A glint appeared in Lee Tae's eyes—the unified empire was coming, and with Geumgang Group as a stepping stone, the future looked promising! The old men argued until midnight before finally ending the meeting. Lee Tae glanced at the group of elders, noticing no signs of fatigue. He thought to himself, "It's true what they say—power is the best elixir for men."
"Damn it, I need to go relieve myself. You go on ahead," Ding Qing muttered, clutching himself and rushing off to the restroom.
"Unbelievable," Lee Tae chuckled. Tonight, this guy had actually performed well, managing to hold out until now—seems his kidney problems weren't as severe as he'd thought.
"Zhang Qian."
"Yes, boss."
"Each brother who came out tonight, let them take 200,000 from the books."
"Yes, boss." After giving the orders, Lee Tae motioned for Yellow Ox to drive them down the mountain.
In the villa's tea room, Director Ding and Ding Qing sat across from each other. A bronze candle holder with a beak-shaped tip flickered, and a teapot bubbled atop a charcoal stove.
"You want to protect him?" Director Ding asked, pouring boiling water into his cup, the tea leaves swirling.
"Yes, Uncle," Ding Qing shrugged. "I'm his big brother. Loyalty's everything in this line of work."
"He defied his superior—that's against the rules," Director Ding said calmly. "It sets a bad example."
"Oh, quit acting, old man," Ding Qing retorted, clearly at ease around him. He grabbed a piece of osmanthus cake from the table and tossed it into his mouth. "Didn't you rise to power the same way?"
"You brat," Director Ding muttered, reaching over to give him a couple of light smacks on the back of his head. "That settles it."
Director Ding took a sip of tea, speaking slowly, "Since I sidelined Director Kim, he's gotten close with the Empire Gang. No great loss. But as for Director Lee, he's ambitious, like a hawk watching its prey. I'm afraid you won't be able to control him, brat."
"No problem," Ding Qing replied casually. "Brothers are brothers. If he rises, I rise—it's all the same to me."
"You fool," Director Ding muttered, shaking his head. "The throne of power is not meant to be shared. The merger with the Jaehyung Gang is a done deal. We old folks won't last much longer in these positions; the future lies with you younger ones."
Since you've already started in business, I'll connect you with Simo Gang. Show some results first. Later, I'll let you take over the legitimate business within the faction."
"Oh my god, old man," Ding Qing exclaimed dramatically. "Are you planning to hand everything over, like some ancient promise?"
Director Ding shook his head, "I put you out here to toughen you up, but you're still as slippery as ever."
"Oh, old man, you're reaching a bit far here, don't you think?" Ding Qing stretched and whispered, "They've just brought in a new batch of foreign beauties. Pretty spectacular. Want to join?"
Director Ding smacked him on the back of the head again. "Brat, is that something a director would do? Have them sent over."
Ding Qing burst into laughter. "Alright, alright. I'm off."
"Hold on," Director Ding called him back. "I'll be reassigning you to Seoul soon. Focus on legitimate business from now on."
"Business? Old man, I was just getting settled here."
"Damn brat, are you planning to challenge me too?" Ding Qing recoiled slightly. "Loose-lipped old man."
"Get lost," Director Ding chuckled, a hint of a smile forming. "Enough with the brawling and scheming. Leave that to Director Lee. Focus on strengthening our border connections."
"Got it," Ding Qing waved a hand. "Take your meds. Don't want you keeling over later."
"Scram!" Director Ding threw a teacup after him, grumbling to himself. "Back in my day, I was fighting 1v7 battles before you were even born!"
Late into the night, Lee Tae's phone buzzed. "Oppa, your phone," someone murmured beside him.
Groggy, he picked up. "Who's this?"
"Bro, why are you asleep so early?" Ding Qing's voice was on the other end, sounding excited and whistling. "Get up and come party!"
"Kingdom Nightclub. New foreign beauties—absolute stunners."
"Idiot," Lee Tae cursed. "Are you insane? Do you know what time it is? Get lost."
"Oppa, who was that?"
"Just a tea merchant." Throwing on his coat, Lee Tae added, "Gotta go check in—he's an old client, can't ignore him."
"No need for lights, just go back to sleep. I'll be back soon."
At Kingdom Nightclub, as the VIP room door swung open, Ding Qing stood with a garland of flowers around his neck, holding a woman on each arm. "Oh look, the skinny old man showed up!"
"Come on, baby!" he cheered. "Let's party!"
Under the colorful neon lights, Ding Qing danced around the group of long-legged foreign women with an exaggerated swagger. Taking in the scene, Lee Tae couldn't help but admit—the guy had great taste.