The photograph had already reached Charles Choi before midnight.
He studied it in silence.
Kang Minjun stood in the centre of Taesoo Ma's training hall, surrounded by several men. Across from him, the King of Ansan looked unusually subdued.
Charles placed the photograph on his desk.
"Gun."
"Yeah?"
"Did you know Minjun was visiting Ansan?"
"No."
"Did Taesoo invite him?"
"Apparently."
Charles tapped the photograph.
"That's concerning."
Goo Kim, sitting on the windowsill, looked over.
"Why? Taesoo's a stubborn old-fashioned guy. Maybe he wanted to see what all the fuss was about."
"He isn't the problem," Charles replied. "It's the possibility of others taking an interest."
Gun understood.
The First Generation Kings had lost their territories, but their influence hadn't disappeared. Some had retired. Others still maintained connections with former subordinates, local businesses, and fighters who respected their names.
If Minjun began attracting their attention, Black Dragon could develop faster than Charles anticipated.
"Should we interfere?" Gun asked.
Charles shook his head.
"Not yet."
He opened another file.
This one contained photographs of three young men.
Baek Seongho.
Yoon Taehwan.
Seo Hajun.
"His inner circle is small," Charles said. "But each of them has potential."
Goo leaned closer.
"Are you thinking about recruiting them?"
"I'm thinking about finding out what happens when someone offers them something their leader cannot."
Gun looked at him.
"You want to test their loyalty."
Charles smiled.
"Everyone has a weakness."
The Morning After
Kang Minjun returned to Mapo shortly before noon.
He found Seongho waiting outside the headquarters with two coffees.
"You're back."
"Disappointed?"
"Relieved. Hajun has been talking about fighting Taesoo Ma for the past six hours."
Minjun accepted a coffee.
"Did he win?"
"He claims he would have."
"Of course he does."
They entered the building.
The atmosphere was unusually busy. Members moved between offices, training rooms, and the reception area. A new shipment of equipment had arrived, and the administrative team was reorganizing the warehouse.
Minjun stopped beside the training floor.
Taehwan was supervising a group of recruits.
He corrected one man's stance, demonstrated a takedown, then made him repeat the movement.
The difference between the current organization and the one Minjun had founded three months earlier was becoming increasingly visible.
They had structure now.
People responsible for recruitment, finances, security, and operations.
They were no longer simply a group of fighters following a strong leader.
They were becoming an organization.
"Seongho."
"Yes?"
"How are the Gangnam negotiations?"
"Complicated. Two companies are interested in selling, but one has connections to Workers."
"Which one?"
"An entertainment distribution company called Mirae Media."
Minjun stopped.
"Who owns it?"
"Partially owned by a holding company connected to Charles Choi."
That was interesting.
Charles was already moving.
Minjun finished his coffee.
"Don't approach them again."
Seongho frowned.
"Are we abandoning the acquisition?"
"For now."
"Understood."
Minjun looked toward the training floor.
"Instead, find out which companies Workers rely on for transportation and security. I want the information before the end of the week."
Seongho nodded.
Then hesitated.
"There's something else."
"What?"
"Someone visited yesterday. Asked to speak with you."
"Who?"
"He called himself Johan Seong."
Minjun raised an eyebrow.
"Johan?"
"He said he wanted to discuss something."
Minjun considered that.
Johan Seong wasn't the sort of person who casually visited another crew's headquarters.
"What did you tell him?"
"That you were away."
"Did he leave a message?"
Seongho nodded.
"He said, 'Tell him I'm not finished.'"
Minjun smiled faintly.
"That's disappointing."
Seongho looked at him.
"Why?"
"I was hoping he'd learned something."
God Dog
Johan Seong stood on the rooftop of an apartment building in Gangbuk.
His white dog rested beside him.
The wind moved through his hair as he looked over the city.
He had watched the video of his defeat more times than he wanted to admit.
The memory irritated him.
Not because he had lost.
Losing wasn't unfamiliar.
It was the manner of it.
Minjun hadn't needed to use his hands properly. He hadn't struggled, adapted, or even seemed particularly interested.
Johan clenched his fist.
"I'm going to beat him."
The dog lifted its head.
A voice came from behind him.
"Who?"
Johan turned.
A young man with dark hair stood near the rooftop entrance.
He wore a casual jacket and had a relaxed expression.
Zack Lee.
Johan frowned.
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you."
"Why?"
Zack shrugged.
"Wanted to see if you were still alive."
Johan looked away.
Zack walked closer.
"I heard about what happened."
"Then you heard wrong."
"Really? Because everyone seems to have seen the video."
Johan's expression hardened.
"Leave."
Zack sighed.
"You're still the same."
He looked toward the city.
"Whoever this guy is, maybe you should stop thinking about him for a while."
Johan said nothing.
Zack continued.
"You've got your own problems. Your crew isn't exactly in a good position."
That much was true.
God Dog had been losing influence.
Some of its members were questioning Johan's leadership, while others were becoming increasingly interested in the money and opportunities offered by rival groups.
Johan had ignored most of it.
He'd been too focused on becoming stronger.
Zack looked at him.
"Are you even listening?"
"I'm going to find him."
Zack shook his head.
"Fine. Just don't expect me to help you."
He turned toward the exit.
Johan remained where he was.
His dog pressed against his leg.
He looked down.
Then quietly muttered, "I know."
An Offer
That evening, Baek Seongho received an unexpected visitor.
The man waited outside the headquarters.
He was well-dressed, perhaps in his early thirties, with a clean-cut appearance and an expensive watch.
"Baek Seongho?"
Seongho stopped.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Kim Dongwook. I represent a private investment firm."
Seongho looked at him suspiciously.
"What do you want?"
"To discuss an opportunity."
"I'm not interested."
Dongwook smiled.
"You haven't heard the offer."
"I don't need to."
The man handed him a business card.
"Your boxing ability has attracted attention. There are people who believe you could become a professional fighter."
Seongho glanced at the card.
A legitimate sports management company.
Not an obvious front.
Dongwook continued.
"We can arrange private training, professional coaching, and sponsorship opportunities. Your current situation doesn't need to determine your future."
Seongho looked at him.
"What does that have to do with Black Dragon?"
"Nothing."
"Then why are you here?"
Dongwook smiled.
"Because you're talented. It would be unfortunate to waste that talent following someone else's ambitions."
Seongho's expression cooled.
"Choose your next words carefully."
"I'm not insulting your leader."
"You're trying to recruit me behind his back."
"I'm offering you a better future."
Seongho handed the card back.
"I already have one."
Dongwook's smile weakened.
"Think about it."
"Leave."
The man studied him for another moment before walking away.
Seongho watched until he disappeared around the corner.
Then he called Minjun.
The Wrong Investment
Minjun listened without interrupting.
When Seongho finished, he asked one question.
"Did you keep the card?"
"Yes."
"Send me a photograph."
A few seconds later, the image arrived.
Minjun examined it.
The company was legitimate.
Its registered director, however, had an interesting history.
Three years earlier, it had received funding from an investment subsidiary connected to HNH Group.
Charles Choi.
Minjun placed his phone on the desk.
He wasn't surprised.
Charles had decided to test his organization.
The question was whether the offer had been intended to recruit Seongho or simply measure his loyalty.
Either way, Minjun had learned something useful.
"Don't contact him again," he said.
Seongho sounded annoyed.
"I wasn't planning to."
"Good. And Seongho?"
"Yes?"
"You handled it correctly."
A short silence followed.
"Thanks."
Minjun ended the call.
He looked through the office window.
Across the street, a delivery truck was unloading supplies.
His organization was growing.
That meant more people would try to approach it.
Some would offer money.
Others would offer influence.
A few would attempt to undermine it from within.
He would need to account for all of them.
A Different Kind of Fighter
At nine that evening, Minjun received another message.
This one came from an unfamiliar number.
I heard you're building a crew.
A second message followed.
I'm looking for work.
Minjun stared at the screen.
Who is this?
The reply arrived almost immediately.
Warren Chae.
Minjun leaned back.
The name brought a flicker of recognition.
Warren Chae.
Hostel.
A capable fighter, fiercely loyal to his friends, and one of the more physically gifted young men in the region.
He was not someone who would ordinarily seek employment with a rival organization.
Minjun typed.
Why me?
The response took longer.
Because I heard you're strong.
Minjun almost laughed.
That's a poor reason.
Another message arrived.
Then I'll give you a better one. I want to learn how to lead people.
Minjun's expression became thoughtful.
He knew enough about Warren's future to understand that the boy's loyalty could become both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.
But he also knew that approaching Hostel carelessly would create problems.
Eli Jang was not someone to provoke without reason.
Minjun typed his response.
Come tomorrow. We'll talk.
He put the phone away.
Outside, the city lights reflected against the glass.
Three separate developments had emerged in a single day.
Charles Choi was testing his loyalty.
Johan Seong was still obsessed with their fight.
And Warren Chae had approached him independently.
The next few weeks would reveal whether Black Dragon could grow without being swallowed by the established crews.
Minjun stood and switched off the office lights.
He had spent his previous life building an empire around fear.
This time, he intended to build one around something far more difficult to obtain.
Loyalty.
And he had no intention of letting anyone take it from him.