Chapter 3: <Pandora’s Box>

He was so tired from the late nights he spent awake. Perhaps that was why he felt drunk after downing a few drinks. He felt good. Everyone was having a great time at the party until Choi Gichul raised his glass.

“Everyone, I would like to say something.”

The room shushed.

“They say the best thing the boss can do at a party is to leave early, so I will leave the company credit card here and go. Have a good time! You can spend all you want. In fact, if you don’t spend as much as our company generates in a day, I will be disappointed.”

Bitmain profited an average of 1.2 million dollars per day. Everyone laughed at his generous joke.

“You are the best, boss!”

“Please stay!”

“You need to stay for another round of drinks!”

“Let’s party hard tonight.”

Choi Gichul waved goodbye to the friendly employees. He then came to Woosung and placed his arm around his shoulder.

“I will, however, be taking our hardest working Chief Kang with me.”

-Ooohh!

-We want to go with you too.

-Chief Kang must be your favorite!

Woosung stood up to follow Choi Gichul. He tried his best to hide his confusion.

***

Inside the luxury sedan Benz Maybach S-class, they arrived at a private room in Chungdam. Choi Gichul sat at the head of the table while Jung Jinsup took a seat to his right. Woosung sat down on the left. Choi Gichul poured Woosung an expensive liquor and started the conversation.

“I thought about what you said this morning. Although it was for the good of the company, we did went a little too far.” Woosung blinked and took the glass. “However, you must know, Chief Kang, how hard it was for the company at the beginning.”

Woosung drank quickly and replied. “Of course, I remember. It was a difficult time…”

But that applied to the employees alone. As the CEO, Choi Gichul forced everyone else to work overtime to meet impossible deadlines. Several unhappy employees left then and only a few could survive this kind of working condition.

“I know how difficult it was for you as well, Chief Kang. Now that our company is in a good place why don’t you go on vacation and enjoy your life? You won’t have to work so hard anymore. Whatever you saw last night, it’s something that will be resolved very soon.”

Choi Gichul always had a way of insinuating rather than being direct. He implied that when the company was poor at the beginning; they made a VIP list to make money from these illegal transactions. Now that the company was doing well, this won’t happen again. Woosung should forget about the whole thing.

This was exactly what he was saying.

Woosung grabbed the bottle and poured into his glass. The men accepted his silence as an agreement. Choi Gichul decided they settled the deed and clapped his hands to call the hostess.

“We have an important guest here today so bring in your best girls.”

The hostess wearing an alluring dress bowed and left. A line of beautiful women then replaced her.

***

After much drinking, Woosung opened his mouth gravely.

“I thought about it and… If you get rid of these illegal transactions within one week, then I will do as you say.”

Choi Gichul laughed loudly and slapped Woosung’s back. “Hahaha, were you still thinking about that this whole time? That’s why you weren’t enjoying yourself.”

He was drunk, but his mind was crystal clear. “Please promise me. Bitmain is like my flesh and blood. I don’t want it to go down.”

“Haha, I understand. I got it. I will do as you say. Now my driver will take you home.”

“I’m fine. I’ll just take a cab.”

Choi Gichul pushed Woosung into a mid-size sedan and insisted. “Haha, no way. I can’t let our best employee take a taxi. Mr. Kim, please take him home.”

The driver pushed Woosung further into the back seat. Woosung was drunk and his body felt heavy. He couldn’t fight back and fell asleep in the car posthaste.

‘Yes, I’ve done the right thing. This is… the right thing to do.’

If he reported the incident to KISA, then it was likely that he and other employees wouldn’t get the incentive payments next month. People at work would resent him and his parents would show their disappointment at him. He didn’t want that to happen. The expensive car drove away in silence. Looking at the car leaving, Choi Gichul murmured quietly.

“Who does he think he is, to tell me what to do…?”

Jung Jinsup, who was standing next to him, shivered as he heard the malicious threat in his voice.

***

He fell asleep.

When he woke up, he was sitting on the ground against a wall. He couldn’t move his arms. He could open his mouth. He couldn’t move his body at all. He suddenly heard a distant voice.

“We need to make sure it looks like a suicide.”

“Don’t worry. This isn’t my first time.”

“So what did the guy do to deserve this?”

Mr. Kim glared at him.

“F-fine. I won’t ask questions. I’ll finish this job quick.”

Was it because of the alcohol? Perhaps someone drugged him? Woosung was losing his consciousness. He tried his best to keep his eyes open but he couldn’t. He felt scared, but there was nothing he could do. He then felt something cold on his neck. Mr. Kim was feeling for his pulse. Woosung could hear him talking on the phone.

“Yes, it’s done. Yes, we have the official statement ready for the media.” Woosung then lost all his senses. He couldn’t move a single muscle in his body, but even then, he could still hear Mr. Kim’s conversation on the phone. “The headline will say ‘Employee kills himself from a guilty conscience after committing insider trading.'”

Woosung gritted his teeth in disbelief.

‘That snake!’

He figured it out quickly.

Choi Gichul. It was his doing. It was strange that he wanted to drink with Woosung and even offered to drive him home. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

‘Dammit! Dammit!’

Then suddenly, he lost the last bit of his consciousness and fell into darkness.