THE STREET KING

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1. The Weight of the Crown

Jinwoo sat in the dimly lit office at the heart of Seoul's underground. The throne room of the streets.

The room was filled with the scent of blood and whiskey, remnants of battles fought and wars won. He had expected to feel triumphant. But victory had a cost.

Hye-jin stood by the window, her arms crossed. "You did it," she said softly.

Jinwoo exhaled, fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair. "Did I?"

She turned, eyes sharp. "You won. The city is yours."

He looked down at his hands—hands that had killed, bled, and fought for this moment.

"But at what price?"

Hye-jin didn't answer. She didn't have to.

The bodies of his enemies lay in shallow graves. Seo. His uncle. The betrayers.

Yet, even with them gone, the war wasn't over.

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2. The First Challenge

The door burst open. Jisoo, his top enforcer, stormed in.

"Boss, we've got a problem."

Jinwoo straightened. "What is it?"

Jisoo hesitated. "A faction in Busan isn't accepting your rule. They say the throne belongs to them."

Jinwoo sighed. It was always the same. The weak falling in line, the strong trying to prove themselves.

"Who leads them?"

"A man called Baek Joon."

Jinwoo's expression darkened.

Baek Joon—one of Seo's former lieutenants. Ruthless. Ambitious. Dangerous.

Hye-jin tensed. "If we don't handle this now, others will start questioning your authority."

Jinwoo nodded. "Then let's send a message."

He grabbed his coat, standing tall. A king didn't wait for war to come to his doorstep.

He took the fight to them.

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3. Blood in Busan

Night fell as Jinwoo and his men arrived in Busan.

Baek Joon's men were expecting a negotiation.

Instead, they got a massacre.

Jinwoo moved like a shadow, his gun a whisper of death. One by one, they fell.

Screams echoed in the alleyways, bodies dropping in pools of crimson. Jinwoo was relentless. Precise. Merciless.

When he finally reached Baek Joon, the man was already on his knees, gasping for breath.

"Please," Baek Joon whispered, blood dripping from his lips.

Jinwoo crouched beside him. "You challenged me."

Baek Joon nodded weakly.

"And now," Jinwoo whispered, pressing the barrel of his gun to the man's forehead, "you die."

The shot rang out.

Silence followed.

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4. The Cost of Power

As they drove back to Seoul, Hye-jin glanced at Jinwoo. "How long do you think this will last?"

Jinwoo didn't answer immediately.

She sighed. "There will always be another Baek Joon. Another enemy. Another fight."

He leaned back in his seat, exhaustion creeping in. She was right.

Power wasn't about winning one battle.

It was about winning every single day.

And for Jinwoo, the war had only just begun.

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End of Chapter 40