Morning,
The journey had stretched through a night.
By the time the boat reached near the dock of Osaka, the sun had risen from the horizon. Ha-Joon stood at the edge of boat, while the boat parked at its dock.
He had already contacted the Hangure estate before setting off, so someone had been arranged to pick him up, leaving him off with unnecessary detour.
By the time, Ha-Joon stepped off from the boat. The standard black car stopped just outside of the port waiting for his arrival.
As soon as Ha-Joon arrived. The man stepped out of the car and greeted him.
"Welcome back, Oyabun."
Ha-Joon gave a light nod, entering the backseat. The door closed with a thud, and the car began its journey straight towards the Hangure estate.
....
Ha-Joon reached the Hangure estate within the hour. The Hangure estate hadn't changed much. Just the usual silence, and guards doing their job with seriously.
And inside the estate, Park Somi waited patiently, sitting quietly on the mat, hands resting on her lap, with her back straight.
Oyabun Hall.
As soon as Ha-Joon stepped in, she gave a small bow of greeting. She was dressed in her usual light pink kimono adorned with red and yellow flower. The low table sat between them, with a teapot already placed on top and a clean tatami was laid for Ha-Joon.
Ha-Joon nodded at her greeting, before taking off his long coat and sat on the mat across from her.
"Well." He said, while laughing. "I was planning to give you a surprise visit. Instead I got surprised by your preparation."
She smiled slightly before pouring tea on his cup. "Well if you were planning to return. I would be informed one way or other. After all you have given me quiet a handful of diligent worker for their clan's, boss lady."
Ha-Joon chuckled from her word before turning serious. "Forget about that, how much has the plan progressed."
"I've begun the operation while you were away," Somi began. "The local clans have been quiet. No internal conflicts worth noting. We've begun recruitment at the outer wards region just as instructed."
"It's brilliant how you even managed to formed a complex system."
"And the structure." Ha-Joon asked, practically ignoring her last word. "Has it taken shape yet."
Somi nodded.
"We've laid the foundation. Each ward will have its own assigned leader, managing their own unit with minimal crossover. We've kept it lean so far, three teams total, operating under a tiered structure. It will make us easier to monitor them."
What Somi didn't know was that this exact system would eventually become the backbone of Charles Choi's empire in the future. A web of "crews," carefully structured to operate semi-independently while still answering to one central power.
Each crew had a specialty with their limits. It wasn't just organized crime, it was weaponized strategy.
"It's a little unorthodox," she added, "I can somewhat guess why you wanted to implement it. But is it really necessary to form this. Why don't you just take fund from the clan for your use."
Ha-Joon's lips twitched in a half-smile. What could he do? He didn't want to risk at the unknown. It was better safe to plagiarize someone's work which had succeeded, shown in the future. But it's not exactly plagiarizing is it? If that someone didn't even have the specific direction of his future work.
And if Charles Choi's system was fated to rise one day, then he would use that future knowledge to build a better version of it. One that he could control entirely.
"It's not mine," he admitted. "Well, not originally."
"And I don't intend on taking the clan's fund because what I want is to form a independent company. So, I need money but not that urgent enough that i need to use clan's fund, only to bound by clan in the end."
Seeing the curious gaze from Somi, Ha-Joon smiled slightly before explaining. "It's something that hasn't happened yet," He added. "A system created by someone else. One that'll turn Korea on its head in the years to come."
Somi didn't ask how he knew that. She never pried into questions she knew she wouldn't get answers to.
"So, you are certain that it will work in Japan too." She asked instead.
"It will," Ha-Joon replied. "Especially if we build it before anyone else even imagines it."
After a moment of thought, he asked. "Any issues?"
"Minor ones. Some of the vassal tried to dismiss the implementation, but I used your name. Just hearing your name made them scared to death."
Ha-Joon chuckled, while she continued. "And here's the file of recent development and the map surrounding to its development."
He looked at the map laid out in the center of the file. Osaka was theirs, and Kyoto was following, from Yamazaki part. If all went according to plan, all part of Japan will be covered by the crew except Tokyo, which will be his future domain.
"Good," Ha-Joon muttered. "Very good."
Somi glanced at him. "What's next?"
Ha-Joon tapped the each side of the region, and said. "Expand each crew and keep their duties clean. No overlaps, no confusion. Let them grow into their roles. And if anyone tries to rise outside their lane then let them be."
"Let them think that they're clever and then use them until their values drop."
She raised her brow, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Well, come on. Let's go. I made dinner just for you," she said gently, rising to her feet.
"You've been working too hard again, haven't you? At least for tonight, let someone take care of you."
There warmth in her word, almost as if reminding of her own son seeing him. "You don't have to say anything. Just eat well, alright?"
Ha-Joon smiled faintly before nodding. He stood on his feet and gestured her to lead him.
With that, their discussion came to a close, and the two quietly made their way toward the dining area.
...
Ahh.. Finally another chapter. Sorry for disappointing ya'll by not uploading chapter day before yesterday.. Hope you all forgive me.. 😅