Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: A Bold Offer
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Chapter 151.
Choi Yoo-jun kept staring at his bank account, grinning from ear to ear.
“Oppa, what are you smiling so much about?”
At Yi-na’s question, who was now perfectly ready for the stage, Choi Yoo-jun looked up with a mischievous smile.
“Wow! You all look so pretty.”
It was only then that Choi Yoo-jun seemed to notice the members, all dressed in glittery outfits designed for their retro-disco concept.
Each member had a different sparkling accessory—a headband, a choker, a shoulder piece, or a belt—evoking an 80s vibe. Lee Yoo-ah, in a thick brown plaid skirt and an ivory off-the-shoulder frill blouse, created a stark contrast between the past and the present.
“Yoo-ah unni, your outfit is so pretty. It looks brand new.”
“Right? I’m jealous, too.”
Ro-si and Seol-ah looked at Yoo-ah’s outfit with admiration, and Yoo-ah, who seemed quite pleased with it herself, flashed a bright smile.
“This outfit… Director Lee Sun got it by pressuring the head of our styling shop. And our shop’s director had to make a special request to the sponsor.”
“Oh, the Director did?”
Lee Yoo-ah asked the stylist, who was checking her appearance from behind, with a surprised look on her face.
“Rookies don’t usually get sponsorships like this.”
“Thank you so much.”
“Why thank me? I’ll pass your thanks along to the director.”
Lee Yoo-ah looked at her outfit from various angles, genuinely delighted.
“You like it that much?”
At Seol-ah’s question, Yoo-ah beamed and opened her mouth.
“Yes. You all have probably worn many outfits like this for the Elle Gang photoshoot, but it’s my first time.”
“Wow, our artists are seriously the best! It’s like a gathering of goddesses.”
Choi Yoo-jun gave two thumbs up, overjoyed.
“Oppa, you were just giggling at your phone, and now you’re suddenly like this? What’s going on? You got somethin’?”
“Ah…”
Just as Choi Yoo-jun was about to mumble an excuse, his phone rang.
“Look, a phone call.”
Choi Yoo-jun answered the phone with a smug expression.
“What is it, sis?”
-Hey. Should I put more money in?
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
-I’m asking if I should put more money into that American stock.
“Ha! You were the one calling it a one-way ticket to ruin.”
-It’s not you I trust. It’s Min-jun.
“Oh, please.”
Choi Yoo-jun rubbed the spot where his sister had pinched him.
“Where did you suddenly get the money?”
-We can’t live here forever. We need to move too.
“Wow, you called me a gambler, but you’ve got more guts than I do.”
-I told you, I don’t trust you.
“Hehe, alright. I’ll ask Hyung about it.”
* * *
I was driving the car carrying the Director, the President, and myself to our destination.
“What’s the reason for suddenly wanting to sell his shares! We’re doing so well.”
This was why their expressions were so dark. President Gu had suddenly informed them of his decision to sell his company shares.
If President Gu, the majority shareholder, sold his stake, there was a high probability that the Director and the President would be pushed out of management or reduced to mere figureheads.
“…We’re taking Min-jun with us because we don’t know, aren’t we?”
Separate from her trust in me, the Director seemed to be taking me along as a last resort. My performance so far had far exceeded expectations, enough for her to hold some vague hope in me.
“You just had to go and make that overseas investment.”
Dredging up the irreversible past wasn’t like the Director. It was clear she found this situation unbearably frustrating.
“Sun-ah. Why are you bringing that up again? It’s all in the past…”
“I know, I know. You were trying to do what was best. I’m just frustrated, too. Just when things are going so well…”
“Let’s not talk about this in front of the kid.”
I’m not a kid… but anyway, just watching them argue made it clear how serious the situation was.
Unlike President Gu, who had always respected their management of the company, a new owner was highly unlikely to do the same.
To put it bluntly, if some thugs took over the company, it could lead to an increase in shady activities, just like Gyeon Sang-jin’s SJ Enter.
It was a definite crisis. But could it be resolved with the funds I possessed? If so, this could actually be an opportunity for me.
Their bickering continued until we reached our destination.
We arrived at the massive butcher restaurant where we had our first company dinner when I joined. It wasn’t peak dinner time yet, so there weren’t many people.
“Welcome. Let’s head up.”
We crossed the first-floor shop, bustling with people buying and selling meat, and got on the elevator.
We were guided past the hall where President Park Jae-yong had gotten drunk and sung during the company dinner, and into a VIP room. A spread of the highest quality Korean beef was already set up.
“Have you… given it any thought?”
President Park Jae-yong was the first to speak.
“I’m sorry about this.”
“Are you saying that even double the investment amount is not enough?”
The Director’s effort to suppress her agitation was palpable. It seemed they had already offered President Gu double his initial investment to keep his shares.
“Chairman Gu, you have an attachment to the company, don’t you? No, beyond attachment, our Answer is doing well right now. Our current sales are…”
“I’m well aware. That’s why you and Director Lee offered double, isn’t it?”
President Gu cut off Park Jae-yong.
“…”
When the President and the Director said nothing, President Gu spoke again.
“They offered five times.”
“What?”
“Five times?”
The President and the Director exclaimed in shock.
“I’m a businessman. When an investment reaches its target, selling is the natural course of action.”
“…”
The staggering amount of five times the investment left the Director and the President with expressions of despair.
“But this time was a little different. To be honest, I had some vague expectations for an entertainment agency, and as funny as it sounds, I really liked Answer.”
The words of President Gu, who looked like a small-town shop owner, held a purity that didn’t fit the current situation.
Thinking back, President Gu had been ecstatic during the Gangwon-do event, which was Answer’s first big break after I took charge. He was the one who had thrown a party for us, using an entire floor of this place. With his own money, no less.
*Screech.*
The sliding door opened, and the manager came in, placed charcoal in the grill, and picked up the tongs.
“Nah. I’ll do it.”
“Very well. Please enjoy your time.”
President Gu placed the meat on the grill with a bitter expression.
*Tssssss.*
“I wanted to stay on too, but my main business is on the line, so I have no choice.”
“…”
“I have a meat processing business, you see. I was on a trip to Indonesia when I came across a great idea. Over there, they don’t eat pork because they’re Muslim and consider it unclean. So, if you go just a little outside the city, wild boars are just roaming everywhere. Since they don’t eat them, there’s no need to hunt them, and as the population grows, it ruins their crops. It’s a real headache for the locals.”
As President Gu launched into his story, he grew excited, his dialect occasionally slipping out. Though we were in a serious situation, the curious tale from another country sparked a small bit of interest.
“The thought that hit me right then was, this is money. There are stories about wild boar being good for virility, and with a paradise of boars everywhere, it has plenty of commercial potential. Since they’re considered pests, the authorities would issue a permit right away.”
“That makes sense. The government would be happy to have someone take care of a troublesome issue. And the labor costs are cheap.”
President Park Jae-yong, now engrossed in the story, chimed in, earning a sigh from the Director beside him.
“That’s right. All I had to do was build a processing plant, load up the ones caught in traps, and process them. Pork is already expensive in Korea, so imagine bringing in wild boar meat that’s also said to be good for virility. You think it wouldn’t sell?”
Despite the frustrating circumstances, I found myself nodding. It was certainly an ingenious business idea.
“I have an eye for money. So I immediately got an expert to do an assessment, pulled together the funds, built a factory, and hired staff, but then they told me raw meat can’t be imported because of the risk of foreign wild viruses or bacteria entering the country. It has to be sterilized to be brought in.”
President Gu let out a deep sigh.
It was unfortunate for President Gu, but from the perspective of our country’s agencies, it seemed like a natural conclusion.
“I’ve already invested a ton of money, and those so-called experts… Now I wonder if they dragged me to Indonesia in the first place just to squeeze money out of me for the assessment…”
“If you truly think our company is too valuable to let go, couldn’t you just sell enough shares to cover what you need? I doubt you need the full 15 billion won.”
“That’s right. That would work.”
At the Director’s calm suggestion, President Park Jae-yong reacted as if it were a brilliant idea.
“I already tried suggesting I’d sell only 35% of my 50%, but they said no. The five-times offer is conditional on selling the entire stake.”
“Haa…”
“Haa…”
The President and the Director let out frustrated sighs in unison.
“I’ve looked everywhere, but nothing’s working out. I’m sorry. The meat’s burning, so let’s eat.”
The savory smell of grilled meat filled the air, but no one reached for it. President Gu picked up pieces with the tongs and placed them on our plates.
Who on earth would offer such a premium to buy all of President Gu’s shares?
“Is it, by any chance, Gyeon Sang-jin?”
Everyone’s attention, which had been elsewhere, focused on me as I spoke for the first time. Then, all eyes turned back to President Gu.
“It’s not an individual. I think it was some kind of investment firm?”
President Park Jae-yong let out a sigh of relief.
But my gut told me it was definitely related to Gyeon Sang-jin. He’d been quiet since the Do Chang-ryeol incident; he must have been preparing something bigger.
If Gyeon Sang-jin was even involved with the “expert” President Gu was cursing, this could be a scheme he’d been planning for a much longer time.
I quickly started calculating. With what I had, I had enough capital to start a new agency and support the artists until they established themselves.
But if I couldn’t make Answer a success within two years, in the worst-case scenario, my life could end. And if that happened, I obviously wouldn’t be able to get my revenge on Gyeon Sang-jin.
My current capital was still a little short of securing a stake in JD Enter. The timing was a bit unfortunate.
Still, just thwarting Gyeon Sang-jin’s plans was meaningful enough. If Gyeon Sang-jin gained control of JD Enter, all the strategies I had built up would turn to dust, and Answer’s future would be thrown into uncertainty.
“How much is the urgent amount you need?”
A smile of amusement appeared on President Gu’s face. It was only natural, given that I, not the Director or the President, had asked such a question.
“Our Manager Min-jun…”
“He’s a Team Leader now. He’s treated as a second-year manager. He’s also a producer.”
President Park Jae-yong felt the need to update him on my current status.
“My, my. Congratulations on the promotion.”
I shared an awkward handshake with President Gu under the circumstances.
“A producer, huh? You’ve got talent. See? I told you we should pick him at the audition. Hahaha. That private in the army who was crazy about girl groups, was it? When I saw that, I slapped my knee…”
Why did he have to bring up my dark past?
The forgotten memory of me dancing intimately with the Answer members, a sticky expression on my face, resurfaced. I could feel my face flush slightly.
Seeing no reaction from us, President Gu, who had been rambling on his own, turned serious.
“Ahem, I’ve gotten sidetracked.”
“…Yes.”
He must have felt my question about how much he needed was frivolous. To be precise, he must have thought *I* was frivolous for asking.
“Where were we… ah, right. 6 billion. I need 6 billion won.”
6 billion won?
After selling the stocks and accounting for the 400 million won I sent to Sung-hoon hyung and the taxes I had to pay to the National Tax Service, the capital I could mobilize was exactly around 6 billion won.
Talk about a perfect coincidence.
“I will make it happen for you.”
“What?”
President Park Jae-yong asked back, dumbfounded. The Director looked surprised, but also worriedly at me.
“…Ha… haha. Producer Min-jun sure knows how to joke.”
President Gu said with a light laugh.
“I’m not joking. I know a wealthy individual.”
Of course, that wealthy individual was me.
“What! Director Lee Joo-won?!”
President Park Jae-yong shouted in excitement, causing the Director and President Gu to look at him in surprise.
What a random thing to say. I never imagined KVM’s Director Lee Joo-won would come up in this conversation.
“I’m right, aren’t I?!”
“…Why is his name suddenly coming up?”
“I heard everything from Director Lee.”
What did he hear from Director Lee Sun?
Hwang Beom-seok had humiliated the Director when she went to greet him and ask him to look favorably upon Answer. Director Lee Joo-won was the one who had appeared then and crushed Hwang Beom-seok’s pride.
Did she tell President Park Jae-yong about that day?
And he jumped to this conclusion?
While Director Lee Joo-won had been friendly to me, it was a truly bizarre leap of logic. The last contact I’d had with him was a congratulatory text during Answer’s showcase.
I neither confirmed nor denied it and spoke again.
“So, you just need to liquidate about 6 billion won worth of shares? Under the same condition of five times the value, of course.”
“It would be great if that could happen, but…”
President Gu’s tone became strangely polite.
President Park Jae-yong glanced at Director Lee Sun with a look that said, ‘See? I told you it was a good idea to bring him,’ while Director Lee Sun let out a small sigh as if to say, ‘Here we go again.’
“Hmm… I looked into selling the shares, and it turns out the capital gains tax is even higher for unlisted stocks.”
“Then how much would you need to liquidate to get what you need?”
“Phew. With capital gains tax and local tax, I’ll probably have to sell about 9 billion won worth. They say I have to pay more because I’m a major shareholder. Man, if only the company was listed, I would’ve paid less.”
It seemed the taxes amounted to nearly 30%.
To secure 6 billion won, he had to sell nearly 9 billion. I, who had been smiling inwardly with satisfaction, couldn’t help but be a little flustered.
Where was I going to get 3 billion won?
My mind was still racing, but my mouth moved first.
“The amount I can promise you in three days is 6 billion won.”
“!”
Everyone stared at me with wide eyes.
The Director and the President, who trusted me, even gulped nervously.
Three business days was the time it would take for the money from my stock sale to be deposited into my account.