Chapter 27 – The Weight of a Crown

The skyline belonged to him now.

Joon sat in a high-rise office, the city stretched before him like a kingdom waiting for its next command. The empire he had built in silence was now undeniable. Every major corporation, every financial institution, every underground deal—it all ran through him.

Yet, power came with a price.

He watched as reports flooded his desk—business acquisitions, stock movements, secret alliances forming in the shadows. Enemies who had been crushed were now regrouping, plotting.

Good.

Joon welcomed it.

--

Sitting across from him, Hyun-soo placed a file on the desk. "They're calling you a phantom, Joon."

Joon raised an eyebrow.

"The old families? The ones who've controlled the economy for generations? They don't know where you came from. They don't understand how you took everything so fast."

Joon smirked, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Let them wonder."

"But they're not just wondering." Hyun-soo's voice darkened. "They're moving. The Chairman of Daeyang Group is planning a retaliation. The politicians who backed Hwan are looking for weaknesses in your holdings."

Joon leaned back in his chair. "Then let's remind them why they lost in the first place."

---

The first target: Daeyang Group.

A financial empire that had stood for decades, controlling logistics, energy, and media. But now? Joon had placed his hands deep into their foundation, pulling the strings from within.

A sudden stock crash. A leaked scandal tying their executives to corruption. A hostile takeover of their biggest assets.

Within days, Daeyang Group was on the verge of collapse.

At an emergency board meeting, their chairman, Mr. Go, slammed his fists on the table. "Who is doing this?! Who the hell is pulling the strings?"

Silence.

Until the doors opened.

Joon walked in, adjusting his cufflinks. "I believe you were looking for me."

Every executive froze.

Joon sat at the head of the table, crossing his legs as he leaned back. "Now, let's talk about your future."

---

While the business world was reeling from his moves, the underground had started whispering a new name.

They called him The Ghost.

A man who appeared from nowhere, wiped out his enemies, and left no traces behind.

Crime bosses, cartel leaders, and hidden billionaires began watching their steps. The moment Joon took interest in something, it was already his.

Even Kyung-tae, an old wolf of the black market, had to admit it.

During a secret meeting, he exhaled his cigar smoke, staring at the silent figures around him. "We're either with him… or we're the next ones buried."

---

The elites weren't staying silent.

At an exclusive invitation-only event, the top 1% of the world gathered, discussing their next move.

Sitting at the far end of the room, Joon swirled his glass of whiskey, listening to their forced laughter and empty power plays.

A woman sat beside him—Hana, the mysterious heiress of a dynasty older than the country itself.

"You're making a lot of enemies," she murmured, studying him.

Joon took a sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving the stage where billionaires played their games.

"Good." He smirked. "It means I'm doing something right."

Hana chuckled. "And what's your next move?"

Joon leaned in slightly, voice low and dangerous.

"Burn their castles to the ground."

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