Three weeks into Phoenix's quiet expansion, the small grocery was running smoothly. Orders were steady, locals trusted the shop, and Hudson's crew had yet to intervene directly. But patience had limits. Yujhae knew the streets of Ansan would never bend to him by waiting. It was time to act.
From the office in Phoenix, he reviewed reports from his scouts. One name kept appearing — Jacky Lee, a well-known Ansan public fighter who had been causing minor trouble for new arrivals. Strong, fast, and unpredictable, Jacky was the kind of fighter who could disrupt even the most carefully laid plans.
Yujhae narrowed his eyes. "Dojin, Taejun — handle him."
---
The alley outside a small club in Ansan became the stage for the confrontation. Jacky Lee stood waiting, arms crossed, smirk plastered across his face.
"You're the new guy moving in here?" he sneered. "You don't even know what Ansan is."
Dojin cracked his knuckles. "We know enough. Let's see how tough you really are."
Taejun circled silently, eyes sharp. Both of them had trained relentlessly over the past month, pushing themselves to new limits. They weren't just enforcers — they were weapons.
The first move came from Jacky — a fast, spinning kick aimed at Dojin's head. Dojin ducked and countered with a forearm strike that staggered him slightly. Taejun moved like water, sidestepping a follow-up punch and landing a clean elbow to Jacky's ribs.
For the next few minutes, the alley echoed with the sounds of fists against flesh, boots against concrete, and controlled grunts of exertion. Jacky Lee was skilled, but he hadn't faced a duo working in perfect coordination.
A synchronized strike — Dojin with a heavy body blow, Taejun with a high kick — finally brought Jacky down. He gasped for breath, eyes wide, beaten but alive.
Dojin leaned down, voice low. "This is just a warning. Stay out of our territory."
Jacky scrambled to his feet, nodding vigorously. He knew when a fight was lost. The Ansan public had just seen their first example of Phoenix's strength.
---
Back at the grocery, Yujhae didn't wait. The subtle phase of expansion was over. He walked confidently into the streets, unhidden, his presence alone enough to make minor street thugs pause. He had scouted all the public Ansan clubs — small, mid-tier venues where Hudson's followers maintained influence.
"This ends tonight," he muttered under his breath.
One by one, he moved through the district. At a dimly lit club, he kicked the door open. Music screeched to a halt. Bouncers froze. The Ansan public inside stared, disbelief written across their faces. Yujhae didn't speak — he acted.
A single combination of Boxing Jab and Head-Shot struck a bouncer in the chest and then snapped his jaw. Chaos erupted. Other fighters rushed at him, but Yujhae was faster than they could react, his fists snapping with deadly precision, knocking them out systematically.
By the time Hudson's nearby lieutenants noticed, the club was empty except for unconscious guards and broken furniture. Yujhae stepped outside, arms crossed, looking over the street. Word of his assault would travel fast — the message was clear. Phoenix had arrived.
---
The next few nights followed a similar pattern. Yujhae's team — Dojin, Taejun, and the carefully placed Phoenix operatives — struck other clubs one by one. Each venue that resisted fell quickly. Each brawler who tried to oppose them was neutralized efficiently.
Locals began whispering: "Phoenix is taking over Ansan."
Hudson and the King could no longer ignore the audacity of the newcomers. But Yujhae didn't plan to fight them head-on yet. The public clubs were the first line, a demonstration of power before any major confrontation with the elite Ansan crew.
In the quiet hours, Yujhae returned to the grocery. Bloodied gloves replaced by clean hands, he surveyed the small store like a general watching a battlefield.
"Step one completed," he said softly. "The streets are watching. And they're already learning our rules."
Dojin, leaning against a counter, smirked. "Can't say we didn't warn them."
Taejun added, "Hudson will respond soon. But now, every public member in Ansan knows Phoenix isn't hiding."
Yujhae's lips curved into a faint smile. "Good. Let them see us. Let them fear the slow, calculated rise. We take the city one street at a time — and when it comes to the King, we'll be ready."
The grocery remained quiet, unassuming, but it was now the nerve center of Phoenix's Ansan operations. Every club taken, every public member neutralized, every street observed — it was all part of the silent conquest that would eventually reach the King himself.
---
SYSTEM UPDATE:
Quest: "Expand into Ansan" — Stage Complete (Public Clubs Taken)
Rewards:
Skill Unlocked — Wheel-Kick & Counter
Phoenix influence in Ansan: +35%
MC Stats Updated: Endurance +7, Strength +8
Yujhae clenched his fists. Each punch, each kick, wasn't just a move — it was a message. Phoenix wasn't waiting anymore. Ansan was theirs to infiltrate, control, and dominate.
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End of Chapter 30 — Open Conquest
Word count: ~740
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