175 – The Hwa Brothers -1-

A container belonging to Cheonglim.

Rohan knew, and the driver knew, that once it was opened, there was no going back.

That was why they were stubbornly clinging to their chosen paths.

“Sir, I’m just saying, for argument’s sake. I wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly if I went back like this either.”

“You little punk! Get away! I said get away!”

*Click!*

Rohan ignored the driver’s attempts to stop him, forcing the doors open with brute strength.

The driver jumped up and down, screaming a shriek that was almost inhuman.

“Goddamn it! You crazy b*stard! You, you’re… you’re dead now!”

“Sir, I just borrowed the car, so I have no choice, you see? Just letting me go isn’t a favor. I appreciate the sentiment, but it’ll only make things harder on me.”

Rohan nonchalantly plunged into the container.

He half-closed the doors, pretending to turn on the flashlight, and pulled out his phone. He started recording a video.

The driver, realizing it was too late to dissuade him, stopped trying to stop him and ran to the driver’s seat, grabbing the phone he’d left there.

As the driver urgently made a phone call, Rohan quickly began his search.

*Shhh──.*

On one side, there were stacks of white cardboard boxes. No indication of what drugs or medicine they might hold were written on the boxes.

Inside, he saw vials of brownish injection medicine. Even if he didn’t know the contents, the vials looked like something he’d seen in a hospital.

‘Don’t know what it is anyway, pass.’

He shifted his gaze to the section covered by thick blue vinyl.

He removed the glucose boxes supporting the cover and lifted it to reveal small bundles of white powder wrapped in plastic wrap.

‘Could this be drugs?’

It was suspicious, certainly. But he didn’t know enough about this sort of thing, so it ended as a guess.

He was confused that there wasn’t even a minimal effort to hide it.

After recording it on video, he turned his attention to the rows of containers in the corner.

‘Drums…?’

They were different. Not ordinary.

Specially made with a purpose.

“…”

If memory served, for Cheongrim, it should have ended with illicit drugs and narcotics.

But this container ignited a peculiar sense of unease. Rohan’s hand moved without hesitation.

*Click!*

He lifted the latch securing the container. Air rushed in, and one side of the lid popped open.

He pried it open with his fingers.

‘Will you look at these b*stards?’

Inside, a generous amount of viscous liquid reminiscent of slime filled the container.

And within it, a person was curled up, eyes closed. Like an insect trapped in amber.

‘One person per container, so in here now…’

He didn’t know what the liquid was, but the sight was far from ordinary, so he filmed it first.

He sent the video file to the group.

Then, sensing approaching figures, he started a group call and closed the container. He silenced his phone and tucked it into his pocket.

Someone forcefully shoved open the half-closed container door.

Rohan turned his head toward the entrance.

“Hey, kid. You’re going to have to come with us.”

Men with menacing faces and bulky frames, casually tapping the blades and firearms they carried, trying to establish dominance.

Rohan observed the hulking figures blocking the container’s entrance and mused.

‘Are these guys company employees or thugs?’

They possessed a certain competence that backed up their unsavory appearance.

If these were Cheongrim employees, then the pharmaceutical manufacturing was already just a facade.

Perhaps the company’s name was merely being used to purchase and use specific drugs.

‘Guess I’ll go along for now.’

He had no intention of creating a gruesome scene on a roadside where citizens were passing by.

Rohan nodded without resistance and walked toward the hulks.

“I’d like to know where we’re going before I move.”

“The boss wants to see you. Just come along nicely.”

“Aha, let’s go. I need to get this over with quickly too.”

“…”

Based on their past experiences, they expected him to thrash and resist, but this young punk nodded agreeably, seemingly oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

They shot him glances as if he was some strange creature.

But they couldn’t simply send him back because of this feeling, so they moved to the company for the time being.

“Gentlemen. Do you confiscate weapons before going inside, by any chance?”

“What’s a little brat going to do with a weapon anyway?”

A statement that bordered on provocation. They collectively sneered and chuckled.

Nevertheless, Rohan calmly accepted it.

“Well, I am dinner, I suppose.”

“?”

“That’s perfect then. I have separation anxiety, so I can’t bear to be apart from my weapons.”

The hulks looked at Rohan with even more apprehension than before.

But what else could be done.

Lately, having met so many individuals of consequence, Rohan’s humility had been injected more strongly than usual.

Their words didn’t even register as provocation. Rather, they felt like a whip urging him to come to his senses, for which he was almost grateful.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Surrounded by the hulking figures, Rohan entered the Blue Forest building.

He kept moving his feet in the direction the group was heading.

Arriving at their destination, the crewcut man at the front stopped. Then, grimacing, he delivered a warning.

“If you try any funny business in front of the Boss, you won’t be walking home. Be as respectful as you can, got it?”

“Thanks for the advice. Let me give you a piece of my own. Your men here should watch out for pretty women. The keywords are purple twin-tails and elf.”

“Is this b*stard brave or just scared shitless and gone crazy… Coming all the way here just to spout nonsense. Should have broken his legs and dragged him.”

Dismissing Rohan’s warning as a ridiculous joke, the thug continued his role.

He knocked twice on the door. After a voice from inside told them to enter, he turned the handle.

“Get in there.”

With a hand pushing his back, Rohan entered the room.

It wasn’t a secret chamber. There was a window showing the darkening outside.

Intuitively knowing that Sion and Clara would be watching, Rohan gave a subtle, natural-looking hand signal.

In one building, a light flashed three short times. Against the dark background, there was no way to miss it.

‘They’re there.’

If they read the signal, that was enough.

Moving deeper into the room, the two men finally spoke.

“My, my, the young friend must have been quite startled.”

“Come, have a seat.”

It was the Hwa brothers Rohan was looking for.

Two tables, each with a nameplate bearing the title ‘President.’

Reading the names, Rohan added clarity to a faint memory.

‘Hwa Cheon-gang on the left, Hwa So-pyeong on the right.’

Their skills were both comparable.

Feeling that this wouldn’t be a walk in the park, Rohan sat in the seat the brothers offered.

“The reports we got, and the license plate on the car, said it was borrowed.”

“That’s right. That’s why it’s a problem.”

At Rohan’s words, the brothers laughed aloud.

“Our friend… not a citizen of the Samhwa Nation, are you?”

“Is it that obvious?”

One of the Hwa brothers nodded, putting a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it.

“In Samhwa, promising young people have their faces known. You seem like someone with a bit of influence among your peers, but if we don’t know you, you must be a foreigner.”

“So, our friend, you are traveling?”

He felt their eyes scanning his entire being.

Rohan, unconcerned, nodded.

“That’s right. I’m traveling during my vacation.”

“Ah, so such a pleasant trip results in a traffic accident… That must be quite a headache, no?”

“Considering living expenses, I need to save every penny, but honestly, this is quite a predicament.”

“Hmm. Did you tell your friends you were coming to Samhwa? Maybe get some help?”

“I don’t really go around talking about that. I travel so often. And I hate borrowing money from friends.”

The Hwa brothers’ expressions brightened visibly.

Rohan found their blatant reaction amusing. They must be overjoyed that there were no obstacles to declaring him missing.

He also pondered Rohan’s appeal about needing living expenses.

*Tzzk!*

One of the brothers, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray, asked Rohan directly.

“You saw inside the truck, right?”

“Yes. I checked, and there was quite a lot in there. But nothing seemed damaged from the impact.”

“No. Not that. I mean, you figured out what the stuff inside was, didn’t you?”

A moment of silence.

Rohan chuckled and uttered the exquisitely sensitive words.

“Drugs and people?”

“Heh heh, this one, I can’t tell if he’s clueless or quick.”

“Got a good nerve. These days, you can’t find kids like this even if you tried.”

One of the Hwa brothers rose from his seat. He fiddled with a black safe in the corner, then pulled out a wad of cash and sat back down.

Rohan looked up from the money being thrust in front of him.

“What is this?”

“Spending money. The uncle’s treating you so you can have a comfortable vacation.”

“Think of us as being in the same boat, and forget everything you saw here. Just enjoy your trip. Understand?”

A subtle tone implying he was now an accomplice if he took the money.

It didn’t end there.

“Feeling generous! Have a snort before you go back. Nowadays kids all know how, right?”

He pulled a bag of white powder from his pocket and tapped it out onto a bill in front of Rohan.

Rohan was dumbfounded, the way he dumped the powder on the money seemed to him as a kind of grand gesture.

“Get him a drink too. Got to offer a guest a beverage at least.”

“Got it.”

The brothers were well-coordinated.

Rohan found it hard to suppress a wry smile looking at the drugs and the unknown drink that had been placed before him.

They were giving him such earnest looks, it was clear that drinking the juice or taking the drugs would cloud his mind and leave him vulnerable to being worked over quickly.

“Can I ask you something too?”

They nodded towards him, signaling him to ask.

“That slime-like stuff you’re keeping the people in, what is that?”

The Hwa brothers began to giggle at Rohan’s question.

Rohan couldn’t understand what was so funny.

He didn’t want to understand the sentiment either. It was bound to be unpleasant, so knowing the facts would suffice.

“They say young people nowadays are knowledgeable, but they don’t know about newfangled technologies?”

“Simply put, it maintains freshness. There’s been a lot of good technology coming into this side of things recently.”

“So, you’re saying he’s alive despite being in that state, and not drowned?”

“Exactly. Like I said, freshness is everything.”

“Is it for organ harvesting?”

As Rohan’s questions kept coming, the Hwa brothers exchanged glances, then shook their heads.

They figured there was no point in wasting their breath explaining to a guy who was about to die anyway.

“You said you’d ask just one question, but how many is that now? Don’t try to know too much, you’re not family. Let’s wrap it up here.”

“Family…”

Those hulking figures reeking of blood were surely family.

Now he was certain what choice Cheonglim, that small company facing bankruptcy, had made and how it had transformed.

“If you go out there and blab about what you saw today, nobody’s gonna believe you without connections, you know? Let’s not get on each other’s bad side and just live happily in our own corners.”

“Understood.”

“You’ll see when you graduate and enter the real world. This is how things go. Even the cops in this district know and turn a blind eye.”

A threadbare spiel laced with lies.

The officers of a great power wouldn’t risk their necks for these lowlifes, turning a blind eye.

“Drink up quick and go enjoy your trip. You know the real thing about Samhwa country is the nightlife, right?”

The Hwa brothers offered the drink. Rohan raised the glass to his lips, then set it back down on the table.

At the teasing gesture, the Hwa brothers’ smiles faded. Annoyance was slowly rising on their faces.

“Just a moment. Let me end this call first.”

Rohan grinned and pulled the phone from his pocket.

[15:27]

The conversation was being broadcast in a group chat.

The Hwa brothers stared blankly at Rohan. They must be dumbfounded that they were outsmarted by such an amateur.

“…”

They dragged those guys from the outside, but didn’t even confiscate the phone?

“I’ll end it now.”

The instant Rohan finished speaking and hit the end call button –

*Kwaang!* The Hwa brothers kicked over the table and drew their weapons.

··

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Cheonglim’s loading dock and warehouse.

Two of the youngest goons were puffing away on cigarettes before unloading the truck.

“That one looked healthy, so he’ll be expensive, right? Hope we get some service out of him.”

“No idea how the boss will carve him up, so just wait. Don’t get your hopes up only to be disappointed.”

If they gained another quality product, the truck accident was a non-issue.

Lucky, even.

“Ah! I want to change my car.”

“You can’t even manage the one you have. How about you start by getting rid of that corpse smell?”

“That’s natural air freshener. You don’t know what’s attractive.”

“Idiot.”

He threw the cigarette butt, nothing but the filter left, on the ground and stamped it out.

The moment he turned back.

“Ah, hello…!”

A girl with purple pigtails stood there, shrinking in on herself.

“!?”

Before the other could even respond, Clara raised her pistol.

*Pfiew! Pfiew!*

Neat holes blossomed in the two men’s heads.