Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Yoo Seon-jun (3)
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"...What the hell is this?"
Yoo Seon-jun stared into one of Daeha Securities' deepest secrets and fell silent.
The fact that he wasn't a fool made it all the more shocking. With his considerable financial knowledge, he could grasp just how absurd this elaborate scheme was.
"You knew the Japanese bubble was going to burst...? No, damn it... Of course you did! That's why you made this scam of a deal, right?"
"Scam? We both agreed to it, fair and square. And even after the bubble burst, I gave them another chance. How many people are as nice as me?"
Yoo Ha-yeon just giggled and flashed a cryptic smile.
"... ."
Yoo Seon-jun thought to himself.
'How much... exactly is this?'
When you knew the Japanese bubble was about to burst in advance... how much could a seasoned financial firm rake in?
Especially if the owner was a monster with absolute trust within the company and overwhelming genius?
'If it were me...'
First, he'd dodge domestic regulations by setting up subsidiaries in Japan or the US ahead of time and siphoning off the funds. Then he'd go short.
A scheme this intricate meant they were dead certain right up until the bubble popped. That implied they'd gone long until the very last moment, doubling their money...
He didn't know the exact amount, but they'd made at least ten billion won at minimum.
His mind reeled. How far ahead had his little cousin—the kid he'd barely seen—pulled?
"...I'm really no good at gambling after all."
Should he have bought in at a lower point?
"So, what're you gonna do? You're gonna help me, right? Oppa?"
Yoo Ha-yeon tilted her head cutely and puffed out her cheeks, hamming it up.
It wasn't cute anymore. Just creepy.
"What do you think? In for a penny, in for a pound. Might as well see it through."
Letting out a deep sigh, Yoo Seon-jun slowly stepped deeper into the heart of Daeha Securities.
"Ahaha, thanks! Oppa."
Yoo Ha-yeon smiled.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ -Whew...
I eyed Yoo Seon-jun smoking one cigarette after another with clear disapproval.
"Didn't you say you were quitting, Oppa? Smoking's bad for you."
"...I'm stressed right now, Ha-yeon."
Tch.
I snatched the cigarette from his mouth and stubbed it out in the ashtray.
"Hey! That's a good one..."
"What're you talking about? If we're nitpicking like that, it's endless. Hand over the rest of your packs too. It's not like it's rude."
I emptied several packs from him, then shook my head with a grumble.
"Smoking this crap is why you're unhealthy. What if your lungs give out when you're supposed to be working hard later? And think of others too."
"...Didn't know you cared so much about other people's health."
"Other people? We're in the same boat now. It'd be a problem if you collapsed from lung cancer at a crucial moment, got it?"
Man, he's got a way with words.
Yoo Seon-jun muttered that, then blurted out.
"So, how much did you make?"
"Hmm... Secret?"
Truth be told, I didn't even know exactly how much I had. It wasn't like Forbes was appraising my assets...
Plus, I'd split my wealth into tiny pieces. Some in Eastern Europe, some in the Alpha Fund, some in Daeha Electronics stock and Daeha Securities shares...
I couldn't even distinguish spent cash from latent assets anymore.
And above all, my money was still growing in real time.
"But I can tell you roughly when. I made a killing on that Europe trip last time... That's all you're getting."
"...Eastern European bonds?"
"Something like that. Oh, while we're on it, I'd like you to swing by Europe after this is done. There's a company in Eastern Europe I want to acquire. You're the perfect proxy—no one else fits."
Yoo Seon-jun squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, steadied himself, and spoke.
"Fine, whatever... I won't ask how. But Dad's guys and Little Uncle's guys are all over me. How am I supposed to?"
It'd be tricky. Yoo Seon-jun was useful, but that meant a higher chance of getting caught by Big Uncle's side.
"I'll assign someone. What about Lee Si-hyeon? She can dodge surveillance and handle it."
"...You sure?"
I beamed and nodded.
"Positive. You saw the mood here? No one's crossing me. Just pretend it's a Europe trip with her, and it'll be fine. But don't lay a hand on Si-hyeon, okay?"
They were both single, so no awkwardness. And Si-hyeon wasn't his type, so no risks there...
More importantly, it was time to promote Lee Si-hyeon to Secretary General and set up a secretariat. I couldn't babysit her forever.
Absence might make the heart grow fonder—or colder—but proper loyalty management would keep her fine.
"Hah, not even tempted. With a girl raising dozens of snakes in her belly, what would I...?"
Yoo Seon-jun shuddered and shook his head.
"Ehey, that's too harsh, Oppa."
"... ."
After a long sigh and some inscrutable brooding, Yoo Seon-jun turned to me.
"So, Ha-yeon. You confident we won't get caught? You've kept it from me this long, but... you can't hide it from Grandpa forever."
"Who knows."
I made a vague face.
Would we get caught?
Sure, eventually. But...
"A few more years, and it won't matter."
By then, not even Yoo Jin-ha or Chairman Yoo Seong-pil could touch me.
"That's... a scary thing to say."
But Yoo Seon-jun didn't refute it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ October 1990, Budapest, Hungary.
Amid the frenzy of state-owned enterprise privatizations, a decadent-looking Asian hunk sat on a hotel bed, gazing at the Budapest skyline.
"...Impressive. Even after dumping so much cash in Poland, there's still a ton left?"
Lee Si-hyeon, guarding Yoo Seon-jun, replied with a troubled look. She held a large travel bag.
"Well... I wouldn't know. I'm just following Miss's orders."
"Fair enough."
He rifled through documents, eyeing the companies to acquire.
"All financial firms again. Is our sister planning to become a naturalized Jew? Another two hundred billion here..."
Somehow, the paper companies that had only existed on paper back home were operating smoothly like real businesses.
Not just one, but several.
"Sigh... If this gets out, it's my head. Not from Grandpa, but... Europe would freak and come after Korea. Might take down the whole country, not just Daeha Group."
"...That bad?"
As Lee Si-hyeon asked in surprise, Yoo Seon-jun sighed deeply.
"Obviously. I don't know her methods, but this is financial crime. Not content with faking paper companies as legit, she bought the histories of some outright, turning them into full local firms."
That alone might've been fine—shady backroom stuff.
But...
When those firms—dozens of them—were clearly meant to meddle in financial markets and tied to one individual, it changed everything.
Holding Eastern Europe's biggest banks and subtly tweaking policies would rock Europe's economy.
"...That's weird, though. Even if Miss is amazing, that's not 'big money' territory, right? Not saying hundreds of billions are pocket change... but Daeha Group's revenue tops ten trillion."
"Different beast. Three hundred billion in Poland... two hundred in Hungary... Add the rest, and it's easily over a trillion. Cash, not assets. Hiding it splintered across Europe for instant use? Not just anyone can pull that off."
"... ."
Even with killings from Japan and the US investments... laundering it was another level.
Needed vast networks, savvy, and above all, time...
"Means she knew everything in advance. If Yoo Ha-yeon foresaw Eastern Europe's future... yeah, possible. Time solves a lot."
Moving a trillion in a month versus a year? Worlds apart in difficulty. She'd probably prepped everything and moved slow.
'What a monster.'
Even the patience young geniuses lack—she had it perfected.
"Remember a few years back? She said Eastern Europe would collapse. Or suddenly we'd need local firms overseas... Something like that."
Eastern European countries aren't idiots. They restrict foreigners buying state firms—prefer locals or fellow Europeans.
Rushing a local subsidiary? Years of operations required for eligibility.
But if she predicted even that...
"...!"
Lee Si-hyeon's eyes widened.
"Ha, knew it."
Yoo Seon-jun furrowed his brow, a chill running down his spine. How far did Yoo Ha-yeon's tentacles reach?
"Y-You okay?"
Lee Si-hyeon suddenly sounded worried.
'Worried I'll bail from fear? Or the opposite?'
Once he grasped the scale, dread piled on with every detail—like approaching a promising sapling and finding a towering tree.
But...
Yeah.
He couldn't deny the thrill.
"It's a gamble... What the hell, let's roll the dice."
Life's one big casino anyway...
Might as well bet on the biggest pot.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After becoming the majority shareholder in Hungary's largest state bank, Yoo Seon-jun naturally wondered.
'Dumping this much into Eastern Europe... Planning to emigrate?'
Not knowing Alpha Fund's true power, he assumed all those paper companies came from Yoo Ha-yeon.
Of course, unlike his guess, she was a genius but no miracle-worker. This was the handiwork of Alpha Fund's sharp pros.
Unaware the near-trillion investment was just part of a larger plan, Yoo Seon-jun smiled wryly and nodded.
"Guess I gotta work harder."
A fledgling that neither flies nor cries for three years will pierce the heavens when it flies and stun onlookers when it cries... And so must the man.
-Scratch, scratch.
For the first time in ages, Yoo Seon-jun gripped a pen of his own volition and dove into study.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Miss, why Europe specifically?"
"Hm? Why send Seon-jun Oppa there? Well... Partly to let him travel, and handle some business on the side. It's not grueling work, so I assigned it."
"Aha... I worried you'd overwork your cousin. Not everyone's like you, Miss."
I chuckled.
A young master like Yoo Seon-jun would bolt if overloaded from the start.
Start light, ramp up gradually.
After a cushy Europe gig, he'd take harder tasks without complaint.