strawberry shortcake

56. solving puzzle

Chan looked around the room full of all of their underbosses that got together for an emergency meeting.

They needed to sort things out quickly and eliminate the one behind all this before it possibly turned worse.

Now he was in charge of the meeting, because Seungmin settled on staying as a right hand and not talk to all of the people. "You're better at it hyung," is what he told him, but Chan could see right though him. Seungmin wasn't the one to express any stronger emotions since it felt too exposing for him, yet Chan could read his friends like an open book.

They were all distraught and still worried for Jisung never mind he was doing much better. His wound was big and dangerous. It could get infected, or start bleeding again or somehow get even worse. They did not know.

Chan mustered up a small smile to get rid of the gloomy atmosphere all around them.

"First and foremost I want to thank all of you for attending this meeting. I am well aware of how much pressure's been given on all of you and your employees due to the incident with Han-ssi. I apologize for calling an emergency meeting in the middle of it all, but it was needed. It's not an easy time for neither of us and I believe it's in all of our interests to catch the person who's behind all this."

He looked around the room, satisfied with the nods he was given in response.

"I suggest we try to find any other connections of assassinations of our people and try to connect the dots." They all agreed to it being the best choice and with it started the debate. Each was given a folder full of materials and Seungmin had a few surveillance cameras recordings ready to show.

Hongjoong's hand shot up one second, catching Chan's attention with its suddenness. He allowed him to speak immediately. "One of my men was shot to his torso during a deal two moths ago. We suppose weakening us was their purpose all along, since they didn't steal the abandoned goods in the midst of chaos and only focused on trying to take down more. Thankfully, the first man was the only one shot and he's doing okay now."

Sounded like a good deed. They were a step closer to any lead. There was no way they wouldn't catch whoever was behind all this. It was unheard of such a big operation as them would fail at something as trivial. This was one of the purposes of their jobs after all. Finding people and eliminating danger to them, their loved ones or their business as a whole.

"Do you remember the name of the other side?" Chan asked hopefully. To his disappointment, the other shook his head. "It was a smaller deal so it didn't fall under my supervision, although I can make a call and find out what's written in the records."

Chan nodded towards the door at his offer. "You can be excused." With Hongjoong's leaving Niki's head turned towards his blonde friend who was until then thoroughly reading the papers in front of him. Soobin felt his stare and looked at him as well, raising his eyebrows in question. He appeared to be in a thought though and didn't really give him any reaction at all.

"Soobin-ssi, two of your people in Mexico got shot recently if I remember correctly."

"That is true, though as we learned later it was a doing of some minor gang who wanted to try us. Nothing out of ordinary, especially in the area it happened."

"It's just... they have a similar MO. I had three man in Japan shot recently as well, all of it during a trivial deal they've been through uncountable times before."

"I have to admit, all of that didn't sit right with me either." Seungmin slightly butted in, but didn't really care if it was more private or not since it was about the business.

"Didn't IN mention something about his men being hurt as well?" He turned to his right to look at Chan who was until then debating about something with Changbin. "He did complain about them. Though it's quite normal for his men to get hurt, they handle more of the dangerous stuff."