The Royal Debt

~ 7 ~ His Unexpected Present Life

In the evening, in the market area located in the western part of the city of Seoul, there were numerous noisy pedestrians and vehicles indifferently passing through. Vegetable leaves and dirty water were strewn all over the ground. There was an enormous amount of different fading store signboards, and occasionally there would be some single-colored neon lights lit up. There were workers returning home, children that finished school, elderly buying groceries, and the many different travel-worn passersby, causing the gray dusty sky to seem more and more depressing.

Perhaps within a metropolitan city like this, such an area was the stain that people looked down upon the most, an area they wished never existed.

By a wall next to an intersection, was a man who was leisurely and contentedly doing what others viewed as shameful.

This was a young man covered in oil and grime, selling lamb skewers. He was sporting a white vest, black-colored pants, and a pair of stiff blue plastic slippers.

The young man's hair was messy, but had a rather mature and handsome face with a cute rabbit-like smile, if one took a closer look, one would notice this was a man with backbone. It's a pity that no matter how he looked, the ladies walking along the street wouldn't even pay him a glance, because, he was just a lamb skewers seller.

The young man placed the lamb skewers he just cooked to the side. With the hot weather, grilling was easy but selling was hard. 1000 won for two skewers was considered cheap, but after a whole day, he only earned a little over 10000 won, barely enough to have 2 meals.

However, the young man didn't seem to be dejected by this, he instead had a relaxed and satisfied expression. He sat down on his stool, looking towards the crowded street as if such a view was the prettiest scenery.

"Old Lee, it's about time you paid for what you agreed upon 2 days ago!" A high-pitched male voice suddenly appeared from the side.

The 4 approaching males didn't look above 20 and were dressed like gangsters, with upright hair, silver chains, ripped jeans, scraggy faces, and a cigarette in their mouths.

OId Lee was a peddler selling deep-fried snacks right beside the young man. Similarly, due to the hot weather, he didn't have much business and was in his seat with a worried expression.

"This......." Old Lee showed a bitter face, "Sir, please be patient. With this hot weather, how am I able to pay without any business......"

"Listen here Old Lee, don't take a yard after being given an inch. If it wasn't for big bro Song protecting you, this stall of yours would've been wrecked long ago." A henchman said in a threatening, yet flattering way.

The hooligan called big bro Song seemed extremely pleased, he patted his henchman, and said, "Today's protection fee, you can choose to pay or you can choose not to pay. I must get the money either way. Otherwise, I will wreck your stall now!" with that said, he picked up a skewer of sausage, took only two big bites and threw the remainder on the ground.

Old Lee was stuck without a way out and tightly gripped the small stack of notes in his pocket, considering whether or not to spend it like that. The money was meant for his wife to see a doctor, how could he bear to use it as a "present" for these rascals!?

"I'll pay for him." The man from the lamb skewers stall suddenly walked over and fished out a few notes from his pocket, not even amounting to 20000 dollars. He handed it over and indifferently said: "This is all I have, Old Lee is getting on in old years and urgently needs money, you guys should accumulate some good karma."

The little hoodlum squinted his eyes and laughed, then took the notes and passed them to his henchman behind, "Jeon Jungkook, you want to pretend to be a good person, but you haven't paid your own protection fee!"