Chapter 28
Hongju hesitated for a long moment, his shoulders tense. Finally, his chapped lips parted.
“...City Hall. The guys who used to come to play Seotda. In exchange for reduced interest, they’d give us a heads-up when there was going to be a police raid or a demolition notice. Even if something did go down, they’d take care of it quietly.”
“Who are they?”
“I don’t know their names. I don’t even remember their faces properly. They just called them Section Chief Park and Officer Kim.”
The car came to a slow stop at a red light. Mu-gyeong tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, letting out a long breath.
“Hm. But you’d recognize them if you saw them?”
“I think so.”
Hongju turned his gaze outside. They had stopped at the same convenience store intersection where he had come with Doksu before. If he hadn’t met Mu-gyeong here that day... If he hadn’t warned him that he was being set up... If Mu-gyeong had walked in blind and gotten scammed out of his money... How would things have turned out? His debt certainly wouldn’t have shrunk the way it had now.
“If Gu Madam keeps pestering you about what we talked about, just stick to what I told you.”
“What you told me?”
Hongju rolled his eyes upward, searching his memory. Mu-gyeong nodded and pulled out a water bottle from the cup holder, handing it over. It was clearly untouched, still sealed. Hongju hesitated, gripping just the cap. This would probably be his last chance to drink before stepping back into the gambling house.
“Tell him you were too busy washing up, getting loosened up, and spreading your legs to have any kind of conversation.”