Chapter 119 – Prelude to the Mafia Game #2

The Takeda family had accumulated wealth through war for a long time. After Japan’s defeat was confirmed, they tried to somehow hide their assets, done through a variety of routes. The majority failed to be recovered.

The descendants of the Takeda family were still wandering the world trying to find it. They gathered together and created the Yakuza group, Kuryu-kai.

Nakada revealed things that he shouldn’t have, like he was drunk.

Tae-hyuk smiled bitterly at the sight. The effect of the magic show was more amazing than he thought. Illegal Surgery was a skill that could be used to perform various surgical operations. He used it to do the impossible in reality and to make the other person think that he was in a dream.

Anesthesia was essential so that they didn’t feel any pain. It was the drug that was found in the warden’s safe. He had to appropriately blend it with the Illegal Surgery skill. He directly injected it into the nerves before waking up the sleeping Yakuza member.

‘Besides the anesthesia, isn’t there a hypnotic effect?’

Tae-hyuk touched the remaining drug and sniffed it. There was a strangely sweet floral scent.

‘I think I’ve smelled this somewhere before… Ah, wasn’t this used in Choi Sung-yeol’s Death Circus?’

Scammer Choi Sung-yeol and Producer Kim Joon-young. The two criminals behind the Death Circus popped into Tae-hyuk’s head. Choi Sung-yeol used hallucinogens to attract customers to the multi-level scheme. The raw material was a real drug.

‘The prison is filled with ridiculous plots.’

Drugs were grown at the request of the Triads while members of Kuryu were secretly hiding here. The Blue Dragon Prison could be called the den of the mafia.

“I didn’t know anything and was just blinded by the gold…”

Tae-hyuk asked Nakada one last question.

“Then who is Mister Park? He doesn’t seem to be an executive of Kuryu.”

“Mister Park? I’m sorry but this is the first time I’ve heard that name.”

“Really? Then it isn’t the name of a henchman.”

“Well, this person…”

Nakada’s eyes started to come alive as if the drug was wearing away. Tae-hyuk laughed and raised the cigarette that Yoo Cheol-ho smoked to Nakada’s mouth.

“Now that’s it. Have a good sleep.”

“……”

Then he literally collapsed on the bed. After confirming that Nakada was asleep, Tae-hyuk quietly left the cell. When he woke up, he really would think that everything was a dream.

Anyway, he was able to get information about the Kuryu group. They said that they were going to leave here in the aftermath of the war. Most of the gold buried in Blue Dragon Prison were already in the hands of the Kuryu.

Only a few crumbs remained. These crumbs were revealed to the world in the process of construction. Tae-hyuk finally knew why the amount of gold found wasn’t revealed to the world. It wasn’t that big. In fact, the buried gold was being moved to another country.

As Nakada said that, there were still gold bullions without a master in this country.

Tae-hyuk smirked.

“One ball made it past the goalkeeper. I’m not the type to give up just because my opponents are strong.”

Thus, Tae-hyuk now considered the Kuryu group an enemy.

Then an amazing thing happened.

@

Tae-hyuk didn’t use any skills.

Despite that, a message appeared on the Demon Revealing Mirror. This had only happened once before. It was when he broke the plot of the Doll Play incident and destroyed the conspiracy related to the Triads. As a reward, he got a huge amount of points. He used it to become a Noble.

This meant…

Tae-hyuk gulped and read the message on the Demon Revealing Mirror.

[New mission: Find out about the Mafia Game.]

[The following rewards can be obtained by clearing the mission.]

-You will become a King.

“It sounds simple but… Anyway, it is one more reason to go against the mafia.”

The Triads committed a crime that was hard to tolerate. The Yakuza were deeply rooted in Korean society ever since the Japanese occupation. They were closely connected to the Red Mafia. In South Korea, the three criminal groups were fighting for power. And the ‘Mafia Game.’

“Hrmm. There is no real game…They might be symbolic words like Doll Play.”

He could become a King by achieving this mission. When he became a Noble, he was able to do things that were incomparable to when he was a Commoner.

But a King…

What could he do then? Tae-hyuk’s eyes shone in anticipation.

“Then first, I should speak with Choi Sung-yeol.”

He could only stay in Blue Dragon Prison for two more days. He had to get all the information he needed before then.

@

Habits didn’t disappear easily.

Choi Sung-yeol smirked smugly.

“I have a small company and I need talented people like you. I have six months before I am released. I’ll give you my phone number so once you go outside, contact me.”

“Hrmm. I can really make a lot of money?”

“It depends on you. But if you work hard, you can make a few thousand each time. Furthermore, it is a legitimate business…”

In Blue Dragon Prison, there were a huge number of criminals around. Choi Sung-yeol was trying to gather them for his business.

‘In fact, the whole thing is a scam.’

Tae-hyuk laughed because he knew what Choi Sung-yeol wanted to do. As the prisoner talking to Choi Sung-yeol left, Tae-hyuk naturally sat down.

“Hrmm? Kim Cheol-su? What are you doing?”

“A long story is annoying, so let’s speak plainly. Don’t you need a card shark?”

“…It seems like the rumor that I am collecting people has entered Kim Cheol-su’s ears. But I haven’t planned for a card shark.”

It meant that he already possessed enough.

“Really? I thought that superior card sharks were welcomed everywhere? I understand. I’ll see about going somewhere else.”

“Ah?! Wait a minute.”

Choi Sung-yeol’s expression changed. B grade card sharks could get a profit of millions of won. If an A grade card shark were to be mobilized, then tens of millions of won could be gained. And there were only 0.1% of card sharks who could gain hundreds of millions of won. They were called superior card sharks.

There were in such a minority that the number present in the country could be counted on one hand. Most of the card sharks in the Death Circus were B grade. Choi Sung-yeol knew that the card sharks such as Kim Shin-hyeong and Joo Sung-il were A grade. Yet someone who claimed to be superior grade card shark appeared in front of him.

Choi Sung-yeol said with a smile,

“If this is a lie then it won’t just be your fingers cut off. Well, I suppose I can’t do that in here.”

It was the most terrible thing for a card shark to fake their own rating. In other words, he needed to show off his skills.

“If you want to see, then I will show you. What game?”

“Let’s play simple poker. I will bring two people to play as well.”

“Yes.”

Under Choi Sung-yeol’s leadership, the poker game started in an instant.

“You are missing one person so I’ll join.”

“Go ahead.”

A deck of cards was placed in front of them by the human copier. All the people who remained in the dining room after dinner gathered in front of the gambling table. It was possible because there were few guards watching.

The four people playing each shuffled the cards so that there was no cheating. Then Choi Sung-yeol started distributing cards in front of everyone. One for himself, one for a pushover, and one for another pushover. Finally, one to the card shark. This was repeated five times before he was finally ready to draw five cards.

Now that their hands were completed, they could exchange as many cards as they wanted.

Choi Sung-yeol kept his eyes wide open as he looked at Kim Cheol-su Card sharks usually distributed the cards directly or shuffled at the end. However, Kim Cheol-su didn’t do any of that.

“Are you just watching the first hand?”

He wouldn’t know until the hands were revealed. Choi Sung-yeol had received a pair of Aces. It was almost the strongest hand in the first draw.

“I will only change one card.”

“I will change everything.”

“I will change three cards.”

The pushovers also changed their cards. The uncertainty of the cards being changed was the exciting thing about the five card draw.

“I will leave it as it is.”

“Hoh. It seems like you were quite lucky.

“Really?”

Choi Sung-yeol gazed at the supposedly supreme card shark with narrowed eyes. He hadn’t been able to do any tricks so far. But what was this confidence?

Thus, the full-fledged betting began. The pushovers both forfeited with one pair and two pairs. In the end, the game became a 1:1 match between Choi Sung-yeol and Tae-hyuk.

“Isn’t it boring if we just play for fun?”

“Yes. What about a pack of cigarettes?”

“Yes.”

Choi Sung-yeol completed a full house of Queens. It was quite hard to get in a five card draw. With two bets, the pot increased to a pack of cigarettes.

“Show your cards. I have a Queens full house.”

“Hrmm. It was good that you exchanged your cards. But I’m sorry, the cigarettes are mine.”

Tae-hyuk slowly revealed his cards.

There was a 10, a Jack, a Queen, a King, and an Ace. They were all spades.

“Royal straight flush?!”

It was the strongest hand with a probability of 1/649,740. The fact that he hadn’t changed any cards meant that it was already completed when he received the cards.

Choi Sung-yeol’s hands trembled. How was this possible?

“The cigarettes are appreciated. But you kept betting. Then let’s continue for another pack.”

“……!”

The strongest hand wasn’t completed due to chance. The card shark’s confidence might be due to a trick. It was hard to believe what he saw in front of his eyes. When the hell did he do the trick?

“T-This time I will shuffle alone.”

“Of course.”

The second game started. This time, Tae-hyuk didn’t even check his cards.

“No change is necessary. I will leave it as it is.”

“U-Understood.”

Choi Sung-yeol forfeited with a pair of 9s and the two pushovers also forfeited. Tae-hyuk won the round without needing to show his hand.

“I don’t need to show it, but this is a test of my gambling skills. Let’s open it because I am curious.”

“Ah…yes.”

Choi Sung-yeol carefully revealed Tae-hyuk’s cards.

“O-Oh my god…

It was another royal straight flush.

“I hope this is enough to believe that I am a superior card shark.

“O-Of course. But how on earth…?”

“I’m sorry but it is a trade secret.”

Choi Sung-yeol sighed with a red face. It was hard to believe even after seeing it with his own eyes. This was a superior card shark that was within the top 0.1%.

“Huu… At any rate, it is a great technique.”

He couldn’t figure out what trick the opponent used, no matter how he squeezed his head. Choi Sung-yeol looked at the card shark with respect in his eyes.

“Yes. I just need some work. If you are already full then it can’t be helped.”

“Ah, no. A person like you is always welcome. However, if you are that good then…”

Working with Choi Sung-yeol wouldn’t be able to get him hundreds of millions of won.

Tae-hyuk quietly reached out his hand. Then Choi Sung-yeol approached and politely bowed.

“I heard rumors that you use a type of drug. It is hard to find in South Korea. If you give me that, I’ll show off my skills. How about it?”

“Ah…”

Choi Sung-yeol nodded with an expression of understanding. Then he spoke in a small voice,

“Of course. I knew a very good route to get that drug. I will introduce you to them if you want.”

Tae-hyuk laughed.

He had caught the fish.