Chapter 120: Chapter 120 - Prelude to the Mafia Game #3

Choi Sung-yeol’s attitude changed and he started treating Tae-hyuk like a VIP.

It was because the technique Tae-hyuk previously showed was akin to a god’s ability. Someone with those skills would be treated like a king everywhere he went. It was like Liu Bei holding onto Zhuge Liang’s talent. Such a great person suggested to work together first.

Choi Sung-yeol started releasing information as if to show his greatness. Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue as he listened.

‘He is a scammer, so he is both lying and exaggerating some things.’

However, Tae-hyuk didn’t express his thoughts and acted moderately. Then some useful information popped out from Choi Sung-yeol’s mouth.

‘Once he becomes excited, he tends to talk more.’

"Meeting a great person like you is enough to feel like it was worth entering Blue Dragon. It is a pity that we will be split apart tomorrow.”

He spoke like he was a businessman on a business trip, instead of a criminal stuck in prison.

“Then where are you going?”

The dissolution of Blue Dragon was decided and the inmates would be scattered all over the country. Most of them would go to Red Pheonix, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger.

Tae-hyuk replied with a smile,

"Are you going to White Tiger? Unfortunately, I am going somewhere else.”

Choi Sung-yeol dropped his head in an exaggerated gesture.

“Kuheok. It is really too bad. Still, it is destiny that we met. I hope we have a good relationship in the future.”

"I hope so as well.”

"Please contact me as soon as you settle. I will send you the goods that you want.”

“Huhu... I will be expecting it.”

Choi Sung-yeol was grinning since he thought he brought a superior card shark to his side. However, he had provided free access to information that was difficult to obtain. He would make easy deals if he knew what the other person wanted. In particular, it was difficult to hide his desire to become stronger in a place like this. Tae-hyuk had memories of many criminals in Blue Dragon so he fully understood it.

’After all, it is the Yakuza behind Choi Sung-yeol.’

The Yakuza dominated Japanese politics and economics in the darkness. But they even had their hands in South Korea.

’Choi Sung-yeol and Kim Joon-young’s power alone couldn’t organize something like the Death Circus.’

Dozens of executives from many large corporations had become involved. No matter how large a multi-level company was, it would be difficult to establish connections with large corporations. Thus, he had felt uneasy when dealing with the Death Circus.

Afterwards, he found out that the Yakuza was behind Choi Sung-yeol.

‘It seems like the Yakuza had entered more deeply than I thought.’

Tae-hyuk recalled when he shattered Doll Play a few months ago. He had fought against the Chinese Triads. In the near future, the mafias of China, Russia, and Japan would wage war in South Korea. He had thought that it was due to the massive profits that the Triad received in South Korea.

‘...I thought the mafia war wouldn’t happen because I destroyed one of the Triads’ major businesses, but I think I took them a bit too lightly.’n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The condition for becoming a King was to win the Mafia Game.

A mafia war and mafia game. Maybe they were the same thing?

Tae-hyuk’s head was complicated. He knew the future, but not everything. In order to complete the puzzle, he had to find the missing pieces.

"I’m sorry for disturbing your thoughts.”

“It is nothing. Then I will contact you after moving.”

"Please do so.”

Tae-hyuk nodded lightly and rose from his seat. There was still work to do before leaving Blue Dragon Prison.

@

Kwang!

The door to the investigation headquarters opened and a man in a trench coat entered.

“Sunbae! I heard that Park Sung-yul decided to confess!”

Kang-suk looked up from where he was writing a report and said,

“It finished well. He called me.”

Phantom’s work had revealed the identity of the victims killed by Park Sung-yul. It was a tremendous achievement. Currently, detectives and support from Busan were bustling around the investigation headquarters.

He didn’t know what magic Phantom used, but Park Sung-yul confessed to all the murders.

"Hu... I ran like the wind as soon as I heard the news. I never thought that he would confess.”

Joo Hyun-ho was a huge fan of Detective Columbo. He resembled Columbo from his style of dressing to his investigation style. Therefore, he didn’t like the situation where he had to use an information source. He preferred to solve the mystery using his own head.

Yet not only didn’t he find any clues, he didn’t solve the case at all. Was there something happening? What forced the confession from Park Sung-yul’s mouth? He wouldn’t have confessed, even if Columbo popped out from the TV.

Kang-suk laughed as he saw Hyun-ho’s face.

"I heard that one of the victims had a executive of a gang as a family member.”

"W-What?"

"That person was also confined in the same prison.”

"It is like two enemies bumping into each other on a bridge. By the way, the executive of the violent organization... Was he someone recently caught?”

“Yes. A member of Gallery called Brown Bear. Do you understand?”

Hyun-ho muttered with wide eyes,

"He is a tremendous person! How many coincidences are there? This sounds like a prank from the God of Fate...”

"I don’t know about the God of Fate but I’m sure the God of Crime has something to do with it. It is that person’s work.”

“But Park Sung-yul, he is still alive. I thought he would immediately murder the killer of his family member.”

Kang-suk printed the report and replied,

"Even though he is alive, it feels like death. Park Sung-yul never imagined that the person he killed was related to someone so big. If they are living in the same prison, it won’t be weird to eventually find his body.”

"In the end, he confessed so that he could live.”

“Yes. He would confess everything he did as long as he is sent to a prison without Brown Bear.”

Hyun-ho’s always smiling face distorted.

"He really is a rat bastard. So what does Sunbae think?”

Kang-suk rubbed at his tired eyes.

"First of all, he has decided to confess. Then the trials for the other murders he committed will begin. After that, the sentence he receives will likely be 100 times his current one and he will be sent back to prison.”

"A prison without Brown Bear.”

"Well, I did promise to do that. By the way, why am I the director of the investigation headquarters?”

Kang-suk looked at the reports stacked like a mountain in front of him and the documents that needed to be processed. The investigation was over, but it seemed like he would have to work overtime for a week to handle all of this.

"Well, there are so many reports that maybe you might mistakenly misplace one or two?”

Kang-suk laughed at Hyun-ho’s words.

“Well. Maybe that will happen.”

And Hyun-ho decided to buy energy drinks at the convenience store for the tired director.

@

Tae-hyuk looked at the face of the man sitting in front of him, He wore thick glasses and gave off a gentle expression. Who would imagine that the identity of this person was the ‘Bomber?’

The mafia was on a completely different scale from the criminals Tae-hyuk dealt with so far. Even if he had the crime skills, confronting them with the power of just one individual was limited. Therefore, Tae-hyuk needed the abilities of the ‘Bomber.’

For that to happen, Kim Tae-sung needed to escape from prison.

"This seems interesting.”

Kim Tae-sung said with a smile,

“It seems so.”

"I will go with Yoo Cheol-ho to Red Pheonix. Furthermore, you said that we will be in the same room?”

Kim Tae-sung sipped his coffee and nodded,

"It might be easier than you think to break out.”

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I’m talking to myself.”

Yoo Cheol-ho completely lost his desire for a prison break a few days ago. However, his eyes became alive again once he heard he was going to Red Phoenix. It seemed like he knew a method of escaping. Obviously, he would start formulating a plan to escape once settled in his cell at Red Phoenix. Tae-hyuk would use that to break out the Bomber.

‘Then I will leave the tunnel to the mole.’

Kim Tae-sung smiled and said,

"However, it appears as if Shin Chang-ho’s revenge is successful.”

"I thought that you didn’t listen to rumors.”

"I can hear a lot of things if I just sit and drink tea.”

“Don’t worry, I will ensure that you get your revenge as promised.”

“Yes. I look forward to it.”

Tae-hyuk decided what to tell the Bomber.

Then he came to the conclusion. He hid the fact that he was the Phantom. Instead, he would let Kim Tae-sung know who the enemy was.

“I’m sorry but I have to leave before you.’

“Is that so?”

"And I will fight against the Yakuza in South Korea.”

Surprise appeared in Kim Tae-sung’s eyes.

"The mafia people from Japan?”

“Yes. It is also relevant to you. The Yakuza is the one behind the Taesung Group.”

The face of Taesung Chemical’s chairman, Song Won-jin appeared in his head. He was the one who watched the show created by Kim Joon-young in a lion mask.

“...Kim Cheol-su. How do you know all of this?”

“Don’t think too hard. It is just a coincidence that I need to get rid of the ones you want revenge on. Isn’t that good enough?”

“...Indeed. I understand.”

Kim Tae-sung nodded with an expression like he realized something. Tae-hyuk pulled out a photo and handed it to Kim Tae-sung. Kim Tae-sung, his wife and his daughter were smiling brightly at the camera.

“T-This...”

"I brought it back from your home. You don’t need to worry, since I didn’t touch anything else.”

Kim Tae-sung looked at the photo with shaking eyes. The image stamped there was a trace of the past that couldn’t be realized in reality anymore.

"Don’t you look happy in this picture? Don’t forget that the people who took them all away from you are still alive.”

“......”

Tae-hyuk saw that Kim Tae-sung’s were now burning with hatred and anger.

Yes, explode. That was his role.

Tae-hyuk quietly rose from his seat and muttered.

"Everything I need to do here is over.”

The moment that Phantom left Blue Dragon Prison, he would show himself to the world.

This was the prelude to the Mafia Game.