The Night of Betrayal

Rain fell heavily over Seoul.

The city lights reflected across the wet streets like broken diamonds.

At the top floor of a luxurious skyscraper overlooking the Han River stood a man who controlled nearly half of South Korea's underground economy.

His name was Kang Tae-hyun.

Most people called him Kang Tang.

At thirty-two years old, he had achieved what many considered impossible.

Money.

Power.

Fear.

Respect.

Every criminal organization in Seoul knew his name.

Every politician feared his influence.

Every businessman wanted his protection.

Yet none of those things mattered tonight.

Because he had been betrayed.

Kang Tang slowly looked around the conference room.

Three men stood before him.

Men he once trusted with his life.

Lee Do-jin.

Han Ji-hoon.

Park Sung-min.

His closest friends.

His brothers.

The people who helped him build the Black Dragon Mafia from nothing.

Now each pointed a gun directly at him.

The irony almost made him laugh.

"You look surprised," Lee Do-jin said.

Kang Tang stared silently.

Surprised?

No.

Disappointed.

Very disappointed.

"I trusted you."

His calm voice echoed through the room.

Han Ji-hoon smirked.

"That's why you lost."

Rain crashed against the giant glass windows.

For several seconds nobody moved.

Finally Kang Tang sighed.

"How much?"

The three men exchanged glances.

"What?"

"How much money did they offer you?"

Lee Do-jin laughed.

"You still don't understand."

Kang Tang narrowed his eyes.

"It was never about money."

The answer shocked him.

Not money?

Then why?

For ten years they had fought together.

Suffered together.

Built everything together.

So why betray him?

Lee Do-jin stepped forward.

"Because nobody wanted to live under your shadow forever."

The words hit harder than any bullet.

Jealousy.

Simple jealousy.

Human beings had started wars for less.

Kang Tang smiled bitterly.

"So that's all?"

Han Ji-hoon nodded.

"You became too powerful."

"You became a king."

"And kings eventually die."

Silence filled the room.

Kang Tang slowly walked toward the giant window.

Below him, Seoul glittered beneath the storm.

The city he conquered.

The city that would soon forget him.

Strangely, he felt calm.

Perhaps because he already knew there was no escape.

Three guns.

No allies.

No way out.

The game was over.

"Do it."

Lee Do-jin blinked.

"What?"

"Shoot me."

For the first time, uncertainty appeared on their faces.

Kang Tang turned around.

His expression was cold.

Fearless.

Terrifying.

"If you're going to betray me, at least have the courage to finish it."

Han Ji-hoon pulled the trigger.

BANG!

Pain exploded through Kang Tang's chest.

Another shot followed.

Then another.

The world turned red.

His body collapsed onto the floor.

Blood spread beneath him.

The rain outside grew louder.

His vision blurred.

Yet even as death approached, one thought remained.

Regret.

Not for losing power.

Not for losing money.

Not even for dying.

He regretted never protecting the people he loved.

Especially one person.

Yoon Seo-ah.

The woman who waited for him.

The woman he pushed away because he believed power mattered more than love.

A tear rolled down his cheek.

For the first time in years, Kang Tang felt human again.

"If I had another chance..."

Darkness swallowed everything.

Then something impossible happened.

A voice echoed through the void.

A woman's voice.

Soft.

Distant.

"Kang Tae-hyun..."

His eyes suddenly opened.

Bright sunlight hit his face.

Birds chirped outside.

The smell of instant noodles filled the room.

Confused, he sat upright.

This wasn't his penthouse.

This wasn't the skyscraper.

This wasn't even his apartment.

It was a tiny one-room studio.

The room he lived in when he was twenty-two years old.

His breathing stopped.

Slowly he looked at the calendar hanging on the wall.

March 14, 2016.

Ten years earlier.

Kang Tang froze.

Then his eyes widened.

His heart thundered violently.

"No way..."

The impossible had happened.

The dead king of Seoul had returned.

And this time...

He remembered everything.

The betrayals.

The enemies.

The future.

The woman he lost.

A cold smile appeared on his face.

Outside, Seoul continued its normal morning.

People rushed to work.

Students walked to school.

Nobody knew what had just happened.

Nobody knew a future mafia king had been reborn.

Nobody knew the balance of power was about to change forever.

Kang Tang stood before the mirror.

His younger face stared back.

Young.

Alive.

Dangerous.

He clenched his fist.

"Ten years."

"I have ten years to change everything."

The smile on his face slowly grew darker.

Lee Do-jin.

Han Ji-hoon.

Everyone who betrayed him.

This time would be different.

This time he would build an empire no one could destroy.

And this time...

He would never lose Seo-ah.

The second life of Kang Tang had begun.

End of Chapter 1.

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