Under the thick blanket of a city night, a black Mercedes glided through the streets. A few moments later, it pulled to a stop in front of a quiet subway entrance.
Hyeon-ju sat at the wheel, with Joe in the passenger seat and Woo-jin and Geon-woo settled in the back. Keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead, Hyeon-ju spoke.
"Our target tonight is Park Su-min. He's a slippery bastard. He borrowed six million won from Grandpa and then vanished into thin air. I happened to spot him boarding a train here a while back and picked up on his pattern. He uses this station every Monday. If it hadn't been for that Jae-myeong prick, I would've caught him already."
Hyeon-ju let out a light sigh of frustration.
"Actually, I had Jae-myeong cornered back then, too. But some unknown bastard got in my way and let him slip through my fingers."
The moment those words left her mouth, Geon-woo erupted into a fit of violent coughing in the backseat. Hyeon-ju handed him a bottle of water, her voice laced with concern.
"Geon-woo, you okay? Are you sick?"
Geon-woo took a massive gulp of water, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and replied in a voice barely above a whisper.
"The thing is... I actually followed you back then. When I saw you chasing that homeless man."
Hyeon-ju's eyes widened. "Wait, don't tell me..."
Geon-woo gave a defeated, bitter smile and nodded. "Yeah, that was me. And that homeless guy? That was Yang Jae-myeong."
Hyeon-ju let out a dry, hollow laugh. "Oh, wow. Incredible."
Just then, Joe, who had been scanning the street, cut in sharply.
"Guys. Target's here."
The three of them shifted their gaze outside. A man, swaying under the weight of a heavy drunk, was stumbling toward the subway stairs. His face was a perfect match for the photo of Park Su-min. Joe, Woo-jin, and Geon-woo stepped out of the car in unison.
"Let's grab him first," Joe said.
Hyeon-ju gripped the steering wheel. "Be quick. I'll wait here."
The three nodded and vanished down the stairs after Su-min.
---
At the same time, Kim Jun-min sat in a black SUV, a long coat draped over his shoulders. His phone rang, and he answered with a cold, expressionless face.
"Speak."
"Boss, we found Park Su-min! He's at Gaehwa Station. I've already got the boys on standby."
Jun-min gave a slow nod. "Gather as many as you can. I'm on my way. If he slips away this time, I'm taking all your heads."
Park Su-min stood on the platform, swaying back and forth as he waited for the train.
"Park Su-min, right?"
Joe's voice was flat as he approached. Su-min squinted, looking at Joe with bloodshot, suspicious eyes.
"Yeah. Who're you?"
Joe let out a soft chuckle. "You wouldn't know me. But you know President Choi, don't you?"
Su-min's pupils dilated in instant terror. The moment he heard Tae-ho's name, he instinctively spun around to bolt, only to slam hard into someone standing right behind him.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" Woo-jin barked, his brows furrowed in annoyance.
Panic-stricken, Su-min tried to pivot the other way, but his feet tangled and he began to tip over. Before he could hit the ground, a hand caught him by the arm.
"Careful now. That's a long way down," Geon-woo said, his voice devoid of emotion as he hauled Su-min back onto his feet.
Surrounded by Joe, Woo-jin, and Geon-woo, Su-min turned as pale as a sheet. Joe tightened his fist.
"As you can see, you picked the wrong person to mess with. Now, let's go somewhere private, shall we?"
Before Su-min could even open his mouth to beg, Joe's fist connected with his jaw.
THWACK!
With a single blow, Su-min's head snapped back, and he crumpled to the floor. Woo-jin hoisted the unconscious man over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
"Huh. This bastard went out way too easily."
Back in the parking lot, Hyeon-ju sat in the car with the engine off, scouting the area. Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the roar of approaching engines. Four SUVs screeched to a halt, blocking the subway entrance.
'What is this?'
Hyeon-ju instinctively ducked, peering through the window. The SUV doors flew open, and three dozen men—holding baseball bats, pipes, and knives—poured out. There were at least thirty of them.
'This is bad. Joe and the others are in danger!'
Her heart racing, Hyeon-ju pulled out her phone and dialed Tae-ho.
"Please pick up... please..."
Back at the base, Tae-ho was sipping coffee when his phone buzzed. He saw the name on the screen and answered immediately.
"Yes?"
Hyeon-ju's frantic voice came through the speaker. "Grandpa! Joe, Woo-jin and Geon-woo are in trouble! Please, come quick!"
Tae-ho's eyes instantly sharpened, turning into those of a predatory beast.
"Where are you?"
---
Joe, Geon-woo, and Woo-jin were about to haul the unconscious Park Su-min up the subway stairs when they saw it—a dozen men with jagged, violent faces blocking the exit.
Geon-woo muttered in disbelief. "Whoa! Who are these guys?"
Joe's voice remained low and steady. "Get a move on."
"What? What did you say?"
Before Geon-woo could process it, Woo-jin—with Su-min slumped over his shoulder like a sack of rice—grabbed Geon-woo by the wrist and bolted. "Run! Just run!"
A chorus of savage curses erupted behind them.
"You little shits! Get back here!"
"Catch them! Don't let them get away!"
The three of them sprinted toward the opposite entrance, but that way was also barred by another dozen thugs. Woo-jin hissed a curse when he saw the path blocked.
"Dammit... Geon-woo, this way! Keep moving!"
Joe urged them from the rear. "Go, go, go! Faster!"
The thugs closed in from all sides, their shouts echoing through the concrete tunnels. Woo-jin ran with everything he had, the weight of Su-min burning his lungs.
"Oh, for the love of... This is insane! How many of them are there?"
With both the entrance and exit sealed, they were trapped. They stood in the dead center of the station as three dozen men poured down from both sides, forming a tight, suffocating circle. Woo-jin dropped Su-min's limp body and fell into a fighting stance.
"Guys... let's forget this bastard and worry about our own skins first."
Joe pulled his hands from his pockets and let out a long sigh. "Why does every single mission we do turn into a disaster?"
Geon-woo asked, genuinely bewildered. "But why are we even running? We didn't do anything to these guys. We're just here for Park Su-min. I don't think he had time to call for backup, and I doubt he has a whole gang behind him."
Joe gave him a dry look. "Look, Geon-woo. When you see dozens of guys holding bats, pipes, and knives, the smartest thing you can do is run. Forget who they are or why they're here. Just think about how we're getting out of this predicament."
The circle of thugs tightened. Geon-woo finally clenched his fists and took his stance. One of the men stepped forward, eyeing them.
"Who are you brats supposed to be?"
Joe answered casually. "Just here to catch a train."
The man looked at Joe suspiciously, then his eyes drifted to the unconscious Su-min on the floor.
"Were you guys here for Park Su-min?" He muttered to himself, clicking his tongue. "Tch. Just how many people did this bastard scam?"
Joe seized the opening. "Exactly! You're right! Su-min owes us money. He's been missing for a while, and we finally caught him today. If you gentlemen want him, he's all yours. We'll just be on our way, alright?"
The thug let out a mocking cackle. "Huh? Did you guys hear that? This brat called us 'gentlemen.' Hahaha!"
The rest of the gang joined in, their laughter cold and sharp. The leader's expression suddenly turned murderous.
"You've got a quick tongue, kid. But I can't let you go. Our boss hates loose ends."
"Kill them!"