PAHO 79

“Yes, he stated during the interview that he served about six years in Yanggang Prison and was released as a model prisoner. The charge was robbery-murder.”

Yanggang again. Was it even possible to come across the name of a place he’d never heard of so often in such a short period? Besides, it was strange that there was a prison inside a place that had been classified as a martial law district due to the outbreak of the Chinese civil war a few years ago.

“A criminal record isn’t exactly a disqualifying factor for participation, so I wasn’t concerned, but if it bothers you, I will remove him.”

At the cold reaction, the operations manager cautiously asked for his opinion again. As he said, a criminal record was not much of an issue in Nakdo. Rather, the more spectacular the criminal record, the better it was for satisfying the Wiyeonggwan’s clients who sought unethical stimulation. However, should I call it a gut feeling? It might just be because I’m fixated on the place name Yanggang, but I had a rather unpleasant feeling. Na Taebeom, who had been staring at the screen with his chin propped on his hand, finally pushed the tablet computer back.

“It won’t do any good to leave a vacancy now, so just keep him.”

“Ah, yes, I understand.”

“Instead. Investigate who the sponsor backing this bastard is. Report to me immediately when you find out.”

“The sponsor? But sponsors are supposed to have their identities kept confidential according to the regulations.”

“Just find him if I tell you to. By tomorrow. If it’s any later, I won’t let it slide.”

The operations manager, who had shrunk his head at the blunt command, hurriedly packed up the tablet and left. As soon as he was gone, there was a knock on the door.

“Excuse me. From the Special Guard Support Division.”

At the introduction ‘Special Guard Support Division’, Na Taebeom, who had been massaging his shoulders in annoyance, turned his head. With permission to enter, the head of the support division soon entered the office with a small, middle-aged man. He was a wholesaler who exclusively handled the mobile motorcycles used by the Special Guard.

“Ah, hello. M-Mr. CEO. I am Bae Dong-il, the president of Seongil Motors.”

“Not CEO, Director.”

“Ah, yes, Director.”

His awkwardly smiling face was filled with unconcealed fear. When the head of the support division, standing with his hands behind his back, gave him a look, only then did Bae Dong-il rummage around and pull out a product catalog, holding it out in front of him.

“These, are the motorcycle models currently on the market. First, I’ve divided them by manufacturer, but motorcycles are different from typical four-wheeled vehicles, so there aren’t many types of domestic brands. May I ask what purpose or brand you have in mind?”

“Well. Let’s say it’s for a superior, for commuting. What do they usually ride?”

“Yes? For, a superior and for simple riding, it’s usually around four hundred cc. It’s a bit bigger than the size you’d typically think of for a motorcycle, but if you’re considering a higher class, there are also styles like middleweights or replicas.”

“Middleweight? What’s a replica?”

“Ah, yes, you can think of it as a racing style. You know, in movies and such, how they ride lying down. There’s a detailed picture on the middle page.”

Flipping through the catalog, he found the page Bae Dong-il had mentioned. It was a picture of a model wearing a suit and helmet, striking a pose on top of a motorcycle. Bae Dong-il, who craned his neck to glance at his expression, continued.

“Yes, yes, that kind of feel. It’s good if you prefer speed, but each model has its own riding style, and the controls are quite different. If it feels a bit burdensome, it’s better to choose from the quarter-liter class for a safe bet. Like Honda or Suzuki.”

“The brands are all Japanese names. Is there anywhere else besides Japan?”

“Well, Japan has a pretty firm grip on the bike market. If you’re really uncomfortable with it, there are also European makes like BMW or Ducati. In that case, they’re all above quarter-liter, ah, if you turn a few more pages, you’ll see the pictures.”

Frowning at the unfamiliar names, Na Taebeom flipped the catalog to the back pages as instructed and fixed his eyes on a picture on the right-hand page. On the motorcycle, which had a front curve protruding like a bird’s beak and a well-balanced mix of matte and gloss finishes, a model in a leather suit that clung to her like a swimsuit was leaning in a seductive pose.

Do people wear suits like this when riding motorcycles too? Na Taebeom, who was staring blankly at the picture, pictured Nam Gyeonhwa in his head, wearing a leather suit and riding a motorcycle. The Nam Gyeonhwa created in his imagination leaned against the motorcycle and smiled sensuously at Na Taebeom. Director Na. Thank you. The voice that flowed from his beaming lips was quite sultry. Soon after, he let out a hot breath and leaned his torso back slightly. A slender waist compared to his tall frame, subtly voluminous chest, and a butt with defined muscles. Na Taebeom, who gulped, shook his head vigorously.

“No. Make it as ordinary as possible.”

“An ordinary one?”

“Yeah, a type that’s sturdy and runs well. Not one that requires wearing a skimpy suit like this.”

That suit, which hardly looked like clothes, must just be a means to attract attention. Bae Dong-il pretended not to know and flipped the catalog to the front pages. Na Taebeom, who let the pouring explanations go in one ear and out the other, chose a model that was a bit large and had a pretty appearance. Bae Dong-il made a fuss, saying his taste was truly excellent.

“It might take a while to get it delivered, but I’ll try to contact you before this week is over.”

“As fast as possible. I called President Bae specifically to buy something expensive. You know that, right?”

“O-of course. You always do business with our company, so of course I have to take care of it right away. Of course.”

Bae Dong-il, who deliberately laughed boisterously, backed away like a subject who had just had an audience with the king. The head of the support division, instead of following him out, took a step closer to Na Taebeom.

“And the Commander-in-Chief has requested to see you separately. He asked me to confirm if you have time today.”

“Right now?”

“You don’t have to, but he said it’s related to the personnel information you requested last time, and that he will adjust to when you have time, Director.”

The personnel information he requested last time was about Nam Gyeonhwa. He hadn’t heard anything for a while, so he thought it was a dead end, but did he find something good? He still had work to do, so it wasn’t the right time to meet, but he was getting restless from sitting in his chair all this time. Na Taebeom, who shot up, walked past the head of the support division and threw the door wide open.

“I’ll be in the underground training ground, so tell him to come when he’s ready.”

The inside of the training ground, with only a single spotlight turned on, was even cooler than the average indoor temperature, to the point of being chilly. When he activated the air pump placed under the ring, the punching bag, which had been as flat as a ragged mat, quickly inflated.

Na Taebeom, who shook his gloved hands and took a stance in front of the punching bag, lowered his body and swung his fist hard. Wham, the heavy punching bag fell back like a roly-poly and then shot back up. Using the rebound, he continuously struck the punching bag again and again. Thud, thud, with each increase in the sound, which was like a rubber ball bouncing, his breathing also became heavier. Na Taebeom, who had been swinging his fists without rest for over ten minutes, finally put his hands on his waist and let out a refreshing breath.

Although he did not pursue it as a professional sport, he still preferred traditional boxing as a basic exercise to warm up his body. It started in middle school, when he took it up as an act of rebellion against the Samwon family, who wanted to send him abroad to study.

He, who already had an excellent physique and was exceptionally strong, reached a superior level within a few months, enough to knock out even adults. Around the time the gym started to take notice of him, Na Taebeom, who ended up going to the United States, hung out with local gangs instead of enjoying a luxurious life.

An illegitimate child of the Samwon family and an uninvited guest. A shabby name that was on the inheritance list but could not be presented to the public. Instead of contenting himself with the pittance they handed him like feed, Na Taebeom decided on a different path.

If he was to be treated as a stone that had rolled in forever, he would gladly become a boulder. If they would not give him the light, he would reign over them in the shadows as a necessary evil that could not be ignored.

For him, who had nothing to show for himself, violence was the only asset that could replace wealth and power. He slowly expanded his influence with the connections he had made and the business acumen he had acquired while roughing it in the United States. And so, the iron fortress he had solidly built after seven years of struggle was none other than Nakdo.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead and neck, he picked up a water bottle. Come to think of it, what could the mutt be doing? He had only heard that since his discharge from the hospital the day before yesterday, he had been diligently commuting to the Special Guard headquarters as usual. Should I have told him to come to work at the Wiyeonggwan instead? Then I would have let him pick out the motorcycle himself.

Suddenly, the model’s picture he had seen a little while ago became distorted and kept circling in his mind. Shit. Cursing, he shook his head violently. This was all because of Nam Gyeonhwa. Always with a cold face, indifferent to this, lukewarm to that. Who would have thought that he could say thank you so easily at such times?

The moment he found him lying on the sofa that day, pale and groaning in pain, Na Taebeom headed to the medical center without a second thought. For the couple of hours that Nam Gyeonhwa, who had been diagnosed with overwork and a body-ache cold, slept peacefully while getting an IV, he took care of the trembling Nam Haejin, bought him snacks, and even listened to his boring dinosaur stories. Of course, it wasn’t a total loss. During those two hours that he stayed up without sleep, the completely relaxed Nam Haejin even told him stories about himself that he hadn’t before.

‘My hyung. He has really, really scary dreams whenever he’s sick.’

‘He has nightmares? How?’

‘He, like, cries.’

He thought it was an excessive brotherly love over mere nightmares, but the next words were unexpected. However, as it happened, Nam Gyeonhwa did not cry or toss and turn from nightmares during the night. It’s a shame I was too tired to ask more. It might just be Nam Haejin’s exaggerated worry, but it was certainly a different kind of story.

Suddenly, the entrance sensor light flickered. The sound of heavy footsteps on the floor was familiar.

“You’re early. You didn’t just leave work like me, did you?”

At the tone that seemed to be deliberately seeking agreement, Gil Useong chuckled. It was not his usual polite attitude, but a soft one, as if he were dealing with a close friend.

“I came after finishing work.”

“Traitor. I’m the only one in a party mood.”

Na Taebeom, who gulped down water, didn’t come down from the ring but instead gestured upwards with his eyes. At the signal to have a match, Gil Useong silently took off his coat and picked up the sparring gloves that were on the rack.

As soon as Gil Useong climbed into the ring, Na Taebeom charged at him fiercely like a beast. It was an unprepared assault, but Gil Useong didn’t even blink an eye and turned his body to the side to dodge the punch.

Wham, wham, the sound of fists hitting the shield-like gloves was fierce. Na Taebeom, who had been swinging his fists breathlessly, took a step back.

“The list of sponsors came in earlier, and Won Hyeon-seong, for some reason, said he’d show his face at the Autumn Grand Tournament this time.”

“So the rumor was true.”

“Yeah.”

Half-brothers divided like black and white. Won Hyeon-seong, the crown prince of a giant chaebol family, had always regarded Na Taebeom as filth, and to him, Nakdo was nothing more or less than a garbage disposal site. It was unusual for Won Hyeon-seong to respond to a formal invitation. But the news didn’t end there.

“The president of Samwon Construction is included too. They say the couple is coming together.”

“……”

A small tremor ran through his usually calm face. It was a similar expression to the one he had when he witnessed the Samwon Construction couple at the banquet he had gone to meet Won Hyeon-seong. Na Taebeom, who gave a bitter smile, continued.

“I was going to deliver this in writing tomorrow, but since I’m seeing you now, I’m telling you.”

“……I will strengthen the security posture a bit more.”

“Don’t overdo it. So, did you bring back any interesting information?”

Na Taebeom, who had taken off his gloves, asked as he leaned leisurely against the ropes of the ring. Gil Useong, who had taken a deep breath, opened his mouth.

“Do you remember I told you that the current Minister of National Defense, Im Gitaek, was once the commander of the military police division in the Yanggang military district?”

“Yeah, you did. I was wondering why every Tom, Dick, and Harry was popping out of that damn Yanggang as if it were coated in honey. What else is there?”

“I have obtained information that there was a criminal trial ten years ago related to Im Gitaek when he was the division commander. It was a record that was made private long ago, so I could only find some censored content, but it came out as assault and attempted murder.”

“Im Gitaek killed someone?”

“No. Im Gitaek was the victim, and there was a separate suspect. The suspect was a man in his twenties, and the name listed is the same as that of squad member Nam Gyeonhwa.”