal arc. Tae-ho kept his hands behind his back, swaying his upper body just enough to let every strike pass.
"So it was you, Myeong-gil."
"Shut up! If you're retired, stay in your hole and die of old age! Why'd you have to crawl back out?!"
Myeong-gil's eyes went bloodshot as he lunged with a deep thrust. This time, Tae-ho didn't dodge. Just as the tip was about to bite, Tae-ho's left hand clamped onto Myeong-gil's wrist. Simultaneously, he drove the palm of his right hand upward into Myeong-gil's elbow.
Crunch!
"Aaaagh!"
Myeong-gil's scream tore through the room. Tae-ho twisted the wrist, trying to disarm him, but Myeong-gil was a venomous dog. Even through the agony, he clawed at Tae-ho's face with his free hand, refusing to let go.
Tae-ho slammed Myeong-gil onto the floor and mounted him. He gripped the knife handle with both hands, slowly forcing the blade back toward Myeong-gil's own face.
'I have to end this parasite right here.'
Tae-ho put his entire body weight behind the hilt. Myeong-gil resisted with every ounce of strength he had left, but Tae-ho's murderous intent was overwhelming.
"You dug this grave yourself!"
The tip of the blade pierced Myeong-gil's left forehead. The sound of tearing flesh and scraping bone filled the air. From the hairline down to the jaw, the blade carved a jagged, brutal path through Myeong-gil's face.
"Aaaaaaaaaggh!"
As Myeong-gil's face turned into a mask of gore, In-beom—who had been dazed on the floor—rose with a primal howl. His eyes were bloodshot and wild as he charged.
Ignoring all defense, In-beom wrapped his massive arms around Tae-ho's waist and sprinted toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Die! You old fossil!"
CRASH!
Tae-ho's body shattered the glass and flew out into the night. He plummeted through the air, his spine slamming against the sharp edge of an ice-cream truck parked below.
A sickening crunch echoed through the alley. His body flipped and thudded onto the asphalt. Rain began to fall, starting to wash the spreading blood into the gutters.
Inside the office, Myeong-gil stood up, clutching his face. The wound burned like fire.
"Fuck..."
"Sir, are you okay?"
Before Myeong-gil could answer, he saw In-beom standing frozen by the broken window, looking down in shock.
"He's dead... that fucker is dead!" In-beom stammered. It was his first kill, and the weight of it was visible in his trembling hands.
Myeong-gil gasped for air, still gripping his face. "What?"
He grabbed In-beom's shoulder. "Snap out of it, Beom. You're okay. It's fine. You hear me?"
"Yes... yes, sir," In-beom answered absentmindedly.
"Kang In-beom!" Myeong-gil barked.
"Yes, sir!"
"We don't have time. Take all the money in the safe and head down first. Go!"
In-beom began frantically stuffing money into a bag. Once it was full, he moved to the window to check the street one last time. His eyes went wide.
"Huh? Sir! He's gone!"
"What do you mean?"
"Down there... the body is missing!"
Myeong-gil rushed to the window and looked down. The street next to the truck was empty. Tae-ho had vanished into the rain. Myeong-gil's gaze turned hauntingly complex.
"Just go downstairs. Now."
---
"Mr. Choi."
In-muk's voice brought Tae-ho back to the present.
"Hm?"
"Have you thought about it? What should we do now?"
Choi Tae-ho remained silent for a long moment, staring out at the city lights.