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Chapter 636




“I didn’t expect my son, U-tak to betray me!”
Jang Pil-nyeo clenched her fists and muttered. If her son had not sided with the wretched dwarf, she would have been able to take over the company. Her fingernails were digging into her palms causing it to bleed, but she couldn’t feel any of the pain.
It was an outrage. The company was almost within her grasp, yet slipped through her fingers. All the land and assets had just vanished into thin air. They are now only left with useless shares that didn’t help them get the company, and instead left them with a tremendous amount of loans. She felt like hallucinating.
“You are not my son! Go die!”
Jang Pil-nyeo cursed at her son. In a blink of any eye, the entire Jang family just went bankrupt, and it wasn’t her fault, but her son’s. Her hands were shaking and she felt like she was about to black out. Blaming others was a common trait of this selfish family. And to Jang Pil-nyeo, ever her son was just one of the others now.
“Where is Gyeong-taek. Where is Gyeong-nam? You wretches!”
Jang Gyeong-ju roared. His two cousins didn’t show up at all, which was the main cause of his anxiety. Because of their absence, they lost the vote. His worries proved to be true.
“A total of 506,142 shares were valid for the vote. Of these, Jang Gi-su’s bill amassed 48.56 percent with 245,785 shares, while Bak Mu-ssang’s bill amassed 51.44 percent with 260,357 shares.”
The emcee’s harsh words fell upon Jang Pil-nyeo’s ears, who was still confused.
“No!”
Jang Pil-nyeo waved his arms around, as if trying to grapple onto something.
“I hereby declare that with regards to the case of dismissal and appointment of the members of the board, Mr. Bak Mu-ssang’s bill has prevailed.”
Bak In-bo banged the gavel, the sound disheartened the collective hearts of the Jangs. The sound declared the collapse of the Jang family, which had persisted for many generations until today.
Finally, Jang Gi-su came to his senses. This couldn’t be. He had given up on garnering U-tak’s shares to their side. But the final blow to their downfall proved to be the shares owned by the two absent uncles. He felt the need to forestall their destruction by any means whatsoever. He raised his hand high up in the air, in a last desperate attempt for salvation.
“I object. There was no shareholder called Gim Gi-taek. Explain the movement of shares of this person.”
“The company is not obligated to explain the movement of its shares, but for the benefit of clarification, we shall. Emcee, please.”
Bak In-bo smiled bitterly. He had anticipated this to happen. The emcee read out the prepared note.
“Mr. Gim Gi-taek was given the shares of Jang Gyeong-taek and Jang Gyeong-nam. The two sold their shares to Bak In-bo and delegated their voting rights to Mr. Gim Gi-taek.
“No!”
Jang Gyeong-ju grimaced. He couldn’t believe what the emcee was saying. They could have won if the two cousins had just gone absent without voting. But now, he found out that they actually sided with Bak Mu-ssang. This was the deepest kind of betrayal. The beams and the roof of the house felt like they were collapsing onto him, and he himself collapsed as well.
“The uncles did that?”
Jang Gi-su muttered, dumbfounded. The bad feelings he had felt proved to be true far too often. His vision went dark, and he couldn’t even bring himself to take care of his father who had collapsed.
“What?”
“The uncles did what?”
“How could they?”
The elders of the family betrayed their own family. The Jangs realized too late.
“Gyeong-taek and Gyeong-nam sold their shares? Why did the ancestors let this happen?”
Jang Gyeong-mo clenched his eyes shut.
Jang Gyeong-ju stood abruptly despite his limpness. His brother’s lamentation was like fuel to the roaring fire within him that was caused by this betrayal.
“Go die, Gyeong-taek and Gyeong-nam!”
Jang Gyeong-ju roared then collapsed again, this time clutching his chest. The employees who were on standby put him on a stretcher and brought him out of the auditorium. His collapse signalled the collapse of his family. Finally, Bak In-bo got his revenge after decades. But now it was Mu-ssang’s turn to get his.
“Dear shareholders, order please, and return to your seats.”
The emcee tried his best but the clamoring intensified. Jang Pil-nyeo clung to her last shreds of consciousness, the emcee’s voice and the Jangs’ clamoring mixed and echoed in the auditorium as if she was listening to them from underwater.
“Wake up, sister! We need to react.”
Jang Sang-su held Jang Pil-nyeo’s arm and shook it.
“Hmm!”
Jang Pil-nyeo, woke from her stupor, took out two balls of Cheongsimhwan, and chewed them down without water. In her muddled vision, she could clearly see the handsome face of the gigolo. He was the culprit who caused all of this turmoil. Her rage exploded.
“You son of a concubine. It must be you. You schemed all of this with that wretched dwarf. Why are you doing this? I shall never forgive you even if I get thrown into the coldest of the freezing hells. Dear ancestors, dear heavens, please punish this filthy traitor!”
“Shut your hole!”
“Aargh!”
Jang Pil-nyeo clutched her ears and screamed. It seemed like she was the one being punished. At his thunderous words, all the clamoring had ceased at once. Jang Pil-nyeo stopped her cursing and stared at Mu-ssang, his lightning-like gaze scoured through the audience.
“If you want to leave, leave now. But if you want to stay, then be seated. From now on, anyone making noise will pay for it. Ushers shall guide any such person out. Find your seats please!”
His supernatural powers amplified the atmospheric pressure of the place manifold.
Mu-ssang sighed internally. The Jangs still remained because they were hoping that there still might be some meat left for them to devour. The Jangs were like a pack of condors hovering around a rotting carcass.
“Are they still even human?”
Bak In-bo looked at his wife with eyes full of pity, her selfishness and self-centeredness were of a different level entirely. This woman who had committed unspeakable sins and immoral acts, was calling out to her ancestors and the heavens the moment she felt wronged. On the other had, Mu-ssang has always been a helpless victim. The words she had uttered would have been more fitting if they came from Mu-ssang’s lips.
“Chairman!”
The emcee caught Bak In-bo’s attention with a small voice.
“Continue.”
Bak In-bo nodded.
“These are the newly appointed board members. Please come onto the dais.”
Mu-ssang stood while holding the hand of his mother. Gim Gi-taek followed suit. An employee came back with Jeong A-yeong, whose face flushed instantly. She looked confused. She had expected the commotion in the auditorium, but never expected Mu-ssang to appoint her as a board member.
“Why is she here?”
Jang Pil-nyeo rubbed her eyes. Gim Mal-sun ignored her and casually walked past her with elegant steps. Jang Pil-nyeo slapped herself to her senses.
“Yes. I still have my shares, and I still own Hyangsim Travel. Even Yi Sun-sin could rise again with only 12 ships left. I shall find out your schemes soon enough.”
She was still the eldest daughter of the Jang family. She could not lose face to a lowly concubine. Jang Pil-nyeo straightened her back full of determination.
“Mr. Bak Mu-ssang, the councilor to the French Embassy and the largest shareholder of Hyangsim Textile.”
Mu-ssang bowed lightly.
“Hurgh!”
Jang Pil-nyeo coughed. She had no idea how high a councilor position was, but she couldn’t believe that the runt ended up being a high official of France after going overseas. She was starting to feel faint again.
“Mr. Gim Gi-taek, the witness to the textile industry in Daegu.”
“Ms. Jeong A-yeong, a founding member of Hyangsim Textile.”
“Mr. Gim Pal-sul, a finance expert.”
Jang Pil-nyeo took another couple of Cheongsimhwan and a handful of benzodiazepines. She could no longer register a word the emcee had said. She only hear the words “councilor” and Aunt Hadong’s bragging echoed in her head.
“No. That seat is mine.”
Jang Pil-nyeo mumbled.
“Ms. Gim Mal-sun, the mother of the biggest shareholder, Bak Mu-ssang.”
“Gim Mal-sun?”
Jang Pil-nyeo, startled, looked up. She thought she had heard wrongly, but the emcee clearly said “Bak Mu-ssang’s mother, Gim Mal-sun.” At that moment, Gim Mal-sun took off her Capeline hat and sunglasses.
“Dear shareholders, together, let us steer the company to the benefit of our employees. We are in this together.”
There was a shout of joy. The shareholders were mesmerized by Gim Mal-sun’s beauty. Outside of the auditorium, the employees were ecstatic at the news of the incoming pay raise. There were no sweeter words than this.
“That bitch!”
Jang Pil-nyeo screeched. She had wanted to stab that very face with a knife many times. She was dressed differently now, yet her face and body didn’t change a bit from 17 years ago. But Jang Pil-nyeo’s voice was drowned out by the loud cheering that ensued.
“Mother, wave back at them.”
Mu-ssang whispered.
Gim Mal-sun beamed and waved.
“She is a beauty!”
“She must be a Miss Korea winner.”
“All hail Gim Mal-sun!”
There were loud cheers both inside and outside the auditorium. Usually, a person’s age and life experiences were revealed on one’s face. But Gim Mal-sun was so pure, she couldn’t even swear properly. With her innate beauty that was further enhanced under Mu-ssang and Monk Dae-u’s care, and with her entire body covered with designer goods, she deserved all of the cheers she was now hearing.
“This concludes the interim shareholder meeting of Hyangsim Textile.”
The emcee concluded the meeting with the introduction of the newly appointed board members, but the shareholders couldn’t bring themselves to leave their seats. Their gaze were on Gim Mal-sun, the protagonist of the shareholder meeting.
“That bitch!”
Jang Pil-nyeo foamed at her mouth. She wanted to be on the receiving end of the spotlight and all the cheers. This lowly woman didn’t deserve it at all. She saw that her husband’s mouth was agape in awe, and Jang Pil-nyeo’s eyes were ablaze with jealousy. The look on her husband’s face fueled her desire to wrench apart Gim Mal-sun’s face.
‘She must be immortal!’
Jang Pil-nyeo was sure that it was the case. Otherwise, how was she able to retain her look for 17 years? That woman must have killed herself and returned back immortal. Seeing how her looks have defied reality had caused Jang Pil-nyeo’s delusions.
“Long time no see, In-bo.”
Gim Mal-sun greeted him with a kind face.
“Mal-sun!”
Bak In-bo couldn’t continue, his unfocused eyes avoided Gim Mal-sun’s gaze.
“In-bo, many years have passed. Joy and sadness have all melted away like ice cream. As time passes, unforgiveness and hatred all seem meaningless.”
“I am sorry I have sinned!”
Bak In-bo knelt down and wept. His shameful deeds in the past days were brought back to mind.
“It’s okay. A human life can only last a mere hundred years or less. It is already too short for just love and care alone, thus, hate and grudges aren’t needed. Stand up now or others will see.”
“Thank you for forgiving me!”
Bak In-bo stood. Never had he received such unconditional forgiveness, never had he heard such kind words of forgiveness from anyone. He wept big tears of regret which he had never shed before.
Jang Pil-nyeo’s eyes were ablaze with rage. It was that very act, the pretense of kindness and grace, that had fooled her husband’s parents, her husband, and her children too.
“You are a zombie! I will rip your skin off.”
Jang Pil-nyeo attacked her.
“What an insane bitch!”
Bak In-bo roared. Mu-ssang waved him away. His mother wasn’t the woman she was before. Some people were brought down by hardships, but some rise through it. His mother was the latter.
“Pil-nyeo, have you ever heard the undead talk? You must be losing it.”
Mal-sun’s voice was clearly full of pity.
“What?”
Jang Pil-nyeo, who was about to jump, stopped abruptly at her words. She was a wrinkled old woman now, yet Gim Mal-sun still looked fresh and young as ever. Even without the designer goods, her wrinkle-less, vibrant face and invigorated voice caused her much despair. This woman was a fraud, a con artist.
“Pil-nyeo, why are you still this way?”
“What does it matter to you how I live? You seem confident now that your son is rich.”
Jang Pil-nyeo roared.
“Don’t you know, your words apply to you even more? Before, you had piles of gold and received praises from everyone like an empress, so you thought that the world is your oyster. But all of that is merely an empty shell. All of your gold has been washed away like a sand castle in the wind, and the praises went with it too. You lost your company. Your family has fallen. Your husband left you, while your daughter is missing and is a drug addict. What is left of your life? Is this the end result you wanted after hurting and reigning over others your entire life?”
“Ugh!”
Jang Pil-nyeo’s pockmarks flushed. She couldn’t come up with a retort to her words. Rage soared to her head and her temples throbbed.
“You have ruined your own family and your husband’s as well. Do you still have any greed left? How will you handle all the blame, all the people pointing their fingers at you? How will you settle your loans? It is high time you come to your senses.”
“Whatever you say!”
She answered back, but her face darkened. The mere thought of it was horrible enough. The finger-pointing and the loans were the least of her problems. Gim Mal-sun had everything that Pil-nyeo ever longed for. She would rather kill herself than to see Gim Mal-sun and her son living happily.
“I pity you. You will live alone in your cold home. You will have no family to laugh and cry together with. What is the point of living if you only to be pointed at all the time? When I think of all the abuse you have inflicted upon us, I want to curse you, but I realize you don’t even deserve that. I would rather spend my time living happily with my son. You should too.”
Gim Mal-sun turned around, as the hems of her trench coat flew and brought a whiff of scent that seeped into Jang Pil-nyeo’s nose. The scent fueled Jang Pil-nyeo’s unbearable jealousy.
“You filthy wretch!”
Jang Pil-nyeo trembled as if she were about to fall ill. She started to hallucinate, dozens of white-faced and black-faced demons turned and swirled in front of her eyes.