How a Salaryman Became an Underworld Boss

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The moment I pressed the doorbell, the gate swung open with a crisp clack. Taking it as an invitation, I pushed it open and confidently stepped inside. After climbing the stairs, I froze. Before me spread a breathtaking sight. The garden was so enormous that you could probably hold a football match there, and it was maintained to perfection—not a single weed in sight. Strange ornamental trees and exquisitely shaped decorative stones adorned every corner. And the mansion peeking through the greenery blended so naturally with its surroundings that it looked almost mysterious, unreal.

“Holy crap... How does a mansion this huge even fit in the middle of Seoul?”

Lost in admiration, I unconsciously slowed my pace. Then my eyes fell on a pavilion nestled beneath an old pine tree with sprawling branches. Standing there, straight-backed and imposing, was an extraordinary-looking old man, gazing down at me. My instincts told me he was the one who had ordered the food, so I quickened my pace. Reaching the pavilion, I placed the plastic bag on the wooden floor and politely addressed him.

“Sir, please enjoy your meal.”

“Young man, hold on a moment.”

I had already turned to leave when the old man called out.

“Yes, sir? Did you need something?”

“It’s terribly lonely and boring here by myself. How about we share this cold noodle soup together?”

“With a complete stranger?”

“Thank you for your kindness, but I’ve got orders piling up. I need to get going.”

“Hm... What if I paid you 50,000 won °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° just to keep an old man company while we eat? How does that sound?”

What a lucky break.

Even with my motorcycle, I could only manage five or six deliveries an hour. With the average delivery fee sitting around 4,000 won, I’d make maybe 25,000 won an hour. But here this old man was, offering me 50,000 won just to eat with him. And on top of that, I’d get a free bowl of icy cold noodles, loaded with crunchy bits of ice—the perfect cure for the summer heat. Meeting for the first time made things slightly awkward, but the image of that crisp fifty-thousand-won bill was already floating before my eyes.

“In that case, I’ll cast aside my embarrassment and gratefully accept your invitation.”

“Good, good. Wise choice. Come on up.”

After taking off my shoes, I climbed onto the wooden floor and removed my helmet and bandana, placing them neatly to the side. The cool breeze from a fan immediately hit my face, soothing my sweat-covered skin. As I wiped my forehead with a handkerchief, the old man spoke again with a peculiar expression.

“You know, if you told people you were a movie actor, they’d believe you without question.”

“Haha, no way.”

Chuckling lightly, I looked down at the low dining table in the pavilion. Two large stainless steel bowls and several side dishes, including young radish kimchi, had already been set out. I slid the table closer to the old man, opened the delivery bag, and took out the containers of cold noodles. Using the plastic knife that came with them, I peeled away the film and poured the contents into the metal bowls. Then I pushed one toward him.

“Please enjoy.”

I quickly unpacked my own portion as well. But just as I picked up my chopsticks, I felt uncomfortable. The old man was openly staring at me without blinking.

“Sir, did I do something wrong?”

“I was just curious. Why didn’t you eat straight from the plastic container? Why go through the trouble of transferring it into the bowl?”

“Well, if I ate from the container, the bowl would stay clean. Since you’re treating me, I didn’t want to leave you with extra dishes to wash.”

“Ho-ho-ho!”

My answer seemed to delight him, and the old man burst into hearty, booming laughter. Unsure what was so funny, I simply stared at him in silence. After laughing his fill, he spoke again in a gentler voice.

“Don’t worry about washing dishes. I have a housekeeper for that. Just eat comfortably.”

“Thank you once again.”

I pulled the bowl closer, but just as I raised my chopsticks, my instincts kicked in again. The old man hadn’t touched his food. Instead, he was simply looking up at the sky. I stared at him directly, trying to figure out what was going on. Sensing my gaze, he feigned surprise.

“Young man, what are you waiting for? Eat before the noodles get soggy.”

“How can I start when you haven’t even touched your food? I’m sorry, but that wouldn’t be right.”

“Ah, you’re right. My mistake. Sorry.”

The old man apologized briefly, picked up his chopsticks, and began eating. Seeing that the time had come, I lifted my bowl with both hands and took several huge gulps of the icy broth. The refreshing liquid burned its way down my throat with coldness and settled in my stomach, washing away the heat accumulated throughout the day.

“Ah! That hits the spot!”

“Haha. Good, good. I’m glad.”

“Sir, may I ask something? Why did you order two servings when you were eating alone?”

The old man narrowed his eyes mischievously and smiled.

“The minimum delivery order was 20,000 won. I had no choice.”

I immediately saw through the excuse. Most people added drinks or side dishes to reach the minimum, not another full meal. But I had no intention of ruining the pleasant atmosphere.

“That makes sense.”

“Say, young man, can I ask you something too? Just out of curiosity.”

“Of course. Ask away.”

“How much do delivery riders make these days?”

“It depends entirely on the individual. Everyone earns differently.”

“And what about you?”

What a question. Why should I tell a complete stranger about my income?

“I do alright. Enough to live comfortably.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not asking with any bad intentions. Just an old habit of wanting to know things.”

Fine. Consider it payment for the free meal.

“On average, I make around 6.5 million won a month. But after insurance, motorcycle maintenance, and gas, about 1.5 million disappears. I’m left with just over five million.”

“Oh? That’s more than I expected.”

“That’s nothing. Plenty of guys work day and night and earn far more than I do.”

“I see... And how long have you been doing this?”

“Two years and seven months.”

“Then you must have quite a nest egg.”

“Well... as they say, the more you make, the more you spend.”

In other words, I had almost nothing saved, and there were reasons for that.

“I see. Young man, I have a favor to ask. I’m not sure if you’ll agree.”

“Tell me first. I’ll listen and decide.”

“Of course. You see, I often crave food from various restaurants, but those damned minimum order amounts always get in the way. Would you become my personal delivery rider? Buy whatever I ask for and bring it here. Naturally, I’ll cover the food, your gas, and I’ll generously compensate you for keeping me company.”

There was no reason to refuse, though one concern remained.

“During peak hours, when work gets crazy, I won’t always be able to come right away.”

“No problem. I’ll always give you at least an hour’s notice.”

“In that case, we have a deal.”

“Ha-ho-ho! I like decisive people.”

“Glad to hear it. Please give me your phone.”

As if he had been waiting for those words, the old man handed it over. I quickly entered my name and number, called myself to confirm it worked, and returned the phone.

“I should save your number too. What’s your name?”

“My name is Park Yeongil.”

I immediately saved him as “Respected Park Yeongil.”

Apparently, he had already read how I entered myself into his phone, because he raised his eyebrows.

“Cha Jiham? Hm. Quite an unusual name.”

Here we go again.

I’d answered this question so many times in my life that the story came out automatically.

“My father originally wanted to name me Jihan. It means living wisely and generously. But my grandfather insisted the name was too ordinary and rejected it. While the two of them were having their cold war, I was born.”

I paused before continuing.

“In the end, after drinking a little too much traditional rice wine, my grandfather secretly went and registered my name as Jiham. His intention was, ‘May he wisely conquer and possess everything in the world.’”

“Hahahahaha!”

Park Yeongil suddenly burst into thunderous laughter that echoed through the garden. I knew exactly why he found it so amusing, so I simply sat there with a sour expression. After he calmed down, I muttered,

“Sir, you may find it funny, but I’ve been stressed over this name my whole life.”

“Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t help myself. But wait, didn’t your father check the paperwork?”

“My father was a career soldier. Right before I was born, he was urgently sent overseas. By the time he came back six months later and learned his son had a name that sounded like a gangster boss, it was already too late.”

“But the laws have changed. You could change it through the court now.”

“Ah...”

I sighed heavily.

“My grandfather says he’ll curse me if I reject the gift he gave me. So I’m stuck with it for now.”

“My goodness...”

Park Yeongil shook his head sympathetically. Wanting to change the mood, I shifted to something that had been bothering me.

“This house must be worth an insane amount of money.”

“The value of real estate is relative.”

“To be honest, I don’t quite understand.”

“For someone with astronomical wealth, this house wouldn’t seem expensive.”

“Ah, now I get it.”

“By the way, Jiham, where do you live?”

“Not far from here. I rent a tiny studio apartment.”

“You don’t live with your parents?”

“My father died twenty years ago. My mother lives in Gangwon Province now, taking care of my grandparents.”

“I see...”

The conversation once again wandered into heavy territory.

“Well then, sir, you seem to have finished eating. I should get going.”

“Wait a moment.”

Park Yeongil stood up, walked to a cabinet, and took out a thick envelope. He handed it to me. Bowing politely in thanks, I peeked inside.

Something was wrong.

We had agreed on 50,000 won, but inside were clearly two crisp fifty-thousand-won bills.

Greed stirred in my heart for a moment, but I had no intention of selling my conscience for another fifty thousand.

“Sir, we agreed on 50,000 won. But there’s 100,000 here.”

“Think of the other fifty as payment for making an old man laugh.”

Something immediately felt off.

This old man was testing me.

And if I was right, taking the extra money would ruin a valuable connection before it had even begun.

No thanks.

I decisively took out one bill and handed it back.

“Sir, fifty thousand is enough for me.”

“Go on, take it. Don’t be shy.”

“My grandfather always said, ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.’ So I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“Well, if your grandfather said so, then I won’t argue.”

“Thank you for the meal and for the honest pay. I should get back to work.”

With complete sincerity and respect, I gave the old man a deep bow, picked up my helmet and bandana, and headed for the gate. A minute after I disappeared, a man around fifty with a stern, commanding face approached the pavilion.

“Chairman, what do you think of the young man? Did you like him?”

“You know, Kang, until now all I’ve seen was empty trash. But this kid... he seems to have character. Surprisingly capable.”

“And you could tell that from one meeting?”

“Call it the intuition of a man in his ninth decade. How long do you need?”

Chairman Park Yeongil was referring to a complete investigation into Cha Jiham.

“Give me a week. I’ll do it properly.”

“Find out everything. Whether he truly earns 6.5 million won from deliveries, and more importantly, where all that money disappears to.”

“It will be done.”

“Now, another matter. What about that runaway bastard who fled to China?”

“Our people captured him in Shanghai this morning. Shall we arrange extradition to Korea?”

“No. It’ll create unnecessary trouble and media noise.”

Chairman Park Yeongil’s voice turned icy and devoid of warmth.

“Clean him up right there in China.”