Hammurabi Style - Chapter 21

The VIP meeting room was locked inside.

– Have you found him?

Jinbum Park was on the screen.

His eyes had bags under them.

“Not yet…”

– I didn’t expect anything from you. What about Mr. Jo? Do you have any good news?

“I’m sorry, sir.”

– …

Mr. Kwan and Mr. Jo bowed toward the screen.

A weak sigh came out from the screen.

– Good. Then, let’s discuss how we are going to survive.

“…”

However, the other one in the meeting room didn’t move a muscle.

– Hey, Hayeong. Are you ok?

Even though the chairman asked Hayeong, she didn’t answer.

She was biting her nails again and again.

“Miss. Hayeong. Hey, Hayeong!”

“Eek!!!… Oh.”

Mr. Kwan grabbed her shoulders and shook them.

She screamed and came back to her senses.

– Hayeong. Come back to earth.

“I, I, I… I’m sorry.”

The other people watched Hayeong who mumbled ‘I’m going to be ok.’ while hugging herself with her arms.

– Hayeong, you should get some rest. We will let you know when we have a solution.

Jinbum Park stared at Hayeong who couldn’t answer and stumbled to leave.

– Has she left?

“Yes.”

– Completely?”

Mr. Kwan came out from the meeting room and checked the elevator.

He made sure that the number of the floor changed and then came back inside.

“Yes, She just got on the elevator and went downstairs.”

– Good. Let’s talk honestly then.

Jinbum on the screen lighted a cigarette and inhaled deeply.

He breathed out the smoke and then continued.

– Let’s use her.

“Are you saying… We should use her as bait?”

– Yes. The guy will come after Hayeong Choi.

  Then, we should use her even though we feel a little bit sorry. It’s useless if she just dies.

“I’m sorry to doubt you, but are you sure the guy will come to Hayeong first?”

– Why? Do you want him to target me first?

“I didn’t mean to say that…”

– Hahaha. He could. However, he’s not going to be able to find me. Don’t worry.

  He is going to see her first.

The hunting manager doubted, but Jinbum was confident.

Mr. Jo clenched his fist.

“If you are right… I think it’s our one and only chance.”

– Yes. When he bites the bait…

“We kick his ass.”

– Right. The abnormal status absorption? It looks strong, but it’s actually nothing. The first strike is what matters. Either he attacks us first, or we attack him first. If we can attack him at least once properly, it is possible to make him incapacitated.

“That’s right, sir. It seems like he doesn’t have any special physical skills at all. He is just a bug that can reflect damage.”

“I agree. Once he bites the bait, he’s over.”

Jinbum thought about something for a moment while passing his hand over his chin.

– But it’s going to be a shame if we just use her once and throw her away. Mr. Jo. Has my mask type artifact been customized?

“No, sir. The Dark auction is not open yet… Should I look for an illegal mask shop?”

– You are going to let my body double wear that cheap illegal mask in front of the reporters? How embarrassing. Please think twice before talking.

“I’m sorry. I was just asking.”

– When you order mine, order Hayeong’s too. Let’s use a body double for her once.

“That’s a good idea. We can use her at least once with the body double If he keeps being obsessed with his revenge.”

– Yes. He will do it since he is blinded by his revenge.

Jinbum clicked his tongue.

– What an idiot. I can’t understand why he’s living like that.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

– Let’s finish here. Oh, Hayeong didn’t look good when I saw her. Take good care of her. She stays at our shelter, right?

“Yes, boss.”

– Ok.

*

Jinbum stretched his body after the video conference and then picked up his phone.

“Hey, it’s me. Is it progressing well?”

– There’s only the experiment on a human body left. 

“Quickly… No, just try your best. I’m counting on you.”

– Yes, sir.

Jinbum’s eyes slightly shook when he put the phone down 

***

Kimin connected to the website Sera Lee gave him and searched the information they shared.

‘Too many.’

He typed ‘Ohsung’ as a keyword.

Still, there was too much information.

[ The incident when the energy stone disappeared at Ohsung. The energy stone that was displayed in the lobby… ]

[ Jinbum Park. The chairman of the Ohsung group. Son of Daehong Park. Sangki Baek gets offered 5 million dollars every month. At the moment, Jinbum Park has not paid for two months… ]

[ Hayeong Choi. A healer. Her skill is rapid healing. She belongs to Ohsung. Where she lives at the moment is… ]

‘How do they know all these?’

Kimin scratched his neck several times and looked at his name.

[ Kimin Kim ]

No information.

‘They don’t have it yet.’

However, it was just a matter of time for them to have it.

Once they find out Kimin’s revenge philosophy, they are going to get to know who he is.

Kimin already had an answer to this problem.

‘I’m going to try my best to be careful. If they find out about me, there’s nothing I can do about it. If that happens, I’ll change to a frontal assault…

No one can predict if the path will be smooth or be full of thorns.

Soon, he was preoccupied in front of two names.

[ Jinbum Park ]

[ Hayeong Choi ]

His trouble wasn’t about which one he should take revenge first.

It was because he didn’t want to be caught by their tricks.

They already knew his skills, so both would be prepared somehow. 

‘If I just walk in, it’s going to be tough.’

‘I’m pretty sure that they use body doubles and are hidden somewhere safe… Probably, they are abroad.’

The worst case was when they hid.

Even if they hid somewhere else in the world, not in Korea, it would take a long time to finish his revenge.

‘I would like them to just come to me first, but it’s not going to happen.’

How can he attract these rats who are hiding deeply?

Should he use a bait?

Or a hook?

“Hm…”

He laid down on the floor.

He struggled to think about it for a while.

“Rats… What should I… use…”

At that moment, something passed through his mind quickly.

“Wait. I didn’t have to drag them out.”

Kimin instantly stood up and connected the information box again.

If it’s hard to drag them out, just make them come out themselves.

Breaking the rat hole…

Or, pouring excrement water inside the hole until they are suffocated.

***

Jinbum Park on the screen had a hardened expression.

Today was the day his body double would debut internationally.

‘Shit…’

Jinbum canceled most of his schedules because he was worried that his body double might make mistakes, however, he couldn’t be able to cancel this one.

‘It’s going to be ok. He’s just going to read the congratulatory message.’

– Approach.

“Yes, sir”

A guy who had the same face as Jinbum’s approached the monitor.

– You walk too fast. Walk slower than that.

“I will rectify it.”

– Go back and walk forward again.

“Ok.”

– That seems ok. Now, turn around once.

“…”

– Good. Now, speak.

“Ah ah ah…”

– Did I say I want to hear your voice? Read the congratulatory message.

“I… I’m sorry. Hem. Ahem!! I’m very appreciative that I can represent Ohsung to read the congratulatory message at the 100th World Federation of Industries…”

– Good. You are well-informed of my accent. Keep practicing as much as your throat can handle. There will be an interpreter, so be confident and read.

“Thank you, sir. I will do that.”

Jinbum’s body double had directly trained under Mr. Kwan and his employee’s control, so he could imitate Jinbum quite well.

However…

‘Why am I so nervous?’

something kept troubling his mind.

‘He hasn’t been doing anything special so far, however…, He is not going to do something in public like that if I think about what he had done to my father and Dongsoo Choi.’

‘His revenge happened only when he wasn’t with anyone else except the one he was going to take revenge. Also, he is someone who would like to talk to the person. That was what he did to my father.’

‘Then, it means my body double will be safe at least in that place. That place should be full of people by now.’

‘The best thing was avoiding attending the event… but then, my body double will be meaningless.’

Jinbum tried to relax while inferring.

– Yea… It should be fine.

“I’m sorry?”

– Oh… Nothing. Now, go back to the office and practice more.

“Ok, sir.”

Jinbum’s body double walked like how Jinbum does and went outside of the conference room.

After he completely left,

– He’s good. Mr. Kwan, good work.

“Thank you, sir.”

– Mr. Jo, contact the person in charge of security from the sponsor in advance. If something happens, it means he is at the event. We must find him.

“Ok, sir.”

*

Jinbum kept his eyes on the monitor.

There was the event on the screen.

Under the glitter of the chandelier, there were silverware, napkins, and wine glasses on the top of the round tables in the middle of the huge banquet hall.

People started filling up the tables.

‘I should have been there.’

Jinbum was inconvenienced while watching people chilling and interacting.

Soon, an MC went up to the platform.

“Ladies and gentlemen. We appreciate all of you who came and participated in the event today.”

The MC spoke English fluently.

He was talking about this and that to brighten up the mood and finally started to mention Ohsung.

“This corporation is not a company that ventures into the world anymore. It is already a global corporation. Ohsung! Jinbum Park, the leader of Ohsung is going to read a congratulatory message for the 100th World Federation of Industries.”

‘It’s started.’

Jinbum Park stared fixedly at the monitor.

There was another Jinbum Park who was standing up on the screen.

‘Good… He’s doing great.’

The way he stood up and smiled, etc.

He was imitating well so far.

However, the real crisis started now.

The body double walked slowly but confidently on the carpet.

“Perfect!!”

Jinbum Park held his sweat in his hands while watching.

Stride, speed, and calm.

Everything was perfect.

Now, he just had to read the congratulatory message well.

However, he didn’t have to worry about that.

He had already listened to how his body double read the whole thing.

He didn’t miss even one single accent. This was what the body double imitated Jinbum the best.

‘Now I can take a breather. I should drink something too.’

Jinbum watched his body double who was walking up the platform on the screen and then poured whiskey in a cup on his desk.

His body double picked up a mask and Jinbum picked up the cup.

‘Now, cheers…’

[ A, ahem! The world Federation of Industries… ]

At the moment the body double’s voice sounded like he had just breathed helium gas,

Jinbum couldn’t help but drop his cup.