Lee Hye-jin looked at her, confused. "What do you mean, dismantle? Dismantle the gangs?"
Choi Yuna nodded slowly. "I have a plan. I intend to dismantle all three gangs of Busan."
"But... you're a gangster too, aren't you?" Lee Hye-jin asked. "Why would you want to destroy the three gangs?" lee Hye-jin wasn't an idiot. She had seen the armed men surrounding her, the woman with knives on her belt, the way everyone deferred to her. She could put two and two together this was clearly a gangster situation.
Choi Yuna's expression remained calm. She had expected this question. "I am a gangster," she said. "But I truly want to destroy the three gangs."
"Why?"
Choi Yuna met her gaze. "Revenge."
She paused, gathering her thoughts. "When I was nine years old, I lived in a district called Choryang-dong. My parents owned a small convenience store there. It didn't make much money — the protection fees the Galsaek-pa charged took most of our profits — but it was enough for us to get by.
"Then one day, the Galsaek-pa decided to increase the fee. My parents were desperate. So my father decided to go to them, to ask why they were doing this, to explain that we couldn't pay. He wanted to reason with them."
Her voice grew quieter. "Later that day, the gang brought him back. He had a hole in his head and was beaten badly. He didn't die, but he was never the same. He was sick, bedridden. My mother had to work twice as hard to support us, to take care of him. I barely saw her."
She looked directly at Lee Hye-jin. "From that day on, I decided I would tear down the three gangs of Busan. I grew up with my mother working all the time, unable to care for me. I entered the underworld early, and soon after, I joined the Galsaek-pa. Over the years, I climbed the ranks and became an executive. The youngest executive in the history of the Galsaek-pa."
She straightened up. "And now that I'm in this position, I can finally begin my plan. But right when I was about to start, I heard about someone. Someone who appeared in Juhwang-pa territory."
Lee Hye-jin's eyes widened. "Han Joon-seong."
Choi Yuna nodded. "Exactly. Someone apparently so talented that even Han Do-yun, the highest-ranking executive of the Juhwang-pa, went to recruit him personally. I also heard he took down two of his thugs with a single punch each. And apparently, he even knocked out Han Do-yun for a few moments."
Lee Hye-jin listened silently. She knew all of this was true, she had seen it herself. But she wasn't about to confirm anything for Choi Yuna.
"And what does this have to do with me?" Lee Hye-jin asked.
Choi Yuna smiled. "First, you already have bad blood with the Juhwang-pa. You were in debt, and spent the last five months paying them installments on a loan. Eventually, you couldn't pay anymore, and they came to extort you. And when that happened, Your Han Joon-seong saved you."
Lee Hye-jin's face flushed. "H-He's not— I mean—"
"I want to collaborate with you," Choi Yuna continued. "To complete my plan, I need allies. Alone, it would be very difficult to take down all three gangs. So I want your help. Han Joon-seong is already being recruited by the Juhwang-pa, so having an ally inside another gang would be invaluable. Especially the Juhwang-pa."
"Why?" Lee Hye-jin asked.
Choi Yuna's expression grew more serious. "You know the three gangs, so I won't explain the whole economic ecosystem to you. But there's something you should know. Do you know why the Juhwang-pa has so many businesses across Busan?"
Lee Hye-jin thought for a moment. "Because they want the profit?"
"Yes, but that's not the only reason. The Juhwang-pa serves as the money printer for the other two gangs."
"Money printer?"
Choi Yuna nodded. "Simple. The Galsaek-pa makes money from protection fees and various criminal activities in their territory. The Kkachi-pa makes money from credit fraud and other schemes. All that dirty money is sent to the Juhwang-pa, and the Juhwang-pa launders it through their businesses and establishments. They take a 15% cut for the service."
Lee Hye-jin's eyes widened. "So the Juhwang-pa controls all the money?"
"Exactly. All the cash in the city flows through them. And that's where my plan comes in. Originally, completing my plan would have been difficult — I was considering betraying the Galsaek-pa and joining the Juhwang-pa to gain their trust. But now, with the opportunity to recruit someone talented from the other side, my job becomes much simpler."
Lee Hye-jin frowned. "You still haven't explained how you plan to end the three gangs."
Choi Yuna smiled. "My Apologies. The three gangs can't use digital currency — the banks would track the transactions and arrest them. So all their money is physical, stored in a vault somewhere in Juhwang-pa territory. And the only way to get access to that vault is by gaining the Juhwang-pa's trust."
She paused, letting the implication sink in. "When I do, I'll take that money and burn it. All of it."
"How Burning the money would break their alliance?"
"The three gangs have a fragile balance. They help each other because they've proven trustworthy. But they're gangsters after all, Their trust isn't absolute, and they have never trusted their backs to each other. If a stone is thrown into that calm lake, the ripples will become waves. The balance will shatter, and they'll fall back into open conflict. And while they're busy fighting each other and tearing themselves apart — I'll use the chaos to take down the Representatives of all three gangs."
Lee Hye-jin was silent for a moment, processing everything. She didn't trully understand the weight of everything she said, War, Representatives, money laundering. But of one thing she was certain 'This is insane. She wants to start a gang war and then take down all three leaders?'
"Okay," she finally said. "Okay i understand the over all context, and your objective, but again, where do i Come in in this conversation?"
Choi Yuna smiled knowingly. "Han Joon-seong seems to care about you a great deal, doesn't he?"
Lee Hye-jin's face turned red. A flutter of excitement ran through her. 'Ah she thinks so?? He really does like me? It's not just in my head?'
"I want you to let me kidnap you," Choi Yuna said.
"What?!" Lee Hye-jin's eyes went wide. "Why?!"
"The idea is simple. I want to recruit your friend. He's clearly not a bad person — he saved you, after all. But I want to see how good he really is, how reliable. So I want you to pretend you've been kidnapped, to lure him here. If he comes, that's enough I'll consider recruiting him. And then I'll test his strength personally. Depending on how good he is, our plan could advance significantly."
Lee Hye-jin thought about it. She hesitated.
"And if I refuse?" she asked carefully.
Choi Yuna's expression remained calm. She bowed her head slightly, her voice soft.
"Then that's fine. If you don't want to, you can leave. We won't stop you."
She gestured toward the corridor, and the thugs blocking the exit stepped aside.
Lee Hye-jin looked at the open path, then back at Choi Yuna. "That's... good."
She paused, considering further. 'So she's not forcing me. She's actually giving me a choice. That's... unexpected for a gangster.'
"And if he refuses to help?" Lee Hye-jin asked.
Choi Yuna shrugged. "Then I'll continue with my original plan. He might make it a little harder, because he's clearly a prodigy — stronger than normal, and he could grow significantly in the time it takes me to execute my plan. But with luck, our paths won't cross, and we won't end up fighting for real."
Lee Hye-jin was quiet. She thought about the situation. She's always been a good person. Kind. Innocent. and always wanted to do the right thing. And here's an opportunity to stop the corruption of Busan, to do real good. But...
She wasn't stupid. She was a university student after all. She considered her options carefully.
If she accepted, she would be involving herself with gangs. Real gangs. Murderers, criminals, troublemakers — people who could do her real harm. But honestly, she wouldn't be involving herself directly. She could do a lot of good if she helped, if she chose to assist this plan.
She looked at Choi Yuna. "Alright. Miss Choi Yuna, I accept. I'll help you with your plan."
Choi Yuna's eyes lit up with happiness. She was young, and truly a good person at heart.
"But," Lee Hye-jin added firmly, "I don't want you to seriously hurt him. Please."
Choi Yuna nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes, of course! I'll just test his strength! Nothing serious, I promise."
She extended her hand. Lee Hye-jin took it, and Choi Yuna shook it enthusiastically, a bright smile on her face. Lee Hye-jin had given her a chance. The plan could finally move forward.