My Treat
“Buuuurp—”
A middle-aged man, his squat, wide body deeply sunk into a leather chair, let out a long, resounding belch. The acrid stench of half-digested food from his stomach quickly filled the room.
Damn it. Yesterday's late-night snack must've been fermented skate with murky rice wine.
Ugh. Why not just stick to whiskey like usual? This smell's gonna kill me.
If he starts his bullshit again today, how the hell am I supposed to endure this stink?
Should've faked a cold and worn a mask. Hell, maybe a gas mask. Nah, even that probably wouldn't block it.
At least I cracked the window earlier. Phew.
The doctors gathered in the chairman's office quickly exchanged glances, furrowing and relaxing their brows. Their looks were fleeting and discreet, lest they be caught. More than one had been kicked in the shin with a dress shoe for getting spotted exchanging eye signals.
“Grrrk, buuurp—cough, hack! Ah, did I overdo it last night?”
He slurped noisily, trying to dislodge something stuck between his teeth with his tongue. When that failed, he scraped at it with his nails. It was a filthy, repulsive sight that anyone would recoil from, and the doctors grimaced inwardly, but none dared point it out.
That middle-aged man, Chairman Kim Byung-gi, had the power and wealth to act however he pleased.
In an ordinary nursing hospital, not even the director or board chairman could bully the hired doctors like that. Even with the recent surplus of physicians, doctors were still treated with respect wherever they went.
So what if Happiness Nursing Hospital had a top rating, a decent size, and good facilities? It was still just a nursing home. No doctor would put up with meager pay, humiliation, and even assault.
They'd toss their white coats and walk out on the spot.
But Kim Byung-gi didn't just own Happiness Nursing Hospital. He had several hospitals under him, plus tight connections with influential figures.
No matter how much professional pride a doctor had, they couldn't just storm out over feeling insulted or humiliated by the chairman's words and actions. They knew full well that defying him meant their livelihood could be cut off completely.
Especially for those who'd dreamed big, opened private practices, gone bankrupt, racked up massive debts, and ended up as fee-based doctors here—they had to watch their step and cling on desperately.
Doctors were human too; when debt collectors were hounding you, pride went out the window.
“Hey, all the beds full?”
“Yes.”
Beds. Kim Byung-gi's mangled pronunciation of “bed.”
Nursing hospitals made money the fuller the beds; empty beds meant losses. So even if a patient was practically a vegetable—hell, even if the family begged for them to be allowed to pass peacefully—the hospital did everything to keep them breathing.
Live patient = money.
“Any deaths?”
“None.”
“Good. Seeing empty beds like gaps in an old man's teeth turns my stomach inside out, so keep it up… Any other news?”
The doctors fell silent. Kim Byung-gi glanced around, slurped again, and waved them off.
“If nothing to say, get back to work.”
“Um…”
The skinny doctor, Choi Du-cheon, who’d been gauging the mood, cautiously raised his hand.
“Patient Kang San has woken up.”
“Kang San? Who's that?”
“Uh, well, the special patient in the single room on the fifth floor.”
“Special… Oh, oh! That one!”
Recognizing it, Kim Byung-gi nodded vigorously and resumed picking at his teeth with his nail.
“So what?”
“Well, about that…”
“What?”
“Sh-should we tip off the news?”
“The nooose?”
“Yes.”
Choi Du-cheon flashed a sycophantic grin.
“Like, ‘A vegetative patient regains full consciousness thanks to Happiness Nursing Hospital's excellent medical staff and care’—that kind of story—”
“No need for that crap.”
“But—”
“I said no need.”
Kim Byung-gi glared at Choi Du-cheon, whose neck retracted like a turtle's, and he shut his mouth immediately.
“Out, all of you.”
The doctors scattered from the chairman's office at the dismissal.
Left alone, Kim Byung-gi stared at the ceiling, thinking.
Eh, after 11 years. No need to notify them specially, right?
They've paid steady single-room fees and treatment costs for 11 years—that's a tidy sum. But compared to that family's wealth, it's like a handful of sand on a beach.
They showed some interest at first, but when he never woke, they lost it.
Kim Byung-gi rested both hands on his bulging belly and rolled his eyes.
But why'd that family handle it like that…?
It was a car accident caused by his chauffeur. A perfunctory show of remorse, wait for the media fuss to die down, then wipe hands clean and play dumb. No big deal. And it wasn't their first rodeo.
11 years… And they paid the bills faithfully without a peep…
They'd asked about his condition for the first five years or so, then stopped.
Probably figured no hope… Hmm. What makes this Kang San guy so special?
Blinking slowly, Kim Byung-gi patted his belly and muttered to himself.
“Whatever. None of my business.”
Just keep lording it over everyone, eat well, play well, shit well—that was enough.
Kim Byung-gi closed his eyes, and soon—
Snooore—pffft—snoooore—
The chairman's office filled with the rumble of snores.
“Ah, Mom just texted.”
Kang Seol-bin checked her phone and beamed.
“Tell her the dotdom can be moved, so stay put. Hang on… Lemme reply quick…”
A moment later, Kang Seol-bin spotted a live fish truck entering the breakwater entrance.
It pulled up carefully, stopped dead, and the driver's door swung open.
“Aigoo! Our lady boss's daughter has the fisherman's luck! Nah, this ain't luck—this must be the Fish God blessing ya!”
Hwang Beom-yong, owner of Barojaba Fish House, hopped out, grinning ear-to-ear at the still-kicking dotdom.
“My god. It's huge…”
Park Young-sook, seeing the dotdom's majesty up close, couldn't close her gaping mouth.
“You caught this?”
“Aw, Mom, you watched it live.”
“Yeah, I did. I did, but… my god.”
Seeing it in person, it was just too massive; Park Young-sook kept gasping in awe.
“My god. It's really huge.”
“Alrighty, time to move this precious cargo without a scratch~”
Flexing his bulging arm muscles, Hwang Beom-yong shouldered the stretcher.
“Aigoo, finally on its way.”
“What kinda blessing is this, catching a dotdom here?”
“Fish God must be watching over her.”
“Lemme see, that girl's a streamer, right? Coro… Coro-no… what?”
“Coronodon. I jotted it down when I heard. Search that here.”
As the gathered anglers watched enviously, Hwang Beom-yong gently rolled and nudged the dotdom onto the stretcher.
Then, with his similarly buff employee, they hefted it with a heave-ho and loaded it into the live fish truck.
“You watched the stream too, bro?”
“Hell yeah! Blew my mind.”
“Oh right, Mom. How much we selling this for?”
“Well, I thought it over and asked Mr. Hwang too.”
“Ah, the sashimi place guy who brought the truck—that's Mr. Hwang.”
Kang Seol-bin explained for her viewers and perked up her ears.
“At first, 5 million won shocked me, but he said it won't go that high. Being alive might bump it up a bit… So around 2.5 million, he reckons… Not chump change, but instead of pocketing cash from your prized catch, how 'bout treating folks?”
“Huh?”
“Treat the market folks. They helped a ton when Mom first started the restaurant.”
“Ah, yeah. They did.”
At first, the market vendors had subtly hazed her, but once they heard her story, they'd grumbled but kept helping.
Stuff like, “Hey, don't handle it like that—you'll ruin it!” while teaching her how to source ingredients, or “Found this on the way! Makes killer broth! But don't overboil or it'll get murky—got it?” while dumping off a sack…
“Never really treated 'em to anything proper since. Got this rare meat now, so how 'bout a big treat? And I hear streamers invite viewers for feasts and such. Why not try that this time?”
“Ooh? My viewers too?”
“Nah, if ya don't wanna advertise Mom's place, borrow the sashimi spot. First floor for market folks, second for viewers. Yeah, sashimi place is better—spacious—”
◈ Lady boss! Take the bribe!
◈ No bribes here… Hehe. Please take good care of us. Hehe.
Park Young-sook's suggestion sent the chat into chaos.
Hm. Good idea.
2.5 million won. Not pocket change like Mom said, but they wouldn't starve without it.
So treating folks this time would be smart all around.
That said…
Sighing at the Death Spirit wailing pointedly at my feet for me to hear.
Her white hanbok, neatly dressed, soaked with reddish tears—it wouldn't be long before she shed blood tears and became a Resentful Spirit.
[Quiet. Loud?]
[Chasing. You?]
Irked, I shot her a look, and Gongjeong-ryeong and Hwa-jeong glared sharply at the Death Spirit.
She flinched, then silently shed tears.
Hm. No way word of me exorcising Bin-i's evil spirit had spread already…
Maybe she sniffed out my realm's scent and came sniffing? Even the immortals of the Dark Heavenly Realm gave off a faint aroma.
But the Great Immortals, far superior, emitted none—which puzzled me. When I asked, they said higher realms let you seal away scents.
I'm not there yet, so… Or maybe she was “visible” in life.
[What is it?]
Tired of the sobbing, I asked flatly.
Her hazy form showed her age: 70s? 80s? By Dark Heavenly Realm time, younger than me—but against my current body, she looked twice my age.
Still, I used casual speech to avoid being underestimated. Rule one with Human Spirits: establish hierarchy firmly. Don't coddle—imprint, “I don't care about your sob story, but I'm gracing you with my time. Don't get cocky!”
Human Spirits' logic differed fundamentally from living humans.
Mountain Spirit Lord? Where'd that come from?
As I stared blankly, Gongjeong-ryeong and Hwa-jeong crept up beside her.
Hm… The Nature Spirits made her think that? Fine if she sees me that way… But I'm no benevolent mountain god handing out gold and silver axes to the honest.
[Your offering?]
[Why should I waste time on you?]
The Death Spirit gawked, stunned.
Want something? Pony up first.
[Master. Cold. Give. Take. Deal.]
[Master. Skilled. Clear. Proof.]
Gongjeong-ryeong and Hwa-jeong watched us eagerly, swapping glances.
Th-that… Uh… Hold on, just a sec. Something, there's something…>
Snap realization dried her tears; she frantically rummaged her memories, then lit up.
I-it's here! I got it! Super hidden wild ginseng liquor! Made from ginseng at least 100—no, over 200 years old! That work? That okay??!>
Hoo… 200-year-plus wild ginseng liquor? If true, perfect for boosting my Spiritual Eye.