Don’t Mess with the Puppy! - Vol.1 Chapter 1 Part 4
Heeseong dismounted his bike and entered the building located in the heart of the city, the stronghold of the wolf tribe.
The wolves, who valued pure blood, held power in the entertainment and sports industries as well as in the underworld, thanks to their superior physical abilities and solidarity. Their towering buildings stood in stark contrast to the dog tribe, who dug gambling dens underground like ants.
Guided by the reception, Heeseong headed to the upper floors of the building. The sleek and clean building felt unfamiliar. As he walked through the hallway in his casual attire, someone who saw Heeseong sneered arrogantly.
“Ah, smells like a dog.”
“It’s your own smell.”
Heeseong snapped back, baring his teeth. Laughter and curses came from behind, but no one openly picked a fight. After all, Heeseong was a guest here for a transaction.
Still, he already felt uncomfortable in this place. As the youngest member of his organization, Heeseong sometimes did small delivery jobs. But this was his first time acting as a courier for such a large organization.
Using Yoon Chi-young’s apparent fondness for him as leverage was the implied strategy, but Heeseong found himself utterly incapable of doing so. His fiery temper had already caused enough trouble in the gambling den. Moreover, Heeseong was someone who could never resort to flattery or ingratiation, as such insincere expressions were against his nature.
“Ha…”
Standing in front of the door, Heeseong let out a vague sigh. While his black motorcycle helmet hid any signs of nervousness, a bulky gang member standing by the door noticed the sound and looked over at Heeseong intently.
Feeling the gaze, Heeseong spoke provocatively.
“What are you looking at? Open the door.”
“……”
Heeseong didn’t care that the other person was bigger and bulkier than him. Perhaps because his true form was that of a small dog, he tended to show off more in his human appearance.
However, the expressionless opponent stared at Heeseong and then smirked faintly.
Knock knock.
While Heeseong was getting annoyed, the doorkeeper knocked on the door. There was no time to prepare. Heeseong debated whether to take off the helmet, but knowing his white ears and tail had a habit of popping out when he was nervous, he stubbornly decided to keep it on.
Click.
As the door opened, a tidy office filled with several members of the organization came into view. At first glance, it looked like an executive office of a reputable company, but remembering it was the territory of the wolf tribe made it a place not easily entered.
Inside, despite being midday, the blinds were drawn, casting the room in dim light. About half a dozen robust men were standing, and among them, a tall man in a white shirt leaned against a table, blatantly staring at Heeseong with a delighted smirk.
I really have the luck of a dog.
The one who greeted Heeseong was Yoon Chi-young.
Moreover, a dreadful silence pervaded the room, and Yoon Chi-young seemed to be in a particularly bad mood today. Although his mouth was smiling, his gray eyes were cold. His shirt sleeves were rolled up as if after some intense activity, and his black hair, swept back above his forehead, was naturally disheveled. The dangerous atmosphere made Heeseong feel as if his whole body was stiffening.
Heeseong tried to speak calmly.
“I came for the goods…”
Heeseong paused mid-sentence as he caught sight of something at Yoon Chi-young’s feet.
It was difficult to distinguish from the black marble floor, but it was unmistakably an beastman, bloodied and motionless. Heeseong’s gaze shifted back and forth between the beastman and Yoon Chi-young’s blood-stained white shirt.
“We meet again.”
Yoon Chi-young casually started a conversation as if pleased.
“Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“……”
He grinned, as if to show off. Despite wearing a helmet, Yoon Chi-young had recognized Heeseong. Last time, he had chewed up a puppy body, and now he was nonchalantly showing off having nearly killed an beastman. Faced with that dazzling smile, Heeseong couldn’t find the words to respond.
Yoon Chi-young, feigning a sense of grievance, asked, “What about the helmet?”
He wanted to see Heeseong’s face. Hesitating, Heeseong took off the helmet, revealing a fair face slightly damp with sweat at the fringe. His black eyes were filled with tension, and his brows were furrowed seriously.
Seeing his face, Yoon Chi-young smiled genuinely for the first time. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of such a gentle face, completely unfit for the perilous world of the gambling den. Heeseong had the kind of handsome face that might suit an idol better, but it was a pity he always went around with a fierce expression as if threatening the world alone. Despite his aggressive demeanor, he seemed like a small animal filled with fear, which was somewhat pitiful.
Heeseong remained silent and stiff all this while. Yoon Chi-young sighed as if deeply disappointed and said, “We’re acquaintances, yet you won’t even show your face or respond to me.”
He lifted the glass on the table and drank. Each movement revealed the subtly outlined muscles under his white shirt.
After finishing his drink, Yoon Chi-young continued, “I’m disappointed…”
“That’s…”
Even though Yoon Chi-young spoke with a smile, Heeseong sensed a deadly seriousness.
But Heeseong was there to collect an item, and his brother had instructed him to leverage any affection to ensure a smooth transaction. Heeseong tried his best to muster up some conversational skills.
“I-I’m glad to see you too.”
“Glad?”
Yoon Chi-young laughed at Heeseong’s stiff expression as if it was absurd. His face clearly betrayed his lie. He swept back his black hair that had fallen onto his forehead, bursting into a joyful laugh. The sweet smile on his handsome face seemed far removed from someone who had just brutalized an beastman.
With a good-natured tone, he said, “You came for the goods, right? I’ll give them to you.”
“Ah, yes.”
Yoon Chi-young received something from one of his men. It was a bag containing a suspicious powder, large enough to fill his substantial hand, which Heeseong estimated to be worth tens of millions of won.
Yoon Chi-young gestured with the bag in his hand. Despite his stiff body, Heeseong strode forward with effort.
‘Just go along with Yoon Chi-young this once, get the goods, and leave.’
Heeseong reminded himself of his role. His brother had clearly stated that this would be the last job before they wash their hands of this business. He wanted to wrap things up smoothly and move on, just this once.
As he approached, his keen beastman sense of smell picked up various scents. The fresh scent of soap coming from Yoon Chi-young, a faint smell of drugs, and the pungent odor of blood were distinctly noticeable.
“Here, take it.”
Yoon Chi-young extended the drugs as if offering bait.
Heeseong looked suspiciously between Yoon Chi-young and the drugs. The wolf’s readiness to hand over the goods so easily seemed dubious. Glancing around cautiously and hesitating, Heeseong slowly reached out to take the item.
But as expected, Yoon Chi-young did not hand over the item easily.
He pulled Heeseong’s hand towards him and bit down hard with his fangs. The memory of almost being devoured in one bite caused Heeseong to jump in shock, spewing curses.
“This crazy…!”
It might have been somewhat manageable if it had stopped there.
Snap!
A strong punch turned Yoon Chi-young’s head sharply to the side. His black hair scattered thinly across his neat face, transforming the atmosphere into one of precarious tension.
In that moment, time seemed to freeze in the room as everyone stiffened. A bizarre silence enveloped the room, along with the deadly tension Heeseong dreaded.
Stunned by his own action, Heeseong stumbled backward.
He looked down at his hand, marked by Yoon Chi-young’s bite, then back at Yoon Chi-young’s face, and finally at the bloodied mess at his feet. A chill ran down his spine as he realized the gravity of his situation.
“Ugh…!”
The gang members reacted first. Three of them grabbed Heeseong by the back of his head, forcing him to kneel on the floor.
With his hair gripped tightly, Heeseong took a deep breath due to the tension and looked up at Yoon Chi-young. From below, Yoon Chi-young appeared even taller and more imposing. The reality of having struck a prominent figure of the wolf tribe and a VIP of the gambling den hit him with a wave of chills.
Yoon Chi-young was touching the cheek that had been hit, slowly caressing the spot as if puzzled by the sensation, then spat onto the marble floor. The spit was filled with blood, clearly indicating a cut inside his mouth.
“…Your punch is spicier than I expected.”
Yet, Yoon Chi-young seemed unbothered by Heeseong’s blow.
Instead, he chuckled belatedly as if amused by the situation. However, no one else in the room joined in his laughter, making it seem all the more eerie.
“Crazy bastard.”
Heeseong looked up at him in fear, clenching his teeth. Despite the recent scuffle, the sight of Yoon Chi-young’s fangs as he laughed made Heeseong feel a profound aversion.
After a prolonged laugh, Yoon Chi-young finally said with a deep sigh, “Let him go.”
For the first time, Yoon Chi-young looked down at Heeseong without a hint of a smile. His distinctive grey eyes appeared cold. Heeseong hadn’t expected his usually gentle smile to feel so chilling when expressionless.
“You came as a guest. We should send you off without any injuries.”
At Yoon Chi-young’s command, the gang members released Heeseong abruptly onto the floor. Blood smeared Heeseong’s hand as he braced himself against the ground. The pungent smell of blood made his head spin, and somewhere, the scent of burnt flesh lingered.
Heeseong’s face turned deathly pale. He was accustomed to brutal scenes in the gambling den, but now, isolated from his pack, the fear was magnified several times over.
“Take care. …Let’s meet again.”
Yoon Chi-young spoke without a trace of warmth. For the first time, the simple farewell felt terrifying to Heeseong.
Sneaking the item away, Heeseong fled the building in a panic. Although there was no reason for Yoon Chi-young to chase after him, he ran as if he were being pursued, just like in his nightmare. He couldn’t bear to stay there a moment longer.
Upon exiting the building, Heeseong made his way to his bike parked in the alley.
“Haah, ha…”
Stepping outside and breathing the fresh air felt like salvation. Only then did the reality of his actions begin to sink in.
He had caused a major incident. This time, he had struck Yoon Chi-young, the boss of the wolf tribe.
His brother had instructed him to use Yoon Chi-young’s fondness to secure the goods, but he ended up using his fists instead. Looking up at the towering concrete building erected by the wolf tribe, Heeseong chewed his lip anxiously, thinking of his brother. He knew his brother would bear the brunt of this ordeal.
“How am I going to explain this to my brother?”
With trembling fingers, Heeseong tried to compose himself as he loaded the item onto his bike and was about to put on his helmet. Now that he had the goods, he needed to return safely to his pack.
But his dilemma didn’t last long.
Thump!
A blunt force struck the back of his head, and Heeseong’s body collapsed powerlessly.
***
