Joe pressed his hand against the hole in his side. Blood leaked through his fingers and soaked into his jeans. The group of thugs moved in closer, circling him like a pack of dogs.
He looked for a gap in the crowd but there was nowhere to run. Joe sucked air through his teeth and wondered if this was the end.
Mr. Jung cracked his neck from side to side. He flashed a nasty grin and raised his hand. With a quick snap of his fingers, he signaled his men to finish it.
The thugs charged forward all at once. Joe pulled his arms up to guard his face, bracing for the impact of a dozen boots and pipes.
A sharp wail cut through the air. Blue and red lights flashed against the broken windows of the safehouse.
Mr. Jung spun around and ran toward the window. He looked down at the street where several patrol cars were skidding to a halt. Officers were already jumping out with their guns drawn.
"Shit! Who informed the police?! Damn it!" Joon-young screamed.
The thugs froze in their tracks. One of them lowered his metal bat and looked toward the exit.
"The police is here!" someone shouted.
"Boss, what do we do?!" another man yelled.
Joe slumped back onto a broken sofa. He let out a wet chuckle and felt blood bubble up in his mouth.
"For once did the police arrive in time," Joe whispered.
Mr. Jung glared at Joe with pure hatred. He spat on the floor and turned to his subordinates.
"Mission failed! Retreat!" he barked.
The thugs scrambled toward the back exit. Joe watched their blurry shapes disappear into the shadows. His head felt heavy and his vision faded into total blackness.
CRASH!
The front door kicked open as Joe lost consciousness.
---
He had no idea how long he was out. When his eyes finally opened, the ceiling was a bright, sterile white. He tried to shift his weight, but a sharp spike of pain in his side pinned him down.
A nurse walked in holding a tray with a needle. She stopped when she saw his eyes were open.
"Oh. You're awake? Your friends were worried deathsick. How are you feeling now? Should I call the doctor?"
Joe tried to push himself up into a sitting position. He groaned loudly as the stitches in his side pulled tight.
The nurse hurried over and put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's better if you keep lying now. Your wounds are still fresh."
Joe sank back into the pillows and gave a small nod.
"I am feeling fine. Can you inform my friends that I have woken up?"
"Okay. I will inform them, but let me administrate the injection first," she said.
She wiped his arm with a cold swab and pressed the needle in. Once she finished, she gathered her things and walked out of the room.
Seconds later, the door swung open hard. Geon-woo, Woo-jin, and Hyeon-ju piled into the small room. They looked tired and pale, but they breathed a sigh of relief when they saw him looking back at them.
Joe looked at their stressed faces and managed a small grin.
"Why are you guys making a face like I'm already dead?"
Hyeon-ju stepped forward and punched him right in the shoulder.
"What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Joe winced and clutched his arm while his face twisted.
"Hey, hey! I am an actual patient here!"
Hyeon-ju jumped back with a startled look on her face. She saw Joe was still grinning and she realized he was teasing her. She let out a loud snort and crossed her arms.
Geon-woo stepped closer to the bed and shook his head.
"We were actually really worried about you."
Woo-jin leaned against the wall and spat on the floor in frustration.
"Yeah. Those bastards actually attacked in broad daylight!"
Joe leaned back into his pillow and let out a long breath.
"Thanks for worrying about me. Anyway, how is President Choi doing?"
Hyeon-ju looked down at her shoes and sighed.
"He suffered some injuries, but the doctors say he is okay."
She went quiet for a second and bit her lip.
"Thanks... Thanks for saving grandpa... I really do not know what I would have done if even he left me," she whispered.
Joe let out a dry chuckle and looked at the ceiling.
"Well, I cannot let any harm come to the contractor. After all, who will pay me then?" Joe asked.
Hyeon-ju rolled her eyes at him.
"Bastard," she muttered.
---
A few days passed before Joe finally walked out of the hospital. He met Geon-woo, Woo-jin, and Hyeon-ju inside a small hotel room. They pulled their chairs into a tight circle to talk.
Joe rubbed his side where the bandage sat under his shirt.
"Myeong-gil's thugs took In-beom. They also cleaned out all the money and gold from President Choi's basement," Joe said.
He leaned forward and lowered his voice.
"He is going to use that money to contact Hong Min-beom. That guy is the eldest son of the Ill Group chairman. I think we can team up with Min-beom to take Myeong-gil down," Joe explained.
Hyeon-ju nodded her head in agreement.
"Mr. Yang-jung and Mr. Du-yeong are out of town right now. They are escorting grandpa and Mr. Oh to a safe house. I do not think we have enough time to wait for them. We have to move fast," she said.
Woo-jin looked confused and scratched the back of his neck.
"But how will he even contact Hong Min-beom? That guy is a serious big shot. I do not think he will pay us any attention," Woo-jin said.
Geon-woo looked at Joe with a doubtful expression.
"Yes. Why would someone like that help us?" Geon-woo asked.
Joe smiled because he knew something they didn't.
"You guys are still too naive. Myeong-gil has a video of Hong Min-beom and he is using it to blackmail him. We are helping him by getting rid of his problem. The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Joe said.
Woo-jin leaned in closer.
"Still, how do we even find a guy like that?" Woo-jin asked.
Joe pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked the screen. He opened up the Instagram app and showed them the display.
"Obviously, we use Instagram," Joe said.
He showed them a message he had sent earlier that day. A reply had already popped up on the screen with the address for a local pub.
Joe's smile got even wider as he tucked the phone away.
"Guys, we might get a bit drunk tonight," Joe said.