My Bloody Valentine - 40

The fork clattered to the tiled floor with a sharp clang, freezing the atmosphere in an instant.

The hand of the Chinese man named Yang was suddenly near his inner jacket pocket. It might be where he kept a knife, or perhaps even a gun. Importing illegal firearms from China or the Philippines had become quite common.

“Get out.”

Taesin ordered Han in a low, crumpled voice. Han blinked his wide eyes and looked at Taesin. Taesin, suddenly nervous, pressed his temple as if he had a headache, pressing firmly on one side of his temple with his palm.

“I said, get out. Can’t you hear?”

Finally coming to his senses, Han got up from his seat and hurriedly left the room as if fleeing. After closing the door, Han stood in the middle of the hallway, dazed and bewildered by the effects of just one drink.

But I remembered exactly what I had seen. What was rolling on the floor was clearly a peach, and what had swatted my hand away was Jang Taesin.

Was it just a coincidence? Or maybe… did he remember? About my severe peach allergy.

Turning around, Han’s gaze, fixed on the door I had just exited, did not waver for a while.

“Ah, what’s wrong, Mr. Jang, why so scary.”

Meanwhile, the tense atmosphere in the room, as if something was about to explode, softened somewhat thanks to Oh Seong-jin’s casual words.

Breathing a sigh as if enduring a sharp headache, Taesin said casually, “He was just an unbadged kid. If we’re going to talk business, let’s send the kids out first.”

It was a story of uncertainty about identity. Finally understanding, Oh Seong-jin nodded.

“Oh, yeah. Mr. Jang’s right. Security is important. We need to be careful.”

Taesin lightly nodded at Jung, who was sitting next to Oh Seong-jin. Understanding the meaning immediately, Jung led the other employees out.

“Now, please tell me. What do you want from me?”

“I’m planning to set up a coffee bean factory.”

“A coffee bean factory?”

“I don’t know the taste of coffee at all. These days, there’s nowhere that doesn’t sell coffee.”

“Indeed.”

“There will be countless trading partners, and naturally, the books will be complex.”

“…”

Having many trading partners and complex books also meant it was good for laundering black money.

“Moreover, my main trading partners are expected to be in Vietnam or the Philippines, where the coffee beans are quite famous. Is it because of the favorable environment for coffee cultivation?”

“I didn’t know that.”

“It seems like a huge amount is imported every year. Even if other things are mixed in, you wouldn’t notice.”

Taesin could immediately grasp what new business he was planning.

Drugs.

If he traded with the Philippines and Thailand, not only drugs but also firearms could be easily smuggled in. It would also be easy to bring in foreign mercenaries from those countries to use them as foreign laborers.

“Let me sell you some goods, Mr. Jang.”

Only now could I understand the purpose of his visit. Most large clubs and bars were usually attached to hotels. In most cases, there was always a cafe on the lobby floor of a hotel, including Taesin’s hotel, and supplying drugs while pretending to supply coffee beans there would be easy.

“I’ve already secured a port to bring in the materials and set up the factory, but the distribution channels are still lacking.”

“…”

Quietly emptying the glass in front of him, Taesin did not give a response for a long time.

In fact, there had been proposals regarding drug distribution to Taesin, who loved money. However, several years ago, Chairman Bae had issued a strict warning, as if anticipating such events.

“Taesin. I know you love money, but drugs are off-limits. Don’t even think about getting involved in that.”

“Why not? Do you know how much profit margin there is?”

“You only know one thing and not the other. Start selling drugs? Then some of your subordinates will inevitably get curious and want to get involved. Once it starts selling, addicts without money will cling to it like flies to honey. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

Chairman Bae spoke as if recounting firsthand experience, without any hesitation.

“So, what should I do? If we want to manipulate the police and the media, we’ll need a lot of money. But is that the end of it? No. Those guys won’t quit drugs until they die. That’s how drugs are. Once one or two of them get caught by the police, they start singing like birds. They have no loyalty or family ties in front of drugs.”

Seeing the cold expression on Taesin’s face, indicating that his proposal wouldn’t be accepted, Oh Seong-jin sighed sympathetically, as if feeling sorry for him.

“It seems like Mr. Jang still doesn’t understand the situation around here.”

“…”

“Do you still expect something from Chairman Bae? Look at what he’s doing around him now. According to the lawyer, he recently wrote a will, and there’s not a single familiar name there. Not me, not Mr. Jang.”

Oh Seong-jin’s sudden immersion in a new business and his attempt to carve out his own path now made sense. He was trying to find a way out before being discarded.

“People need to know their place, especially in this field. Mr. Jang, it’s better not to trust Chairman Bae. But… Chairman Bae shouldn’t be doing this to us.”

“…”

“So, think about it carefully. New liquor should be put in a new barrel.”

“I’ll consider it.”

With that, the conversation ended without any gain, and Oh Seong-jin quietly finished a few more drinks before getting up with his multinational subordinates.

His assistant quietly followed Oh Seong-jin as he passed through the entrance. Muttering to himself, Oh Seong-jin said,

“Anyway… he’s a guy we can’t figure out.”

“What should we do?”

“Keep an eye on him nearby.”

❖ ❖ ❖

“That day… nothing happened, right?”

After spending the holiday, Min Gyu cautiously asked Han as soon as they met. Seeing that he was still alive and intact, without any missing parts, he seemed to be fine. It was fortunate.

Organizational members often displayed their prowess by causing a scene at a rival establishment, and every time, the powerless waiters became the easiest scapegoats for the symbolic violence displayed by the members.

Wearing his uniform, Min Gyu introduced a stranger to Han.

“Han, let me introduce you. This is Han. He’s new here today. And this is Kim Woo-shin. What was your foreign name?”

“Kim Woo-shin.”

Offering his hand for a handshake, Kim Woo-shin, a man who seemed more fit for an athlete than a waiter, had a tall stature, possibly exceeding 180cm, and a handsome, friendly face.

“But why did you choose to be a waiter instead of an athlete?”

Min Gyu asked on behalf of Han, who was curious.

“Oh, I’m waiting for true love.”

“Wow…”

Min Gyu shook his head in disbelief. But there was no more time for further questions or explanations. Although not as busy as last weekend, the restaurant was still fully booked today.

“When you enter as a waiter, you usually have to put in a deposit. It’s like a guarantee. But here, we’re more relaxed, yet if you try to steal money or liquor and run away, you’ll be caught and brought back so quickly, it’ll blow your mind. Our boss is famous for squeezing juice out of dry squid for profit. Do you both understand what I’m saying?”

“Sure.”

“Okay.”

Min Gyu continued his explanation, handing one walkie-talkie each to Han and Woo-sin.

“You might have heard, but the salary is set according to minimum wage. The rest comes from tips, and if you do well, it can be quite substantial.”

Han quietly listened to Min Gyu’s words, while Woo-sin nodded enthusiastically.

“Well… if I could give you one tip as a senior, it would be to impress the female staff who go into the rooms. When they come out of the restroom, ask them discreetly if the customer is suspicious. If they say yes, it means the customer keeps going in and out frequently with wet wipes and air freshener. That way, even if the customer plans something, they won’t be able to do anything because the waiter is watching.”

“Oh… I see.”

“What names do you want for your badges? We need to decide quickly.”

“Badges?”

Woo-sin, who was new to this, tilted his head with curiosity.

“Name tags. You can use your real names or aliases like me.”

“I’ll just go with ‘Woo-sin.’ What about you, Han?”

“I’ll go with just ‘Han.'”

“Okay, then. Both of you have names that sound like idols.”

After ordering their name tags and receiving some instructions, Han and Woo-sin were immediately put into action. Their main task was to follow Min Gyu around and assist him, just like yesterday.

As they were about to leave the waiting room and head into the corridor, Woo-sin gently grabbed Han’s arm and stopped him. With a slightly lowered gaze and a warm smile, he spoke.

“You said your name was Han, right?”

“Yes.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-eight.”

“I see. We’re the same age. Wanna be friends?”

“Um… is it too soon?”

“No… is it okay?”

“Then, I’ll start. Han, let’s get along well from now on.”

“Sure…”

Woo-sin seemed to have a very different personality type from mine, very sociable. Han awkwardly replied and walked closely behind Min Gyu. As Woo-sin looked at Han’s back, there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes.