Read 12 Hours After - Chapter 161 - Fake News, Part II online free - Light Novel Full
Translator: Khan
Editor: Aelryinth
'There is an old saying that if a prime minister's dog dies, they pay respects to the deceased, but if he dies, they don't pay tributes. When he is alive, they are under the influence of authority, and when a dog dies, they go to offer their condolences to the family in mourning. But when he dies, no one will be there; it points out the nature of those who stick to him according to their own interests.'
In retrospect, I had met a lot of people like that since I started the Invictus Investment.
'Hang Sang-hoon bought a coin with that amount he won the Lotto, and he had a big hit.' When the rumor spread, suddenly I got a call from a college colleague, and he asked me, "Why don't you invest here while I have a good investment item?"
An old elementary school classmate who I did not remember came to my company after a few years and said, "There is a good piece of land on Jeju Island. Why don't you buy it?"
I fended them off with a firm determination, as I didn't want to deal with flies running at my money. Three years had passed since then. Naturally, I had made relationships with so many people, both those involved in work and those not involved in work. They were not like my old classmates saying, "I heard you won a lotto. Let's share it together," but there were quite a few people gathered by their interests.
'Maybe this false news of "Han Sang-hoon is bankrupt" will be an opportunity to uncover the true connections that will stay be by my side even when I'm not good.'
Lee Won-jae told me, "If this is a lie, I'll cut it off from my position."
As I heard that, instead of saying, "It's a novel," I cleared my voice "Ahem," for a moment and said to him in a dull and slightly gloomy way. "… Well, when does that article come out?"
"Yes?" Lee Won-jae looked a little surprised.
"Well… even if that article comes out… I can't help it." I said to him after that.
"Yes? Then…"
And what would follow after that was an unvoiced "Is this true?"
However, he didn't say anything more.
I spoke to him, "… thank you for calling anyway. I have a meeting, so I need to say goodbye."
"Oh, yes, sir."
I hung up the phone and laughed. I didn't say yes or no, but this was good enough to be misunderstood that I had lost a lot of money investing in China. There would be a reaction in either direction after the article was published. I decided to watch it for a while.
————————–
That evening, the news came out in the end. [Han Sang-hoon, who had been on a roll, took a big loss from investing in China.]
I didn't know how Lee Won-jae accepted my response, but he didn't seem to have cut the article. I read the article and the comments. As expected, such comments were written:
– He had been on a lucky roll, but now he is bankrupt.-
– An overnight millionaire can be completely ruined in a moment. He who lives by luck dies by luck.-
-Have you seen anyone who's been rich after winning the Lotto? So is he. We're going to go to the abyss of life because of the good times.-
– The recent dumpling and makgeolli companies which he bought are also losing stock price support. He has been lucky enough to win, but now he is showing his real ability.-
Of course, there were favorable comments.
– He has earned a few billion dollars, and I'm sure he is richer than you, no matter how much he lost.-
– When he acquired Kai Games and Hyun Young Pharmaceutical it was a really good choice… but he can't always win.-
– The Great Chinese Depression was really hard for anyone to predict. I guess Invictus Investment got caught up in it, too. Han Sang-hoon has the ability, so he'll make a comeback.-
– There are so many people who commit suicide and lots of companies which went bankrupt in Yeouido; an investment company can't help it.-
I thanked them very much for writing good comments, those who had never seen me at all. But most of the comments were reacting like 'That son of a bitch is ruined. That's great. It's good.'
But in the eyes of the public, this article that I had lost a lot of money must have been read with great confidence, since all the people who had invested in it lost money. They didn't imagine that I had put up a short sale on assets in China.
'It wasn't really a disaster, but it was a huge hit.' I had made more than thirty-three billion dollars in profits, but it was only me and four key members of the Invictus Investment gathered in the conference room who knew the fact. Even Secretary Park, who had gathered people in the conference room, didn't know that. I had proceeded with this project in secrecy, as I did not want this information to get out in advance.
Of course, a few working-level officials who had made investments in the company would know to some extent that we made money by putting up a selling position, as they were the ones who pushed the sell button themselves. But they did not know that we were all in on the sale position.
'Usually, to take a selling position is a common way to hedge when avoiding risk.'
They would have been thinking only to the extent of it, 'Because of CEO Han, the company must have lost a little bit less.' Other departments would not have thought that we had all taken the selling position. Only five people, including myself, knew that I had become the richest person in Korea at this time. There was no one about to open their mouths, since I had put down the order to keep silent on all media about any investment contents in China.
In addition, I said one more thing today: "Don't deny the news that our company has lost money."
With this, I'd become a temporary loser who had been dealt a huge loss after investing in China. The truth would come out soon anyway, but by then I intended to take a look at other people's feelings. But it went faster than expected.
"Oppa. Is this true?"
The person who lived with me, Ah-young brought her smartphone first. I was embarrassed. To be honest, she was not the subject of this test, because I couldn't imagine her leaving me for any reason. I shook my head.
"No, that's not it. It's fake news."
Ah-young narrowed her eyes and said, "Really? You're not pretending to be okay in front of me, are you?"
Ah-young used to ask me, "I heard that China is difficult these days. Is your company okay?" Now that such news just came out, she could misunderstand.
I strongly denied it. "No. Look at the back. There's a story about how I went to the cathedral to borrow the power of faith. I went there to play because you asked me to go. I think the reporter invented this."
Ah-young looked at her smartphone more, and only then did she nod. "Ahhh…"
Ah-young looked surprised at the first part of the article and rann to me. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Hooo, thank God. I was starting to think I would have to sell my apartment building again."
The very apartment I used to live in. Both Ah-young or I had moved to this penthouse for quite some time, but she was still receiving the monthly rent there.
I told her, "Why did you sell it? You said it was your parents' legacy."
The building was the last legacy left for Ah-young before her mother died of cancer. It meant more to her than just property.
"No, but, if you were ruined, I was going to try to sell mine to help. I could get ten million dollars if I sold it in a hurry. I was wondering if you could get back on your feet with that."
"It's okay. It's okay." I said, waving my hands. But inwardly, I was happy, since her words seemed sincere.
'Ah-young has passed.'
As we had lived together for a year, I knew that the scenario of 'So now you're a beggar, then I'll leave. Goodbye!' was almost impossible with her mind and heart.
However, I got calls from my parents after Ah-young.
"Is that true? Your mother is worried."
"Is the news true? Your father is worried."
"Oppa, is that true? Really? Our parents are worried."
My family was just talking about their great worries, whether I had been ruined or not. I was extremely grateful to them. 'As expected, my family loves me.
'Among the families of the heads of large corporations, it is said that even parents, brothers, and sisters are fighting because of money.'
However, my family was far from that. It was a good thing, though.
———————————-
The next day, I went to work as usual. In front of the president's office, Secretary Park was waiting for me.
"Are you here, boss?" He was much the same as usual.
"Secretary Park," I spoke to him.
"Yes?"
"Did you see the news?"
"To be honest, I don't see it often," Park said with a slightly awkward smile.
"Really? Um…" I thought for a moment and decided to play a joke on him. "Somehow our company might get tough."
But when I said that, he said, "Oh, I saw that news; we've lost a lot of money investing in China…"
"Yes. Did you see that?"
"Yes." Secretary Park nodded shortly. He probably watched the news yesterday and decided not to show me his reaction, just in case I would be depressed.
'This guy's reliable, too.' I told him, thinking about it. "By the way, our company might be ruined. And you might get fired."
Secretary Park said, slightly lowering his head, "I see… In any case, I'll stand by you until the end. I've been working on good terms, so I can work for a few months without pay…"
At any rate, this guy's reaction wasn't funny.
I said with a smile, "It's a joke, man. How could we be ruined? Our company will go for another thousand years."
——
A few hours after going to work, I got a call from Ji-hoon, my former secretary who was running a startup company. "I saw my article about you… Are you okay?"
I played a joke on this fellow, too. "No, it's not okay. Maybe I'll have to get back the investment I made to you."
"… are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Oh, that's… That's how it turned out. If you do, I'll return the investment right away. I'll try my best to help you. Due to your advice not to buy an office… huh…"
As he said that, he noticed something a little strange. I already told him a few months ago, "Business will be bad. There will be a big incident."
I was the one who had given him a warning.
"Ha-ha-ha. You saw it. I can't lose." I couldn't stand it, and I laughed.
"Huh… on the person who called… I was worried about you!" Ji-hoon grumbled. I could feel the present secretary and the former secretary, thinking of me from the bottom of their heart.
'Both of you have passed.' That was why I had kept them at my side.
I thought, 'Well… after all, there's no one stabbing me in the back. Is it because they don't believe the article is true? I thought it was a funny trap… but I'm sorry no one got caught…'
——
But that was only for a short time. A few days later, the trap caught more big fish than I thought it would.
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Translator: Khan
Editor: Aelryinth
People seemed to love stories of a person's ruin. I was able to realize that all over again this time.
[Invictus Investment's failure to invest in China has resulted in a huge loss.]
The news, which came out a few days ago, reached the top of the news list in days. As the number of views increased, a follow-up article appeared.
[Invictus Investment, which had been on a roll, is facing a crisis.]
[A big mistake for the arrogant genius? CEO Han Sang-hoon's investment in China has lost a lot of money.]
Nothing had changed. These were novels that said our company had invested in Chinese companies and had lost a lot of money because they had gone bankrupt. It wasn't a very unlikely piece of writing. There were so many investment companies that had lost money in investing in China, so they made our company one of them. In fact, it was more unrealistic to predict the Great Chinese Depression in advance and hold a selling position half a year ago.
When I had started this project in the first place, even my closest aides had tried to stop me.
"It's dangerous, Mr. President."
"It's too low a chance to bet our company's future on, Mr. President."
"Please think again."
Now that it had happened, if someone had gone back a year ago and bet five billion dollars on the Great Chinese Depression, everybody would have pointed fingers at him because he was crazy. Even though it actually happened.
In any case, the rumor of Han Sang-hoon's ruin continued and continued even after the new year was bright in January 2022. There were a series of follow-up articles, followed by rumors. But I didn't respond very much, as all the people I cared about knew the truth. More than that, I decided to concentrate on exploring the companies that were going bankrupt.
Obviously, there would be good business in Korea, which had temporarily been credit-tight. I calmly looked for the opportunities quietly, reading the current, future news. However, even if I read the news a year from now, there was not much hopeful news. Due to the government's hurried response, the urgent fire was put out for now, but the economy and asset prices still showed no signs of rebounding. The whole world had fallen into a swamp of long-term depression.
'Well… maybe I shouldn't rush to buy assets…'
As a result, neither I nor the company had much to do.
'An investment company is lives on the buying and selling, whether it is a recession or a boom.'
However, the economy was now completely dead and crawling on the floor. There was nothing to sell, nothing to buy. I decided to wait for a little more time after holding my breath.
——————————
I looked at the screen with my arms crossed.
"Daughter, go on ahead; we will talk to each other like men."
On the screen, Michael Keaton, who played Vulture, was performing so hard. Today's film was a blockbuster hero movie that had been out for quite some time, and I'd seen it over and over again. Not to see Spider-Man, but to see the villain, Michael Keaton. He was also one of my favorite actors from "Birdman," which I had recommended to Ah-young before. Tom Holland, who played Spider-Man in the film, was said to have been genuinely terrified by Michael Keaton's eyes, and didn't have to act that out.
'It's so fantastic.' As I was admiring it, a text message came in. I glanced down.
It was from Secretary Park. – Boss, we have a visitor. It is Director Bang Young-woo of KJ Products.-
I saw the text and thought for a moment, 'KJ Products? Why from there?' I got up right away. It had nothing to do with me, but had to do with Jang Han-sul, who would be the next chairman of KJ Group.
I had a gut feeling. 'She sent out another high-ranking official as a mailman.' He came to our company as a postman for Garden Royale.
"Huh." I closed my mouth and looked down at it. I was going to watch a movie quietly because I wanted to stay home from work. However, I could not help but go down, because an executive was here. The Garden Royale's invitation was like registered mail, I didn't let anyone else take it.
"It's a funny part…" I paused the movie and replied to my cell phone. – I'll be there in a minute.-
I got up and headed to the closet. It took about forty seconds to get out of the private theater and walk across the living room to the closet. In the meantime, I was worried about what to put on. Anyways, I just had to go down and accept the invitation.
'Do I have to wear a suit?' After a moment of thought, I got on the elevator, dressed in jeans and a shirt. But when I looked in the mirror in front of the elevator that was going down, my hair was a little disheveled and my beard was unshaven. It was because I hadn't thought of going to work this morning.
'.. It's a little disrespectful, but… I don't care anymore, as I'm also the richest person in Korea. Do I need to look at anyone's notice?' I came down to the floor with the president's office, thinking about it.
A middle-aged man was waiting for me in front of the president's office.
I reached out to him and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I am Han Sang-hoon from Invictus Investment."
"This is Director Bang Young-woo of KJ Products. Nice to meet you, CEO Han."
I came into the office with him. Knowing everything in my heart, I spoke to him, "By the way, what brings you here?"
Sure enough, he took out an envelope from his arms that said 'R' and handed it to me. "Nothing, but our Chairman Jang Han-sul asked me to deliver this…"
I said, accepting that, "Yes, please tell her I received it."
His business was over. I was going to finish the meeting right there. I had to go back up and finish watching the movie I had started.
But he took out one more word, "Yes, and… she asked me to ask if you're okay these days."
At this time, I answered in a blunt manner. "Yes. Well. I'm good."
I thought it was just a simple hello, and I told him, "Please say hello to her and wish her a happy New Year."
"Ah… yes, CEO Han. I will do it." But strangely, he looked at my face as he said it, and smiled.
I realized just now that the regard he had just made was not a simple greeting. After he left, I just replayed the situation, holding the invitation from Garden Royale. 'If you're okay these days…'
Jang Han-sul, who sent the invitation, also seemed to be paying attention after hearing rumors that Han Sang-hoon had gone bankrupt. So when she sent that fat executive, she asked him to ask me how I was doing and watch if the rumors were true or not. Meanwhile, I came down in jeans, with my hair disheveled and beard unshaven. Perhaps, it would cause a misunderstanding on her side, as well.
'It's strange that I'm constantly getting misunderstood…'
Or maybe it was all because people wanted me to go bankrupt. 'People often see what they want to see, and believe what they want to believe.'
The rumor 'Han Sang-hoon is ruined' met the expectation of 'I wish it would be real,' and it caused such misunderstandings.
'No, if I think about it… it is polite to not say anything if she is really worried about me. At some point, there are people who enjoy other's mishaps when they are in trouble, and pretend to comfort them on the outside. If it's Jang Han-sul, I'm sure she is that type of human being.'
After watching me for more than a year, Jang Han-sul was a jealous person. Even though she was from one of the richest families, she didn't like seeing others doing well. I looked at the invitation from Garden Royale.
'Shall I not go there now?'
For a year or so, I had attended the showy social gathering of the top class, but now it was getting boring. I was going to tear it apart, but instead, I stopped and gently opened the envelope.
Now it was a gathering of people whose assets were lower than mine, but they still had some decent information on Korea. They would have been similar to me in the way they coped with this credit crisis. They would try to buy a cheap but good company.
——————————
Garden Royale's New Year's party…
'The economy runs in recessions and booms. During boom times, jobs are added, incomes rise, and asset values, such as real estate and stocks, rise. The working class is well off and the rich are better off. IN contrast, in times of recession, massive layoffs occur, income decreases, real estate is auctioned off, and stocks fall. The common people find living hard, but the rich are still well off.'
That was what I thought here. Unlike ordinary people in the outside world, there was no shadow of recession on their faces. In a way, it was natural. At first glance, the rich seemed to only make money during the economic boom, but it was not true. In times of recession, all assets came cheap in the market.
'During a recession, businesses go bankrupt, real estate and stocks are very cheap, and the working class can't buy or do anything, since they don't really have any money. It is the rich who buy assets cheaply at that time: people with cash, or people who have the credit to borrow cash. They may not make crazy profits from selling position bets like me, but they also make money slowly. If they stand still, someone dies and disappears. All they have to do is pick things up cheaply with the cash they have. Then, prices naturally go up during the boom at a price so high that ordinary people will not dare to look up.'
"How has KJ been these days?" Jung Sung-soo, vice chairman of Mirae Motors, asked.
"Well, it's hell. Our business in China is so hard," Jang Han-sul, chairman of KJ Shopping, answered.
But even as she said that, she had a smile on her face. Perhaps because they had already suffered decades and years of depression with vested interests, they might have recognized that a crisis was an opportunity.
This time, Ko Jin-hee, chairman of JISUNG Fashion, asked Huh Joon-ik, president of LC Construction. "Mr. President, how about LC Telecom? Don't you think it's the best time to buy?"
Huh Joon-ik answered, "Just wait a little longer. The ants' selling with a loss isn't over yet. If it reaches $240, you can buy it, and you won't lose in the long run."
'They, too, have been squeezed out of their assets, but they can bear it. They've lost tens of millions of dollars in the financial records, but they can live without the money. If they wait, the price goes up again. They have a lot of cash and credit in Korea, so all they have to do is buy assets that have come down at a steady pace. It is only the clumsy rich who crumble in times of crisis.'
This time, President Kim Shin of Susung Planning asked, "Hey, CEO Han, how about your company? There's been a strange rumor going around these days."
I looked at him and could feel that he saw me as one of the clumsy rich. I said with a slight nod, "It's not easy."
Also, instead of lying, my words led them to more misunderstandings. He laughed at my words. He seemed to think I had lost a lot of money, because of the article.
'I'm not the one who is a clumsy rich, but you, I thought, but didn't say it. They would find out in time that they were wrong.
In the meantime, Kim Shin kept talking, "You won't get an invitation if your assets fall below some amount. Be careful, CEO Han."
I answered with a smile, since it was really funny, "Ah, yes."
However, it seemed that I looked a little crazy. Jang Han-sul came closer to me and asked, "What's the matter, CEO Han? Is it really hard these days? Did you invest a lot in China?"
I said it almost with a sigh, "I invested a lot, almost all-in." It was not a lie, either.
The eyes of Jang Han-sul were getting bigger. "Oh, really? Then…" She couldn't say any more.
Ko Jin-hee looked around and said, "What kind of attitude is that? Are you going to kick him out of here since CEO Han has lost some money? What a pity!"
And then finally, Tak Mun-su appeared and said, "We cant kick Han Sang-hoon out, even if it true."
I looked at him. He always spoke well of me, as usual.
"He used to give us advice sometimes. We've been helped before, so we should help him in times of need. Don't you think?"
But when he said that, he suddenly hit his wrist with one hand. The gesture brought back old memories. It was definitely the sign that he had used when he had sent off Tak Joon-gi…
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Translator: Khan
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A Rolls-Royce, driven by Secretary Park, rolled down the road elegantly. I sat in the back seat and looked out the window. In the distance, I could see a building with the word 'Invictus' in orange. We were nearly home. I stared out of the window at our building, and said a few words, "I've a bad feeling…"
Surprised by what I said, Secretary Park asked me, "Yes?"
I shook my head and said, "No, no. Drive."
"Ah… Yes."
Secretary Park kept driving after I spoke, and I turned to our building again. As I watched our building getting closer and closer, I thought of what Tak Mun-su had said to me in the Garden Royale where I had just been, 'He used to give us advice sometimes. We've been helped before, so we should help him in times of need. Don't you think?'
When the words came out, the others added a word or two.
"Yes, Chairman Tak is right a hundred times."
"Haha, I agree."
From the point of view of their dialogues, these were very good stories. When a person was in trouble, they wanted to help him. But there was something bothering me, and it was the gesture that Tak had made as he had said it, the act of hitting his wrist with the other hand. I'd never seen it in real life, but I'd seen it once in a Crow's dream, when Tak Mun-su had removed Tak Joon-gi. I thought about the hand gesture.
'Maybe it meant… to break relations.'
If Tak's words were false and his gesture was genuine, the situation just a moment ago was quite the opposite of his words.
"If you really invested your entire fortune in China and became a beggar, we would break relations with you."
"Yes, Chairman Tak is right a hundred times."
"Haha, I agree."
I thought of the atmosphere then. It wasn't even a good time to laugh, but they did. Perhaps the gesture was a code they shared among themselves, or a kind of meme made in a long relationship.
'And I was teased by what I didn't know…'
Tak Mun-su was very careful and never did anything that could damage him, including his own image getting worse. He probably did it thinking I hadn't even recognized his hand gesture. He was right. If I had really seen the gesture for the first time at the party, I probably wouldn't have even thought it was strange, just a quirk.
I would have thought, 'Every time, Chairman Tak Mun-su has a good word for me.' But there, he had made a mistake. I had seen that gesture, and I had known what the meaning of it was. So I had been able to accurately read the atmosphere of the time, the fact that he was making a fool of me by reversing his words and gesture.
'You had some bad luck. It has been perfect for you so far, but it didn't work.'
I'd always looked at him with suspicious eyes and a little wonder. He used to say and do good things in front of others, while killing his cousin behind the scenes. However, I was convinced that his image was completely trained, and he was a monstrous human being. He was respected by his subordinates, praised by the public, but it was probably the result of a perfectly made mask, a result of deception; pulling it off required great skill.
'Certainly, compared to Tak Mun-su, Tak Joon-gi wasn't enough… to fool others while managing his own image.'
In retrospect, his cousin, Tak Joon-gi, had been a very human being compared to Tak Mun-su. He showed his greed for what it was. Of course, he had tried to hide as much as he could, but when I looked at him, I could see the real him. Thus, he had been defeated and killed by Tak Mun-su.
I thought of the Crow's dream once more. There was a line that suddenly caught me. 'We were born with the DNA of victory. But you were defeated… Defeat is only for the general public. Now you're not the right person for Suyeon Group.'
Come to think of it, Tak Mun-su had that style, contemptuous of a loser. Maybe that was why he said that and gestured unconsciously when he heard I had lost a lot.
'He acts as if he's never been defeated before.'
But when I thought about it, I thought that might be true. Since he was born a legitimate successor of Suyeon Group and lived as a prince, there was no chance he could feel defeated. Tak Joon-gi was a bastard and had always lived as an underdog, so there was an inferiority complex there, but Tak Mun-su had no such thing. As a result, he might have never really suffered a defeat. No matter how many others explained it, he could not understand what he had never gone through.
'He's never been defeated before… That's Invictus… It's our motto…' When I was thinking about it, the Rolls-Royce, driven by Secretary Park, arrived at the basement parking lot of our building.
"Boss, we are here."
"Thank you for your work."
I got out of the car with that remark. I received the Rolls-Royce key from Secretary Park, separated, took the elevator, pressed "P," and then pressed the password.
"Penthouse."
The elevator carrying me headed to the top of the building. I kept thinking about Tak Mun-su on the way.
'The one who despises the loser… But then… if he becomes a loser, what kind of expression will he have?'
In any case, after today, I decided not to attend the Garden Royale meeting again.
When it turned out, 'Han is not doomed, but has become the richest man in Korea,' an invitation would come, but I decided not to go. After this last incident, I felt once again that I was an external man and a unique species that came from the outside. I didn't mean to mix with them in the first place, but I thought I had been polite meeting with them two or three times. However, I was very offended by the message, 'Without money, you can't play with us any more.'
After all, it was not me who didn't have real money, but them.
—————————–
On January twenty-eighth, I went to work at 8:30 early in the morning. It was the day when the final report was released.
I told Secretary Park on my way to work, "Tell Vice President Jang that I'm here."
"Yes, boss."
After I said that, just five minutes later, Vice President Jang came to the president's office.
"As I said before, we closed the last deal in the U.S. market early this morning. As the details are complicated, I'll e-mail them to you. It's like this if I just report the results."
He put forward the thin report he had in his hand. It must have been impressively complex to have left the thick report unread. That was great. I was not interested in the details anyway.
"Yes, you did well."
I nodded and read the short report. The amount of money written in the accounts the company earned was around 36.7 billion dollars. My assets now stood at 45 billion dollars, including the money I originally had and the profits from my personal accounts. With this, I became the richest person in Korea at once. There was an overwhelming gap of nearly thirty billion dollars to second place. I was really at the pinnacle of money, the god of investment in Korea.
After looking at the report for a long time, I raised my eyes and said to Vice President Jang. "I see… So… What I told you about last time, searching for a new MA…"
"Yes, boss."
"Let's go on slightly more relaxed conditions. We've earned this much, we don't need to be frugal."
'Looking at the future news, the prices of assets in Korea, regardless of real estate, have neither gone down further nor gone up over the next year. They walk sideways while at the floor. Of course, if we drag it on a little longer here, it's painful for the troubled companies, but I don't think we can afford to buy them very cheaply. So, I have decided to buy now to achieve the Grandmaster Class. If I get it, I can even get the news 12 Years After, so I can plan and manage investments in the longer term.'
"If you think so, I'll find out right away." Vice President Jang bowed to me.
"Yes, I hope you'll take care of it well."
After Jang left, I thought about the Grandmaster Class. 'Twelve years from now… Then I can predict the next economic crisis and make another leap forward.'
Before the Chinese financial crisis, there had been a rumor circulating in the stock market a few years ago: 'The economy is in a 10-year cycle: the South American financial crisis in 1984, the East Asian financial crisis in 1998 and the global financial crisis in 2008. The global crisis comes about every ten years, and it hit China in 2021.'
If I knew the news in twelve years, I would know when I could make another big bet.
'By 2030, I'll have two hundred billion dollars and make a thousand billion dollars in the next crisis. Then maybe I will be the richest person in the world, or perhaps the richest man in human history… the king of investment, the historic rich man who makes his name in history, such as Mansa Musa, the king of gold; Andrew Carnegie, the king of steel; and John Davidson Rockefeller, the king of oil; I'm really living in history now. My name will now appear in the textbooks.' My heart sped up when I thought about it.
'Of course, to do that…' I turned my eyes to the bottom right of the monitor and checked the time. It was 8:52. The future news was already here. I looked at the future news and searched for my name as usual, just in case something would happen. No matter how rich I was, it would be over if my plane crashed or I got cancer. I would be invincible if I prevented it in advance. Fortunately, the search results were no big deal.
[CEO Han Sang-hoon of Invictus Investment is on a roll.]
That was my daily routine; it was about winning every time. I nodded and thought about the remaining slots. 'I will search for Joo Sung-won with one slot; what about the other one?'
I stared at it without much thought, and suddenly I searched the name that came to my mind… Tak Mun-su!
But, strangely, there was a piece of funny news. [Suyeon Electronics acquired Ullim Electronics, Chairman Tak Mun-Su's leadership will be tested for the first time after being on the front line of management.]
I saw it and said, "Oho!"
I had not yet tried to fuck him over, but now I had a chance. I picked up the phone and said to Secretary Park, "I'm sorry, but call Vice President Jang back to my office."
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I called over Jang over the phone, and in the meantime I checked the contents of the article. The acquisition date for Ullim Electronics, which was written in the article, was June 2022, so it was about four months from now. I looked at it and thought, 'It's… a little vague, but… they may or may not have started negotiations now. However, it would not be time for the negotiations to end. If that was the case, rumors would have already taken the lead in the current news.'
I went on to check the price of the negotiations.
[Suyeon Electronics buys 38.1% of Ullim Electronics, which was formerly owned by its majority shareholder, for 1.652 billion dollars.]
In the meantime, the phone rang. I remembered that number 1.652, then lifted the phone while closing the email window.
"Please let him come in."
Soon Vice President Jang, who had just left, came back into my office. "Did you call me?"
"Oh, yes. Well… Do you know Ullim Electronics?"
"Yes, I do. When I was working for another company, I went to the company to visit."
"Oh, I see. That's great," I said with a big smile.
"By the way, why?"
"I'm just wondering what this company looks like."
"Oh, yes. As far as I know…"
Jang began to relate what he knew. Ullim Electronics was established in the early 1990s and used to make cassette tapes, CD players, and MP3s according to the evolution of the music market. When the market died as smartphones came out, the company quickly turned to the electronics business.
Although it was difficult in the beginning due to decreased sales, its sales had increased rapidly as markets for the smart car had grown. It was a company recognized worldwide for its technological power and know-how built up since the 1990s. According to the search, the current market capital was three billion dollars. Originally, it used to be worth seven billion dollars before the financial crisis from China, but now it was just half-price.
I said while looking at the chart, "It has been getting a lot cheaper lately."
Vice President Jang also nodded, "We've been having a hard time in manufacturing lately, but this company is particularly bad. Something's wrong with it on the inside."
"I see. But basically, they have the technology, and the future looks bright for smart car parts companies."
Vice President Jang agreed, "Yes, I think so."
'Yes… so did Tak Mun-su want to buy it?'
As expected, I was not the only one who was looking for an MA item cheaply after the Chinese financial crisis. Tak Mun-su was watching for this kind of sale. Come to think of it, the reason I went to Garden Royale last time was to get information about MA. Of course, all I got from it was insults instead of information, and Tak Mun-su never let this kind of information out. I had to admit that he was thorough, but this time he had been caught by me.
'If Tak Mun-su is coveting it, it's not a bad company. I don't need to look for a company to take over… Let's take advantage of his insights rather than to try to find a company to acquire.'
I spoke to Vice President Jang, "Then, let the directors know about this company and tell them to be mindful of its acquisition."
"Oh, yes. So, how long do we have to get information?"
I thought for a moment, 'Even if it's not being negotiated right now… at least Suyeon Electronics will be watching. Then… we have to take action as soon as possible.'
"As soon as possible… Can I have it by four p.m. this afternoon?"
Vice President Chang nodded, "… I think it's possible to get rough information by then."
"Then, do it. Please call the directors to the boardroom at four."
"Yes, boss." After bowing to me, Vice President Jang left the president's office.
After he went out, I turned back to the monitor, looked at the Ullim Electronics' chart and checked the key points once again: five months from now, 38.1%, 1.652 billion dollars… and the CEO's name is Oh Kyu-seok…
———————-
"They say they've lost all their investments in China."
At four p.m. that day, I sat at the top of the conference table as scheduled, and was briefed by the directors.
"All the Chinese companies that signed big supply contracts have collapsed… There's no way for them to collect their sales receivables."
"Some of the clients are alive, but they just barely. Even if they get paid in yuan, they'll barely be able to make up for the deficit considering the exchange rate has fallen."
To be sure, there was a reason that a company valued at seven billion dollars fell to three billion dollars. Listening to the reports, I looked at Vice President Jang.
He advised me by summing up the information. "Of course, there is still a lot of bad news. But that's a problem for all of our manufacturers right now. If there's nothing worse to be done here… It's an opportunity to buy a good company at a low price."
'He's right. It is a company with technical skills and had good sales. In the era of smart cars, the electronics business is getting bigger. It is only temporarily shaken by the wrong investment now, and once the global economy recovers, its stock price will rise. So, Suyeon Group's working group decided to buy it…'
I asked the directors with such thoughts. "What about the major shareholder's intention?"
Director Kwon, who sat around the corner, replied at my question. "What's unique about this company is that its founder, Oh Kyu-seok, is neither married nor has any successor. He set up his own company, and it has grown this much. I know that he will be seventy years old next year. Just in case, he has prepared a succession plan… Stocks are probably not disposed of… There is a story that when he dies, he will make a foundation and give the money back to society."
"I see. How much would be good if we bought it?"
As expected, Director Park answered, "The major shareholder's stake is 38.1%, and if we consider the current share price, that is 1.4318 billion dollars. But given that the current founder has been in business for more than thirty years and has a high stake, shouldn't we put in at least 1.5 billion dollars in premium? That's what I think."
His guess was similar to the price Tak Mun-su bought it at…
I looked around the directors and said, "Yes, I see. Then let's try to get in touch with him. If not for acquisition, just tell them we'd like to invest, and they will not take it badly because they have experienced a record deficit for a few consecutive quarters."
Vice President Jang nodded, "Yes, I think so."
"Well, then, Vice President Jang, I want you to team up and move on this. This is it."
When I was finished, all the board members bowed to me and said, "Yes, sir!"
———————-
From that day on, the race for the acquisition of Ullim Electronics by Invictus Investment began.
They also responded favorably, 'The chairman wants to clean up the equity relationship before he dies.'
Oh Kyu-seok was a prominent figure who had founded the company alone in the 1990s when he came out of a large company and grew it, but now he seemed to have realized his age. Next year he would be seventy, and he seemed to have slowed down a little, saying it was enough when he saw the Chinese financial crisis gripping the company.
Further squeezing the board members, we found that Suyeon Group's offer had yet to come. That was a relief. If the negotiations had been under way, our late arrival would have been a little disadvantageous. In contrast, we took the lead!
As soon as I saw the future news, I moved and it worked. The seller had an intention, and I did a strong push, so the acquisition proceeded quickly.
Vice President Jang gave me a quick report as soon as things went on. "It has been proposed that we will take over all of Chairman Ohs shares. However, his successor is President Jang Jin-suk, and he wants to continue the business with a 3% stake."
When I received the report, I said with a nod, "Let's follow our tradition."
"Yes, boss."
Our tradition was to invest only and not run the business. As long as there was no big harm in falling stock prices, the news from the future showed that whoever came in and did the job now, he was destined to take the role of 'the hero who saved the company from the crisis.' It would not be a poison, but a Holy Grail filled with holy water.
"Then we will make a deal and go into details of the negotiation at 1.5 billion dollars."
I nodded. Tak Mun-su bought it for 1.652 billion dollars, so it would be a reasonable price to buy around there.
——
But one day, a surprising call came to the president's office.
"Boss."
"Hmm?" Secretary Park's voice was a bit tense when he said that. It was not like him.
"Well. I got a call from Suyeon Group's secretary."
"What?"
"Tak Mun-su wants to speak to the boss directly."
"Really?" I said with a slight surprise. I thought there might be some friction with Suyeon Group, but I didn't know Tak would call me personally. I spoke to Secretary Park, "Put me on the line."
"Yes, boss."
After the coordination between the secretaries of both sides, Mr. Tak officially spoke to me. "Hey, CEO Han, how have you been?"
"I have…"
"Why did you leave so fast during the last meeting? You should drink a little more before you leave."
"I had a slight cold."
I had a rough talk with him while I thought, 'When is he going to talk about Ullim Electronics?' About two minutes later, Tak Mun-su began to speak. "Oh, by the way…"
'It's coming!' As soon as I thought of it, he said, "There's a rumor going around that Invictus is going to take over Ullim Electronics."
I said with a big smile, "Oh, it's spread…"
It was expected. It was natural for Suyeon Group to keep an eye on Ullim Electronics.
"Is that true?" He was probably asking that, knowing that our company had put in an offer.
"Yes," I answered dutifully.
"Oh, really? Is your company all right?" He still seemed to believe that our company was suffering a huge loss from its investments in China.
"Oh, yes. A crisis is an opportunity," I answered with a big smile.
But then, he suddenly opened his heart. "To be honest, I was watching this company, too."
'I know, you bastard.' I thought to myself, and I put my brain to work more. 'This sly person shows his true heart. Why the hell?'
"It was a company that matched our Suyeon Electronics' vision."
I responded to the best of my ability. "Oh, so it was." It was actually sarcastic, but he didn't know at all.
"Yes, that's why. Can you hand it over to our company?"
I realized only then why he was being honest.
"Hand it over?"
"Yes. We'd like to take over Ullim Electronics." He declared war, saying he wanted to take it over.
'Oho… look at this,' I thought. In a way, he swallowed the bait. He thought I had lost a lot of money on investments in China, but he couldn't imagine that I had become a super power with forty-five billion dollars in cash.
'But even if there was no loss in China, he couldn't think I'd go to a face-to-face confrontation with Suyeon Group.' I told him, thinking about it, "I don't think that's going to be easy on our part, either. I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman."
When I said that, a short yet long silence continued on the other side of the phone.
"…"
I was sad since this was not a video call. He would never have imagined that I would refuse here. He'd always been a lion in a savannah. But when a hyena suddenly tried to bite the lion, he couldn't help but be embarrassed.
"Well… Is that so? I see…" he managed to answer me.
I thought of some things to fill his ears. Now it was time to tell him who was going to a lion in this meadow, and who was going to be a hyena…
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I concentrated on the voice coming from beyond the phone. "Do you really have to do that?" he asked.
Tak Mun-su had a slightly different way of speaking, though it was fine. It was slightly higher than usual, and slightly faster than usual.
'He got riled up.' I thought and focused, just to pick out the words Tak Mun-su would like to say. "Yes. We've been tracking Ullim Electronics for a long time. I don't want to give it to anyone."
"…"
Once again, there was a brief silence. He said nothing, but I expected him to be shaking with rage. Tak Mun-su had also been tracking Ullim Electronics for a long time, and he wouldn't want to hand it over to anyone. However, to all observers, we, Invictus Investment, were the first to put an offer in for Ullim Electronics. If they came in now, it would give the ugly appearance of a big company interfering with the takeover bid.
'But I originally followed you.' I was thinking about it with a big smile, as Tak Mun-su said, "As CEO Han says so, I'll be honest. Our company has been watching this company for a long time. And, considering our Suyeon Electronics and synergies, it's a necessary company. I really want to buy it."
He began to be more honest than I thought. In Garden Royale, he used to have good words all the time:
"Oh, really? That's great."
"That sounds fun. That's good."
"That's a good idea."…
However, he was dry and sharp when it came to his interests.
I spoke to him, "Really? Then what? We'd like to take this over, too. If we compete with Suyeon Group…"
When I blurred my words, he spoke with delight, "Right. I don't want that either. If CEO Han makes a big concession this time, I'll thank you very much."
He must have thought I would lower my tail at the power of the Suyeon Group. I told him, "No, I don't have a mind to make a concession. I was going to say that if we competed with the Suyeon Group, our acquisition price might go up…"
"What?"
He had to show off his embarrassment in the end. He must have never thought I'd ask for a head-on confrontation.
"I didn't expect Suyeon Group to be aiming for it. It means that Ullim Electronics has high potential. I'll put in an offer at a higher price than I originally thought. If you want to participate in the acquisition deal, you'll need to bring a lot of money."
When I said that, he couldn't stand it any longer. "CEO Han, what you are saying now sounds like you're going to compete with our Suyeon Group. Are you sure?"
I thought for a moment here. 'Tak Mun-su is trying to put pressure on me here. Should I lower my head and stab him in the back? Or should I raise my head stiffly and have a direct confrontation?'
No matter how much I thought about it, the latter suited me. I answered in a dutiful manner, "Then I can't help it."
He finally showed his anger to me. "Yes. I can't help it if CEO Han says so. You and your company have become enemies of me and our Suyeon Group today."
"I'll give it back to you, as it is. You and Suyeon Group have become enemies of me and our Invictus Investment."
When he heard the remark, he laughed out loud, "Hahaha! Okay. Okay. I've been thinking that you were an unusual person since I first met you, but I can't believe you are going to do this… I really didn't imagine it. How dare you defy Suyeon Group…"
He still seemed to think he was stronger than I was. I replied to him, "Me too. From the first time I saw you, I thought you were an unusual person. But… you were just as good as I expected."
"What?"
"… you'll soon know what I mean."
"Okay, what a surprise to me in many ways. All right, let's see how long you can hold out after turning our Suyeon Group into an enemy."
"I'm also looking forward to it."
After the violent call, I put down the phone, and thought, 'I was just going to get outboxing and only tease him, but somehow it turned out to be an all-out war.'
He had always played the role of a good man when he was wearing a mask, but when he took it off, he revealed his greed, pride, and anger without mercy. He might have thought I'd lower my tail if he revealed himself like that. He would never do it unless it was for his interests.
He was trying to take advantage of me by threatening me. He was like a lion, kicking out at a hyena that was trying to steal his prey. But the problem was, I wasn't the one to give in to that. If he was a lion, I was a rhino, and if he was a rhino, I was an elephant. Now, I was stronger than anyone in Korea. But he didn't know it…
'All right, if we're going to an all-out war, I need to get ready, right? I don't want to be bothered and have to prepare in advance.' I thought for a moment with my arms crossed. 'How will he attack me?'
Suyeon Group had a close relationship with the political community, having ruled as a chaebol in Korea for fifty years. Perhaps that was the fastest way forward. But the current president Joo Sung-won was on my side…
'All right, let's start with the shield.' I picked up the phone and said to Secretary Park, "Contact CEO Chung of Oracle News. I have something to write about."
"Yes, boss."
When I finished my phone call, I went straight into writing the manuscript. 'Market monopoly of large enterprises – A key problem that weakens the competitiveness of Korean companies.'
I picked the title, and on the first line of the A4 paper, I wrote it down.
'The content is criticism of Suyeon Group… I don't need to mention the Suyeon Group, but I need to remind them of the Suyeon group.'
With this, the Blue House would also cooperate in the manner of one being unaware of something. Come to think of it, regardless of what kind of government they were in, they tended to meet with big companies and fight one another first.
"I'm the president and I'm a living power, so please cooperate for five years. Please pay a lot of taxes on time. Don't increase the number of unemployed people, huh? Hire a lot of employees, and don't retire them too early, okay?"
"Yes, sir. But the presidency is five years, and we have money forever. The judges, prosecutors, and reporters who have received our company's money are lying in the streets near the Blue House, so please be moderate. Okay?"
However, as soon as the current administration entered the country, the problem in China exploded and the process had been delayed a little. Now that we were at a stable stage, there was a chance that they could tie up the Suyeon Group. On top of that, President Joo Sung-won's presidency was very strong.
Originally, the first-year President had great power because of his high approval rating, which currently was higher than when he had been elected, thanks to his preemptive handling of the Chinese issue. If he cooperated with me, I was very unlikely to be attacked in the political world.
'All right, well, I am going to defend that side like this… Next is the attack. Where shall I dig?'
But when I thought of the attack, something popped into my mind. Tak Mun-su's father, Tak Woo-kyung had been hospitalized in a VIP room on the top floor of a hospital under the Suyeon Foundation since he had fallen to a heart attack last year. At that time, the news came out.
[Chairman Tak Woo-kyung of Suyeon Group is in critical condition due to a heart attack.]
[Chairman Tak Woo-kyung is not conscious, but his life is fine.]
However, there were no more follow-up stories. Now as the year went by, strange rumors were coming out. 'Chairman Tak Woo-kyung was already dead when he had a heart attack. However, they did not announce his death to reduce the inheritance tax.'
'I am a little bit sorry for attacking someone else's life and death… But I can't help it when his son turns out to be my enemy. In war, I must attack the enemy's most fatal spot. His cousin, Tak Joon-gi also said, "I will detonate the nuclear bomb when Tak Woo-kyung dies or is about to die."
I don't know what the nuclear bomb is yet. Anyways, when Tak Woo-kyung dies, it is an opportunity. If that happens, Tak Mun-su will have to pay an astronomical inheritance tax. Currently, Tak Mun-su's personal assets are only worth two billion dollars. His father has assets worth more than ten billion dollars, and they were predetermined to go to Tak Mun-su. He has been treated as one of the richest men in the country. If he loses half of his father's assets, he really becomes a minnow who is no match for me…'
'If it's the VIP room on the top floor of the Suyeon Foundation Hospital… I'm sure the security is tight. The doctor must have been paid tens of million dollars, and the nurses get paid hundreds of thousand dollars a year. Especially if there is a big secret concerning Tak Woo's life and death…'
However, there was something that the top floor of the Suyeon Foundation Hospital could not stop: a crow's eye flying in the sky. I opened my mailbox of 12 Hours After and put the cursor on the Crow Summoning Link at the bottom. 'Would you like to summon the Crow? (One time is left).'
This month's Crow summon was left unused. When the negotiation with Ullim Electronics was under way, it was part of the necessary verification process that had begun when we had taken over the former Changhae Food, finding out if there was anything rotten inside. It was a needed investigation for a certain CEO-me before taking over a company…
'But this time… I don't mind skipping…'
The executives who had investigated this case all said:
"Chairman Oh Kyu-seok is respected both outside and inside the company."
"There is no spouse and no heir, so the equity relationship is clean."
"When he retires, he is going to build a foundation to donate."
Of course, its reputation was not great, but if Suyeon Electronics tried to take over it without saying a word, its finances would be clean.
'Please specify the location and time to summon.' I took my mouse on the flashing cursor and wrote, 'the penthouse on the top floor of the Invictus Investment Building, 7:30 p.m. today.'
————————–
At 7:30 p.m. today, the next evening…
"Did you call me, sir?"
I met Crow on my outdoor terrace. It was from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., while Ah-young called in a Pilates instructor from the gym into the penthouse to take private lessons. There was no one else who could see our meeting. I gave him the summary I had prepared for a quick request.
"Please investigate this guy, and find out whether he is alive or dead. If he is dead, how are they keeping it secret… Please find out."
The summary also showed Tak Woo-kyung lying in the hospital room. Crow read my summary and nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Then, I'll ask you for a good investigation. And please leave quietly so that Ah-young won't find out when you go out."
"Yes…"
I purposely turned my head so that he could quietly disappear, and watched the night view of Seoul in the distance for a moment. Soon there was a flapping sound where he had been standing. When I looked back, there were only one or two black feathers drifting down, and Crow was gone.
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I buttoned up my shirt and put on my jacket. Ah-young came in with a tie and stood in front of me.
When I lowered my head, she hung it around my neck and said, "Oppa, you are full of spirit today."
"Really?"
As I answered, she smiled and said, "Yes. I know when I see it."
I looked at her and nodded. "I've been working at an important thing lately."
"You're the one that says every day is important to you."
"Well, that's true. But this time, it's really important."
Her face changed slightly when I spoke a little seriously. "Really? Hmm… Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Would you like to help me?" I thought for a moment what she said that. 'Do I have to have her go to America for a while?'
I wondered if Tak Mun-su might inflict some strange harm on my acquaintances. I myself had been using People Search every day, so even if it happened, I could prevent it. However, Ah-young and my other family members and acquaintances were not so famous, and even if they were attacked by an unidentified person, they might not appear on the news. Even if I did the People Search, they would not come out on the news.
"Tell me anything. I'll do anything for you."
I looked at Ah-young and said, "… Don't wander around late at night."
"Eh? Don't walk around late at night? I'm not a kid!"
Unlike Tak Joon-gi, however, Tak Mun-su was naturally scrupulous. He was not a man to physically attack others when his circumstances were not in his control. She would not have to go to the U.S.
"There've been a lot of weird people lately. Don't go anywhere late at night, stay with me at home."
"Hmm. Okay. If that's what you want, I'll do it for you, Mr. CEO."
I left home after a slight kiss on her cheek. On the elevator, I looked in the mirror. I remembered her words, 'Oppa, you are full of spirit today.' I must have been nervous without realizing it. No matter how strong I was, Suyeon Group and Tak Mun-su were not easy opponents. While its electronic sector was slightly pressured by China's recent collapse, the group's market capital exceeded a hundred twenty billion dollars when the chemical sector fared well.
Of course, less than twenty percent of the group's shares were owned by the family. Still, personal connections and business networks that had been created across Korea for nearly fifty years had spread throughout the country. If we went to an all-out war, I might be damaged too!
'Should I have gone in with my head down? I could just step on it slowly anyway…'
But if I thought about it, one way or another, the people over there, at KJ, Susung, Mirae, Suyeon, were destined to run into me. The future news wanted me to continuously buy listed companies in the country. If I grew bigger in our country, I would some day run into the chaebols. It was inevitable. Although this happened because of the bad relationship that started with Tak Joon-gi with the Suyeon Group and his fight for pride, it should be said that it only happened a little sooner.
"Are you here?"
I arrived at work with a greeting from Secretay Park. I replied, "Secretary Park."
"Yes?"
"Shall we choose another secretary?"
"Why…?
"You may find it hard to handle things alone."
"Yes?"
"You are going to be busy going forward. Think about it." I came into the president's office, leaving the words behind me. I then sent a text message to CEO Chung So-young. – When will the article come out?-
As soon as I sent it, I got a reply. – I'll let it out sometime tomorrow morning, Mr. CEO.-
Checking might be the most important, whether the president was on my side. It was necessary to fight with the Suyeon Group. I got the future news at 8:50 and searched for important names: Han Sang-hoon, Tak Mun-su, and Oh Kyu-seok of Ullim Electronics. There was no other news in 12 Hours After. When I saw 12 Days After, the news showed the competition to acquire Ullim Electronics.
[CEO Han Sang-hoon is taking over Ullim Electronics.]
[Vice Chairman Tak Mun-su reaches out to Ullim Electronics.]
[Chairman Oh Kyu-seok yells for delight at the fight between Invictus Investment and Suyeon Group.]
'In the end, Tak Mun-su seems to have rushed into the race to acquire Ullim Electronics. In fact, when this happens, the winner becomes Chairman Oh Kyu-seok, as the article suggests; I also have to compete with Tak Mun-su in price. Tak Mun-su offered at 1.652 billion dollars. If I bet more than 1.7 billion dollars, I'll win.'
I searched the news 12 Weeks After, thinking about that. Along the way, there were articles like this:
[CEO Han Sang-hoon has been pushed out of negotiations with Ullim Electronics, and the purchase has been canceled.]
[Ullim Electronics ended up with 1.9 billion dollars in the arms of Vice Chairman Tak Mun-su.]
[Chair Oh Kyu-seok sits on the money seat at 1.9 billion dollars. We recall the myth of a salaryman.]
'1.9 billion dollars?'
Tak Mun-su must have been fixated on Ullim Electronics. It was nearly three hundred million dollars more than he had originally intended to spend, yet he still bought it.
'Then do I have to offer two billion dollars?' As I was thinking about it, the telephone rang.
"Boss, I got a call from President Woo Hae-jin of Changhae Food."
'What's going on?'
I spoke to him in wonder. "Put me through."
Soon, I could hear the voice of President Woo Hae-jin. "Boss… I'm Woo Hae-jin."
"Oh, yes. How have you been?"
"I'm doing well, but I've got a business problem, and I'm calling you."
"What is it?"
"Well, Elmart has suddenly canceled its dumpling contract."
Elmart was, needless to say, one of the subsidiaries of Suyeon Group. I put my hands on my forehead.
"Really?"
"Yes… they've been getting dumplings from our company for a few years since they found our company. They suddenly canceled the contract this time, saying that it was an agreement between the representatives. So, I asked who the representatives were and what kind of agreement the representative did not know could be… And then the name, Invictus Investment came up…"
"Ha…" I laughed for a moment because I was dumbfounded. But I soon hardened my voice. President Woo Hae-jin was serious, and I could not laugh. "How much in sales do you deliver to that Elmart?"
"It's about seven percent, if we add the Elmarts nationwide and its small supermarkets."
'They are trying to abuse their power.' I told him, thinking so. "… yes. Don't worry too much, and just calm down and try to cushion the impact by securing online shopping or sales channels. I'll try to do something about it."
"Oh, yes, please, Mr. CEO."
After I finished the phone call, I bit it in, pulling my lower lip.
'He is doing something worse than I thought. He didn't seem like that.' But this wasn't all. There was a call from Kwon Oh-hyuk, president of OH Entertainment, around 11 a.m.
"Mr. CEO, I… I've had a strange experience."
"What happened?"
"Do you know Nine Tails of Jiwoo Entertainment?"
"Yes, of course." Nine Tails was a group of girls who were exclusive to Jiwoo Entertainment alone when I was an ordinary office worker.
"The Nine Tails recently signed a school uniform commercial contract and were supposed to stamp it next week. However, I suddenly got a notice that they would cancel the contract. So I asked them why… They tried not to give me an answer, but they finally answered, 'You should ask your CEO. If you call Invictus Investment and you'll find out.'"
I asked without further notice. "Is the school uniform company a subsidiary of Suyeon Group?"
"Ah… yes. Winner School Uniform is a brand under the Suyeon Group."
"… I see."
"Do you have any idea about this?"
Of course, I had. Tak Mun-su must have ordered the whole group to cut off all contracts with our subsidiaries. I told him calmly, "President Kwon. Listen to me. I think there may be a couple of things like this in the future."
President Kwon Oh-hyuk seemed quite surprised. "Yes?"
"I can't tell you everything that's going on right now, but… anyway, that's what's going on. So, if there's one or two of these things going forward, don't worry too much, stay calm and be patient."
"Oh, yes, I see…"
But when he said that, I felt a little uneasy about Kwon's words. So I said one more word to him. "President Kwon."
"Yes?"
"You believe me, don't you?"
"Sure, I do. Well… I've been with you for a long time."
"Yes. Then trust me, and don't worry too much. I'm not going to go very long on this one. Our Invictus Investment and I are strong."
At that, the tone of President Kwon Oh-hyuk's voice became lighter. "Oh, I see. I'll know and act like that."
"Yes."
After the phone conversation, I thought with my fingers tapping on the table. 'This is happening faster than I thought.'
It was just yesterday that I spoke to Tak Mun-su, and this pressure came in just one day. I could see how well the Suyeon Group was arranged.
'What a 50-year chaebol it is! It has a great power to control. Even though there are so many companies in it and it is so big… The group runs very well like that.'
Korea's octopus-style chaebol structure started from the time it was in the military, so it was definitely elaborate. With a small amount of money, it extracted maximum efficiency, gained the influence of the owner, and at the same time the employees would give the owner a profit. That was how it was designed.
'But I can't lose, either. If Suyeon's strengths are in size and connections, my company has strength in money. It has forty-five billion dollars in cash that can be used immediately. It's hard for Suyeon, or precisely for Tak Mun-su. The Tak family is the owner of Suyeon Group, but not all of it belongs to the Tak family. If I look into the Suyeon Group, they are divided along 30% foreigners, 20% institutional investors, 10% national pension funds, 20% ants, and so on. No matter if they are owners of a hundred twenty billion dollars of assets, there are limits to what they can do, especially since under the current state Tak Woo-kyung is unconscious.
'All right, let's start slowly.' I called in Vice President Jang, as we needed to bring weapons to war.
—
"Are you calling, sir?"
I spoke to him with my hands together on the table, "We have foreign money collected after investing in China, don't we?"
"Yes, boss."
"I think we need to exchange the money to Korean won slowly now."
"Are you trying now? You said that we would hold on to a little bit more for the original foreign exchange gains."
"That's what I said. But this time, I think a war is going to happen inside, not outside the country."
"War…?"
Vice President Jang didn't know that I had started a war with the Suyeon Group yesterday. I put my hands together and said to him, "It's war. Call up all the directors. We'll be a little busy from now on."
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In the conference room, where the directors sat on the left and right sides, I said, "To be frank with you… our Invictus Investment is about to go to war with Suyeon Group."
As soon as I was finished, everyone started murmuring. Choi, sitting in a distant seat, asked me, "Well, sir. What do you mean?"
"Of course I'm not talking about a war of gunfire. It is a conflict competing for interests in Korea. That's what I mean."
"With Suyeon Group?"
"Yes."
Director Kwon, who was on the far side, raised his hand. "War with the Suyeon Group… Isn't this a complete battle between David and Goliath? If possible, we have to avoid…"
It was a natural response. The directors sitting far away from this table were still unaware that our company had a pile of nearly forty-five billion dollars in cash. I'd kept it a secret even within the company. I spoke to him, "In fact, to be honest, the war has already begun."
"Yes?"
"I heard from Changhae Food and OH Entertainment today. Suyeon Group's dealers decided to unilaterally cancel their contracts."
At my words, the directors on the far side of the table, as well as Vice President Jang, Director Kang, Director Kim, and Director Chung, who were sitting on the near side, looked at me. It was surprising news to people who knew that our company had 45 billion dollars.
"Why on Earth?"
I didn't say anything about that; Tak Mun-su and I had a personal dispute because of the Ullim Electronics acquisition, and now we were in this kind of business-to-business conflict. I gestured to Director Kang instead of talking about it. He turned the data he was holding to his side. The title of the data was 'Report on the current status of investments in China.'
I said to the directors sitting further away. "You should read this first."
The other directors sitting far away, besides the four of me, were even more surprised than when they learned of the war against Suyeon Group.
"Eh?"
"Is this… real?" Now the mood was changing a little. They seemed to think that it was a fight worth trying if we had forty-five billion dollars!
I told them, "I'm sure our directors are well aware that the nation's chaebol controls their entire groups with a small stake from the owner. So it is with Suyeon Group. They control the entire group of a hundred twenty billion dollars with a stake of only eleven billion dollars from Tak Woo-kyung and three billion dollars from Tak Mun-su. Of course, if they add the stakes of relatives and old household vassals, the total would be about twenty billion dollars, but it would be worth a try with our forty-five billion dollars, wouldn't it?"
As I said that, some of the directors nodded. But in the meantime, another director raised his hand. "But, sir, wouldn't it be okay to invest in a foreign country with this money? I am curious about your intentions to go to war against Suyeon Group."
It was a good question, but I couldn't give a clear answer to it, either. The final purpose of the series was to buy a company that exceeded ten, twenty, thirty, or fifty billion dollars among domestic listed companies; that way, I could get the future news of XXX Class, beyond Grandmaster.
"Because I want it."
At my simple answer, Vice President Jang assisted me. "We have an advantage in expanding our business here, anyway. It's easy to get information and communicate with the government. If we say we're going to grow in Korea with forty-five billion dollars in cash… Even if it's not Suyeon Group, we will be in conflict with other chaebols."
Now that Vice President Jang and I said so, no one was arguing any more, as we were the two people who had made the key decisions of our company in the first place. A plan might not proceed if I said go and Vice President Jang disagreed, or if I refused to do so, but it had never stopped when he and I cooperated. This was because I had a hundred percent stake, and I, who knew the future news, and Vice President Jang, with his years of experience, whom I trusted, were the left and right brains of Invictus Investment.
I looked around at the directors and said, "So, I'd like to ask you to look into the problems of the Suyeon Group, its governance weaknesses, its financial soundness, and the status of its investments in China. I want to find the weak links of Suyeon Group, cut them off and make them ours. So go and investigate everything in the Suyeon Group."
"Yes, boss."
I said one more thing when I saw the directors bowing down. "And until I move on, let's keep this data, the fact that it's written in this document, a secret. Let the enemy look down on us. That way, we can fight to our advantage when we're in a real battle."
When I said that, they repeated in loud voices, "Yes, boss!"
————————
So, I had called the directors together to prepare them for war with the Suyeon Group. However, it was no exaggeration to say that the month of February that followed was "one-sidedly beaten." Following Changhae Food and OH Entertainment, there was also a call from Oracle News.
"Boss, Suyeon Securities said it would terminate the banner ad contract by this month… So I asked if it was just a condition problem. They said the problem was that our company received Invictus funds. What the hell is going on here?"
"Oh, I see. I heard that Songhae Brewing is looking for a place to advertise its new chestnut rice wine. I'll talk to them. Replace the empty banner seat with that."
"Yes, boss."
And then a while later, Blue EM also contacted me. "If you've watched our broadcasts, there are BJ's commercials before our broadcast. But three out of the five ads were cut off in a row. All the advertisers were talking about Invictus… It's our problem, but… it's a matter of income distribution for BJ's."
"Oh, don't worry too much. I'll contact OH Entertainment and get their incoming ads to connect with the Blue EM."
"Oh, yes. Then, I'll trust you and tell the BJ's, sir."
"Yes, it won't last long."
Then, there was a call from Vice President Jang. "Boss, we got contacted by Ullim Electronics. They said that Suyeon Electronics has expressed its intentions to take them over."
"Really?"
"Yes. That's why we are in trouble with our acquisition. We were going to spend about 1.6 billion dollars to buy… but Suyeon Group just interfered and… we don't know how much they are going to spend."
I knew that it was 1.9 billion dollars.
"Hmm… I see. Okay. Let's spend a little bit more."
"Yes, boss. But…" Vice-President Jang made a point of saying something that didn't sound like him. "It would be good for you to think about it again. If Suyeon Electronics decides to take over Ullim Electronics… I don't think we can stop it. No matter how much money we spend… It's going to be difficult."
"Why?"
"If we look at the sales structure of Ullim Electronics, we can see that there are a lot of contracts to supply goods to Suyeon Group. So if we were to take over…"
"Then they'll cut off the receiver?"
"Yes, I think so."
Vice President Jang was not wrong. Advertising contracts that had been in place were also being cut off, and it was absurd that a company that was in a war with Tak Mun-su would supply goods to Suyeon Electronics.
"Moreover, all the companies where the consumer goods used by Ullim Electronics are supplied are related to Suyeon Group… If pressure comes on them, Ullim Electronics' profit margin will be much lower."
I thought about that when I heard Vice President Jang. I was going to put in two billion dollars to see if I could win, but…
'In any case, Tak Mun-su and Suyeon Electronics will not do business at a loss. Even if they buy it with 1.9 billion dollars, it must be an earning bet. However, that may be limited to Suyeon Electronics. If our company spends two billion dollars to buy the company, its value will be much lower than that, because of the Suyeon Group. I can pour in money and take over… But it's going to be a painful victory. What I am going to buy is a temporarily cheap, promising company. If the price becomes more expensive and the prospect gets dark because of Suyeon Group, there is no need to buy it.'
I spoke to Vice President Jang. "All right. Don't pull our feet out of the race, just keep in touch with them."
Vice President Jang bowed to me. "Yes, boss." But even though he said that, he had a dark expression. He had taken my side last time at the board meeting, but he seemed to be thinking, 'This fight is against us. There's nothing to help us.'
I didn't blame him. So far, we'd lost some contracts, it was hard to take over the company, and in many ways, our company had been pushed back. But I sent him back out, pretending I didn't see his expression, since I had the power to know the future, forty-five billion dollars, and the ability to magically figure out the current information.
Throughout February, until the end of winter, our company had to stay busy defending and handling Suyeon Group's attacks. But in March, when the last cold snap of spring disappeared. Crow was back with the secret of the life and death of Tak Woo-kyung, chairman of Suyeon Group.
————————
One day in March, as soon as I went to the office, I called in Vice President Jang through Secretary Seo.
"Did you call me, boss?"
I put him in front of me and first asked about the directors. "So, how's the information collection going for Suyeon Group?"
"Ah… We have not found any particular vulnerabilities, but… for now… we'll keep doing it."
"Well, I see."
"And yesterday, I was asked to contact Ullim Electronics. Now we need to confirm the acquisition price. What do you want me to do, sir?"
When he asked, I turned my head slightly and brought up another story. "In fact, in the past, I had a personal conversation with Vice Chairman Tak Mun-su of Suyeon Group."
"Directly with Tak Mun-su?"
"Yes."
He was quite surprised to hear me saying that I had exchanged phone calls with Tak Mun-su. But when I thought about it, the only other contact between me and Tak Mun-su was Garden Royale. Garden Royal was an absolutely secret existence.
"At the time, Tak Mun-su said to me, 'When you buy Ullim Electronics, it will be just a normal investment, but when we buy it, it will generate synergies and be good."
Vice President Jang nodded with his mouth slightly open. "… I see."
I looked at him and said, "But now that I'm thinking about it… Tak Mun-su is right."
"What?"
"It would be synergistic if Suyeon Electronics and Ullim Electronics met. It would be much better than if a simple investment company like us buys and runs it."
"Ah… Yes."
Vice President Jang put on a sour face. I thought he felt a little strange as I praised Suyeon Group, which I had set up as an enemy.
"So, Vice President Jang…"
When I called his title, he answered with his head down. "Yes, boss. Tell me."
At that time, I told him what I really thought. "Let's hand over Ullim Electronics to Suyeon Electronics, and let's buy Suyeon Electronics."
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My eyes were hot. I brought my hands to my eyes, rubbed them, and looked back at the table. There was a schematic on the table more complicated than a spider's web. This was a diagram of the Suyeon Group shares. Fifty companies with the name 'Suyeon', such as Suyeon Electronics, Suyeon Chemical, Suyeon Life Insurance, and Suyeon Construction, were intertwined like an earphone put in a pocket. To that extent, I didn't know where to begin, so I raised my head and asked, "So, who is the weakest link here?"
Vice President Jang, who was sitting beside me, answered, "There's no such thing as a weak link. In particular, the key pillars of the Group, such as electronics, chemicals, life insurance, construction, and shipbuilding are closely organized to defend their managerial rights, so they should be regarded as similar if we attack any side."
"Hmm… it's not easy."
"Yes. In fact, the cross-shareholding structure of the nation's large corporations is the work of the best scholars in Korea. It's designed to be a very stable structure. Even if other capital comes in and tries to reach out to the company's management, the other side can work together to keep it from happening."
"I see…"
I nodded as I thought, 'If I pour out all forty-five billion dollars, we'll win. Of course, if I just try my best, they won't be able to stop it.. The market capital of both Suyeon Chemical and Suyeon Electronics, which are twin-head carriages of Suyeon Group, is forty billion dollars. But then again, it is a painful victory. The price will go up in the process of buying. I can take ownership of the company, but in the process, I will make the other shareholders rich, including Tak Mun-su.'
I changed the question. "Then here. What if the current chairman, Tak Woo-kyung, dies? Is there a company that gets weak?"
Vice President Jang's eyes changed with my question. He mumbled, alternately looking at his cell phone and schematic, "If he does…"
The Suyeon group was largely divided into two groups: a company owned by his father, Tak Woo-kyung, and a company owned by his son, Tak Mun-su. Originally, Tak Woo-kyung had most of it, but over time, the stakes in the company controlled by Tak Mun-su gradually increased. In the meantime, there were ridiculous convertible bonds, mergers at the level of breach of shareholder value, and an unfair trade.
But they were all blindfolded by the previous administration, so Tak Mun-su somehow had half of the Suyeon Group without paying a penny of tax. It went on and on, right after the fall of Chairman Tak Woo-kyung.
'If he dies, he won't be able to use those.'
As I thought of that, Vice President Jang concluded. "Then, I think we should attack Suyeon Construction."
Suyeon Construction was a company with 23% stake in Suyeon Electronics, and Tak Woo-kyung was a major shareholder.
"If Chairman Tak Woo-kyung is dead, Tak Mun-su, who will receive the inheritance must pay tax in cash or in shares. But since there is no cash to pay, he has to pay it in shares, but he won't be able to pay it with a stake in Suyeon Life Insurance, which he has a lot of. If Tak Woo-kyung controlled the Suyeon Group through Suyeon Construction, Tak Mun-su was designed to rule the group through Suyeon Life Insurance."
I pointed to the arrows in the diagram and replied, "I see. If we go on a hostile MA, if Tak Woo-kyung dies, Tak Mun-su will be forced to choose between construction-electronics or life-chemicals, right?"
"Yes, boss."
"There, Tak Mun-su will lean toward protecting life and chemicals?"
"Yes. In the first place, Tak Mun-su took over the Suyeon Life Insurance with tricks, and that's how he shifted the weight of the group towards life and chemistry. He would never give them up. So he is going to sell off the construction company that Tak Woo-kyung had, and the stake ratio on the construction and electronics side will be lowered."
"Okay. Starting now, let's have the directors buy Suyeon Construction and Suyeon Electronics quietly. At the same time, talk to the other major shareholders of Suyeon Construction and Suyeon Electronics."
"Yes, boss, by the way… this is all based on the premise that Tak Woo-kyung is dead. In his latest article, he is lying down and watching movies…"
I said after a pause, "He's already dead."
"What?"
"You'll find out in the next few days."
"Is that true?"
I paused for a moment over his remark. 'Facts change each moment. Some facts are near the truth, but they are denied, and some facts are close to lies but considered truth by the people who speak them.'
I said, tapping my chin, "… I will make it a reality."
————————
In March 2021, I started a full-scale counterattack. First, I bought shares of Suyeon Construction and Suyeon Electronics in the most obvious way. In a very unobtrusive manner, I bought shares little by little at a level that was not very noticeable, that did not raise the stock price, and that was not met with the 5% reporting requirement. Then I moved using my personal account that I had kept for a while.
I bought shares of both companies, as Han Sang-hoon and as the owner of Invictus Investment. Suyeon Electronics' share price had fallen considerably due to the financial crisis in China. It was a big company, so it was a little less affected, but it had stayed at a fairly low price throughout the year, so there was no pressure to buy it.
'The counterattack has begun. But we're going to use harassing tactics to make sure they don't care about this.'
I also wrote editorials consistently through Oracle News. 'How long will we overlook the illegal inheritances of large corporations? We need to clean up the existing abuse.'
It was an editorial aimed right at Suyeon Life Insurance, and Tak Mun-su's trick-using inheritance. Since Suyeon Group stopped advertising for Oracle News, it had now returned to them with the same. Of course, Suyeon Group would despise it, "Oracle News? What kind of dog barks at us, it's just a small pet." However, they did not know that this was the news that the president was most attentive to.
————————
In the following April, the presidential office of the Blue House responded to the steady stream of editorials on Oracle News.
[We will reinvestigate the illegal inheritance of Suyeon life Insurance with the independent counsel.]
[Tax Investigation of Suyeon Construction]
A fire dropped on the foot of Tak Mun-su. In fact, for him, the fight with our company was basically a fight for pride. It was at the level of spending a little more money on Ullim Electronics… but this was a different problem. The independent counsel was a dangerous thing that could shake Tak Mun-su's status, and once the tax investigation hit, the company itself reeled under the blow.
When I looked around the Internet community, the reaction was generally like this:
– President Joo Sung-won, you are doing good. Let's clean up the existing abuse and build a just economy.-
– Suyeon Life Insurance was handed over too easily. We need to look into it properly this time.-
– Suyeon Construction was also famous. Rumor has it that the unit price was adjusted and the remaining money was received through borrowed-name accounts. Everyone in the industry knows about it.-
It seemed to be because President Joo Sung-won had a high approval rating and high popularity. Of course, like blue frogs, some people said other things…
– What's going on? Was Tak Mun-su against President Joo Sung-won?-
– You know, there are companies that get beaten up in every administration. During Ko Jin-yong's reign, the Taesoo Group was hit, and during the last Park Hyung-joon period, the Susung Group went back and forth to the Supreme Court. Maybe this time, it is the Suyeon Group.-
– But I guess there's something ugly in it. Didn't they give Joo Sung-won money for the presidential election?'
However, most of the comments were like this:
– President Joo Sung-won is a man of integrity, Suyeon Group deserves to be hit.-
Public opinion moved that way. I looked at it and thought, 'I think President Joo Sung-won kept his loyalty this much. Or is he still afraid of the information I have?'
Either way, it was good. I was sure this had made it easier for me to attack. It was true even if we looked back at history. Not as much as during the former military dictatorship, but even after the military dictatorship, all the big businesses that seemed to be disliked by the government had been robbed. During the IMF era, the difference between survival and failure depended on whether they received subsidies from the government or not.
I bought shares of Suyeon Construction cheaply, even as the stock price collapsed in the face of the tax investigation, while calling for pleasure in my heart. 'If Tak Joon-gi is alive… he might have complimented me for being very good.'
Blowing up with bad news and picking up stocks cheaply… this was what my rival, Tak Joon-gi, used to use. He must have wanted to do this to prey on Tak Mun-su, his cousin. It was a little ironic that I, his enemy, was doing this, but life was ironic…
————————
In May, while shares of Suyeon Construction and Suyeon Electronics were being purchased and the independent counsel investigation of Suyeon Life Insurance was under way, I succeeded in building another bomb.
"Mr. President, this is what you asked for." I got a second piece of data from Crow.
"Thank you. Crow, I've been so busy lately that I haven't even eaten chicken with you, but I'll buy you a decent meal next time."
"You're welcome."
—
The second data was on Hong Yong-pyo, Tak Woo-kyung's doctor. The first report showed how he disguised the death of Tak Woo-kyung, and kept it secret, but I had Crow dig into him further, because I thought it was necessary to target this person if I published a sure article.
The second report looked into how he, a medical science professor at Seoul National University, left school and took office as head of the Suyeon Medical Foundation Hospital, what he did, how he exploited his medical residents and pocketed bribes during his previous years as a professor, and how many times and where he went to salon rooms.
After I put it all together, I made a phone call to make all of this a fact. "It's been a long time, CEO Lee Won-jae."
"Ah yes, CEO Han." But his voice was begrudging when he answered my phone.
"Well, do you still think I'm screwed?"
"Oh, no. What are you talking about?" By his denial, I seemed to have hit the mark.
"… yes, anyway. I'm calling because I need your strength again. It's about… the death of Tak Woo-kyung."
"Pardon me?" He was surprised.
"Yes, of course, it's a huge bomb for Suyeon Group. But this is a fact like the last request. I'll send you some data that can reassure you."
"But… no matter how much it is a fact, it's…" He, too, was afraid to fuck the Suyeon Group openly.
"It's the last step. If this is successful, half of the Suyeon Group will be mine. Then, I'll visit your father and persuade him that Lee Won-jae will be the next CEO of the Daewon Daily News."
"But this is… too dangerous. If I do this and something is wrong, I…"
"CEO Lee Won-jae, we're already in the same boat, and the wind is blowing in our direction. You know, Suyeon Group is under the tax investigation by the independent counsel. Are you going to get off here when the fair wind is blowing?"
"…" He forgot to speak for a moment. Perhaps he was still affected by the rumor that Han Sang-hoon was doomed.
"CEO Lee Won-jae, I'll give you a choice."
"What…?
"You can trust me and send out an article now. Or, you can get my fax and send out an article then. There is no option not to publish an article. It's one of the two."
"Yes?"
"Maybe you'll see." As I said that, I took a document out of the drawer: 'Report on the status of profits from investment in China.'
"If you look at this, you'll publish an article that I want." It was the very document that showed forty-five billion dollars in revenue.
I spoke with the document in my hand. "It's your choice. Jesus said so in the Bible. He was resurrected three days after his death, and said, 'I will give a great reward to those who believe in me without seeing me, and a small reward to those who try to put their hands on my waist.' What are you going to do? Shall I send you a fax or not?"
After much trouble, he said, "I just believe you. I'll publish it as soon as you send me the source."
I said with a satisfied smile, "Yes, then I'll e-mail you the contents. Write them down quickly and let it go."
"Yes, CEO Han."
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I picked up the phone. "Secretary Park."
"Yes, boss."
"Come in for a second."
"Ah, yes."
Soon, Secretary Park opened the door and came in. I handed him a piece of paper, which read, 'Hello, are you the wife of Hong Yong-pyo? Your husband will be in trouble in the near future. We can help you to some extent. Please think about it and let me know.'
Secretary Park said, lifting it, "This is…"
"Send this to the number written next to it. And if you get a reply, you can patch it through, and… she'll reply in two or three days. She'll contact us in a week, at the latest."
Secretary Park put the paper in his pocket and replied, "Yes, boss."
———
The next morning, the Daewon Daily News published a super-specialized edition, featuring the article, 'We dug into the controversy over Tak Woo-kyung's death, and the hidden truth.'
It contained information about the VIP room on the top floor of Suyeon Foundation Hospital, which Crow had been investigating for two months: the time when Tak Woo-kyung had actually died, the names of the doctor and the nurse who had confirmed he was dead, the reason why Suyeon's Future Strategy Team kept it a secret and pretended he was alive, and so on.
Almost instantly, the Internet was going crazy.
– Wow, is this a true story? Did they turn a dead man into a living one?-
– By the way, is this even possible?-
– It's possible. In Korea, if a doctor does not declare death, he is not legally dead even if he can't breathe and he has no heartbeat.-
– Although he was biologically dead, a doctor can make him alive physically.-
Of course, there were people who predicted this story.
– This kind of rumor has been around for a long time, and that's the way it is. Isn't this what everyone used to hush up?-
– Everyone knew all about it, but since Suyeon was so powerful, they kept quiet.-
– The Suyeon group has tried to take off some of Tak Woo-kyung's assets and then they would declare him dead. However, the Daewon Daily News disclosed it first.-
– Tak Woo-kyung's check recently paid to repair Tak Mun-su's house. What does this mean?-
There were other such stories, too:
– Isn't Daewon Daily News a hound of a big company dog? Why did they publish this article?-
– Suyeon might be fighting with Susung or Mirae. I don't think Daewon Daily News would have worked alone.-
– Suyeon is being investigated for tax scandals by the independent counsel; they seem to be in someone's bad books.-
– I don't know who that someone is, but Suyeon is in big trouble. I'm afraid Suyeon Group will be disintegrated in midair.-
I was shaking the nation's political and business world behind the dark curtain. I would split the Suyeon Group in half and disintegrate it in midair, as written in the comments. I would take only the good companies there. I would kick out anyone with the surname of Tak.
After the article was published, public attention was focused on Hong Yong-pyo, head of Suyeon Foundation Hospital, the doctor of Tak Woo-kyung, who was responsible for all of this. He did not confirm or deny the report, but remained consistent with no action taken. I knew it was going to go that way. He was a professor at Seoul National University's medical school in Korea, but this was a matter worth a billion dollars. It wasn't something he could handle on his own.
'Maybe he's under a lot of pressure from Suyeon Group.'
According to Crow's investigation, he was supposed to receive a large sum of bribes from the Suyeon Group in return for keeping the secret. He had already received six million dollars in cash, and then he would get another four million dollars a year to keep Tak Woo-kyung 'alive' in the hospital.
The money paid to the doctor was four million dollars a year, so hundreds of million dollars a year were designed to somehow be transferred from Tak Woo-kyung's wallet to Tak Mun-su's.
I was about to ask Crow to investigate that, if Hong Yong-pyo, the head of the hospital, finally denied it. But things didn't go that way.
The very next day, Secretary Park told me, "I got a reply from the doctor's wife. She is asking what she should do and how we could help."
I said, nodding my head, "Please put me through."
"Yes, boss. I'll go and connect you."
"Okay."
Soon, Secretary Park brought me a smartphone. "Press the call button and you'll be connected."
I glanced at him, then pressed the call button. Soon someone answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello."
She spoke in a rather cautious voice. "Well, are you the one who contacted me two days ago?"
"That's right."
"I'm sorry, but can I ask you what you're doing?" She seemed to be in a pretty tight state. The public eye was focused on her husband.
"It doesn't mean much now, does it? The point is on whether your husband will survive or not. Isn't that right?"
"That's right, but…"
"The news doesn't have a specific amount right now, but the media already has the information about your husband receiving six million dollars. If I am willing to expose it, the prosecutor will trace the source of the money."
She voice quavered at my words. "It's not six, but four million dollars. I just received the money and have kept it."
Crow even investigated the fact that Hong Yong-pyo, head of the hospital, had a young lover in her late twenties at the Apgujeong-dong OfficeTel.
"Ah, two million dollars would have gone to the young lover. The prosecutor is going to look there, too."
"The young lover?"
"Yes. Your husband did not receive four million dollars. It was originally six million dollars. If you dig in, it'll all come out."
"Is that… is that so?" At this point, her voice changed slightly. Inside the fear, a strange voice came out with a slight mix of anger.
"Yes, the tenant of Apgujeong Blueville OfficeTel 405 is a young woman, right? She's not just a tenant, but your husband's lover There's two million dollars in that safe."
She didn't question who I was, how I knew it, or any more about it.
"Is it really…?
"Yes. As I know, you planned to invest in the Officetel."
"Yes, that's right. What a prick she is," she said, as if she were going to the Officetel right now and rip off the young woman's hair.
I said, calming her down, "Ah, you're so excited, whatever may become of your husband, your son and daughter should not be harmed by this."
The son was attending Harvard and the daughter was attending Stanford.
"Of course, as you have the basic assets, there would be no problem, but this is a money matter of a billion dollars. If your husband is accused of breach of trust or perjury, would you be able to pay tuition to the United States?"
"What? A money matter of a billion dollars? My husband just accepted their request."
"Yes, I know, but that's how the law works. Do you know that the Suyeon Group is saving hundreds of million dollars in taxes because of your husband?"
"…" She couldn't talk for a moment.
"The circumstances are already revealed, and the prosecution will come to your house soon. You know that Suyeon Group has been hit by both the prosecutors' investigation and the tax investigation. Convince your husband to turn himself in, and he will be treated decently. He's going to get a good sentence. Let him say, 'I couldn't help it under pressure from the Suyeon Group. I couldn't refuse.' That's how it is."
"Then… will that happen?"
I answered right away, "Yes."
But to be honest, I didn't know about the legal work. But nevertheless, I said so, because I didn't want Crow to go back and forth for another month or two. It was the cleanest thing for me if the head of the hospital would turn himself in. It would not be bad for him. If he denied it anyway, I was going to reveal some more details through the Daewon Daily News and Crow.
However, she said, "I'll think about it."
So I said one more thing, "I'll give you a week. Turn himself in, or he will be plastered with news on the Internet. I'm also moving the Daewon Daily News. You know the English version of the Daewon Daily News comes out in the United States…"
"Yes, I understand. I'm sorry." When I talked about her son and daughter, she immediately changed her words defensively. I had a rough guess after receiving Crow's report.
"Well, it's a week. Please do it as soon as possible. I can't stop all the reporters."
"Yes."
After that, I looked down at the cell phone for a moment. The cell phone was an old-fashioned one, which seemed to be rather heavy. I lifted it up and asked, "Is this…? I asked Secretary Park.
Park replied as he bowed his head, "It's as you expect."
I handed the cell phone over to him and said, "So I've never seen this."
He said, putting it in his arms. "Yes, boss."
Ever since this day, the battle for the truth of Tak Woo-kyung's death had continued. Some of the brave press had made follow-up reports, and Suyeon Group did some media play, 'It's a biased report, it's defamation.' But it was really funny in my eyes. No one in Korea could lie to me, no one could escape my eyes.
————
Two days later, Hong Yong-pyo, the head of the hospital, finally turned himself in. "I'm sorry to betray the doctor's duty. However, while serving as the head of the hospital, it was impossible to reject the offer from the Suyeon Group." In this way, he cut his tail as much as possible while making Suyeon Group bad guys.
He didn't really look good, perhaps because he was so harried by his wife at home. In any case, he exposed the inside story of Tak Woo-kyung's death, including the time of his death, the reason why he had died, and those who were there.
The doctor was interviewed by the media and said, "The patient is dead", and it led to a public death declaration. Now, Tak Mun-su and other heirs had to pay inheritance taxes of five billion dollars, half of ten billion dollars of Tak Woo-kyung's assets. President Joo Sung-won and the National Tax Service would move fast, as they were struggling with insufficient tax revenues due to the Chinese financial crisis.
Shares of Suyeon Construction and Suyeon Electronics, which were heavily owned by Tak Woo-kyung, fluctuated after rising and falling, since they didn't know whether his death was a boon or a bad thing. However, I already knew that Tak Mun-su would dispose of his shares in electronics and construction for the tax payment, and I bought the fluctuating stocks at low prices.
I smiled as I watched the operation to disintegrate Suyeon Group proceed as planned.
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Translator: Khan
Editor: Aelryinth
Vice President Jang handed me the report. I lifted and read t. However, before I saw the amount in the report, he told me first, "We have 4.26%, 871.5 million dollars in Suyeon Construction, 3.66%, 1.158 billion dollars in Suyeon Electronics."
The figures were correct, and the exact amount was written in the report.
"I see. There's been a lot of news lately for the Suyeon Group, so it's been a good buy, hasn't it?"
"Yes, sir."
I just nodded as I listened. I didn't say anything like 'Yes, we were going to buy it, and we were lucky.'
It'd already been four years since Jang was with me. After our company bought a company's stock and waited, a stream of good news came out. On the other hand, before we tried to buy something, bad news came out one after another.
In the first year or two, he might have thought, 'Oh, my boss is lucky', but after four years of watching it, he must have known that I'd planned and implemented all of these things. After all, I had asked him, "When Tak Woo-kyung dies, where do we attack?" Therefore, Vice President Jang would have had no choice but to realize that I had ordered Daewon Daily News to publish the news. But I didn't say anything about it, nor did Vice President Jang ask me about it. He was quick-witted. He didn't ask anything that would make me uncomfortable.
"We have bought more than 3% of both stocks, have they noticed anything about it?"
"There's been so much trading for the past few days… But if they kept a close eye on it, they would probably know that there was buying in bulk at a certain branch. However, they would not know it was us."
I pondered the words. 'They would not know it was us. Really…?'
"Okay. Let's just buy it up to five percent anyway."
"Yes, boss."
'Five percent is important because there is a requirement for disclosure of the majority shareholder when a company holds more than five percent of the shares in another company. This is an important juncture, whether for hostile MAs or for general investment. "Who owns five percent of this company" is a factor that moves stock prices. Most of the time, when they make a general investment, they tend to go in openly advertising, "I'm going in. I'll buy this. I'll buy more from now on." In public announcements, when the notice, "This is a five percent stake purchased by a super ant," comes out, other ants rush in saying, "That stock should be good," and the stock price goes up.
'It's a kind of halo-effect trading method, not only for the popular super ants in our country, but also for Warren Buffett and other world-famous investors. I don't know if it is intended. In contrast to this case, hostile MAs are very quiet and unnoticed.
'If the story "Someone is seeking the management rights of this company. Now that he's bought five percent, he is likely to buy ten or twenty percent," goes around, ants, institutions, foreigners, and others can all buy together and raise stock prices. Of course, when I get out of there, I can get money by stabbing other people in the back, but what I want now is not money, but the ownership of Suyeon Electronics and Suyeon Construction, which I can use to jump to the Grandmaster Class in one move.'
"So, have you talked to other major shareholders? Did you contact RMI?"
'RMI stands for Red Moss Investment. As a global hedge fund, it is famous for quietly buying shares if a company is in crisis, and selling it at high prices when the company is normalized.'
In the case of Suyeon Electronics, when the stock price staggered during the 2008 financial crisis, it really got stuck like a moss at that time, buying a seven percent stake and keeping it so far. It was the second largest shareholder after Suyeon Construction, which had an eleven percent stake.
When Suyeon Electronics said, "We'd like to appoint Tak Jun-won as managing director," these people had voted against it saying, "He is from Tak's family and he is too related to the group. We are against the plan." When Suyeon Electronics had said, "We'll give you a dividend of three percent, since this year's operating profit is good," they countered them by saying, "Three percent is too small. Let's do four percent." They had been irritating to the Suyeon Group.
But the enemy's enemies were allies, and if I gave them money, they were very likely to be on my side. In the first place, hedge funds were ones who pursued money without everlasting allies or enemies at the gambling table.
Jang answered, "I'm in a quiet contact without first showing our intentions to buy. But… if they find out we're looking for management rights, they'll probably make it very expensive."
"Hmm… Okay. But let's have a reasonable approach to buy unless it's too expensive."
"Yes, boss."
'If I buy five percent in the market and seven percent from RMI, I become a major shareholder, beating the eleven percent of Suyeon Construction. After RMI, the National Pension Service has about three percent, and it is likely to take my side, or at least stay neutral, as the president appoints the chairman of the National Pension Service. If I write an article to the effect of, "The National Pension Service managing the money of the people should focus on profitability, without an appraising look of a large company," they'll know and behave like that by themselves.'
"Then let's talk about the construction side. Tak Woo-kyung has over twenty percent here. Wouldn't it be possible to attack a little further until the inheritance tax payment starts?"
"That's right, but Tak Mun-su…"
At that time, the telephone rang. I raised my hand, asked for permission from Vice President Jang, and answered the phone. "What is it? I told you not to call me when I am talking to Vice President Jang."
Secretary Park answered as he was scolded, "I called you because it was a big thing. I was thinking you and Vice President Jang should listen."
"What is it?"
"Vice Chairman Tak Mun-su of Suyeon Group says he'll come here himself."
"He'll come here himself?"
When I said that, Vice President Jang was also quite surprised.
"Yes."
"When?"
"He wants to see you as soon as possible, when you have time."
I thought for a moment, 'Hmm… Does he think the fire is on his foot now? He seems to be in a corner and trying to negotiate.' I didn't mean to make a deal. But I wanted to meet him and see how embarrassed he was. 'If he comes and kneels down, I can be a little generous with the rest of the company.'
"Well… we're not going to have lunch together… Tell them to come tomorrow afternoon at about three o'clock, after we finish eating and digesting."
"Yes, I see."
I put the phone down and told Vice President Jang, "Did you hear that?"
"… yes. The vice chairman of Suyeon Group, Tak Mun-su, is coming…"
"… that's right."
Vice President Jang stared at me, but he didn't open his mouth, even if he had a lot of questions to ask:
'How do you know Vice Chairman Tak Mun-su?'
'Is it related to this takeover?'
'Why is Tak Mun-su coming all of a sudden?'
In any case, his patience was good. I muttered to him, "The vice chairman of a large company is coming by himself, so he must be in a hurry."
Still, he didn't ask me about personal matters. He only asked about things related to this work. "Well, do you think tomorrow's meeting can bring about a change in our company's keynote?"
I answered him firmly, "No. Whether I meet him or not, we do our job. Tomorrow's meeting is going to be a private one."
After I replied, Vice President Jang lowered his head and said, "Yes, sir!"
———————-
The next day, 2 p.m…
I had Seolleongtang for lunch with Secretary Park and talked to him on my way back to work. "Secretary Park, do you remember what happened in the old days? I told you when Tak Joon-gi came here that the guy who was coming to our company today is my enemy."
Apparently, at that time, I said: At eleven o'clock, there'll be someone who looks like a very skinny person, and who seems to have ditched money from head to foot. He's my enemy.
Secretary Park remembered that. "Yes. I remember, boss."
"It's my enemy who is coming today; Tak Mun-su, chairman of Suyeon Group."
"I was guessing."
"I just happen to be enemies with the Tak family."
"If we look at the novels of martial arts or something like that, it's common to take revenge for relatives."
"Oh, yes, but…"
I thought in my heart when I said that, 'The relationship between the relatives was not very good.'
Their relationship was actually quite bad. Even Tak Mun-su was the one who had killed Tak Joon-gi. Tak Mun-su didn't start the war with me because of Tak Joon-gi's vengeance. If I thought about it, I would have to say that I was trying to get revenge for Tak Joon-gi.
'Oh, my God. I am still connected to Tak Joon-gi even when he is dead. He's already dead, and he's probably in Hell, but I'd like to meet and talk to him again if I had the chance, about his cousin, Tak Mun-su.'
———————-
Around 2:50 a.m. following, the waiting call rang.
"Boss, Vice Chairman Tak Mun-su of Suyeon Group is here."
"Let him in after searching for concealed weapons."
In fact, Tak Mun-su didn't even have a knife in his pocket, but if he had, it would have already come out on the future news.
"What the fuck is going on?"
"It's the boss's order."
"That's okay. Director Kim, stay calm."
There was a brief high noise outside, but after a while, Tak Mun-su opened the door and came in with Secretary Park. I got up from my seat and greeted Tak Mun-su.
"Welcome, Vice Chairman Tak, you've come to this place while you're quite busy."
Tak Mun-su stared at me. 'While you're busy' meant an independent counsel who had started the special investigation. But there was nothing he could do except stare at me.
Park, standing in the back, spoke coercively, "When I said that I was going to search Vice Chairman Tak Mun-su, the directors of Suyeon Group hated that, and there was a bit of noise."
"Aha, I see. You should be a little gentle."
"I did it gently."
I put Tak Mun-su in the middle and had a conversation with Secretary Park like that. I neglected him in his presence. But then I offered him a seat. "Sit down, Mr. Vice Chairman."
This way, I remembered the time when Tak Joon-gi had come to our company. At that time, the building was not in Samseong-dong, but Nonhyeon-dong, which we used to rent out, but the situation was the same. Tak Joon-gi had been hit by me, and had come and told me, "Let's make a truce."
'Cousins are doing the same.' I looked at Tak Mun-su with such thoughts. He was staring at me as if he would kill me. I said to him with a real smile. "So you wanted to see me… What brings you here, Vice Chairman?"
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