Chapter 1034: Message 4949 (4)

I arrived at Club JJ in Gangnam. It was a club run by Lackey, someone I had known for a long time, and it had recently become one of the hottest spots around Gangnam.

When I set out to capture Alex Jang, I rented the entire club to make sure no innocent bystanders got hurt. Since Club JJ had its stage and private rooms completely separated, if Black Soul was inside one of the rooms when we moved in, they would be trapped like rats in a cage.

Click.

As I descended into the club, loud music echoed beneath dimmer-than-usual lighting. On the stage, nearly a hundred young men and women in their twenties and thirties were already dancing together. They were all extras hired for the follow-up filming of She Was Beautiful. It was an easy gig that paid two hundred thousand won for four hours. All they had to do was eat, drink, and dance freely on the stage until the director called cut, so everyone wore bright smiles.

After greeting Lackey, who had been waiting at the entrance, I asked about Reporter Ahn Jong-Kyung. "Hyung-nim. Where's Reporter Ahn?"

Lackey answered, "He went into VIP Room No. 1 with two men who work under Managing Director Wang Long."

Ahn Jong-Kyung had entered VIP Room No. 1 alongside Wang Long's two bodyguards, both wearing dragon-patterned T-shirts.

"Thank you for helping us."

"There's no need to thank me. If it's for Chief Jung, I'll help with anything."

Just then, Lackey's expression stiffened. A message had come through his earpiece from the staff guarding the entrance.

"They're saying the Black Soul guys are on their way down."

"Understood."

I immediately moved to a table near the entrance with Wang Long, Sasuke, and Wang Long's two remaining bodyguards. Together with the others already seated there, I pulled my cap low over my face and lowered my head.

At that moment, Talent Agent Park Hong-Sik appeared with the four members of Black Soul.

"Welcome."

When Lackey, the director of Club JJ, hurried over to greet them at the entrance, the group's leader, Seo Yo-Hwan, smiled with satisfaction. "I heard the place was packed, but you let us in without stopping us."

"Of course. Black Soul is the hottest S-class group around these days. You'll always get the VIP treatment here. I'll make sure you're taken care of tonight."

We had deliberately put up a "Full" sign at the entrance, but the security staff had been instructed to let Black Soul in the moment they arrived.

Alex Jang frowned as he cautiously scanned the room. "It's only six o'clock. Why are there already so many people on the stage?"

Without batting an eye, Lackey recited the story we'd agreed on beforehand. "A group of young teachers had a training seminar in Seoul today. After it ended, they rented out the whole club."

If the club had been completely empty, someone as suspicious as Alex Jang would have turned around and left immediately. That was why we filled the place with extras. Since we had recruited them in a hurry, though, they didn't quite look like people who were used to clubbing. In the end, I had instructed everyone to introduce them as schoolteachers.

"So that's why they're partying like that?"

Just then, Seo Yo-Hwan slung an arm around Alex Jang's shoulders. "Hey, Alex. You worry too much. Besides, don't teachers have pretty good style these days? Especially the one in the pink dress over there. She's exactly my type. What about you?"

Alex Jang shrugged Seo Yo-Hwan's arm off. "I'm not interested in women today. You can do all the picking up you want."

"You bastard. Too busy thinking about getting leverage over I.O.A. to notice the teachers, huh? Hehehe."

"Hyung!"

When Alex shouted, Seo Yo-Hwan flinched and looked toward Lackey. "Did you hear that?"

Lackey smiled warmly and answered with deliberate misunderstanding. "Sorry? You want me to set you up with someone right away?"

Seo Yo-Hwan handed Lackey several banknotes, clearly pleased by his smooth response. "I like that attitude. Forget the matchmaking. We've got guests waiting in VIP Room No. 1, so take us there."

"Yes, sir. Right this way."

"And if anyone comes asking for Alex or me, let them in without question."

"Understood."

The members of Black Soul headed down the hallway toward VIP Room No. 1, where Ahn Jong-Kyung was waiting.

A short while later, the members of the hip-hop boy groups Black Soul had contacted began arriving one after another. Doctor M, Blue Deep, Serengeti, and Blah Blah—a total of four hip-hop group members. All of them were in their early to mid-twenties, visibly excited at the thought of getting high.

Once all thirteen of them disappeared into the hallway leading to the private rooms, Wang Long muttered through gritted teeth. "Yoon-Ho, do we really have to wait for the prosecutors? Can't we just deal with Alex ourselves?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"There's someone we're waiting for."

"Someone? Who?"

"Alex's drug courier."

"Alex's the supplier. Why would he need a courier?"

"He's still a celebrity, and he's careful about reporters. Whenever he needs drugs, he arrives first to check that everything's safe. Only then does he call the courier to bring them over."

Because Alex Jang was a popular celebrity, reporters were always following him around. That was why he only called in the courier to deliver drugs once he was certain the location was safe enough for both using and dealing. The drug cookies he had handed to I.O.A. earlier had been an exceptional case.

If we wanted to report Alex as the supplier, we had to catch the courier at the same time. Only then would we have physical evidence proving Alex was the supplier.

However, the courier I knew was especially cautious. He could recognize police officers, prosecutors, or investigators just from the distinctive air they carried and would bolt immediately. That was exactly why we had gone through all the trouble of setting up the club and keeping every prosecutor outside.

Wang Long clicked his tongue. "Where do you even get information like that?"

There was no way I could tell him I knew because I had lived through it once before, so I casually changed the subject. "Talent agents know celebrities' private lives better than anyone."

"Hmm... I guess that makes sense. They're with them twenty-four hours a day."

Just then, a skinny man with facial piercings appeared, wearing a jacket and jeans, carrying a black bag while surrounded by four large bodyguards.

I whispered, "Keep your head down!"

Christopher Lee, the same man who had served as Alex's courier before my regression, had finally appeared.

'Good to see you again, Chris.'

He occasionally worked as a DJ, and since he was Chinese with Canadian permanent residency, he regularly traveled between Korea and Canada on Alex's behalf.

"Which room is Alex in? He called me over, so take me there."

The man, who looked to be in his early twenties, arrogantly barked at Lackey as if speaking to a subordinate. Lackey didn't even blink. He simply escorted Christopher Lee toward the room.

"This way, please."

A moment later, Christopher Lee disappeared into Room No. 1, surrounded by the four bodyguards.

'Perfect.'

Every fish had swum into the net. Now all that remained was to block the exit and haul them in. I immediately called Prosecutor Seo Jae-Ill.

"Mr. Seo. They're all gathered in Room No. 1. You can come down now."

-Okay. We're on our way.

***

VIP Room No. 1 at Club JJ was the largest private room in Gangnam—a lavish suite consisting of one room for singing and dancing connected to another filled with premium amenities. Inside, not only Black Soul but the other guests as well were laughing merrily, raising glasses around the table.

Creak.

The door opened, and Christopher walked in carrying the bag of drugs. The junior members of the hip-hop groups immediately erupted into cheers, calling out Alex's name.

"Whoa! Thanks to Rex hyung, we're gonna be flying tonight."

"Alex hyung. Invite me more often, yeah?"

"I can't write music these days without this stuff. I owe all my success to you."

"Man... You know I love you, Alex hyung."

"We've got this smoking-hot trainee named Sarah. Want me to introduce her to you?"

As he listened to the endless flattery from his hoobaes, a broad smile spread across Alex's face. The money he made from dealing drugs was satisfying, but what thrilled him even more was having everyone look up to him like this.

Clearly pleased with himself, Alex crooked a finger. "Hey, Chris. Over here."

Leaving the gangsters standing outside, Christopher entered VIP Room No. 1 alone.

Thud.

After closing the door behind him, Christopher frowned. "Alex. You said there'd only be two junkies. Why are there so many people here?"

"It's a special day, so I decided to treat the hoobaes too. There's nothing to worry about. Just bring out the goods."

"Yeah? Then who are those idiots dancing on the stage?"

"Oh, they're teachers. I heard they came here to blow off steam after a training seminar."

Even more suspicious than Alex, Christopher kept the bag closed and looked toward Ahn Jong-Kyung and the two men beside him in dragon-patterned T-shirts.

"Something feels off... And why do those two look so murderous? Are they really..."

Unable to openly use the slang term for drug addicts in front of everyone, Christopher let the sentence trail off.

"Oh, come on! Reporter Ahn vouched for them!"

Seeing the drugs right in front of him, Alex was growing impatient.

Christopher, however, remained unmoved. "Alex. Haven't you gotten careless lately? You never used to work like this."

"You're right. Usually I don't. But today is different. Today Reporter Ahn gave I.O.A. those marijuana cookies. That means he's one of us now."

Only then did Christopher understand why Alex was so excited. Black Soul was currently ranked third on the charts, but thanks to all the attention surrounding I.O.A. over the past few weeks, the public barely even realized Black Soul still existed.

"I see... So you're in such a good mood because you finally got rid of the people getting in your way. You should've said that from the start."

"Now that you get it, stop wasting time and let's finish the deal. And don't worry about the bill tonight. The guys Reporter Ahn brought will cover everything, so stick around and have some fun."

Christopher shook his head. "No. Like always, I'm leaving as soon as the deal's done. That's better for you too, isn't it?"

"I guess you're right. We can celebrate later. Let's get the deal over with first."

"Sure."

Click.

Christopher released the locks on the bag and opened it. Inside were two fist-sized bricks of marijuana and two packets of white powder, each about the size of a packet of ramen seasoning. On top of them sat a small black case that looked like a cigarette pack.

"I brought two bricks of the meal. And only twenty grams of cold drinks, since you said these guys know how to party. The rest is for you."

That meant he had brought two kilograms of marijuana and twenty grams of methamphetamine. A typical single dose of marijuana was about 0.5 grams, while meth was around 0.03 grams. Addicts often took larger doses, but even so, this was enough for hundreds of uses—possibly close to a thousand.

The thirteen members of the hip-hop groups, excluding Alex and Black Soul, stared at the drugs, swallowing hungrily.

Christopher smirked before looking at the two men in the dragon-patterned T-shirts. "We only deal in crypto. Since it's your first transaction, I'll give you a generous discount. Market price is forty thousand won per gram for the weed, and two million won per gram for the ice..."

The two men in the dragon-patterned shirts lowered their hands beneath the table and silently nodded.

Just then, Alex's phone, as he watched the transaction, began to vibrate.

Buzz.

At the exact same moment, every phone belonging to the people gathered in Room No. 1 started ringing.

Buzz.

Buzz.

"Hey! Turn off your KK Talk notifications before you come to a place like this!"

Everyone grumbled as they pulled out their phones to silence the alerts. However, the messages on their screens all came from an unknown sender.

[Caller ID Restricted: 4949. 4949. 4949. 4949...]

The same message repeated endlessly. 4949 was the code for 'Something's gone wrong.'

"What the hell is this? Who got caught?"

At that instant, Alex realized something was terribly wrong. "Fuck! Christopher, run!"

"I told you I had a bad feeling about this!"

Just as Christopher reached to close the bag, the man in the red dragon-patterned T-shirt planted one hand on the table, vaulted over it, and drove a kick straight into Christopher's chest.

Whoosh!

Crash!

Christopher was launched backward, losing consciousness before he even hit the ground. The man in the red dragon-patterned shirt landed on the table and immediately secured the bag. At the same time, the man in the blue dragon-patterned T-shirt rose to his feet and grabbed Alex by the collar.

In a cold, steady voice, he said "You gave I.O.A. those cookies, so it's only fair you get a little gift in return."

"What...?"

"A present from our managing director, you son of a bitch."

Smash!

The man in the blue dragon-patterned shirt drove his fist into Alex's jaw with all his strength.

Thud.

Alex collapsed unconscious.

At that moment, the door to VIP Room No. 1 burst open.

Bang!

A towering man stepped inside and shouted, "You drugged-up bastards! Nobody move! I'm Prosecutor Yoon Doo-Cheol from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Narcotics Division! Unless you want your sentences doubled, get on the floor now!"

At the roar of the prosecutor, who looked more like a gangster than a government official, every face in the room drained of color.

***

The gangsters guarding the door to Room No. 1 immediately raised their hands when two prosecutors and twenty investigators from the Prosecutors' Office came rushing in.

The moment I received a text confirming the evidence had been secured inside, I immediately sent a message to everyone, not just the members of Black Soul.

'4949.'

The instant they received it, Wang Long's bodyguards, who had been waiting inside, sprang into action. By the time the prosecutors stormed in, every criminal in the room was arrested without a single casualty.

"Get your heads down, you bastards!"

The hip-hop boy group members, all in their early twenties, were led out in handcuffs. Tears streamed down their faces as they looked like they realized their lives were over. Behind them came Black Soul's leader, Seo Yo-Hwan, the remaining members Park Yoo-Chang and Ahn Oh-Sung, along with their talent agent, all shuffling out with their heads hanging low.

Only Alex Jang and Christopher Lee remained unconscious inside Room No. 1.

Just then, Seo Jae-Ill walked over to me and offered his thanks. "Chief Jung, thank you. Thanks to you, we wrapped this up without anyone getting hurt."

Normally, arresting people under the influence of drugs often resulted in investigators getting injured because suspects fought without regard for the consequences. But today, not a single person had been hurt. Seo Jae-Ill smiled with obvious relief.

I shook my head and said, "I was only trying to protect my people."

"But what about everyone out on the stage? Once they see these guys getting arrested, word will spread fast."

I smiled. "Wouldn't it look far more natural if the people who were actually here took photos and posted them themselves, instead of relying on news articles?"

"You planned even that far ahead?"

"I was paying them well."

Since reporters had such a poor reputation for credibility these days, I wanted ordinary people who had actually witnessed the scene to post it on social media themselves. The reason I hired around a hundred extras was because I figured at least five of them would take photos and upload them online.

"Social media's going to explode today."

Just then, Yoon Doo-Cheol stepped out of Room No. 1 carrying the bag of drugs. "Sunbae-nim. Just like you instructed, we left only Alex and the courier inside. They're both unconscious, though. What should we do?"

Seo Jae-Ill answered, "Just as we agreed, give them a little space. Chief Jung says he has something he wants to say to them."

"You've got exactly five minutes."

I gave Yoon Doo-Cheol a respectful bow before entering Room No. 1 with Wang Long. If I wanted to deal the greatest possible blow to HK Entertainment, I still needed those two.

***

Yoon Doo-Cheol could hardly contain his excitement over bringing down one of the drug supply networks operating throughout the entertainment industry. Even so, there was one thing about Jung Yoon-Ho's actions that he simply couldn't understand.

"Sunbae... Did Chief Jung lose a family member to drugs like I did?"

"No."

"Then why would he risk himself like this?"

"Because they targeted his artists."

Yoon Doo-Cheol's jaw dropped. "That's insane... I mean, I know he's a talent agent, but he spent this much money just to protect his artists?"

"Everyone has something they value most. Just like taking down drug addicts matters most to you, protecting his artists matters most to him."

"Even so..."

"That's why you'd better be careful whenever one of Chief Jung's artists is involved."

Yoon Doo-Cheol frowned, assuming it was pressure from above. "Sunbae, I'm sorry. Even if Chief Jung helped us, I won't let his artists off the hook if they're using drugs."

"I know. That's exactly why I'm telling you. The moment you hear someone mention drugs, you stop thinking straight. But the artists under Chief Jung are genuinely clean. So if you ever hear bad rumors about them, don't suspect the artists first. Suspect the person spreading the story. That's exactly what happened this time. Black Soul tried to frame I.O.A."

Realizing it wasn't outside pressure after all, Yoon Doo-Cheol nodded. "Understood. If something like that happens, I'll make sure to think twice."

"Good. That's all I wanted."

"...But why do you look so serious?"

Without relaxing his expression, Seo Jae-Ill let out a long sigh. "I've got a feeling everything up until now was just the preview."

"What?"

"Knowing Chief Jung, there's no way he'd stop here. I have a feeling quite a few more people are about to go down."

"Oh, come on. Black Soul is backed by HK Entertainment, and that's owned by the youngest daughter of the HK Inc. Won't this just end with Black Soul?"

"After everything you've seen today, you still don't get it? A man who'd go this far because someone targeted his artist—do you really think he'll care who's backing HK Entertainment?"

"Wait... Then the rumors that Chief Jung was the one who put HK's third and fourth heirs behind bars... are they actually true?"

"You know I can't discuss the details of an investigation."

That answered everything.

Gulp.

Yoon Doo-Cheol swallowed hard. "Then... What is he planning to do next?"

"If I knew that, I wouldn't be standing here worrying..."

At that moment, the two prosecutors from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office—men who were rarely shaken by anything—found themselves genuinely on edge, wondering what Jung Yoon-Ho would do next.