The night in the city seemed darker than usual. Not because of the weather, but because the weight of secrets had begun to dim every glimmer of conscience. Jung Kok's secret hideout was filled with silence and deep reflection. In the underground strategy room, he stood before a whiteboard covered with scribbled plans, lines tracing betrayals, and notes about Min.
But tonight, he wasn't alone. Yong Jin stepped in, his coat damp from the light drizzle outside. In his hand was a small USB drive, yet it looked like it carried a colossal secret.
"Kok," Yong Jin said, his voice hoarse and heavy, "I found this in Kang Do's old stash. Hidden inside a false wall. I think you need to see it."
Jung Kok took the USB without a word. He knew if Yong Jin brought it himself, it had to be something big. He powered up the laptop. After a few clicks, an audio file started playing.
Min's voice echoed — calm and composed as always:
"You don't need to worry about Hwang. He's already weak. His sons are too busy fighting each other. Jung Kok is too idealistic, and Joon too ruthless. When they both fall, we rise. Choi, you take over the port. I'll handle the northern side."
Then came Choi Dae-gun's voice:
"I've waited a long time for this, Min. But are you sure they won't catch on to your game?"
"Trust me, they're too wrapped up in their own egos. All I have to do is keep playing the loyal friend. And you, Choi — you be the enemy they love to hate. Once they're both out, we step in."
The recording stopped. Silence followed. Min's voice — once a source of support and counsel — now echoed as a silent threat inside Jung Kok's mind. He turned to Yong Jin, who looked tense.
"From the beginning… he deceived us all," Yong Jin muttered.
Suddenly, Jung Joon appeared at the doorway. From his expression, it was clear he had heard part of the recording. He didn't look surprised, as expected.
"I had a feeling," Jung Joon said quietly, eyes still fixed on the now-black screen. "Since I started working with Choi Dae-gun, I sensed something was off. He was too confident. Too eager to share information. I knew he was being directed… but I didn't think it was Min."
For a moment, no one said a word. Only the sound of rain outside accompanied the meeting of three men who had long carried wounds and grudges. Now they realized, those wounds didn't just come from outside — but from someone they trusted the most.
Jung Kok slowly sat down. His hand clenched the USB as if he wanted to crush it. But he knew — this tiny device held the truth that had long been buried.
"What's our plan now?" Yong Jin asked.
Jung Joon turned to his younger brother. For the first time in a long while, their eyes met without hatred — only understanding.
"We keep playing the part. Let Min think he's still in control. Let him believe we're still at each other's throats," Jung Kok said. "But we monitor his every move. And when the time is right, we'll take him down with this proof."
"And with him… Choi Dae-gun too," Jung Joon added.
That night became the turning point — a silent alliance between two brothers who had long been at odds. They knew, if they were to salvage what remained of their family's legacy, they would have to be smarter than the real mastermind. And for that, they had to be perfect actors.
Min, still at the main headquarters, remained unaware that the shadows he once controlled were now moving on their own. The game had changed. And he, unknowingly, was being slowly strangled by his own plan.
The war wasn't over. But for the first time, Jung Kok and Jung Joon were no longer fighting on separate fields — they were moving the same pieces on the same board.
(To be continued)