Chapter 41
Chapter 41
I deliberately threw a rude question at Chairman Jang Sugki.
When a person has their flaws or shameful weaknesses touched by someone, they become angry.
It is an unconscious reaction. Nine out of ten people behave this way.
It is a defense mechanism of the ego to prevent their weaknesses from being exposed.
For example, if you call a thief a thief, or a liar a liar, they become angry.
Because their negative side has been revealed. But if you call an ordinary person, or even a priest, a thief, they do not become angry.
The same goes for calling them a liar. Since they are not thieves or liars, the words carry no impact.
Chairman Jang Sugki was the same.
If he became angry, then there was a high chance he was truly an incompetent manager. If he did not, then he was likely a manager hiding his ability.
Though I did not know why he would hide it.
And I predicted that Chairman Jang Sugki would not become angry.
Just as I expected, he showed no reaction to my rude remark.
Instead, he looked at me with a faint smile.
“Team Leader Kim Deoksu.”
“…?”
“In situations like this, people usually avoid saying things that make the other party uncomfortable. Do you have a reason for it?”
His expression looked as if he had already seen through my intentions.
“Yes. Actually, I think…”
I explained to the chairman what I had been thinking. A slightly surprised expression appeared on his face.
“…That’s quite a plausible story.”
“Yes. That’s why I believe you are hiding your management ability.”
“Hiding…”
Chairman Jang Sugki looked thoughtful for a moment.
“What is there to hide? Team Leader Kim seems to be overestimating me. I’m just a failed manager. Look at Yeongpo’s new businesses. They are all collapsing.”
“C Chairman, that’s…”
The chief secretary sitting beside him tried to say something, but Chairman Jang Sugki raised his hand slightly and stopped him.
“Meanwhile, Goguryeo Zinc’s business is thriving. It started as a zinc smelting company but now it’s transforming into a rare minerals company dealing with nickel and cobalt.”
“Yes. It slowed down slightly in recent years, but it still grew rapidly. I understand that it is the world’s number one zinc smelting company and also a key supplier of minerals for semiconductors and secondary batteries. Its global standing is impressive.”
“You know quite a lot.”
“There is something I’m curious about. I heard that you studied rare minerals in the United States. I also heard that you were considered a very promising talent.”
Through the report team, I had thoroughly investigated Chairman Jang Sugki’s personal background.
Interview articles, online searches, and even a team member who had acquaintances in the United States helped gather as much information as possible.
“It wasn’t that impressive. I simply worked hard.”
“I also heard that you published many papers in international academic journals.”
“That is true, but as you know, Team Leader Kim, research and management performance are unrelated.”
“That may be true. But I believe that leading a business requires professional knowledge in the field and an understanding of the industry.”
“Leading a business? What do you mean?”
“I apologize if it sounds like I investigated you too much, but after returning from the United States you did not join Yeongpo immediately. You worked at Goguryeo Zinc.”
“I had some conflict with my father.”
“I also heard you worked there for quite a long time. And from the year you joined, Goguryeo Zinc began pushing forward new business ventures. The semiconductor related business that currently sustains Goguryeo Zinc.”
“I didn’t promote those new businesses alone. The team members who worked with me deserve the credit.”
“The deputy team leader at that time was Choi Beomsu, the current CEO, correct?”
The moment Choi Beomsu’s name came up, the chairman’s face twisted briefly.
“Mirae Securities’ information network is better than I expected. Anyway, the business we started back then grew much faster than we anticipated. We were lucky.”
“Yes. But coincidentally, a few years after you moved to Yeongpo, Goguryeo Zinc’s performance began gradually declining. In particular, many say that its product competitiveness has weakened, leading to falling sales. It used to be world class, but now it isn’t.”
“Hm… That doesn’t seem related to me.”
“The business you nurtured is collapsing now. Are you really okay with that?”
The chairman flinched at my words. But he quickly hid his expression and asked back.
“What do you mean by that?”
“My guess is that the business you promoted at Goguryeo Zinc was originally meant to be transferred to Yeongpo later. But for some reason that became impossible. Most likely you were betrayed by someone you trusted. Since you trusted them, you probably never wrote a formal contract or agreement.”
“Cough…”
I looked at Chairman Jang Sugki. He avoided my gaze.
My guess seemed to be somewhat correct.
“Chairman, I want to sell my shares at a high price. In order to do that, I need to know who will truly grow Goguryeo Zinc. The high price I’m talking about is not now, but one year or ten years later.”
“What do you mean?”
“I will transfer my shares to the side that can grow Goguryeo Zinc beyond its current state.”
“….”
“In my opinion, that person is you. Am I wrong?”
“Cough…”
“That’s right! Everything Team Leader Kim said is correct.”
“Hey!”
The chief secretary sitting beside him spoke up, and the chairman glared at him.
The secretary avoided his gaze and then spoke while looking at me.
“Everything Team Leader Kim said is true. I don’t know how you managed to know so much detail.”
“I told you to stop!”
“I’m sorry, Chairman. But I can’t hold it in anymore. I have to say it. The truth is that the loss making businesses Yeongpo is currently running all came from Goguryeo Zinc. In order to transfer the businesses that the chairman led, they demanded that Yeongpo take the unprofitable businesses first. Those were Goguryeo Zinc’s…”
The chief secretary’s explanation was simple.
Betrayal.
The reason behind Goguryeo Zinc’s growth and Yeongpo’s poor performance was betrayal.
They used the promise of transferring businesses as bait and first handed over the unprofitable ones. And they even made Yeongpo pay for them.
Their true intention was never to transfer the profitable businesses.
To achieve that, they planned to secure shares and separate Goguryeo Zinc from Yeongpo as an independent affiliate.
Chairman Jang Sugki had never imagined that the family he had worked with for decades like brothers would betray him.
“Stop it. There’s nothing to brag about in being scammed.”
“I’m sorry, Chairman.”
“Team Leader Kim, in our country people are harsher on the victims of scams than the scammers themselves. Victims are called foolish, while scammers are seen as capable. People don’t say it openly, but those who know the situation still curse me behind my back.”
“I know.”
“How could you understand the feelings of a victim? I spent months drowning myself in alcohol.”
“My father lost the company he ran with his friends due to fraud.”
I told him about what my family had gone through.
The scam by corporate raiders. The fraud by a franchise company. Because of that my father and mother had to work two jobs, even three jobs.
“…You felt anger, Chairman. But we didn’t even have time for anger. We had to work just to survive.”
“Cough… I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had gone through something like that.”
“It’s alright. But my father always says one thing. He says he regrets not even throwing a punch at the face of the man who scammed him. He regrets doing nothing more than anything else.”
“Hm…”
“No one laughs at someone for being scammed. But if you suffer damage and still remain silent, then people will laugh. People didn’t criticize you because you were a victim. They criticized you because you stayed silent. Because you remained silent, the rumor that you were the touch of loss became accepted as truth. You should have done something. Looking at it that way, Chairman, you must be timid and afraid.”
“What did you just say!”
Chairman Jang Sugki burst out angrily.
I looked at him and smiled slightly.
“I’m sorry. That was rude of me. But when I first called you incompetent, you laughed. Now you’re angry.”
“Cough… Ha… Hahaha.”
The chairman laughed in disbelief, then let out a long sigh.
“…Fine. I admit it. I was timid. It was the first time something like that had happened to me, and I didn’t know what to do. I felt ashamed and humiliated. I was afraid of people’s criticism. More than anything, I wanted to hide the fact that I had been scammed. That mattered the most to me. So I just hid. Incompetent manager? Touch of loss? Those things didn’t matter to me. Because they weren’t true.”
“If Goguryeo Zinc separates from Yeongpo, what will you do?”
“…I’m planning to sell Yeongpo as well.”
“You plan to retire like this?”
“What can I do at this point? The money I bet in the previous short selling was all the wealth I had. But Goguryeo Zinc is different.”
“You know the saying, leave when the applause is loud. I don’t think retiring like this is right.”
“Leave when the applause is loud… That’s a good saying. But what can I do now? It’s too late.”
“It may sound cliché, but I believe it depends on your determination.”
“Hahaha. Determination? That really is a cliché. By the way, I don’t know why I’m talking this honestly with you. We just met.”
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. I’ve wanted to talk about this at least once for a long time… I feel relieved now. Thank you. As for the shares, decide however you want. The amount I can offer is eighty billion won. That’s all. I’ll wait for your decision.”
“Yes, Chairman. I will contact you once I decide.”
I stood up from my seat.
“I’m sorry for taking so much of your time. I’ll take my leave.”
“Alright.”
After greeting Chairman Jang Sugki, I returned to the company.
“Now what should I do…”
I had to make a decision.
After Kim Deoksu left, Chairman Jang Sugki dismissed even the chief secretary and remained alone.
Looking out the window, he thought back on everything that had happened today.
After speaking openly to someone, he felt relieved. And though the possibility was small, he felt a bit of hope.
Once hope appeared, desire followed.
He wanted to reclaim what had been taken from him.
This was not greed.
It was justice.
Taking back what was like children he had raised.
Justice had to be carried out. The real sin was doing nothing all this time.
For a moment, he found it strange that he was thinking this way.
He was usually a stubborn man who rarely listened to others.
Yet Kim Deoksu’s words had changed his thoughts so easily.
No one had ever moved his heart like that before.
Kim Deoksu was no ordinary person.
He was impressive.
But at the same time, he was far beyond something Jang Sugki could control.
He wondered just how far Kim Deoksu would rise.
“It’s late. So I’ll work even harder.”
The chances were slim, but he wanted to reclaim everything somehow.
Even if he failed, he wanted to fight.
Just as he strengthened his resolve, the chief secretary knocked on the door.
His expression was not good.
“What is it?”
“Choi Beomsu of Goguryeo Zinc gave an interview attacking you. He said that despite Yeongpo’s terrible performance, you keep interfering in Goguryeo Zinc’s management. He said you should focus on running Yeongpo instead. He also said it wouldn’t be surprising if Yeongpo collapses soon.”
“Hahaha. That bastard thinks I’m a fool just because I stayed quiet. I’ve endured long enough. I won’t endure anymore. Prepare the car. We’re going to Goguryeo Zinc.”
“What? Chairman, why would you go there?”
Jang Sugki did not answer.
Because he knew they would try to stop him.
He went straight to Goguryeo Zinc in his car and headed directly to the chairman’s office. Security guards tried to stop him, but he pushed past them with his large frame and entered the office.
Looking at Choi Beomsu, who flinched upon seeing him, Jang Sugki spoke.
“I was only planning to take back what was mine. But now I’ll take everything.”
“Hyung, it seems you don’t understand the situation.”
“Well, the game isn’t over until it’s over.”
“Please leave.”
At Choi Beomsu’s words, Jang Sugki smirked.
Then he locked the door.
Chairman of Goguryeo Zinc files assault charges against Yeongpo Chairman Jang Sugki.
Chairman Jang Sugki tells Choi Beomsu he should be grateful it ended at that.
What happened between the thirty year business partners?
Curious about the situation, the public watched as Chairman Jang Sugki volunteered for an interview.
In the interview, he revealed the underhanded actions that Goguryeo Zinc had committed until now.
He also declared that he would restore Goguryeo Zinc to proper management.
“The situation has become noisy. Things like this should be handled quietly. Too many people are watching now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“I should have paid closer attention. It seems I was careless.”
“Hahaha. Careless? There’s no one more meticulous than you. Once Choi Beomsu secures control of the board, proceed with the purchase as agreed.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“Very well.”
Kim Yugeon ended the call.
He was certain that this acquisition battle would end in his victory.
The key to this fight was capital.
Soft Investment, the firm he worked for, would never lose to anyone when it came to money.
The corner of Kim Yugeon’s mouth slowly lifted.
I watched the news.
Chairman Jang Sugki’s assault on Choi Beomsu.
It was shocking and puzzling.
He didn’t seem like the kind of person who would do that.
But perhaps he simply wanted to do something.
He probably didn’t want to remain powerless in front of a predetermined defeat.
After seeing his actions, I made my decision.
I called Chairman Jang Sugki.
“Chairman, I saw the news. Assault charges?”
“Hahaha. Well, that’s how it turned out. Honestly, I feel refreshed. Tell your father I’m grateful.”
“Why are you thanking my father?”
“You said your father wanted to pull out the hair of those scammers and punch them in the face. After thinking about it, I felt the same way. I wanted to wake them up before the real fight begins.”
“I understand.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. And about the voting rights of the shares. I’ve made my decision.”
“I’m curious. What choice did you make?”
Chairman Jang Sugki’s voice trembled.