＃15 Gettin' Me Some Goons
Jeon Yong-gu was the boss of Yong-gu Services and the head of the Yong-gu crew.
After hunting with his men, he chuckled at the sight of his six subordinates stripped naked.
"One dude jacked all of you?"
"Yeah."
"Heh heh."
"......"
"Jong-du."
"Yes, Boss-man."
Jong-du was a subordinate with exceptionally strong loyalty.
"How many years has it been since I met you?"
"It's been 12 years, Boss."
"Right."
Those five naked chumps over there, they're just the new recruits, Goons 1 through 5, so whatever.
"What's with your arm?"
His right hand was wrapped in a splint and hung from his neck.
"Think it's busted."
"By that guy?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm."
Yong-gu thought.
'Revenge for my subordinate?'
Getting emotional is what low-level thugs do.
The boss of the Yong-gu crew shouldn't act like a low-level thug.
Jong-du isn't an idiot, and he couldn't have been defeated by some nobody. The goons are still amateurs, but there were six of them.
A guy who won a 6-on-1 fight.
"I'm kinda tempted."
"He didn't seem like someone who would live the gang life."
Yong-gu smirked at Jong-du's words.
"Spit it out."
"He's a senior in high school."
"Gimme the deets."
At Jong-du's eye signal, one of the goons quickly stepped forward and reported.
"He's two years younger than me, pretty well-known around Hansan-dong."
"He any good in a scrap?"
"Yes, but he's more famous for his athleticism than his fighting. He's a typical elite athlete."
"Disciplines?"
"I heard he's dabbled in many, including boxing and judo. Word is, he goes to the Nationals, he cleans up, gold medals in everything."
"Huh, and he still picked a fight?"
"W-well, I didn't know, okay? Figured it out after he kicked our asses."
"Hmm."
The goon, sweatin' bullets in front of the boss-man, finished up.
Yong-gu pondered.
"It's common for athletes to get involved in the back alleys, isn't it?"
"Shit, he's good enough to go pro right now. Word is, all kinds of coaches are after him... Got the whole elite athlete thing goin', so why the hell would he...?"
The goon trailed off.
The expressions of the gangster seniors around him were fierce.
'Shit, he's right.'
If you can succeed as an athlete and make billions, you'd do sports, who would become a back alley thug?
"Hmm, so that's the story."
Yong-gu pondered.
"If I just had one guy with half a brain in this whole crew, I wouldn't be doin' all the thinkin'."
"Bingo!"
Yong-gu, havin' cooked up this killer plan, was so damn proud of himself he coulda slapped his own ass.
'Damn, I'm good!'
If things go according to plan, he'll gain a monster who could go pro right away as his right-hand man.
"Jong-du."
"Yes, Boss."
"You started this shit, you finish it."
"Just say the word, Boss."
Jong-du's eyes were full of poison.
Ready to die for him.
'His loyalty is something else.'
This time, it's a plan that uses that loyalty.
"Take the guys and go find him."
"I'll make sure to bury him."
"No, no, not bury him. Why would we bury something we should use for a long time?"
"Then?"
"Treat him like he's your goddamn boss."
"Yes?"
Jong-du was startled and knelt down.
"Boss-man, what the hell?"
"No, you get under him and..."
Ah, come to think of it, this bastard. He's incredibly loyal, but he's a bit narrow-minded.
'If I tell him to fake it, will he blow it?'
His excessive loyalty is a problem, and he was worried that telling him the plan might ruin it.
Better to just let him go full method.
Gotta fool your own crew to fool the mark!
Heh, perfect.
Yong-gu, with a deliberately hardened expression, lowered his voice and said.
"You and the five goons are out of the Yong-gu crew, starting now."
"Boss-man!"
Jong-du's shouting voice was full of anguish.
How much he'd given to this crew?
This crew was his whole damn life.
"I can't do that. How can a man serve two masters?"
Yong-gu smirked at Jong-du's words.
This bastard doesn't understand my deep intentions.
'This is why you can't reason with idiots.'
Still, his loyalty alone was commendable.
"Jong-du. This is my last goddamn order to you."
"B-but."
"No buts. Do this one thing for your hyung."
"Kuh...."
Jong-du shed tears.
"Can I at least ask why?"
"I got my reasons. Just do it."
"Kuh."
Jong-du stood up with a determined face.
"Boss-man. It's been an honor, Boss-man."
As Jong-du bowed, Yong-gu smiled contentedly.
Yeah, loyalty-wise, he's number one in the whole damn crew.
'That punk kid starts hearin' everyone callin' him 'Boss,' he'll get used to the life real quick.'
Who's a gangster from birth?
An elite athlete?
Surrounded by goons, everyone callin' him 'Boss,' he'll get a big head, no doubt.
Is there any man without ambition?
They keep kissin' his ass, he'll get hooked on it.
Just like gettin' someone hooked on drugs, first make him a gangster, then make him your goon.
Loyal Jong-du will become his hidden blade.
'Then, I'll have Jong-du work on him...'
Everything is perfect.
Because this guy's loyalty to me is genuine.
Damn, look at this grown-ass man cryin'.
This is already a success.
"Yeah, you've worked hard all this time."
"Thank you, Boss."
Jong-du bowed deeply and left.
Goons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 also left with him.
Then, Yang Mun-sik, the organization's number two, asked with a serious face.
"Boss. Jong-du has done so much, is it okay to just kick him out like this?"
"He'll be back in the family soon enough. Don't we need a heavy hitter?"
"Ha! As expected. You're the boss. Didn't know you were playin' chess, Boss-man."
This bastard, he's just flattering me without even knowing the plan.
I should kindly explain it to him.
"Hehehe. What happens when some green kid suddenly gets a bunch of goons?"
"He'll get a swelled head."
"Jong-du, that guy bleeds for this crew. He ain't gonna stand by. He'll make his new boss the top dog, no matter what."
"Wow, that's true. It's not like you sent 'em over there to fetch coffee."
"Heh heh, right. Pretty soon, he won't know if he's a jock or a gangster."
"Damn, Boss-man, you're a fuckin' genius!"
"Heh heh, give it time, he'll be a gangster through and through. Then, I just reel him in."
"A perfect plan!"
"That's right. Even if he thinks he's runnin' things, he'll be gettin' pushed around by his own goons. Ain't that the truth? Like when you're scared shitless but gotta play it cool in front of the boys, so you gotta throw down."
"Hahahaha, that's right, Boss."
Jeon Yong-gu and Yang Mun-sik laughed, reminiscing about old memories.
*
"So, the Boss-man just told you to come over here, huh?"
Jong-du laid it all out, soundin' like he was at a funeral.
"Yes, that's right."
"And you don't know the reason?"
Of course, he doesn't know Yong-gu's real intentions. He's just guessing.
"He's gotta be pissed. Stat stones are scarce, gotta divvy 'em up, so he's probably shakin' things up in the crew."
"Shakin' things up?"
"Means me and the goons are gettin' the boot."
"Hmm."
Cheol-du wasn't feelin' it.
"Why me, though?"
"I don't know the reason."
Jin-tae cautiously guessed the reason.
"Ain't it 'cause we jacked all their coins?"
"Coins?"
"Yeah, you need coins to return, right?"
As Jin-tae chimed in, the goons, who had been quietly listening, also added their opinions.
"Hmm, maybe."
"Maybe they think we're dead weight? We got stripped naked, ain't no use to 'em, so they're tossin' us out, somethin' like that."
"But why send you guys to us?"
"Sendin' us over to eat up all your grub?"
"Damn, you got a brain?"
Cheol-du, lookin' pissed at all the yappin', stood up.
"Everyone, follow me."
All this guessin' shit.
Cheol-du wondered if this was really necessary. No, there's no need to think.
"Let's go get some answers."
"Uh, yeah?"
You got a mouth on you, punk!
"Talkin' back?"
"N-no, sir."
Cheol-du started walking with the gangsters trailing behind him, and Jin-tae stuck close to Cheol-du's side and said quietly.
"Dude, that meme's ancient history."
"Heh heh."
"Seriously, man. Shut your trap, and you'd be drownin' in chicks."
"Heh heh. Ain't chasin' skirts."
"Shit. You're a rock, man."
Jin-tae shook his head.
Still, figured he'd ditch the single life before his buddy.
Yong-gu's crew's place was smack-dab in the middle of the refugee camp, and people started gatherin' like flies.
Kang Cheol-du and Jin-tae, who had already become quite famous.
The news of the Yong-gu crew's six members being defeated by them had already spread widely in this small refugee camp.
And now they're all headin' straight for Yong-gu's place.
"Oh shit, this is gonna be good."
"Let's go."
People followed 'em, eyes glued.
Shinseong Group Team Leader Kim Young-do was naturally among the onlookers as well.
'Dude's got balls of steel?'
This shit's wild.
Didn't know why the hell everyone was together.
'Gotta see this.'
Team Leader Kim Young-do also joined the onlookers and walked along.
Everyone's buzzin', waitin' for shit to go down.
"Damn, that kid's somethin' else."
"No fear. Fuckin' hilarious."
People seemed somehow excited.
Nothin' better than watchin' someone else's life go up in flames and a good brawl, right?
Cheol-du strode forward confidently, and Jin-tae, walking beside him, asked anxiously.
"Yo, we got a crowd. This ain't gettin' outta hand?"
"Outta hand? I'll keep it quiet."
"Good. Thought we were pickin' up more strays."
"Huh?"
Cheol-du tilted his head.
"What are you talking about?"
"Huh? Aren't we going to return them?"
"They said they'd be my goons."
"But?"
"Got goons, they do the grunt work."
"Huh?"
"Choppin' wood, findin' food."
"Huh?"
He's seriously gonna take those gangsters as his goons?
"B-but why we goin' to their turf?"
"Gotta settle this shit before they become my goons, right?"
Settle what, exactly?
Jin-tae suddenly felt uneasy.
"Heh heh, just watch."
Cheol-du, accompanied by the uneasy Jin-tae and the even more uneasy six goons, finally arrived at the Yong-gu crew's base.
Their place was a bunch of trees with rags tied to 'em, lookin' like tents.
"Yo, ain't that Jong-du?"
"Those are the goons."
"Heard they got their asses handed to 'em."
Cheol-du, lookin' at the whisperin' punks, took a deep breath, and yelled.
"Yong-gu! Let's settle this like men!"
His voice boomed through the whole place.
Hundreds of people in the refugee camp turned their heads to look.
The crowd that followed Cheol-du to watch the shit-show just stared, jaws dropped.
"Holy shit, chills."
"Ballsy as fuck."
"Dude's crazy. Heh heh."
"Woooow."
Among them, Kim Young-do, that team leader guy, he was floored.
'This shit real?'
Never thought he was this fuckin' nuts.
