Squeak-

A pitch-black car came to a stop in front of a five-star hotel.

Before Shin Haesu got out, Jiyeon handed him a 2G mobile phone.

“Oppa, if you call with this, I'll come pick you up anywhere. I had a great time today.”

At ten million won per visit, of course, she'd happily come pick him up anywhere.

“Go.”

Haesu got out of the car and entered the five-star hotel. Inside the elevator, he wrapped the microphone part of the phone with a handkerchief and shoved it deep into his inner pocket.

‘Room 701.’

There was no hesitation in Haesu’s steps as he walked towards the room. He unlocked the door with a card key and entered, where the team leader, Oh Gaeng, and the youngest team member were waiting for him.

They had rented a hotel operated by Daeseong to live as Lee Taesu until this operation was complete.

“Haesu, you really have some guts—”

Haesu placed his index finger on his lips, silencing Oh Gaeng, and then held up the mobile phone. Oh Gaeng formed a circle with his thumb and index finger as he took the phone, checking for any wiretapping functions.

“Nothing. I figured as much. Their usual clients are all people who'd check for wiretaps. If they got caught, they wouldn’t have been in business this long.”

“Where is the location?”

Haesu took off his coat and stepped inside. The living room, now converted into an investigation headquarters, immediately caught his eye.

The team leader projected a photo onto a whiteboard using a beam projector.

“It's practically right next to Queen Club. They just drove you around in circles for an hour. But look at this—where did they even find the space for something like this? It's practically ghostly.”

“They probably have a hidden entrance as well.”

“We need to visit a few more times.”

At Haesu's words, Oh Gaeng smirked and nudged his shoulder.

“What, do you want to see Ashibara Airlines flight attendant Jiyeon again?”

“It's for work.”

“You looked pretty reluctant to leave, though.”

“You're imagining things.”

At Red Moon, Manager Jung Seokseung received a report from the returning Jiyeon.

“…So the bastard is impotent? Is that why he’s got such a foul temper? This might be easier than I thought.”

He had money but no way to satisfy his desires. He’d look for something else. And there was only one thing a rich bastard would turn to. He might even already be doing it.

“When that bastard comes back, see if you can push it on him when the time is right.”

“What? Already?”

“What else would a rich, impotent bastard do if not drugs? What other choice does he have?”

The manager raised his fist. Jiyeon flinched, her shoulders trembling. Haesu’s burly muscles flashed through her mind. If he hit her with that fist, she might actually die.

“O-okay...”

A few days later, at Red Moon.

Bang! Bang! Crash!

“Kyaaaah!”

The door shattered, and Haesu burst into the hallway, gripping Jiyeon by the hair.

Like an enraged bull, he snorted out heavy breaths and roared.

“You bastards!! Get your damn manager out here!!”

His thunderous voice echoed, and the guards immediately rushed out. Manager Jung Seokseung also hurried over.

“Sir, what seems to be the problem?”

“What’s the problem? What’s the problem, you bastard?!”

Haesu let go of the crying Jiyeon and grabbed the manager by the collar. With his other hand, he held up a small glass bottle filled with pills.

“This—are you telling me she offered this on her own?”

“That’s...”

The manager faltered, unable to answer. Normally, when a customer crossed the line, they’d blackmail them with a video recording. But with an impotent client, that wasn’t an option.

“You think I’m some kind of pushover?!”

Crash!

Haesu threw the manager aside. The moment he did, three guards closed in.

“You seriously think you guys can do something to me? Do you even know who my father is? Huh?! Get your damn boss out here!”

“If you continue causing a disturbance—”

“We will have to restrain you.”

“Restrain me? Ha, you crazy bastards!”

Haesu swung a punch at one of the approaching guards.

Whoosh—

The guard dodged by leaning backward, while the other two swiftly rushed in to grab Haesu.

“Let me go, you bastards!!”

The guards surrounded him, but his muscles weren’t just for show—his raw strength was enough to drag all three of them around.

Bang! Bang!

Haesu slammed his body against the hallway walls, shaking them off one by one. He grabbed the last remaining guard by the collar, swept his leg under him, and threw him to the ground.

“You guys have a death wish?! Who the hell do you think you're touching?!”

Click, clack, click.

Just then, the sound of high heels echoed through the hallway.

A woman and a man appeared at the end of the corridor. The woman observed the chaotic scene before speaking in a quiet voice.

“Chief Ha.”

Tap, tap, tap.

Before her words had even finished, the man called Chief Ha sprinted toward Haesu. By the time Haesu noticed him, his eyes widened in alarm.

Tap, tap, tap—

Just before reaching him, Chief Ha leaped up, using the hallway wall to propel himself nearly two meters into the air before slamming his knee into Haesu’s face. Haesu barely managed to raise his arms to block, but he was still forced to the ground by the sheer force.

“Ugh!”

Thud!

Chief Ha immediately locked Haesu’s arm and pressed his knee against his neck.

“Keuk, keuk! L-let go! Gah!”

Click, clack, click.

Unlike the panicked Haesu, the woman in a crimson dress approached at a leisurely pace. She knelt down on one knee, bringing her face level with his.

“Mr. Lee Taesu?”

“You were looking for me?”

Inside the Red Moon office.

A luxurious desk separated the woman and Haesu, who sat across from each other. Behind the woman stood Chief Ha and the manager. Behind Haesu, three guards remained on standby.

"I’m the representative of Red Moon. You may call me Madam Yu. What business do you have with me?"

Haesu pulled out the small glass bottle of drugs.

"The girl in my room offered me this. Selling women and selling drugs are two different things. Are you trying to shut down your business?"

"Report it."

"What?"

"Go ahead. Call the cops."

She shrugged her shoulders, exuding confidence.

"Hah, that’s not going to work, huh? Fine, let’s get straight to the point. Where did you get this from? Sell it to me. This is good quality."

Madam Yu smiled knowingly, crossing her legs and resting her chin on one hand.

"It comes from above."

"Above?"

"Just across the border."

North Korea.

North Korean drugs were the purest available in South Korea. It was just a guess, but it turned out to be correct. Chinese and Vietnamese products couldn’t even compare in terms of purity.

Normally, drugs sold for 500,000 to 1,000,000 won per gram. But North Korean products started at 3,000,000.

"You’d want to sell more, wouldn’t you?"

Madam Yu playfully wrinkled her nose. Her age was impossible to gauge. Her tone was that of a middle-aged woman, but her face looked like it belonged to someone in their twenties. It was as if he were facing a witch.

"Feel free to visit anytime."

She rose as if issuing an eviction order.

"Ten billion won."

Her steps came to a halt. Haesu leaned back against the sofa, resting one arm over it arrogantly.

"The first deal starts at ten billion. Ten percent upfront."

Madam Yu sat back down and crossed her legs.

"You're as bold as you look."

She extended her slender hand into the air, and Chief Ha retrieved a cellphone from his inner pocket and handed it to her. As expected, it was a 2G phone.

She slid the phone toward Haesu.

"I'll contact you with the details through this. See him out."

"Okay, you're as straightforward as your face!"

Haesu sprang up with a bright expression. As he took a step forward, he stopped in front of Chief Ha.

A brief silence. Chief Ha clenched his teeth, preparing himself to get slapped.

"You're quite skilled."

Contrary to his expectation, Haesu extended a hand. When Chief Ha only stared at it, Madam Yu gave a subtle nod of permission. Only then did Chief Ha clasp the offered hand.

After Haesu left the office, Madam Yu exhaled a long plume of cigarette smoke, gazing into the air as she spoke.

"Manager Jung, look into that guy. There's no way the son of some subcontractor's president can casually throw around ten billion, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Wham!

Inside a five-star hotel, as soon as Shin Haesu stepped into Room 701, Oh Kang-seok grabbed him in a tight hug. Then, cupping his face with both hands, he spoke.

"Haesu, are you okay? You’ve got nerves of steel! Where is it, huh? Where’s your liver?"

"Seriously, even just watching from here had me trembling. If it were me, I wouldn't have made it. I would've been caught before I even started."

"Senior! I knew you'd return safely!"

Haesu took off his coat and loosened his tie as he responded.

"Yeah."

Oh Kang-seok chattered beside him.

"You acted out that getting-hit scene pretty well."

"It wasn't acting."

"Huh?"

"For real? You actually got hit? Well… that guy did seem to move fast…"

"My neck hurts when I press it."

"Ugh, you scared me!"

The youngest team member twisted his neck back and forth as he interjected.

"That’s why I recently started neck-strengthening exercises!"

"Jeez, muscle freak…"

Haesu looked at his palm and spoke.

"That Chief Ha guy, his fingertips had no fingerprints, just like Jin."

"That place is shady… seriously shady."

"Let's check the CCTV footage."

"I thought the same, so I marked all the suspicious ones."

The team leader displayed various angles of a suspicious man caught near Shin Ira’s residence.

The physique, height, and nose bridge resembled Chief Ha. It was unfortunate they couldn't properly analyze his gait.

"Didn't we find a damaged fingerprint at the crime scene?"

"Right, we’ve kept it stored."

During forensic analysis, they had found a single, smudged fingerprint. People who erase their prints tend to let their guard down and skip wearing gloves.

Whether that print belonged to Jin from a past visit, to Chief Ha, or to someone else entirely would be revealed once they caught and compared it.

Regardless, if Chief Ha was indeed the killer, the real priority was catching the one who ordered the killing—most likely Madam Yu.

Haesu fell into thought.

'Chief Ha is in his mid to late thirties… the age fits, but his body is different.'

Thirteen years ago, the one who killed his father was taller and broader than Chief Ha.

Different people, yet the same killing method? Or did Chief Ha not commit the murder?

The former seemed more likely. Given that Chief Ha, Jin, and Haru all had erased fingerprints, it suggested the existence of a trained group specializing in contract killings.

When Haesu visited Red Moon again, he handed over one billion in cash as an upfront payment.

And while indulging in room service at the hotel, enjoying a brief taste of luxury—

Buzz—

"A text must've arrived!"

"I'll check."

- [Meeting: 7.15, 23:00]

It meant July 15th. Since the supplier had excellent production capabilities, even with a hundred-billion-won deal, a transaction date had been set almost immediately.

On the day of the deal,

The Violent Crimes Division 1 prepared two SWAT squads. A diversion strategy.

Haesu and the youngest member would handle the drug transaction.

Oh Kang-seok and the team leader would raid Red Moon.

Haesu and the youngest, dressed sharply, waited in front of the hotel. The youngest held a black bag in his right hand.

Screeeech—

A jet-black Grandeur came to a stop before them. Haesu and the youngest lifted the money bag and stepped inside the car.

Meanwhile, the first SWAT squad assigned to Haesu's operation—

Static—

A strange noise came through the radio. The squad leader furrowed his brows and tried the transmission.

"Unit 201, respond if you hear me. Tap twice."

No response. Not even static. The moment Haesu entered their car, all signals were jammed—both the radio and GPS tracking.

The squad leader's face twisted in frustration.

"Damn it, we’ve lost contact! Follow them!"

"We lost them!"

"Radio the command center! Black Grandeur, plate number 34-MU-773!"

If the SWAT team exposed their presence now, thinking they were in position, Haesu and the youngest would be dead men.

The squad leader, feeling the urgency, slammed his fist into the dashboard.

Scraaape—

The car carrying Shin Haesu and the youngest pulled up in front of a warehouse at the docks.

Neither of them noticed the signal jamming.

Two men in sunglasses frisked them thoroughly before letting them in.

"Excuse us."

"Go ahead."

After an exhaustive search, they opened the warehouse doors.

Creaaak, clank, clunk.

As the two stepped inside, the door shut behind them, locking from the outside.

The dimly lit warehouse had a single illuminated spot where Madam Yu sat, legs crossed on a sofa, exhaling cigarette smoke.

She lifted her chin slightly.

"You came?"

Haesu's brows furrowed slightly as he scanned the surroundings. The shift in Madam Yu's tone, the altered atmosphere of the meeting spot—something was off.

"Where’s the product?"

"Let’s see the money first."

"Where is it?"

Hiss—

Madam Yu stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, smirking at Haesu.

"You don’t have the money, do you, cop?"

Haesu and the youngest froze.

Seeing their reaction, Madam Yu let out a laugh.

"Do you really think we wouldn’t recognize a cop? We’ve got police chiefs on our payroll."

Step. Step.

As if on cue, armed men emerged from the shadows, carrying sashimi knives, hammers, and steel pipes. At a glance, there were over twenty of them.

"Backup? They’re not coming. Even if they do, it’ll be after you’re fish food."

"Madam Yu…"

"Kill them—"

Bang!!

Before she could finish, Haesu made the first move, taking two quick steps forward and slamming his fist into the closest man's face.

Thud—!

The man spun in place before collapsing, eyes rolling back, foaming at the mouth.

Haesu wiped the blood from his hand with his thumb and locked eyes with Madam Yu.

She flinched.

"You didn’t investigate properly. There aren’t nearly enough of you."