The Price of Power
"Ambition is a double-edged sword. Wield it well, or it will cut you down."
Jin-Ho never wanted to be rich.
No, he wanted power.
Born in the back alleys of Seoul, he knew that money wasn’t everything—control was. He watched powerful men walk into restaurants and get the best seats. He watched tycoons snap their fingers and make people disappear. He learned fast:
In this city, money was just a tool. But power? That made you untouchable.
And so, he started young.
From Rags to the First Deal
Jin-Ho did everything—cleaned dishes, delivered packages, ran illegal poker games in back alleys. If there was money to be made, he was in. He didn’t just work hard—he watched, he learned.
At 17, he saw an opportunity. A small electronics store near his slum was struggling. The owner needed cash, fast. Jin-Ho had saved ₩2 million ($1,500) from his odd jobs. He gave the owner an offer.
"I’ll give you the money. In exchange, you buy your stock from me."
The man laughed. Until Jin-Ho showed him a direct supplier he had met while working deliveries. The store owner agreed.
Within a year, Jin-Ho was supplying five stores. The profits weren’t huge, but the lesson was clear—control the supply, and you control the market.
But small deals wouldn’t make him a tycoon.
Playing with the Sharks
At 22, Jin-Ho had turned ₩2 million into ₩200 million ($150,000). It was enough to enter the real game—stocks, real estate, underground trading.
That’s when he met Baek Sung-Woo, a mid-level gangster who ran illegal gambling dens. Baek was in trouble. A bad bet left him owing ₩500 million to the wrong people.
Jin-Ho saw his chance.
"I’ll clear your debt," he told Baek. "In exchange, I own half of your business."
Baek wanted to kill him. But Jin-Ho had the money. The deal was made.
Jin-Ho cleaned up the gambling dens, turned them into private high-stakes clubs. He invited businessmen, politicians, celebrities. Within six months, profits tripled.
But success had a price.
The First Betrayal
Baek didn’t like answering to a kid. One night, Jin-Ho walked into his office and found a gun pointed at him.
"You're too ambitious, Jin-Ho." Baek smirked. "Time to step aside."
Jin-Ho sighed. He had seen this coming.
"Did you really think I wouldn’t prepare for this?" he asked.
Baek’s smirk faded.
Jin-Ho pulled out his phone and played a recording—Baek’s voice, talking about laundering money for politicians.
"I sent copies to three reporters," Jin-Ho said. "Try to kill me, and you’ll go down before the bullet leaves the barrel."
Baek turned pale.
The next morning, he "disappeared."
And Jin-Ho? He took full control.
But gangsters weren’t his biggest problem.
Now, the corporate world had noticed him.
The Billionaire’s Game
At 25, Jin-Ho had ₩50 billion ($40 million). Enough to enter the real estate market.
He targeted KJ Enterprises, a struggling company that owned prime land in Gangnam. The owner, Kang Dae-Jung, was drowning in debt.
Jin-Ho made him an offer.
"Sell to me. Or watch the banks tear you apart."
Kang laughed.
"You’re a street rat playing a rich man’s game."
Jin-Ho only smiled.
The next day, Kang’s stock crashed.
Leaked documents exposed his company’s corruption. Investors pulled out. Banks demanded repayment.
By the end of the week, KJ Enterprises was worthless.
Jin-Ho bought it for ₩10 billion.
Kang Dae-Jung went bankrupt.
And Jin-Ho? He now owned Seoul’s most valuable land.
The Real Enemy
Jin-Ho had made it.
But power attracts enemies.
One night, he received a black envelope. Inside was a bloodstained playing card—The Ace of Spades.
The Black Tiger Syndicate.
Seoul’s most powerful underground organization.
A call came.
"You took KJ Enterprises," a calm voice said. "Which means you took something that belongs to us."
Jin-Ho exhaled.
Sang-Hoon had been working with them.
And now, they wanted their cut.
"I don’t deal with criminals," Jin-Ho said.
The voice chuckled.
"Then you won’t be alive for long."
The Final Move
Jin-Ho had two choices—submit or fight.
He chose war.
Step one: Find their weakness.
Jin-Ho’s team discovered that the Black Tiger Syndicate was laundering money through luxury real estate.
Step two: Hit them where it hurts.
Jin-Ho leaked documents exposing Chairman Nam’s illegal dealings.
By the time the police started investigating, billions were frozen.
Step three: Divide and conquer.
Jin-Ho made a private deal with Joo Min-Seok, Chairman Nam’s second-in-command.
"Help me take Nam down. In return, you keep half the empire."
Min-Seok hesitated.
"Nam will kill me."
Jin-Ho smirked. "Not if I kill him first."
The Blood Price
The war ended in a single night.
Chairman Nam’s car exploded as he left his mansion.
The police arrested half the Black Tiger Syndicate.
And Joo Min-Seok? He took the remnants of the empire and stayed out of Jin-Ho’s way.
By 28, Jin-Ho was Seoul’s most powerful man.
But power had a price.
One night, Seo-Yun sat across from him, eyes sharp.
"Was it worth it?" she asked.
Jin-Ho looked out over the city.
The money, the power, the control—he had everything.
But deep down, he knew: he could never stop.
Because in Seoul, the moment you slow down… is the moment you fall.
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The End.
"Power isn’t something you win. It’s something you fight to keep… until the day you die."
