IC C20

Chapter 20

“Xie Wei, but how did you come to be here?”

So, the moment had arrived.

Normally, he would have ignored the question. But after all the help he’d received tonight, he felt he owed at least a partial explanation. As he hesitated over what excuse to give, Lei Jun spoke first.

“Don’t tell me… it’s because of the broker?”

For an instant, Kang Siwon’s composure wavered.

How did Lei Jun know about the broker’s existence?

Granted, he also worked at Sovereign Casino, and being familiar with its internal affairs wasn’t unusual. Yet this sort of underground information would have been difficult to access, even for someone as well-connected as Lei Jun. Could it be that Lei Jun, too, was entangled with some organization? Or worse—was he part of one?

Unable to reach a clear conclusion, Siwon fell silent. Lei Jun’s voice lowered.

“Can you keep what I’m about to say a secret?”

“…Of course.”

“I’m only telling you this because I trust you. So you must promise to keep it between us.”

Those three words—I trust you—struck directly at his heart.

Was he even worthy of hearing them? Morality aside, he and Lei Jun hadn’t known each other long enough to build such trust. If anything, Siwon had seemed more suspicious than trustworthy. Yet he nodded deeply.

“I will.”

“The truth is… I’ve witnessed some odd things while working at Sovereign too,” Lei Jun continued. “A few VIP clients who used to stick close to a particular junket broker suddenly disappeared. They could’ve grown tired of gambling or moved to another casino—but something didn’t sit right with me. I did some digging, and sure enough, that broker was involved.”

“How exactly?”

“He lures clients into dangerous games or connects them with loan sharks. A filthy piece of work.”

What startled Siwon wasn’t that the broker was corrupt, but that Lei Jun had figured any of this out. Then again, he was a dealer—no department had more direct contact with guests. It made sense that he’d notice anomalies sooner than most.

“I felt relieved when I heard he’d left Macau,” Lei Jun said. “But tonight, by chance, I saw him again. Looks like he’s already hunting new prey.”

He took a short breath, choosing his next words carefully.

“To be honest, I had no intention of talking to anyone about it. Everyone would just shrug it off as none of their business, and no one would believe me anyway. But Xie Wei… I have this feeling you wouldn’t.”

Siwon couldn’t imagine what part of him brought Lei Jun to such a conclusion.

He wasn’t kind. He wasn’t righteous. He knew that better than anyone. Which was why Lei Jun’s faith in him felt uncomfortable.

But not unpleasant.

For the first time in ages, somebody’s misconception allowed him to feel—if only briefly—like a good person.

Lei Jun was watching him quietly. Even in the dim car, his hazelnut-colored eyes gleamed distinctly. Perfectly composed, not a hair out of place, he waited patiently for Siwon to speak.

At last, Siwon broke the silence.

“…In some ways, I’m a bit like you. Working in the cage room, I naturally notice the flow of chips. Like I mentioned before, now and then there are strange movements.”

“Mm.”

“I thought it was suspicious, so I followed the trail—and ended up here. …Sorry, I can’t say more than that.”

He trailed off, unsure how to end it—unsure what to say at all if Lei Jun started pressing for details. This excuse was flimsy, and he knew it. Lei Jun would probably find him suspicious either way. Siwon bowed his head, angry at his own lack of eloquence.

“It must have been hard, Xie Wei.”

“…”

Lei Jun placed his hand gently over Siwon’s. The touch instantly recalled the earlier kiss. A sudden rush of something—embarrassment, confusion, or both—surged through Siwon, and he jerked his hand away.

“S-sorry, but I should go. I need some time to sort my thoughts… Let’s talk again once we’re back in Macau.”

“As you wish. Where are you headed? I’ll drive you.”

Lei Jun fastened his seatbelt as he asked. Siwon was about to refuse out of habit, but then changed his mind. Jushang had fled earlier; if he was unlucky, the man might already be on his way to the hotel. To get back even a few minutes faster, it would be wiser to accept Lei Jun’s offer.

“Do you know the Edelweiss Hotel?”

“Yeah.”

“Take me there, please.”

The moment Siwon mentioned a well-known hotel near the Rosena, Lei Jun started the engine. His trust made Siwon’s mouth taste bitter. He felt like he was taking advantage of an honest roommate. But there was no helping it—he needed to get back before Jushang did.

The car glided smoothly forward. Siwon fastened his seatbelt and clenched the buckle tight in his hand.

When they reached the Edelweiss Hotel, Siwon quickly got out and headed inside. It was less than a five-minute walk to the Rosena Hotel, but the thought that Jushang might have already arrived made him anxious. Returning Lei Jun’s jacket and changing back into his hoodie had already wasted precious time.

“Hff… hff…”

He reached the room at a near run. Unlocking the door, he stepped into darkness and silence. Thankfully, Jushang wasn’t back yet—no doubt still wrapped up in shady dealings with that broker.

Without even changing, Siwon collapsed face-first onto the bed.

“Phew…”

Too much had happened for the day to feel real—the tailing, the eavesdropping, and then…

…The kiss with Lei Jun.

Now that he was alone, the memory returned with overwhelming clarity. Almost unconsciously, he brushed his fingertips against his lips. The moment he realized what he was doing, he buried his face in the pillow in mortification. How could he ever face Lei Jun again?

“Ugh…”

Lei Jun’s image flashed in his mind—his sharp figure in that elegant changpao under a tailored suit. He looked less like a modern magnate and more like some storybook prince. Maybe that was why Siwon had let his guard down, why he’d confessed anything at all.

Had it been the right thing to do?

He still couldn’t forget that day—being dragged into a container, the merciless beating that followed. It had taught him exactly what kind of monsters Baeksa‑pa were.

And their cruelty didn’t end with physical violence. They had countless ways of destroying a person—drowning them in debt until they disappeared from society, or driving them to end their own lives.

If Lei Jun ever found out what Siwon had truly said, the punishment would be far worse than a beating. He’d never be able to repay the thirty‑billion‑won debt, and both his uncle Gyucheol and his own life would crumble into ruin.

A shiver crawled down his spine. Pulling the blanket up, he curled himself into a ball.

Yet even as regret should have consumed him, it didn’t. Maybe he really had lost his mind. Or maybe working at a casino had toughened his nerves beyond repair.

Either way, what was done was done. Now, all he could do was hope Lei Jun was far more trustworthy than he dared to believe.

The white sedan glided gently across the road. Nathan Road, usually teeming with tourists and traffic, was relatively quiet at this hour of the night.

As Lei Jun entered the hotel parking lot, his phone rang. He parked smoothly before answering.

“What is it, Gemma?”

—I just heard from Soo‑ah Kim. She said you left abruptly.

“And you called just for that?”

His voice carried a hint of amused disbelief, but Gemma was serious.

—I was worried something might have happened.

“What could have happened? Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

—…Yes, hearing your voice does relieve me somewhat.

“Disappointed?”

—Hardly. Why would you say that?

Though well‑used to Lei Jun’s teasing, Gemma still sounded genuinely flustered, even indignant. Lei Jun chuckled softly. For some reason, he couldn’t stop smiling tonight. It must have been all the unexpected delights of the evening.

“I went to the party—I had to enjoy myself a little, didn’t I? That’s all.”

—…Don’t tell me you were with Soo‑ah Kim and still—

“I don’t know what you’re imagining, but first of all, there was no fooling around. Second, Soo‑ah isn’t really my lover, so there’s nothing to fuss over. At any rate, I achieved exactly what I came for.”

Lei Jun had attended the party not merely for networking, but to accomplish something far more significant.

He’d received intelligence that a junket broker—recently expelled from Macau for his role in laundering and underground remittance operations—was rebuilding his clientele in Hong Kong.

For Lei Jun, who was tracking the illegal funds linked to Sovereign Resort’s COO, the broker—once a silent collaborator of that very executive—was a critical lead.

As expected, the man had appeared at the party. Lei Jun had kept his distance, quietly observing him all night.

—What did you think, seeing him in person?

“He’ll be worth digging into. There’s a lot to unearth.”

—No doubt. That broker used to cash out laundered chips and sell them himself. If we trace that chain, we might expose not only the clients but even the executive network behind them.

Gemma already sounded eager; who could blame her? For them, hunting down Sovereign’s murky financial trails, any data concerning that broker might prove invaluable.

“I’ve just had a brilliant idea, actually,” Lei Jun murmured, biting back a deeper smile.

—What idea would that be?

“Before that—Gemma. Have you looked into that man called Jushang yet?”