Yeongdeungpo, Seoul
The Sakura House

How can she not be scared?

Before the hostess can put up a brave front, low rhythmic footsteps she heard as background noise became louder as they came closer. She turned her head to get an eye on the source, but she stumbled backward upon seeing two militaristic lines of men exiting the back entrance of the manor. They were all in black with identical styles to the men who accompanied Kane. 

"Clear the second floor."

The woman swung her head back to Kane when he spoke. "Yes, Sir." Startled by their loud response, she fell to the floor full of fright and uncertainty. 
'Where is Gunwoo?' Didn't he see the takeover happening?' 'How can he not come to our rescue?' 'Was he truly afraid of this man?'
Cha Kang-Jae aka Kane crouched to her eye level. She shrank back upon the close proximity of their faces. The fear she began to feel, along with her boss's daily grouse of this man, the cold dark eyes, and the equally cold smirk rose her fear factor.

"Do you want to try screaming? Maybe he will come to your rescue then." Kane said lowly. 

"G-Gunwoo will come," she shouted. Kane tilted his head in curiosity; he saw through her faux bravery, he wanted to know what made her so loyal to that man. Angry shouts and the sound of fighting came from the two rooms on the ground floor; on the second floor loud voices can be heard then screams of fright. The woman trembled. Kane chuckled. 
"Let's get you seated. How rude of me to have you on the floor." He led her back to her chair and harshly pushed the desk away. The panic button was revealed beneath the desk and her once mounted device was now in a haphazard position. She regretted her decision not activating the panic button but Gunwoo is seeing the situation, right?

Kane left her side and climbed the stairs. The following actions had her thinking that everything was orchestrated and it was some sort of prank. A foot soldier came rushing down the stairs with a similar brocade chair in his arms. It was positioned at the center of the platform to give the boss view of all the vantage points. The stairs on either side and the wide entryway, above his head, was a CCTV camera which was the only functioning one. The hostess didn't know that the entire building was isolated from the outside world and that it was Kane's doing. 'The guards will act on this intrusion. Yes. They will sort things out. Gunwoo is probably giving orders.' Her thoughts were etched on her face. Kane's smirk widen as the woman became hysterical with her desperation building. He knew she can sense the gravity of the situation. In her situation when one is dependent on the boss's strength and throws a blind eye to their escapades they feel secure. She didn't expect this situation to happen. 

"Ah! here it comes," Kane muttered to himself.

"GUNWOO!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"There it is," he said with a chuckle. His night is so entertaining. He wondered if his team was amused as him.

           >The Parlor<

Based on the ground floor, this room hosted closed-door entertainment. It was a one-room strip club with requested ladies. This room was dominated by the young rich heirs and their friends. Three large groups were visiting that night. The leader of the groups were all fourth-generation chaebols and saw it as their duty to flaunt their family's riches to the middle-class friends in their group. High-class exotic dancers who served them were beyond their paycheck, the young chaebols took advantage of that. Downing expensive alcohol and ordering dishes they won't normally touch was a heavenly night for them all.

But. It all crashed when masked men entered the room. 

They were all flabbergasted and unable to come to a conclusion as to what was happening. One had a device in his hand and held it away from him, slowly encompassing the room.

"Hey. Who are you?" Out of the five guards, only one came out of his stupor and charged toward the duo standing. With the strict gun law in Korea, the soldiers under Kane trained themselves in different types of Martial Arts and learned to wield other weapons. Seeing the man charging toward them in an uncoordinated manner with a sense of superiority in his eyes, they didn't put much attention to him. 
The soldier with the device continued his data collection on the people in the room while the other calmly watched the man. 
When he was in close proximity, the soldier easily blocked the incoming fist with his forearm then twisted that hand harshly behind his attacker's back. The man yell in pain. The soldier's body moved in muscle memory. Without thinking, he dislocated the man's shoulder and then placed him in a chokehold when he was screaming in pain. Wrapping his other arm around the man's head, he twisted it in the opposite direction from the firm chokehold.

The sound was loud in the silent room. That clean crack sent chills down their spine, the loud thud of the now lifeless body falling to the floor followed closely. Screams left the ladies' mouths while the men scampered into the corners of the room. The guards tried to do their job by placing themselves before the guests and the ladies but they were also freaked out by the instant death of their friend. 

The soldier with the device paused in going through the files when he heard those two sounds. "Is he dead?" he asked in a monotone voice.

His comrade simply said one word in reply to his question after double-checking the man at his feet. "Oh."

Sighing at the extra work he will have to do, he placed a note on the now-dead security guard's file. Shutting down the device after confirming everyone, he stepped forward. 
"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for that gruesome scene. My name is River and my associate here is  Blaze, we will be your guides for the remaining time here at Sakura House. Now. I will like some separation happening. Ladies please take the farther corner, guests you will congregate at the center and loyal guards, why don't we have a chat." Though the man named River looked non - threatening with his slender frame and polite manner of speaking they knew he was dangerous. His eyes and his friend's showed their indifference to everything around them. They moved precisely and were able to kill someone at the drop of a hat. 

No one dared kick up a fuss. Glancing at each other with timid eyes, the guests silently warned each other not to say a word.
The four guards bravely stepped forward with their hands in the air. "We will do so you say. Please allow our guests and staff to leave the building," one guard said aloud. He believed this was a hijacking. He scoffed under his breath. 'These jerks probably saw how rich the boss is currently and wanted easy cash. Fucking punks,' he thought to himself.

"Do you think your life is valuable to the point of being a hostage for one of those kids? You do realize that the money they pay to fuck around here is your paycheck?" Blaze asked in genuine confusion.

The man's face turned an embarrassingly shade of red by the questions. 

"Strip. Don't make me exert myself. You four are definitely not worth this care," River commented.

"What?!" "Why should we?" "Who are you, people? You dare taint our boss's place?" 

River was annoyed by their senseless shouting. He released an irritated sigh. Blaze took a step back and waited patiently for his friend to calm down. River kicked the third guy in the line in the stomach, using the force of his foot to push him backward. With the same momentum, he used his heel to attack the fourth. The force and speed had the man's head twisting violently to the other side, he lost his balance and fell to the ground. Turning to the remaining two, the cased device was used this time. The edge of it connected to the side of one's head, the other was attacked with River using it to smash his throat in one heavy slash.
The four couldn't see his actions to retaliate and the man in question calmly stood above them, with a condescending look in his eyes. 

"You're wasting my time."

          >Dining Room<

At the same moment, Lake was the one manning the device as Chase rounded up the guests and women.  
                Clear.
The simple message came from River. On his side, he also had no hits on the kidnapped girls. They were probably on the second floor. Sobs and restless chatter were his background noise. Though they spoke politely to them all they still became those types of hostages everyone hates. 
 The entitled ones.

Chase brought over the four guards. Two were unconscious and the other two were slightly injured. They were warned not to attack yet they didn't listen. Lake shook his head after thinking of their stupidity. Though it was only two of them, one shouldn't underestimate their opponents. If Chase had his daggers, all four would have been...

"Hmmmmm, that would have been fun," Lake mused.

"HEY! LET US GO! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" This has become a mantra for an overweight middle age man who still had his napkin tucked in his shirt. 
Chase stopped his job of binding the guards and looked at the man. "Chairman Cah, it won't do well for you to be acting this way. Your blood pressure will rise. We know your wife is probably worried about your whereabouts," he said with a sly grin.

"It will be entertaining to show your family your late-night business meetings. How cliche, Chairman Cah," Lake added. 

The older man silenced himself. 

Lake shook his head at the man, within that moment a message came in on his device.
                                   Four out of ten.
"Time to go."

       >The Foyer<

"Alright, we are going. I want to have a chat with your boss." The arrogant voice came from one of their elite guests. Leading his friends was one of the numerous fourth-generation chaebols with his designer clothes messed up and his eyes bloodshot from whatever alcohol or drugs he was drowning himself in. The other guests were behind him, lowly voicing their displeasure and demanding compensation due to their social position, now that they were no longer trapped in that room. Two soldiers were herding them into the foyer, then ordered them to stop beside the hostess.

"Miss Yeonhee, why are you here? What is going on?" the chaebol demanded. 

"I-I'm sorry, I'm not in the position to explain the situation." 

Though he was sloshed, he took note of her restless actions and her wavering eyes. She was glancing to the right too obviously. He took the hint and looked in that direction. 
"Shit!"
His exclamation was mimicked by the guests in the back and immediately stepped away from the woman. It was his friends who acted arrogantly and loudly voiced their displeasure. The man who sat above them didn't reply to the young ones. Kane slowly crossed his legs at his knee and sat upright with his gloved hands clasped on his stomach. 
"Little Yang. It's nice to see you again. How is your father?"

The young chaebol quickly rushed to the base of the stairs, passing his bewildered friends, and lowered his body to one knee. "Older brother Kang-Jae, it's an honor to see you. Father is doing well. I thank you once again for your kindness," he rushed out. His head was low, he didn't dare reach eye level with that man. Even his father had to lower his head at the twenty-plus-year-old man.

"There's no need for that archaic stance. I'm someone who has to carry out orders. I'm truly surprised to see you on this side. If you and your peers needed this type of entertainment, I would have created one with more..... professionalism. I'm afraid I have to step in to rectify a few issues. I apologize, little brother."

"No need to apologize, sir...." Yang began to say but his friends interjected with their questions. "Shut it. If you want to leave this place alive step the fuck back," he hissed. They were surprised. The careless rich playboy act was gone. Fear and desperation were now on their friend's face.

"I see more familiar faces. Apologies but I fear your visit will come to an end. In the near future you shall be compensated," Kane spoke once more. The guests politely declined his offer and voiced their thanks when he motioned them to leave. Yang was still on his knee awaiting his dismissal. Though Kane said it wasn't needed, everyone knew the man demanded respect and courtesy. 
"Little Yang, how long have you been a guest?"

A group of men in only their underwear was marched out from the rooms on the lower floor with their hands tied behind their backs. These were the guards of the manor. Yang was distracted for a moment by the development but answered the question dutifully.

"Four months, big brother."

"Were you allowed to see the new talent?" Kane saw the hostess's eyes widen, then the anxiety on her face. That was the reaction he wanted. The same look was identical on a few of the captured men's faces. 

"They were priced beyond my budget and were reserved for special guests." 

"Thank you. You may leave."

Yang rose to his feet and allowed himself to be escorted to the back entrance. Silence fell in the foyer for a few minutes. Movement happened again. Three half-naked men and a woman wrapped in a robe came running down the stairs. They came to a stop on either side of Kane. Their faces were pale upon seeing the young man they bent over backwards to please. This child helped them stay relevant in this new generation. In their minds, they thought of quick excuses for their state of undress. 
"Mr. Cha."

No response.

The young man didn't spare them a glance or a hum of acknowledgment. They had to do something.

To the man they wished to be in good graces with, the men were old enough to be his father and the woman was possibly five years older than him, so possibly a friend or sister to him. His mood changed from amused to disgusted upon seeing them. These four were people of high social standings in the business sector and he had the privilege to work with them on a handful of occasions. Kane knew the report will include them but not in a respectful light. Since the women they were looking for weren't on the first floor, the second and third were their best bet. From his experience, any area that required a high status, nothing pleasing will be behind those doors. 

Five soldiers came from the left wing of the manor as he brooded in silence, four led the guests down the stairs and one reported to him in a low voice. He clenched his jaw tighter as the report got worse. "Bring him here. He's not allowed to die before I see him," he ordered.

"Yes sir."

From the right wing were more half-naked men, this time they were greatly injured and near unconsciousness, the guards were led to their friends. On either side of the hostess, Miss Yeonhee, the men were pushed to the floor on their knees and made to look at their boss. In total there were fourteen captured guards, the hostess knew their numbers were dwindling. One guard was missing from the ground floor, the six from the second floor weren't the entire assigned guards. She quickly came to a conclusion. Gunwoo pulled four men from the second floor to add to his five guards on the third. If he had time to call them, why didn't he put things in action to protect them. Was that the true colors of the boss she admired? A fucking coward who lived for himself, after all she did for him. He will regret this.

The masked men who took over the manor stood behind them silently. It was all unnerving. When they saw who occupied the chair on the platform, they knew they were done for. Those coal-black eyes looking down on them struck ice in their hearts, it took their all to keep their heads held high. How can someone so young exude so much murderous aura? Were they so weak? One look from this man and they knew their lives were in danger. Maybe their boss will turn things around. They were all hopeful that their boss will get them out of this.

Faint sounds of things crashing against the floor and an outbreak of a fight can be heard. The music that was softly crooning in the background throughout this entire takeover finally silenced itself. A gunshot cracked through the silence. 
One. Two. Three.

Three gunshots rang out. The Sakura House staff's eyes were now shining with hope. Was their boss shooting his way out? He can take down those unarmed masked men who rushed to the third floor. Yes, their boss can do it. 
The silence was filled with suspense, the captured men began to smile at Cha Kang-Jae, he will die here tonight. Their eyes were regaining their determination. In their minds, they were waiting for the slightest signal to retaliate. 
Seconds felt like hours, where was he?

Kane elegantly got to his feet. The masked guard that stood behind him, promptly removed the chair, giving his boss ample room to leisurely pace the floor.

"Min Gunwoo." The name was called out before that person can show his face. Held by the arms by his two captures, a man in his early thirties, battered and bruised met the eyes of the man he never wanted to meet. He stood tall before Kane not wanting to show weakness or fear but the man had no interest in his bravado. He simply wanted this 'clean up' done with.

"Do not waste my time and answer in a timely manner. If any delay should occur on your behalf, the result will be severe. Do you understand?" Kane's tone was sharp and impatient, his steps were languid but had a hint of predatorial movement. He was ready to strike if anything was unsatisfactory.

No answer came from Min Gunwoo. He was ready to show this brat that the Baek family no longer have power over this territory. They were the fine cracks to break them down. Kane took note of this arrogance and renamed it stupidity.

"Where are the other six women you imprisoned?"

Silence. Arrogant eyes glared at him as blood trickled from his injured head, Gunwoo was resolute in not answering this man.

"Is this the way you wish to proceed?"

Gunwoo spat at Kane with a sneer on his face. The men who held him didn't punish him for his disrespect to their leader. 'Stupid brats,' he cursed.
Kane didn't waste a bout of energy on the man's childish action. He slowly raised his head to the ceiling and released an annoyed sigh. His head fell to the side in a lazy manner. His men on the ground caught the look in his fathomless dark eyes and awaited his order. 
"Four."

Four random masked guards who stood behind the fourteen captured men moved their right arms simultaneously. Mis Yeonhee saw this, and her eyes widen when the glistening view of sharp blades was revealed. 

FWICK!

Their swift and sharp movement created a harsh yet piercing sound of wind in her ears. Screams of shock and disbelief were heard from them. Through the men's shouts, Yeonhee definitely heard the splatter of blood on the patterned marble before seeing it. Her body was stiff, her head was turned to the left, and in her vision were two headless bodies gently falling to where gravity pulled them. Blood marked their drop points, their heads rolled to random locations. "K-Killed.... they... they killed them," she stuttered. Her body was now unusually cold. She forced herself to look at the two masked men who were in the process of wiping their blades clean in a uniform fashion and tucking them away behind their backs. They returned to their position and blankly stared ahead of them. The tremor in her lips became violent. Their nonchalant actions scared her more. She screamed louder than the remaining ten guards. Propelling backward in the chair, Yeonhee fell to the floor due to her reckless action, this gave her a wider view of the four headless bodies now staining the floor. 
"G-GUNWOO!!! DO SOMETHING!!!" she screamed.

The man in question was too far in his panicking mind to answer her. He too was in disbelief at the scene he just witnessed.

"Let me rephrase my question. Who took the other six ladies?"

"Uh... I... " Gunwoo wanted to answer but his brain and tongue weren't cooperating. Kane called out a random number. The screams were once again heard. The blood of their comrades was now soaking their pants as they couldn't move from their kneeling position. They didn't voice their shock and anger, their hearts were racing too fast for them to focus on doing such useless actions. Yeonhee's screams mimicked their internal screaming. 'They were next.' 'I'm going to die next.'

"Gunwoo, you're the fifth cousin and have no say in the Min main house yet you're here doing their bidding. Seven of the men who decided to follow you are now dead, they are nothing but trash at the moment, the same way you are in the eyes of your dear older cousins Min Hanjool and Hanseol. You were the disposable one from the moment they handed over this place to you and left you with that job. Choose wisely. Tell me what I want to know or the remaining eight pieces of filth down there will be removed."

"B-But...."

"Boss. Tell him." "Please save us." 

Gunwoo's head fell in defeat. "Brother Hanseol. The main house."

He was released when the last word left his mouth. He slumped to his knees thanking the heavens he was able to live and also spare his men their deaths. Though it was through betrayal to his family, he was glad to be alive. They can fend for themselves.
Schwck! 
The click was loud, it reminded him of a mechanism sliding into place. He raised his head to find the source but a blinding pain shook his head. He heard something crack, what was that? Another abrupt pain coursed through his body, this time to his ribs. He knew they were now broken. All he was able to do was grunt in pain before his body went airborne. 
Kane stood on the platform and watched with uninterested eyes as Gunwoo's body fell to the bottom of the stairs landing with a loud thud before rolling to his workers. 

"Tch! It will be amusing if he's alive after that," Kane muttered. In his right hand was a retractble steel baton. This was the weapon used to hit Gunwoo across the face, successfully breaking his jaw. Blindsiding him with that attack allowed Kane to do some damage to his ribs before kicking him down the staircase. "Shut this place down."

"Yes, sir!"

Kane sent a message to Lan Gu of his result and took a seat to over see the clean up of the little mess they made.

~~~~

In another part of Seoul, the message was shown to Baek Chun who simply sighed and shook his head. 

"Get rid of them all."

~~~~~

One Day later
New Mexico

Min Hanjool threw the slender arm that was wrapped around his waist to the side and aggressively left the bed. Grabbing his robe, he couldn't help but grumble, his previous mornings weren't pleasant and it seem to be a continuous battle. Ordering his breakfast to be sent to his office on the second floor of his home, he slowly prepared himself for a quiet day at home. Too many things were happening around him and he needed to prioritize them all.

Trudging to his office, Min Hanjool couldn't help but have an ominous feeling on his back. Frowning, he ran his fingers through his hair then moved to massage that invisible pressure from his shoulders. 'What is it?'
Entering his office, the private line was ringing. It was near eight, and private calls this early spells trouble. With a deep frown on his face, Hanjool made his way to his desk and picked up the call.
"Where the fuck are you? I've been trying to reach you for more than two hours."

Hanjool's frown deepened. It wasn't like his friend to be so emotional and unreasonable to talk to. He sighed and questioned Cho about his new behavior.

"One look at the morning news back home and you will find your answer. I have been fielding calls from the Elders on your behalf. If you think Bisane leaving the company was the height of your worries, this will sober you up. You need to make your decision now. Cut ties with the Korean main family and remain independent in the US or share the doomed fate. Make your choice after you watch the news. I think you know what to do after one clip." Cho ended the call leaving Hanjool in a dazed state. 
Mechanically, he turned on the satellite tv and found one of many news channel from South Korea. 
The headline on the screen was bold enough to put the anchorwoman in the background.

                         MIN FAMILY'S MODERN-DAY SLAVE HOUSE

His fingertips became cold, his breathing became shaky as he listened to the report. The remote clattered to the floor as he stood at the center of his office. Pictures of ten young women were now on the screen with six blurred as the reporter spoke.
      "It all began with the disappearances of these four young ladies in Yeongdeoungpu six months ago. In a city that continues to flourish, the law officials made their presence known and place the ladies disappearance a priority. With no leads, another six went missing placing the public on alert. The people's fears began to rise until a curious citizen found an oddity. In hopes to see why his fellow citizens loved this new entertainment establishment, like any other young person, business magnate Cha Kang-Jae decided to visit. His position in the social world, allowed him to be a VIP guest at this place when he took note of a familiar face. It wasn't long when the dots he created began to connect, which led him to alert the police. 
         Finally gaining a clue, police entered the popular escort business, The Sakura House to discover four out of the ten missing ladies. Upon further investigation, the owner of this house was Min Gunwoo, the fifth cousin of the present patriarch of their family, Chairman Min Hanjool. Arrests were made and under strict questioning, it was revealed the remaining six ladies would be found at the family's main house in Goyang. Thanks to the collaboration of city's law officials, the remaining six were rescued and now safe and sound in their family's embrace.
       The unexpected police raid upon the Min Family home revealed questionable things which bewildered not only the officials but the public. Swift actions were taken leading to the arrest of Min Hanseol, brother of Chairman Min Hanjool, and his wife Park Hee-Young. Their staff were also apprehended for questioning upon the discovery....."

"That useless piece of shit. If they find 'that'," Hanjool grumbled under his breath as he continued to listen to the news report. 

".... of multiple contracts of purchasing persons in order to clear debts. Though much haven't been revealed to the news houses, we were given permission to disclose an inkling of this situation. The Min family, one of the top 20 families to be in both the financial and construction business have established a modern-day slave trade between themselves and persons in need to be financially free. Numerous minors were sold to the family to be workers for their construction companies for an indefinite amount of time. These persons were also traded between a few prominent families which can't be disclosed. The six females found were part of this trade. Due to discretion that needs to be taken, the report on this will have to end here. In other news, Public apology from Yeongdeoungpu top officials....."

A new clip was playing without audio of an ongoing news conference with city officials, the chief of police, and Cha Kang-Jae. The sight of Kane on the screen flared Hanjool's anger. He knew for a fact this entire news report was made nationwide and was condemned by one man. Not only was he publicly shamed but his entire family was. The image was everything to them and with their dark deeds for the world to see, everything will now plummet. He didn't have to listen to any upcoming report from Cho. Their stocks will now fall, connections will be severed and their bank accounts will be frozen. If this news reaches his US investors he will be nothing more than a start-up broker firm. 
On the screen, the headliners all stood before the cameras and bowed to the public. "We failed to secure your peace. Please forgive us. We strive to do better from this point forward." Their loud proclamation silenced the reporters and stirred their hearts. The cameras turned to a few patrons with tears in their eyes. The presence of Kane made it all moving. His handsome appearance and the seriousness in his eyes rendered them speechless and upped their high expectations for the man. This was also another boost for the Baek family's prestigious image.
Hanjool gritted his teeth, the urge to pummel Kane's face was fierce. 
"What a crock!"

Curses flew out of his mouth, all aiming at the head of the Baek family. This was their chance to break down his territories. He will admit the small time crooks they were able to win over made his ego swell but they were enough to get the results he needed. Having those idiots do the behind the scene dirty work made him the head of the family. That success made him think he can boost the family name. Where did things slip? Where? What happened?

"Honey?  Darling. Hey!"

"What?!"  Her voice was more annoying than a mosquito's when trying to figure himself out of this mess. He didn't even notice her arrival. Hanjool turned to her, his unofficial "second wife".

She gave him a pout that didn't match her aging appearance and messy image.

"What is it?" he grumbled. Turning off the tv, he made his way behind his desk. 

"Your phones have been going off," she cooed. He snatched the phone from her hands and gave her a dismissive wave. 
"Get out."

She wanted to refute it but couldn't. His anger is now worse than the night before. It's best not to approach him about marriage.
Hanjool ignored her and flipped through the missed calls. They were all overseas. It's best to cut them off. He can't lose his footing in the US. 
An email notification popped up. The subject line was weird yet he knew who was the sender. 
    'How was my performance...' was the subject line.
Angrily he opened up the email to see what bullshit that kid wanted to say. "Fucking brat. How dare he play with my accomplishments?" he said through gritted teeth.

To the little fish who was eaten in the large pond, one must learn respect in this world. Know your place where power strives everywhere.

He pressed the flag on the opened email to keep it as a top priority but the screen began to glitch. Colorful vertical lines swam across the screen from left to right for a few seconds, then a few words in bold dark letters appeared.
Compensation has begun....

"What the fuck is this?" His phone flashed twice before shutting off. He tried powering it on but with no success. Did his phone just malfunction? What were those words? While trying to get his phone to work, his desk phone began to ring. "ARGHHH!!!" He yelled in frustration and threw his phone across the room. A loud crash was heard. The crystal glass collection he had on display was now in pieces with the phone laying on it. His eye twitched. Two million dollars were now thrash. 
He grabbed the phone. "WHAT?!" Gone was his charismatic demeanor, his morning was already gone to shit, who cares about etiquette?

"Min Hanjool, you dare to play me for a fool? Who the fuck are you to toy with my daughter's feelings? How dare you embarrass  me like this?" The voice on the other side of the call was livid. 

"Macallis?" he asked in confusion.

"Of course, it's me you son of a bitch. If you had no intention of going through with the deal, why the fuck did you agree to have your faggot son marry my daughter?"

When it rains, it pours.