Chapter 54

Villain Only Performs 054

More is Better? Too Much is Better? (3)

- I told you to bring everything to me, not to swallow it yourself.

- Money management is the husband's job. Don't worry, I'll make sure our Soojin lives a life without getting her hands dirty.

- Shut up and bring it all.

- I can't. I've already named our children. If I give this to you, I'll be abandoned, and our poor children won't even get to be born.

To become the ultimate winner, Kim Soojin brought in the capable Kim Chan.

But at the decisive moment, Kim Chan had an epiphany due to the Customs Office's proposal.

He judged that to fully possess Kim Soojin, it would be better to keep the artworks for himself.

- Kim Chan, you're mistaken. Do you think you can turn this into money?

- Even if I sell them at a discount, I can still have more money than I'll ever need.

- Bullshit. High-value artworks are only traded among the upper echelons. Do you think rich people will meet with a thug like you carrying Van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet?

- That's why I need you, Soojin. We're a perfect match, aren't we?

- Shut up and hand it all over by today. Otherwise, you'll die.

- What, were you seeing someone else?

- No kidding. By today, today.

Ignoring the ominous warning, Kim Chan hid the containers filled with artworks in a safe place with his subordinates.

- Good job, everyone. Let's enjoy ourselves today.

- Yes, sir!

The scene of his subordinates mingling with the slender and daringly dressed women, the flashy music, and the dazzling dance moves ruthlessly stimulated the audience's senses.

However, the dream-like moment of pleasure was shattered by a sudden report from one of his subordinates.

- Sir, you need to come and see this.

- What is it? What happened?

- I opened a few boxes to sort them out, and, well, you need to come and see this.

Realizing something was off, Kim Chan left his subordinates to continue partying and rushed to the hiding place.

- Gold bars? Why would the museum store these?

- There are some complicated documents here too. CDs? Could they be records of drug smuggling? Why would these be in the museum, sir?

- Damn, I thought they were unusually heavy and bulky.

The loot contained many items that shouldn't have been in the museum.

Gold bars, bearer bonds, bearer certificates, overseas bank account statements, electronic identity verification devices, and bundles of 50,000 won bills worth hundreds of billions...

- Damn. This is the Il Sung Group's slush fund. The museum was just a front.

The true nature of the storage, which had been kept secret until the end, was finally revealed.

The valuable artworks themselves were already a slush fund.

Inside the storage, various slush funds, including gold bars, certificates, and cash, were deeply hidden.

- Sir, isn't this too big for us to handle?

- Ha, Kim Soojin... Did she plan to take all of this for herself?

Kim Chan, who had been muttering in disgust, suddenly smiled.

- It's spicy, very spicy. That's why I like it even more.

- Sir, we're all going to die.

- How about we run overseas? We might be safe there.

- Are you crazy? They'll hunt us down even in the Amazon jungle.

Realizing he had bitten off more than he could chew, Kim Chan went to find Kim Soojin.

She greeted him with a bright smile.

- You've changed your mind. Good thinking.

- Soojin, what are you?

- ...What are you talking about all of a sudden?

- This is the Il Sung Group chairman's slush fund. What were you thinking, trying to take it all for yourself?

- You finally opened it. Pandora's box.

Kim Soojin couldn't handle it alone.

It wasn't just artworks; it was the Il Sung Group's slush fund, which dominated South Korea.

No matter where she ran, the Il Sung Group's hounds would chase her to the end.

- Tell me. Who told you to do this?

- Who do you think?

- The Il Sung Group chairman?

While hoping it wasn't true, Kim Chan asked.

It would be too ridiculous if it was a self-made drama.

But a smart woman like Kim Soojin wouldn't have risked her life without such safety measures.

- Yes, it was the chairman's order.

- Damn! Damn! That old bastard!

- He promised to let me go free after this job. He also promised a generous severance package. So, make a wise choice, okay?

Kim Chan, who had been venting his anger, glared at Kim Soojin with burning eyes and then spoke.

- From now on, do as I say.

***

Oh Sohee and Kim Dahye were glued to the screen, unable to breathe.

At first, they came to the theater just to see Jung Seohoon, to catch a glimpse of him in person during the stage greeting, and because they were more interested in the perks.

However, they soon found themselves caught up in the narrative Kim Chan, the villain, had taken over in the second half, driven by his greed.

- You might not get out of this alive.

Alone, Kim Chan met the Il Sung Group chairman and took a desperate gamble.

- I contacted you because I want to live, sir.

- Go on. Make your excuses.

- I took the job for the money. But when I opened the boxes, I found the Il Sung Group's slush fund.

- I don't feel like you're trying to save your life.

- If I had known from the start, I wouldn't have touched it.

The veteran actor Min Soo, who appeared for the first time in the latter part of the film, exuded charisma as the chairman.

When his face first appeared, there was a brief murmur of "Min Soo again," but now everyone was captivated by his performance.

Oh Sohee felt a surge of emotion at a scene reminiscent of the reunion of Hwang Hakjin and Lee Jinwook.

The director's affection and respect for the character were evident.

- Exactly 5%. I'll never show my face to you again. Consider this an investment and trust me, sir.

- What if I refuse the investment?

- I'll die here. I have enough money to live like a king in the afterlife, hahaha!

Oh Sohee clenched her fist.

It was a tense and dramatic scene, but she felt a burst of laughter might erupt.

Other audience members probably felt the same.

- Alright. Let's proceed.

“Pfft!”

“Phew!”

“Haha.”

“Ah, Min Soo. Really, ah. Pfft.”

Racing to the final finish line, Kim Chan was prepared to burn everything for one last big score.

- That's it, Soojin. We've bought some time.

- Really? 5% is enough to live a luxurious life.

- Can you really do that? I can't. I'll regret the 95% I lost for the rest of my life.

Kim Chan removed all the stolen items and brought in cheap paintings to replace them.

- Whether it's Picasso or Van Gogh, they'll all turn to ashes. How will anyone tell the difference?

- You won't believe me.

- Then I'll make you believe.

Kim Chan removed his share of the gold bars and cash and sent the rest back in a container trailer.

Of course, the contents were all fake.

He deliberately caused a collision with a fuel truck on the way, turning everything into ashes.

Then, by turning himself in and offering his share, he would claim it was an accident and seek forgiveness.

- You won't get out of this alive.

- I have the skills. The important thing is to make the chairman believe it was all ashes.

The audacious thief had escaped, but the burned slush fund was irreplaceable.

The one who stole all the slush funds and the one who accidentally burned them.

The former could be pursued indefinitely, but the latter would eventually have a statute of limitations.

- To take all that slush fund, you have to take such a big risk. Right?

- ...I wish you luck.

A fierce and passionate kiss lasted for a long time, and screams of excitement erupted from all around.

Battling through the turbulent waves, Kim Chan played his final card.

After the container was completely burned, Kim Chan went into hiding for a few days.

When the chairman's anger had seeped into his bones, Kim Chan turned himself in with his share of the gold bars and cash, seeking forgiveness.

He secretly met the chairman's secretary.

- I thought you'd already fled overseas. Why are you here?

- I thought it was over, but staying here would be even worse.

- Your life is over, anyway.

- I tried to clean up as much as I could. I only kept 5% for myself.

- Are you claiming it was an accident? Do you think the chairman will believe you?

- I'll do my best and wait for the call of heaven.

- Then go and tell the chairman yourself.

- I know I'll die if I go there. I came back to save myself. It wasn't my fault.

- ...

- Did you expect this to happen?

The chairman might or might not believe the lie, but Kim Chan could only hope his final gamble would pay off.

Just as he turned around, he was surrounded.

The secretary spoke coldly.

- I think you might be right. You probably tried to survive by offering what was left after the accident.

- Secretary, isn't this too much?

- This is the chairman's way. Whether you lied or not, you have to face the consequences.

A fierce fight broke out, and Kim Chan's body was soon drenched in blood.

He managed to knock down the security guards and escape.

But as soon as he reached the outskirts, more cars arrived, and the security guards aimed their guns.

Realizing he couldn't escape, Kim Chan ran towards the river.

Bang! Bang!

Bullets pierced his legs, and he dove into the river, leaving a trail of blood.

- He's dead?

- He was hit badly in the legs. Look at the blood. There's no way he could survive in that state.

- Still, search thoroughly. We need to confirm the body.

Meanwhile, Kim Soojin, who had escaped, found herself in a luxurious neighborhood in the hills.

A place where the super-rich lived, with strict control from the mountain entrance.

Kim Soojin boarded a business jet waiting at her private runway.

Dozens of security guards were always with her, and her secretary reported her schedule in a low voice.

Listening indifferently to the passionate pitches of entrepreneurs, Kim Soojin's elegant wrist, adorned with a bracelet encrusted with fine diamonds, was particularly emphasized.

Short and intense music erupted, and the ending credits rolled over the darkened screen.

***

“...”

Oh Sohee was overwhelmed by the aftertaste, and Kim Dahye felt the same.

It was like they had been riding in a supercar, enjoying the thrill of the track, and suddenly crossed the finish line.

“Wow... Damn. So, Kim Soojin ended up taking it all?”

“I'm so envious. That must be worth a few trillion won, right?”

“Not a few trillion, but probably more than ten trillion. Is that all the top chaebol's slush fund?”

“Ah, it's just a movie. It's not a real company.”

“Our Seohoon is so pitiful. He's dead again.”

“Yeah, so pitiful.”

“But he really was a scene-stealer. He was a minor character but suddenly became the lead in the end.”

The leads were the trio, and the ultimate winner was Kim Soojin.

However, Kim Chan managed to burn everything he had in the first half and leave a lasting impression in the second half.

He chased after the unattainable glamour, almost caught it, but ultimately lost it.

Then Oh Sohee pointed to a woman in the audience.

“Hey, look. That lady is crying.”

“Really, she is.”

“It wasn't that sad.”

“I felt bad for Kim Chan, but I wasn't that sad about his death...”

“Eh? Eh? Eh!”

Suddenly, Oh Sohee screamed, and the audience jumped to their feet.

As the ending credits rolled, the director and cast appeared on the screen.

Standing ovations erupted, and loud cheers drowned out the movie's grand OST.

The actors who had been wreaking havoc on the screen just moments ago greeted the audience with bright smiles, and Oh Sohee and Kim Dahye were completely captivated by Jung Seohoon.

The actors thanked the audience for enjoying the movie, and the microphone was passed to Jung Seohoon last.

“I'm Jung Seohoon, who played Kim Chan. It was my first movie, and I was quite inexperienced, but I hope you'll be lenient. I'll work hard in the future.”

Jung Seohoon's part was notably longer than the others.

A minor character who was hastily added, surpassing the main leads?

It was a curious situation, but fans who came just to see Jung Seohoon had no time to think about it.

“Finally.”

Jung Seohoon paused, and the ending music abruptly stopped.

Silence descended on the theater, and the screen changed.

Oh Sohee covered her mouth.

The unexpected scene in front of her made her feel like she was hyperventilating.

In the silent screen, the bloodied Kim Chan staggered to his feet.

His subordinates lay bloodied and unconscious behind him.

Struggling to leave the warehouse, Kim Chan looked towards the horizon and pulled out a cigarette.

He lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a satisfying puff of smoke.

- ...

His lips, twisted in a strange way, seemed to be about to say something, but the screen went black again.

<Kim Chan Returns>

“It's a sequel, a sequel!”

“Damn, is Kim Chan the main character in the sequel?”

Jung Seohoon bowed lightly and concluded.

“In the sequel, I'll play the lead and show you a better performance. Thank you.”