Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Day of the Shareholders' Meeting (3)
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It was as if the world itself had come crashing down, leaving everyone around in a state of utter bewilderment.
The heartbeat of global finance, Wall Street, had ground to a halt like a cold, lifeless corpse.
"Lehman... Lehman Brothers is bankrupt? How... how could this happen?"
The bull charging toward capitalism's golden future had tripped over a mere pebble.
Nick, the manager at the investment bank Goldman Sachs, was just another blind, foolish bull today.
"This is insane...! Every position I didn't sell is tanking! They're all flashing blue like they've been bruised black and blue!"
Blue down arrows cascaded like a waterfall across the stock market screens.
An unprecedented crisis unlike anything he'd ever seen. But there was one exception.
A derivatives market where red and blue arrows wildly swung back and forth, defying all conventions with unlimited ups and downs.
Nick tore at his hair as he stared at the derivatives feed on his monitor.
"The derivatives market has gone completely mad! I don't even know where to start crunching the numbers!"
Ignoring the frantic knocks at his door—someone desperately searching for him—Nick tuned out all noise, focusing solely on his analysis.
And soon enough, his instincts picked up on something odd: a list of investors.
Amid the chaotic frenzy, one company stood alone with a stable position.
Having apparently foreseen this disaster, it was calmly realizing massive profits. Nick muttered to himself in disbelief.
"South Korea's <Cocoa>... ? That weird investment firm Lisa mentioned back then? What the hell kind of company is this?"
* * * *
Halfway around the globe from New York, America's heart, where a finger might land on a spinning globe.
China's rising financial hub, Shanghai, was plunging into chaos just as swiftly.
The Yangtze River churned more fiercely than usual today. James Wang, vice president of Shanghai Capital, was flailing in its merciless currents like everyone else.
"This is disconcerting. I never saw this coming. Yan Lung, what's our estimated loss right now?"
"The current projection, based on valuation, is just over 10 billion yuan. My deepest apologies. We'll do everything to recover."
"Enough. No one could have prepared for a black swan like this unless they saw the future. That aside..."
James Wang gazed out the window.
Beyond the river and the delta lay the Yellow Sea. He had no idea how the Ammunition Group at its eastern edge would fare in this storm.
Only when his fingertips tapping the desk turned red did James Wang finally speak.
"Yan Lung. Has the Ammunition Group shareholders' meeting started yet?"
"It's underway now. It should wrap up by end of day, so please don't worry."
James Wang shook his head and shifted his gaze to a wooden carving on the ceiling etched with a map of Northeast Asia.
"That would have been the case originally. Our plan was flawless. Until today."
His hand habitually reached into empty air. A furrow formed between his brows.
The Korean Peninsula jutting out from his clenched fist seemed particularly irksome today.
"If they fail to crown Han Hwa-gi as their puppet king at the shareholders' meeting, is Plan B ready?"
"The odds are slim, but... we've prepared a contingency to swallow up their isolated financial affiliates."
"So, at least minimize the damage on our invested capital."
A strange sense of déjà vu settled in with the silence.
Some inexplicable, tiny factor had thrown off their intricate calculations.
The full puzzle picture James Wang had envisioned was unraveling in ways he hadn't anticipated.
"......"
And yet, this was a moment demanding swift decisions.
Pushing aside his gut instinct's warnings, James Wang spoke.
"Yan Lung, prepare to activate Plan B immediately if the unexpected occurs. Things... might not go as planned."
* * *
The shareholders' meeting hall.
If I had to pick the most pitiful soul among the thousands gathered here, I'd unhesitatingly point to the moderator without a second thought.
"Hey! Moderator! Why are you dragging this out? Just plug the numbers into that computer and match 'em up—it's not rocket science!"
"Oh dear, sir, it's not that simple. There's a procedural issue right now..."
"You insolent fool! You must've taken a bribe from that dog Seo-jun! This endless delay proves you're a spy for their side!"
The calculations dragged on due to the hopelessly tangled web of shareholdings.
The Ammunition Group's circular ownership structure was already far more complex than other chaebols, and now add in a brain battle between two sides—it was no wonder.
But the clan elders, already short on patience, weren't about to consider any extenuating circumstances.
Kim Won-cheol uncle, seated beside me, cautiously whispered out of earshot of the elders, glancing sideways.
"Man... look at those clan elders, still sharp as ever. They'll outlive us by twenty years easy. Poor Chairman Dog Seo-jun—what're we gonna do?"
"Whether I'm pitiful or not is debatable, but why'd my name suddenly become 'Dog Seo-jun'?"
"Heh heh... Beats me. The elders keep flipping between Han Seo-jun and Dog Seo-jun."
Kim Won-cheol uncle couldn't hide his bursting laughter at my involuntary name change.
The Han clan elders had coined not just 'Dog Seo-jun' but also gems like 'traitor baldy Kim,' though I kept that one to myself.
"Anyway, how much longer do you think?"
"Let's see... About an hour in? Results should be coming soon. Hang in there another ten minutes."
I nodded. The inside of my pant legs at the knees had long been soaked with sweat from my palms.
I'd run the numbers over and over, so I knew what was coming—yet the tension refused to ease.
Wrong seating arrangement, maybe?
This heart-pounding drumbeat in my chest wasn't unique to me, that much was certain.
"Looks like their patience is wearing thin too."
Across from me, where our eyes would lock if we both looked up: my uncle.
Layers of tension had visibly shattered his composure.
His white-knuckled grip threatened to snap the armrest. And there he was, deep in grave conversation with Honorary Advisor Han Deok-sul beside him—proof enough.
"Heh heh. Han Hwa-gi must have one hell of a headache. See that? Means he's confident, right?"
Kim Won-cheol uncle smirked and lightly elbowed my arm.
As I opened my mouth to reply with a grin, our eyes unfortunately crossed paths with an unwelcome glare.
"......"
"......"
My uncle's cold stare met mine head-on.
It was chilling.
Not the heat of passion or intensity—this was something else entirely.
Just that exchange of glances said it all plainly.
We each saw the other reflected in a black lake, resolved to sink beneath the icy surface.
"Better this way, honestly. A straight-up chokehold beats vague tension any day."
"Damn, youth really is a virtue. Your fighting spirit's overflowing instead of draining."
I'd apparently worn a strange expression without realizing.
My uncle's face, the polar opposite, had stiffened completely.
The deep creases on his brow showed no sign of relaxing, even as the moderator's voice crackled over the mic, laced with mechanical feedback.
-Ah, ah, esteemed shareholders of the Ammunition Group. Thank you for your patience. We've just received the share calculation results!
* * * *
Honorary Advisor Han Deok-sul heard the moderator's announcement over the mic.
The old man, whose jaw seemed to have gone slack from the long wait, eyed the pre-announcement preparations and said to Han Hwa-gi,
"That sure took a while."
"Is there any issue with fairness in the voting outcome?"
"None whatsoever. They've got a Financial Supervisory Service official dispatched here from the start."
A man in round wire-rimmed glasses, looking utterly bureaucratic as he conferred with the moderator.
He was reviewing the compiled data, checking for any errors or irregularities.
Han Deok-sul let out a long sigh, his interlaced hands resting on his belly.
"If we pop the champagne a bit early, neither you nor I could deny we've earned it after all this toil."
"I won't argue that."
"Good, good. And your eldest son here has racked up some merits this time too. With a solid heir, I can rest easy."
Han Seo-ho received the proud gazes from Han Deok-sul and Han Hwa-gi.
But his mind was filled only with Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy, the U.S.-triggered financial crisis...
And the massive derivatives liabilities Ammunition Securities would bear due to his misjudgment.
"Y-Yes? Ha, haha... Th-thank you. I didn't do much, really."
"Ho ho ho. Humble to boot. You've raised your kids right—truly splendid."
Han Seo-ho smiled awkwardly.
Unlike his usual self, who never showed affection, Han Hwa-gi placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm proud of you."
"...Thank you, Father."
"Don't be so tense. One day, you'll look back on today. Remember it well."
Sweat beaded on Han Seo-ho's brow. Thinking of the blunder he'd already committed, he inwardly steeled himself.
'Th-that's right! As long as we win the shareholders' meeting! The disgrace goes to Han Seo-jun anyway—lump the Ammunition Securities derivatives mess on him too, and we're golden!'
His legs trembled uncontrollably, beyond his control.
Han Seo-ho snapped back when he felt the unconscious strength in his father's grip on his shoulder.
"It's starting."
"Yes? Ah, r-right... Finally!"
The Financial Supervisory Service official took the mic from the moderator. The colorless, odorless man adjusted his glasses with a finger and spoke flatly.
"For the sake of fairness, I'm standing in here as an outsider."
The murmurs died instantly, as if winter had swept in.
In the silence, only the pulse of blood from each attendee's heartbeat echoed through the hall.
"I will now announce the final vote results on the appointment of Han Seo-jun as nominated Chairman of the Ammunition Group. The decision, carried by 50.13% of total shares, is as follows...!"