The man, whose hand had been slammed by the cup, irritably pushed it away and shouted.

“Are you kidding me? This guy! Flip them! And why the hell are you betting my wrist on this?!”

The team leader flipped over one of his own cards, nodded with a shameless expression, and said,

“Oh? Guess not. My bad.”

“Seriously…”

The man, surprisingly understanding despite his rough appearance, let it slide without much complaint.

“Hey, what's the max bet here?”

“Ten per round.”

That meant no more than 100,000 won could be bet per hand.

“No wonder… I was wondering why all these thousand-won bills were gathered here. The stakes are so small—where’s the fun in that?”

“Bet enough, and your pockets will lighten up soon enough.”

“You don’t know until you flip the cards. I’ll take mine and add ten more.”

“Tch… Fold.”

One hour after the team leader entered the game.

“-Team leader, was that trembling earlier because you were excited?”

“-I’ll bet your wrist on it.”

“I’m done…”

The faces of the men at the table were gradually turning pale. Two had already dropped out, and a newcomer had left just as quickly.

“You still in?”

“Let’s call it a night. My luck’s just not here today.”

“Alright then, here’s some cab fare.”

The team leader handed 50,000 won bills to the men he had played with. That only made them feel worse.

“Sigh… No fun at all. Doesn’t seem like I’ll be coming back here. Thanks for the game.”

As the team leader coolly got up from his seat, the man whose hand had been slammed by the cup quickly followed him.

“Brother, you looking to play in bigger waters?”

-Oh wow, calling him 'brother' already?

-He's caught. The team leader, as expected… all part of the plan.

“A man should play big, even if he dies tomorrow.”

“Knew you were different the moment you walked in, brother. Let’s meet at this time tomorrow. Bring plenty of ammo.”

“How much? I’ve got money.”

The team leader made an "O" shape with his fingers, and the man smirked.

“Doesn’t matter how much you bring, you’ll lose it all, so don’t worry.”

“Damn, that confidence? Haven’t felt this excited in a while. Alright, see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, brother! Take care!”

The team leader walked away slowly, waving his hand without looking back. Once the man was far enough, his expression changed instantly, and he muttered under his breath.

“You saw his face, right?”

-Yes, we’re moving in. Good work.

-Brother, head this way. Take a right to the main road.

“Okay.”

Shin Haesu followed on foot, while the rookie kept a safe distance, trailing the man slowly.

If he was headed to Starry Sky, then there was no need for the team leader to take the risk of infiltration to find its location.

“He seems to have entered his residence.”

-Damn.

But contrary to expectations, the man entered a shabby one-room apartment nearby.

“Should we stake it out?”

-No, it’s late anyway, and I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Let’s split up and dig up whatever we can on this bastard.

“Got it. Heading back.”

Once they returned, the team leader played back the footage recorded with a button camera, zooming in on the man’s face and calling out.

“Hey, everyone gather around! Teams 2 and 3! Come here for a sec—anyone know this guy?”

Team 2’s senior-most officer had been promoted to team leader, while Team 3’s leader was a direct junior to the 1st team’s leader, making the 1st team leader the most senior detective in the entire squad.

The detectives slowly gathered and checked the monitor.

“No clue.”

“Never seen him before.”

No one seemed to recognize him. Not that they expected much—after all, Team 1 dealt with gangsters the most, so if they didn’t know him, then no one would.

But just then, Team 2’s rookie squinted and pointed at the monitor.

“Wait, isn’t he that guy? I think I saw him once at Dying Night.”

“Dying Night?”

They were talking about the Dying Night gang riot case. If he was involved, then he had to be part of one of two gangs back then.

The late Gang Dolsoe’s Kangsoe faction or Mo Chang-gwi’s Hook faction.

“Judging by his face, he’s more Kangsoe than Hook… but the organ-harvesting angle makes him seem more Hook.”

“Thought Hook was all about Mo Chang-gwi? Damn, even after getting locked up, they’re still a pain.”

Haesu stared intently at the monitor, slowly recalling the faces from the Dying Night riot.

Dislocated that guy’s arm, broke that one’s nose, slammed that one’s face into the ground… Ah!

“Kkangsae.”

“What?”

“He was called Kkangsae. Kangsoe faction.”

Haesu had been closer to those gangsters’ faces than anyone during the riot.

At his words, Oh Gaeng clapped his hands in realization.

“Oh! Right, yeah! Didn’t some guy keep begging us to check if Kkangsae was still alive?”

“That’s right.”

The team leader shook his head in amazement.

“Our battering ram’s got an insane memory. Look at that—he’s not just all brute force; even his brain’s a battering ram.”

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“It is, it is. Just take it easy.”

“I only remembered thanks to Team 2’s rookie.”

At Haesu’s humble remark, Team 2’s rookie scratched his head awkwardly and bowed slightly.

“Right, their rookie did good work. Ours is just… big.”

“I’ll work hard too!”

The team leader patted the muscular rookie on the back and continued.

“Okay, tomorrow’s going to be busy, so go home, eat something good, sleep well, and come back in top condition. We’re shaking down the Kangsoe faction first thing in the morning.”

“Understood.”

“Good work, everyone.”

The next day.

The team leader stayed at the office in case Kkangsae showed up, while Haesu, Oh Gaeng, and the rookie went looking for Kangsoe faction members.

“Watermelons! Sweeeet, juicy watermelons for sale!”

On the outskirts of an apartment complex, a man leaned against a fruit truck, scowling deeply.

Haesu approached him, picked up a sample slice, and casually took a bite.

“Business not going well?”

“Nah, it's fine—huh?!”

The man, upon seeing Haesu, recoiled as if he had just met the Grim Reaper. Instinctively, he clutched his forearm, where a long scar ran down his skin.

“Oh, did I do that?”

“Uh… uh, yeah…”

Haesu furrowed his brows slightly and took another bite of watermelon.

“Still, it’s good to see you making an honest living. What about the others? Haven’t seen them around.”

“Ah… well…”

“Just the facts. No excuses like ‘I wasn’t asked, so I didn’t say.’ I hate that the most.”

The man broke into a cold sweat and carefully began to speak.

“S-So… After Boss Dolswe ended up like that…”

According to him, after Kang Dolswe died, the Kangsoi gang scattered and went their own ways. Half of them decided to live normal lives and left to find jobs, while the other half joined different organizations.

Haesu didn’t ask about Kkangsae. He didn’t want to risk him relaying the conversation and raising suspicions.

“Alright. No scams. If you get caught twice in my hands, you’ll get extra suppression.”

“Y-Yes! How could I dare in front of you… H-Here! Have this at least!”

“Alright.”

Haesu took the watermelon he offered, tossed him a fifty-thousand-won bill, and left.

“…Team leader, this is what I found out.”

-Damn it, everyone head back. It’s better than digging around and messing things up. We’ll settle this later.

That night.

The team leader headed to the location he had promised Kkangsae. There were two more middle-aged men who looked like they had been worn down by life.

Kkangsae welcomed him warmly.

“Boss, you’re here? I knew you’d keep your promise.”

“I’m not here to keep promises. I’m here to win money.”

“Haha, I hope you win big. The car should be here soon… Ah, here it is.”

A tinted van approached. Two rough-looking men stepped out.

“Please turn off your phone and leave it with us. You can collect it when you leave. We’ll need to check you.”

One of the men ran a long stick carelessly under his armpits and between his legs.

Chhhk, chhhk

At that moment, Haesu’s voice came through the team leader’s earpiece.

-Team leader, can you hear me? The tracker button camera has been disabled.

That meant they could only follow the car with their eyes—and they absolutely couldn’t get caught. The team leader swallowed hard.

-If you can hear me, curse once.

“Ah, shit. Why so strict?”

“Apologies. We need to be thorough with security so everyone can enjoy themselves longer.”

“Damn it… Let’s just go. This better be worth it.”

They even put blindfolds on him during the ride. As they traveled, chilling news came through his earpiece.

-Boss, don’t freak out, but listen carefully. We lost them. These bastards are rotating two identical vans, or they changed the license plate mid-route. Anyway, the control center is searching, so don’t worry too much. Just act natural. If necessary, just play along and leave when you can.

‘Son of a bitch…’

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Suddenly, the ride got extremely bumpy. The team leader guessed they were now on an unpaved road. He muttered a complaint, trying to give a hint.

“Ugh, I’m gonna puke. Can’t you take a smoother road?”

“We’re almost there. Keep your blindfold on.”

Screech.

The car finally stopped. When he removed the blindfold and stepped out, he was inside a garage attached to a building. The ceiling was quite high.

“Good work, everyone. This way. Welcome to Starry Sky.”

The team leader followed Kkangsae through a flimsy door.

Beyond it, a massive space about three stories high was revealed. It was dimly lit, with only a single bulb illuminating each table.

The structure was similar to a greenhouse—prefab construction—but with the scattered, glowing bulbs, it really did look like a starry sky.

“Got it! Got it! I got it!!!”

“Ah, damn it!”

“Give me my money! My money!!”

“What do you mean your money?! It’s mine!”

“Hey, you there, sit down.”

Numerous gambling games were taking place across countless tables. Young women, dressed in something between swimsuits and underwear, were carrying silver trays and serving drinks.

Kkangsae smacked one of the women’s butts and grabbed a grape from her tray.

“Cigarettes, snacks, alcohol, and soft drinks are free and unlimited. If you get hungry, head over there. We serve ramen and rice.”

The team leader’s sharp eyes scanned the scene. He noticed people slipping tips to the women and making exchanges.

‘Oh, great. They’re dealing drugs too?’

A crime fest.

He approached the exchange counter and laid out all the money he brought.

“All of it into chips.”

Here, even Seotda was played with chips. He had borrowed 200 million won with Haesu’s help—far beyond what the investigative budget could handle.

“I haven’t seen you before, boss, but you brought quite a lot.”

“You need a lot of bullets to get good hands.”

“Still, you could lose it all in no time. If that happens, come here.”

“And then what? You give me money?”

“Of course. After a health check.”

They were lending money with organs as collateral. The team leader shuddered and waved his hands.

“Ugh, terrifying. No thanks.”

As he turned away, scanning the other gambling tables—

-Team leader, the riot police are delayed because they’re coming from Busan.

“Ah… Guess I’ll just have to kill time, then.”

-We haven’t requested SWAT support to avoid alerting them. Besides the bumpy ride before arrival, is there any clue that could help pinpoint the location?

“None. Nothing. No way to—let’s see, let’s see…”

-Understood. The best option is to find a phone and turn it on, but don’t take any unnecessary risks.

“So you’re telling me to take a risk…”

The team leader roamed the area, deliberately losing money to get a detailed look at the layout.

“Wow, so many… So many damn gangsters.”

Even at a glance, between the men standing between tables and those lounging in the corner, there were at least thirty of them.

The size of the gambling den, the number of gangsters, and their security measures confirmed that this was their headquarters.

‘Then that means Dongdong is being held here… Has he already been killed?’

At that moment, a man outside hurriedly ran to a boss-like figure in the corner and whispered something. The boss frowned and spoke, prompting the lounging men to get up and scatter.

Something felt off. Four or five men headed to the exchange counter and started moving bags.

“These bastards are packing up? Did they figure it out?”

-Possibly. Stay calm and prioritize safety.

The team leader lowered his head and whispered.

“I’ll grab one of their phones and make an emergency call. Track the location.”

-No, it’s too dangerous—

Crash!

Suddenly, the team leader flipped a table and shouted.

“What the hell are you doing?! Where are you running off with my money?! Hey, everyone! Look at these bastards!!”