Capítulo 146: Chapter 146: You Can Do It, End the Nightmare Now
The road leading to the Mirae Building loomed ahead. The sky looked like it might unleash rain at any moment.
The figure of the Mirae Building stood against the darkening sky.
It had changed a lot since its initial construction. The sight of the Taesan Bank's headquarters on the first floor brought a smile to my face.
I parked my car along the road and waited, soon after, Eva opened the back seat door and climbed in.
"Boss! It's been a while."
Eva was practically a person who was always out and about.
Who could blame her?
"Where are we going?"
"You'll find out when we get there. But your outfit…"
"What? I thought I dressed up a bit for the special occasion of meeting you, Boss. Is it too much?"
"No, it's fine. Let's just go."
Leaving the rush hour traffic behind, we drove through the congested streets of Seoul.
"Boss, where exactly are we headed?"
I didn't reply, and Eva fell silent at the sight of my tense expression.
Finally, we came to a stop at a familiar abandoned factory.
"Get out."
Night had fallen, leaving the factory completely dark and devoid of any signs of life.
After getting out of the car, Eva looked around nervously and moved closer to me.
"…Why are we here?"
"Let's go inside."
The mercenaries standing at the factory's iron door greeted us and opened the heavy metal door.
Eva hesitated to step inside.
"Why? Come in."
"Boss… why so terrifying?"
Eva's hands trembled slightly.
The very location triggered her trauma.
"Sorry for bringing you here without a word. I'm trying to help you overcome your trauma. Just step inside for now."
"…"
"Eva!"
I shouted at her as she hesitated.
Eva jumped, looking at me startled.
"Come in. You trust me, right?"
"…Yeah."
After a long pause, Eva slowly stepped into the iron door.
As the door closed behind us, Eva jolted, pressing herself closely to me.
Manager Ma spotted me and rushed over.
"Boss, welcome!"
I nodded in reply, and Manager Ma continued.
"They've come to. I sustained a few injuries during the suppression process."
"What does it matter, since we're going to kill him anyway?"
The mercenaries guarding the inside greeted me before quickly vacating the factory.
The deeper we went into the factory, the worse Eva's panic became.
"Eva."
"…Boss."
"Why? Seeing that person reminds you of Hong Kong?"
"…"
The person who had tortured Eva directly was already dead.
But all of it was orchestrated under Mei Hong's orders.
She must have seen it when she was released.
The scene of Mei Hong killing everyone who had tortured Eva through our deal.
"I heard the dosage from the doctor has increased. But to truly get better, you can't just rely on the meds. Otherwise, you'll never overcome it on your own."
"…"
Eva's breathing became erratic, and she struggled to stand straight.
I held her hand firmly, keeping her steady.
"Eva, look at me."
Eva clung to me like a drowning person.
"B-Boss."
"Yes, it's me. Stay focused."
"…"
"Don't be scared. Back then, you were alone, but now I'm right here with you. Don't be afraid."
It was cruel for Eva.
But if she kept relying on the meds and forced a smile, it would only lead to her further ruin.
Thanks to my deal with Wen Jiabao, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to deal with Mei Hong earlier than expected.
I thought it was a perfect opportunity for Eva to end her nightmare with her own hands.
"Manager."
Manager Ma pulled a handgun from his jacket and offered it to me.
I took Eva's trembling hand, placing the gun within her grip.
"Eva, kill him. That's how it ends."
Eva's eyes widened in shock as she alternated her gaze between the gun in her hand and me.
"You have to end this with your own hands. That's how it will finally be over."
I guided Eva, lost in thought, deeper into the factory.
Mei Hong was stained with blood, even under the dim glow of the gaslight.
Bound to a chair, Mei Hong looked up as we approached and began shouting curses in Chinese.
"I'll kill you all! No, I'll kill everyone in your family and friends too! Then I'll tear them apart and feed them to dogs!"
At that, Eva's skin turned pale, like all blood had drained from her.
Eventually, Eva dropped the gun she was holding.
I picked it up and handed it back to her.
"I…"
"You can do it. He can't do a thing to you. He's too weak and powerless. Don't worry and just pull the trigger."
I placed my hand over Eva's, guiding her grip on the gun.
"You can do it. Just pull the trigger, and it's over."
As the muzzle pointed at him, Mei Hong began thrashing maniacally, crying out.
Eva's face twisted in distress.
"Just pull the trigger."
I whispered into her ear.
"You can do it. This is your ending."
Gradually, the tremors in Eva's hand subsided.
"That's right, don't be scared. Just do it, with your own hands."
Eva's finger began to move slowly.
Noticing the shift in atmosphere, Mei Hong's face lost all color.
As he opened his mouth to say something.
Bang!
Thick smoke from gunpowder rose up. Mei Hong fell backward, chair and all, not even able to let out a scream.
"You did well."
I took the gun away from the dazed Eva.
Handing it over to Manager Ma, I said.
"Make sure to handle the body."
"Yes, Boss."
I grabbed Eva's hand again and urged her on.
"Let's go. When we get home, just sleep without any thoughts."
Eva, still dazed as she looked at Mei Hong's lifeless body, nodded slightly.
I drove her back to the Mirae Building.
"Don't think about anything else."
Eva stumbled into the building without a word, swaying as she walked.
"Let's go."
The car pulled away slowly.
As if the heavens knew Eva was crying, rain began to pour down heavily.
I quietly watched the raindrops sliding down the car window.
"Will she be alright?"
"Are you talking about Eva?"
"Yeah. Killing someone isn't easy, is it?"
Manager Ma's concern was understandable.
Only those who have never taken a life can truly grasp the weight of ending a life.
"She'll be fine. She's strong."
I believed in Eva.
She had kept my trust even through brutal torture. She was resilient. I was sure this experience could help her overcome her trauma.
"It's necessary to take a life yourself. Otherwise, that trauma will ultimately lead Eva to her own destruction."
Perhaps at first, the hospital's prescribed meds were sufficient, but pushing herself while undergoing her trauma could lead to an unpredictable outcome.
Anxiety can cloud one's rational judgment. Perhaps… I might end up having to take Eva's life myself.
Even if it's a cruel and extreme measure, I believed facing her trauma head-on and dealing with it directly was the right approach.
"Let's wait and see. For Eva's change."
Afterward, there was no contact from Eva for a while.
Even though the company was right down the elevator, she hadn't shown her face to work from her lodging.
Days went by before I finally heard from her.
—Boss, I want to meet.
"Alright, I'll come."
—No, I'll go to Myeong-dong.
"Got it. I'll wait."
When Eva arrived at the Myeong-dong office, she looked noticeably thinner.
"Have you not eaten?"
Eva nodded silently, her pale face betraying no emotions.
"For several days, Mei Hong's corpse kept appearing in my dreams. But now I'm good. That incident isn't showing up in my dreams anymore."
"That's good to hear. Can you stop the meds?"
"I've thrown them all away."
"Still, keep going to the hospital. It would only worsen if you try to handle it alone."
"Okay."
"Let's go out. I'll treat you to a meal."
Eva no longer showed signs of anxiety or tears.
"Thanks, Boss. For saving me."
"It's nothing."
"I'll be loyal to you."
She hugged me tightly in return.
* * *
Time passed swiftly.
Eva had overcome her trauma and no longer relied on meds.
Meanwhile, Wen Jiabao kept true to his word and arrived in South Korea, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
—I'll see you tomorrow at the hotel where I'm staying.
"Yes."
It was time to settle up.
Having acquired Wen Jiabao's assistance for Eva's revenge, I owed him a debt now.
I reflected while watching Wen Jiabao's face on the TV news.
"I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do."
I arrived at the hotel where Wen Jiabao was staying, secretly.
Meeting Wen Jiabao in Russia felt like déjà vu.
"We meet again, Boss Kim."
"Yes, Vice Premier."
We exchanged a light handshake and took our seats.
"I'd like to have a private conversation…"
Wen Jiabao glanced at Manager Ma, who stood like a statue behind me.
"It's perfectly fine. He knows just as much as I do. Don't worry; I trust him with my life."
He nodded, albeit reluctantly, before he began speaking.
"There's a 100 million dollar slush fund."
Looks like you've made quite the haul.
"100 million dollars…"
"You only need to guarantee the principal."
He essentially wanted me to launder his money.
"It's going to take a while to set up. I'll need to create a company in China and use several shell companies to get them into Hong Kong."
"Can you make it happen within a year?"
"Yes. But we must establish a Chinese company, allowing for the free outflow of foreign currency."
To initiate any business deal in China, you had to grease some palms.
But once a powerful figure intervenes, all approvals could come through in just a day.
"Leave that to me. But we will need the company to be a branch of an American corporation instead of a Korean entity."
"Got it, I was thinking the same. I'll keep cycling it through so nobody traces where the money came from."
"I trust you."
"You can count on me when it comes to money. I won't make mistakes."
Wen Jiabao faintly smiled, seemingly pleased with my response.
"Aren't you interested in North Korea?"
"No."
"Why? The South Korean government seems to think otherwise."
"I stand apart from the government. I don't trust communist countries."
His smile vanished as he shifted into a more serious expression.
"Do you really believe North Korea will change just because of reform and opening? Didn't you see how long it took China to change?"
I shrugged lightly.
"If I offended you, I apologize. But that's reality. The reason I decided to invest in Russia is that it at least pretends to be democratic."
"China will change too."
"Yes, it probably will. But that applies to China, not North Korea. I'm not interested in North Korea."
"Hmm…"
"But why are you asking?"
"I thought I might connect you if you were interested. But seeing your rejection…"
"I'll take your good intentions."
Wen Jiabao said nothing more after my firm response.
"You're quite amusing, Boss Kim. A South Korean with American ties investing in Russia while being a close friend of a likely next president of China…"
"Money knows no borders and ideologies. It's just money. Investors with American citizenship along Wall Street have invested in Russia and, despite everything, continue to pour money into the communist state of China because it's profitable."
"If you're not interested in North Korea, what about China?"
"It's an attractive investment destination."
In the 21st century, China's growth was unmatched by any other.
Huge companies like Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba are rising to rival American IT firms.
"So why aren't you investing?"
"Are you really asking that?"
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