5.One Punch Man,Cattle

"System Notification: Congratulations to the host for achieving three consecutive victories. You are awarded 3 attribute points and one spin of the prize wheel."

"Do you wish to spin?"

"Spin."

"Congratulations! You have obtained a loyal follower, Dong Zhe, nicknamed 'Scalper.' He will report to the designated location within three hours."

Lee Tae's eyes lit up slightly. It seemed the system issued rewards based on accumulation, leading to breakthroughs. If Zhang Qian, the first follower, was such a powerhouse, who knew how this 'Scalper' would turn out?

"Hey, skinny guy," Ding Qing nudged Lee Tae, who was reviewing the system. "You've got that lustful look in your eyes. Did you hook up with that pretty doctor? Did you two have a little 'check-up' in the clinic?"

"You're ridiculous," Lee Tae replied, calmly shutting down the system. Since only he could see it, he wasn't worried about leaks. A few of the gang members gathered excitedly around Zhang Qian. In this world, strength commanded respect, and Zhang Qian had already earned a reputation through his ruthless use of a knife. The others looked up to him with absolute admiration.

"Boss," the six men bowed in unison. "We've taken down all three territories controlled by the Empire faction."

"Well done."

Ding Qing pulled out six bundles of cash from the broken safe, tossing one to each of them. "Work hard, and you'll live the good life following the boss."

Zhang Qian didn't reach for the money. He waited until Lee Tae nodded, then let a subordinate pick it up for him. Ding Qing's eyelid twitched uncontrollably—where did this guy find such loyal and capable followers? They could fight, and they were obedient. Damn it, why didn't I have men like that? Well, maybe there's Ah Tae…

Ding Qing suddenly smiled wide. "Let's go to the nightclub!"

The Empire faction had hundreds of members, but only a few dozen operated in Yeosu. Lee Tae had effectively severed the Empire faction's influence in the area with a single battle. At least for now, until reinforcements arrived, these territories were secure.

Even though they'd just unleashed some pent-up energy earlier, a man should never deny his needs. After instructing Zhang Qian to maintain control over the territories, Lee Tae followed Ding Qing to the nightclub.

Yeosu, being a port city, saw large ships arriving daily. After months at sea, even a sow could start to look like Diao Chan to the sailors. It was no wonder that the brothels in Yeosu thrived. The Bukdaemun faction controlled over a dozen brothels and nightclubs, so naturally, they decided to support their own establishments.

Ding Qing, always the flamboyant spender, called over ten karaoke girls. "Bro, take as many as you like!"

South Korea was known for its quirks. Despite the round faces typical of the local women, the girls before Lee Tae all had long legs and small, delicate faces—a sure sign they'd undergone plenty of plastic surgery. Lee Tae admired that about them: enduring pain to bring others joy. After choosing two girls who didn't look like they'd had too much work done, he noticed that Ding Qing had already grabbed one by the waist.

"Damn it, I came here to have fun, not listen to you whine. Just sing, damn it! Use your throat properly!" Ding Qing shouted, laughing mischievously.

"Hey, man, don't be shy," Ding Qing said with a grin. "We're here to enjoy ourselves."

"Oppa…" The two girls shrank into Lee Tae's arms, frightened by the villainous look on Ding Qing's face. The craters on his skin made his grin even more menacing.

"Don't worry, your big brother is a good man," Lee Tae said, comforting the girls. He wasn't about to play the saint. If he had this kind of energy, he'd rather be in the clinic with Han A-rin, reenacting a doctor-patient scene.

As the colorful lights swirled and the haze thickened, the atmosphere grew even more enticing.

"Damn, bro, you can't be better than me at everything," Ding Qing said later that evening, as they lounged on the sofa, smoking. "It's one thing to be good at fighting—that's a natural gift, I can't compete with that. But do you also have to last longer with the girls?"

"Come on, man, I'll even call you 'Big Brother,' okay?" Ding Qing pouted. "Can't you let me win just this once?"

"You're hopeless," Lee Tae scoffed. "You piss a dozen times a day. Even if I wanted to let you win, you'd still lose. Go see a doctor and get some medicine for your kidney issues."

"You really need to cut back on your chats with 'Fifth Sister.'"

"Damn it," Ding Qing flipped him off. "That's excitement, not kidney deficiency. Ever heard of 'stamina'?"

After a few more puffs of smoke, they both started to come down from their earlier intensity. "Bro, now that we have money, I want to start a business. What do you think?"

Having watched the movie New World, Lee Tae knew the classic plot. Although the details were a bit hazy, he knew that Ding Qing—the so-called "Elevator War God"—rose to power through business ventures. In fact, he managed all of Geumgang Group's legitimate businesses.

Lee Tae was self-aware. Though he'd been a champion fighter in his past life, he had no talent for business. He didn't want to interrupt Ding Qing's progress, so he said, "You focus on business, and I'll take care of the rest."

Money and power needed to go hand in hand. Without the strength to protect it, wealth was an illusion. On the other hand, pure muscle without financial backing was also doomed to fail. Lee Tae had already made up his mind: Ding Qing would handle the money-making while he maintained control over their muscle. Later, they could adjust as the situation demanded. After all, in the movie, it was Lee Ja-sung's loyal followers that helped him rise to the top and eventually darken his path.

"Alright, let's do it," Ding Qing agreed wholeheartedly. "Two brothers, two paths, but we'll move forward together."