Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Becoming the Largest Shareholder
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"What do you mean?"
Kim Min-su, the CEO in charge of Chocolate Group's entertainment division.
He couldn't help but be shocked by the words of the employee who had just been reporting on the company's stock price.
Not long ago, a survival game called the Trials' Arena had suddenly unfolded across the world.
It turned a portion of the global population into beings fighting for survival.
As a result, not only Chocolate Enter but numerous entertainment companies were suffering massive losses.
Why?
Because celebrities affiliated with entertainment agencies were awakening as Players and dying in the Trials' Arena.
Naturally, some of them were highly popular stars.
Yet this vital revenue stream had been snatched away by the survival game.
Thanks to that, most entertainment companies' stocks had plummeted.
While some invested in stocks purely to make money, entertainment company stocks had a different dynamic.
That was 'fan loyalty.'
There were fans who bought stocks purely out of devotion to their favorite celebrities, regardless of whether the price rose or fell.
A prime example: a girl group hits it big after debuting, right when the stock should soar, but then a scandalous public dating announcement hits?
The stock could evaporate tens or hundreds of billions of won overnight.
A company's value was directly tied to its idols' personal lives.
This was stark proof that fan loyalty directly impacted revenue.
For entertainment companies, keeping celebrities' fanbases intact was crucial...
But this incident wasn't anyone's fault.
A bizarre survival game no human could stop.
Who could have predicted it? How could they blame those who died there?
The victims themselves were the most wronged.
In this mess, entertainment companies were tearing their hair out over the survival game.
Various risks had driven most agencies' stocks to rock bottom.
And there was no sign of recovery.
Fans who lost their favorites had no loyalty left.
Early on, some switched to new idols to keep stanning.
But what was the point?
After the second and third Trials' Arena ended, even those new picks often failed to survive and vanished.
Fans of celebrities grew ice-cold.
'Why stan someone new when they'll just die in the survival game anyway?'
Unless they switched to celebrities who hadn't awakened as Players, the dominant thought was that any awakened favorite could be lost to the game at any moment.
Thus, the consensus was that entertainment stocks wouldn't recover.
Even stock traders were pulling out.
Celebrities who had awakened as Players were desperate to hide it.
In this climate, Kim Min-su received a report.
"Someone bought up 33% of our company's stock."
"33%?"
"Yes."
Owning 33% of a company's stock?
That qualified as a major shareholder.
Of course, to fully control a company, you'd need 51%.
But that was feasible only for family-run businesses or those with few investors.
Currently, Chocolate Group's parent company held barely 17% of Chocolate Enter.
Meaning the shareholder just reported held more than the parent company—the top shareholder.
Kim Min-su was baffled.
Who would buy entertainment stocks when everyone else was dumping them?
With a bewildered look, he asked the reporting employee.
"Who is it?"
"I'm not sure... Ah! We can check the name."
"You didn't even check the major shareholder's name?"
"Well, they bought up so much so suddenly, I rushed here to report..."
"Check the name right now."
"Yes."
The employee made a call somewhere.
To the department compiling the shareholder list.
After the call, he learned the name.
"The major shareholder's name is 'Park Hae-jin,' and they've bought more, now holding 36%."
"More buying? Wait, what was that name again?"
"'Park Hae-jin,' I heard."
"Park Hae-jin... Park Hae-jin... Where have I heard that?"
Kim Min-su didn't recognize the name at first, but it felt oddly familiar from the report.
Then it hit him.
Where he'd heard it before.
"Ah! The Massacre!"
"Pardon?"
The employee wondered why Kim Min-su suddenly shouted.
Kim Min-su asked him.
"That... Isn't the Massacre's name Park Hae-jin?"
Kim Min-su always kept tabs on the media, so he knew that among Players, a Player named Park Hae-jin was called the Massacre.
In the survival game where awakened people were dragged in, that guy had killed thousands.
Thousands murdered.
No mere serial killer could claim that.
So everyone called Park Hae-jin the Massacre.
As Kim Min-su recalled this, the employee reacted like he knew too.
"Ah, that Player called the Massacre among Players?"
"Yeah."
"You're right, same name as that Player."
The employee noted the name matched the Massacre's, and Kim Min-su murmured uneasily.
"...No way, right?"
"Pardon?"
The employee tilted his head, unsure what Kim Min-su meant.
With a somewhat pale face, Kim Min-su spoke.
"No way our major shareholder is... that Massacre, right?"
*
"Hmm, 40% stake. Solid."
Hae-jin kept buying Chocolate Enter stock until he held 40%.
But he still had plenty of money left.
He'd made a fortune investing in defense stocks via Reversal.
He considered buying more, but everyone willing to sell had already dumped theirs.
Anyway, now holding 40% of Chocolate Enter, Hae-jin thought.
"They said I'd get a call at this point, right?"
Hae-jin's investments so far weren't his own ideas.
He'd followed Joo-hyuk's advice exactly.
After regressing, Joo-hyuk had kindly outlined what to do if anything unexpected happened to Hae-jin.
Anyway.
Buy up as much Chocolate Enter stock as possible, and they'd call.
Sure enough.
The next day, an unknown number called Hae-jin.
"Hello."
[Ah! Is this Park Hae-jin?]
"Yes, who's this?"
[Ah! I'm Kim Min-su, CEO of Chocolate Enter.]
Hearing the introduction, Hae-jin thought.
'He really called.'
Just as Joo-hyuk predicted, a call from Chocolate Enter's CEO, Kim Min-su.
Knowing the purpose but playing dumb, Hae-jin asked.
"What's this about?"
[Did you perhaps buy a large amount of our Chocolate Enter stock yesterday?]
"Yes. And?"
[Since you've become our major shareholder, I was hoping to meet. That's why I called.]
"Do CEOs usually contact shareholders personally when they become major ones?"
Typically, they'd compile a shareholder list, hold a meeting—not have the CEO call individually.
But Hae-jin already knew.
Why Kim Min-su was calling.
'Because I'm the top shareholder.'
For an individual investor to become the largest shareholder in a big company wasn't easy.
But Hae-jin had done it.
So naturally, CEO Kim Min-su would wonder about his intentions.
Anyway, Kim Min-su replied.
[Well, normally no.]
"But you called me. Why?"
[You're not just any major shareholder—you're number one. Felt like I should meet you. Is it inconvenient?]
Kim Min-su wondered if Hae-jin found meeting him burdensome.
Hae-jin agreed to meet as desired.
"No, let's meet."
[Where should we?]
"You're calling about company business, so I'll come to you."
Hae-jin was Chocolate Enter's top shareholder.
Even as CEO, Kim Min-su couldn't just summon him.
Hae-jin was even willing to make him come to his neighborhood.
But since Hae-jin offered to come, Kim Min-su asked brightly.
[Oh, really? You'd do that?]
"Yes."
[Then I'll send the address to this number.]
"Sure."
Kim Min-su responded energetically to Hae-jin's agreement.
[Yes! Let me know when you see it and how long it'll take—I'll come greet you!]
He'd meet Hae-jin near the office.
Hae-jin said it wouldn't take long.
"I'm on my way soon."
[Pardon? Where are you?]
"Just give me the coordinates, and I'll be there quick."
With coordinates, Hae-jin could Shadow Blink to a random shadow nearby.
But that's not how normal people talk, so Kim Min-su was puzzled.
[Coordinates?]
Realizing his Player lingo, Hae-jin corrected.
"Ah, the address."
[Got it. I'll send it via message. Call when you arrive.]
"Yes."
Hae-jin ended the call, got the location.
Looking at the message, he said.
"This is it."
Then he activated his skill.
'Shadow Blink.'
Whoosh-.
His shadow swallowed him.
Moments later, he emerged under a nearby tree's shade at the target spot.
He immediately called Kim Min-su.
[Yes, have you left?]
Kim Min-su assumed Hae-jin had just seen the address and was starting out.
But Hae-jin corrected him.
"No, I've arrived."
[Pardon?]
Kim Min-su was stunned.
He'd just sent the address—how was he here already?
It didn't compute.
To the flustered Kim Min-su, Hae-jin repeated.
"Right in front of the building you specified."
[Gasp! Already?]
"Yes."
[Then I'll come down to the first floor.]
"Just tell me the floor. I'll come up."
[Pardon? You need a badge to come up...]
Access to upper floors required a badge, so Kim Min-su planned to escort him.
But Hae-jin cut in.
"Just the floor number."
[Top floor.]
"Got it. See you soon."
[Pardon?]
Kim Min-su couldn't follow again.
Ignoring it, Hae-jin set the top floor as target and Shadow Blinked.
From the tree shade, his figure shifted to Kim Min-su's CEO office.
Kim Min-su, sitting in his chair, jumped in shock at Hae-jin's appearance.
"Gasp! What the...!"
To the startled Kim Min-su, Hae-jin extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Park Hae-jin."