Chapter 131: Injury

Wang Yan was already aware of the reactions from the Goldmoon Group, thanks to the two lackeys he had planted to pass on information.

He had also received news that after Seok Dong-chul's funeral, they were holding a major meeting the next day. It was highly likely that they would make their move within the next two days.

A large-scale conflict involving most cities in South Korea was about to erupt, and Wang Yan certainly wasn't going to indulge them.

The reason he hadn't made a move on them before was that Seok Dong-chul had just died, and the other side was in deep mourning. If the Heaven Alliance had ignored all decorum and attacked them then, how would that look to others?

So, for the sake of the Heaven Alliance's image and his own, everyone had tacitly agreed to a temporary truce.

Now that the funeral was over, and Wang Yan had even sent his Vice President to pay respects, they were going to start fighting in two days anyway—so why wait? Naturally, he had to strike first.

Following Wang Yan's order, on this auspicious day just after the funeral, South Korea fell into chaos once again.

In terms of individual quality, the main force of the Heaven Alliance was not something the Goldmoon Group or other gangs could compare to. Moreover, the main force's primary role was expansion; otherwise, they spent their time exercising.

So, even though half of the Heaven Alliance's main force had been transferred away, the remaining members leading the charge, combined with the peripheral lackeys, could fight the Goldmoon Group to a standstill without any issues—it was easy and even a little enjoyable.

The frontline forces in Cheongju and Hongseong received the order and launched an immediate attack to seize territory. They caught the enemy off guard and gave them a good beating first.

In the areas already controlled by the Heaven Alliance, peripheral lackeys roared into Goldmoon Group's businesses, drove out all the customers, locked the doors, and proceeded to beat up their lackeys.

With Wang Yan at the helm, the Heaven Alliance never lacked money. Combined with countless gray-market businesses, they had an endless supply of peripheral lackeys. The frontline battles were one thing, but in the rear, they could simply bury the enemy under sheer numbers.

Wang Yan's order was to beat them up once a day...

It wasn't for any particular reason; it was just for entertainment.

Besides, with so many peripheral lackeys, it was easy for trouble to brew if they weren't kept busy. This served as an upward path, giving these people a chance to prove themselves.

Furthermore, his sudden action today could distract Jung Chung and Lee Ja-sung. By forcing them to focus on each other and Jang Soo-ki, he could keep them from suspecting the Heaven Alliance.

The more chaotic, the better.

The results developed exactly as Wang Yan had hoped.

Jung Chung and Lee Ja-sung didn't pay much attention to the news, and they even expressed a form of understanding.

After all, they were opponents and mortal enemies, and this time the stakes were high—one wrong move meant death. The Heaven Alliance had been decent enough to stay quiet for a few days; this was their true style.

Even if the Heaven Alliance was powerful, and even if their main force hadn't been transferred, they couldn't possibly take over two cities overnight. Regardless of the authorities' tacit approval, if they brought out thousands of people to fight in the streets, it would be a matter of how many lives Wang Yan had to lose.

So, they both acted in unison, ordering their subordinates to hold the line and wait until tomorrow.

The next day, Seoul, Goldmoon Group Headquarters, main conference room.

With Seok Dong-chul dead, the head seat was empty. Next were the old guard led by Jang Soo-ki, followed by the Tiger Faction and the North Gate Faction, led by Lee Joong-gu and Jung Chung respectively, each occupying a row.

Everyone looked solemn and sat upright, listening to Jang Soo-ki speak from the front.

"I believe everyone has received the news. Last night, our Director Jeon died in a car accident, also caused by a drunk truck driver. We cannot help but wonder if this is related to Chairman Seok's death."

Jang Soo-ki glanced at Jung Chung and Lee Ja-sung. "What do you all think?"

A veteran slammed his fist on the table. "It was definitely the Heaven Alliance! Last night, they suddenly launched an attack, catching us off guard. And with us in chaos, it benefits them the most. Who else could it be?"

"Exactly! Chairman Seok's death benefited them the most, and now they've killed Director Jeon. They want us to kill each other!"

The crowd below was filled with righteous indignation, loudly denouncing the Heaven Alliance's crimes.

Others, however, remained indifferent, quietly watching the show.

The factions led by Jung Chung and Lee Ja-sung remained silent, watching the monkeys perform.

Watching the performance, Jang Soo-ki nodded in satisfaction. He tapped the table to signal for silence and looked at Jung Chung and Lee Ja-sung. "Director Jung, Director Lee, what are your thoughts?"

Jung Chung gave Jang Soo-ki a playful look. Lee Ja-sung smiled and said, "I think they make a lot of sense. It might really be the Heaven Alliance. Director Jung, what do you think?"

"I agree. It seems it can only be the Heaven Alliance. After all, we are all family. How could family turn on family? Isn't that right, Director Lee?"

Jung Chung emphasized the word "family." Lee Ja-sung smiled awkwardly, but didn't back down. "Director Jung is right. We are family, though some are closer than others. Director Jeon and I were very close; we even had dinner the night before last, and went out afterward."

Lee Ja-sung looked at Jung Chung with a reminiscent expression. "I didn't expect Director Jeon to be so vigorous, almost like a young man. It's a pity he fell victim to the Heaven Alliance's poison yesterday. If that driver hadn't been arrested, I would have... I would have cut him to pieces!"

He looked at the veterans and the neutral parties. "The Heaven Alliance has become completely insane. Everyone, be careful. With cars coming and going, what if you run into a drunk driver? What do you say, Director Jung?"

Jung Chung stared at Lee Ja-sung, his brow furrowed. The implication was clear—he was practically pointing a finger at him, accusing him of killing Director Jeon.

"Director Jeon's death is something none of us wanted to see. Director Lee, don't be too grief-stricken." Jung Chung paused, as if suddenly remembering something. "Hey, Director Lee, have you ever read the 'Thirty-Six Stratagems' from China?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I remember a stratagem called 'The Stratagem of Inflicting Injury on Oneself to Win the Confidence of the Enemy.' I don't remember the specifics, but it basically means harming oneself to confuse the enemy and achieve a certain goal."

Lee Ja-sung sneered. He was reckless, but he wasn't a lunatic. Truth be told, his subordinates were treated better than Jung Chung's. Saying such things was just a joke.

Before Lee Ja-sung could retort, Jang Soo-ki stepped in to mediate. "Director Jung, Director Lee, you both speak very well. We are all family. Now that our family has been harmed, we cannot just let it go. We have been at odds with the Heaven Alliance for a long time—it's either them or us. So this time, we must fight the Heaven Alliance to the end. We must not only reclaim our territory but also drive them back to Busan, or even wipe them out."

"Good, I agree!"

"Exactly, the Heaven Alliance is too arrogant!"

"Do they think we're made of mud? Let's fight them!"

Jang Soo-ki signaled for silence and looked at Jung Chung and Lee Ja-sung. "Do you two have any different opinions?"

"No."

"I support it."

This had all been discussed beforehand; the Heaven Alliance had to be dealt with—there was no room for negotiation. Even without this incident, they would have fought the Heaven Alliance anyway.

Jang Soo-ki nodded. "Good, then it's settled. From today on, it's either us or the Heaven Alliance—no truce, no rest."

Once the crowd calmed down, Jang Soo-ki signaled to someone opposite him.

That person understood and clapped his hands. "We must definitely fight the Heaven Alliance, but before we do, there is another issue that needs to be resolved."

"The position of Chairman is vacant. It was previously agreed that Director Jang would act as interim. Now that Chairman Seok's funeral is over, shouldn't we discuss this? Regardless, there needs to be a decision."

Before Jang Soo-ki could feign modesty, Lee Ja-sung waved his hand impatiently. "Let's leave it as is. Let Director Jang continue to preside for a while. We can discuss it after we have results with the Heaven Alliance."

After saying this, he stared fixedly at Jung Chung.

"I agree."

Jung Chung had no choice. There was no time for them to decide who was the winner, so having Jang Soo-ki as a figurehead was the safest option for both of them.

It was just annoying that the figurehead had developed ideas he shouldn't have.

The man saw that both leaders had spoken, and his goal was achieved. "Does anyone have any different opinions?"

After waiting a while, no one spoke. The man turned to Jang Soo-ki. "Since no one has any objections, Director Jang, we'll have to trouble you for a while longer."

"Oh, what trouble? It's all for the group, for our cause. Anything I do is my duty." Jang Soo-ki waved his hand with a smile and bowed to the crowd. "Thank you all for your trust. I will preside for a while longer, and I hope we can all work together."

After some polite exchanges, Jang Soo-ki announced the end of the meeting, and everyone prepared to fight the Heaven Alliance.

That day, the Goldmoon Group deployed a large number of men to Cheongju and Hongseong, and that night, a large-scale conflict broke out with the Heaven Alliance.

In areas where entertainment venues were clustered, fighting broke out at every corner.

Wang Yan had truly underestimated the Goldmoon Group's strength. Bringing in so many people had indeed given the Heaven Alliance a hard time. It seemed that their internal strife had weakened them, otherwise, they really could have stood toe-to-toe with the Heaven Alliance.

Of course, that was with 3,500 elite members of the Heaven Alliance transferred away.

The Heaven Alliance certainly couldn't just take a beating without fighting back. Jang Dong-rui followed instructions and deployed another batch of peripheral lackeys. According to Wang Yan's wishes, they shouldn't be too strong or too weak—just enough to keep it evenly matched. It was a chance to let the peripheral lackeys in the back get some experience, rotating them in to grind down the Goldmoon Group.

In fact, compared to the number of lackeys, the Goldmoon Group couldn't compete. Wang Yan had intentionally influenced more people from the start, supporting even the low-level scum. He didn't care about their morals or whether they lived or died. Money talked—just fight.

This was also a perfect opportunity to screen another batch of people through this battle and continue to grow the ranks of formal members.

As for the areas already controlled, they continued to beat up Goldmoon Group lackeys as usual. If they got beaten, Seoul couldn't just ignore it—medical bills, compensation, none of it could be skimped on. Otherwise, if the lackeys scattered, they would lose vast markets. Although business was slow due to the fighting, these were cash cows in peacetime.

So, Jung Chung and Lee Ja-sung could only grit their teeth and spend money to appease them. Getting beaten every day was too much; even if they sent reinforcements, it was useless. Sending too few was pointless, and sending too many would leave the front lines vulnerable, so they could only endure it.

The Heaven Alliance and the Goldmoon Group maintained a tacit understanding: during the day, everyone did legitimate business, and at night, they organized men to fight. Of course, they wouldn't do it on a massive scale—that would be suicide. Instead, they kept the battlefields separated, fighting messily all over the cities. Every time they finished fighting, both sides would send some people to the police station, where they fought even more viciously than outside.

This high-level maneuvering and gang warfare felt like a joke.

Wang Yan only occasionally controlled the situation to keep it from going off track; Jang Dong-rui handled the rest very well.

His main energy was focused on the Fengdan Fengdan Sihai Group.

Some people had mobilized forces to make the Fengdan Fengdan Sihai Group very miserable.

Logistics were being constantly inspected and obstructed, the internet company was being restricted under various pretexts, and other businesses were being blocked by powerful competitors. It was a combination of political and business pressure—anything to make them uncomfortable.

Busan, a super-luxury ocean-view villa on a hillside.

At this moment, the villa was no longer luxurious; it was riddled with holes and broken, and the air was thick with the heavy scent of gunpowder.

Wang Yan endured the pain, limping with bloody footprints, and walked through every corner of the villa, firing shots into the heads of the foreign giants lying on the ground, unsure if they were dead or alive.

After checking for any survivors, Wang Yan called his subordinates.

"Bring people to collect the bodies—eighteen of them. Also, find a surgeon and bring their tools."

After saying this, he ignored the anxious inquiries on the other end and hung up.

He found a bottle of strong liquor that hadn't been shattered, took a large gulp, lit a cigarette, and took a long drag.

"I've been too comfortable for too long; I'm getting rusty..." Wang Yan muttered to himself. He limped to the steps at the entrance and sat down, facing the bright moon and the salty breeze blowing from the distant sea.

When was the last time he was sprayed by a machine gun or even hit by a bullet?

It must have been during the "Grandmaster" era, when he was fighting the Japanese across China, before he went to Hong Kong. That was... seventy or eighty years ago?

A long-lost pain...

He had been assassinated—no, not assassinated, not even just shot. This was a full-blown assault.

The objective was clear, the target was precise—they wanted to take him out in one go.

Having learned from Jung Chung's lesson, these people had come fully prepared.

Eighteen foreign giants in tactical gear, loaded with spare magazines and grenades, wielding submachine guns—they looked like they had come straight from the Middle East. If they had brought a few RPGs to blow him up, it would have been even more certain.