Just as Kitae Kim bulldozed his way through the Black Faction headquarters, a broad chested man in a white suit approached Isu Jo. Tattoos crawled up his neck. He wore a slender, rectangular glasses.
"Should we follow him inside?"
Isu Jo pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a steady hand. He watched the smoke drift toward the ruined building.
"No need. We just have to wait."
Samuel leaned his back against the sedan. He adjusted his glasses and looked at the bodies littered around.
"I guess there will be no Dark Crocodile Society from today."
---
A few days later.
Two men wearing tracksuits walked down the pothole filled streets of Incheon. It looked like someone had dropped a nuke here. One of them carried a heavy bag while the other kept his hands in his pockets.
They were Jake and Lineman.
Lineman looked around with a surprised expression. He jumped over a pile of scorched debris that used to be a storefront.
"It looks like an apocalyptic world. The Land of Internal War sure is different. It feels like we could get ambushed anytime."
He puffed out his chest and tried to look intimidating to the empty shadows.
"Luckily this place seems quiet. But if we do get attacked, you can rely on me."
Jake had a deadpan expression. He didn't even look at his companion.
"You have changed a lot, huh?"
Lineman answered with a straight face and adjusted his grip on the bag.
"As expected. You can tell I have grown stronger."
Jake maintained his deadpan expression and extended his hand toward the bag.
"No, that's not what I meant. The old you would have carried my bag for me."
Before he could finish the sentence, Lineman bowed and grabbed the handle.
"... Please, give me your bag."
Jake maintained his poker face while the weight left his hand.
"Huhu. I'm just messing with you."
Lineman asked while he hauled the bag over his shoulder.
"Then why are you giving it to me?"
Jake didn't answer him directly. He looked at a rusted street sign that hung by a single bolt.
"They say it started from the pre-generation's time."
Lineman asked with a confused tilt of his head.
"Out of nowhere?"
"More precisely, from the point my father ended Gapryong Kim's Fist Gang. It happened during the first generation's era, the Era of Circles."
Jake stepped over a deep crack in the asphalt.
"That's when the internal war in Incheon started."
Lineman asked.
"Why are they at war?"
"They were always tense. One small excuse, and war broke out."
Jake kicked a loose stone into a crater.
"The war started during the pre-generation and still is going on in the second generation's era. It would be weirder if the city was fine after that long."
He reached out toward the strap of the luggage.
"Gimme my bag now."
Lineman shook his head and pulled the bag away.
"No. It's heavy. I will carry it."
They entered a relatively normal looking area where the buildings actually had windows.
Jake said.
"Still, this place seems more like a city compared to the rest. I'm starving, let's go eat."
---
An old lady put down two steaming bowls of chashu ramen. The scent of pork broth filled the small shop.
"Oh my... You must be from out of town..."
Jake and Lineman bowed their heads slightly.
"Thank you."
"Thanks for the food."
After the old lady left, Lineman slurped a long noodle.
"So, what's your plan?"
Jake handed him a piece of tofu from his own bowl.
"Going to the two kings to propose our alliance."
Lineman nodded while he chewed.
"So you're going to weigh your options? But there's something you need to know."
They continued their conversation while the shop remained quiet. After finishing the meal, they walked to the counter.
"Bill for two bowls of ramen, please."
The old lady smiled and wiped her hands on her apron.
"Alright... 213,000 won please..."
Lineman snapped and his jaw nearly hit the floor.
"You're kidding, right? Two bowls of ramen cost 200,000 won?!"
The old lady pointed at a handwritten sign behind the register.
"Didn't you see the menu...? In Incheon we charge extra for setting the table."
"What's even there to set up?! You're just scamming customers!"
The old lady's smile didn't falter.
"That's just how Incheon is... You wouldn't know since you're outsiders..."
Lineman jumped toward the old lady with his fists clenched. Jake caught him by the back of his tracksuit and held him in place.
"Move, Hyung-nim! I'll show you how much stronger I have gotten!"
Jake sighed and didn't let go.
"Just stay still."
Lineman shouted.
"Are you gonna handle it yourself, Hyung-nim?!"
Jake ignored the shouting and pulled a bundle of cash from his pocket. He extended the money to the old lady.
"Here."
Lineman called out with a look of betrayal.
"HYUNG-NIM!!!"
Jake started leaving with his hands in his pockets.
"She's probably in a bad situation."
Lineman followed him out and looked back at the shop one last time.
"As expected of Hyung-nim, your generosity is eye opening. I've learned another lesson from you today."
Jake smiled faintly as they walked back into the sunlight.
"Money is just paper. I simply brought her happiness with that paper."
Lineman nodded like a fanboy.
"Wow..."
They stood on a street corner for a long while. The wind blew dust across the empty road.
Lineman finally called out.
"Why are we waiting here, Hyung-nim?"
Jake started walking toward the horizon.
"I thought we could take a taxi. It seems I thought too high of this area."
Lineman didn't know what to say. He followed Jake into the silence. They walked for a long time through the wreckage of the city.
Lineman suddenly spoke up and looked toward the alleyways.
"Hyung-nim, should we take care of them?"
Jake didn't stop or turn his head.
"Ignore them. We are not here to fight."
Behind them, a whole bunch of people followed in a loose pack. Some carried pipes while others just stared with hungry eyes.
Jake and Lineman took a sharp turn into a narrow street. More people stood there and blocked the path with their arms crossed. They turned back to see that the group from behind had caught up.
Lineman asked.
"What do we do?"
Jake sighed and rolled his shoulders to loosen his muscles.
"Didn't you want to show me how much stronger you have become? Now is the time."