By Zephyria 
Kwon Rae-i, who had been standing still, hugging Woo Tae-hwon’s waist and only checking his smartphone, flashed his eyes. There was still an edge to his blue gaze. It was too early to relax.
His real plan hadn’t even started yet.
“Ha, a big catch.”
Kwon Rae-i raised his head as if to say it was finally done. Then, he held up the photo he had just received on his smartphone and showed it to Woo Tae-hwon.
“Tae-hwon. Look at this. They took the bait properly.”
“Huh?”
“They’ve finally moved.”
This is… Kwon Tae-oh?
Kwon Tae-oh was captured in the photo on Kwon Rae-i’s smartphone. He wasn’t alone. Gyeongjeong Faction members, armed with weapons, were gathered in droves and heading somewhere like a pack of dogs.
And, the place captured in the photo was…
‘Jeun Building?’
What’s going on? What is this?
‘So, Kwon Tae-oh has stormed the Jeun Faction building? And a surprise attack there too?’
Tae-hwon frowned, realizing the gravity of the situation.
The Jeun Faction’s base was practically empty. All the members capable of fighting had come here to capture Kwon Hyeon-oh, leaving only President Hwang, Kim Woo-shik, and a few of their underlings in the building.
“Wait, this is an emergency. We need to inform President Hwang immediately!”
Tae-hwon exclaimed urgently. However, Kwon Rae-i simply smiled leisurely, as if amused.
“Haha.”
“Kwon Rae-i!”
“Surprised? It’s alright. I’ve taken care of it.”
“Huh…?”
He’s taken care of it?
How… what?
No. What is all this about?
Tae-hwon glared at Kwon Rae-i with serious eyes. Kwon Rae-i seemed to relish the intense gaze, his ears turning slightly red.
Just then, Jeon Ho-chang, who had overheard the conversation, interjected.
“Inform President Hwang? What are you talking about? What’s going on?”
Tae-hwon gestured towards Kwon Rae-i’s phone.
Jeon Ho-chang was immediately shocked upon seeing the picture.
“What the hell is this! Kwon Tae-oh launched a surprise attack…?”
Even the Jeun Faction members began to stir, and Kwon Rae-i chuckled, drawing their attention. In a manner completely inappropriate for the urgent situation, he seemed… pleased. Relieved, perhaps. That was the feeling.
Kwon Rae-i calmly explained the situation to Woo Tae-hwon.
“Ah, Tae-hwon and I leaked information that we would be staying at the Jeun Faction building. And also, that we would be leading all the Jeun Faction members to raid Kwon Hyeon-oh today.”
“What? You deliberately leaked the information?”
“Yes. We set a bait. Kwon Tae-oh is a theoretical strategist who doesn’t engage in losing battles. I predicted that rather than a full-scale war, he would attack the weakened castle with depleted forces. Absolutely.”
“So, you’re saying you used the Jeun Faction’s base as bait?”
Yes. There were two baits from the start.
Kwon Hyeon-oh was used as bait to lure the Gyeongjeong elders.
And Jeun, the Jeun Faction itself, was used as bait to lure Kwon Tae-oh…
“Heh, someone tried to cut off my arm without permission. They have to be prepared to pay that price.”
Hearing that, Tae-hwon could only gape in astonishment.
So, all of this was planned from the beginning? To make them pay for trying to cut off Woo Tae-hwon’s arm in this way?
“What about President Hwang? Did you deliberately push her into a death trap? Even Kim Woo-shik and his gang who attacked me, all to be at the mercy of Kwon Tae-oh…?”
“No. Not that far. If Tae-hwon’s arm had actually been cut off, maybe, but since it only ended in an attempt… I gave them a heads-up and prepared an escape route. By now, President Hwang, Kim Woo-shik, and the others should have escaped and be heading to their destination.”
Ah…
So, only the Jeun Faction’s base would be devastated.
The Jeun building, occupied by Kwon Tae-oh, would have to be abandoned…
“Ha… This crazy bastard…”
Tae-hwon muttered in disbelief.
Even though Woo Tae-hwon’s arm hadn’t actually been cut off, and there was a justifiable reason for President Hwang’s actions…
Even President Hwang, Kwon Rae-i’s greatest ally, was treated like this simply because she tried to harm Woo Tae-hwon…
It wasn’t just Woo Tae-hwon who was taken aback by the situation. The Jeun Faction members, including Jeon Ho-chang, were shocked and enraged.
“What, what are you saying! Kwon Rae-i, you bastard. Are you abandoning the Jeun Faction again?”
Jeon Ho-chang yelled and lunged at Kwon Rae-i.
Just moments ago, they had been intoxicated by the joy of their first major victory, but now they resented Kwon Rae-i like an enemy they wanted to tear apart. They hated themselves for being so easily manipulated and discarded like pawns.
“Answer me, you bastard! What kind of face do you have to leak information, you Dick! Leak information to Kwon Tae-oh?”
“Hey, Ho-chang. You should listen to people until the end.”
“What’s there to listen to? What else is left here? Yeah, I wondered about that day. When I asked you how we were going to deal with Kwon Tae-oh, you shut your mouth. Was this the reason? Huh? Is this it…!”
Jeon Ho-chang grabbed Kwon Rae-i by the collar and shook him. The situation was volatile. A fight seemed imminent, and not only Jeon Ho-chang but also the other Jeun Faction members were filled with shock and resentment at being betrayed again.
Yet, Kwon Rae-i remained calm and composed.
“Destination.”
He said coldly.
“He doesn’t fight losing battles. He attacks weakened castles with depleted forces.”
“What, what the hell…?”
“The destination where President Hwang and Kim Woo-shik are heading.”
“Is that really what you should be saying in this situation… Wait a minute.”
“Yeah, you Dick, Ho-chang. Use your brain. And speak nicely.”
“Wait, wait a minute.”
Jeon Ho-chang, his face contorted in a frown, looked into Kwon Rae-i’s eyes, who was still holding his collar. And he thought.
‘Destination. What’s weakened and has depleted forces… The Gyeongjeong Faction too.’
He soon arrived at the answer.
‘He’s attacking the Gyeongjeong Faction. Kwon Tae-oh is leading the members out, and he’s attacking the now empty Gyeongjeong Faction?’
In other words, a counterattack to a counterattack.
A checkmate to a checkmate.
A general’s general…!
“If you understand, get your dirty paws off me.”
Kwon Rae-i pushed away the frozen Jeon Ho-chang. The collar he had been grabbing with murderous intent was released with surprising ease. Jeon Ho-chang slowly blinked his eyes, his grip loosened.
‘Kwon Rae-i is…’
That Kwon Rae-i, that son of a bitch…
“Alright, no time to waste. From now on, we join Hwang Jin-soo and Kim Woo-shik and devour the Gyeongjeong Faction’s main house. Move quickly.”
Kwon Rae-i commanded.
As a matter of course.
Because that was his place.
***
The cold night air brushed coldly against the tip of his thin nose.
It was almost midnight, and the world was silent as if holding its breath. A palpable tension emanated from beyond the high walls.
This house, a blend of traditional Korean architecture and modern Western elegance, might have appeared as a prestigious family’s residence during the day, but at night, its true nature was revealed.
The den of Gyeongjeong.
In the center stood the main Korean-style house with its elegant tiled roof, and behind it, at a distance, was a separate house. The wooden pillars adorned with traditional dancheong patterns and the windows with glass panes looked neat and refined. However, the aura emanating from the place was far from peaceful.
An incongruity, as if the lingering scent of old blood had permeated the air.
The windows were covered with blackout curtains, preventing any view inside, and the walls were unusually high compared to ordinary houses, equipped with various security devices. The rows of black imported cars parked in the parking lot and the piles of cigarette butts in the corner further suggested that this was no ordinary residence.
Normally, this place would be teeming with Gyeongjeong members.
But now, everything was quiet.
The members guarding the base had left, leaving only a silent stillness in the empty courtyard.
The wind blowing from afar shook the branches of the trees, and the cold air swirled and penetrated through the tiles, creating an eerie sound. The echo of the wind, eerily resonating in the silence, gradually swelled with urgency.
A chilling tension filled the air.
In an instant, several vehicles silently entered and surrounded the house. They parked close to the high walls, and men in black poured out all at once.
All of them had fierce eyes and firmly held their respective weapons.
President Hwang Jin-soo, along with Kim Woo-shik and the members whose right arms had been broken by Kwon Rae-i, revealed their faces. Jeon Ho-chang and the other Jeun Faction members, who had accurately joined them, were also present.
And also, Kwon Rae-i and Woo Tae-hwon.