Lookism :The True King

Narrator's POV

The meeting location had been arranged at a luxury restaurant specializing in Chinese cuisine, a theme that seemed to please Xiuren.

Currently, Suho kang was walking side by side with Cha Yu-hwa toward the entrance of the room where the other criminal organization leaders were.

Xiuren was a few steps behind them.

"Don't forget Cha Yu-hwa, I'm behind you. So you can afford to be arrogant," Suho whispered quietly.

It was normally frowned upon to enter with a bodyguard at this kind of meeting, which was supposed to be neutral ground for negotiations.

Thus, his presence could be poorly received.

"Tsk, I don't understand why you insist on being inside. They're just a bunch of weak, arrogant people," Xiuren growled.

His words weren't entirely wrong... at least, normally.

Today, this meeting gathered almost no one powerful or interesting enough to deserve Suho's attention.

The only exception was Yilhak's new leader.

Suho Kang was mainly here to measure the strength difference between himself and the protagonist of the manhwa Baek XX.

'In theory, I should surpass him in all physical stats, but I'm more interested in his fighting style than his raw strength,' he thought while entering the meeting room.

"Surprisingly, you're a bit late, Miss Cha Yu-hwa," said a man in a professional suit, with a relaxed expression.

He seems to want to start a conversation.

"Look at her enjoying herself, that bitch," declared a tanned man, sitting casually.

He said these words while glancing at Suho kang .

Fortunately for Cha Yu-hwa, no one had seen the embarrassed and slightly angry expression on her face after this verbal attack.

"Come now, come now, I'm sure Miss Cha Yu-hwa has her reasons," intervened a young man wearing a white suit.

"Sorry for my lateness, but I'm really busy with recent events," replied Cha Yu-hwa, trying to ignore the crude remark from the tanned man.

Suho Kang pulled out Cha Yu-hwa's chair to help her sit comfortably, then positioned himself behind her, while carefully scanning the room and its occupants with a calculating gaze.

"Am I dreaming or are you ignoring me?" said the casually seated man, sketching a predatory smile while staring at Cha Yu-hwa and Suho Kang.

"Stop with your provocations, Ryu Taehyeong. You know well that we're gathered here precisely to avoid conflicts between us," declared the man in the white suit, whom I identified as Lee Seungmin.

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"You giving me orders?" retorted Ryu Taehyeong, as the atmosphere slowly started to heat up between them.

"He's right, Ryu Taehyeong. We're not here to fight, but to discuss the case of the Taesan organization," calmly intervened the man who had spoken first when we arrived.

Given Ryu Taehyeong's docile reaction, Suho concluded that this was probably Haesung Han.

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"So, when do we actually start this meeting?" inquired Cha Yu-hwa in a composed voice, breaking the awkwardness caused by Ryu Taehyeong's provocations.

"Since the meeting's start time has already passed by a good ten minutes, we won't wait any longer for Taesan's leader, Dokyeong Baek," declared Haesung Han in a calm tone.

"Of course, if you agree," he said while scanning the room.

"I agree to start without him, since his absence confirms the rumor is true," declared Ryu Taehyeong while taking a sip of alcohol.

Nobody contradicted his words. Those present knew that this rumor, although coming out of nowhere, had a certain level of reliability.

The current absence of Taesan's leader confirmed this.

"To hear you talk, one would think you wanted to stab him yourself," declared Cha Yu-hwa with a professional smile on her face.

She had fully entered her role as Chunwoong's leader.

"Of course I would've liked to stab that scum. That guy clearly wasn't at the level to sit at this table," growled Ryu Taehyeong, anger piercing in his voice.

"He showed up and occupied several strategic points, it affected my business," he added through gritted teeth.

"It must be said that you were unable to maintain your influence," declared Lee Seungmin nonchalantly while drinking calmly in front of him.

"What did you say?!" As the atmosphere started to heat up again between Ryu Taehyeong and Lee Seungmin, Haesung Han's voice resonated, calm but authoritative.

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"Pass me the soy sauce, Seungmin. It's too far..." Haesung Han didn't have time to finish his sentence when a hand extended the soy sauce to him.

"Thanks?" Haesung Han alternated his gaze between Suho Kang's hand and the latter.

"Suho... Suho Kang," he said with a composed smile.

Suho's POV

Haesung Han.

This man is dangerous for the future project concerning Seoul.

"Thank you, Suho Kang," he said while taking the soy sauce with a polite smile. It was as if he hadn't just intimidated a criminal organization leader controlling an entire area of Seoul.

He's a talent I'd like to recruit, but it's impossible.

He's just too unstable and petty to become a subordinate.

"Hey, kid!" As I was returning to my place behind Cha Yu-hwa, Ryu's voice called out to me.

I looked at him, expecting a negative reaction to my behavior, but he displayed an approving smile.

"I like people who have balls. Want to move to my organization?"

Surprisingly, he offered me to change sides.

I was slightly taken aback by this sudden offer, but I refused after a few seconds of reflection.

"Sorry to have to refuse your offer, but I've already invested too much with Miss Cha Yu-hwa," I said in a calm tone, observing his face change from approval to disinterest.

"Boss, I think this is the right room, given the atmosphere." While Haesung Han was staring at me, the duo I was waiting for finally arrived.

"Who the hell are you?!" Ryu Taehyeong wasn't the only one observing the intruders who had just entered the room.

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"You talk about me and my organization, but you don't recognize me?" declared Isu Baek, who's posing as his twin brother, Dokyung Baek.

"President Baek? Are you really President Baek?! You changed your hairstyle!!" Cha Yu-hwa didn't hide her surprise.

"I tried to impress you, but you didn't recognize me~" he said in a falsely hurt tone.

"Hmm~" Cha Yu-hwa simply maintained her professional smile while listening to Isu Baek's words.

"Too bad you weren't stabbed to death, it would have saved me from having to do it myself." As Taesan's leader sat down, Ryu Taehyeong immediately started to provoke him.

"I see you're not using your chopsticks. If you plan to eat like a dog, allow me to take your portion."

Isu Baek didn't react brutally to Ryu Taehyeong's words, but retaliated calmly.

I have to admit this guy really knows how to get inside someone's head.

"Y... you... little..." stuttered Ryu Taehyeong, searching for a comeback but visibly caught off guard, while the meeting continued.

"During your absence due to your lateness, we had the opportunity to discuss," declared Haesung Han, in a measured tone.

He clearly turned a blind eye to Baek's provocative behavior, a cleverly calculated decision on his part.

"Oh, really?" replied Baek, without showing much interest in his interlocutor.

"We also mentioned the incident you were victim of and your brother's death, a situation that seems to have affected you greatly," continued Haesung Han while cleaning his glasses before adding:

"This isn't... like you."

Haesung was clearly trying to probe the identity of the person he had in front of him. This guy is really cunning.

"I also heard the funeral was particularly eventful. A fight even broke out there, haha!" launched Ryu Taehyeong, who missed no opportunity to belittle Isu Baek.

"I'm also curious about..." began Cha Yu-hwa, hoping to obtain information about this rival criminal organization.

But before she could finish, I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned slightly to observe me, and I slowly shook my head.

Cha Yu-hwa is an intelligent woman. She immediately understood that I didn't want her to participate in this masquerade.

"Well, there are many things to say or discuss about you, Mr. Baek," declared Haesung Han, adjusting his glasses with a precise gesture.

"So, I'll be brief."

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

"Are you still qualified to sit here?"

These words from Haesung Han hung in the air, making the already palpable tension in the room tremble.

I can say that Haesung is cunning, but he clearly underestimated the madman he has in front of him.

I haven't finished the manhwa *Baek Xx* yet, and I don't remember all the details, but I know that Isu Baek is a deranged man.

"If you knew I wasn't doing well, why didn't you come to cheer me up?"

Isu Baek slowly rose from his seat, pulling out a long knife, looking threatening.

"And especially, *bam*, who are you to check the qualification of MY Taesan?"

He slammed the knife into the table with a crash.

The terrifying aura of a spy who had served for years in North Korea spread throughout the room, crushing anyone who dared to meet his gaze except for two people.

Me and Cha Yu-hwa.