THE STREET KING

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1. The Weight of Betrayal

Jinwoo sat in the dimly lit safehouse, his hands clenched into fists.

The documents lay scattered before him, and no matter how many times he read them, the truth didn't change.

His father.

His enemy.

One and the same.

Ji-hyun sat across from him, silent, watching.

"You don't have to do this now," she said softly.

Jinwoo exhaled sharply. "I don't have a choice."

For years, he had built his empire, clawing his way to the top, thinking he was cleaning up his father's mess.

But all along, his father had been alive, working with Hyun-seok.

The realization was a knife to the gut.

Ji-hyun reached for his hand, but he pulled away.

"I need to handle this myself."

She flinched at his cold tone but nodded.

"You're not alone," she whispered.

Jinwoo didn't answer.

Because at that moment, he felt like he was.

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2. A Meeting with Ghosts

By noon, Jinwoo had found him.

His father was in a private villa outside Seoul, surrounded by mercenaries.

It was clear.

He had been expecting Jinwoo to come.

Jinwoo walked straight through the front gates, hands in his pockets.

The guards moved—but a single glare from Jinwoo made them hesitate.

Then, he saw him.

Seo Sang-wook.

His father sat in the garden, a cigarette in his fingers, watching his son with tired eyes.

"Jinwoo," his father said. "You finally found out."

Jinwoo's voice was ice. "You should have told me yourself."

Sang-wook exhaled smoke. "Would you have listened?"

Jinwoo slammed his fist on the table. "I built my entire life trying to escape your sins! But you were never gone—you were behind it all!"

Silence.

Then, his father said, "It was never about you."

Jinwoo froze.

Sang-wook leaned back. "You were a child. I needed to protect you. I had to make sure you wouldn't be dragged into this world."

Jinwoo laughed bitterly.

"I AM this world," he said.

His father studied him.

Then, he pulled out a flash drive and slid it across the table.

Jinwoo hesitated.

"What is this?"

His father sighed.

"The real reason Hyun-seok wants you dead."

Jinwoo stared at him.

Then, slowly, he reached for it.

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3. The Unfinished War

Back at the safehouse, Jinwoo plugged in the drive.

Ji-hyun stood beside him as files loaded onto the screen.

Then, she gasped.

Blueprints. Explosive shipments. Military-grade weapons.

Hyun-seok wasn't just running the underworld—he was planning a coup.

Ji-hyun whispered, "He's trying to take over Korea."

Jinwoo's mind raced.

If Hyun-seok succeeded, every gang, every politician, would bow to him.

This wasn't just about revenge anymore.

It was about stopping a war.

Jinwoo stood.

"We end this. Now."

Ji-hyun nodded.

And just like that, the final battle began.

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4. The Last Betrayal

Jinwoo and his men arrived at Hyun-seok's stronghold—an abandoned shipyard on the coast.

They moved silently, efficiently.

And then—the gunfire started.

Ji-hyun fought beside him, taking down enemies with sharp precision.

Jinwoo cut through the chaos, heading for the main building.

But just as he stepped inside—

BANG.

Pain ripped through his stomach.

He staggered back, blood spilling down his shirt.

And standing in front of him—

Seo Dae-hwan.

The man who had given them Hyun-seok's location.

Ji-hyun screamed his name.

Jinwoo fell to his knees.

Dae-hwan sneered. "You actually thought you could win?"

Jinwoo's vision blurred.

But he still smiled.

Because he had expected this.

And Dae-hwan had just made a mistake.

Ji-hyun's gun went off.

And the traitor fell, a bullet between his eyes.

Jinwoo gritted his teeth and pushed himself up.

"I'm still here," he whispered.

And then—he kept walking.

Because this wasn't over yet.

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End of Chapter 74

(Next Chapter: The Fall of a King.)