The sun dipped low across the sky as Ha-Joon stepped out of the shrine. He had planned to recruit Taejin in hope of getting the area around Cheonliang but had ended in failure.
Still he did gain Seongji Yuk which in itself is success. Now after removing him and his fam, Ha-Joon decided that he would completely cleanse the whole of Shinmyung's men and his brainwashed followers.
Hyun-Woo leaned against the SUV a few meters away, arms folded. He glanced up, saw Ha-Joon's face as he spoke.
"Finished?"
Ha-Joon gave a slight nod and moved at the back seat.
As they got inside, Hyun-Woo started the engine. As the SUV moved from the shrine, Hyun-Woo began furrowing his brow, a bit of hesitation flashed through his eyes before curiosity got the better of him.
"What the hell happened there?"
"I heard a loud scream earlier."
Ha-Joon smirked, before replying. "The boy was swelling with pride... I helped him toned down a beat."
Had Taejin just accepted the offer, Ha-Joon might've let him off easy. But the kid had not only refused, he had the nerve to talk back.
"Head back to Seoul," Ha-Joon said calmly.
There were things he needed to settle in the city before Charles could start interfering with his plans. And more importantly, it was time to pay a visit to Gun.
Hyun-Woo looked a bit puzzled. "Skipping Busan?"
He had assumed Ha-Joon would head there right after wrapping things up in Cheonliang.
Ha-Joon shook his head. "For now, 'They' are moving faster than I thought. If I delay… I'll lose the initiative."
Hyun-Woo relaxed slightly before continuing. "Should I prepare the contacts?"
"Yes. And get word to Jinyong in Seongnam. I want his eyes on anything related to Crownless rumors. Seoul's about to change, and I need to know how far the roots have spread."
As far as He was concerned, Charles had begun his plan meaning in a few years, Seoul would completely change its power structure and would be at the top of food chain.
Otherwise, If Charles had started his project somewhere instead of Seoul, would this city still be at the top of Korean power dynamic? Ofcourse not. Seoul was known for generating the monstrous talent.
But without the right teacher, would the future monstrous genius be at their future level?
So, Ha-Joon needs to accelerate his plan and continue without further distraction.
Soon, the SUV continued down the winding road as the city lights flickered faintly in the distance.
....
Seoul,
The city was filled with dazzling lights across the night sky. In the center of old dimly lit brick house sat two figure, eating their night dinner, James Lee and Charles Choi.
They ate their fill in silence for a while.
Then, Charles spoke, his voice filled with unusual seriousness.
"I met someone recently."
James, who had just begun unwrapping his lollipop, raised an eyebrow.
"A woman?"
Charles let out a slow exhale, masking his irritation. Did this guy really think he had the time to chase women, when every move he made was part of a carefully layered plan?
He cursed James inwardly.
Unbelievable.
But he kept his expression composed, choosing instead to steer the conversation back to what mattered.
"In Cheonliang."
At the mention of Cheonliang, Charles finally caught James's full attention. It had only been a day since his visit there, but the impression still lingered on his mind , a man nearly on par with him in potential.
He hadn't expected to see someone like that.
And truthfully, he regretted not being able to recruit Seongji Yuk.
Given another chance, he would've still tried to bring him into his circle, for the role he envisioned in his future plans.
But unfortunately for James, that door was as good as closed.
James paused for a moment, then gestured for him to continue.
Charles smirked, noticing the shift of James expression.
"Ran into Yamazaki." Charles said casually. "Or better known these days as Park Ha-Joon."
James leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table. "And?"
'He walked right past me and said a thing."
Charles mimicked the words, repeating Ha-Joon's voice. "Soon, we'll cross our path eventually."
James frowned slightly at his word.
"How bold of him."
Charles shook his head, a hint of concern in his eyes.
"It wasn't bravado," he said. "He meant it, clear as day. Either we'll be allies… or we're destined to collide."
The air thickened around them, the more Charles talked.
He continued.
"I thought he was just another cog in Yamazaki's wheel trying to steer a problem in the country few years ago. But now? He seems more than that, a piece I hadn't considered a threat back then. Now, he seems more like a wild card."
James narrowed his eyes. "You think he's after the same thing as us?"
"I think he's building something more dangerous. A influence and a force far more dangerous than we faced in our prime."
Though he had once allied with them in their generation, Charles didn't trust anyone, not even his oldest comrades. And their unpredictability was a threat he couldn't afford to ignore.
That was why he'd begun laying the foundation of his own empire, a safeguard in case they ever tried to breach Korea with force.
And now, one of the key pieces of that future had finally entered his radar, Gun Park, the heir of Yamazaki. To reach him, Charles had willingly entered Juvenile under the guise of a janitor. All for the sake of recruiting him.
A beat of silence passed before Charles posed his question.
"What are the odds, you could take him head on."
James pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't know about his fighting power."
"Though If I complete my body, I should be able to confront him."
Charles nodded slightly. "Let's hope it never came to that."
James slowly rose to his feet, dusted his pant and looked at Charles. "I need to meet 'him'."
With that, he turned and walked away without a glancing back. Charles remained seated, eyes fixed on his back, lost in thought.
He doubted whether James could truly stand against Ha-Joon if it ever came down to it.
Because the moment Charles saw Ha-Joon's face, a chill crept down his spine.
In that brief moment, he saw a shadow of some one more terrifying than Yamazaki Oyabun.
A woman who had once nearly dominated an entire generation on her own, before the great war changed everything.
And a genius unmatched by others. The one even the most fearsome monsters used to fear excluding Kim Gapryong.
The Generational Queen, Yamazaki Harue.