Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Translation: Godtl
[Make America Great Again!]
"I've never seen a candidate like this in my entire life."
The U.S. presidential election was just around the corner.
Donald Trent, known for his staunch conservative stance.
Opposing him was Hillary Clint from the Democratic Party.
These two were polar opposites in every way.
At least according to the polls, Hillary Clint was clearly in the lead.
"This election has had so many scandals. The Russian interference allegations, the email scandal, and on top of that, Trent keeps stirring controversy with his remarks."
Trent was infamous for making extremely provocative statements.
He even declared that if elected, he would build a wall along the Mexican border, crack down on illegal immigrants, force companies that moved overseas to return to the U.S., and implement protectionist trade policies.
Not to mention increasing defense spending for allies while reducing dependence on them.
He was attempting to exert massive influence across military and industrial sectors.
At this point, nearly every country—except for a few—was praying for Hillary's victory.
"But just looking at the polls, isn't Hillary overwhelmingly ahead?"
"Well, you can tell just from social media, right? All the superstars are supporting Hillary. They can't ignore that kind of public opinion, can they?"
This election was unusually blatant.
The media was dead set on burying Trent, and Hollywood actors were even taking to social media, declaring that a "lunatic" like Trent should never become the President of the United States.
"So, Kangsung needs to make a decision soon."
"A decision...?"
"Trent or Hillary. We have to back one of them."
It might seem absurd for a Korean conglomerate to openly support a specific U.S. presidential candidate. But this was no trivial matter.
This was the President of the United States, after all.
The most powerful position on Earth—one capable of shaking the global economy.
No corporation would want to be on that person's bad side.
"Especially since Kangsung is competing with Ampl and trying to expand further into the semiconductor market. If Trent starts favoring domestic companies and turns against us, we'll be in serious trouble."
Trent had already made multiple statements about prioritizing American businesses.
"The problem is, even U.S. companies aren't taking his remarks well."
He claimed he'd save domestic businesses by aggressively raising tariffs and tightening immigration screenings to deport foreign workers. From the perspective of American corporations, this was nothing short of disastrous.
Take Ampl, for example—they rely more on imports than domestic production.
If tariffs were raised, product prices would inevitably soar.
And that wasn't all.
If all immigrants were expelled, cheap labor would disappear too.
Normally, companies could just set up factories in other countries like they always have, but Trent had already made it clear he'd force even conglomerates like Ampl to build factories in the U.S.
"That's why corporations are campaigning hard to prevent Trent's election. They're throwing their support behind Hillary. Well, except for the energy and real estate sectors."
Trent had long advocated reviving the U.S. energy industry, and since the Trent family was a real estate conglomerate, many predicted the property market would benefit under his administration.
I nodded slowly, studying Chairman Kangsung's face intently.
"But... you look exhausted."
"Hm? Ahaha. Honestly, this is better."
Chairman Kangsung had been spending most of his time in Europe lately.
He was going all out to expand into the European market, forming partnerships with various semiconductor companies.
"Business expansion is important, but don't neglect your health."
"I know. I used to have a strict routine where I exercised every day, but lately, that's all fallen apart. But what can I do? For the future of Kangsung Group, I have to push myself to the limit."
Typically, when you think of a chaebol chairman, you'd expect them to delegate work to others and live comfortably rather than working hard themselves. But Chairman Kang Sung-ho was, how should I put it—a hard worker.
"What can I do? I'd love to relax too, but Chairman Jeong set the stage for me. He prepared the rice, the side dishes—all I have to do is open my mouth to eat. If I don't take that, I'd be a fool, wouldn't I?"
Despite his words, there was an overwhelming amount of work that Kangsung had to handle.
That's why Chairman Kang Sung-ho was determined not to let this opportunity slip away.
"Oh, right. I heard the news. TSNC's entire shipment at Tianjin Port went up in smoke, didn't it? And I heard Gwangun cut ties with them but then came crawling back."
"Yes. Losing all their cargo at Tianjin Port was already a massive blow, but the real chaos came from having no way to deliver goods to their clients immediately."
"So they must be clinging desperately to Gwangun Shipping now."
"That's right. I suspect they'll be charged triple the usual shipping fees."
To borrow President Kim Du-yeong's words, it was the "crime of being displeasing."
They unilaterally broke their contract with us and sided with the Yonghae Alliance—they had to pay the price for that.
"Then how about we do this?"
"Huh?"
"TSNC agreed to pay triple, right? You must have a rough estimate of how much money they'll be shelling out regularly?"
"Yes. Gwangun Shipping is probably running the numbers as we speak."
"Good. Then I'll pay ten times that amount."
"...Excuse me?"
"From now on, reject all of TSNC's shipping requests to Gwangun. In return, our Kangsung Group will compensate them tenfold for their losses."
Ten times was a staggering amount.
Even though Kangsung Group was the most profitable conglomerate in South Korea, they weren't in the business of charity.
Offering that kind of money meant they saw enough value in it.
"TSNC losing their logistics at Tianjin Port was the first major blow. On top of that, the Yonghae Alliance was completely obliterated by the Chinese government. Their executives were rounded up one after another—no one even knows if they're alive or dead now. In short, there's no company left to handle TSNC's shipping."
TSNC was now isolated.
The semiconductors meant to be distributed across Tianjin Port had all vanished in the explosion. Though they were rushing to produce more, there was no company left to transport them.
"And I hear there aren't any decent shipping companies left in Taiwan either."
"There used to be, but they either shut down or were absorbed by the Yonghae Alliance. That's why TSNC abandoned our Gwangun and signed with them in the first place."
"Right. But if even Gwangun refuses to help TSNC? Then no matter how much cargo TSNC produces, they won't be able to move it anywhere else."
But shipping wasn't TSNC's only option.
They didn't just have sea routes—they had air routes too.
"Lately, TSNC has had no choice but to rely on shipping. The entire shipping industry has collapsed, and even the already struggling air transport sector has been shutting down one after another. And the final nail in the coffin? Gwangun monopolizing the shipping business like it's their personal empire. That's why even the air transport companies in Taiwan have all closed up shop."
And then there was one more decisive event.
"Taiwan held its presidential election this year, right? And the Democratic Progressive Party candidate won. Before, the Kuomintang had been pushing pro-China policies, but the newly elected President Tsai Ing-wen made it clear she would staunchly reject the One China policy. That really set China off."
From that day on, China seized every opportunity to send fighter jets buzzing over Taiwanese airspace and deploy warships—flexing their military might.
With fighter jets appearing at the drop of a hat, flights that had been running smoothly in Taiwan began turning back mid-air. Trust and safety plummeted, and all of Taiwan's air transport clients fled.
TSNC had no choice but to grit their teeth and turn to sea routes.
"The funny thing is, TSNC is now being reprimanded by the Taiwanese government for partnering with the Yonghae Alliance. On the surface, they claim to support the current administration and oppose One China, but in the end, they were doing business with a Chinese company."
In other words, this was a golden opportunity bestowed upon Kangsung Group by the heavens.
"TSNC doesn't just ship out products, right? To obtain components, even those bastards ultimately have to import them. And most of that happens through shipping."
"So you're asking us to block those imports too? Since our Gwangun Shipping has a tight grip on those sea routes."
"Exactly. Now you understand why I'm offering to pay ten times the usual rate?"
Tenfold.
It was a considerable sum.
But if it meant strangling TSNC, the foundry industry's undisputed leader, that tenfold price would be cheaper than expected.
"I'll coordinate with Gwangun Shipping to send you the exact pricing details."
Sigh. "Just don't get too greedy with the markup. Ah—right. By the way, Chairman Jeong. Earlier, I was talking about Hillary Clint and Trent. Between the two, who do you think will win?"
Frankly, this didn't even require gut instinct.
Every media outlet and indicator was already pointing to who the next president would be.
"Well, obviously Hillar—"
But right at that moment—
Just as I was about to say "Hillary," something inexplicable forced my mouth shut.
"Huh? Who?"
I tried forcing my lips open, but they wouldn't budge.
Could this possibly mean—?
"...Trent."
＊＊＊
Ninety-five percent of TSNC's semiconductor production occurred domestically.
Although they'd recently announced plans to build foundry plants in the U.S. or Europe due to rapidly deteriorating relations between China and Taiwan, that was at least five to ten years away.
In other words, now was the first—and last—chance to isolate TSNC.
Not China, but Kangsung and Gwangun.
Two Korean corporations were cornering the foundry giant.
If TSNC withered away like this, the semiconductor industry would undergo a seismic shift.
"Did your meeting with President Jeong Jin-ho go well?"
"Ah, yes. It went smoothly."
"Then, what did President Jeong say...?"
"Well, you know what President Jeong always says, right? That he'd rather see Korean companies succeed over foreign ones. Maybe that's why he agreed to our proposal."
The executives' faces brightened at this.
"But Gwangun is truly remarkable. Honestly, when they said they'd swallow Hanjong Shipping whole, I thought it was foolish. Yet look how they've grown it."
"Yes. Who could have imagined? That our country, of all places, would be the one to isolate TSNC—not China."
Never in my wildest dreams did I think that seemingly useless scrap of a shipping business would become such a threatening card.
Sometimes, it makes me wonder.
Did Jeong Jin-ho foresee all this when he brought the shipping business into play?
"Chairman. About investing in the Hillary fund—when should we...?"
"Ah. That."
In the U.S., corporations can support political candidates through various channels.
But for foreign companies to financially back a U.S. presidential candidate is illegal.
So how does one do it?
There's a loophole here too.
An American investment firm creates a fund supporting a specific candidate, and foreign companies pour money into it.
That funding then goes entirely toward aiding the candidate—that's how foreign corporations provide political support.
"By any chance... is there no fund for Trent's side?"
"Pardon? But... isn't Trent's chance of winning practically nonexistent this time?"
"A fund does exist, but I've heard almost no one is investing in it."
If the odds were fifty-fifty, people might hesitate.
But every indicator was predicting nothing but Hillary's victory.
Naturally, all the money was flooding into her fund alone.
"Chairman. Did President Jeong Jin-ho say anything about this U.S. election?"
"Yes. President Jeong Jin-ho said Trent will win."
"...?"
The executives all tilted their heads in confusion.
No one was predicting Trent's victory at this point.
And yet, he was saying Trent would win?
"Could Chairman Jeong Jin-ho be wrong just this once?"
How could anyone possibly be right every single time?
But if there was one thing they'd learned from experience so far, it was that they'd never lost by trusting Jeong Jin-ho.
"Let's be honest—if we put our money on Hillary, is she really going to thank us? There must be truckloads of other investors backing her too."
But what if they invested in Trent's side instead?
"Since almost no companies are betting on him, wouldn't that make us stand out vividly in his memory?"
"But Chairman. That assumption only holds if Trent actually wins the election. If Hillary ends up being elected as things stand now, wouldn't we just be left as sitting ducks in the Nakdong River?"
In other words, it could turn into a risky gamble where they'd lose their money for nothing.
But what if it succeeded?
They'd gain an opportunity to strengthen the semiconductor industry even more solidly than before, exactly as Kangsung Group desired.
"I did say we shouldn't get addicted to betting against the odds..."
But Kangsung Chairman realized something as well.
Seeing how his fingers were already itching like this—it seemed he was a born gambler at heart.
＊＊＊
"Chairman. I've brought the materials you requested. These are compiled scenarios of what could happen if Trent is elected president."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
The United States was the most influential country in the world, so depending on who became president, the economic direction would shift accordingly.
That's why they needed to thoroughly understand the policies and economic style of the future president to prepare properly.
"A Trent presidency would be pure chaos. Honestly, there's no telling which way he'd swing. The biggest issue for our country would be North Korea. He hasn't even been elected yet, but Trent keeps making hardline statements about them."
"One saving grace is that Trent's chances of being elected are extremely slim. But Chairman... the fact that you still had us prepare these materials means..."
Instead of answering, I simply smiled faintly.
The employees seemed to understand the implication and let out sighs.
"If Trent becomes president, the first place to be affected would be right here. Mexico. Especially the peso's value—it's expected to plummet dramatically. Because Candidate Trent's top campaign promise is building that wall."
Not the Great Wall, but—
He declared he'd build a high wall between the U.S. and Mexico to stop illegal immigrants from crossing, and furthermore, that it would help solve the drug problem.
On top of that, he didn't hesitate to repeatedly threaten that he'd make Mexico pay throughout his term if they failed to address the drug issue.
Naturally, if Trent were elected, the value of Mexico's peso would have no choice but to drop.
"But oddly enough, the peso's value is actually rising?"
"Yes. The people there must also believe there's absolutely no chance of Trent being elected. That optimistic sentiment is causing a temporary rise in the peso's value."
But what my intuition was showing me wasn't the peso.
The thread extending from the peso led somewhere else.
'Rupee?'
It was Indonesia's currency, the rupee.
Moreover, this was a color I'd never seen before.
Not blue, not red, not even gold—a pitch-black darkness was swallowing the rupee whole.
'What does this mean?'
The black thread didn't end there.
It continued extending link by link, and only after flipping through dozens of pages did it finally stop at its destination.
Black, blue, red, gold.
These four colors tangled and blended chaotically together.
And all the threads and colors connected to one name that was barely mentioned in this research material—just a passing reference in small print.
'...Bitcoin?'