Right now, they had no idea where the "Ichijo-gumi" branch was located, nor did they have solid evidence to convict Zhou Xingzhe. Jack decided to hold off on calling in reinforcements until they had a clearer lead.
Yes, when it came to looting a criminal vault, you needed professionals. After seeing off the fugitive apprehension team, Jack had immediately summoned the Wolf brothers. By noon today, the duo had already landed in Yokohama as tourists.
Flying directly to Korea was an option, but the Wolf brothers were far more familiar with Yokohama. Their father had been a U.S. Navy officer stationed at the Yokosuka base for years, and they had spent a good chunk of their childhood there.
Back when Chris's father was trying to help his youngest son manage his Asperger's syndrome, he had hired multiple martial arts instructors for them, including local karate masters.
Even though the brothers had been away for over a decade, they still had some old connections in the area. Getting weapons and equipment? No problem. Raiding "Ichijo-gumi's" main office in Japan would be difficult, but stealing a fishing boat, sneaking into Korea, and bringing a little something extra along the way? Piece of cake.
It seemed like a roundabout way of doing things, and it would take longer, but it left no immigration records behind—perfect.
Following Hwang Dong-kyun's directions, Jack turned the car around and headed back toward Incheon to find their informant, the former White Shark Gang member.
While they were still en route, Jack received a message from Braxton.
The Wolf brothers had already secured a reliable boat captain and would set sail later today. If all went well, they'd reach Incheon Port by noon tomorrow.
Jack casually turned off his phone and glanced at Hwang Dong-kyun in the back seat.
"How reliable is this informant? If we want to bring down Zhou Xingzhe, we need a witness with serious credibility. At the very least, we need someone high up in 'Ichijo-gumi'—preferably their local boss."
Hwang Dong-kyun hesitated. "The guy's nickname is 'Little Fatty.' Back when he was just a low-level thug in the White Shark Gang, he was in charge of dealing with the Yakuza from 'Ichijo-gumi.' After the White Shark Gang collapsed, he took over a nightclub but still handles the same kind of business—hosting and entertaining people."
Jack stroked his chin. "So, he doesn't actually like the Japanese guys, which is why he secretly cooperates with the police?"
"Not exactly. More like he bullies the weak and fears the strong. You know how it is—just another low-level gangster trying to survive." Hwang Dong-kyun sighed.
Jack nodded in understanding and turned the steering wheel. The Palisade SUV pulled into a parking lot, where a large sign read Dong Incheon Auto Sales.
"This is the place," Hwang Dong-kyun said from the back seat, leaning forward to point ahead.
Suddenly, Jack hit the brakes, nearly sending Hwang Dong-kyun flying into the front seat.
A white BMW was speeding out of the parking lot, nearly colliding with them head-on. The BMW's driver honked aggressively, demanding that they move aside.
"Hey, that's him!" Hwang Dong-kyun squinted and recognized the driver. He reached for the door handle, but Ma Seok-do, sitting in the passenger seat, grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Wait, don't show yourself. Let me handle this."
He exchanged a glance with Jack, both of them waiting for their target to step out of the car.
The BMW's horn blared twice more before the driver, a chubby guy in a black tank top and floral shorts, shoved his door open. His arms and legs were covered in tattoos, and he shouted impatiently.
"Hey! Move your damn car! Didn't you hear me?"
"Oppa, forget it. It's not worth getting angry," a soft voice came from the passenger seat—a young girl who looked barely past legal age, trying to calm him down.
But some men just have to act tough in front of women. The more she tried to de-escalate, the more aggressive he became.
"You deaf or something?! Huh? Got sausages stuck in your ears?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
As he continued ranting, he stomped toward them—only to see Jack stepping out of the SUV first.
"Huh? A foreigner? You don't understand Korean, huh?" The chubby man swaggered forward, intending to intimidate Jack. But then Ma Seok-do stepped out of the car as well.
Immediately, "Little Fatty" tensed up and took two steps back.
Compared to Jack, Ma Seok-do was far more intimidating. It was exactly like Hwang Dong-kyun had said—this guy bullied the weak and feared the strong. His loudmouth attitude shrank as he instinctively hunched his shoulders.
"Hey, wait a second. Are you a fighter or something?"
Ma Seok-do eyed him up and down and asked flatly, "You 'Little Fatty'?"
"Who the hell are you calling 'Little Fatty'?! Who the hell are you, old man? I used to be a boxer, you know! If you don't want to get your foreign friend beaten up, move your damn car!"
Seeing how he was all bark and no bite, Ma Seok-do waved him over impatiently. "Quit yapping. Get in the car. We need to talk."
"Aish, you don't get it, do you? Looks like I need to teach you a lesson today!"
Little Fatty struck a ridiculously exaggerated boxing stance, bouncing back and forth on his feet like a fat monkey.
The girl in the passenger seat quickly got out of the car, her short skirt swaying as she rushed to stop him.
"Oppa, stop! As a professional, you can't just go around beating up civilians!"
Jack almost burst out laughing.
Little Fatty scowled. "Aish, get back in the car! You're embarrassing me!" He shoved her back inside.
"You're gonna get hurt," Ma Seok-do warned, half-amused. Originally, he and Jack had planned to beat the guy up first, then talk. But now? This idiot was making it hard for them to go through with it. Beating up someone this dumb felt like bullying the mentally challenged.
"Aish!" Little Fatty finally lost his temper and swung a fist at Ma Seok-do.
With a casual flick of his left hand, Ma Seok-do deflected the punch effortlessly. Then, with his right hand, he delivered a textbook uppercut.
Little Fatty, completely off balance, practically threw his own chin into the punch.
Thud!
He collapsed onto the ground instantly. A second later, he even started snoring.
"Uh…" Jack crouched beside him and checked his pulse—everything was fine. The guy was just incredibly fragile.
Ma Seok-do looked at his own fist in confusion, then knelt down and patted Little Fatty's face. "Aish, hey, wake up. Get up already."
"Did you kill him?!"
The young girl, who had been sneaking glances at Jack, now looked horrified. She had no idea what had just happened. One second, her strong oppa was talking tough; the next, he was out cold.
"He's fine, he's fine. I'll wake him up for you."
Ma Seok-do raised his giant hand and smacked Little Fatty across the face.
Smack!
"Argh!" Little Fatty shot up, his eyes rolling in confusion like a cartoon character.
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