Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Hyenas Distributing the Spoils of War (3)
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Shanghai. Pudong District.
A high-rise building with a commanding view of the Yangtze River delta at its mouth.
James Wang, the director, flipped through the pages of documents with his fingertips.
His hand, moving at a steady rhythm like a metronome, suddenly froze as if caught in a still frame.
“I hadn’t expected much from the start, but it’s still a letdown.”
James Wang’s eyes lingered on the page subtitled ‘Guangzhou City.’
Shanghai Capital, focused on the aftermath of the financial crisis.
The bigger the dinosaur, the longer it takes to recover from a major crisis.
Just as he’d said, the sabotage operation left him with nothing but regret.
“I apologize. Han Seo-jun was sharper than anticipated. And we lacked the spare capacity to fully back Seo Yun-ji...”
“I know the situation. I’m not blaming you, Yan Long. I just wish we could’ve held onto their ankle a bit longer.”
For a moment, Seo Yun-ji’s stiff noose had clamped down on their ankle.
And now, just as a new arrowhead of capital had been forged, the prey had already fled far away.
Letting out a small sigh of disappointment, James Wang turned to his trusted subordinate with a question.
“It won’t come to direct intervention on the Korean Peninsula, then. What’s our top priority now? Internal cleanup still?”
“We’ve put out all the immediate fires, and everything should be wrapped up within this quarter. So, our next top priority should be...”
James Wang’s face brightened at the news that the messy internal aftermath was nearly sorted.
As if reading his master’s mind, Yan Long gave his answer right away.
By some twist of fate, it was an answer that put Shanghai Capital and their backers’ very survival on the line.
“We need to rapidly expand our influence in key industries in the south—Southeast Asia.”
“Southeast Asia...”
Seated in his chair, James Wang tilted his head back to gaze at the ceiling.
An intricate wooden carving of the East Asian map. The massive continent of China radiated outward like a fan in all directions, brimming with overflowing energy.
Including the protruding landmass to the south.
“I’ll need to head to Beijing soon for instructions. Good. Prepare a detailed report on the southern operations shortly.”
“Yes, my lord.”
* * * *
Blue House, Yeongbin Hall.
Just a few days ago, at that breakfast nearly amounting to a kidnapping, SA Group Chairman Im Gye-hyeon had said this:
“You’ll hear from the Blue House soon. We can hash out the details then.”
The Cheolhwa Group, now adrift without an owner—a spoil of war.
Dividing it up would indeed require coordination with the Blue House, which wielded the iron club of power.
The problem was that the counterpart far surpassed mere administrative officials or chief secretaries.
–Dialogue and Communication with the Business Sector, Hosted by the President.
The words on the white silk banner draped over the podium.
And in keeping with it, a host of economic heavyweights had arrived to grace the occasion.
“Oh, isn’t that Chairman Han Seo-jun? I’m Park, chairman of Typhoon Group. We met at the last Federation of Korean Industries gathering, right?”
“Heavens, you’re the spitting image of your father. By the way, I saw how that Defense Ministry new-weapons bid played out. You could’ve been an actor, ha ha ha.”
The business chairmen offered their so-called well-wishes, one after another.
Of course, what they tossed my way wasn’t mere flattery. Bundles of probing jabs, delivered with sly smiles to test the waters.
“I never imagined anyone would hold a veiled threat to the president’s neck.”
“Indeed, indeed. Must be that youthful vigor—your boldness puts us old fogeys to shame. Quite so.”
Raccoons with impeccable instincts.
Once the formal event wrapped up, they slipped away like the ebbing tide. Leaving only me and SA Group Chairman Im Gye-hyeon behind.
“Knowing when to lift your head and when to bow is key. Just like them.”
Seated in his wheelchair, Im Gye-hyeon waved goodbye to the departing guests.
He slowly turned his head toward me. The stubborn wrinkles around his mouth caught my eye. Peeking through them was something close to anticipation.
Anticipation about how big a vessel I’d show in front of the president today.
“In that sense, Chairman Han, you’ve made a peculiar choice. Sticking your neck out boldly when you should be bowing deepest during election season.”
“If I’m too scared of the cold wind to even raise my head, what good am I? And that wind... it won’t sever my throat. In hindsight, it’ll just be a scratch.”
“Heavens, you talk like a man living his second life.”
Like some pinpoint fortune-teller with a mat laid out on계룡 Mountain, Im Gye-hyeon casually dropped words that stung my chest.
Fortunately or not, I didn’t have to answer his probing remark.
The vast, empty expanse of Yeongbin Hall felt like a barren wasteland.
As the door creaked open on its hinges, a typhoon of immense power strode toward us like the sun itself.
“You two have waited a long time. Chairman Im Gye-hyeon, and Chairman Han Seo-jun as well.”
* * * *
Behind Yeongbin Hall, in the pine-scented grounds.
With familiar ease, the president picked up a fallen pinecone and sniffed the needles atop it.
Had the change of venue put him at ease?
This lean man, just past sixty, skipped all pleasantries and dove straight into the heart of the matter.
“Chairman Han, it’s gone your way. Yoon Hak-gil is out.”
Had he been a baseball player in his youth?
He hurled the pinecone he’d picked from beyond the green lawn with all his might.
Drained of force, it traced an awkward arc through the air before plummeting limply to the ground.
Just like Yoon Hak-gil, drunk on power, who’d lost his wings in an instant and come crashing down.
“But it left a bad taste. Ousting Yoon Hak-gil was my will, sure—but it felt like someone shoved me into it.”
The president plucked a pinecone from a sturdy pine tree, flashing a meaningful smile.
As if he might fling it far away any second. Or perhaps crush it in his grip right there. With that air about him, he turned to me.
“So, what’s on your mind? The thoughts of our Chairman Han Seo-jun, who played me like a fiddle.”
Those black eyes that seemed to pull you in. The old fox of politics, crowned with the phoenix of the presidency, wanted something from me.
“......”
And it wouldn’t be mere apology or submission.
Anticipation pinned on the man who’d disrupted his plans.
A silent pressure to convert that anticipation into tangible value—that was the essence.
I didn’t avert my gaze from his.
I simply smiled slowly and stated what I had to say, calm and unflinching.
“First off, let me offer my congratulations, Mr. President.”
“Congratulations? From the man who held a blade to my throat right before the election?”
“You’ve ousted Yoon Hak-gil, gained me, and become the final arbiter of the Cheolhwa Group split. That’s a profitable deal, isn’t it?”
The president stared at me, still clutching the pinecone.
His eyes, soft to win public favor, were sharper than anyone’s beneath.
Only after the wind rustled through several times did he carefully set the pinecone on the table.
“You’re an interesting one. Just as Chairman Im said.”
“This Han Seo-jun will be far easier to discuss things with than my dim-witted son.”
They’d clearly coordinated while I was out of the picture.
The president and Chairman Im nodded to each other.
“Then, assuming Your Excellency approves, allow me to proceed.”
The president nodded in assent to Chairman Im’s words.
Perhaps chilled by the weather, the SA Group titan pulled his lap blanket higher on his wheelchair and continued.
“The ownerless Cheolhwa Group... we’ll divide it between Ammunition Group and SA Group.”
“I’d like to hear the specifics.”
What followed was a lengthy explanation.
A dizzying acrobatics of shares and capital danced in verbal form, but the final conclusion boiled down to this.
“Electronics and electric to SA Group, defense sector to Ammunition Group—that’s the optimal split. Isn’t it?”
“On a broad level, that’s the division...”
Chairman Im, claiming Cheolhwa’s prime affiliates in electronics and electric.
Clearly plotting to seize high ground in the coming smartphone era as swiftly as possible.
But judging by these two old foxes, it was already a done deal. Resistance was pointless.
I added one condition and nodded readily.
“I’ll accept if you classify SA-Cheolhwa Techwin as defense sector.”
“That’s no issue. It was a headache anyway. I’ll clean up the shares properly—take it, Chairman Han.”
“Very well. In that case.”
My downward gaze lifted straight ahead. Locking eyes once more with the president.
He wouldn’t hand over a slice of the Cheolhwa spoils out of mere goodwill.
A morsel doled out by hyenas. To the president baring blood-red fangs in a grin between them, I posed my question.
“What price should I pay in return, Mr. President?”
“For a politician, the finest currency is approval ratings.”
After tossing that loaded remark, the president absently stroked the trunk of a pine tree out of habit.
Extending his pine-scented palm, he unfurled three fingers from his clenched fist toward me.
“In three weeks, the ASEAN summit will be held in Seoul. Conveniently, three days before the by-election.”
ASEAN.
A bloc akin to a union of Southeast Asian nations.
From this massive market boasting over 600 million people, the president sought just one thing through me.
“Sell whatever you can. You keep the money, the people get pride, and I...”
He cut off mid-sentence like a quiz master, eyes fixed solely on me.
Past sixty, when hot blood should have cooled.
Yet somehow turning back the clock, he licked his chops, eyes gleaming.
Eager to sink his teeth into a big bite of that sweet approval-rating fruit.
“...get the approval ratings, and it’s a win-win for everyone.”