THE STREET KING

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1. The Storm Breaks

The air erupted with gunfire.

Jinwoo and Hye-jin dove behind a stack of cargo containers as bullets ripped through the metal, sparks flying in every direction.

Seok-hoon stood amidst the chaos, completely unfazed, as if he had already accepted the outcome of the battle. His guards opened fire, their formations tight and ruthless.

Jinwoo gritted his teeth. Seok-hoon wasn't the real enemy? Then who the hell was?

Hye-jin reloaded her gun. "We need to move. Now."

Jinwoo nodded. "Cover me."

Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, weaving through the barrage of bullets.

Hye-jin fired precise shots, dropping two of the guards in quick succession.

Dae-hyun's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Jinwoo, I've got eyes on the docks. More men are coming—this isn't a fight we can win!"

Jinwoo didn't slow down.

He wasn't here to win a battle. He was here to end the war.

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2. Seok-hoon's Escape

Seok-hoon moved like a man who knew he was already out of reach.

With a single gesture, a black SUV screeched to a halt beside him. His remaining guards provided cover as he stepped inside.

Jinwoo was close—too close.

He raised his gun—

A sniper shot rang out.

Jinwoo barely twisted in time, the bullet grazing his shoulder instead of tearing through his chest.

Hye-jin screamed, "Sniper!"

Jinwoo stumbled behind cover, pressing a hand against the wound. His vision blurred for half a second.

That was all Seok-hoon needed.

The SUV sped off into the night.

Jinwoo exhaled sharply. Damn it.

Hye-jin grabbed his arm. "You okay?"

Jinwoo wiped the blood off his fingers. "It's nothing."

Dae-hyun's voice came through again. "He's gone, Jinwoo. We need to regroup."

But Jinwoo wasn't listening.

His mind replayed Seok-hoon's last words.

"I'm not the one you should be after."

Then who the hell was?

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3. The Hidden Enemy

Back at their hideout, the atmosphere was tense.

Dae-hyun paced. "This doesn't make sense. If Seok-hoon isn't the mastermind, then who is?"

Hye-jin threw her jacket onto the table. "And why did he let us live? If he really wanted us dead, that sniper would have finished the job."

Jinwoo sat in silence, deep in thought.

Then, it clicked.

He looked up. "Because he wanted us to know."

Dae-hyun frowned. "What?"

Jinwoo's voice was cold. "Seok-hoon wasn't warning us. He was pointing us in the right direction."

Hye-jin's eyes widened. "You're saying he wanted us to find the real mastermind?"

Jinwoo nodded. "Exactly."

Dae-hyun exhaled. "So who the hell is pulling the strings?"

Jinwoo grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

After three rings, an old voice answered.

"…I was wondering when you'd call, Jinwoo."

Jinwoo's grip on the phone tightened. "Tell me the truth, Old Man."

The voice on the other end chuckled.

"You're finally ready to see the real monster behind the curtain, huh?"

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4. The Revelation

Jinwoo's contact was an old informant, a man who had survived every war the streets had waged.

They met in a dimly lit tea shop, the scent of burning incense filling the air.

The old man, known only as Chairman Go, took a slow sip of tea before speaking.

"Seok-hoon wasn't lying."

Jinwoo leaned forward. "Then who's really in charge?"

Go's eyes darkened.

"There's always been someone above the syndicates. A man who never gets his hands dirty, but makes sure the blood keeps flowing."

Hye-jin whispered, "A ghost?"

Go nodded.

"They call him The Architect."

Silence filled the room.

Jinwoo clenched his jaw. "Where do I find him?"

Go smirked. "That's the problem. No one ever has."

Jinwoo exhaled sharply.

He had spent years thinking he was fighting his way to the top.

But he was just a piece in someone else's game.

Not anymore.

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5. The Plan for War

Dae-hyun stared at the old blueprint of Seoul's underground syndicates. "If this Architect really exists, we have to find his weak point."

Hye-jin pointed at a private casino in Gangnam. "This place launders money for every syndicate. If he's pulling the strings, his influence will be there."

Jinwoo studied the map. Every war had a beginning.

This casino might just be the start of the end.

He smirked. "Then we burn it down."

Hye-jin grinned. "Now you're talking."

Dae-hyun groaned. "We're all going to die."

Jinwoo stood. "Not tonight."

Because tonight, they weren't running.

They were going to war.

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End of Chapter 58

(Next Chapter: The Fire in Gangnam.)