[Several days after the conquest of the East]
The call connects. The signal is clear. On the other end, only controlled breathing can be heard.
Choyun (low, sharp voice):
"...Wow. I didn't think you'd call me... Suhyeon."
Suhyeon (calm):
"The East and South are already under my control.
You're next."
A brief silence. No surprise or fear in the response.
Choyun:
"I already knew. Daniel—my number two—spoke with you, right? He told you that in two months we could face each other."
Suhyeon nods, even though he knows the gesture is useless.
Suhyeon:
"Exactly. And I confirmed it with you now."
Choyun (a slight, dry laugh):
"...And why should I give you that advantage, Suhyeon? Why should I allow you to prepare?"
Suhyeon is silent. Four seconds. Five.
Suhyeon (coldly):
"I don't think you understand, Choyun... I'm not asking you."
The line goes tense. The tone is no longer diplomatic.
Suhyeon:
"You know how the system works. If you've already been assigned an official mission... and you decide to reject it, you'll lose everything you have. Your strength, your cards, your authority... everything."
On the other end, silence. But not because of surprise, but because Choyun understands the game better than anyone.
Choyun:
"...So you're not so different from me."
Suhyeon (Sarcastically):
"No. Don't compare me to you, Choyun..."
Choyun (barely a whisper):
"We'll see each other in two months, then."
Suhyeon doesn't respond. He just hangs up.
Click.
[Scene change]: Black Lotus Café – Private office on the second floor – 3:47 p.m
The frosted glass door closed softly behind Ji-hyuk Yang. In the small office overlooking the premises, Suhyeon was sitting at the light wood desk, leafing through a bound report with the black logo of a stylized pickaxe: the symbol of Black Lotus cafés.
Eleven locations, each with a different façade, but all sharing the same hallmark: a minimalist pike embroidered in matte black on a white background. Discreet, elegant, and strangely intimidating if one knew their true owner.
Ji-hyuk placed his tablet on the table and opened his notebook.
"These are the results of the first monthly cut. The eleven branches—eight standard and three mixed with coworking spaces—generated a gross income of 217 million won," he said calmly.
Suhyeon leafed through the report without changing his expression.
"Does that already include operating expenses?"
"Yes. Supplies, payroll, rent, taxes, maintenance, and logistics. The net amount after all that is 92 million. Clean money. No accounting observations."
"The accounts?"
"Redirected through the cultural front we set up: Project Bloom. It's registered as a youth initiative to promote sustainable entrepreneurship. We use it as a screen to justify strategic reinvestment in infrastructure, design, and community activities... that only exist on paper."
There was a brief pause before Suhyeon asked:
"And state oversight?"
"Low. We appear on the list of beneficiaries of the state program Young Business 21. The fact that our premises are close to schools reinforces the narrative. As long as we continue to pay taxes on time and generate reports with fake workshops, no one will investigate further."
Ji-hyuk took out a small additional dossier and slid it toward him.
"In addition, these are the digital metrics. Each café has a micro-site connected to the central portal. All with the review system activated."
Suhyeon quickly leafed through it. The figures were stable.
"Average of 4.8 stars in most locations," added Ji-hyuk. "The reviews highlight the quiet atmosphere, the safety of the place, and the quality of the coffee. We also reported more than seven thousand interactions on social media last week."
"Any negative comments?"
Ji-hyuk smiled subtly.
"One. A girl said the decor was 'too serious.' But that works in our favor. Elegant minimalism conveys authority. And the controversy... generates curiosity."
Suhyeon closed the report and interlaced his fingers on the desk.
"Black Lotus isn't just a business. It's presence and elegance. I need people to think of us when they think of order."
"And they are," Ji-hyuk replied without hesitation.
Black Lotus Café – Private office on the second floor – 7:52 p.m.
The map of Gangbuk was spread out on the table. Ji-hyuk had marked it with red circles and green lines representing student flow, neutral zones, and possible distribution routes.
Suhyeon, with his arms crossed, analyzed it silently. His eyes scanned the key intersections, the hand-drawn margins, the small asterisks that Ji-hyuk added only when there was something that required his personal attention.
"There are two key locations for expansion," Ji-hyuk began. "One right on the northern border, in the industrial zone. Lots of traffic, few quality locations. It would be an indirect provocation to Choyun."
"And the other," he added, sliding over a sheet with a preliminary design, "in the central academic district. Near the Youth Ministry and the Technical School of Administration."
Suhyeon kept his eyes fixed on the map.
"I don't want to seem ambitious."
Then he looked up, a cold shadow in his eyes.
"I want to seem inevitable."
Ji-hyuk nodded, understanding the difference.
"So which one do you authorize first?"
"The one in the academic district. I want to establish myself where politics breathe. Where those who believe they have power are formed. That's where we sow our presence."
He paused.
"The one in the North can wait... but make them see the movements. Make them notice the flow of materials. Hire outside workers, generate noise. Make them uneasy. Make them wonder when I'll cross over."
Ji-hyuk took notes quickly.
"What about the cameras?"
"Install them in both. Legally, for security. Unofficially, I want eyes. Faces. Conversations. Everything that moves near our doors must be recorded."
Ji-hyuk lowered the tablet slightly, as if hesitating for a second.
"There's something else," he said in a lower voice. "We have a meeting tonight. An outside investor. From outside the school system. They're coming because of the rumors about our profits. And because of you."
Suhyeon wasn't surprised. He just narrowed his eyes.
"Of course."
"Did you know?"
"When we started appearing on youth portals, they ignored it. But when our reports started to cross with bank data... they stopped seeing it as a coincidence."
He turned toward the window, from where one of the Black Lotus cafes could be seen across the street.
"They're not coming for coffee."
Ji-hyuk said nothing. He waited for the order.
Suhyeon looked back at the map, but this time not with strategy. With an eye for consequences.
"If they come uninvited, it means they want something. If they come with respect, then they understand what I'm building."
And in a lower voice, almost to himself:
"I want to see which group the one coming tonight belongs to."
Ji-hyuk looked up.
"Where do you want to receive them?"
Suhyeon smiled slightly.
"Don't worry, he'll be here soon. Send him the location."