Mercenary Black Mamba

Chapter 333: Chapter 35, Episode 5: Signs of Downfall

“Oi!” When Park In Bo shouted, the Nupchi gang member, who was standing outside, came back in and nodded. “Did this bstard lie? Fer, be good before you become fish food, hm?” The gang member slapped the back of Mr. Lee’s head with his bear-like hands. “Ugh, ugh!” Mr. Lee’s head bounced back and forth like a Jack-in-the-Box. “Stop. Bring this guy to the hospital, and buy a bottle of gold pomegranate liquor!” Park In Bo shouted at the Nupchi gang member whose eyes were twinkling. “Okay. Kkukji, bring this bstard to Dong Nam hospital. Goldfish, you’re doing a soju run.” At the leader’s orders, the Nupchi gang rushed around as though they were on fire. Once everything was done and over with, only the faint scent of blood wafted in the basement. Park In Bo glared at the alcohol before him as though it was his archenemy. Although he shouldn’t drink, he couldn’t tolerate the situation without a drink. He lifted the glass and shoved the soju down his throat. “Keh!” The pomegranate soju he drank without his doctor’s knowledge tasted like gold. Still, he feared drinking another as he didn’t want to risk coughing again. Park In Bo closed his eyes tight. The past played out in his mind like a movie. He thought the bridge village was the world. He did all kinds of things to expand the field and farming land. Only after he started his business did he realize what a narrow-minded person he was. The world was vast and there were a lot of things to be done. He found his past self who lived in a well like a frog very pathetic. His nephew didn’t give up his education despite his wife’s persistent abuse and intervention. He, too, had danced to his wife’s tune. It was too late for regrets. The brat had escaped and became independent. His heart ached when he coincidentally saw the brat running around with a delivery bag. Although he wanted to help, he hesitated because he was embarrassed. The brat wasn’t the kind of kid to receive help either. His regret snowballed over time and became heavy to the point that it ate his body up. He just came to know that his wife had done something even worse while he was reflecting on his past actions. Mu Ssang was a kid who did what he said he’d do even if the heavens collapsed. He was a brat who headed for the mining fields at the age of 14 with a pickaxe on his shoulder. He wasn’t the kind of person who’d stand by and forgive his wife and daughter’s attempts at chasing him out of school and leaving him with a criminal record. The way the kid had spitefully said he would return when he’s stronger rang in his ears. The brat was now 24. How much did he change? Suddenly, he grew scared. He was planning on handing over the company to his nephew. If he didn’t, his family would be on the brink of ruins. “Uaaaah, that damn b*!” Crash— The innocent gold pomegranate soju bottle bravely crashed to its death against the cement wall. The shards of glass that reflected the incandescent light above caused him even more heartache. “I’m sorry, Jin Bo. Ughhh!” His younger brother’s happy family had shattered like the soju bottle. That was what he, the elder brother, had done to them. “That fing b**, those damn Jang family bstards!” Park In Bo wrapped his hands around his head and groaned. His family was all messed up because of his wife and the Jang family. If his wife hadn’t threatened him, and if the Jang family hadn’t forced him, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a situation. Mu Ssang was strong, even when he was a child. He was also smart enough to knock down Mr. Lee and the gang members, obtaining honest testimonies from them. He felt as though Mu Ssang would appear any time with flashing blue eyes. He couldn’t think of any way to handle the situation. “Jin Bo, your son grew up well. But, what should I do? These mad bes light fire on the gunpowder not knowing that it’d spell their end. What should I do! Do these bstards bear a grudge against pomegranate soju? Why did they buy so much!” Even the sparkling soju bottle caused his temper to rise. The brat had suffered for five years in their hands. He had already left the house. Why did they do such an absurd thing? They were psychopaths. Well, there was no way that the b** who attempted to steal her husband’s business to give to the Jang family could be normal. Standing on one side was his nephew, the successor of his company. Meanwhile, standing on the other side were his wife and daughter. There was no solution. He wanted to smoke desperately, but his battered lungs couldn’t stand the smoke. “Damn, I’ve lived out my life. Am I paying for my sins now?” he complained as he glared at the gold pomegranate soju bottle in front of him. According to Professor Kim’s diagnosis, he could live 10 years at most and three years the least. He decided to hand his company over to Mu Ssang because of his declining health. If he handed it over to the Jang family, it was bound to go downhill. “That damn b***!” He ended up drinking another bottle. The stream of swear words replaced the other bottles. Park In Bo’s shoulders began to droop as he left the basement. Six years had passed since he left the house and moved into an apartment to avoid his wife. Although his wealth accumulated, he didn’t have a loving wife to brew him a good stew. Park In Bo’s habit of blaming others was also consistent. The blame had only shifted from his brother and nephew to his wife and the Jang family. With the blame came a traditional attachment to his blood family, and a little self-evaluation. Perhaps it was an escape mechanism devised by his brain to protect himself. The Jang who Park In Bo called a b*** was truly doing by things. “Madam, lawyer Lee has arrived,” the housekeeper spoke discreetly outside the door. While waiting for an answer, Juk Jeon’s breath grew ragged. Only three people lived in the large house which could inhabit dozens. The house was always empty. The boss who bought a separate apartment returned once or twice a month. Miss and Mister always stayed out overnight. Most of the time, the Madam was not present at home during the day. While it should have been easier for the housekeeper with no one to take care of, the reality was different. Both the mother and her children had horrible tempers. She grew nervous even with just one of them in the house. “Mrs. Juk Jeon, I’m calling someone. Tell him to wait a moment.” Well, this is new? Juk Jeon tilted her head. She hadn’t heard such a soft tone in several years. She patted down her chest. She handed the visitor some tea and returned to the side room. Standing around and being in the way would only earn her an earful. “Lawyer Lee, it’s been a while. I was late because I was on the phone with my father.” “It’s fine, Madam. You look much younger today.” The man in his 50s, who had been sitting on the couch, stood up. “It’s nice to hear such empty praise. I’m sorry for calling you over when you’re so busy.” “Hahaha, well, I make ends meet by selling feet and mouths. What is it?” A warm smile filled up his face. “Have you met your boss recently?” “I met him last week. We talked about the distribution of funds across facilities.” “Really? Let’s talk about that later. Has that man talked about his nephew recently?” “Ah, the nephew who caused trouble and went to jail a few years ago? Didn’t that kid disappear after he was released? That’s about all I know.” “There’s no news of his death. I found out my husband gave his hometown house and land to that damned brat. Lawyer, did you know?” “That must be something Boss Park did to relieve his mind. That small countryside house and the 10-acre field aren’t much, after all. They have no value either.” Madam Jang’s eyebrows were raised. Several lines appeared between her brows. It was her expression of disagreement to his reply. “The value isn’t the problem, it’s about what it symbolizes. I’ve been suspicious of him since then. I worry my husband might drag the brat into the company.” Ha! What an intuitive woman. Lawyer Lee hid his shock. Although she had guessed wrongly, the overall story wasn’t entirely wrong. Boss Park was preparing to make his nephew his successor, after all. The woman was, if anything, quick-witted. “I can’t give a single acre of the field to that son of a beggar. A bestowal is like a contract. Lawyer, you must have changed the contract’s ownership by exercising some kind of by-law, right?” Her eyes grew narrower to the point that they couldn’t be seen. Ha. While it’s said that the grudge held for the murder of one’s parents can be absolved, stolen wealth is a different story. Yet she’s… “Don’t worry about such minor matters, Madam. Nothing good is going to come out of provoking Boss Park’s sensitive past.” “Lawyer, you can only say that because you don’t know that brat. He’s the evil of all evil. Who knows what he’ll do once he sets foot in the company. I need to nip him in the bud.” Huh, Boss Park said it used to be his brother’s land. This woman’s mad. Lawyer Lee looked back at the situation carefully. Only he was aware of the plan of choosing a new successor. Boss Park was a careful man. He was the kind of person who wouldn’t spill his secrets in his sleep. The news was something that even Boss Park’s right-hand man, secretary Jung Ah Young, didn’t know. In the end, Madam Jang was fishing for information. “No way. There’s Wu Tak, so why would Boss Park drag his nephew and cause trouble? Madam, Boss Park will be disappointed to know that you’re thinking this way.” Lawyer Lee claimed ignorance first. “Really? Well, he isn’t the kind of man to do such a thing with his well-raised son. Let’s just say he donated to a beggar. I should have sent that brat to rot in jail for a decade.” Madam Jang gritted her teeth. She’d managed to set up a tight-knit net and even spent money, but she didn’t realize that he could be released on probation. Madam Jang didn’t know that Hae Young’s father had lobbied for the kid’s freedom using all of his connections. While Madam Jang had bribed the police and investigators, Hae Young had reached out to the court. The middle ground between the prosecution and the court was a suspended sentence. This woman’s a time bomb. I’ll end up in a shole if I drag her along. Lawyer Lee decided to completely cut ties with Madam Jang. The lesson he learned while dealing with all kinds of cases for the past 20 years was that going overboard would leave behind traces. While the sum he had earned behind his boss’ back was satisfying, there was a high risk of getting hit by lightning if he loitered around the b*. Also, he couldn’t betray Boss Park who had helped him during his hard times. “I guess I’m just caught up in these useless thoughts. Please understand. I’ve been anxious the past few days taking care of all kinds of things.” “I understand. Being the wife of the Good Heart Oil’s boss isn’t easy.” Lawyer Lee stared at Madam Jang for a long time. Of course, her head would hurt. Madam Jang had attempted all kinds of things to hand Good Heart Lodgings and Good heart Oil over to the Jang family. She had assigned the executive positions to the Jang family members, controlled the labor force to slander Boss Park, and laundered money away from the company. He did help with a few matters here and there too. However, 100 rolling acorns couldn’t win a rolling pumpkin. Boss Park had already made his move. Currently, Good Heart Oil’s paid-in capital was 2,000,000,000 won. The face value of his shares was 5,000 won, which consisted of Park In Bo’s 52 percent, Jang Pil Nyuh’s 10 percent, Jang Pil Nyuh’s oldest brother, Jang Gi Su’s 10 percent, her second younger brother, Jang Sam Su’s five percent, Park Hee Ja’s two percent, Park Hwa Ja’s two percent, Park Wu Tak’s six percent, and the other shareholders’ 13 percent. Boss Park had already transferred his shares to Park Mu Ssang. The transfer and inheritance documents had completed all legal procedures and were already deposited in the national bank. Madam Jang didn’t know the rice had finished cooking. The largest shareholder of Good Heart Oil, the greatest oil company in Daegu, was Park Mu Ssang. It was just that Boss Park In Bo was working as his representative and since it was under his name, the transfer was undetected. It was only possible because they were a private company. “About the ginseng factory construction, what is the boss planning? Is he planning to get a loan or is he planning to increase the paid-in capital?” Lawyer Lee felt his brain flickered back to life. The Jang family finally pulled out their knife. Truly, Boss Park’s senses hadn’t turned rusty at all. “We decided to issue about 1,000,000,000 convertible bonds instead of increasing the paid-in capital.” “Bonds? Aren’t the interest rates high these days?” “While the average bond interest is over 15 percent, convertible bonds have convertible merits, which means it’s only five percent. Boss has already made up his mind.” “I don’t know the complicated stuff, but you’re saying the convertible bonds will later become stocks, right?” “That’s right, Madam. Right now, the number of issued shares is 400,000. Once we issue 50 percent of our capital, it’ll be 600,000 shares. It’s a good profit for the company, but there’s a possibility of the ownership percentage dropping, which means management rights will also be at stake.” “So if that man takes back the convertible bonds, his share will increase.” “That’s also true.” “How much do we need to buy to make the share ours?” Madam Jang spoke with a dialect. That meant she was excited. Hehe, she took the bait. Lawyer Lee took out a calculator from his bag and pressed on it. “Madam, currently, you and your brothers have a total of 25 percent in shares. If you buy all the convertible bonds, you’ll have 58 percent. The owner of Good Heart Oil would basically change.” “Hohoho, 58 percent! That old man won’t be able to compare no matter how much share he buys from the other shareholders.” “That’s right. The stronger Good Heart Oil is, the more convertible bonds will be issued at a premium price. Of course, you must buy them. You should buy them even if you have to pay twice or triple the price. That money will belong to the company, after all. It’s Madam’s wealth.” Lawyer Lee whispered the devil’s temptations. He combined a percentage of lies with 99 percent of truths. “What if that man doesn’t issue convertible bonds and decides to loan money from the bank?” What a stupid wife. A bird dies from its feed, and humans die from their greed! Lawyer Lee laughed at her internally. Boss Park was right. She was anxious to lose the bait which dealt with management rights. “You should pressure the boss before that happens. The Jang family has enough influence over the workers and middle-level managers, don’t they? You can also pressure him by using the right to access the accounting books.” “Won’t it all be dismissed if the boss refuses?” “If anyone has more than five percent of the shares, they can go to court and apply for access to the accounting books.” Madam Jang’s eyes twinkled. Now was the chance to fulfill the Jang family’s long-time wish.