The year 2000, the dawn of a new century, in Yeosu, South Jeolla, South Korea. The sun was shining brightly as Lee Tae, wearing a white undershirt under his suit, stepped out of the fish market, a newspaper rolled up in his left hand and a cigarette in his right. "Hurry up," he called.
A man in a floral shirt hurried out, zipping up his pants as he ran. "Sorry, I get nervous and have to pee all the time," he said, looking a bit embarrassed. This was
"You drink too much water," Lee Tae replied, sounding impatient, his expression complicated. After all, not everyone could easily come to terms with being transported to another world. Just moments ago, he was in his original world, preparing for a boxing match, and suddenly, he was pulled into the South Korean movie New World. It would have been fine to just be transported, but the system had to give him the role of an undercover agent—replacing none other than the character Lee Ja-sung from the movie.
Ding Qing quickly dashed to the side. "I'll be back after I finish peeing," he said.
"Damn it," Lee Tae muttered, rolling his eyes. They hadn't even started, and Ding Qing was already chickening out. How did this guy ever earn the title of Elevator God of War?
"Crap, I made a mess," Ding Qing grumbled as he hurried back out, spotting a few drops of water on his white pants. The two continued walking, chatting as they went, and soon arrived in front of a shop with dried fish hanging out to dry. "What are we doing after this?" Ding Qing asked casually.
"What do you think?" Lee Tae responded, the two of them looking relaxed, almost as if they were sightseeing. They each pulled a watermelon knife out from the newspaper. Instead of looking like they were about to start a fight, they seemed like they were on vacation.
Ding Qing pushed open the door to the shop, revealing a group of people inside, sitting or standing. By a rough count, there were at least dozens of them.
"What do you want?" someone inside shouted aggressively, as dozens of hostile eyes turned towards them. Ding Qing, taken aback, quickly closed the door, looking a bit sheepish. "Let's get out of here; there are too many of them," he said, almost as if he was giving them a chance to back down.
The newspaper rustled open, revealing a gleaming watermelon knife. Without a word, Lee Tae grabbed the knife and charged into the shop. No matter what happened next, he had been transported here, and his identity and all his information were in the hands of that sly Inspector Kang. Playing the role of an undercover agent was something he had to do for now.
Today's task had been directly assigned by the Bukda Gang boss—to teach the Jaehyung Gang a lesson. If he failed, it could jeopardize his entire undercover operation. In a tight spot, the brave prevail. Lee Tae, with years of experience in the boxing ring, was no stranger to combat. In a fight, sheer numbers didn't matter; the shop was narrow, and even if there were many people, only four or five could face him at a time. That was more than enough!
"Damn, this kid is wild," Ding Qing thought, seeing Lee Tae charge in. He had planned to sneak away, but instead, he turned back and dashed into the shop. To his surprise, he saw his "little brother" wielding the knife, forcing the opposition to retreat step by step.
What the heck! How did I not know this kid could fight like this? Ding Qing, without thinking, jumped in to help. With him sharing the pressure, Lee Tae found it much easier to advance. The knife flashed like snow, cutting through the air with a swish, and several people had already been taken down. The cramped space of the shop made it hard to move, and a few baseball bats smashed into Lee Tae's shoulder, making his eyebrow twitch, but he didn't make a sound.
Frustrated by his unexpected transport and his bizarre undercover role, Lee Tae had been itching to vent. These opponents were the perfect targets for his anger. He didn't know how many he had taken down; all he knew was that he had to win. Yes, win! Winning was Lee Tae's life motto—whatever he did, he had to do it the best. Even if he was now a gang member, he would be at the top. Otherwise, this whole experience would be a waste.
Panting heavily, Lee Tae looked around. Apart from him and Ding Qing, no one else was left standing. The shop was filled with the metallic scent of blood, enough to make one nauseous. The anger in Lee Tae's eyes slowly subsided as he let the watermelon knife fall to the floor with a clang, and he turned to leave the shop.
Ding Qing hurried after him. "Give me a smoke," he said, panting and waving his hand. Damn, this kid was not only reckless but also a damn good fighter—who would have thought?
"Hey, uh… go clean up later," Ding Qing added. Lee Tae, who had led the charge, had taken the most hits. His suit was torn, and his undershirt was soaked in blood.
"How about a movie?" Ding Qing suggested, lighting a cigarette. Lee Tae handed him one before asking, "What movie?"
"What else? 'My Friend's Mom,'" Ding Qing replied with a sly grin. "I heard it's quite popular." With not much money to his name, Ding Qing's nightlife was limited to watching a few "special" films to pass the time.
Lee Tae gave him a blank stare. The Elevator God of War was still so boring. He flicked the lighter, trying about ten times, but it wouldn't light. "Damn, relax, man. Go clean up," Ding Qing said, tossing his unlit cigarette aside and heading off. "See you at the restaurant later; I'm going first."
Lee Tae couldn't help but chuckle. What a character—he could hardly imagine how this guy would later become the leader of the Bukda Gang and eventually one of the top three figures in the Geumgang Group. But this was the real world, not a movie, and a lot of things would have to be figured out on his own.
Shaking his head, Lee Tae thought, "It's a long road ahead. Better go back and think things over first."
Ding!