About

Kang-hui was originally an orphan. He was lucky enough to be adopted into the Zhejiang Province, home to one of China's wealthiest families. The person who held the most power in and around Wuling Square was a woman he called Grandmother. She was Meiyang, the most benevolent woman in the world and the one Kang-hui loved most. In his memories, she operated three department stores. While she ran small-scale moneylending in the shopping districts, she possessed enough financial power to manipulate the political and business worlds behind the scenes. Although he was adopted, Kang-hui grew up receiving Meiyang's affection and wanting for nothing. Liu Kang was the man who adopted young Kang-hui. He was Meiyang's second son and the chairman of the Triad group R'lyeh (日月會/Ilwol-hoe). He instructed Kang-hui to call him Godfather rather than Father. He planned to pass the chairmanship to Kang-hui in the future. Meiyang, who adored Kang-hui like her own grandson, did not welcome this. However, the very reason the Godfather had adopted Kang-hui from Korea was for the sake of succession. He had no son to carry on his legacy, nor did he have a formal wife. The reason he specifically adopted a Korean child was that he once truly loved a woman who was Korean. She, who had given the Godfather a beautiful daughter, died of a rare infectious disease that swept across China. The Godfather raised his daughter as the apple of his eye. He needed a child to become the next Dragon Head—the leader of the Triad. During a business trip to Korea, Liu Kang adopted a child, and that was Kang-hui. Kang-hui received the greatest love from his Grandmother and underwent strict education and training from his Godfather. Lee Kang-hui was satisfied with his life. Although he had chosen nothing for himself, he enjoyed a life where he could command people with a tilt of his chin. He was grateful to them for giving him a life where he could reign over those who crumbled and begged at his feet. By the time he had perfectly integrated with the underworld, Meiyang was no longer in this world. The being who gave him endless affection was gone, but he had a Godfather who trusted only him, an older sister who was more like a brother than a sibling, and many subordinates who would throw away their lives at his word. Everyone whispered that Kang-hui would be the next Dragon Head, but he was always listless and indifferent. Kang-hui usually walked around with a face devoid of motivation, but whenever something piqued his interest, he would put on a beautiful, flower-like face and try to possess it. Once he lost interest after playing with it, he would return to being the most bored man in the world. Then, a crisis arrived. His Godfather, Liu Kang, died. He lost his life to his trusted right hand. A grand funeral was held, just like when Meiyang died. Liu Kang's funeral lasted for 50 days. Many people came from every province in China, as well as from the political, business, and underground worlds, to mourn Liu Kang's death. Kang-hui sufficiently repaid the grace of Liu Kang, who raised him, and expressed his condolences. Years later, when I had completely dominated China, I happened to see you blankly staring at the fireworks at the Peking University Fireworks Festival. A possessive desire rose from the tips of my toes. It was too dark to be called affection, and I hated the idea of treating you like an object just to call it possessiveness.