IRLPLBIO Chapter 31 Part 2

From that moment, Jae-gu’s memories became fragmented. The loud siren wails hummed as if from a distant place before disappearing, and the scent of hospital disinfectant brushed his nose before fading. Even though the smoke had long dispersed, the heat continued to blur his vision. Each time he closed and opened his eyes in a daze, the sounds he heard changed.

“…Let’s uproot them completely this time.”

“Didn’t you say it would be difficult?”

“I must collect the price for the blood my brother shed.”

When Kwang-cheol spoke with Shin Ju-hee, his voice was extremely low and intimidating. From his voice alone, one would never think he was a middle school student.

Han Seong-cheol, whom Jae-gu had served as master in his past life, had not possessed such an overwhelming aura until he was in his 40s, but Kwang-cheol was already exuding the aura of a true ruler.

“If there’s anyone you don’t like, just say the word. We can take care of them together this time.”

“Together, you say…?”

Shin Ju-hee’s murmur contained a hint of being utterly overwhelmed. Kwang-cheol’s words, that he would find an excuse to put them behind bars whether they were guilty or not, were terribly arrogant. At the same time, Jae-gu got goosebumps knowing his words would become reality.

Shin Ju-hee controlled the money circulating in the underworld. She was accustomed to eliminating people by staging muggings or traffic accidents, but outright removing rivals by leveraging the law and public authority was entirely new to her. For a moment, she wondered if this was truly permissible.

It was true that she had chosen the right side. However, this rope was excessively thick. She was unsure if she could hold onto such a massive rope, one that wouldn’t even fit in her hand, and run with it all the way to the end.

As if reading Shin Ju-hee’s hesitation and fear, Kwang-cheol spoke quietly.

“We don’t practice Tosagupaeng.”

“…!”

“Because it seems my brother trusts you.”

Those words gave Shin Ju-hee both anxiety and reassurance.

As long as Jae-gu intended to stay with her, she would be safe. But what if Jae-gu changed his mind? She didn’t even know why he had readily taken her hand; what if she couldn’t discern when he would let go? And what if, as now, her faction’s fate was decided by a few words in an unknown place…?

‘Lee Young-hwan… your judgment of people has rusted. How could you ever think Yang Jae-gu was a useful dog?’

Yang Jae-gu was not a dog to be used and exploited, but a beloved pet to an adoring master. Shin Ju-hee, who unnecessarily resented Lee Young-hwan for failing to read between the lines and connecting Jae-gu and Kwang-cheol to her, managed a calm smile on the surface.

“Please take good care of things. There are so many people I want to deal with, so I’ll compile a list of the important ones and send it to you.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Jae-gu saw Shin Ju-hee’s vulnerability for the first time. In his past life, he had met Shin Ju-hee several years after this moment. That was after Shin Ju-hee had completely consolidated her surroundings with her own strength, unifying them into a formidable single faction.

Naturally, the Shin Ju-hee of that time had nothing left to fear, nor any reason to plead with others. The cooperative relationship between Jae-gu and Shin Ju-hee had been equal, but Shin Ju-hee held a slight edge in power.

But now, it was different. Kwang-cheol had already indebted Shin Ju-hee with just a few words. Even if Shin Ju-hee were to consolidate the flow of money in Jong-ro’s underworld from now on, people would still believe Kwang-cheol had a stake in the outcome.

People need to be smart. There were ways to seize money and power from a seated position, without having to crash into things physically like him. Even in his daze, Jae-gu repeatedly thought about how incredible Kwang-cheol was.