Chapter 50: An Uneasy Night

Lee Jun-hyuk returned to the hotel and took a hot shower.

It felt as if every muscle in his body was screaming in protest.

He had been moving non-stop from morning till evening.

Especially after the tense standoff with Bancroft, all his nerves had been on edge.

He couldn’t let go of his tension.

He came out into the living room, towel-drying his hair.

A bottle of whiskey caught his eye on the table.

It was something the Plaza Hotel provided as standard.

Even in the Prohibition Era, the fanciest hotels offered it to guests under the ridiculous pretext of “medical use.”

He poured a little whiskey into a crystal glass.

The beautiful amber liquid glimmered brilliantly in the glass. As he took a sip, a fiery heat burned down his throat and soon spread as warmth throughout his body.

He felt the tension ease just a bit.

“William Bancroft.”

A name unfamiliar to him.

Not from his past life’s memories, nor from any history book he’d ever read.

But after seeing the frightened reactions of the staff today, it seemed that in the Brooklyn area at least, he was a shadowy figure wielding significant influence.

“A railroad tycoon who fell from grace?”

He knew that as the age of automobiles dawned, the railroad industry had declined.

But if Bancroft still held significant assets… he’d be a hyena clan that ruled the area by force.

Ring ring ring.

At that moment, the phone rang.

He glanced at the wall clock. It was past nine.

Who could it be at this hour? Was it Mr. Yu Ilhan?

“Hello?”

“Boss, it’s Robert.”

Robert’s voice sounded worried.

“What’s the matter, calling at this hour?”

“Well… I heard some strange rumors near the office today.”

“Rumors?”

“At the La Choy factory… Bancroft paid a visit…”

So the rumors had already spread this far.

“That’s true. He came by this afternoon.”

“Oh my… is that really true?”

Robert’s voice grew even more anxious.

“Why on earth would that man….”

“He came to tell us to shut down our business. Said he didn’t like seeing an Oriental running a food company.”

Robert audibly swallowed on the other end.

“Boss, you really need to be careful. Bancroft… he’s truly a dangerous man.”

“Do you know him well, Robert?”

“If you live in this neighborhood, you can’t help but know. Five years ago, an Italian Immigrant who ran a small store tried to block his expansion. The place was burned down. Of course, he got off for lack of evidence, but everyone knows it was him.”

Lee Jun-hyuk’s expression turned cold.

This wasn’t a simple threat. The man had actually set fire before.

“What about the police?”

“Bancroft’s side has so much money… most of the time, the police just turn a blind eye.”

A stifling reality.

America in the 1920s. Especially in immigrant neighborhoods like Brooklyn, money and power sat above the law.

“Thank you for letting me know.”

“Boss, you really need to watch out. And, if—”

Robert hesitated for a moment, then continued.

“If there’s anything I can do, please tell me anytime. I may not have much strength, but…”

Lee Jun-hyuk felt warmth blossom in a corner of his heart at Robert’s sincerity.

“Thank you, Robert. Your concern alone gives me great strength.”

He hung up and looked out the window.

The night in New York was still dazzlingly unreal.

Countless lights twinkled like stars.

But behind that glitter, there were dark shadows like Bancroft lurking as well.

“In the morning, I need to contact George Howard right away.”

The board of directors of the American Sugar Trading Company. Maybe they could give some advice, or lend invisible support.

Just then, the phone rang again.

This time, the call came from an unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Lee Jun-hyuk?”

It was a male voice, unfamiliar but vaguely recognizable.

“Who is this?”

“I told you, until tomorrow, didn’t I?”

A cold voice. It was Bancroft.

“This lunatic… he really might do anything.”

Just hearing that voice over the receiver, Lee Jun-hyuk could tell.

Bancroft wasn’t a petty gangster who only talked big. He was a true maniac, someone who’d actually carry out his threats.

Without replying, Lee Jun-hyuk hung up the phone and put his jacket on right away.

He needed to get to the factory immediately.

He stopped midway across the bridge.

The river flowed black, swallowing the darkness of night.

Now and then, moonlight reflected on the water like shimmering silver powder. In the distance, he saw the lights of Brooklyn.

Among all those lights, one must be from the La Choy factory. Yu Ilhan and the security guards would be protecting the place.

“Should I just give up?”

For a fleeting moment, that thought crossed his mind.

No business was worth more than a life.

If the factory burned down, it could be rebuilt, but if someone was hurt, that couldn’t be undone.

But…

“Then would I have to spend my life running away like this?”

Every time someone threatened, he’d lower his head. Every time he was discriminated against, he’d hide in the shadows, living like a frightened mouse?

Unconsciously, Lee Jun-hyuk slipped his hand into his pocket.

His fingers brushed against a letter from Pyongyang.

“Oppa, we saw your photo in the newspaper. We’re really proud of you.”

Soo-yeon’s handwriting.

His family’s desperate hope.

Every night, they must be praying that their eldest son would succeed in this faraway American land.

And then there was Catherine.

She counted down the days to every Friday.

She listened to his business stories with sparkling eyes, as if it was the most interesting tale in the world.

“Yeah. Giving up, running away—there’s no such thing for me.”

He couldn’t let all his efforts until now be for nothing.

Lee Jun-hyuk started walking again.

By the time he arrived at the factory, it was past 11 p.m.

The lights were on inside the factory.

Jack, the security guard, was standing at the entrance. He looked surprised to see Lee Jun-hyuk.

“Boss? What are you doing here at this late hour…”

“I wanted to check on things myself.”

“Everything’s fine. Nothing suspicious so far.”

He went inside and saw Yu Ilhan deeply absorbed in something at the worktable.

“Boss!!”

“What are you doing here at this hour?”

“Ah, this… I just thought of a new recipe.”

Yu Ilhan smiled sheepishly.

“I couldn’t sleep because I was worried anyway, so I thought I’d do something productive.”

Various ingredients were spread out on the table.

Bean sprouts, spinach, bracken—namul vegetables.

“I’m thinking of making canned kimchi, too. Of course, it might be too spicy for Americans, but…”

Lee Jun-hyuk watched Yu Ilhan for a moment.

Even in the midst of this threatening situation, he was thinking of developing a new product. What passion.

“That’s a great idea. But how about getting some rest for tonight?”

“Don’t worry. This is how I rest. In fact, I enjoy it even more.”

Right then, the sound of a car came from outside.

Vroooom.

Everyone tensed up instantly.

Jack quickly went out the door.

Tony, who had been resting upstairs, ran down the stairs.

Both men assumed combat-ready stances.

Lee Jun-hyuk carefully looked out the window.

A black car had stopped in front of the factory.

But it wasn’t Bancroft’s flashy Cadillac.

It was a bit smaller and older.

Someone stepped out of the car.

An Oriental.

“Zhen?”

Yu Ilhan called out in surprise.

It was one of the Chinese merchants from Chinatown.

He was the one who had ordered La Choy canned goods that afternoon.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

Lee Jun-hyuk opened the door and stepped outside.

Zhen approached him, looking worried.

“I heard the rumor. That Bancroft bastard came to the factory, didn’t he?”

“Ah…”

“News spreads fast in Chinatown. So I came because I was worried.”

Zhen gestured behind him.

Two more men got out of the car.

They were Chinese as well.

In their hands were something long and hard.

“This is…”

“Baseball bats.”

Zhen said calmly.

“We know exactly what kind of bastard Bancroft is. Five years ago, a laundry run by one of our compatriots burned down because of him.”

Lee Jun-hyuk stared at them in surprise.

“That’s why we couldn’t just sit back. You’ve been making such good products for us—how could we just pretend not to notice?”

One of Zhen’s colleagues added,

“The Chinese Merchants’ Association is sending more people. They should be arriving soon.”

It was true.

In less than ten minutes, another car arrived. This time, five young Chinese men got out.

“Chairman Wang sent us.”

A man who looked like their leader spoke up.

“He ordered us to protect the La Choy factory.”

A hot lump welled up in Lee Jun-hyuk’s chest.

He had only just met these people for the first time this afternoon. All he had done was sell them a few cans. Yet here they were, rushing out in the middle of the night to help him.

“Truly… thank you.”

Lee Jun-hyuk bowed his head deeply to them.

“Hah, we need to make a living too, you know.”

Zhen laughed.

“If there aren’t people like you making good products, merchants like us can’t make a living either, right?”

Before he knew it, the area in front of the factory was bustling.

Other than Lee Jun-hyuk and Yu Ilhan, there were no other Koreans, but retired white security guards and Chinese merchants wielding baseball bats had gathered together.

They grouped up, some lighting cigarettes, chatting quietly. Anyone could see these people were ready for a fight tonight.

“There’s a coffee pot inside.”

Yu Ilhan came out of the factory carrying hot coffee.

“It’s cold out. Please have a cup of coffee while you wait.”

“Oh, thank you!”

The awkward and tense atmosphere oddly warmed with the coffee.

Lee Jun-hyuk sat on the steps in front of the factory.

Zhen came and sat next to him.

“Honestly, we’ve suffered a lot from guys like Bancroft too.”

Zhen said, lighting a cigarette.

“They look down on us for being Oriental, beat us on the street, smash our stores. They’ll do anything.”

“What about the police?”

“Police?”

Zhen chuckled.

“What cop in New York would side with a penniless Oriental? That’s why we have to band together. Protect ourselves.”

He was right.

In this era, in this vast city, the only support for Orientals was each other.

“Do you think Bancroft will really come tonight?”

Yu Ilhan asked anxiously.

“He’ll come.”

Zhen replied firmly.

“That bastard’s pride is through the roof. If his threats don’t work, he’ll only be satisfied if he retaliates.”

“Then…”

“That’s why we’re here.”

Zhen grinned and tapped his baseball bat on his shoulder.

“No matter how many people he brings, if we hold out with this many, he won’t dare do anything rash.”

By 1 a.m., the Chinese merchants were still steadfastly guarding the factory’s perimeter. Some dozed off in their cars, but most kept sharp eyes on the darkness outside.

Lee Jun-hyuk eventually decided to catch a quick nap on the old sofa in the factory office.

He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.

The exhaustion was overwhelming, but he couldn’t sleep deeply.

Being an Oriental running a business in America.

This kind of thing would keep happening in the future.

But as long as there were people to stand with him across race and nationality, like tonight, he felt he could endure.

3:15 a.m.

A sharp dog’s bark rang out outside the factory.

Woof! Woof woof woof!

At the piercing sound, Lee Jun-hyuk snapped his eyes open.

He sat up from the chair.

His neck felt stiff.

He’d only slept briefly, but his whole body felt even more fatigued.

He heard voices murmuring outside.

He looked through the window.

The Chinese merchants who had been dozing in their cars were all awake.

With tense faces, they stared into the darkness.

Jack and Tony raised their binoculars, taking up defensive positions.

“Something’s coming!”

Someone shouted urgently in Chinese.

Lee Jun-hyuk went outside.

The cold dawn air sliced across his face like a razor.

Yu Ilhan came running from the workshop.

“What’s happening?”

“I’m not sure. Something…”

Then it happened.

Far away, headlights appeared in the darkness.

It wasn’t just one car.

Two, three… four cars slowly, but threateningly, approached the factory.

“It’s Bancroft.”

Zhen spat, voice low.

The cars stopped in front of the factory.

Their headlights stayed on.

The blinding beams made the area in front of the factory as bright as day.

Men got out of the first car.

Bancroft appeared at the very front.

Still dressed impeccably in his suit, but his face was brimming with murderous intent. About ten big white men followed behind him.

In their hands, they carried clubs and steel pipes.

“Damn.”

Yu Ilhan unconsciously swallowed hard.

More men kept getting out of the other cars.

There were at least thirty in total.

All of them looked ready for a fight, faces full of menace.

Bancroft stepped forward.

“Oh, you prepared quite a welcome.”

He sneered as he looked over at the Chinese merchants guarding the place.

“Called in your Chinamen friends? You think a pack of monkeys changes anything?”

“You should just go home.”

Lee Jun-hyuk stepped forward and spoke.

“Do you really want to make a spectacle of yourself at this hour?”

“I told you, until noon, didn’t I?”

Bancroft pretended to check his pocket watch.

“But the more I thought about it, the more impatient I felt. So I came a little early.”

He snapped his fingers.

His men took a threatening step forward with their clubs.

“This is your last chance. If you get on your knees and beg right now, I’ll just smash this filthy factory and leave it at that.”

“You’re insane.”

Lee Jun-hyuk replied, voice icy cold.

“Do you really think you’ll get away with this?”

“Of course I will.”

Bancroft pulled something shiny from his pocket.

A police badge.

“The chief of Brooklyn Police is my old golf buddy. No matter what happens here tonight, no one will know.”

He grinned viciously and stuffed the badge back in his pocket.

“So, what’ll it be? Are you going to step aside quietly, or—”

“Or what, you bastard?”

Zhen stepped forward.

He swung his baseball bat onto his shoulder.

“You’ve got thirty, but we’ve got twenty too. Want to try us?”

At his words, the Chinese merchants shouted and lined up behind him. All of them readied their weapons.

For a moment, Bancroft’s face froze.

“You dare… you savages really think you can defy a white man?”