CH 22.4

Chairman Cha stood on the podium in a black suit and dark blue tie. The female assistant arranged the microphone so that it leveled with his lips. Behind Chairman Cha, the board of directors of Taeryung Group sat on a chair.

Cha Yiseok and Han Sungjae were the youngest among the executives, so they sat at the end. It was a position opposite to the reporters in front of them. For Taeryung, who usually set up a spokesperson for the official press conference, it was unusual for the group’s head to come out in person.

Chairman Cha kept his mouth shut and received the flashes of cameras. After rumors about the current CEO’s health status and PT about Taryung’s future, the question-and-answer session began. A large-sized reporter in horn-rimmed glasses raised his hand.

“I heard that CEO Cha is currently on chemotherapy. Now, speculation is circulating that the disease has deteriorated to the point where even chemotherapy is useless.”

Chairman Cha approached the microphone and said.

“It’s because the condition has improved to the point where there is no need for chemotherapy. This is the doctor’s opinion, so please don’t misunderstand.”

“According to the paparazzi news, CEO Cha, who was recuperating at the villa, has noticeably lost weight.”

“This is because CEO Cha is adjusting his diet these days. If he had known that rumors like this would come out, I would have told him to build some muscle.”

At Chairman Cha’s joke, the reporters smiled politely. A female reporter took over.

“There is a lot of interest in the position of the next head who will succeed the Taeryung group on behalf of Chairman Cha. If the chairman is considering his retirement, and CEO Cha is lying in his bed, shouldn’t there be another CEO? There is a lot of public opinion criticizing it as a sense of kinship that cannot be entrusted to others. Currently, we are cautiously optimistic that Executive Director Cha is influential.”

Chairman Cha’s shoulders tightened. He could only imagine what his expression would look like. Cha Yiseok looked at the back of the old man’s head with a twisted smile. Chairman Cha’s voice came out through the microphone.

“Of course, Executive Director Cha has a lot of potential for development, but he is still young and inexperienced to sit as the head of the company. I don’t know if CEO Cha is in the worst situation… Of course, CEO Cha is not in a situation you should be concerned about. I volunteered for a press conference today to reveal that CEO Cha’s health has improved.”

“Then, shouldn’t CEO Cha directly reveal his position in public?”

“It said that he should be a little more stable since he is recovering well now. He will put out an official position soon.”

“According to the paparazzi…”

Chairman Cha seriously responded to the repeated questions. Taeryung’s stock price would rise slightly with today’s press conference. Who would become the CEO was a major concern of the market. Of course, the stock price would also react immediately.

When a talented person is hired as CEO, the stock price starts to rise, while when a disappointing person sits down, it sinks. When Cha Myunghwan was appointed as CEO, the stock price fell to the biggest figure since its founding. Some companies even withdrew their investment plans due to rumors of his worsening health. The way to put an end to all the problems was for Cha Myunghwan to leave his seat and get up, or to appoint a competent CEO.

However, Chairman Cha put Cha Myunghwan in his seat and put a protective shield on him. CEO Cha, who struggled, was pitiful.

Cha Yiseok rubbed the back of his neck with a hint of boredom. He pulled the brown case out of his pants and put one of his candy in his mouth. The wound on one of his sutured hands was throbbing, but he didn’t take any painkillers. He put the case in his pocket just as the phone vibrated.

It was the man attached to Yaba. His voice was unclear due to the noise of the flashes and the reporters arguing in front of him.

— … suddenly… just… What… do… ?

“Say it again.”

Cha Yiseok covered one of his ears and twisted his body slightly. The watchman’s voice became a little clearer.

― He suddenly escaped through the window and ran out of the dormitory. Barefoot and in a shirt, he took a taxi and entered the Traum Palace. What should I do?

Cha Yiseok’s lips stiffened. It was his apartment.

“Keep watching.”

He ended the call and grabbed his phone with crushing strength. One leg was placed on the right-angled other leg and pressed down. This was to prevent the legs from moving arbitrarily. But his head was already calculating how long it would take to get to the apartment. If he stepped on it as fast as possible, he could arrive in 20 minutes. However, the person appointed by Chairman Cha will follow. Today the temperature had dropped to a maximum.

Why all of a sudden… Because of the guy who broke into his head, he couldn’t even hear the contents of the interview.

Cha Yiseok jumped out of his seat and got up. He strode down the podium and exited the conference room. The roar of the board of directors and the press followed. Chairman Cha’s eyes also flew and got stuck.

***

As night fell, excreted people flowed out of the city. Yaba demanded a taxi fare from a woman passing by. He thought she had money since she was carrying a luxury bag but she only gave him bus fare. He couldn’t get to his house by bus, and Yaba wanted to get his medicine in one hour. So he took the money out of the begging blind man’s basket.

He took a taxi at the risk of being found as a mutilated body in the wild. As he arrived near the area, following his memories of having been there before, he saw a familiar building. The towering structure did not allow invasion even from afar with an overwhelming sense of intimidation. The neon sign looked like a colorful piece of glass reflected in a kaleidoscope. He ran blindly.

He was caught by Cocaine. He got caught. Fine. Even if he knew, his body would have already been occupied by poison. Cha Myunghwan’s reaction proved that the vocal cords were also damaged. Expired memories and checks, and antidepressants. The antidepressants made him feel bolder. He could fly peacefully through this cold and dreary night. So he had to meet the person who supplied the medicine.

Yaba ran as if possessed. He rested for a while from the burning pain in his lungs, and then he ran again. He didn’t even put on his shoes. Even when the soles of his feet were scratched, he felt no pain. There was an obstacle from the entrance to the apartment. He was kicked out after arguing with security who kept demanding his ID. He walked around the entrance of the building and followed the passing cars with blank eyes. As a car passed through the front door, the guards saluted and Yaba lowered his body inside while the vigilance loosened.

A flashing light in the tunnel connected underground gave a warning sound. He looked at the parked car, but he couldn’t see Cha Yiseok’s. He left his cell phone at home and there was no public phone. A few steps away he saw a door leading to the elevator. Next to the door was a system that required a password.

Then, a white car came and stopped. The man got out of the car and put his card on the door leading to the elevator. The man entered and narrowly passed through the gap in the remaining door. The man used the elevator to his left while looking bewildered at Yaba who was following him. Yaba got on the remaining elevator. He recalled Yiseok’s apartment number, which he had stolen and stored in advance, and pressed the button. As he approached his destination, his pulse accelerated.

He got out of the elevator and hid in the emergency exit stairs. At the end of the hallway, a woman was standing in front of his house. She was Cha Myunghwan’s wife and Cha Yiseok’s sister-in-law. Anyone could tell, with her elaborately groomed hair and makeup, purple dress and white fur coat, that she was a married woman. The woman rang the bell a few more times while holding the box, then pulled out her cell phone.

“Young master. You’re not answering the phone, so I’m leaving a voicemail. I’m in front of the young master’s house right now, and Mrs. Moon made a lot of seasoned deodeok, so give it a try. I just stopped by because there was a meeting in Seoul today. Even if you have a helper, a man who lives alone eats poorly. I was going to leave it in the security office, but I came just in case… Oh, and Mr. Cocaine came by today, and Myunghwan also improved a lot. Indeed, the real thing is truly different. Then, I will leave the box at the security office, so make sure to pick it up. Don’t work too hard…”

Cha Myunghwan’s wife hesitated and whispered.

“Sleep well, young master…”

Compared to the cheerful voice, the woman looked depressed. Every time he saw that woman, Yaba wanted to push her off the stairs because her neat features and finite atmosphere resembled that of Cocaine. Yaba bit his lip and went down the stairs to the emergency exit. A frozen pig was shivering from the cold in the stair window. It was a body that was not at all pitiful.