Changing Direction
Tae Seok-ho, Executive Director of Taeshin Mulsan, was preparing for discharge with a deeply uncomfortable expression.
His new secretary, Reina, approached with an unwavering smile.
“Executive Director. The phone keeps ringing. How would you like me to handle it?”
“Don’t answer any of them.”
Even while hospitalized, the calls had not stopped. The presidents and executives caught in the latest Tae Shin Group reshuffle were dialing him desperately, hoping he would save their careers.
“They must be useless, then.”
Tae Seok-ho froze mid-motion while slipping on his jacket.
“Do you intend to speak that way at the company as well?”
A chill ran down his spine. Of course, those were not words appropriate for the secretary of a Tae Shin Group executive director.
In the meantime, Reina’s smile only deepened.
“Of course not.”
“Be careful, even in front of me.”
“Understood.”
Tae Seok-ho finished putting on his jacket and asked again.
“Have you familiarized yourself with all the work? Chief Lee handled so many tasks that it won’t be easy.”
“There’s no need for you to worry about that.”
“Can I truly trust you?”
“Are you asking about the work? Or are you referring to the person behind me?”
Tae Seok-ho let out a sigh and stared directly at her.
“Both, obviously. I’m already backed into a corner. How can I blindly trust you when I don’t even know what moves you’ll make?”
“But you have no other options, Executive Director. Without me, you would have been checkmated already and wouldn’t even be standing here.”
For a brief moment, Reina’s eyes flashed with cold light as her gaze drifted toward his throat.
“So I’m merely a piece on the chessboard?”
“Everyone is. The only difference is whether one knows it or not, and that knowledge changes what one can do.”
“Then does the person who decided to use me as a piece have a solution for this crisis?”
The initial draft of the personnel reorganization had already received first-stage approval from the chairman. All that remained was for it to be raised as an agenda at the headquarters board meeting.
That was why the people who had stirred up trouble inside the company were frantically contacting Tae Seok-ho, trying to survive the life-or-death crossroads they now faced.
Many of them, of course, were his own people. Most notably, President Lee Chang-hwan of Taeshin Spin Tech and his executives.
But the TF headquarters had gathered most of the evidence of their illegal activities. They had made sure no one could slip away. If Tae Seok-ho reached out to help them now, he risked getting dragged down alongside them.
“The major issues are being wrapped up. It may get a little noisy, but under the current circumstances, this is the best option.”
“…Wrapped up?”
Vrrr— Vrrr—
“Executive Director. Have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
The unusual tension in her voice put Tae Seok-ho on edge.
“A Tae Shin Energy employee… was found dead in the company parking lot this morning.”
“…Dead? How?”
“The police are investigating, but my contact there says it’s being treated as suicide. They apparently found a note as well. However…”
“What else?”
“Word of the personnel reorganization has leaked inside Tae Shin Energy.”
“How could that—!”
Shocked, Tae Seok-ho’s eyes snapped toward Reina, who stood before him. She wore a subtly ambiguous expression.
“…For now, keep monitoring the situation there and report back. Also check whether the reorganization plan has leaked anywhere else.”
He ended the call after issuing the order.
Tae Seok-ho turned to Reina once more.
“Don’t tell me the thing I just heard… was your side’s doing?”
“What exactly are you referring to?”
Her tone was shamelessly innocent.
Given how loud the call had been, there was no way she hadn’t overheard.
“Are you going to keep playing these games?”
“I’m acting this way so you won’t take things too heavily.”
“You call that an answer?”
“Events like this may continue to occur going forward. If you react this way every single time, we’ll both wear ourselves out.”
Tae Seok-ho glared at her with a menacing expression.
“Are you saying this kind of handling is normal for your people?”
“I’m simply urging you to adapt as quickly as possible.”
“Which means… more people will die?”
“You’re not actually worried about human lives. You’re worried that our methods will send sparks flying in your direction.”
Silence fell between them. It was an indisputable truth.
“Ahem…”
“Besides, the situation made it unavoidable. Once the reorganization is implemented, your own position will become precarious, Executive Director. To buy even a little more time, this was the only method. The police, prosecution, and media will all move now, so you can simply trust the process and wait.”
Tae Seok-ho, who had been listening quietly, let out a long sigh.
“You’re not concerned about the Tae Shin Group stock price dropping?”
“That flow works in our favor. It creates an opportunity for you to secure the shares you need.”
Tae Seok-ho immediately understood Reina’s true intention.
“On the surface you pressure Kang In-hyuk, who pushed the reorganization, and my father, who approved it, while secretly securing shares and winning over shareholders behind the scenes?”
“Your mind really is quick.”
At the same time, a new worry surfaced.
“If your side secures the necessary shares, doesn’t that mean you’ll try to intervene later?”
“We will arrange it so you can purchase them before management rights are secured. You don’t need to worry.”
“How can I believe that? You didn’t even consult me before carrying out the last matter.”
“Consider it an appetizer. Besides, we have no desire to reveal ourselves openly. That’s precisely why we seek to partner with individuals like you—people with grand ambitions and the ability to achieve them.”
While hospitalized, Tae Seok-ho had tried to deduce her backers.
Police who fabricated evidence without hesitation, media outlets that moved at the press of a keyboard, hospitals that disguised gunshot wounds as traffic accidents. On top of that, the casual efficiency with which they disposed of people…
At first he had suspected the National Intelligence Service, but he struggled to find any reason they would operate independently of the government. Moreover, Reina’s demeanor and operational style were completely unlike them.
“How many more people do you plan to clean up?”
“Roughly two. Any more would look suspicious. Even we can’t control the police and media one hundred percent.”
Reina spoke of killing people as if she were discussing the weather.
Tae Seok-ho could only sigh again.
“And someone who knows that still causes incidents like this?”
“As I told you before, at this stage anything less would be difficult to gloss over. In any case, while we take action, you should move as you see fit, Executive Director.”
Tae Seok-ho shook his head.
“Wouldn’t it be simpler to just eliminate Kang In-hyuk?”
“Since you failed, Executive Director, are you now asking to borrow our hands?”
Her tone grated on his nerves once more.
“You really…”
“My intentions are not malicious, but we cannot dispose of Director Kang In-hyuk at this time.”
“Why not? If you’re capable of handling people so easily, what could possibly stop you?”
“It’s a separate issue. We still haven’t identified who stands behind him.”
Initially, Reina had thought the same as Tae Seok-ho. Kang In-hyuk’s presence was that disruptive to their current mission.
Yet the moment she proposed it to her superiors, the suggestion was rejected for the exact reason she had just stated.
“Hmm. So even they were suspicious of that?”
“Since we are in a position to assist you, Executive Director, we conducted various investigations. What we discovered was that Kang In-hyuk’s movements have been abnormal since the beginning of this year.”
“But even they couldn’t uncover what exactly is going on… Doesn’t that suggest their capabilities are more limited than expected?”
“If we possessed truly perfect power, we would never have reached out to you in the first place.”
The same held true for Tae Seok-ho. At the same time, he realized just how significant Kang In-hyuk’s existence was to both himself and Reina’s mysterious backers.
The two soon finished their conversation and left the hospital room.
.
.
.
At the same time.
In-hyuk sat in the office of the Tae Shin Asset Management headquarters director, speaking on the phone with Norman McGrath.
“The RSK project is also proceeding successfully. At the current pace, Texcellence appears likely to acquire RSK without any major obstacles.”
It was an interim report on the projects currently underway.
“There have been no particular issues with the share acquisitions so far, but President Lee Hyun-gun may resort to dirty tricks. Stay alert.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Suddenly, something occurred to In-hyuk.
“Are there any problems handling the Accentia side?”
“I was just about to bring that up. It seems they’re encountering difficulties with system development. They appear to be in contact with parties other than ourselves. I believe we should schedule a meeting that includes due diligence.”
Norman McGrath placed complete faith in In-hyuk’s decisions as Gordon Grimes.
Yet the strange turn of events had prompted him to speak cautiously.
“It means they’ve begun to entertain second thoughts.”
“I’m not doubting your judgment, but the situation seems problematic.”
“No, it’s understandable given the circumstances.”
“Then shall we proceed with the due diligence?”
In-hyuk answered without hesitation.
“No. Leave it alone.”
A startled voice came through the receiver.
“Pardon?! But among the companies currently approaching Accentia, some are hostile to our business. There’s a risk it could jeopardize the collaboration with Greenbyte Labs you were preparing.”
“The company in contact is Redbore Technology, correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
That was the company where funds from Cheolsan Capital had been siphoned. It was also the same entity that had targeted TN SOFT during In-hyuk’s earlier operations.
“We’ll change direction.”
“…Change direction to where, exactly?”
“I’ll send the relevant materials separately. If Accentia demands a penalty for contract termination, use the cooperating law firm to extract as much as possible. In the meantime, make sure to gather every piece of evidence needed for any settlement negotiations.”
Norman McGrath instantly grasped In-hyuk’s intention.
“Did you anticipate this situation from the very beginning?”
“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t?”
“Ha… Then did you also predict that Redbore Technology would approach Accentia?”
“Not to that extent.”
Honestly, he had expected them to move through an intermediary. The fact that Redbore Technology had stepped forward directly suggested that even those hostile to AMK Partners were growing desperate.
“Understood. Once I receive the materials, I’ll review them and proceed accordingly. Ah, and I have one question.”
“Go ahead.”
“When exactly did you make arrangements with SGA in Hong Kong and Lumen Holdings in the UK? Thanks to them cleanly transferring the Texcellence and RSK shares and bonds they held, everything has gone smoothly. But the lack of friction actually makes me somewhat uneasy.”
Each company could have handled the business directly without issue.
Yet they had transferred every share and bond to AMK Partners at fair market value, without the slightest noise.
“They’re simply well-prepared. We’ll be conducting many more transactions with them going forward, so maintain the relationship without causing any major trouble.”
“You’re not giving a proper explanation this time either. Understood.”
The call ended there.
In-hyuk set his phone down on the desk and let out a quiet chuckle.
The truth was that he himself was the real owner of both Hong Kong’s SGA and the UK’s Lumen Holdings.
Of course, like AMK Partners under the name Gordon Grimes, they were all held under different aliases.