be sure to reread the last chapter if you don't remember what happened!
 

Yoongi

Money buys power. Money buys freedom. Money buys silence. Money buys power. Money buys everything. Whoever said money can’t buy happiness is a fool. Money is how the world keeps spinning and how the clock keeps ticking.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The light sounds reverberate through the large auditorium as Hana struts across stage in Louboutins. The red-bottom shoes do the talking for her. Paired with an elegant business dress, I’m not sure what the product is: her or her company. But her attire screams of money.

Normally the annual meeting that Hana opens to the public and members of the community is small and intimate, and that’s what I had been counting on. I had never gone myself, usually sending someone to give me updates. Something had changed in the last year, though. The rows of the auditorium are filled, and there’s reporters at the front.

The Byun family had a reputation of playing it safe and making slow and steady gains. In the short time I had gotten to know Hana, she seems anything but that. She’s is unapologetically aggressive, and that’s why I have a very small space to maneuver and somehow turn the situation around. The intimate setting would be much, much easier to make waves in. Within a huge crowd, it’s harder to make yourself known and ask harder hitting questions.

That isn’t to say that people hadn’t noticed my presence yet. No, I had heard the whispers. The hushed voices behind palms worked in my favor, really.

But I’m not the subject of this stage. Hana is. And that’s oh-so obvious with the black background around her and the spotlight shining down, highlighting the contours of her face as she welcomes the crowd in a warm manner.

She tilts her head a little. Maybe it’s a trick of the light, or maybe it’s my tired eyes, but for a fraction of a second, it almost looks like there’s a halo around her head. She’s no angel though. There are no angels in this line of work.

The presentation comes to life behind her, creating a backlit display that highlights her silhouette as she explains her plans for innovation in the coming year while reviewing the accomplishments from the previous year.

“…our stockholders have proven their interest in our innovations…”

Her talk is routine. The more interesting part is when the audience gives their input through questions, so her current agenda has quite a few people yawning, despite the large amount of people in the auditorium. It’s not on her, really. It’s clear that people are sticking around to ask questions rather than anything else.

“…we are pleased to announce several new developments over the course of this year, including one that we have been quietly developing in order to help branch our influence in the industry…”

The murmurs from the crowd increase at the announcement, and I shift in my seat. These meetings usually include plans of grandeur and small doses of reality. From my experience, the other side rarely announces their plans or goals unless if they’ve achieved a significant portion of it, but even then, they’re usually not surprising developments. They usually involve talks of partners, minor products, and such. Even so, they haven’t had anything large in years, so it’s not worrying. We’ve done enough investigating into the other side to know the slow and predictable developments.

“I am pleased to announce that we are about to move into the final stages of full, long-term clinical trials with the approval of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety with our new drug. I humbly thank our investors, our developers, and the employees that have made this their passion.”

I whip out my phone, sending a quick message to Jin. He had heard of the drug but didn’t know the creator, and if the government had already processed the initial trials, then there’s no chance for interference.

By waiting out the timeline and not announcing their work on the drug, Hana essentially assured that we had been blocked from having any influence.

“…and it is my great pleasure to be giving back to the community by improving the health of society. A portion of the profits made will…”

The reporters are supposed to be waiting until she’s done for the press release, but it’s clear that a few are clearly ignoring the rules. Flashes reflect against her face as she continues, and to her credit, she easily ignores the distraction with a knowing smile. Aides are slipping through the aisles to stop the pictures and recording, but it’s quite hard with a larger crowd.

The whispers continue. It’s a full thirty minutes until they stop, thanks to Hana completing her speech. She bows slightly and the lights over the audience brighten just enough, so that the person on stage can see the spectators.

Several reporters and other types of viewers stand up immediately, vying for her attention. I’m one of them, hoping for sheer, dumb luck.

“Why are you choosing to reveal your drug developments now? Is it because of the implications for the end of the first financial quarter of the year?”

Hana smiles, sitting down in a chair in the middle of the stage which is paired with a table with a water bottle on top. She doesn’t touch it. Admitting that she’s a human in public would be blasphemous. “I can see how that is a possible conclusion, but I’m fortunate to have a very dedicated team working on the project. I have full faith in them, and regardless of when the drug is announced, it has the chance of being highly successful. We decided that this would be the best time, because of government approvals into the long-term trials.”

Translation? It means that Jin can’t have a say.

An aide passes the microphone to another member of the crowd, who quickly establishes himself as someone who doesn’t care for her accomplishments or her company, simply by the tone of his voice. Hana is less of a person rather than a symbol of wealth to him. “You and your colleagues have often been reported to be interdependent. Would you deny this claim? Have you greatly benefited from them?”

Hana’s smile wavers for the smallest fraction of a second. It’s obvious to everyone in the auditorium that the reporter is asking if she’s been carried to the position she’s in today. It’s insulting, but I doubt this is the first time she’s been asked that. Matter of fact, this entire question section seems off. Why are people not asking about company developments rather than motives? I nar