Chapter 1: Kang Dohyuk of Dragon Holdings
Please note that all characters, organizations, place names, and detailed settings appearing in this text are fictional and have no relation to reality.
The black sedan glided into Yeouido’s financial district. A driver and Director Choi occupied the front seats, with Kang Dohyuk in the back. The silence was absolute—not even the hum of the engine or the sound of breathing disturbed it. Only the occasional rustle of fabric broke through as Kang Dohyuk swiped through pages on his tablet.
“We’ve arrived.”
Only when Director Choi turned to speak did Kang Dohyuk finally lift his eyes from the screen. The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of a towering building. Director Choi moved quickly, exiting first to open the rear door. Kang Dohyuk’s long legs emerged as he stepped out, and the moment he stood, every passerby’s attention snapped to him.
At 185 centimeters tall, with a physique that made his tailored suit look razor-sharp, he initially drew looks from people thinking he might be a model. But those who met his gaze quickly looked away. His features were refined and intelligent, but excessively sharp. His eyes, especially, were piercingly cold.
“Welcome, Managing Director.”
Suited men who’d been waiting in the lobby rushed forward, bowing deeply at ninety-degree angles.
“Guess he’s not a model—more like a gangster,” someone muttered under their breath, only to choke on their words when one of the suited men shot them a glare. The passersby glanced up again at the building where these men stood guard, taking in a scene that felt oddly out of place in the heart of Yeouido’s financial district. A large DH logo was embedded at the building’s entrance.
Dragon Holdings. The average person might not recognize it, but anyone with even a passing interest in finance would know the name. They handled corporate investment rather than retail business, and in just a few decades, this relatively new company had grown remarkably, securing its own building in the heart of Yeouido.
Despite being new, Dragon Holdings was impossible to ignore because of its financial clout. Its capital moved more fluidly than companies in the top ten conglomerates, and its terms were more flexible than major financial institutions—which was why several large corporations counted themselves among its clients.
“The Executive Director is waiting for you.”
When one of the suited men reported this, Kang Dohyuk’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Since when?”
“Quite a while now.”
The man’s face betrayed his anxiety. Kang Dohyuk clicked his tongue. Dragon Holdings’ Executive Director, Kang Sunhyuk—given that bastard’s personality, he was probably ready to tear Dohyuk’s office apart by now.
As they entered the lobby, staff members recognized Kang Dohyuk and bowed. Without acknowledging them, he headed straight for the elevators.
“Kang Dohyuk!”
At a shout loud enough to echo through the entire lobby, he turned toward a familiar middle-aged man standing at its center. Who was he again? He wouldn’t have business with someone dressed so shabbily.
As he watched the man stride purposefully toward him, Dohyuk’s memory clicked into place. The CEO of Forest Entertainment, which had recently gone bankrupt—or more accurately, been absorbed by Dragon Holdings. Just a month ago, the man had been draped head to toe in luxury brands, flaunting his wealth. No wonder Dohyuk hadn’t immediately recognized him in his current state.
“Die! Die, you son of a bitch!”
The man’s pace quickened as he closed in on Dohyuk. Something silver in his hand caught the light and flashed. Sensing danger, security guards belatedly rushed forward to intercept him, but they were too far away.
“Managing Director!”
Director Choi quickly moved to block Dohyuk. But when the man was just one step away, Dohyuk grabbed Choi’s shoulder and pushed him aside. The sharp blade of a knife lunged toward Dohyuk’s abdomen.
Turning his body slightly to evade the blade, Dohyuk struck the man’s wrist with the edge of his hand. A dull thud echoed as the kitchen knife clattered to the floor and skittered away. A scream and the crack of breaking bone rang out simultaneously.
Despite the man’s agonized howling, Dohyuk’s expression remained blank as he seized the man’s arm and wrenched it behind his back.
“Managing Director, are you all right?”
The security guards finally reached them and hauled the man up from the floor, gripping him from both sides. Dohyuk’s gaze swept over the security guards and the suited men behind them. Despite their imposing builds, they all paled and clenched their jaws until their jawbones jutted out.
“Handle this quietly.”
At the chilling command, Director Choi bowed in acknowledgment. He signaled to the suited men, and they quickly dragged the man away, disappearing down a corridor.
The elevator had arrived. Dohyuk stepped inside and brushed off his rumpled suit. He remained as composed as if he hadn’t just faced a life-threatening situation—and seemed all the colder for it.
“Managing Director…”
The office secretaries looked at Dohyuk with uneasy expressions. Since he’d already anticipated this, he gave them only a slight nod before opening the door to his office.
“Hey. Just getting to work now? That’s a real executive’s schedule, I guess. Though you are an executive, aren’t you? But don’t you think you’re taking a few too many liberties?”
Kang Sunhyuk greeted him while lounging sideways on the office sofa.
“I stopped by Kangsan Construction to meet with Director Baek Hyeri on the way.”
“Kangsan Construction? What for?”
Sunhyuk’s face visibly soured at the mention of Kangsan Construction. Dohyuk could guess what he was thinking, but he ignored it.
“Are you really asking me that now?”
At his slightly dismissive tone, Sunhyuk clenched his fist in irritation.
“I distinctly remember discussing the ‘Manhattanization of Yeouido’ plan during last week’s presentation.”
“Oh, right, I know about that!”
Know about it? Sure. Dohyuk would bet his wrist that Sunhyuk probably didn’t even know what Manhattan was. Though he held the title of Executive Director, everyone at Dragon Holdings was sick of his incompetence.
“More importantly, are you all right?”
Sunhyuk changed topics, looking Dohyuk up and down. Dohyuk inwardly scoffed at the gaze that seemed to be searching for stab wounds. Apparently, the incident in the lobby hadn’t been a coincidence. Sunhyuk must have put the Forest Entertainment CEO up to it. Pathetic that he couldn’t even land a scratch.
“I regret to inform you that I’m perfectly fine.”
“Really? Your older brother’s just trying to show some concern, and you have to be prickly about it.”
Despite his words, Sunhyuk’s face was full of disappointment. Brother? Laughable. Neither Sunhyuk nor Dohyuk had ever considered each other brothers. Though genetically speaking, it was true they shared the same father.
It was his biological father, Chairman Kang Mansik, who’d placed that idiot in the Executive Director position.
“If you’re finished, please leave. Unlike you, Executive Director, I’m busy.”
Sunhyuk was Executive Director in title only. In reality, all Dragon Holdings business had to go through Kang Dohyuk to move forward. When Dohyuk pointed this out, Sunhyuk seemed to grasp the implication, his face flushing bright red with anger.
“Ha, fuck. That bastard must have a steel rod up his ass. Disgustingly stubborn.”
Though Sunhyuk sneered and cursed, Dohyuk ignored him. He sat at his desk and pressed the intercom to call the secretary’s office.
“The Executive Director is leaving. Please see him out.”
“Hey, you bastard! When did I say I was leaving?!”
Caught between Sunhyuk, who was exploding with rage, and Dohyuk, who’d already begun working with an icy expression, the secretaries could only exchange nervous glances.
“Director Choi.”
Dohyuk finally called for Director Choi. Though he said nothing more, Director Choi approached Sunhyuk and suggested it would be better if he left now.
“Ha, shit! I’ll cut you down from that position someday, you hear me?! Hey, bastard, don’t touch me! Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Even as he was half-dragged out by Director Choi, Sunhyuk kept lashing out until the very end. Only after the office door closed did Dohyuk exhale deeply. If someone was going to hold the Executive Director title, he wished they’d at least do something about that filthy mouth—but he soon dismissed the thought with a shake of his head. That wasn’t his job. It was the responsibility of Kang Mansik, who’d brought that bastard into the world.
As he powered on his laptop and moved to type his password at the login screen, his phone rang. He usually set it to silent when entering the office, but had forgotten in the chaos of the lobby incident. Checking the screen, he saw “Mother” displayed.
Everyone’s being a pain today.
He considered ignoring it, but knowing she’d eventually contact his secretaries or show up at the company if he didn’t answer, he sighed and pressed the call button.
[Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?]
News traveled fast. She’d clearly already contacted Director Choi to check on him. Pestering Director Choi several times a day was part of her routine.
[Mom’s heart is pounding so hard I can barely stand it. Sending you alone into a den of beasts—my blood runs cold every day.]
Though he knew which “beasts” she meant, he laughed inwardly. She still refused to acknowledge that he carried the blood of the very beast she despised.
[This won’t do. Mom will find someone. As soon as possible. So don’t give me any ‘it’s troublesome’ or ‘I’m fine’—just listen to Mom. Understand?]
She kept talking even though Dohyuk hadn’t said a word in response. Having already dealt with Sunhyuk, he didn’t want to argue with her too, so he told her to do whatever she wanted. His response immediately brightened her voice.
It had been a noisier morning than usual. But just like any other day, nothing had really changed.
***
Only the clear chime of wind bells swaying in the breeze echoed through the quiet temple grounds. Muryeong looked up at the sliding sound of the door opening. Beyond his feet, a figure in white robes knelt down.
“I heard you called for me.”
Instead of answering, Muryeong slid a document envelope across the floor.
“I think you should take this one. It might take a while.”
There were no set deadlines for the work they did anyway. The standing arrangement was: until the client declared the matter resolved. So the person in white showed no reaction to the mention of it taking time.
“Take a look.”
At Muryeong’s words, the figure withdrew the documents from the envelope.
“Dragon Holdings’ Kang Dohyuk…”
At the low murmur, Muryeong’s eyes narrowed.
“Is there a problem?”
“…No.”
The figure who answered quietly stood, saying they would withdraw to prepare. Muryeong stared at the spot where they’d been sitting until the door closed behind them. Something felt strange today, but he dismissed it as just another passing matter.
