Sechan clapped his hands, the sound echoing in the quiet room.
"Everyone, pay attention. This is Choyun. He's officially a new member of North Gangbuk High."
A few people greeted me. Some looked curious, others cautious. I gave a short nod and silently noted their faces.
"I called you all here because East Gangbuk High has started pushing into our territory," Sechan said. "The borders are getting unstable. We need to decide who's defending the front, who stays back to protect the school, and who keeps watch on the West Gangbuk side to monitor Hajun."
The room immediately got loud. People argued, pointed at maps, and threw out names. Everyone talked about defense and territory, but none of them mentioned what happened after the fights.
Sechan turned toward me.
"So, where do you think we should—"
"What business does North Gangbuk High run?" I interrupted.
Sechan paused.
"Business? We don't run one. We're just protecting our home."
I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms.
"So you're planning to unite all of Gangbuk without making money for the people who get injured for you? Do you really think everyone will follow you just out of respect? Respect won't feed anyone. It won't pay hospital bills."
Daniel looked at me, clearly thinking it through.
"Then what do you suggest, Choyun?"
"That depends on you and how far you're willing to go," I said.
"West Gangbuk is under Hajun. He doesn't care about expansion. Leave him alone and he won't move.
East Gangbuk belongs to Jaeha Han. He already runs bars and clubs. He has steady income."
I stopped for a moment.
"And then there's South Gangbuk. Seok Kang. You don't know what he's doing, do you? I checked. He's involved in illegal trade. Drugs."
The room went silent.
"Are you sure?" Daniel asked.
"You know what kind of person he is," I replied. "Do you really think he'd ignore easy money?"
Daniel hesitated.
"No… but I didn't expect that."
"There's nothing surprising about it," I said, looking straight at Sechan.
"At least he's making money for his crew. They'll survive. That's more than what you're offering right now."
Sechan didn't say anything. He just stared down at his hands.
"So," I asked, "what business are you planning to run, Sechan?"
He didn't answer. He wasn't stupid—but this wasn't his field. He knew how to fight, not how to manage money.
"What kind of business do you have in mind?" Daniel asked instead.
"If I explain it, will you agree without turning it into a moral debate?" I asked.
Daniel didn't answer right away.
"We'd need to discuss it."
"That's exactly why I won't explain it," I said. "So let's do this another way."
I let the room settle before continuing.
"Give me three people. I'll handle the crew's finances."
Sechan frowned.
"How?"
"I'll take control of every club, bar, and resort in North Gangbuk," I said.
"I'll put them under one system."
"The owners won't just hand them over," Sechan said.
"That part isn't your concern," I replied. "I just need the people.
Daniel, Seonu Ha, and Eunhyeong Ji."
'For now, only those two mattered. Haru and even Sechan himself were pieces I wanted later—but not yet. I wasn't strong enough.
There were others too. People who would follow me no matter what. I already knew their names.'
Sechan shook his head immediately.
"Not Daniel. He's our second strongest fighter. I won't pull him off the front lines."
"If you give him to me," I said calmly, "I'll pay North Gangbuk High one million won every month."
The reaction was immediate. One million won wasn't pocket change for high school gangs—it was life-changing.
After a long argument, Sechan finally gave in.
"Fine," he said. "But Daniel won't be bound by loyalty. He works with you, not for you."
I took out the contract I had prepared earlier, removed the loyalty clause tied to Daniel, and left the rest untouched.
Seonu Ha and Eunhyeong Ji stayed on it.
"Also, how about I add another clause to the contract? I'll give you an extra two million won."
Sechan frowned.
"What clause?"
"Nothing complicated," I said. "You just have to protect my business. I'll pay two million as protection money."
Sechan thought for a moment, then nodded.
"That works for us. Protecting this area is already our responsibility, so I don't see any issue with it."
"Deal."
They signed.
They had no idea what they'd just agreed to.
North Gangbuk's nightlife alone was worth hundreds of millions of won every month. Paying them three million was nothing.
With two high-intelligence members now under my control, My Crew and buisness finally had a base.
"I'll have the first payment ready by the end of the month," I said, putting the contract away.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."
After leaving the meeting room, I didn't bother going to class. Half the school day was already over, and sitting through a national history lecture felt pointless. With my intelligence stat, I could memorize the entire textbook in one read anyway.
Instead, I wandered through the hallways, quietly observing the students passing by.
"Peek at You," I muttered.
Windows popped up over the heads of the people I looked at.
[STATS]
Potential: E
Intelligence: D
[STATS]
Potential: F
Intelligence: C
One after another, the results were the same.
Pathetic.
Most of them were nothing special. Just regular students with no talent worth mentioning. Even among the seniors, D-rank stats were rare.
Now I understood what my grandfather meant when he said Gangbuk was rotting from the inside.
There was no depth here. No real talent. And without someone to shape them, these people would never amount to anything.
They were just part of the background