Ch.587Chapter 22. The Price of Labor (19)

“…Huh?”

An unfamiliar ceiling.

No, to be precise, it’s not that shabby motel where he was before losing his memory.

“Where is this…?”

His home—or more precisely, his vacation home.

Not his house in Saha District, Busan, but that very pension in Naju, South Jeolla Province, where he secretly met his lovers.

“Ugh, my head…”

Choi Jung-nam pressed his head.

His mind felt hazy, dizzy, and as if parts of it were missing, empty.

“What’s going on…ah!”

Choi Jung-nam quickly sat up.

The last event in his memory was clearly unleashing his anger toward the villain “Haepaja” who had attacked Haeguneul Motors.

And his old feature phone was broken.

Perhaps, just maybe, someone had come to get him after receiving that signal?

Because the last thing he remembered was collapsing on the floor.

“Tsk, fainting at my age…!”

Was this evidence of getting old?

Did his blood vessels get temporarily constricted due to a moment of rage?

Someone must have found him collapsed on the motel floor, and that person was probably someone he knew well…

“You’re awake.”

“Executive Director Hong!!”

It’s this man.

“Did you bring me here?”

“…? What are you talking about? You asked to be sent here, President…”

The bespectacled, innocent-looking man, Executive Director Hong, immediately frowned at the title “President.”

“…No, I suppose I can’t call you President anymore.”

“W-what?”

“You’ve worked hard all this time, Honorary Director. The board meeting just ended. It was unanimously decided that Haeguneul Motors will change its name to ‘Meta Motors.'”

“W-what are you talking about…!”

“……?”

Executive Director Hong looked at Choi Jung-nam with an expression of complete incomprehension.

As if looking at a different person.

“!!”

Executive Director Hong’s appearance had also changed considerably.

The Executive Director Hong he knew always had slumped shoulders and a hunched back, but somehow, the current Executive Director Hong stood with his back straight and exuded confidence.

Why?

How?

What reason could that man have to appear so confident in front of him?

“Y-you. What’s going on here…?”

“It seems you suffered a serious head injury because of the Haeguneul Motors terrorists. Have you lost your memory of…’the past week’?”

“W-what?”

A week?

That’s impossible.

“W-wait a minute. Why is today this date…?”

“What’s the last date you remember…?”

“W-well, that’s….”

The day he fainted at the motel.

“…My goodness. Could it be? Have you reverted to before your ‘change of heart’…?”

“What?”

“You said it yourself. That you had changed, that you would fulfill your responsibilities as a member of the Haeguneul owner family. So….”

Executive Director Hong pointed to his Taeguk Watch.

“Didn’t you recommend me as the CEO, and then distribute all the stocks you owned to the employees?”

“What?!?!”

Perhaps because he shouted too loudly, he suddenly grabbed his heated nape.

“T-that’s impossible!! Why would I do such a crazy thing?!”

“So it was true.”

“W-what was!”

“That the owner family had placed ‘brands’ on you and others to control the executives….”

“!!!”

Choi Jung-nam hurriedly turned around to check inside his pants.

“H-huh?!”

Nothing was there.

There was absolutely nothing.

Things that should have been there were completely gone.

All he had was something like a mannequin’s lower half.

“W-what’s going on…?”

“It seems you’re experiencing memory confusion…. Would you please look at this?”

Executive Director Hong stepped back and tapped his Taeguk Watch.

Beep.

As soon as the villa’s TV connected, a familiar man with a “bald head” was sitting on the bed on the screen.

[Jung-nam.]

“!!”

A familiar man.

Of course he’s familiar.

[You must be confused. Many things have disappeared after the ‘Haeguneul brand’ that Chairman placed on you was removed.]

“M-me…?”

The bald man was Choi Jung-nam himself.

“!!”

When Choi Jung-nam put his hand on his head, he felt nothing.

Just as there wasn’t a single hair below, there was a barren landscape spread across his head.

[I’ve lived my entire life for Haeguneul. Now I can break free from Haeguneul. So, I decided to reveal the truth to everyone.]

“W-what are you talking about…!”

[The board meeting will probably be held in two days. On that day, I intend to step down as the president of Haeguneul Motors and simultaneously break free from the confines of Haeguneul.]

“Y-you crazy…!!”

What is that man in the video saying right now?

“T-that’s not me! What am I saying…!”

[If you start saying otherwise later, it means the Haeguneul brand still remains in your body. I understand. Having lived your entire life as a Haeguneul person, it’s natural that you can’t escape its shadow.]

“!!”

[So even if you become Haeguneul’s dog again due to the brand’s influence, don’t forget. The one word in your heart right now. ‘Conscience’.]

“No, what nonsense is this crazy bastard talking about?!”

“President….”

Executive Director Hong covered his mouth with his hand, on the verge of tears.

“So the Haeguneul brand has once again…!”

“What nonsense are you talking about!! Why, why is it gone?!”

“…You’ve forgotten. No, you’ve reverted to your former self. How unfortunate, truly….”

Executive Director Hong bowed deeply with a face full of sympathy, regret, and hostility.

“It was a short time, just a week, but it was an honor to truly serve you, President. Although you’ve reverted to the past because of the brand, the decision has already been made.”

Click.

Executive Director Hong stopped the video and played another one.

[We bring you economic news. At the board meeting, Chairman Choi Jung-nam shaved his head, made a deep bow in apology to the nation, and pledged to return all his assets to society….]

“No!!”

[And he promised to retreat to his villa and live a life of self-discipline. Subsequently, the board unanimously appointed Executive Director Hong Yi-jun as the president of Haeguneul Motors, and Haeguneul Motors has been renamed ‘Meta Motors’….]

“You…president…?”

“Yes.”

Executive Director Hong removed his glasses and smoothly brushed back his disheveled bangs with his hand.

“I am now the president.”

“T-that’s…!! This is absurd…! Y-yes! It’s The Syndicate’s conspiracy!!”

Choi Jung-nam screamed at the top of his lungs.

“The Syndicate brainwashed me and turned me into someone else! They controlled my brain, implanted a chip in my brain to make me do such things! That’s not me! There’s no way I would say such things!!”

“That might be true for someone under Haeguneul’s brand, under Haeguneul’s shadow.”

Beep.

The video played again.

[Jung-nam.]

“Shut up!!”

[Let’s live freely now. After living under that man Choi Ho-jung for 58 years, let’s live freely now, not as Choi Jung-nam but just as Jung-nam.]

“Aaargh, you crazy Syndicate!!”

Choi Jung-nam grabbed his nape and collapsed onto the bed.

“This can’t be happening…. This is The Syndicate’s conspiracy…. The Syndicate brainwashed me and pulled this stunt….”

[If the brand activates again, if you become Choi Jung-nam again…. just remember this. Whether it takes 1 year or 3 years, the Haeguneul you knew is gone now.]

“Ah, aaah….”

[I hope you live with a clear conscience.]

“Aaaaargh!!!”

The one saying what he least wanted to hear was none other than himself.

“Impossible! This, this can’t be happening…! I, I…!”

* * *

“Economically, socially, and as a man—completely Zenros.”

I examined the economic journal’s analysis of Choi Jung-nam’s situation.

“That’s terrifying. Imagine a version of myself I don’t know donating all my assets, giving everything away, and becoming completely broke.”

Ymir trembled as if genuinely frightened.

“If some version of me I don’t know took over my body and gave away everything like that, what would happen to me when I regained consciousness?”

“Well, I’ve never seen an ability user get drunk and pass out like that.”

“Even if it’s not alcohol…. Hmm…. Oh! Like if a demon possessed my body and I became Dark Ymir. And that Ymir blew all my assets and left me penniless?”

“…….”

I had the feeling she’d blow up the Earth rather than just her assets, but I suppressed the sense of déjà vu.

“Even if a demon possesses your body, you’ll still be in there somewhere, so I’ll wake you up.”

“How?”

“By knocking hard on the deepest part of your heart until you wake up.”

“My, knocking? That’s so.”

“If demon-possessed Ymir turns out to be a traitor to the country, I might wait and observe for a few days though.”

“Aah!!”

Ymir stood up and pointed her finger at me accusingly.

“To prefer a traitor over someone who patriotically works hard for the country and the world every day! You must be the one possessed by the spirit of treason!”

“That’s impossible.”

I grabbed Ymir’s head to suppress her impending outburst.

“I know you’re excited because you’re officially out of Sejong Academy after a long time, but don’t forget. You’re still a student.”

“Tsk, I’m the ‘Ultimate Weapon,’ you know? My alter ego is no joke, you know?”

“Ah, yes. It’s certainly no joke.”

In many ways.

“The woman who won the global lottery with odds of 1 in 6 billion.”

“…….”

“Right? Madam President of Haeguneul Lottery?”

“It’s not Haeguneul Lottery anymore, you know?”

Ymir tapped her Taeguk Watch and displayed her shimmering business card on the holographic screen.

“I’m now the president of Mir Lottery, you know?”

“…….”

Haeguneul even owned a lottery company.

Why did such a lottery company end up in Ymir’s hands?

Because all the lottery company employees were so corrupt that they were deemed unredeemable.

-I, Choi Dae-bak, hereby declare! Among 6 billion Earth inhabitants, I will randomly select one person to hand over the president position!!

The ‘reformed’ Haeguneul Lottery president went crazy and conducted a drawing targeting the entire world population.

The company’s employees were gradually filled with people from The Syndicate like the Tavern Owner and peddlers, but the president’s position was determined by this absurd random drawing.

Well, if there’s any consolation…

“At least only the lottery company went through that chaos. Phew.”

The other Haeguneul affiliates all underwent normal employment succession.

Only some of the leaders and names changed.

The employees kept their positions, just with newly changed business cards.

Like sunlight seeping into a shadowy place and gradually brightening it, change has begun, even if for a very short time.

“Oh right. Teacher, should I establish a foundation? The foundation name could be Mir F-“

“No.”