'Just say that every sturdy tree will eventually fall. Even though the tree grew full of wounds and healed to become strong, the strength gained from the wounds is only strong on the outside and fragile on the inside.'

A man was enjoying his dinner at a famous restaurant. Beside him, a waiter knelt with blood pouring from four severed fingers, screaming in pain. In front of him, a woman sat with a deeply terrified expression, clearly shaken by the chaos that had unfolded.

That day was supposed to be very peaceful, with everything going according to plan. But sometimes, reality never aligns with expectations.

Suddenly, a group of heavily armed police officers entered the restaurant. They pointed their guns at the old man, who was still calmly enjoying his meal.

"Aigoo... Could you let me enjoy my meal?" he said casually. "If only..." he paused, glaring sharply at all the police officers in the room, including those disguised as customers. "You should know who I am, right? And you know what will happen if you disturb me, don't you? You'd better leave before something bad happens to you."

Before he could continue his meal, a nervous police officer stepped forward, pointing his gun while saying, "Cha Tae-hyun was found dead, and you're the culprit."

'Like a sturdy tree that cannot withstand a great storm, he must become something greater than a tree, but not in a short time. Especially in the middle of a storm.' A brief memory of him answering a statement from a friend.

"What did you just say?" he asked calmly.

Once again, the officer tried to gather the courage to speak firmly. "You..." But his mouth fell silent when the old man who had questioned him stared at him sharply. Fear enveloped him, making him step back from Hyunsuk. With a trembling voice, he finally said, "...Y-You, Choi Hyunsuk, are under arrest for the murder of Cha Tae-hyun."

Hyunsuk gave a thin smile, remaining calm despite the tense situation. "Are you sure?" he asked with a sneer. "It seems there's something wrong with this investigation. Maybe you need to check it more thoroughly."

A young man rushed into the restaurant, heading straight for the crowd of police officers, approaching Hyunsuk with a stern and urgent look. Abruptly, he slammed down photos confirming Cha Tae-hyun's death on the table, followed by tossing the murder weapon—a gun—next to it. Then, he slapped an arrest warrant on Hyunsuk's face, moving closer and glaring at him. "Now, it's the end of your life, bastard," he said with a tone full of hatred.

"All the evidence is here. That gun carries your fingerprints. So, come with us now, or we will use force to drag you out." The young man spoke with trembling firmness, staring at Hyunsuk with deep hatred.

The old man was surprised, not by the arrest warrant or the evidence pointing at him, but by the young detective who now glared at him with such anger. Park Min-ho, the detective who desperately wanted to see him imprisoned, stood there with a sharp gaze.

Hyunsuk returned Min-ho's stare with a smile. "Truly, you're a very tough young man," he said in a soft yet sharp tone. "How's your little sister doing? I hope she's as healthy as I'd hoped, because she's quite a pretty girl." He smiled.

With burning rage, Min-ho grabbed Hyunsuk by the collar, pulling him to his feet. "Never mention my sister with your filthy mouth," he said with a trembling voice. "If I could avenge what you did to Steve, I'd have done it already. But I'm not a bastard like you who kills people so easily."

Hyunsuk laughed out loud, his laughter echoing in the now-silent restaurant. Everyone around him, including Min-ho, stood frozen, confused by this unexpected reaction.

"Have you lost your mind?" Min-ho asked.

Several police officers quickly moved to handcuff Hyunsuk. Though they moved swiftly, Hyunsuk offered no resistance. He was taken toward the exit of the restaurant. As they neared the door, his mouth remained tightly shut. He hadn't expected to be arrested by the police so quickly.

His mind raced, thinking about something that had been nagging him. Even after he entered the police car, Hyunsuk remained silent, letting the car take him to a place he had already suspected. But one thought continued to gnaw at him—betrayal. But what was wrong with betrayal?

Upon arriving at the press conference, he was pulled from the police car and forced to sit in the center, with a microphone in front of him, surrounded by police officers standing behind him.

Flashes from the journalists' cameras flickered towards him. It was impossible to tell how many photos they had taken of Hyunsuk's face. The live broadcast had already begun before the old man arrived at the press conference. The reporters were impatient to ask Hyunsuk questions.

"How many crimes have you committed?" an impatient male journalist asked.

Hyunsuk looked at him without giving an answer.

"Who's the mastermind behind the crimes you committed? Was it you?" a young female journalist asked.

"Evidence from where? They're all very funny," he muttered with a thin, sinister smile.

"Why did you kill Cha Tae-hyun? Weren't you friends?" asked another journalist.

"Big Mouse. Are you friends with Big Mouse?" asked a man in a worn-out jacket, with a few gray hairs in his hair.

Hyunsuk's eyes focused on the man, and he realized something. A thin smile began to form on his face. At last, he understood what had been bothering him all along. Betrayal doesn't always stab you in the back. Let's make this a grand spectacle.

He moved closer to the microphone, and the reporters prepared to jot down every word Hyunsuk would say. The tension grew as all eyes were on him.

"First of all, I didn't kill Cha Tae-hyun, and I'll prove this was a wrongful arrest," Hyunsuk said. The reporters started murmuring in surprise as they took notes, and the camera flashes intensified toward him.

"Second, where's the evidence that I committed the crime?" he asked, causing even more confusion among the reporters.

"Those who fear you said so," a male reporter replied.

"Really? Did they say so out of fear of me, or did they say it out of respect, while you speak without evidence?" Hyunsuk retorted.

No one responded to Hyunsuk's statement. The reporters were nearly speechless, as they had little evidence to counter Hyunsuk's claims. They fell silent, perplexed.

"And finally..." Choi Hyunsuk looked directly into the camera recording him live. "...I know you're watching, whether you're laughing or enjoying an afternoon snack. Want to make a bet? A big bet that will dig a grave for both of us—who will be buried first, me or you?" He paused and began to step away from the microphone. Suddenly, he remembered one more thing.

"Oh, one more thing... Big Mouse..." The police were shocked when Hyunsuk was about to say something about Big Mouse and quickly tried to turn off the microphone, but it was too late. "...He's the biggest drug dealer in Korea and is still out th..."

The police cut off the microphone in front of Hyunsuk. The reporters immediately erupted, with more cameras flashing and questions being thrown about Hyunsuk's connection to Big Mouse and the police's investigation. The atmosphere became chaotic, with rising tension and confusion in the press conference room.

Hyunsuk grinned. He had just made a big bet.