Chapter 22
There was no reason why the body double breathed helium gas unless he was crazy.
Why would he do something that was punishable by death where his body couldn’t be found if he did it on purpose?
‘It’s… him.’
Jinbum hit the desk so hard.
He could see the guy’s evil-mind.
It was his declaration of war.
‘He is telling me that I have to come out and die easily if I don’t want to stain Ohsung’s honor.’
Helium gas? It is only the beginning.
Jinbum gnashed his teeth and then tried to relax.
‘It’s still ok. This kind of crisis can be a chance.’
It was a chance to return his attack.
‘The atmosphere in the event hall seems not bad. People are laughing. Then….’
He clenched his fist.
‘If he just confidently reads it while smiling, people are going to believe that I did it on purpose to give people laughter.’
‘A leader who doesn’t mind to be funny. Sounds good.’
‘Read confidently!! Let’s do this! Come on!’
However,
The Jinbum on the screen wasn’t the one who was watching from outside of the screen. He couldn’t do it.
His body double was sweating with his hardened face.
“Do it!! Just do it. Fuck. Just read!!”
But, the timing was too late.
The quiet banquet hall became noisy and the atmosphere there was being destroyed.
Some of the audience were laughing at him, other ones were sympathizing with him, and the others were curious about what was going on.
The interpreter didn’t know if he had to laugh or cry and the MC was thinking about what to do with the atmosphere.
Jinbum’s fist that was toward the monitor shook and then went down.
He bit his lips until it became white and turned off the monitor with his twisted face.
*
There was only silence in the VIP meeting room.
His subordinates watched their mouths in front of their boss who was humiliated so much.
– The stock price of Ohsung electric decreased by 4.7%.
“…”
– News on Saver. ‘Ohsung disgraced itself in front of the whole world.’
“…”
– ‘It is disgraceful not for Ohsung, but Korea. Is Jinbum Park’s leadership right?’
“……”
– Stop listening. Say something, bitches.
“Sorry, sir!!”
The body double shouted while lying his face down from the beginning and then Jinbum opened his mouth while massaging his temples.
– Ha, you… Yes, you have to feel sorry, but what do you feel sorry for?
“Well… Voice…”
– That’s not it.
“I didn’t handle the incident…”
– Son of a bitch…
His subordinates were so nervous because they thought Jinbum was going to yell at them.
However, Jinbum was unexpectedly calm.
– You only have that much tenacity? How were you going to be my body double with that?
“I’m sorry, sir!”
He didn’t actually want to be the body double.
He was just chosen because he was one of the trustworthy people and also his voice and body shape was similar to the chairman.
However, he was already the chairman’s body double.
He didn’t have any other choice than satisfying the chairman.
– Who are you copying now?
“It’s you, chairman, sir.”
– Then, you must copy my tenacity as well! Is that so, or not?
“You are right, sir.”
– Act like me. Ok?
‘What is it like being you?’
The body double came up with the question but didn’t ask and just answered.
“Ok, sir!”
– Ha… Get up and go back to the office. You are going to work abroad for a while soon, so just stay at the office for now.
The body double went back to the office and Jinbum asked Mr. Jo.
– Have you found him? He must have been in the event hall.
“Well…”
– What about video? Have you checked all of the security cameras?
“Yes, we have finished investigating by questioning people about a person whose voice sounded like breathing helium gas.”
– That’s right. He had to have the abnormal status to release it to the body double. So?
“No one saw him.”
– What… Is it possible? In the limited place? Does he have a skill that hides his skill?
Jinbum didn’t know what to say.
“I don’t think he has that kind of skill. The security was very thorough. I don’t know how they invited the ruler, Ms. Sera Lee, but she was there too. No one would like to use their skills in front of her. Besides… if he had a skill like that, he didn’t have to do something with the security camera when he went to murder the previous chairman.”
– She was there, but he didn’t get caught?
“Yes.”
– How is it… It’s the worst. Let’s rest a little bit.
Cigarette smoke spread over the monitor.
Jinbum smoked a cigarette without saying any words and took out another one from his cigarette box.
– But, I have a doubtful point.
“What is it, sir?”
– Helium gas effects don’t last long. Maybe, it’s about one minute.
“Oh… You are right. The body double stammered for about 3 minutes. Then, it means his release skill continued until then.”
– Right. Then, he should have been breathing the gas during that time.
“I will track the security cameras one more time.”
– Um. Check it again. What about Hayeong? She hasn’t come.
“She’s resting at the shelter. She’s not in a good condition… She’s having trouble with walking.”
– No one’s walking around the area?
“Not yet, sir.”
Jinbum nodded.
– Ok, take good care of her. What about her body double?
“She is better than our expectations. She rejects people who come to get healed from her well. She has a basic sense.”
– Good to hear that. That was the best news I have heard today.
“…”
The subordinates knew Jinbum was being sarcastic so didn’t say anything.
– Watch around her body double as well. Always leave her within our surveillance range.
“Ok, sir.”
– Ok, take care of the body doubles. Now, let’s get to work.
“Yes, sir!”
***
‘The chairman was right. I shouldn’t react like that.’
The body double was having a guilty conscience while grabbing his head in the office.
The helium gas incident was very traumatic not only to Jinbum Park but also to his body double.
‘I should have reacted just like what he said. My mind became blank…’
‘I need to consider myself as a real chairman of Ohsung. This is a turning point in my life. I have to do this. I can do it. I’m Jinbum Park. I’m Ohsung!’
“Ah, ah.”
The body double made a fresh resolution and started practicing.
Knock Knock.
Someone was knocking on the door.
‘Just like a chairman.’
“Yes.”
Knock Knock Knock.
‘Hm? He didn’t hear me?’
“I said yes! Who is it!!”
Bam Bam!!!
Bam Bam Bam Bam!!!
“What… What is this….”
The body double spoke with his own voice without thinking.
Who the hell is the crazy man who can hit the chairman’s office door that hard?
Bam!
Bam!
BAAM!!!
The hinged door tore off and fell into the chairman’s office.
Someone walked inside without a care.
“Oh, it’s so hard to see Jinbum’s face. Don’t you think so, Jinbum?”
A tropical painted T-shirt, black short pants, and slicked-back hair.
It was Sangki Baek.
‘The ruler… Why?’
The body double was confused.
‘How should I treat him? I haven’t learned of any situation like this…’
However, he made up his mind soon.
‘Right. I haven’t learned about this situation before. However, I have learned the chairman’s tenacity myself. I am the best pupil of Jinbum Park.’
Sangki Beak looked at the body double.
“Hey, why are you skipping the payments these days? Transfer the money now. If you do, I will forgive you. 10 million with interest… and add 2 million because I’m mad that you were too late… It’s about 15 million.”
The body double decided to react just like how he had learned from Jinbum Park and opened his mouth while trying not to shake his voice.
‘Money? What is he talking about? I don’t know about the money… however, his behavior is not right even though he is one of the rulers.’
‘If I were the chairman…!’
“Don’t you think you are too rude?”
“What? Rude? Ruuuuuuuuuude??”
Sangki Beak turned his head 90 degrees sideways and showed up as a ghost in front of the body double.
“Jinbum. Are you insane?”
“What…”
Sangki Beak saw the body double’s puzzled face
He turned his head back and made a serious face.
“He is not insane. This… is because he didn’t get beat up enough. Was it not enough for him to watch how Daehong Park got beat up by me?”
“Even though you are the ruler… this is not…. Ugh!!”
The body double grabbed his face and fell backward.
Sangki Beak tilted his head and looked at his hand.
“Weird. It feels different… Is it because today is humid?”
“Errk….”
“Hey, get up. Let me hit you more. It feels so weird today, so let me find out if it’s because of my hand or your face.”
“…”
“Do you want to be beaten up while laying down?”
The body double barely got up when Sangki growled.
Bam.
The body double fell again.
Sangki Beak looked down on his hand and made a doubting face.
“Ha, this is so weird… Wait.”
When the body double got up while supporting himself on the wall, Sangki Beak grabbed the body double’s face and kneaded it.
He did it for several seconds.
Finally, his mouth opened.
“Who are you?”
The body double was startled. He tried to get out of Sangki Beak grasp, but Sangki didn’t let go of his face.
Even though the imported mask type artifact was reinforcement, it couldn’t do anything about his strength.
When Sangki Beak roughly grabbed both the body double’s cheeks and his hand shined suddenly, the mask type artifact tore.
Sangki Beak looked down at the body double who plopped down on the ground and then asked him again.
“I’m asking who you are. Where is Jinbum Park? He died?”
“I… I don’t know anything.”
“Or you killed him?”
The body double’s face turned white with fear.
“No way! I just did what they told me to…”
“If you are not going to answer, don’t. I will just ask them.”
When Sangki Beak left the crying body double behind and turned around, there was Mr. Jo and Mr. Kwan who just came while gasping so hard.
****
“Ha… Why are they urgently calling me? If it’s nothing, I’m not going to forgive them.”
Jinbum complained and sat in front of the monitor and then stretched his body sideways.
Whenever his one shoulder stretched toward the other side of the hip, his back was making a cracking sound.
‘I have tried so hard to be in this position to live. I should start to live healthily.’
[ Loading… ]
This program was all good but so slow to load.
Jinbum was yawning while waiting.
[ Loading completed. ]
[ Synchronizing the screen… ]
While he was closing his wide-open mouth, the screen popped up.
It was Mr. Kwan.
“What’s the emergency? If it’s not good news, tell me tomorrow.”
– Well, that is…
Mr. Kwan couldn’t talk properly.
Jinbum shrunk his eyebrows.
“What? Did something happen?”
When he looked at Mr. Kwan in detail, his forehead was totally wet with sweat.
– Well… I think… You should come to the company.
“What the fuck are you talking about? Right now? Why?”
As soon as Jinbum giggled and asked back, Sangki Beak’s face fully showed up on the monitor.
“Aaah!!”
– You are wondering about the reason?
“Mr… Mr. Beak…”
– Jinbum Park, you fucking cutie pie. How dare you try not to pay me and hide?