Chapter 39: Returning What You Receive
As Dohyuk exited after finishing the meeting, Kang Sunhyuk was waiting outside the conference room. After exchanging brief bows with Baek Hyeri, he bowed to the Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
“I apologize for my late greeting. I am Kang Sunhyuk, Executive Director of Dragon Holdings.”
At the title of Executive Director, the Vice Minister made a sound of acknowledgment and extended his hand for a handshake.
“I couldn’t attend the presentation due to other business.”
He was acting quite properly as an Executive Director today. The Vice Minister smiled broadly, saying it was fine.
“To make up for it, I’d like to treat you to dinner this evening, if that’s all right? With Planning Director Baek Hyeri as well.”
Kang Sunhyuk smiled at Baek Hyeri. She didn’t look particularly pleased, but with the Vice Minister present, she couldn’t refuse.
“You’ll be joining us as well, Managing Director Kang?”
She turned to Dohyuk and asked. She seemed to believe he would naturally come along.
“I’m sorry. I’ll leave it to the Executive Director today. I have an urgent matter to attend to, so please excuse me.”
She looked disappointed at his refusal to join them, but after greeting the Vice Minister, Dohyuk quickly walked away without looking back. As he walked down the corridor, he loosened his tie slightly and took out his phone to call Director Choi.
“Where are you?”
Director Choi wasn’t flustered by the abrupt question.
[I just arrived.]
“Don’t touch anything and wait. I’m coming now.”
He said what he needed to and hung up. He immediately went down to the parking lot, where the driver, having received a call from Director Choi, was waiting outside with the car ready. Sitting in the back seat, Dohyuk completely removed his tie and tossed it on the seat beside him. He also unbuttoned the topmost button of his neatly fastened shirt.
The driver, who happened to glance at the back seat through the rearview mirror, quickly looked away to avoid eye contact. Dohyuk’s eyes were incomparably darker and more gleaming than during the meeting. At this moment, he was emitting such an undisguised murderous aura that he could have been mistaken for a gangster rather than a businessman.
***
It was an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Seoul. All the surrounding land was owned by Dragon Holdings. Only the solitary factory—an abandoned one at that—stood there.
For decades, this had been a place used by Kang Mansik for very private purposes. At some point, however, Dohyuk rather than Kang Mansik began using it occasionally.
When he got out of the car, two strong men guarding the entrance bowed to Dohyuk. As they pushed open the heavy iron door, it made an eerie screech. Inside the factory, it was dark and damp with little sunlight entering. Just a few lights illuminated parts of the space.
“You’ve arrived.”
Director Choi greeted Dohyuk. In front of him was a man with blue tape over his mouth, tied to a chair. The man raised his head at Dohyuk’s entrance and glared at him with intense eyes. Dohyuk met his gaze with a cold stare.
Standing beside him, Director Choi recited information about the man.
“Choi Woosik, 28 years old, single, no family. In the contract killing industry, he’s known to have a success rate among the top five, so his basic commission starts in the hundreds of millions of won. And this.”
Director Choi handed Dohyuk a piece of paper along with leather gloves.
“Just a hundred million? Quite insignificant for my life.”
Dohyuk sneered as he skimmed through what he had received from Director Choi and put on the leather gloves. He stood directly in front of Choi Woosik and looked down at him. At first, it wasn’t apparent due to his expressionless face, but his eyes were gleaming fiercely as they fixed on Choi Woosik’s face.
Smack! Without any warning, Dohyuk slapped Choi Woosik’s cheek. With his mouth taped shut, Choi Woosik couldn’t even make a sound as he toppled over sideways with the chair. Other subordinates standing guard quickly set him upright again.
“You’re quite stupid for a hitman. After failing once, you should have covered your tracks and disappeared. Though I would have found you anyway.”
He grabbed Choi Woosik’s chin, forcing him to look up. As their eyes met forcibly, Choi Woosik’s gaze remained full of defiance.
“Do you know what makes animals superior to humans?”
Dohyuk asked in a low voice while staring directly at him.
“They don’t challenge opponents stronger than themselves.”
When he released his chin, Choi Woosik flinched, thinking he would be struck again. However, Dohyuk turned his attention to a hard case lying on the floor.
“MTv-186.”
Choi Woosik flinched when Dohyuk correctly named the model of the sniper rifle in the case.
“It’s a relatively new rifle developed in Russia, so it seems you have the capability to import such things.”
Though quiet and low, there was mockery in his tone.
“Didn’t you find it strange?”
Dohyuk took the gun out of the case. Watching him assemble the weapon with practiced movements, Choi Woosik’s eyes began to waver. This bastard is not an ordinary businessman, he realized belatedly.
“I was waiting to see when you’d get caught, but you must have been in quite a hurry. Or perhaps it took longer than expected?”
After attaching the silencer, Dohyuk pointed the gun at Choi Woosik. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously.
“The maximum range is supposedly 2000 meters, but the optimal distance for reliable sniping is 1500 meters. Considering the layout of buildings surrounding Dragon Holdings, the roof of the most suitable building for sniping is approximately 1000 meters away. At that distance, you would have judged failure to be impossible.”
He had seen through Choi Woosik’s plan from the beginning. He knew all about sniper rifles and the basics of sniping. That meant he had people stationed from the start at positions where sniping might occur. I’ve properly fallen into a trap, he realized too late.
Dohyuk nodded to Director Choi, who then ripped off the tape covering Choi Woosik’s mouth.
“Tell me who hired you.”
The muzzle of the gun was aimed at Choi Woosik’s forehead.
“Just kill me.”
Choi Woosik gritted his teeth and glared at Dohyuk. With a slight smirk, Dohyuk dropped the paper he had received from Director Choi in front of Choi Woosik. As he looked at the paper on the floor, Choi Woosik’s face turned pale. The paper contained Choi Woosik’s basic information along with a printed photograph.
“You send monthly living expenses to this child?”
Dohyuk asked in a flat voice.
“Ha, fuck. You’re even dirtier than me. Ugh!”
The gun’s muzzle was shoved into Choi Woosik’s mouth.
“Are you afraid an innocent person might get hurt because of you?”
Dohyuk’s voice became even colder.
“But you don’t care that you almost killed an innocent person?”
His quiet voice sounded even more chilling.
“I’m also not a very merciful bastard…”
Dohyuk’s gaze shifted to the photograph of a girl that had fallen to the floor.
“It would be better not to drag this out. For her sake.”
Just then, Director Choi’s phone rang. After asking Dohyuk’s permission, he answered the call and briefly responded that he understood before ending the conversation.
“They found her, sir.”
Seeing Dohyuk’s gaze return to the photograph at those words, the color drained from Choi Woosik’s face. Dohyuk inwardly sneered. This is why you shouldn’t carelessly create precious bonds. Especially when you’re in a dangerous line of work.
“Tell me who hired you. Then I’ll let you keep your life.”
He slowly withdrew the gun from Choi Woosik’s mouth. The defiance in his eyes had diminished compared to before. It was evident he was trying hard not to look at the fallen photograph of the girl.
“Make the call.”
At Dohyuk’s command, Director Choi dialed a number.
“What should we do? They say they can move immediately at your order.”
Realizing who they were referring to, Choi Woosik frantically shouted, “Wait!”
“I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you, so don’t touch her!”
Dohyuk narrowed his eyes as he stared at Choi Woosik. His face was completely distorted. As a hitman, revealing a client’s identity would destroy his credibility. But the child in the photograph was precious enough for him to sacrifice that credibility. So this was a battle he had lost.
“Kim Seonuk from Star Finance.”
Dohyuk wasn’t particularly surprised by his answer. He was one of several people Dohyuk had suspected. He hadn’t thought Kim Seonuk would have the nerve to hire a hitman, so that part was unexpected.
“If you’re lying… you know what happens, right?”
As he gestured toward the photograph with his eyes, Choi Woosik shook his head.
“It’s true! It’s true. You can check for yourself!”
Something didn’t quite add up about it being Kim Seonuk. Whether they got along or not, Kang Dohyuk knew Kim Seonuk well. A typical second-generation chaebol, a silver spoon who had been raised gently. Though he could be self-centered, his good upbringing meant he wouldn’t stray too far from what was proper. That Kim Seonuk hired a hitman? How? While some well-known companies had gangster connections behind them, Star Finance wasn’t one of those.
He just happened to search for a hitman and coincidentally found one of the best in the business? That part didn’t make sense. There were no coincidences in this world.
Pssht! Because of the silencer, the sound of the bullet being fired was quite soft. Simultaneously, Choi Woosik swallowed a groan. Dark red blood began to flow from his shoulder.
“Fuck… I told you the truth, why…”
“I believe in returning what I receive.”
Dohyuk calmly replied and ordered his men to untie him. Was he really going to end it like this after learning the identity of the client? After a moment of hesitation, as soon as the ropes binding his body were loosened, Choi Woosik pulled out a jack knife he had hidden at his ankle and lunged at Dohyuk.
But Dohyuk had already anticipated his move. Once he accepted a job, he wouldn’t give up easily. Moreover, now that Dohyuk knew his weakness, he definitely wouldn’t let it go. Dohyuk knew this and still had him untied. To finish this decisively.
He caught Choi Woosik’s arm holding the jack knife and slammed him to the floor. There were various types of hitmen. Those who specialized in sniping were generally weak in close combat. With a loud crash, Choi Woosik was thrown down.
Dohyuk approached him as he lay on the floor and stepped on his arm. Under the crushing pressure, Choi Woosik screamed in agony. At Dohyuk’s signal, one of the men brought Choi Woosik’s gun.
“I told you. I return what I receive.”
The muzzle was placed on Choi Woosik’s right palm. With his arm pinned down and unable to withdraw, Choi Woosik’s eyes widened.
“Why do you think I untied you?”
Dohyuk asked with a cold expression.
“I wanted to confirm whether you were right-handed or left-handed.”
Earlier, Choi Woosik had rushed at Dohyuk with the knife in his right hand. Now realizing Dohyuk’s intention, he began to tremble.
“P-please… AAAAGHHH!”
But it was too late. The bullet from the gun crushed Choi Woosik’s right palm.
“Next time, it won’t be your hand that gets damaged, but that child. Remember that.”
Throwing the gun to the floor, Dohyuk knelt down and warned Choi Woosik. Whether the message was properly conveyed to Choi Woosik, who was taking ragged breaths while clutching his mangled hand, was uncertain.
