By the time Jack and Ma Seok-do arrived at a whiskey club named "The Gorge", it was just past 5 PM. A "Closed" sign hung on the door, indicating that business hours were from 10 PM to 6 AM.
Seeing Ma Seok-do fiddling with the round doorknob, Jack sighed and patted his shoulder, signaling him to step aside. He pulled out his wallet, retrieved a lockpicking tool, and effortlessly popped the door open within seconds.
Breaking the lock? No search warrant was bad enough—if they found nothing, it'd be even more embarrassing.
"Eh? Actually, I know a bit of this too. I thought the door was just rusted and wouldn't turn," Seok-do said, scratching his nose in an attempt to save face.
Jack didn't bother exposing him. Instead, he elegantly gestured toward the open door.
"Next time, you go first. Please, after you."
The interior of the bar was high-end, with warm yellow lighting giving the shelves of premium liquor an air of class. Nothing about this place screamed underground drug den.
"Who the hell are you, and how did you get in?"
A thug in a leopard-print T-shirt, wearing a black suit with thick gold chains around his neck and wrists, approached them with a confused look.
"We're police. Here to see Boss Jung." Seok-do immediately introduced himself.
Just then, a soft, sultry voice called out from inside.
"Joon-suk? Who's there?"
"It's nothing, sis. I'll send them away," the thug, Joon-suk, replied, then took two steps forward, blocking their path.
"We just have a few questions for Boss Jung." Seok-do maintained a friendly tone, but the thug's attitude was anything but friendly.
"Are you friends with my sister? Are you together?"
Joon-suk shoved Seok-do's shoulder, but his suspicious gaze was on Jack.
Jack shook his head, staying silent as he pointed at Seok-do, signaling that he was the main negotiator here.
"Get the hell out," Joon-suk repeated, shoving Seok-do again.
"Let's talk this out."
"I said get lost. This isn't your place, asshole!" Joon-suk suddenly grabbed Seok-do's collar.
Sigh. Jack couldn't bear to watch. Sure enough—
CRACK!
Joon-suk's wrist twisted backward at an unnatural angle as Seok-do flipped him over, making him scream in pain.
"Bro, calm down. We're police." Seok-do shoved him away, but the thug immediately ripped off his jacket and swung his fist.
THUD!
CRACK!
SMASH!
Seok-do ducked, landed a solid punch to the guy's gut, followed by an uppercut to the jaw, sending him spinning onto a sofa, his butt sticking up in the air.
"I told you we were police." Seok-do patted the exposed butt cheek before marching inside.
Behind the bar counter, a stunning woman with sharp features and a bombshell figure gasped, covering her mouth.
Then, heels clacking, she stormed over, rage radiating from her presence.
"Who the hell are you?! How dare you wreck my business?!"
Despite yelling, her voice dripped with seduction.
Seok-do ignored her, weaving past the bar counter, searching for something.
"You're messing with the wrong place!"
"Eh, I told you already—we're police." Seok-do didn't even look back, rummaging through a wall of liquor cabinets behind the bar.
Jack, still polite, gave the woman a charming smile.
"You're Boss Jung, correct?"
The woman glanced between Seok-do—with his thuggish face—and Jack, whose handsome looks could outshine any Korean idol.
For a moment, she didn't know what expression to make.
"Yes, that's me. And you? Also police?"
Being a businesswoman, she quickly masked her emotions, flashing a seductive smile.
"Something like that." Jack had lost interest in repeating his job title every time.
"We received a tip-off that your club is selling drugs illegally."
"Me?!" She pointed at herself, stammering.
"What... what drugs?! Don't try to frame me! This is a legit business!"
She kept up her fake smile, placing a hand on her chest as if shocked, her body trembling delicately.
Genuine. Jack made a mental note—she was all-natural.
Maintaining a serious tone, he continued, "A new drug called 'HYPER'. If you cooperate, we'll put in a good word for you with the prosecutor."
Boss Jung's composure cracked.
Her flirtatious act disappeared as she hurried to the bar counter, trying to block Seok-do, who was now rummaging through drawers.
"Ahjussi! What are you doing?! That drawer has expensive cigars! One of those costs more than your monthly salary!"
"Why is this the only drawer with a lock?" Seok-do asked, expressionless, opening it anyway.
"And? So what?!" The woman started panicking.
She suddenly shifted tactics, batting her lashes at Jack.
"Oppa~, let's talk things out, okay?"
Before she could react, Seok-do yanked open the drawer.
Jack instantly spotted a plastic bag taped to the underside.
"Found it."
Seok-do ripped it off, revealing two large bags of pills.
"Shit..." Boss Jung's legs buckled, and she nearly collapsed at Jack's feet.
___
### 30 Minutes Later – Club Booth
The four of them sat in a booth, staring at each other.
Jack and Seok-do sat on one side, while Boss Jung and her thug Joon-suk sat across from them.
On the table lay two large bags of pills and stacks of 50,000 won notes.
"You—sit properly."
Joon-suk, still holding his bruised jaw, had been slouching, but Seok-do's sharp command made him immediately straighten up, his attitude completely submissive.
"And you." Seok-do pointed at Boss Jung, who had been hiding her face in her hands.
She flinched, then quickly straightened up, puffing out her chest.
"The deal is still on the table. If you tell the truth, we'll let this slide," Jack reassured, playing the good cop.
His white face added credibility—it was obvious that having an FBI agent present meant this was serious.
Besides, this search was completely illegal—no warrant, no authorization.
Prosecutor Kim Joon-ho was still busy handling the rich kid's extradition and couldn't intervene.
Of course, this leniency only applied in Korea.
If they were in a certain neighboring country, these two bags—at 200 grams of cocaine-based product—would be enough to get both Boss Jung and Joon-suk executed twice over.
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