"Get your ass in line!" Shouted, a guard as they rounded up prisoners, those who refuse to comply were beaten and dragged to their cell.
Suddenly Ji Ho felt a tap on his shoulder and thought it was guard but was stunned to find it was one of Kimyeong Kim men who the others prisoners avoided.
"Yo," said, the guy stunning him. "I saw your rematch with Daryl, it was good. Smoke?" Offering an expensive brand of cigerrates.
"Your in the big boy, club now kid" said, his Hyung. "It's a gesture of good will. But dont smoke, you look like a fucking morn when you do"
And Ji Ho felt the blow and said. "I dont look good when smoking"
The guy blinked before laughing and said. "Your a funny guy. Come over to our bench"
"But the guards said.." Ji Ho began.
"The guards are paid to look the other way for us top dogs" said, the guy stunning him. "We can stay for an hour and chat. We top dogs got to stick scratch each others back you know"
And Ji Ho, much to the sighing of his Hyung followed the guy to the scarest bench where Kimeyeong sat, staring at him.
Ji Ho felt himself flinch when they made eye contact.
Suddenly all those scary guys smiled at him.
"Your Ji Ho, right?" Said, one bulky guy. "Welcome to the pack"
Huh?
"Saw your fight, its about time somebody beat his ass," said, another dude. "Want some Pringles?'
And Ji Ho was overwhelmed, he fell into line again and sat down.
Not a single guard said a thing.
It was bright.
They walked inside together and he was about to do chores when he heard.
"What are you doing, dude?" Said, a guy. "We get prisoners to do our chores for us, we just kick it in the guard lounge"
What?
But they really did go into the guards only lounge.
The room was warm, it had a pool table, fridge and a tv, any guard that walked by said nothing, showing how deeply corruption they were.
He and his new group played pool and cracked open beers, Ji Ho had a blast and they all soon went to the cafeteria.
Two guys were clearly drunk in their group but the guards didn't say a thing.
All the other prisoners were stunned to see him walking with them.
"Shit, he really is top dog now," said, somebody. "To think that shorty is hanging out with those guys"
Shorty?
Ji Ho thought he had grown a lot, the uniform he was forced to dawn on, no longer hung onto his frame like lead.
But despite that Ji Ho felt good.
Those who in charge of the food not only gave them better and clearly washed plates but they all had a little something extra added to theirs.
Ji Ho was going to sit alone when he was called by the others to sit on their table.
Sitting with strong people who ruled, Ji Ho had almost forgotten this feeling of being looked at with envy.
It felt good.
He was invited back to the lounge but Ji Ho wanted to develop his back some more by doing some cleaning.
He was an odd top dog.
"What?" Ji Ho said, to the prisoner who was sliding something through the gap of the door.
"Kimyeong is given you this so can always contact you," said the prisoner and Ji Ho took it.
Ji Ho was shocked.
It was a cellphone!
It was a black flip phone, Ji Ho, thought he would never hold one of these again!
"If you want to charge this, go to the guard lounge," said, the prisoner before walking away.
The others were jealous and Daryl kept his head down, seeing the perk he enjoyed before go to him.
And Ji Ho, used it to get on the internet, he went to Facebook when he knew mentally he shouldn't have.
Daniel profile was still there and it depicted a person who had everything and was clearly not living in a cell block and wearing an ugly prison uniform.
What Ji Ho noticed as well was that the guards stopped calling him a number and started calling him his actual name.
When there was an anus inspection he was let off with the rest of the top dogs.
It felt good to be strong.
The prison no longer felt like a hellhole towards him.
Ji Ho got a text from Kimyeong Kim.
'All Block Top Dogs gather in my cell for a meeting"
And Ji Ho, naively went to the cell to meet the people he thought where his friends.
But as soon as he entered, what greeted him was the bloody form of Daryl on the ground and standing over him was a guy with black long hair, the others were lounging about and either ignored it or found it funny.
Kimyeong sat on a chair like a king.
Ji Ho smile froze.
"Oh, hey, Ji Ho, your here," said, the guy who had finished beating Daryl up.
"Why did you-" began Ji Ho.
"This bastard didn't tell you about the allowance, so you missed the deadline." Said a smoking prisoner. "This dumbass thought he could pull one over on us and use us. But we have ears everywhere"
Meaning they had prisoners who had their ears open and never once in the report did Daryl talk to him about what his duties of being top dog were.
It would have been Daryl silent revenge.
"Allowance?" Ji Ho said.
"All the Top Dogs have to pay 2,000 dollars a month by any means necessary," said another guy.
"What?" Said Ji Ho, he could swear he just heard that he had to pay more than what most people make in several months in a single month.
"Bribing, the guards and getting perks aren't cheap," said another guy. "Deadline for collection has passed but we took Daryl money to fill your tab."
And Ji Ho know this feeling.
It was the feeling of extortion.
They made it sound like it's no big deal when in reality he didn't have a choice.
"And what if somebody fails to pay?" Said, Ji Ho.
Silence.
"All of us who paid out allowance will be pissed," said, the guy and Ji Ho saw all those previously friendly faces turn not so friendly especially in their eyes.
"It should be easy for you to get the money by strength alone." said, Kimyeong. "I gave you a bargain because we're friends."
Bargain?
Friends?
"I hope you get the money next month," said, Kimyeong Kim. "Do not disappointment me"
And Ji Ho was out.
He punched his cell wall.
"And that, kid. Is the end of your honeymoon period" said his Hyung and Ji Ho realised he hadn't heard his voice in a long time.
"Why didn't you say anything!?" Said, Ji Ho.
"I wanted you to learn," said, Hyung stunning him. "You were so quick to think of them as your friends despite suspecting that they were terrible people, to begin with. This the gambling story all over again. A strong person shows you kindness and your suddenly their lap dog. People like that can hide demon masks under that kindness and suck you dry. You're a fucking morn if you thought a tyrant changed his strips without some serious ass-kicking, he just hides it. Wake up, kid. Do you think this is a manga? Now you got the most skilled fighters on your ass"
Ji Ho slumped onto the wall.
"Now are you willing to listen to my advice again?" Said, his Hyung and Ji Ho nodded. "I guarantee that at least 50 percent of each allowance would go straight into Kimeyeong pocket. By the time he gets out of prison, he would have already made several million dollars. This place isn't a prison, but a business for him. So you have two options"
"I'm listening," said, Ji Ho.
"Either become a tyrant to get this money because no person here would give their money just because you simply asked," said, his Hyung. "Or you can make your own business from this. Nobody likes doing chores unless they are getting paid. So heres what you do without making enemies"
Ji Ho was stunned.
#30 minute fresh air#
Ji Ho parted from his group of elites and walked to a bench, much to their surprise.
"Hey, guys," he told a random group but he picked them out because they didn't look like pushovers, he greeted them like as if he was their friend, they all looked at him with wide eyes. "How would you like to make money?"
They were all stunned.
#Scene Change#
"What?" Said, the head guard.
"I'm going to be running a chore business," said, Ji Ho to them. "This money will go towards putting money into your pocket"
He then put 50 dollars onto the counter for all of them to see.
"I just want you guys to make sure my workers don't swindle me so I can pay you," said, Ji Ho. "I'll give you all my workers detention centre numbers and you just have to make sure, to hassle them every chance you get. They have been ordered to put the money they receive into a bag, however, if you find them tucking the money away or hiding them in their pocket. Then feel free to punish them and take the money. I'm sure Five bucks is pennies for you guys. Think of it this way, if they steal from me, they are also stealing from you as well. Every top Dog must pay allowance, do you guys not want me to give you extra allowance?"
The guards were stunned at this offer but agreed immediately to hassle his workers and get paid.
He gave them all his worker numbers that he made everybody give him if they wanted to make money.
Soon there were whispers of a chore business that only charged 5 dollars to do everybody's chores.
Of course, the elite know who was immediately running this and Ji Ho stopped hanging out with them.
He passed the bathroom and saw one of his workers getting their ass kicked because they thought they could do nothing and collect pay.
Ji Ho went to work himself and collected money, who would dare swindle him with his level of strength right now?
But where there was money, there was also greed.
The guards were there to keep that greed at by, as they made sure it was not obvious that they were harassing his workers by harassing others as well.
Ji Ho was called in several times to the guard's office in the first few days alone because the guards had taken the money that had been hidden from him.
And he saw that one of his workers appear with a busted lip and black eye, reporting that he didn't receive work so there was no money.
Ji Ho asked the guards for a good safe because somebody may want to take the money, so they gave it to him.
He spent days, having his body memories the combination at a level where his hands could fly and he could cover the safe and still be correct.
And then came payday.
In the fresh air time, Ji Ho began to give his workers their cut of money.
50 bucks wasn't a lot outside but here, it was God tair, since they can buy chocolate and other things, that the others could looked down in envy at.
A hand was placed in front of him, expecting money.
But he looked up before parting with anything and said. "Who the hell are you?"
The guy he was met me was buff and seemed to be built like a tank.
"Isn't it obvious?" Said, the guy. "I'm a worker so give me the fucking money"
This guy wasnt a worker.
Ji Ho had asked who he was because the guy was wearing a number he know wasn't registered with him.
He had come to intimidate and leech.
So Ji Ho said. "Guys, this guy isn't a worker and wants money. I'm sure somebody is willing to give up their wage for him"
Give up?
Those who hadn't had their money yet was understandably pissed and attacked the guy.
You can be large and bulky, but you can never overcome guys who haven't been paid and were thinking about getting snacks later.
Ji Ho waited for the guy to be dragged away before continuing to pay his workers again when he was done, he left and want to the Guardroom and began to pay them.
The guards were more then happy to take their cut.
And then he received a text, that it was time for the top dog meeting so he went to his celland opened the safe.
He ignored the locks from his cellmates watching him pile the cash into a bag.
He dragged the bag out and made his way to Kimyeong Kim cell.
The others were there and he put the cash stashed bag at Kimyeon Kim feet.
"Count it, in front of me" ordered, Kimeyeon Kim.
And Ji Ho would have snapped if not for his Hyung urging's.
So before everybody, he began to count the money in front of them to make sure it was exactly 2, 000 bucks.
The humiliation was very real.
And then he was told to wait for everybody to present their money, he had seen how everybody had collected theirs.
He was the only one who got his money in a honest way.
"Thanks, everybody from your contribution," said, Kimyeon Kim.
Contribution, his ass!
"See you guys next month," said, Kimyeon and Ji Ho was free to leave.
"That guy started a cleaning business. Lol" said, a person behind him. "He has no self-respect"
"They can laugh all they want but they underestimate how lazy prisoners can be and the respect you earn from this," said, Hyung. "When your strong enough, lets see how many would listen to those guys over you."
He had to bow for now.