In the narrow stairs, seven men—Viper and his six subordinates—circled Joe like a pack of wolves. At Viper's subtle chin lift, the six lackeys tightened their grip on their wooden clubs and steel pipes, closing the distance.
"Hey, finally crawled out of your hole? You're a hard man to track down, you know that?"
Joe let out a weary sigh, his hands remains buried deep in his hoodie pockets. He didn't even look them in the eye.
"Who are you people this time? What do you want from me?"
The men exchanged glances and burst into a chorus of vile laughter. Viper took a slow, deliberate step forward.
"You've got a shitty memory. A few days ago, you trashed a bunch of our brothers at a restaurant. Those boys are still in the hospital groaning. Originally, the boss told me to recruit you, but... well, who's to say I can't get a little rough first? Think of it as a lesson in obedience. Spare the rod, spoil the dog, right?"
Joe let out a short, dry chuckle.
"Smile Capital, was it? Those 'brothers' of yours were pathetic. If you're anything like them, don't bother. You guys aren't worth my time. Just leave."
Viper licked the flat of his blade and barked an order.
"You arrogant piece of trash... Hey, beat him until he's half-dead!"
On command, all six subordinates lunged at Joe simultaneously.
'Here we go again.'
The brute at the front swung a wooden club toward Joe's skull.
Joe didn't dodge—at least, it didn't look like he did. Just as the wood was about to make contact, Joe tilted his head a fraction of an inch to the side.
Swish!
The club whistled through empty air. Before the sound could even fade, Joe's left jab buried itself into the center of the brute's face.
Thwack!
"Gah!"
The big man tumbled backward, tangling with the men charging behind him. Joe exploited the chaos, sliding into their ranks. He swayed his upper body with fluid, boneless grace—the 'Konnyaku' tactic.
A steel pipe swung from the right, grazing Joe's ribs. Using the momentum of the near-miss, Joe spun his body and planted a hand on the floor. Springing like a kangaroo, his fist shot upward, catching the pipe-wielder right under the jaw.
Crack!
"Guh-ack!"
Two down in just two strikes. As the remaining four hesitated, Joe's breathing grew ragged.
'Ha... ha... my hands...'
His left hand was shaking uncontrollably. His vision began to double. The symptoms of his Parkinsonism had chosen the worst possible moment to flare up.
"Look at him, something's wrong! Get him all at once!"
The remaining four lunged from all sides. Joe backed against the wall and dropped into his 'No Guard' stance. Fists and boots rained down on him. Joe moved only enough to protect his vitals, absorbing the punishment.
Thud! Crack! Smash!
Blood sprayed from his mouth, but the light in Joe's eyes didn't flicker. If anything, it burned brighter.
'Now.'
As the most aggressive thug threw a straight punch, Joe's fist crossed over the incoming arm.
Wham!
"H-hurrk!"
A Cross Counter. As that man spiraled away, Joe didn't stop. He buried a liver blow into the next man's gut, followed by a rapid succession of hooks and uppercuts.
In an instant, all six goons were strewn across the hallway floor. Joe leaned heavily against the wall, barely upright, his body a map of sweat and blood.
"You... you monster..."
Viper, his hands trembling, brandished his knife and charged. Joe's reaction was a split-second too slow.
Rip!
The blade carved a deep red line across Joe's side.
"Die! Just die already!"
Viper swung the knife like a madman. Joe staggered back, hitting a dead end against the wall. The tip of Viper's blade lunged for Joe's throat.
'I see it.'
Joe didn't blink. Just before the steel touched his skin, Joe's upper body collapsed to the left as if he were falling. Using his right shoulder as a pivot, he threw his entire weight into a single punch.
It was the union of the opponent's strength, his own power, and the momentum of the counter itself.
"Triple... Cross!"
BOOM!
Joe's corkscrew punch exploded against the center of Viper's face. Viper's body was lifted off the floor, flying down the corridor until he slammed into the window at the far end.
"Cough... h-hurrk..."
Viper foamed at the mouth and slumped into unconsciousness.
Joe leaned against the wall with a trembling hand, slowly catching his breath.
"I told you. You guys aren't on my level."
---
Few hours later, inside the quiet depths of the bookstore, Hyeon-ju broke the heavy silence. Joe, Geon-woo, and Woo-jin sat gathered before her.
"I'll get straight to the point," she started, her voice firm. "From now on, we are not clashing with Smile Capital. At all."
Geon-woo's brow furrowed at the sudden declaration. "Why? After everything those bastards did..."
His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. Though he tried to keep his face a mask of indifference, the embers of revenge were clearly still smoldering in his chest. Woo-jin noticed and gave him a heavy, grounding pat on the back.
Hyeon-ju let out a slow sigh, her eyes softening slightly.
"It's Grandpa. He doesn't want me involved with them. It sounds like he has some deep, ugly history with Smile Capital from years ago. Whatever the case, we're staying out of their way from here on out."
Joe gave a curt, disinterested nod. "So, what's the plan then?"
Hyeon-ju spread a map across the desk.
"Jae-myeong wasn't the only person who owed Grandpa money. He was just the loudest and the most notorious, so we dealt with him first. Now that he's out of the picture, we can finally focus on the other targets."
The group nodded in unison. Hyeon-ju then led them toward a corner of the bookstore. She pressed a hidden catch, and a massive bookshelf slid aside to reveal a secret cabin—a command center packed with high-tech monitors and tactical gear.
Woo-jin's jaw hit the floor as he looked around.
"Whoa! You had a place like this back here? What are you, Juju? Batwoman?"
A small, playful smile touched Hyeon-ju's lips.
"Maybe I am. I've got the money, the tech, and most importantly, the skills to back it up."
But her expression quickly soured.
"That being said, we're going to have to clear out soon. Grandpa has decided to move the bookstore to a new location."
Woo-jin groaned in disappointment.
"Seriously? This place is damn cool! It'd be a real shame to leave it behind."
Hyeon-ju offered a wry smile, a dimple forming on her cheek. "I can't help it. Once Grandpa makes up his mind, there's no stopping him."
Woo-jin nodded understandingly. Hyeon-ju tapped a key on the console, and a photograph flickered onto the main screen.
"This guy is our next target. I've already pinned his location. We move tonight."
The air in the room shifted as everyone locked eyes with the target on the screen.
"Understood."