Chapter 42: The House Starts to Crack

Chulgu ajusshi glared fiercely at the house gambling den.

“These illegal, underground gambling joints that harm the country! I can’t just pretend I didn’t see this.”

Chulgu ajusshi served as an army officer defending the nation in his twenties, and in his thirties, he dedicated himself to protecting the country as an agent of the KCIA.

“Even if you barge in alone and turn the place upside down, all that’ll happen is Horsehead will use the chaos to run away. That won’t shut down the den.”

So I spoke up.

“Ajusshi, listen carefully. I’ll teach you the secret of ‘triple the gain’—a way to clean out those guys’ pockets, sweep the gambling den, and even rattle Horsehead’s nerves all at once.”

I waved the invitation lightly.

“My goal isn’t just to deliver this invitation. I’m going to make sure Horsehead sides with us at the Year-End Night.”

To be honest, I’m seriously eyeing all that cash Horsehead is holding.

After a hole got blown in Taeseong Construction’s vault, we’re short a lot of construction funds to carry out the subway project that’ll cost 180 billion won.

The government isn’t about to fork over that much money in one go.

“That’s why I’m going to sweep this place clean to raise the construction funds, then use that as leverage to force Horsehead to join in.”

Horsehead’s a rebellious type—not the sort who’ll listen quietly.

He won’t actively cooperate with our plans either.

On top of that, there’s no way he’ll just hand over huge sums of cash to Taeseong for nothing.

So, he’ll need both a whip and a leash—threats that will bind him so tightly he can’t wriggle free.

“Ajusshi, come here a sec.”

I leaned in and whispered into Chulgu ajusshi’s ear.

After listening intently for a while, Chulgu ajusshi burst into hearty laughter.

“Puhaha! You think that’ll work?”

Remember when ajusshi first came to our house after getting out of the Seobinggo basement, he said the exact same thing?

And back then, he ended up saying, ‘Turns out, this actually works.’

“Team Leader Yu, I’ll leave this errand to you, then.”

“Understood. I’ll try to finish this one in three minutes flat too.”

It’s not going to be easy.

If Horsehead acts like Horsehead, it’ll take way longer than that.

I handed Yu Jongtae an umbrella, filled with concern.

“As soon as you deliver the invitation, open this. Unless you want a cold water or salt shower.”

Yu Jongtae tried opening and closing the umbrella a few times, then grinned.

“I’ll be back soon!”

Chulgu ajusshi and I stood side by side, waving.

“Take care.”

“Let’s meet up later.”

“Meet up?”

Yu Jongtae tilted his head at the word ‘meet up,’ then ran off, waving.

The invitation in his hand shone with a unique golden light.

Even more so than the one I gave Master!

For some reason, I had a good feeling I’d be able to squeeze a hefty sum out of this.

Or maybe not!

---

A long time had passed since Yu Jongtae went in through the back door, but there was still no sign of him coming out.

It was obvious he was struggling with Horsehead’s tricks.

‘I figured it’d turn out this way. They never listen if you try to play nice. Fine! No more holding back—I’ll use my own methods.’

I fiddled with Secretary Kim’s business card.

“I’ll go make a call.”

“There you are. Let’s go together.”

The conclusion was clear.

‘If I want to catch Horsehead, I need to hit his business first.’

I clapped my hands clean.

‘Time to fill Taeseong’s vault with your money. Doesn’t matter if it’s your cash—your willingness to sponsor us means nothing. That’s why this is forced participation.’

I looked at Chulgu ajusshi.

“Ajusshi, are you ready?”

“Of course.”

“Alright. You promised to follow my lead, right? Today, I’m the money man.”

I pulled out a 500-won bill from my coin purse and grinned.

“Let’s turn this gambling den upside down today.”

“You think you can do that with just 500 won?”

“Just watch. I’ve always been pretty lucky.”

I winked with one eye.

“Let’s see how much we can empty from their pockets with this single 500-won bill. Sound good?”

“Who cares if we lose? It’s only 500 won. Alright, let’s do it your way, kid!”

One cheap white chip for 500 won.

Perfect!

When it comes to betting, I almost never lose.

---

Inside the house, the thick haze of cigarette smoke made it feel like a raccoon’s den.

The strong stench of blood stabbed at my nose.

Over in this corner, the cockfights were in full swing.

“Kill! Break him!”

“Don’t go easy—push harder!”

The roosters in the pit had razor blades attached to their legs.

Every time a blade caught flesh, blood sprayed, and with each spatter, the crowd went wild.

The more blood, the more fun the gambling pit became—that’s why they did it on purpose.

Seeing this after so long, I couldn’t help but frown ever so slightly.

‘This really isn’t my scene.’

I prefer a clean win and doing things on the sly.

Back when I used to wait here running errands for Master, I’d join a few rounds for fun and to hone my eye, but it was never enjoyable.

Chulgu ajusshi wore a similar expression to mine.

“These sick bastards.”

Couldn’t agree more.

“They’re swarming like ants. Why the hell did they bring kids to a gambling den?”

“To use them as a front and take a cut of the winnings.”

“These fucking lunatics…”

Again, I agreed.

But from the others’ perspective, Chulgu ajusshi dragging me around probably looks just the same.

…No need to point that out.

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

“What about those guys? Why’d they set up a desk in the gambling den?”

In one corner, two people sat side by side at desks.

Both wore white coats, but the tools in front of them were different.

“A veterinarian and a chef.”

“What? I get the vet, but what’s the chef for?”

“They cook up the losing rooster into chicken stew on the spot and hand it out.”

“Damn… These lunatics really take it to another level.”

There was a first aid kit in front of the vet, and a gas burner in front of the chef.

Lose, and you become stew. Win, and you end up in the clinic. Sometimes, both end up as stew.

That’s the fate of roosters in the cockfighting pit.

And people get excited watching it.

“The cockfighting gamblers say they’d never eat the chicken stew made from the fights because it’s bad luck, but they put on a show anyway. Guess it’s their idea of showmanship?”

“Well, freshly made cockfighting stew must be pretty tasty—fresh and chewy.”

“…”

What’s going on inside this man’s head?

Watching this bloody fight to the death and…

‘Ho!’

My eyes widened.

‘There’s a golden glow coming off the rooster on the left!’

Chulgu ajusshi eyed the roosters in the pit and stroked his chin.

“Somehow, I think the left one’s going to win.”

Same choice as me.

So I asked,

“Why?”

“Just a hunch.”

“…”

“He’s got good energy. Look—one looks weak, the other looks strong. That’s it!”

The Grim Reaper appeared quietly and snapped his fingers.

A death countdown sparkled above the right rooster’s head, the one not chosen.

[5 minutes]

Flap, flap!

Sure enough, the match was decided in just five minutes.

“Wow! Thunder Black wins!”

“I won! Yes!”

Cheers and screams echoed around the cockfighting pit.

Fortunes changed for many in a single bout.

Tap, tap.

I tugged on Chulgu ajusshi’s sleeve.

“Shall we get started?”

“Let’s.”

With Chulgu ajusshi’s instincts, the Grim Reaper, and my own eyes, how could we not cause a stir at the gambling den?

Or maybe not!

---

Yu Jongtae, who’d been dragged to the gambling tables without knowing how, let out a sigh.

He hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Horsehead, so he still hadn’t delivered the invitation.

‘Looks like they’ve put the house’s top gamblers on me. Damn, these guys really are good.’

They were clearly the top experts in this field.

Yu Jongtae didn’t stand a chance.

So all he could do was force a bitter smile.

He’d already figured out who they were.

‘No matter how sharp I am, there’s no way to win here.’

What’s the use of being quick on the uptake?

These sly bastards have hands faster than their eyes.

With rigged Go-Stop and stacked poker decks, there’s no beating them alone.

‘At this rate, I’ll never get to deliver the invitation, even if the sun comes up. What do I do? Just flip the table and go wild?’

That’s why Yu Jongtae nervously tapped his feet under the table.

But Yu Jongtae did have something to rely on.

‘Didn’t the young master say he and Blockhead Colonel Park would join up?’

But he never asked when or how they’d join.

He planned to deliver the invitation and be back in three minutes.

Letting his guard down was his mistake.

“Wow! The God of Gambling! The God of Gambling’s here!”

“Unbelievable! He’s sweeping every game and racking up an endless winning streak!”

“Thanks to him, I won too! God of Gambling, hurray! Hurray! Hurray!”

For a while now, cheers and shouts had been nonstop from the other side of the gambling den.

Excited voices rang out loudly enough to be heard even here.

“Incredible! He’s going all-in every time and winning every single round!”

“How many wins in a row is that? Fifteen or so?”

“I don’t know! I just heard the cheers and checked it out. Look at those chips—piled up like a mountain!”

“He’s even switching chip colors, stacking them up like that!”

“At this rate, the house really might have to close its doors tonight!”

Everyone cheered as one.

“Victorious Brown Bear!”

“God of Gambling! God of Gambling!”

“Share the winnings! Share the winnings!”

“One more! One more!”

Meanwhile, the poker tables on this side were growing colder by the minute.

Because the house manager, looking pale, kept running over to whisper nervously.

Yu Jongtae pretended not to hear but pricked up his ears.

“This is bad! At this rate, we’ll go bankrupt tonight!”

“What?”

“We just can’t compete!”

The gambling den was flipping upside down in real time.

“That maniac is going all-in on every round and winning every time. We’re almost out of chips.”

The house manager bit his lip hard.

“If he loses just one round, since he’s all-in every time, it’d fix everything. But he just won’t lose that one game.”

“Sigh… How did things get this bad?”

A young, beautiful woman gambler—the Madam—stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray with irritation.

“Is he a pro?”

“I’m not sure. Given the game types, he hasn’t had a single chance to use any tricks.”

“That’s true. Most of the games over there are rigged by our dealers; the players just put up their money. There’s no room for cheating.”

Madam’s expression turned grave.

“So it’s pure luck, then?”

“Yes, it was like Lady Luck herself was watching over him. His energy was so overwhelming, it felt like being possessed.”

“Is that possible?”

“There’s no other way to explain it. As you know, sometimes guys hit the jackpot in this business. But…”

“The question is how far that luck will last.”

Madam’s gaze turned cold.

“From the start, you lot should’ve crushed him with skill before it got out of hand.”

“…I’m sorry, Madam.”

“My head’s pounding. Nothing for it, I guess.”

Madam pressed her throbbing temples.

“Bring him over here.”

“Yes, Madam.”

At her signal, the house’s top gamblers glinted their eyes like hyenas spotting prey.

“It’s been a while. That guy rarely gets so worked up.”

“Who the hell is it, to make him turn pale and run over here?”

“Is it some legendary gambler? Or one of the top sharks from out of town?”

“Whoever it is, once you’re in our den, there’s no avoiding a showdown. From here on, it’s a true contest.”

The gamblers cracked their necks, flexed their fingers, and readied themselves in their own ways before glancing at the house manager and giving a slight nod.

Finally, the house manager bowed respectfully to Yu Jongtae.

“Sir, we’d like to invite one more special guest to join you. Is that alright?”

“I don’t mind. I was just playing to pass the time while waiting for the owner to return anyway. Invite them over.”

“Thank you. I’ll take that as your agreement.”

The house manager placed another chair at the table.

Clack.

Someone walked briskly through the beaded curtain.

Yu Jongtae almost shot to his feet.

‘Blockhead Colonel Park—no, Park Chulgu!’

Trailing after him was a little kid.

‘Young master!’

The seven-year-old young master held the bear-like man’s hand as he walked in, then winked at Yu Jongtae.

‘Of course—if it’s the young master, he’d find a way to join in… Wait! Did he really foresee all this from the start?’

But there was another surprise.

Yu Jongtae’s eyes widened.

‘Gasp!’

On the tray the house manager held, the chips were piled up like mountains.

And they were all different colors!

Compared to the lonely white chips scattered on Yu Jongtae’s table, it was a whole other story.

‘How much is all that?’

He couldn’t estimate at a glance.

But it was definitely a jaw-dropping sum.