Double Junk - 21

Chapter 21

Blue Blood

The stench of fish on a scorching summer day is far more unpleasant than one can imagine. It’s pungent, acidic, and nauseating. Even freshly caught fish emit a strong, pungent odor as soon as you turn your back. The stench not only assaulted the nose but also made the head ache.

Seokju took a deep drag on his cigarette and exhaled the smoke heavily, trying to distance himself from the smell. It was a futile attempt to escape. As he was grumbling about it, he accidentally stepped on a slick fish gut with his shiny leather shoes, making him mutter, “Damn it,” under his breath.

As he scraped the sole of his shoe on the ground, Myungjin approached, chuckling.

“Oh, hyung. If you keep making that grimace, your handsome face will get all messed up.”

Seokju heaved a deep sigh at Myungjin’s words and rested his arm on Myungjin’s broad shoulders, expressing his frustration.

“Myungjin, let’s find something other than fish. Canned goods, tires, rice, pipes, what do you think? There are plenty of good options. They don’t smell and are clean.”

Today, Seokju, Myungjin, and the Taeho Group had come to Incheon Harbor. It was to check on a shipment of goods. The era of smuggling drugs in concealed compartments on boats and conducting deals at sea had passed. Nowadays, they bought shares in the harbor and sent multiple containers at once.

With booming exports and the government granting exclusive rights and export incentives to companies pioneering new markets, the country had celebrated reaching a billion dollars in exports last year. Economic growth was on a steep incline, and exports were becoming more active.

Thanks to this, drug exports had also become more active. There were so many outgoing goods that it was impossible to inspect each one, and they exploited this opportunity. With proper concealment, they could legally export drugs worldwide.

In the summer, the Taeho Trading Company mainly dealt with fish. They would gut the fish, pack them tightly in plastic bags, and hide the drugs inside. They sprinkled plenty of salt to prevent spoilage, which made it a good disguise.

Seokju’s complaints were met with Myungjin’s disapproving nod.

“Fish are perfect for the summer. They’re easy to weigh, easy to clean, and when they ship them to China or Japan, the customs officers don’t bother opening them because of the foul smell.”

“Aren’t you concerned about my nose?”

“Ha! When you were in Busan, you didn’t say a word about it. Now you’ve become a Seoulite, Hyung-nim.”

Myungjin bounced his shoulders defiantly, and Seokju chuckled.

He was right. Back in Busan, Seokju would personally chop the fish heads and split the bellies of the fish as part of his work, but not for hiding drugs. It was just a job. Sitting by the harbor, he sorted through and prepared the fish that came in with every incoming fishing boat.

Sometimes, a fish that fell between the crates would be secretly pocketed and used to fill an empty stomach when hunger struck. Even though the stench clung to his body and permeated his home, he felt that it had been a long time. If he were to do it again now, he might not be able to.

Suddenly, he remembered a conversation he had with Ajin a few days ago.

“You live in a place like this now, how can you call yourself an aristocrat?”

“Because I’m an aristocrat by nature.”

“Whatever life you had in the past, you’ve found your place now.”

Recalling the voice that was nagging him, he couldn’t help but smirk.

“Maybe I’m an aristocrat by nature.”

“What?”

“It’s a joke.”

Myungjin looked puzzled, not understanding the joke. Then, he stretched out his workwear and finally asked a question that had been on his mind since the day before.

“Hyung, did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes. I slept well.”

“Why?”

“Why?”

Seokju raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why?”

Myungjin scratched the scar under his chin and muttered, “Well, these days, Unni and you don’t call for help. You don’t smoke heavily because you’re tired. You eat well, your complexion is good… So, I was just wondering.”

“Um…”

“By any chance, are you taking medication?”

“No, I’m not. It’s just that I got a beautiful… wife.”

“What?”

Myungjin had a puzzled expression, not understanding Seokju’s ambiguous remark. Seokju chuckled to himself again. Myungjin squinted his eyes, trying to figure out what Seokju meant by “beautiful wife.” However, he couldn’t discern the meaning behind it.

As Myungjin was about to ask what Seokju meant, one of their organization members quickly approached, bowed his head, and said, “Hyungnim, we’ve finished checking the goods. Would you like to see?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Seokju tossed the almost finished cigarette. Before it hit the damp ground, the ember vanished. He patted Myungjin’s beefy arm with a dampened appetite.

“Get one of the fishy crates and take it home for dinner.”

“Yes, Hyungnim.”

The organization member bowed again and quickly disappeared. Myungjin grumbled while squeezing his hands under his belly, standing by the boat.

“Why do you bother coming all the way here if you’re not even going to check properly? You’re here in the middle of nowhere, not even on a paved road, and the place is rugged. Just stay in Jongno. Your jacket smells bad, and it makes me sick.”

Myungjin’s words, although complaining, revealed his deep concern. Seokju chuckled when he realized this. He stood closer to Myungjin and gazed at dozens of employees busily moving fish crates.

“Myungjin.”

“Yes, Hyungnim.”

“How many of our Taeho Group family members are here?”

“What? About five, I think.”

Myungjin answered but then recounted on his fingers. It seemed like he was trying to make sure. He nodded as if confirming that there were indeed five. Myungjin knew the names of all the organization members, the so-called “family,” and so did Seokju. After all, they were like family.

“That’s right. Just five. Only five are our family members. The others are employees we hired and paid. They are not our family.”

“Is that a problem?”

“It means you never know when and how you’ll be betrayed. It’s those who pretend to be on our side, who show their faces now and then and say, ‘I’m watching here; don’t do anything stupid,’ but we need to let them know. The world these days is about those who do not properly control the ones who do not strictly adhere.”

“…I understand, Hyungnim.”

Seokju nodded and turned away. He walked out of the factory and into the open. The sea breeze caused his jacket to flutter.

The smell of fish gradually faded, replaced by the refreshing scent of the sea. It was still pungent, but compared to the smell of spoiled fish, it was pleasant.

Seokju took a deep breath. Despite that, his lungs were still filled with the pungent fish odor. He clicked his tongue.

Suddenly, Ajin came to mind. He longed for her neck, which he had buried his nose into last night. It had the scent of a newborn, which, although peculiar, brought sound sleep.

Feeling a dryness in his mouth, Seokju pulled out another cigarette. Unnoticed, Myungjin had approached, offering a lighter. Seokju held the cigarette to the flame, and the ember quickly caught.

“Tell the team leader to go and check if there’s anyone sneaking drugs in at night. They need to inspect pockets, socks, hats, even inside the mouth, thoroughly.”

Seokju spoke while exhaling a puff of smoke.

“What? Who dared to steal our stuff?”

“Ki-taek heard that our drugs are circulating discreetly in Incheon. They can’t sell them in the harbor areas.”

“Hah! We don’t sell drugs in our own country, do we?”

“That’s correct.”

Taeho Group did not distribute drugs within the country. If it grew too long, it could be caught easily. Therefore, they only sold them abroad. With reduced chances of getting caught, the drug trade was lucrative.

Some high-ranking government officials knew about it but turned a blind eye. There was no harm done domestically. The government celebrated Taeho Trading’s legal exports, which brought in huge amounts of foreign currency.

Moreover, some of the organization members proudly claimed to be patriots. The drugs were a way to destabilize the Chinese and Japanese, who had been feuding for centuries. While it wasn’t entirely false, no one bothered to correct them.

However, if Taeho Group’s drugs were found in Incheon, it would change the situation.

If Taeho Group’s drugs were discovered in Incheon, they would inadvertently disrupt someone else’s business. Incheon had its own police and gangsters. They coexisted peacefully, but if Taeho Group got involved, it could trigger unnecessary conflicts.

Myungjin’s expression grew dark.

“Are you saying someone, some bastard, has stolen our stuff? This bloody guy… If we find him, what should we do?”

“Deal with it as usual.”

Seokju answered, lighting another cigarette.

In the past, Taeho Group had a tradition of cutting off the hands of thieves, especially in Busan. It was a policy they strictly followed. They didn’t care if someone stole something outside, but if they dared to touch the organization’s property, Seokju made sure they paid dearly for their betrayal.

Even if the organization members begged for mercy like beggars, Seokju remained sensitive to theft and betrayal. There was no room for leniency.

“Yes, Hyungnim. But, just in case… You don’t think our baby is involved, do you?”

“No, she’s not. If the ‘backyard’ is stacked with drugs, why would they bother coming here to steal? Besides, Incheon isn’t that far from Seoul. It would be too risky, and they’d likely get caught.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Myungjin nodded and beckoned one of the organization members who had been standing nearby, looking awkward. He relayed the conversation he had with Seokju. The organization member, whose face had turned a shade of red and green like Myungjin’s, vigorously headed into the factory, carrying the message.

As they watched him walk away, Myungjin turned his head toward Seokju.

“Work’s done. Should we go to Jongno, or should we go home early?”

“Well, let’s go home. We’ve got fish to take back.”

“Yes. Then, that’s what we’ll do.”

Just as Myungjin was in the middle of speaking…

Aaargh!

A dull scream echoed from inside the factory. Both Myungjin and Seokju immediately turned their heads toward the source of the sound.