"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."
— Sun Tzu
Kim Jae-hyun wasn't noticeable at first. Quiet, observant, the kind of student who could sit through a class without anyone realizing he existed. But I saw him—the subtle glances he gave, the way he memorized every movement in the room, the flicker of intelligence behind his calm exterior.
Ho-seok and I approached him one afternoon, when the hallway was nearly empty. I could see the gears turning in his head as I walked beside him, deliberately casual, letting Ho-seok carry the envelopes of coins.
"Kim Jae-hyun," I said smoothly. "Ever wanted to make money?"
He frowned, hesitating. "What… what do you mean?"
I smiled faintly. "Small loans. Simple tasks. Nothing too difficult. Collect coins, run errands. You follow instructions, and you get paid. It's easy."
He glanced at Ho-seok, who stood silently, a reminder of what obedience could earn. "Why… me?" he asked carefully. "Why not someone else?"
I let the silence stretch, long enough for tension to build. Control is as much about timing as it is about words. "Because I notice things others don't. I see potential. Strength. Discipline. You have both. Follow me. Learn. Obey. And you'll have opportunities that no one else can offer."
He studied me, cautious but intrigued. Intelligence recognizes intelligence, and I could feel the recognition in his gaze. But instinctively, he resisted—because a mind like his doesn't submit easily.
"That's the point of Cerberus," I said, voice low, deliberate. "It's not about blind loyalty. It's about earning trust, proving your worth. Small debts, small tasks… they grow into responsibility, into influence, into power. Follow the rules, and you climb. Fail… and there are consequences."
He weighed the words, his silence a sign of consideration. I let him think, observing closely. Patience is a weapon.
Finally, he nodded once. "I'll try. But I want to see how it works first."
I handed him a small envelope, a few coins inside, and a list of minor errands and debts to collect. "Learn quickly," I said. "Ho-seok will guide you. Observe, ask questions, but remember… the world bends for those who act, not those who hesitate."
As Kim Jae-hyun walked away, I watched him. Not just as a recruit, but as the next layer of Cerberus. He had strength, intelligence, and patience. Ho-seok would teach him obedience. I would teach him strategy. Together, they would enforce the rules I set.
Later, in the library corner, I leaned back and looked at Ho-seok. "We need to start thinking about hierarchy," I said. "Executives handle small groups. Each executive reports to me directly. Debts, influence, obedience—they all flow upward. Cerberus is a pyramid. And we're building it carefully, brick by brick."
Ho-seok nodded, understanding the implications. "So, Jae-hyun becomes executive-level once he proves himself?"
"Exactly," I replied. "Observe. Test. Reward. Punish when necessary. And remember—violence is a tool, not a habit. Intelligence first. Obedience second. Force only when brains fail."
I leaned forward, letting the weight of my words sink in. Cerberus was no longer a handful of debts and obedient students. It was an emerging structure, an organization built on patience, strategy, and subtle control. And with Ho-seok and Jae-hyun, its foundations were solid.
The empire was taking shape, quietly, methodically, and no one outside the plan even suspected it yet.