Consumed by anger and driven by a desire for retribution, Rome embarks on a perilous journey to dismantle the very empire he was destined to lead. Amidst the chaos, he crosses paths with Paris Jeon, a charismatic 'florist' harboring a clandestine ag...
I sat at the head of the grand oak table, the dark, brooding skies outside matching the tempest brewing within. The thunderstorm raged, lightning flashing and illuminating the faces of the assembled heads of the Minor Families, each of them representing their respective gangs. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could almost feel it crackling in the air, mirroring the storm outside.
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Cha Min Ho, his voice a rough growl, was the first to speak. "This is unacceptable, Park. Your men have been encroaching on our territory for weeks now. I've lost nearly twenty percent of my profits because of your reckless expansion."
Park Si Won , his face flushed with anger, slammed his fist on the table. "And what about your men muscling in on our smuggling routes? We've had to double our payoffs to the port authorities to keep our operations running smoothly. If anyone's to blame for losses, it's you."
"I've had enough of your excuses, Cha Min Ho!" Cha shot back, rising from his seat, his fists clenched at his sides. "You think you can just walk all over us because you have a few more guns?"
Park leaned forward, his face inches from Lee Sung Min's. "Maybe if you ran a tighter operation, we wouldn't have to step in and clean up your mess. Your men are lazy, Sung Min. They're a liability to all of us."
The tension in the room skyrocketed. Chairs screeched as other heads of families moved back, anticipating the clash. Kim Jang Eun, head of the Deagu-Jjopok, banged his hand on the table, demanding attention. "Enough! Both of you! We're here to solve problems, not create new ones."
But Park and Cha weren't listening. Cha's voice rose, nearly shouting over the thunder. "Clean up my mess? Your men are nothing but thugs with no respect for boundaries. You think you can waltz into our territory and take what's ours?", Cha sneered cockily, " Respect is earned, not given. Maybe if you weren't so focused on lining your own pockets, you'd see the bigger picture."
Lee Sung Min stood up, his voice booming over the growing chaos. " Both of you, sit down! This infighting is what's tearing us apart. We're losing ground to the police and to outside gangs. If we don't get our act together, there'll be nothing left to fight over."
Cha reluctantly sat down, but his glare remained fixed on Park. The room was a pressure cooker, everyone ready to explode. Park Si Won took a deep breath, trying to bring the conversation back to a productive place. "The increased police presence is a real issue. We need a strategy to handle it."
A murmur of agreement ran through the room, but the hostility lingered. Kim Jang Eun spoke again, his tone slightly calmer but still sharp. "Surely. But if we're going to work together, there needs to be respect for territories. No more encroachments, Si Won, Your reckless behavior has already caused us too many problems, because you can't control your own men..."
