Chapter 1: The King of Gangnam
The neon-lit streets of Gangnam pulsed with life, a deceptive beauty hiding the filth that thrived beneath. Wealthy businessmen stumbled out of high-end clubs, their pockets emptied by bottle service and women who only cared about their wallets. But in the back alleys, where streetlights flickered like dying embers, a different kind of power ruled—the kind won with blood.
Jinwoo Kang had fought his way to the top of this world.
Dressed in a black leather jacket, his sharp features cast in shadow, he leaned against his sleek black motorcycle, lighting a cigarette with calm indifference. Around him, his men stood in silence, waiting. The air was thick with tension. A deal was about to go down, but Jinwoo already knew it wouldn't go smoothly. It never did.
From the other end of the alley, a group of men approached. They were from the Black Tiger Syndicate, a gang that had once been a force to reckon with—until Jinwoo shattered their control and claimed their turf. Their leader, Dojin Park, walked ahead, a smug grin on his scarred face.
"You're late," Jinwoo said coolly, exhaling smoke.
"Traffic." Dojin shrugged. His men stood behind him, gripping knives, bats, and a few firearms.
Jinwoo smirked. "Traffic, huh? More like hesitation."
Dojin's grin faltered. He had every reason to hesitate. Jinwoo wasn't just another street thug; he was a legend. The king of Gangnam's underground. A man whose name was spoken in whispers.
The deal was supposed to be simple—Black Tiger Syndicate would supply Jinwoo with weapons in exchange for protection. But Jinwoo could see the deceit in their eyes. The way they shifted uneasily, the way their fingers twitched near their weapons.
Betrayal.
Jinwoo flicked his cigarette onto the ground and stomped it out. "So, who sold me out?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "Was it you, Dojin? Or are you just a pawn?"
Dojin's face hardened. "You're too dangerous, Jinwoo. You think we'd keep bowing to you forever?"
"I don't think," Jinwoo replied, his voice dropping into something deadly. "I know."
And then the fight began.
Dojin's men rushed forward, but Jinwoo was faster. He moved like a shadow, dodging the first swing of a bat and retaliating with a brutal elbow to the attacker's face. A second man lunged at him with a knife, but Jinwoo grabbed his wrist, twisted it until bones snapped, and drove the knife into his gut.
Blood splattered across the alley.
Gunfire erupted. Jinwoo ducked behind a dumpster as bullets whizzed past. His men retaliated, and the alley became a battleground of fists, blades, and gunfire. Bodies fell.
Dojin, realizing the fight was turning against him, turned to run. But Jinwoo was already behind him.
"You're not leaving," Jinwoo growled, grabbing Dojin by the collar and slamming him against the wall.
Dojin spat blood. "You can't fight them all, Jinwoo. The syndicates will come for you. You'll die just like the others."
Jinwoo leaned in close. "Then I'll take them all down with me."
And with that, he drove a knife straight into Dojin's heart.
The man gurgled, eyes wide in shock, before his body went limp. Jinwoo let him fall.
The alley was silent now. Jinwoo wiped the blood off his knife and turned to his men. "Clean this up."
As they moved to obey, Jinwoo pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"It's done," he said when the person on the other end answered.
A soft, feminine voice replied, "You're covered. Police won't interfere."
Jinwoo smirked. "Good girl."
Hanging up, he mounted his motorcycle and roared into the night.
But even as the city blurred past him, something lingered in his mind.
Betrayal wasn't new to him. But this time, it felt different.
And he knew—this was only the beginning.
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End of Chapter 1