Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Translation: Godtl
"Neom City?"
"Yes. Although it hasn't been officially announced yet, it's said to be a massive project currently being pursued by the Saudi royal family. Investment proposals have already been sent to major corporations worldwide, and one has come to us as well."
For businesspeople, Saudi Arabia was one of their most important clients.
Wasn't the Saudi Public Investment Fund exerting influence across the globe?
There were truckloads of people lining up to receive investments from them.
And yet, it was Saudi Arabia who had sent the investment proposal first.
Moreover, they weren't the ones investing—they were the ones seeking investment.
Chairman Kangsung examined the report with interest.
"It's scheduled for completion around 2030, but honestly, 2030 seems completely unrealistic."
"Really?"
"Yes. Just looking at the lineup, there are quite a few things that are impossible to build with current technology."
"Do you think even Saudi Arabia wasn't aware of that?"
"They must have known. But the fact that they still pushed ahead with this..."
There's a method swindlers always use.
First, they make everything appear dazzlingly impressive.
"There are some things that are absolutely impossible to construct from an engineering standpoint. They're talking about building a massive linear city stretching 170 kilometers in length and reaching 500 meters in height—experts unanimously agree it's impossible to achieve right now."
"But it's Saudi Arabia that sent this proposal, isn't it?"
"Yes. Just the initial amount they've budgeted converts to 600 trillion won in our currency."
600 trillion.
An amount that was hard to even fathom.
The problem was, this was only the initial investment.
Once the preliminary construction was completed, an even larger sum would undoubtedly be poured in.
Even if the Saudi royal family's wealth exceeded 1,000 trillion won, shouldering 600 trillion alone would be difficult.
"So they're coming to us for money?"
"If there's a place to invest, they want to secure their position early by investing first. Conversely, if they have something to build that requires funding, they're asking us to participate in the infrastructure development."
Right. It was about time a city straight out of a movie was built somewhere.
And this was the perfect project for the Saudi royal family, whose ancestors had miraculously secured land that allowed them to throw money around for generations.
There was just one sticking point.
"It reeks of a scam, doesn't it?"
From the costs involved to the project details.
Frankly, none of it seemed realistic.
"But the source is reliable. It's an investment proposal from the Saudi Fund."
Yet, Saudi Arabia seemed determined to push forward with this madness.
Chairman Kangsung pondered for a moment.
Should he accept or reject it?
If he refused, Kangsung would have to bear the full brunt of the backlash alone.
Saudi Arabia was the largest producer of oil money.
The amounts they dealt with were astronomical, and for Kangsung to build a semiconductor cluster in the future, they would need investments from entities like the Saudi Fund to diversify their risks.
Saudi Arabia knew this, which was why they had sent the investment proposal.
It was a clear message: if you don't want to be on bad terms with us, you'd better participate.
"...Has this proposal also been sent to Gwangun?"
"Yes. Gwangun alone handles trillions of won through its securities firm, doesn't it? Among domestic securities firms, the proposal was sent exclusively to Gwangun. Asset management companies may deal with large sums, but they can't move funds independently."
Both Kangsung and KS Asset Management were in the same boat.
Each handled hundreds of trillions of won.
But they couldn't move that money as they pleased.
Because the money they managed ultimately belonged to their clients.
Gwangun, however, was different.
Even if they didn't have hundreds of trillions like the others, the money they did have belonged entirely to Gwangun.
That meant they could invest wherever they wanted.
"What is Gwangun planning to do?"
"That much, I..."
"Sigh. Wait a moment."
Chairman Kangsung took out his phone and tapped on Jeong Jin-ho's name at the top of his recent calls.
There was no need to investigate this convoluted matter—he could just ask Jeong Jin-ho directly.
["The call cannot be connected. Voice message..."]
"Haha. Is this guy busy or something?"
Kangsung Chairman tried calling again.
["The call cannot be connected..."]
"..."
The executives were deliberately avoiding eye contact.
Kangsung Chairman made one last attempt.
After a prolonged ringing tone,
["Yes, Chairman."]
When Jeong Jin-ho's voice finally came through the phone, the executives collectively sighed in relief.
"Why weren't you answering? Are you that busy?"
["I was sleeping."]
"Huh? Is today your day off?"
["The market's been quiet lately with almost no fluctuations, maybe because there haven't been any major issues."]
"Well, I suppose. Your work environment is quite different from ours."
["But what's the matter? If it's about drinking again today, I'm not coming. It upsets my stomach."]
"Hey. People will think I'm always asking you out for drinks."
["You did it seven days straight last time."]
"..."
Chairman Kangsung pretended not to hear while subtly glancing at the executives who were all ears, then cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Did Gwangun receive that proposal from Saudi too?"
["Neom City?"]
"Yeah. What did you decide? Are you going in?"
["No."]
The answer came without hesitation.
He didn't even explain why he rejected the investment proposal.
Just a firm, straightforward refusal.
"We got an investment proposal at Kangsung too. Should we take it?"
A brief silence followed.
Then came Jeong Jin-ho's fading voice:
["...You shouldn't go in."]
"Okay."
That was enough.
Hearing the reason wouldn't change anything anyway.
He hadn't called to be logically persuaded.
He was just curious about Jeong Jin-ho's decision.
"Let's pass on this one too."
"Excuse me? B-but Chairman! This isn't just any proposal—it's from Saudi Arabia. If we reject this, we might have to completely give up on future Saudi investments!"
"Even if Gwangun decided against it, our situation with Kangsung is different, isn't it? Gwangun might not need Saudi support, but we'll require substantial Saudi investment moving forward, Chairman."
Kangsung Chairman knew.
That rejecting this proposal would sever ties with Saudi Arabia.
But hadn't he already sworn?
That no matter what Jeong Jin-ho said, even if it put the company at risk, he would trust him.
＊＊＊
"A rejection?"
"Yes. Mega Lucky suddenly refused our investment."
"Wasn't it progressing smoothly?"
After seeing potential in Mega Lucky and SPS, I had planned to invest in them.
Mega Lucky's current revenue stood at 35 billion won—still a small-scale operation.
But with SPS's successful overseas expansion, their future looked promising.
Moreover, my intuition from that day's report had been certain of this company's success.
So I'd accepted their investment proposal, planning to acquire an additional 40% stake for 300 billion won.
Just when I thought the investment would proceed without issues—
They suddenly overturned the table.
"Are they asking for more investment money?"
Mega Lucky's interest in our investment was also heavily influenced by Enflix.
Hadn't Enflix broken 100 million subscribers overnight, growing into a global enterprise?
They likely wanted to leverage Enflix's platform to promote their actors-in-training and idols for maximum marketing impact.
"No, that's not it. From what I've heard, they're planning to sign a contract with Saudi Arabia."
Saudi Arabia, suddenly?
"Rumors are circulating that Saudi has been expanding its investment scope recently. The royal family is reportedly pouring money to cleanse Saudi's negative image."
"What does that have to do with Mega Lucky?"
"This... seems to be a slightly different area. Our investigation revealed that aside from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, there are privately managed funds by Saudi royals. Among them, the largest is operated by a prince named Abdul Khadim."
I listened carefully to Director Seo's explanation.
So, there was a fund operated by a prince named Abdul Khadim, which had heavily invested in semiconductors and shipping—sectors where they suffered massive losses because of us.
"So this is retaliation?"
"Yes. And it's not just Mega Lucky. It seems they're already spreading negative rumors about Gwangun to the Chinese side and the U.S. government. Lately, there's been a surge of unfavorable rumors about Gwangun in the market, and I suspect Abdul Khadim's side is deliberately behind it."
It wasn't as if Gwangun had only one or two enemies with grudges against us.
But none had ever posed a direct threat.
The problem was, this enemy was different in nature.
With capital amounting to tens of trillions of won.
If they used that money not for investment but to sabotage Gwangun, they could easily unleash a significant threat.
"On top of that, it seems Abdul Khadim is also leading the investment for Saudi Arabia's Neom City project."
"But we already rejected that, didn't we?"
"Yes. Which probably made us even more of a thorn in their side."
As expected, money truly rules the world.
With vast financial power being mobilized to torment Gwangun, the pressure was immense from all sides.
'...Maybe we should've just invested in Neom City.'
Though I had followed my instincts and avoided the investment.
Would they even accept us now if we suddenly decided to invest?
＊＊＊
"How's it going?"
"We're mobilizing every possible means at our disposal. All the connections we've managed so far are being activated."
"And the effect?"
"They're gathering intel on Gwangun's ongoing investments and doing their best to interfere. The problem is... Gwangun usually secures management rights in most of their investments, making it difficult to take control of the companies."
Those Gwangun bastards.
They're more thorough than expected.
They've built an incredibly thick defensive wall to prevent other major funds or corporations from shaking their management rights. But no matter how high and mighty the fortress, there's always a Trojan Horse.
Even the sturdiest dam has its weak points.
And they were aiming for those vulnerabilities.
"We've already reached out to both the U.S. and Chinese governments. The issue is, whether it's the U.S. or China, high-ranking officials immediately shut down any discussion the moment Gwangun's name comes up."
"Why is that?"
"It's said that Gwangun has a close cooperative relationship with the Central Committee of the Chinese government. The Tianjin Port Incident was reportedly triggered when someone tried to mess with Gwangun. And after the Yonghae Alliance stood against Gwangun and got completely wiped out, no one dares oppose them anymore."
So, Gwangun is at that level.
"What about the U.S.?"
"The U.S. isn't easy either. With the Trent administration in power, they've imposed various regulations on companies that attacked them during the election campaign—all under the guise of 'America First.' The problem is, Kangsung Group contributed massive campaign funds to Trent's side during the election, and they're also linked to Gwangun."
Trent was pushing absurd tariff policies under the banner of "making America great again." But you had to look deeper into the underlying motives.
While the rhetoric was about America's greatness, there was also a degree of vengeance against companies that had opposed and pressured him instead of supporting him.
And among the few factions that backed him, Kangsung Group was reaping huge benefits. Just look at how American companies like Nvidia and Ample were currently being shaken by Gwangun's thuggish shipping monopoly and the TSNC blockade disrupting the semiconductor market.
"If President Trent truly acted according to his initial promises, he shouldn't just stand by and watch. The government should step in to protect American companies. But instead, they're turning a blind eye. Essentially, he's signaling that he'll back those who supported him to the very end."
"No way. The leader of the world's most powerful nation can run a country based on personal grudges like that?"
But that's just how rulers are.
They always claim to act in the national interest, but in the end, they're only human—personal emotions inevitably seep in.
Yet even those emotions are bound to waver in the face of money.
Especially someone like Trent, who is nothing if not a ruthless businessman.
If someone offered more investment than Gwangun and Kangsung combined, his stance would undoubtedly shift.
"This can't go on like this. Gwangun isn't taking any damage at all. We need to find a way to squeeze them, even if it means throwing money at the problem—"
BANG—!
The sudden gunshot echoing through the building made Abdul Khadim freeze.
"What the hell was that?"
For a moment, he thought he'd misheard.
But then, gunfire erupted from all directions, and soon, soldiers burst through the door, forcing their way in.
"W-what are you doing? Do you even know who I am?!"
He was a member of the Saudi royal bloodline, for God's sake.
Yet the soldiers paid no heed, gunning down his resisting bodyguards before roughly seizing Abdul Khadim himself.
When he struggled, they didn't hesitate to use brute force.
"What in the world—"
Blood trickled down his face as the soldiers dragged him into the lobby and threw him to the ground. Dazed, he looked around.
He wasn't the only one.
Every prince and businessman gathered in the hotel today had been captured.
And those soldiers? They belonged to the royal family's elite special forces—units that moved only at the king's direct command.
But the current king would never have ordered this.
There was only one person who could have.
Hamoud Salman—the man who practically ruled the country already.
This was a purge.
And not just any purge—the largest in Saudi history.
"That goddamn lunatic!"
＊＊＊
Chairman Hwang Dae-un noticed that the vice president's complexion looked better than before.
It was natural for someone to feel stressed when a subordinate suddenly leapfrogged into the CEO position, but there wasn't a trace of that in him.
"You remember what I told you last time?"
"About making me vice president?"
"Yeah. That offer's still good."
"No thanks. I'll pass."
"Why?"
"Because working under President Jeong is way more fun than being under you, Chairman."
For a moment, Hwang had forgotten.
This bastard had only stepped into the world of investments because it looked entertaining.
"To be honest, when I was under you, I couldn't see any vision."
"W-what?"
"But now, under President Jeong, I see a clear path. It's exhilarating."
"Heh. That guy's got you so doped up on dopamine you can't even think straight."
"Yes. But it's not just that. What matters is that there's a real vision now."
A real vision.
Hwang still didn't quite grasp what Kang Ji-hwan meant by that.
"You heard about the Saudi royal purge, right?"
"Yeah. Thought I was reading about the Joseon Dynasty for a second. Hard to believe this kind of thing still happens in the 21st century."
"Well, it's a place where the monarchy still holds power. The struggle for control is brutal."
Crown Prince Hamoud Salman had gathered the royal family's key figures at the Ritz-Carlton, then suddenly deployed the military to detain every single one of them.
He slapped multiple charges on them, carried out a massive purge, and seized all their assets.
"It's also tied to the Neom City project. A project that costs over 600 trillion won—of course he needed funds. He killed two birds with one stone: consolidating power by eliminating rival princes and securing the money he needed."
"Damn. Terrifying. But what's this got to do with Jin-ho?"
"It does. One of the key figures removed this time was someone who had a grudge against our Gwangun."
"...What?"
"A guy named Abdul Khadim—he was openly trying to mess with us. Now he's locked up, and no one even knows if he's alive."
Hwang Dae-un's mouth seemed to have gone completely dry.
"Could it be... that this is related to Jin-ho?"
"I don't know about that. Chairman Jeong didn't mention anything specifically. But the timing is impeccable. That bastard was about to drop a bomb on us when his head got lopped off just before."
"..."
Chairman Hwang downed a glass of water in one gulp.
First Tianjin Port, and now this Saudi purge.
When coincidences pile up, they become inevitability, as the saying goes.
"But this Abdul Khadim had been running a full-scale scam. The Saudi government hasn't officially made any investment proposals regarding Neom City yet, but Abdul Khadim took the lead and spread proposals around beforehand."
"What? So that was a scam?"
"Whether it was truly a scam or the Saudi government is just using Abdul Khadim as a scapegoat, I can't say. But all the investments that went to Abdul Khadim have been absorbed by the Saudi government, leaving the companies that put money in getting properly screwed over now."
"We didn't invest any money there, did we?"
"No. Chairman Jeong refused without even reading the proposal."
Could Jin-ho have actually known about this in advance?
"We were trying to invest in Mega Lucky Entertainment, but they had decided to take investments from Abdul Khadim's fund, so they turned us down. But with how things turned out, they're clinging to our coattails again now."
"So? What did you decide to do?"
"We renegotiated the contract with the condition of increasing our stake from 40% to 50%. The investment funds have already been transferred."
"But suddenly entertainment? Do you really think that'll take off?"
He never expected they'd invest in an idol training agency.
Wasn't Enflix enough for their media ventures?
"Didn't I tell you earlier? The reason I'm under Chairman Jeong is because there's a clear vision."
"What vision?"
"Industry, technology, trade, and now entertainment business including Enflix. In other words, Chairman Jeong Jin-ho is aiming to dominate the cultural industry just like everything else. Not stopping at one field but gradually conquering diverse sectors."
Everywhere Jin-ho invested had hit the jackpot so far.
But he wasn't satisfied with just making huge profits—he was acquiring those industrial companies and becoming their core.
He was systematically conquering each sector one by one.
And doing so following some personal roadmap only he could see.
"I recognized Chairman Jeong's vision from the very beginning. That's why I decided to stay under him. Technology, culture, media, even sports. If we gradually take over fields the world can't do without, what would become of Gwangun?"
Gwangun dominating industries that are absolutely essential to this world—industries that can never fail.
"A megacorporation controlling every sector. It would probably become the only supermassive enterprise in the entire world."
In movies—no, games would be more familiar to Hwang Dae-un.
There are those megacorporations that often appear.
The kind with overwhelming power that controls all industries in the world, even beyond the reach of governments.
"You're saying Jin-ho really wants to build that kind of top-tier corporation?"
"I thought it was just conjecture at first too, but seeing him reach into Enflix and now entertainment, I'm certain. To build such a massive corporation, controlling media would be essential. And the foundation is rock solid. They've taken control of trade through shipping, acquired a global Bitcoin exchange, and even semiconductor technology."
"...!"
It was hard to grasp.
There have been many large corporations, but never before had there been a megacorporation of the kind that only appears in games.
And now Jin-ho was trying to build exactly that.
"Chairman, you'll need to stay healthy for a long, long time. You'll need to become the founding chairman of this unprecedented supergroup."