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american comcis _ tales of caltiveter _chapter_0128_part_02
Chapter 214
chapter 0128 part 2
One must know that the complex relationships within the Golden Gate Group could be traced back to the 1970s and 80s.
That was also the golden period of South Korea's development. With the support of the Federation, the South Korean economy achieved rapid development.
However, the inadequate legal system failed to keep up with the pace of the economy, leading to widespread chaos and disorder in society.
Where sunlight could not reach, the dark forces spread like a virus at high speed.
South Korea was full of young men from society who spoke "Ah, ssi-bal!" wore floral shirts, and widely opened their collars to reveal the tattoos underneath.
Gunfights caused by fighting over territory happened almost every day.
And some overseas Chinese Gangs fully utilized the characteristic of Chinese people to band together when encountering danger.
Several overseas Chinese Gangs united and formed a Gang, the Northmoon Clan.
This was the branch of the Golden Gate Group that Ding Qing belonged to.
Without the changes of the era, Ding Qing and his group might have remained in the Yeosu Area, lording over it.
But by the late 1990s, South Korea underwent large-scale anti-gang crackdowns. After several rounds of crackdowns, the Gangs across the country fell into a slump.
To survive, many Organizations began to transform. Gangs across the country began to integrate and form companies.
The hooligans in floral shirts who swore constantly had become a thing of the past, evolving instead into something like the Yakuza organization across the sea in Japan, wearing black suits, white shirts, and ties.
They looked just like office workers.
Because the Northmoon Clan lacked roots in South Korea, it merged with several Gangs to form a group company, the Golden Gate Group, becoming a cross-regional national Gang.
The Golden Gate Group was internally divided into the Jaebum Faction, the Imperial Sun Faction, and the Northmoon Clan, based on the predecessors of the original Gangs.
The Jaebum Faction had the strongest influence, and thus its Leader became the chairman of the Golden Gate Group.
Even though Li Zi Cheng was from the Northmoon Clan, he had to admire Chairman Shi's methods and drive.
After the Golden Gate Group was established, he spent heavily to hire a dedicated legal department. Criminal behavior also changed from openly and brazenly committing crimes in broad daylight to doing so underground and behind the scenes.
The internal Organization was strict, with senior legal advisors. Coupled with the money obtained from crime that could be used for bribery, especially after the military government fell in 1994, when the high-pressure environment disappeared.
The Golden Gate Group ushered in another spring. The entire Organization had adopted a legal facade and no longer needed to hide in the shadows.
They could freely walk forward in the sunlight wearing suits, and had become one of the top gang organizations in South Korea.
However, the composition of the Golden Gate Group was extremely complex, consisting of Gangs from multiple regions. To maintain such a complex Organization with diverse components and nationalities, a strong leader was necessary.
Chairman Shi of the Golden Gate Group was such a person with power, influence, and ability. When he was around, he could balance the various forces within the gang.
But after he was assassinated.
The Golden Gate Group fell into a state of chaos. Several influential Big Brothers all wanted to be the Leader, naturally refusing to submit to each other.
In this chaotic situation, Li Zi Cheng was merely a director of the Golden Gate Group. With Ding Qing absent, he couldn't control the situation at all.
On the contrary, Ding Qing was not only the executive director of the Golden Gate Group—the Leader of the Northmoon Clan branch.
Although he was nominally only the third-ranked figure within the Group, he controlled the Group's main business. Chairman Shi had also always regarded him as a candidate for successor during his lifetime.
Escorted by seven or eight men in black suits, Ding Qing and Li Zi Cheng walked towards the Outside of the Airport. Outside the Airport, three black Hyundai cars had been waiting for a long time.
"So cool, Zi Yun, when do you think I can become an Important Figure like that, with people surrounding me!"
Looking at Ding Qing, who was surrounded by men in black suits, a girl who looked like a high school student standing by the roadside cast an envious look.
"Study hard, and when you get into Seoul University, you will definitely become an amazing person!"
The girl's best friend, the short-haired girl named Zi Yun, had a calmness in her eyes that didn't match her age. "Seoul University? Gu Zi Yun, do you think I'm like you?" The girl said dejectedly, "I can't hope for Seoul University. What do you think about me debuting as a star?"
Gu Zi Yun looked at her best friend in surprise: "A star? They have height requirements, right?"
The girl looked at her short legs and pouted angrily, "Gu Zi Yun!"
The two girls chased and played, Gu Zi Yun's gaze sweeping over the license plate number of the Hyundai car Ding Qing was sitting in.
………
"Zi Cheng, this is the gift I prepared for you. I bought it at the Rolex store in Shanghai, a famous brand!"
Li Zi Cheng looked helplessly at the beautifully packaged watch box his Big Brother opened.
The glittering, obviously fake watch inside made him speechless.
How many times had this happened already? Every time he returned to the country, his unreliable Leader would bring back some counterfeit goods.
"No way, ah, ssi-bal, fake again!"
Ding Qing looked at Li Zi Cheng's helpless expression, picked up the bag in his hand, and smacked the Subordinate in the passenger seat.
"I told you to look carefully! It's a damn counterfeit again!"
The Subordinate had a look of helplessness and grievance, shrinking his neck, not daring to speak.
He wasn't Director Li; he had fought his way up with Big Brother since they were small-time hoodlums.
"Don't worry, Zi Cheng, when your sister-in-law gives birth to my big nephew, I will definitely prepare a generous gift for her!"
Ding Qing patted Li Zi Cheng's shoulder, making a promise.
Li Zi Cheng turned his head and looked out the car window, sighing.
"Big Brother, the situation within the Group is very bad right now. I received information that many people support Big Brother Zhong Jiu!"
"Hmm, Li Zhongjiu, he can't carry the Golden Gate Group!"
Ding Qing put a cigarette in his mouth, but before he could light it, Li Zi Cheng snatched it away and gave him a piece of candy instead.
Chewing on the candy, Ding Qing smoothed his curly hair in the rearview mirror.
"Zi Cheng, how did the chairman die?"
Li Zi Cheng's body stiffened, but he immediately relaxed and replied, "He was shot in the head from a long distance with a sniper rifle when he came out of the prosecutor's office!"
"Phew!" Ding Qing reached up and patted his forehead, sighing.
"I advised the chairman early on not to send people to New York, but he wouldn't listen!"
"Big Brother, do you mean it was done by an overseas influence?!"
Li Zi Cheng's heart trembled. Originally, he had planned to get rid of Chairman Shi with a car accident, but unexpectedly, before his car arrived, Chairman Shi was shot in the head.
The gruesome scene still made Li Zi Cheng's stomach churn when he thought about it now.
During this time, both the underworld and authorities in South Korea had been investigating the murderer of Chairman Shi. So many people had found no results, but looking at his Big Brother, he seemed to have guessed it long ago.
"Zi Cheng, besides Zhong Jiu vying for the chairman's position, who else is there?"
Although Li Zi Cheng was guessing which overseas influence his Big Brother was referring to, seeing that Ding Qing had no intention of telling him, he wisely didn't ask further.
One must know that the complex relationships within the Golden Gate Group could be traced back to the 1970s and 80s.
That was also the golden period of South Korea's development. With the support of the Federation, the South Korean economy achieved rapid development.
However, the inadequate legal system failed to keep up with the pace of the economy, leading to widespread chaos and disorder in society.
Where sunlight could not reach, the dark forces spread like a virus at high speed.
South Korea was full of young men from society who spoke "Ah, ssi-bal!" wore floral shirts, and widely opened their collars to reveal the tattoos underneath.
Gunfights caused by fighting over territory happened almost every day.
And some overseas Chinese Gangs fully utilized the characteristic of Chinese people to band together when encountering danger.
Several overseas Chinese Gangs united and formed a Gang, the Northmoon Clan.
This was the branch of the Golden Gate Group that Ding Qing belonged to.
Without the changes of the era, Ding Qing and his group might have remained in the Yeosu Area, lording over it.
But by the late 1990s, South Korea underwent large-scale anti-gang crackdowns. After several rounds of crackdowns, the Gangs across the country fell into a slump.
To survive, many Organizations began to transform. Gangs across the country began to integrate and form companies.
The hooligans in floral shirts who swore constantly had become a thing of the past, evolving instead into something like the Yakuza organization across the sea in Japan, wearing black suits, white shirts, and ties.
They looked just like office workers.
Because the Northmoon Clan lacked roots in South Korea, it merged with several Gangs to form a group company, the Golden Gate Group, becoming a cross-regional national Gang.
The Golden Gate Group was internally divided into the Jaebum Faction, the Imperial Sun Faction, and the Northmoon Clan, based on the predecessors of the original Gangs.
The Jaebum Faction had the strongest influence, and thus its Leader became the chairman of the Golden Gate Group.
Even though Li Zi Cheng was from the Northmoon Clan, he had to admire Chairman Shi's methods and drive.
After the Golden Gate Group was established, he spent heavily to hire a dedicated legal department. Criminal behavior also changed from openly and brazenly committing crimes in broad daylight to doing so underground and behind the scenes.
The internal Organization was strict, with senior legal advisors. Coupled with the money obtained from crime that could be used for bribery, especially after the military government fell in 1994, when the high-pressure environment disappeared.
The Golden Gate Group ushered in another spring. The entire Organization had adopted a legal facade and no longer needed to hide in the shadows.
They could freely walk forward in the sunlight wearing suits, and had become one of the top gang organizations in South Korea.
However, the composition of the Golden Gate Group was extremely complex, consisting of Gangs from multiple regions. To maintain such a complex Organization with diverse components and nationalities, a strong leader was necessary.
Chairman Shi of the Golden Gate Group was such a person with power, influence, and ability. When he was around, he could balance the various forces within the gang.
But after he was assassinated.
The Golden Gate Group fell into a state of chaos. Several influential Big Brothers all wanted to be the Leader, naturally refusing to submit to each other.
In this chaotic situation, Li Zi Cheng was merely a director of the Golden Gate Group. With Ding Qing absent, he couldn't control the situation at all.
On the contrary, Ding Qing was not only the executive director of the Golden Gate Group—the Leader of the Northmoon Clan branch.
Although he was nominally only the third-ranked figure within the Group, he controlled the Group's main business. Chairman Shi had also always regarded him as a candidate for successor during his lifetime.
Escorted by seven or eight men in black suits, Ding Qing and Li Zi Cheng walked towards the Outside of the Airport. Outside the Airport, three black Hyundai cars had been waiting for a long time.
"So cool, Zi Yun, when do you think I can become an Important Figure like that, with people surrounding me!"
Looking at Ding Qing, who was surrounded by men in black suits, a girl who looked like a high school student standing by the roadside cast an envious look.
"Study hard, and when you get into Seoul University, you will definitely become an amazing person!"
The girl's best friend, the short-haired girl named Zi Yun, had a calmness in her eyes that didn't match her age. "Seoul University? Gu Zi Yun, do you think I'm like you?" The girl said dejectedly, "I can't hope for Seoul University. What do you think about me debuting as a star?"
Gu Zi Yun looked at her best friend in surprise: "A star? They have height requirements, right?"
The girl looked at her short legs and pouted angrily, "Gu Zi Yun!"
The two girls chased and played, Gu Zi Yun's gaze sweeping over the license plate number of the Hyundai car Ding Qing was sitting in.
………
"Zi Cheng, this is the gift I prepared for you. I bought it at the Rolex store in Shanghai, a famous brand!"
Li Zi Cheng looked helplessly at the beautifully packaged watch box his Big Brother opened.
The glittering, obviously fake watch inside made him speechless.
How many times had this happened already? Every time he returned to the country, his unreliable Leader would bring back some counterfeit goods.
"No way, ah, ssi-bal, fake again!"
Ding Qing looked at Li Zi Cheng's helpless expression, picked up the bag in his hand, and smacked the Subordinate in the passenger seat.
"I told you to look carefully! It's a damn counterfeit again!"
The Subordinate had a look of helplessness and grievance, shrinking his neck, not daring to speak.
He wasn't Director Li; he had fought his way up with Big Brother since they were small-time hoodlums.
"Don't worry, Zi Cheng, when your sister-in-law gives birth to my big nephew, I will definitely prepare a generous gift for her!"
Ding Qing patted Li Zi Cheng's shoulder, making a promise.
Li Zi Cheng turned his head and looked out the car window, sighing.
"Big Brother, the situation within the Group is very bad right now. I received information that many people support Big Brother Zhong Jiu!"
"Hmm, Li Zhongjiu, he can't carry the Golden Gate Group!"
Ding Qing put a cigarette in his mouth, but before he could light it, Li Zi Cheng snatched it away and gave him a piece of candy instead.
Chewing on the candy, Ding Qing smoothed his curly hair in the rearview mirror.
"Zi Cheng, how did the chairman die?"
Li Zi Cheng's body stiffened, but he immediately relaxed and replied, "He was shot in the head from a long distance with a sniper rifle when he came out of the prosecutor's office!"
"Phew!" Ding Qing reached up and patted his forehead, sighing.
"I advised the chairman early on not to send people to New York, but he wouldn't listen!"
"Big Brother, do you mean it was done by an overseas influence?!"
Li Zi Cheng's heart trembled. Originally, he had planned to get rid of Chairman Shi with a car accident, but unexpectedly, before his car arrived, Chairman Shi was shot in the head.
The gruesome scene still made Li Zi Cheng's stomach churn when he thought about it now.
During this time, both the underworld and authorities in South Korea had been investigating the murderer of Chairman Shi. So many people had found no results, but looking at his Big Brother, he seemed to have guessed it long ago.
"Zi Cheng, besides Zhong Jiu vying for the chairman's position, who else is there?"
Although Li Zi Cheng was guessing which overseas influence his Big Brother was referring to, seeing that Ding Qing had no intention of telling him, he wisely didn't ask further.
