Chapter 23: A little chat

Kang Jae-sung adjusted his sunglasses as he slid into the back seat of a black car. The driver, dressed in a sharp suit, nodded and started the engine. Kang leaned back, stretching his arms and letting out a sigh. "Now then," he said, smirking, "time to have a little chat with this Lee Jin-ho... or Si Mok, as Goto calls him." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it, the faint glow illuminating his sharp features.

The car sped off into the night, heading toward its next destination.

---

Meanwhile, Si Mok stood atop a high-rise building, leaning against the edge as he listened to an older man recount his story. The man, once a close ally of the assemblyman, appeared frail but determined. His eyes burned with the bitterness of betrayal and the weight of regret.

"I trusted him," the old man began, his voice heavy. "We built something together... something that was supposed to be legitimate. But I started noticing things—money being funneled to strange accounts, people disappearing, rumors about drugs and... organs." He paused, clutching the railing tightly. "When I tried to take the evidence to the authorities, I thought I could bring him down. Instead, I was framed. I spent years in prison for crimes I didn't commit. By the time I got out, the world had moved on, and he was untouchable."

Si Mok nodded, his face expressionless but his mind racing. The assemblyman's web of corruption seemed deeper than even he had imagined.

"You've been in hiding since you got out?" Si Mok asked.

"Yes," the man admitted. "I kept my head low. But when I heard whispers about someone taking him on... I thought maybe... just maybe..." His voice trailed off, and he looked at Si Mok with a glimmer of hope.

Si Mok didn't respond immediately. He simply turned and walked toward the elevator, his mind already strategizing his next steps.

As the elevator doors opened, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Han Park.

Han Park: "Some Kang Jae-sung guy wants to meet you. Says Goto's in the hospital."

Si Mok stared at the message for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. Kang Jae-sung was a name he didn't recognize, but if Goto was involved, it was worth investigating.

He replied quickly, "Find out more about him. I'll meet him soon."

The elevator descended, and Si Mok prepared himself for the next piece of this ever-complicating puzzle. He couldn't shake the feeling that this Kang Jae-sung might be a wild card, someone who could either help their cause or make things even messier. Either way, he needed to be ready.

The assemblyman's empire was beginning to crack, but the fight was far from over.