THE STREET KING

---

1. Between Life and Death

Jinwoo's body was numb.

Pain pulsed through him, spreading from the deep wound in his side. His vision blurred, his thoughts slipping in and out of consciousness. He could feel the cold dock beneath him, the scent of blood and saltwater mixing in the air.

Somewhere in the distance, he heard footsteps fading away. Chairman Seo was leaving.

Betrayal.

It echoed in his mind like a curse.

Everything—his father's death, Kyung-min's war, Joon-ho's manipulation—it all led back to this. Chairman Seo. The man he had trusted. The man who had played him like a pawn.

Jinwoo tried to move, but his body refused. His blood seeped into the cracks of the dock, his strength slipping away.

Was this it? Was this how it all ended?

A shadow moved above him. Soft hands touched his face.

Hye-jin.

Her voice was frantic. "Stay with me, Jinwoo! You hear me? Stay awake!"

Jinwoo's lips barely moved. "He… he knew everything… He…"

"Save your breath," she ordered, pressing down on his wound. He winced. "I'm getting you out of here."

Gunfire rattled in the distance. More men were coming.

Hye-jin pulled a pistol from her holster, gritting her teeth. She wouldn't let them take him.

Not like this.

---

2. Escape Through the Flames

The dockyard was burning.

Hye-jin had set fire to the gasoline drums, creating a wall of flames between them and the approaching gunmen. She dragged Jinwoo into an abandoned speedboat, her pulse racing.

The enemy was still searching, shouting orders, trying to flank them.

Hye-jin started the boat's engine—it roared to life.

Gunshots tore through the night, bullets splintering the boat's hull.

"Hold on!" she yelled, pushing the throttle forward.

The boat sped into the darkness, waves crashing against the sides. Seoul's skyline faded behind them.

Jinwoo coughed weakly. His eyelids felt heavy.

"Don't die on me, you bastard," Hye-jin muttered.

She looked ahead. Their destination was clear—the safe house in Incheon.

If she could get him there in time, he might just survive.

---

3. The Safe House – A New Purpose

Jinwoo woke up in a dimly lit room.

Pain flared through his body, but he was alive. Bandages covered his wound, and an IV drip was attached to his arm.

Hye-jin sat beside him, watching.

He tried to speak, but his throat was dry. She handed him a glass of water.

"You almost died," she said flatly.

Jinwoo took a slow sip, his mind clearing. Memories flooded back.

Chairman Seo.

The White Serpent.

The betrayal that ran deeper than he had ever imagined.

He clenched his jaw.

"...How long?"

"Three days," Hye-jin answered. "You were in and out of consciousness. We had to move twice. Chairman Seo's men are looking for us."

Jinwoo exhaled.

The man who had raised him—the man he had respected—was the real enemy.

And now he was hunting him.

"Then we need to move first," Jinwoo said, pushing himself up. The pain was unbearable, but he ignored it.

Hye-jin scowled. "You can barely stand."

"I don't care," he snapped. "If we wait, he wins. And I'm not letting that bastard win."

Hye-jin sighed, rubbing her temples.

"You really are impossible."

Jinwoo looked at her, his eyes cold.

"I won't stop until I bury him."

Hye-jin studied his face.

And for the first time, she saw something terrifying—

Jinwoo wasn't just after revenge anymore.

He was out for war.

---

4. Assembling the Wolves

Jinwoo wasted no time. He and Hye-jin reached out to the remnants of Kyung-min's former gang, the last loyal men who hadn't yet sworn allegiance to Chairman Seo.

Some were hesitant.

"Chairman Seo is too powerful," one of them muttered. "He has the police, the politicians, the Yakuza, and even the Triads backing him now. How do we fight that?"

Jinwoo didn't blink.

"We don't fight it."

The room fell silent.

Jinwoo leaned forward, his voice deadly calm.

"We burn it all down."

The men exchanged uneasy glances.

Then one of them smirked. "Well, hell… if we're going down, might as well make it messy."

One by one, they pledged loyalty.

The Street King's army was being rebuilt.

And this time, they weren't fighting for survival.

They were fighting to end this once and for all.

---

5. A War Begins

The first attack came at midnight.

One of Chairman Seo's hidden warehouses—bombed.

The second came the next morning—a high-ranking lieutenant assassinated.

The third—a police chief loyal to Seo found hanging from a bridge.

The city was descending into chaos.

And at the center of it—Jinwoo.

Chairman Seo finally made his move.

A message was delivered to Jinwoo's safe house. A photograph.

Jinwoo's hands tightened as he stared at it.

It was Hye-jin's younger brother.

Bound. Beaten. Bloodied.

And written in red ink beneath it—

"Surrender, or he dies."

Jinwoo's eyes darkened.

This wasn't just about revenge anymore.

This was war.

And he was about to show Chairman Seo what happened when you pushed the Street King too far.

---

End of Chapter 37