Chapter 27
“I was really shocked, Kyle… I mean, really, truly…”
Oliver was still sitting next to me, his face pale as a sheet.
In the end, after vomiting blood in front of everyone, I ended up back in this hospital once again. See? I knew I shouldn’t have been discharged. My instincts were right after all.
I was simply exasperated. How short must my remaining lifespan be—vomiting blood the moment I hit minus eight years? I was practically at the level where I should be preparing for my final moments in hospice.
The doctors, upon hearing my symptoms, immediately rushed over and began all the necessary tests. I was told the results would come in by the afternoon.
“By the way, how has the reaction been since the Wall Street Journal report went out?” I asked.
“It’s been a complete uproar. Of course, Aeatus denies everything, but hardly anyone believes them. It’s been confirmed that the tests didn’t cover the proper items and could only detect about twelve types of diseases. This could go down as the biggest fraud of the 21st century.”
“And what about those flashy outside directors?”
“They’ve all either released statements or quietly slipped away.”
“Of course. The people who registered as outside directors had to be impressive. If this was a scam, their reputations would inevitably be damaged as well.”
“…Fortunately, Olphale Pharmaceuticals didn’t suffer any losses. The investment agreements were planned, and the publicity was done, so many shareholders asked whether the investments and technological partnerships with Aeatus actually took place…”
Oliver smiled wryly as he continued.
“Externally, it seems things turned out the way you wanted. Keith Olphale noticed and went into hiding, and it was concluded that he didn’t show up even if it meant being rude to the chairman.”
“That’s good, then.”
“Keith and Ian Olphale even sent gifts and bouquets.”
“Throw them away.”
Would I even accept them? I said flatly, lying on the bed. I wanted a confidentiality agreement, not a bouquet. But that was probably too much to expect.
Everything ended well on the surface, but honestly, it didn’t feel good to me. I had vomited blood in front of them out of anger. Beyond embarrassment, I felt anxious.
I knew better than anyone how much stir this hemoptysis could cause. There wasn’t a single person on my side in this house. If my health issues spread among the shareholders, my position could be seriously shaken.
…Hah. I thought I’d rattle them a bit, but instead, I’ve exposed a weakness.
Still, maybe, just maybe, those guys would keep it a secret that I vomited blood out of some sense of loyalty?
…No. That’s impossible. I thought somewhat cynically. I had no intention of expecting recognition or loyalty from them. I needed to think about how to deal with it. First, I had to estimate when Mata Olphale would find out. For now, while the fact that I stopped Aeatus’s deal is attributed to Keith, my hemoptysis probably wouldn’t be known. I needed to recover my health before that—or consider revealing it to Mata Olphale myself.
Just then, Oliver suddenly spoke.
“I don’t know how much I blamed myself all through the night.”
“Oliver?”
“Yes. Last time at the hospital, you didn’t want to be discharged. I unnecessarily pressured you to go home.”
“Did you…? I didn’t really feel pressured.”
I replied lazily from the bed. Was that really pressure? It had seemed more like a report or suggestion.
But Oliver clearly felt a deep sense of guilt. At my slight nod, he let out a heavy sigh.
“Honestly, you know your own body better than anyone. I just thought maybe you had anticipated this situation… I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks for caring… but Oliver, you did your job. There’s no need to blame yourself.”
Blaming Oliver wouldn’t make my body recover.
Then he continued resolutely.
“We’ve conducted every possible test again.”
“Nothing will probably show up.”
“Excuse me?”
“I just have a feeling.”
I clenched and unclenched my hand. I could feel my entire body creaking, but instinctively, I knew: while my overall condition had deteriorated, there were no obvious symptoms of disease.
“Maybe only inflammation markers are slightly elevated… but they probably won’t find the cause.”
How could I explain it? This was a penalty from the quest. In game terms, I was essentially in a fatal debuff state. But there would be no clear cause, no disease name—just dying.
“Are you saying it’s a rare disease?”
“No, not that. Just…”
I didn’t have much time left…
But I couldn’t say that out loud.
At least there was one good thing. I finally understood the nature of this annoying penalty. From now on, I could focus solely on countering it.
I must never reveal anything about my body, my identity, or the quest. Luckily, as I learned from conversations with Seokhyung and Kang Inha, the penalty only triggers if the name “Yoon Eunhan” is mentioned directly. That was enough.
Sorry, Youngseo. I should have used your body more carefully. I didn’t know this would happen. Who could have predicted that bringing Kang Inha along would lead to this? Truly sorry. I sincerely apologized in my heart.
At the same time… vomiting blood at minus eight years made me think that Youngseo’s natural lifespan had been short to begin with.
…Surely, living in this household stressed my delicate Youngseo so much. Just thinking about the collision with Ian and Keith at the Aeatus agreement makes my teeth grind. No matter what, I had been too gentle. I should have at least swung the bottle I was holding.
I shook my head a couple of times and then instructed Oliver.
“You don’t need to stay in the hospital anymore. Just tell me the results later. But I need a doctor at home to constantly monitor me.”
“What? But…”
“Staying in the hospital now is useless. Unless we set up a room at home as a hospital.”
“…A hospital room?”
“Yes. And look into nutritious foods and remedies—things to keep my body warm.”
“What?”
“And alternative treatments beyond modern medicine—massage, acupressure, keeping warm, acupuncture, aromatherapy, everything beneficial for the body. Get all of it.”
Oliver’s eyes flickered nervously. He was taking notes to follow my instructions, but his expression showed disbelief.
What if I also asked him to find famous fortune-tellers worldwide to see how long I might live? That would be chaos.
“And for now, my poor health must remain a secret.”
“Of course.”
Oliver nodded vigorously, then handed me a file.
“This is the restructuring plan that just arrived from LA today. It came from the chairman’s direct secretariat. The gist is that the departmental restructuring plan currently circulating internally has been outlined.”
“Restructuring plan?”
I asked, peering at the document. As I remembered, Youngseo had been like a deputy manager overseeing independent labs in the company’s innovative pharmaceutical division—but not someone with authority to allocate budgets or assign projects unilaterally.
Oliver opened the file before me and lowered his voice, clearly conscious of his surroundings.
“Nothing is final yet. The shareholders’ meeting is still far away… The decision will likely be finalized when CEO Mata Olphale calls Keith and Kyle before making a major announcement.”
“Let’s see.”
I quickly skimmed the documents. The gist was simple:
The “Specialty Pharmaceuticals Division” and the “Oncology Division” would be integrated into two independent business units: the “Innovative Pharmaceuticals U.S. Division” and the “Innovative Pharmaceuticals International Division.” The head of the U.S. division would be Keith, and the head of the international division would be me.
Even I, unfamiliar with this, could immediately grasp it.
“You’re merging the Specialty Pharmaceuticals Division and the Oncology Division? Isn’t Oncology fairly large?”
“Yes. Oncology is now nearly a red ocean. The opinion is that various sketches for targeted therapies have been emerging. Profits are decreasing.”
Cancer hasn’t been conquered yet, but the pharmaceutical industry runs on cold capitalism, not altruism. If the numbers don’t add up, divisions are downsized.
I remembered the directors and executives who had crowded into my hospital room. Most of them would probably lose their positions.
“Many people are going to be cut.”
“Instead, equivalent replacement personnel will be invested in the Innovative Pharmaceuticals Division. Olphale considers it the best move.”
“I see.”
I paused, reflecting. I only knew rumors about this industry… Suddenly, words slipped out unconsciously. These were Youngseo’s memories.
“…Right now, we’re in a somewhat tricky position.”
“Yes?”
“Olphale Pharmaceuticals. We’re still making money, but we’re weak in market share. Copuler, which lagged far behind, rode the COVID period with vaccines and nearly doubled Olphale’s profits. And in the consumer pharmaceuticals and chemicals sector, Mall & Mores has long been established. It’s time to make a bold move. I’m sure Mom thought the same.”
Choosing young talent and making a bold move simultaneously… I pictured the Olphales’ faces. They’d increased affection with a kind face, then compared me and Keith. Their minds were only on managing the company. Venomous snakes.
Youngseo was impressive, too. She said she only studied, but the memories in this body were of a competent, prepared management prodigy. I was benefiting from that.
“…Indeed.”
Oliver nodded, admiration in his eyes.
“Even before reporting on trends, you’ve always been attentive, Kyle. Remarkable.”
“Always” probably referred to Youngseo.
Had she truly been putting in consistent effort? Then Oliver must have known Youngseo in life.
“What was I like before the accident?”
“Kyle?”
