Episode 140: The Rizzuto Family
Goo Chang-dong, who had been listening to the story with interest, nodded his head as if he understood.
“We can’t even hold the Olympics recklessly.”
“Yes, that’s right. But it’s rather good news for us. As the economy has contracted, construction projects in this area have dried up. So, the city of Montreal has been putting out quarterly sale announcements for its real estate and assets, but there haven’t been many inquiries about used equipment. I went and inquired about the procedure last week, and although they didn’t say it explicitly, they seemed to welcome it.”
As the city of Montreal was in dire financial straits, it was desperate for every penny and needed to sell off the construction equipment that had become a burden. Lee Chang-jin asked again.
“Hmm, if they’re certain about selling, the price is the most important thing. Have you made an official inquiry to City Hall?”
“Yes, we are currently in negotiations. I think we’ll be able to purchase it at a much lower price than the listed price.”
“That’s good news. Then can we purchase it directly?”
“As far as I know, since we have made a formal request, the city is going to select a sales agent. They are currently in talks with a local contractor who will be in charge of the assets for sale. This was confirmed by a city official in the asset management department.”
“Then we need to secure it from the sale list.”
“Yes, I have a rough list of items for sale and an estimate, so you can make a decision after checking the condition of the items yourself.”
“You’ve worked hard. Thank you very much.”
The conversation with Yoon Jeong-pil naturally came to an end.
The main dish of the day was served with white wine. The lobster, caught in the pristine waters of Canada, was as big as a man’s arm, and the red flesh, grilled with butter, smelled delicious.
The steam rising from it was truly appetizing.
The group stopped talking and concentrated on their meal.
Thirty minutes later, Goo Chang-dong, who had finished his meal satisfactorily, patted his stomach.
“Wow, that was delicious. This is the first time I’ve had such a delicious meal abroad.”
“I ate a lot too. Deputy Director Yoon is quite the gourmet. Please do this again next time.”
Yoon Jeong-pil, his shoulders raised at the compliment, said with a smile.
“Haha, of course. I have a hotel room booked for you, so please get some rest early today. You have a meeting with a North American builder tomorrow morning, so it would be good to get some rest and adjust to the time difference.”
The man who was to attend tomorrow’s meeting was a businessman named Blaine Huntsman, who was said to be mainly in the construction business in the United States and Canada.
After their meal, Lee Chang-jin and his party headed north. They were tired from the long flight, and they needed to get a good night’s sleep if they were going to be looking at equipment in the morning.
However, as the car was moving smoothly, something unexpected happened as it entered an alley. A man suddenly jumped out of a cafe street in Saint Leonard.
Yoon Jeong-pil, who was driving, slammed on the brakes in surprise.
Screeeech!
“Holy shit! What the!”
Yoon Jeong-pil, who barely managed to stop the car, cursed. The rest of the group was just as startled, their hearts pounding. The man who had almost been hit by the car was an elderly gentleman in his 50s.
As Lee Chang-jin and his party were startled and trying to collect themselves, the man who had blocked the car began to bang on the hood of the car with his fist.
The group was momentarily taken aback by the man’s insane behavior.
“What is this crazy bastard doing? Is he insane?”
The moment Goo Chang-dong spat out a curse, a loud bang was heard from somewhere.
The people ducked their heads in unison.
As the startled group looked up at the sound of gunshots, they saw three white men with pistols running towards them from about 500 meters away.
They were clearly gang members, with their tattooed faces and gold chains.
The man who had been chasing after them, his face pale, pounded on the door.
“Help, Help!”
Lee Chang-jin, who had been caught in the crossfire, was also very perplexed.
“Is that a gun? Did they just shoot a gun here?”
Yoon Jeong-pil also looked very flustered. He had heard that this area was a haunt for Irish gangs, but he had dismissed it as an urban legend. But this was the real deal.
Before they could even get out of the car, the men ran up to them, pointed their guns at them, and surrounded the vehicle.
“Don’t shoot! Don’t!”
One of the robbers, looking at the white man who was trembling with his hands raised above his head, kicked him in the stomach. The man groaned and collapsed, apparently having been hit in the solar plexus.
The robbers, still holding their guns, surrounded the vehicle and began banging on the hood.
“Get out, monkeys! Hurry!”
At the robber’s actions, Lee Chang-jin unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Sir, what are you going to do? You’ll get hurt if you go out there!”
Lee Chang-jin whispered to Goo Chang-dong, who was trying to stop him.
“There’s no other way, is there? When I go out, you move right away. There are two of them with guns. I’ll take care of the one in front, and when you see an opportunity, you move.”
The two exchanged meaningful glances. A moment later, Lee Chang-jin was the first to open the door and step outside.
The man with the tattoos on his face pointed his gun at his head.
“Put your hands up! You XXcking bastard!”
Lee Chang-jin obediently knelt down with his hands on his head.
As the hand that had been rummaging through his back pocket was about to pull out his wallet, Lee Chang-jin moved like lightning and struck the man between the legs.
“Shit!”
As soon as the man dropped his gun after being hit in the groin, Lee Chang-jin immediately struck him on the temple with the side of his hand.
As soon as his comrade collapsed, the startled gangster tried to pull the trigger.
But at that moment, Goo Chang-dong, who had jumped out of the car like lightning, slammed his shoulder into him.
Bang!!!
A gunshot rang out, and the two men fell to the ground.
Goo Chang-dong grabbed the man by the collar, lifted him up, and threw him to the ground. As the gangster lay sprawled on the cold asphalt, a fist like a heavy pot lid came crashing down on his face.
With two of their men neutralized in an instant, the remaining man hesitated for a moment.
Lee Chang-jin, standing in front of the man, beckoned with his finger.
“Come on, baby!”
The man’s expression changed at Lee Chang-jin’s provocation, and he pulled a knife from his back pocket.
He lunged at him, holding the knife horizontally.
Lee Chang-jin, calmly watching the direction of the blade until the very end, dodged it slightly and twisted the man’s wrist.
It was a self-defense technique he had learned from his bodyguards in Seoul.
As soon as Lee Chang-jin twisted his wrist and struck his joint with his elbow, a strange sound came from the twisted arm.
“Arrrgh!”
As the robber, who had dropped his knife, screamed in agony, Lee Chang-jin struck his face with his elbow. The robber must have been hit squarely, as his broken teeth popped out of his mouth like corn kernels.
Yoon Jeong-pil belatedly joined in the fray. As the first robber, who had regained consciousness after being hit in the groin, fumbled for his gun, Yoon Jeong-pil, who had gotten out of the front seat, immediately delivered a soccer kick.
As the man with the broken head fell back, bleeding from his nose, Yoon Jeong-pil stomped on him.
“Die! Die, you bastard!”
The man, who was stepped on in the same spot where he had been hit earlier, foamed at the mouth and passed out.
Meanwhile, Director Goo was in the middle of beating the man senseless after subduing him in a mount position.
Lee Chang-jin, unable to bear to see the gangster’s face, which was now broken and bloodied, stopped him.
“That’s enough. Stop it now. You’ll really kill him.”
“Let go of me! It’s self-defense even if we beat these bastards to death!”
The excited Goo Chang-dong hit and hit the man’s face until it was a bloody pulp.
“Director Goo! Stop it! Stop it!”
Only after Lee Chang-jin shouted did Goo Chang-dong reluctantly stop punching.
The white man who had been running away earlier must have regained his legs, as he was now slumped on the ground.
As the group breathed a sigh of relief at having survived the ordeal, sirens wailed.
Someone nearby must have called the police, because a police car arrived late.
As the police officers who came out with their guns drawn pointed them at the group, the white man who had been rescued earlier raised his hand and spoke up.
“Don’t shoot! These are the people who saved me.”
The police officers were dumbfounded by the sight before them.
They couldn’t believe that the gangsters had been taken down.
None of them were unharmed, judging by how badly they had been beaten.
One had a broken arm and blood pouring from his mouth, another had half his face caved in and was unconscious, and the last one was foaming at the mouth after being hit in a bad spot. They all looked like they had injuries that would take at least ten weeks to heal.
The man who had been stepped on by Yoon Jeong-pil was in the most critical condition.
The man, who had been convulsing unconscious, was eventually carried away on a stretcher to the hospital.
The police officers who had taken over the scene collected evidence and took the remaining criminals away.
Lee Chang-jin and his party, who were taken to the police station, were questioned as both witnesses and victims.
The local police chief, who had summoned the group, personally commended Lee Chang-jin.
“You’ve done a great job. Those guys are notorious around here. They’ve been a real pain in the ass lately, and you’ve done a great service.”
“Is there any further investigation?”
“Haha, there’s no need for that. However, there may be retaliation from the gang, so please refrain from contacting the press. Please do not reveal your identities and stay at the hotel for the time being.”
Just in case, plainclothes policemen were stationed around the hotel, taking turns. Meanwhile, the man who had been chased by the gangsters came to see Lee Chang-jin in person.
He bowed his head repeatedly, looking very grateful.
“Thank you so much. You saved my life.”
“I just did what I had to do. It’s not something to be thanked for.”
“Even so, I can’t just let this go. May I ask your name? This is who I am.”
The man politely took out his wallet and handed Lee Chang-jin a business card.
Lee Chang-jin was startled when he checked the name without thinking.
“Huntsman, Blaine Huntsman?”
“Do you know me?”
“Of course I do. Brandon told me about you.”
When Lee Chang-jin explained what had happened, Huntsman couldn’t hide his admiration.
“Oh my God, you, my lifesaver, are the one I’m going to make a deal with this time. What a coincidence.”
“I find it fascinating too. Well, it’s a small world after all.”
The two startled men looked at each other with a renewed look in their eyes.
“More importantly, to think that they would attack an ordinary citizen in broad daylight, those bastards are out of their minds. Who the hell are they?”
“If they’re the kind of people who would mess with me, it must be the Rizzuto Family. They’re the only ones I can think of who would hold a grudge.”
“Rizzuto? Who are they?”
“They’re a mafia group that has connections with local builders. They came from Sicily, and they’re quite famous in the industry.”
“You mean the mafia is getting involved in the construction industry?”
“Yes, it’s an open secret.”
It was an open secret to those in the know, but Montreal was also a gateway to New York, the largest consumer of drugs. However, since the drug business was a risky one, it was not uncommon for them to get involved in construction instead by forming close ties with local builders.
The way the mafia made money here was simpler than one might think. They would collude with local builders to place orders for temporary construction projects, then claim the subcontracting fees, launder the money they received, and return it as cash.
It was a way for them to earn a commission by laundering the construction company’s funds and creating slush funds.
- To be continued in Episode 141 -
