DOG GOSPEL; OG PREMISE
Any meeting that takes place offshore, on the dock of some rich motherfucker’s yacht is a problem. Zhang Yixing isn’t in the habit of entertaining such meetings, normally he would send an underling or pass on the invitation to his father to be dealt with, but this particular invitation had come not from some sleazy middle-man’s tipoff.
It’d come from his mother: “Nagasaki Port. They’ll expect you on the docks for eleven. The boat is named the Sobyulwang Cheat.” She’d recommended he bring a trusted guard with him, but Yixing does not trust any of his men stationed in Nagasaki, and so he has gone alone.
He’s worn dress-shoes, though he laments the choice as he steps through oil-ridden puddle after oil-ridden puddle. He’ll have to throw the shoes out by the end of the night—the oil will eat up the expensive soles and the shoes will be worthless before long. The rest of his outfit does not fare much better. His shirt sticks to his chest from the after-storm humidity. His pants pull uncomfortably around his thighs.
Tonight does not scream fortune to him.
The port is always in motion, and yet, the directions he’s been given send him to the quieter side of the business docks. He does not run into anyone as he nears the waters, as he nears the private docks. Not until he’s close enough that the very people who have invited him can pick him out.
Two men with shoulders as broad as mountains, jaws square and boorish, and eyes like half-moons appear from the shadows of a shipping container. “You’re the representative for the Central River Company?” One of them asks. He speaks brusquely, business-like. He is poorly pronounced in Yixing's native language.
Yixing offers nothing more than a curt: “Yes.”
The weight of his gun sits comfortably in its holster. His heart beats against it. His body keeps it warm.
The two guards fall into step alongside him. Neither makes a move to pat him down. If this is because they’re stupid, or because they acknowledge there’s no chance in hell Yixing isn’t armed, he’s unsure. He wants to bristle, but he does not. He merely follows were they lead.
It doesn’t take long to reach their destination. The Sobyulwang Cheat is a medium-sized yacht—not so large as to grab undue attention, but certainly rich enough to spell out the success of its owners. She’s lit up modestly, just the interior salon and the barest corners of the deck, and floats silently in the night-black water of the Nagasaki Bay. He can see the shadow of movement through the cabin windows, but curtains block out any further information.
He’s brought aboard the ship with little preamble. Still, his person is not searched.
The guards lead him to the salon door, and then, they stop. The message is clear: proceed alone.
Yixing rolls the tension out of his shoulders, perhaps the only sign that he had been tense, and then presses the pneumatic button to activate the salon cabin’s doors. They slide open silently, and unleash the gentle music of the interior, the soft din of conversation, and the scent of food, drinks, and smoke—some of it acrid but natural, like tobacco, other more chemical and searing, like that of cocaine. If he’d had doubts about the scene he was walking into—he hadn’t—they would have been alleviated just by this.
He steps inside, but is not welcomed. Few people turn to look his way, and those that do judge him and move on within the blink of an eye. All except for one. Yixing is accustomed to picking out the wolf among the sheep. He’s observant, keen—normally knows when someone’s gaze lingers on him a beat too long.
The feeling right now is intense.
Though, as Yixing’s eyes rove across the room, he can’t quite nail down the source.
He moves it to the back of his mind, compartmentalizing it among every other observation he has made, and moves towards the bar. The woman working it is dressed cleanly, pristine—her hair pulled back into a slick bun. Her shirt is buttoned up to the collar and her apron is ironed flat. Yixing’s used to sleazy looking bartenders—the sort that have been drinking and flirting all night. She is most certainly not that.
Nor does she take his order.
She pours something preselected—what looks like baijiu.
Yixing doesn’t drink. Not excessively. Cocaine is more his vice.
He accepts the drink nonetheless.
When he turns away from the bar… that’s when he spots the gaze that’s been on his back. Normally, when caught, the looker would look away. This man does not. And since he has been unabashedly staring—continues to unabashedly stare—Yixing allows himself the chance to do the same.
This man has eaten arrogance like one would a delicacy. He has digested it. He has metabolized it into the very core of his body’s mechanisms. His limbs are stretched out languidly across the salon couch, taking up far more space than he needs to, and yet this is most obviously a calculated decision. Something to put the others on edge, to force them into their smaller spaces.
His hair is tussled, like he’s had a quick fuck before he strolled in here—and strolled is the word, not an ounce of this man’s countenance suggests he accounts for others in any meaningful, chivalrous way. He is all depravity.
Under Yixing’s watchful eye, he leans his head back and exposes the long, lithe line of his throat. There’s a gold necklace there bearing a crucifix (not a cross, he must enjoy the brutality of wearing an execution like a noose), as well as a necklace of white, polished pearls. He flirts with the idea of feminity, of safety—and yet crushes it in the same breath.
Yixing’s fascinated. Still, all he does is tip his glass, take a sip, and ready himself to move on—to give the rest of the room some of his attention—when the stranger brings some of his limbs inwards, clears a spot for him on the couch. Yixing would be a fool to ignore the invitation, especially considering what kind of gathering this is.
He strides forward. If this man exudes arrogance, then Yixing exudes confidence.
He takes a seat—the cushions are plush, warm from the proximity to the man—and then he leans inward. In Japanese: “You own the boat?” He’s not sure when he settled on this observation, but once it’s out, he agrees wholeheartedly with his gut.
“You like her?” The stranger’s laugh is like liquor… molasses to be specific—slow, moody. “I use her to flirt.”
“Do you now?”
“Certainly.” There is a brief lull, both of their gazes roving over the room. Now that Yixing has taken his seat, he has drawn attention. Some of it is unwelcome (he can read plotting in some of the looks), some of it is curious (veiled interest, some jealousy here and there).
The language changes, now to Mandarin: “You are Zhang Yixing, are you not?”
“Who’s asking?”
“Bian Boxian. I own the White Tiger Club in Seoul.”
Yixing’s never heard of the club. He has however heard of Se Horangi-pa. One of Korea’s only four, organized syndicates—it would have been impossible for Yixing not to pay attention to the name. It’s the first he’s ever dealt with them in person, though. Assuming this Bian Boxian is one of theirs.
Boxian continues: “Everyone is here for me, gege. But I’m here for you. Come upstairs?”
“How’d you get a message to my mother?” Yixing asks instead. “She does not travel.” She is one of those women who has remained in her homeland her entire life—she has traditionalist thoughts and values (at least, as much as she can when she married into crime). She’s not the sort of person Yixing would imagine fraternizing with the Korean mob. Not by choice.
“She took tea with a friend of mine, once. They kept in touch.” Nothing more, nothing less. Boxian’s grin is shark-like, and yet, Yixing does not feel threatened. He feels like he stands on the cusp of some precipice, and yet, there is gold, wealth, fortune at the bottom. “Come along, gege.”
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there's more to the story, isn't there? - from Jihwa, MWAH MWAH MWAH ♥ love seeing him back, love the new url, my favourite doggy~
restless , barely stopping the bouncing of his leg for one minute when one of the guards hisses at him to stop it . he stares at the woman with a smile that suggests nothing but violence ; how could it not ? when he was covered in bruises , when his lip was split and his finger broken . still throbbing in pain , adding to his discomfort . the story of the murders that happened around manyang wasn't even on the list of the things he had to worry about , nor the girl that died which he lied about being friends with . what was her name again ? was she a highschooler ? she opens the pink file , reads about his past experiences with crime . it must be some dusty records that choi mujin had forgotten to destroy when he recruited him . when he gathered a boy from the streets because he wasn't about to go back home even if mujin told him no .
dongcheon wasn't too much , but the streets were . . . it was too hard . so he had to stay exactly where he was and not let a tiny town bring him down from his throne of gold . a tiny town and its tiny police toys . he shifts in his seat and closes his eyes , his leg still bouncing and she reads through his file ; neck arching , facing the ceiling with closed eyes . when her voice reaches his ears he doesn't sit straighter but his mouth tugs in a bigger grin . ❛ i don't think that pretty head of yours is ready to listen to the real story . ❜ getting inside dongcheon was just the start of his miserable life , and before that , he wasn't a living thing . just a punching bag — but dongcheon made him into a stray with mind , with bare teeth , with a loud voice . eventually , sitting better , staring at her with the same smile as he lets his hands rest on his lap . ❛ listen , jagiya , you get back to your own little murder story and leave my big city crimes alone . how much do you want , to let go of me ? ❜ the cops he bought with money might as well become the permanent guests of his table . if he himself was present in it anyway . ❛ a beach house in jeju ? a penthouse in seoul ? cars ? ❜
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