June 14th, 2025.
South Korea, Seoul – 5:28 pm
A black limo was stuck in traffic. The streets were busier than usual. Four men in suits sat in the back, two of them with beer bottles in their hands. One asked, "Why are we going to Goseong one day before the event even starts?" The man who had just spoken was named Lee Jae-Ho.
One of the men took a sip from his bottle and crossed his legs, leaning his head back. "Just enjoy yourself, Jae-Ho. Don't question the boss's decisions too much." This man was named Choi Bu-Seong.
Lee Jae-Ho took a sip from his bottle before turning to look at one of the other men. This man had a full black beard, slicked-back jet-black hair, and dark black eyes. His skin was pale like a ghost, and he looked to be over fifty years old. "Seokjin… I MEAN BOSS! Can I know why we're going one day before the event?"
Seo Seokjin, the owner behind the famous luxury brand 'Daon.' Seokjin chuckled as he crossed his right leg over his left. "Jae-Ho, I'm not the boss anymore, did you already forget? I don't call the shots anymore." He said before looking over at the guy sitting beside him, who had a cold expression as he looked down at his lap. It was Zhi Yi An.
Zhi Yi looked up at Jae-Ho, and his cold expression softened as he smiled at him. "I did just get to Korea. I want to explore more of the country. Getting there one day early will allow me to maybe shop around a bit, maybe even go to some restaurants before the event."
Bu-Seong chuckled as he remembered something. He looked over at Zhi Yi and Seokjin. "Nam Bong-Woo mentioned you guys on his Instagram. That dumbass is so funny. Did he not think rival assassin organizations would see that?" Seokjin chuckled a bit. "We did see the post, we had him take it down. But I'm not too worried."
"Why is that? He gave the date of the event and the names of two people with targets on their backs." Bu-Seong asked. Seokjin smiled as he said, "Only one of us is a target for assassins, for the current moment. And as for why I'm not worried, it's simple. You know about the massacre in the club, right?"
Bu-Seong laughed as he leaned forward. "How could I not? It was all over the news — twelve cops were killed, four innocents, and then like two or three bodyguards? That shit was wild. I got out of my couch and called Jae-Ho in shock."
Jae-Ho sighed, "It was late at night too, and I was asleep. He called me just to scream at me to check the news." Bu-Seong nodded like he was proud of himself. "You have to admit, you were also shocked when you heard the news. Over fifteen people killed in less than an hour?"
"I was shocked, very shocked I'll admit," Jae-Ho said before drinking from his bottle. "As I was saying, that massacre that happened at the club helped us. If any of the assassins who were after us saw the post, they probably think we won't host the event there anymore after the massacre. So it works out in the end." Seokjin explained.
"Ah, I see." Bu-Seong said before looking over at Zhi Yi and asking him, "What do you think of the massacre?" Zhi Yi turned to look at him before moving his head from side to side like a little kid. "I think the same as Seokjin. It's sad innocents got killed, but it most likely helped us out."
"What if some assassins still do show up and we can't handle them? What's the game plan?" Jae-Ho asked. Seokjin smiled, "I'm glad you asked. Zhi Yi here actually hired Han Seok-Jin to protect the club." Zhi Yi nodded as he quietly laughed, "Oh, that guy was not cheap at all. A hundred and ten billion won, and that's only for four hours of protection."
Bu-Seong almost choked on his drink when he heard the price. "A hundred and ten billion?! I know Han is one strong-ass assassin. But still, what the fuck!" Zhi Yi softly laughed at his reaction. Seokjin chuckled before speaking, "I was also shocked when he told me the price. But you also have to remember, Zhi Yi is one of the grandsons of Zhi Tianlong An."
"Who's that again?" Bu-Seong asked before wiping some beer off his mouth with his sleeve. "Zhi Tianlong An was the fifth assassin to carry the title of 'Assassin One.' He ruled over the underworld in China for twelve years, from nineteen eighty-six to nineteen ninety-eight."
"Oh! That's really cool, you never told us about that, Zhi Yi." Jae-Ho said with an excited voice. Bu-Seong asked the following, "What's your net worth? Tell me right now, Zhi Yi." All three of them looked over at him. "You don't have to answer," Seokjin said.
Zhi Yi softly shook his head as he also gently waved his hand. "It's fine. As of now, I think it's twenty-seven trillion? In Korean won, of course." Bu-Seong's eyes widened, "I've never even seen more than ten billion in my life, and I'm older than you. What the actual fuck." Jae-Ho was also in shock, with his voice shaking he said, "Me neither…"
Bu-Seong quickly looked over at Seokjin, who wasn't that amazed. "Hey Seokjin, what's your net worth?" Seokjin stayed silent for a moment before replying, "You want to know if he's richer than me, don't you? Zhi Yi is very wealthy because of his lineage. But I'm richer. I won't disclose my net worth though."
"Two multi-trillionaires we have here, and we're hosting the event that holds the future of the 'Crimson Spring' organization in a club?!" Bu-Seong said, clearly frustrated. Seokjin extended his hand, signaling him to calm down.
"Calm down, Bu-Seong. I assure you me and Zhi Yi had a good reason for picking the Velvet Tide. Not only is the club run by the 'Crimson Spring,' but it has an underground system larger than you could imagine." Bu-Seong sat back and leaned his head back onto the seat. He took a drink from his bottle.
Seokjin looked over at Zhi Yi, who was looking down at his hands once again. "Zhi Yi, you should try and lighten up. You're one day away from your dream becoming a reality." Zhi Yi looked at Seokjin and nodded with a soft smile, "Oh, yes. One of my dreams. I guess I'm just anxious. A huge role I'll have to fill in."
"That's understandable. The thing you've always dreamt of becoming a reality would make anyone anxious." Seokjin replied. Bu-Seong chuckled, "My dream is to be filthy rich. If that was about to happen, I wouldn't be anxious in the slightest. I'd be jumping for joy actually."
"That's nice, Bu-Seong," Jae-Ho said. Bu-Seong leaned forward and got closer to Jae-Ho, raising an eyebrow. "Jae-Ho, I sensed some passive-aggressiveness in your words." Jae-Ho looked away awkwardly, "What? No, I could never…" Seokjin reached below his seat and opened a mini fridge, he took out two bottles of alcohol and handed one to Zhi Yi. He shook his head, "I don't really do alcohol."
"Come on, Zhi Yi. This one time," Seokjin said. Zhi Yi sighed as he grabbed the bottle. The two of them opened it. Seokjin spoke with a powerful tone, "Cheers to the future of Crimson Spring!" They all cheered as they raised their bottles into the air. The limo had finally made it out of Seoul and was making its way to Goseong.