Chapter 92
Chapter 92
Translation: Godtl
"..."
I quietly observed my younger sibling lying on the sofa, humming a tune while playing with their phone.
Whoever they were texting, they couldn't keep the smile off their face.
"Are you dating someone?"
"Gasp. H-how did you know? They say you're the god of investments, but can you read minds now?"
"Hey. It's written all over your face. You're practically drooling."
"...You're right."
My sibling wiped away their drool, still smiling as if they didn't mind.
"There is someone I've been seeing lately who makes my heart flutter."
"From work?"
"Yeah. They're totally my type looks-wise. Plus, everything from their speech to their fashion sense is perfect."
They'd been singing about feeling lonely before.
Looks like they've finally met someone nice at the same company.
"By the way, hyung, it's the weekend. Where are you going?"
"Yeah. Just throwing something on and going to get styled."
"Ooh~ Don't tell me it's a date?"
"No. I wish it were, but it's for work."
"What? On a weekend?"
"You know the work I do doesn't distinguish between weekdays and weekends."
If the market seems stable, I sometimes rest at home even on weekdays.
But when work piles up, I have to go in even on weekends.
Today was one of those days.
Ever since that conversation with Chairman Kang Sung-ho, I've been busy pressuring Japan while simultaneously selecting and acquiring companies within it one by one.
"Oh right. Hyung, did you see the news about Panmunjom?"
"Ah, yeah. I saw it."
It was truly a historic day for South Korea.
The two leaders meeting at Panmunjom.
Thanks to that, the domestic stock market rose cheerfully, putting smiles on all our company employees' faces.
And now people are starting to hope that this might actually lead to reunification. Overseas media is also covering this event extensively, focusing global attention on Korea. A situation where reunification might actually happen is unfolding before our eyes.
"First the Olympics, now Panmunjom. So much is happening in our country this year."
That's because this administration has been moving quickly from the start.
With overwhelming approval ratings backing them, they're pushing forward with great momentum.
There's just one problem—the person they need to coordinate with for this inter-Korean summit is U.S. President Trent.
That's going to be the biggest variable in this situation.
'I wonder how my hyungnim is doing.'
Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean big corporations rest.
The Blue House, currently operating at full throttle, is no exception.
My hyungnim used to say that after becoming chairman, he'd avoid working on weekends and just relax playing games, but I've never actually seen him take it easy on a weekend.
Because every time he tries, work explodes left and right.
I thought he might finally get some rest this time.
But then out of nowhere, he got summoned to the Blue House.
Still, to be invited to a gathering that only the most important business leaders in Korea's economy are called to...
My hyungnim.
I couldn't help but feel proud and boastful for him.
＊＊＊
Hosting a dinner at the Blue House with the heads of major corporations isn't particularly unusual.
It's an event held every time a new administration takes office, and they also gather chairmen quarterly to discuss economic development.
"..."
Which is why Hwang Dae-un found his current position extremely awkward.
Though he'd participated in several government-hosted events before, this was his first time being invited all the way to the Blue House.
"Chairman Hwang, you seem quite nervous."
At least there was one familiar face to be thankful for.
"It's my first time at the Blue House."
"Yes, I understand that feeling. I get nervous every time I come here too."
"You do, Chairman?"
"Yes. I always wonder what unreasonable demand they'll make this time. You know how new administrations push policies that require support from major corporations like ours. Sometimes it benefits us, but other times it doesn't. So I'm always worried about what might come up."
That must be why all the gathered leaders looked so uneasy.
"But Chairman Hwang, you don't need to worry."
"...?"
"This administration is probably most grateful to Gwangun right now. Not just the government, but all our domestic companies."
"To our Gwangun?"
"Didn't Gwangun essentially stop Japan's bully tactics this time? Thanks to that, the government could stand tall. Their only means to counter the attacks from Japan was to mobilize public opinion for boycotts, but now even that isn't necessary anymore."
"I suppose so. Honestly, I haven't done anything special myself."
"Our Chairman Jeong has been providing maximum support to let you soar freely, hasn't he? On top of that, he's been like a solid fortress backing you up. Just hearing Chairman Jeong talk makes it clear how invaluable Chairman Hwang's presence is."
Sitting in this chairman's seat now, Hwang himself considers it far more than he deserves.
That Gwangun could grow this big.
That he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those who sway Korea's economy.
None of this was due to his own abilities—it was all thanks to Jin-ho's talent.
That small act of kindness he'd shown long ago had created a butterfly effect, transforming Gwangun into the massive financial group it was today.
That's why he always held one conviction in his heart:
My presence here isn't for fame, wealth, or glory—it's solely to protect Jin-ho, who gave me this priceless opportunity.
"And today's main character isn't me, nor the Blue House officials—it's our Chairman. See those conglomerate leaders over there? They're all waiting for a chance to speak with you. Why don't you approach them first? Those fellows are surprisingly bad at making the first move, you know."
Is that so?
Truthfully, Chairman Hwang hadn't been able to converse with anyone until Chairman Kang initiated the conversation earlier.
He'd wondered if they might scorn him for overstepping his station, but apparently not?
Following Kang Sung-ho's advice, Chairman Hwang cautiously approached the gathering of conglomerate leaders.
When he offered a light greeting—just as predicted—
"My goodness, Chairman Hwang! I was just hoping to meet you."
"You're the most talked-about figure these days, yet this is our first meeting. A pleasure."
A flood of handshakes and greetings poured forth.
＊＊＊
"Did you have a good time? How was the food? I don't know about anything else, but I was most curious about the Blue House cuisine."
"Don't even ask. I was so nervous I couldn't tell if the food was going into my mouth or my nose—couldn't taste a thing."
The elder brother sighed deeply as he loosened his tie.
"Still, you went to the Blue House. You seem like a different person now."
"Heh. True enough. Thanks to you, I got to visit the Blue House. Life's unpredictable, isn't it?"
"So, what did they talk about?"
"Just as we expected. They're planning various economic developments with North Korea—railways, roads, the Kaesong Industrial Complex, Mount Kumgang, and so on."
"The conglomerates will invest in those?"
"Right. And in a few months, they're holding another meeting in Pyongyang—seems they plan to bring conglomerate leaders along this time."
This was news to him.
"Wait. So you're going to Pyongyang too?"
"Yep. Looks like I'll get to taste authentic Pyongyang naengmyeon."
Apparently this hadn't been announced to the press yet.
Who would've thought he'd fly to Pyongyang for a leaders' summit?
"Well, the government's position is clear—maximize economic cooperation with North Korea for development. The problem is America. We can't freely assist North Korea unless the UN and U.S. lift sanctions."
Every administration talks about investing in North Korean projects and such.
But nothing ever materialized because of UN and U.S. sanctions against the North.
Even if the two Koreas are smiling and holding hands now, we can't do anything unless those two lift their sanctions.
"Here's another thing—Daegwang Motors' chairman asked for our help."
"Why would we help Daegwang Motors?"
"Daegwang started electric vehicle production to keep up with the times, but their technology lags. As latecomers, they're struggling. So they want to buy back lost time with money."
There are two pioneers in electric vehicles.
One is Tesla.
The other is Japan's Itsan.
These two are considered the early trailblazers.
"Itsan's been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. Their management is struggling hard. Especially after you partnered with Kangsung to pressure Japan—Itsan seems to be really gasping for air now."
"So Daegwang Motors' chairman wants to exploit that?"
"Right. Daegwang wants to take control, extract their technology, and simultaneously increase market share in Japan. The problem? Renault holds 40% of Itsan's shares."
The French car brand Renault holds a staggering 40% stake in Issan.
That was precisely why Issan was struggling now.
Because Renault was shifting all management responsibilities and poor performance onto Issan's shoulders.
"Carlos Ghosn, that bastard, was pushing for a merger to have Renault completely absorb Issan. But then Japan's YCC suddenly collapsed, halting all manufacturing, and they realized they'd messed up."
"So they want to acquire Issan at a bargain price now."
"Yeah. They're not planning to swallow it whole alone though. They've offered to share the stake with us—at an even cheaper price. The catch is, for Daekwang to fully absorb Issan, we'd need approval from the Japanese government. No matter how much Daekwang pleads, they won't listen, but they might if it comes from us—that's why they're asking for our help."
Truthfully, even acquiring those shipping companies earlier wouldn't have been possible without special circumstances.
But with those companies on the verge of death, unless we stepped in to revive them, Japan had no way to clear the backlog at their ports or import new goods. They had no choice but to grant us permission.
In essence, we'd held a knife to the Japanese government's throat.
And with YCC's collapse, Japan didn't even have the capacity to fight back.
"So what do you think? They're offering stakes for free and say they'll handle negotiations with Renault themselves."
I briefly checked Issan's corporate information on my phone.
Issan was indeed in trouble—global sales had dropped by 30% alone.
But their electric vehicle technology was undoubtedly advanced.
The real problem was Renault, pulling all the strings.
"And that Carlos Ghosn bastard is another issue. He's the chairman of the alliance between Issan, Renault, and Mitsubishi. Even if we get the Japanese government's approval, the deal won't go through if he opposes it."
Alliance.
Not a merger, but a strategic partnership.
A fairly common business strategy—especially in the auto industry, where establishing development and production lines requires astronomical costs.
Maintaining separate identities while forming strategic partnerships—that was the core of an alliance.
The problem was Renault, holding 40% of Issan's shares, had been abusing its power, even seizing voting rights.
And at the center of it all was Carlos Ghosn—both the alliance's leader and Issan's chairman.
"..."
I stared at Carlos Ghosn's profile in Issan's corporate info.
A pitch-black vortex swirled violently across his face.
"Should we have Daekwang meet with him first to negotiate?"
"No."
"Huh? You're saying we shouldn't meet him? But he holds the key."
I knew that.
But this man radiated such intense energy that even associating with him felt dangerous.
Did that mean we shouldn't invest in Issan at all?
Strangely, that didn't seem right either.
Because the moment I considered touching Issan, a strangely pleasant sensation had begun flowing through my fingertips.
Which meant the real problem was this Carlos Ghosn...
"Tell them to keep negotiations strictly with Renault and avoid Carlos's side entirely."
"Really? If Carlos opposes it, the whole deal collapses... But if you say so, we'll do it your way. Oh—what about North Korea? I heard the government's planning to create an investment fund this time. Should we contribute something?"
"Doesn't the sanctions prevent that anyway?"
"Right. But given the current situation, things feel... unusual. It might fully open up, like Germany back in the day."
Admittedly, recent news did suggest inter-Korean relations were changing. Maybe soon, South Koreans could travel to Pyongyang.
"..."
So I pulled up North Korea's image on my phone and placed my hand over it.
"!?"
Then—with a deafening roar—a vision flashed before my eyes like film footage: a building exploding and collapsing.
＊＊＊
Milon Tusk wanted to meet Jeong Jin-ho immediately, but that wasn't possible.
Meetings didn't just materialize out of thin air like lightning.
And above all, the man he was dealing with was someone who held the global economy in the palm of his hand.
"Right. So of course he'd be busy."
But that didn't make the blood drain from his face any less.
Because with every passing day, Tesla's production was spiraling into chaos.
"World Link? That's what they want?"
"Yes. Gwangun says the area they want to discuss is precisely that field."
While arranging the meeting, Tusk had wondered what grudge Gwangun held against Tesla to launch such an attack. But what they wanted was World Link.
A project that had just launched its first test satellite.
"..."
Yet, at that moment, Milon Tusk felt a chill run down his spine.
Should he call it razor-sharp intuition?
To others, World Link might seem like an insignificant venture that had barely begun testing.
But Jeong Jin-ho seemed to have pierced straight through to its essence.
World Link was a project that would revolutionize every existing means of communication.
Current telecommunications relied on base stations and complex cables, but once World Link was fully deployed globally, communication would be possible through space itself.
Even in the deepest mountains or remote islands where base stations couldn't reach, anyone would be able to connect anytime.
And if the technology advanced further, it could even be used on Mars—the colony he planned to build in the future.
In short, if perfected, World Link would dominate all global communications.
That was why he had kept the company private and the project as confidential as possible.
To prevent people from questioning the technology prematurely.
"Perhaps they're planning to establish a new telecom company in Korea? By partnering with us."
Jeong Jin-ho didn't just want to invest—he was aiming higher, intending to plant World Link in Korea and take direct control of it.
After tightening his grip on South Korea's finance, shipping, and semiconductor industries...
Was he now coming for telecommunications too?
"That's not happening. This project wasn't designed for partnerships."
But if he refused, the other side would keep using the battery supply as leverage.
A true dilemma.
"Have you looked into Gwangun's recent movements?"
"Yes. This time, they're attempting to absorb Issan alongside Daegwang Motors."
"Oh? That's a wasted effort."
Issan was a company Tusk had been keeping an eye on for a long time.
After all, Tesla and Issan were the two pioneers who had opened the early electric vehicle market.
In fact, Issan's EV technology surpassed Tesla's in certain aspects.
Had they not crossed paths with the predatory Renault, they could have grown even further.
"Their chairman would never agree to sell Issan, right? Renault forced the merger, but that's it."
"Yes... But judging by the current developments, it seems things are moving in Gwangun's favor."
"What? How?"
"A whistleblower document was leaked within the company. It revealed that Carlos Ghosn embezzled tens of millions of dollars and colluded with Renault to shift all investment blame onto Issan. Because of this, an arrest warrant has been issued for Chairman Carlos Ghosn."
Too preoccupied with Gwangun's affairs, Tusk hadn't even dreamed that such chaos was unfolding at Issan.
"So after all this time staying quiet, this scandal erupts just as Gwangun is trying to devour Daegwang and Issan?"
"Yes. Chairman Carlos Ghosn is claiming innocence, insisting someone framed him with conspiracy theories to get him arrested."
"Is he actually innocent?"
"No. The crimes are real. But the fact that this exposé, which could have come out anytime, surfaced precisely at this timing..."
"Means Gwangun is behind it again."
Since Carlos Ghosn was bound to interfere with Issan's absorption, they had swung the blade early and cut off his head.
Jeong Jin-ho.
The more he learned about him, the more terrifying he became.
The problem was—if Milon Tusk resisted World Link too strongly...
"That blade could come for me next..."
Carlos Ghosn probably never dreamed he'd be wiped out like this from the very beginning.
Perhaps it was because Milon Tusk, too, had accumulated plenty of sins over the years.
This time, he feared where Jeong Jin-ho's blade might strike—which weakness it would pierce.