Thomas Motors 4
Chairman Yoo Jae-ho looked over the executives seated around the table and clicked his tongue inwardly.
Far too many of the people in this room still didn’t understand just how important this merger was.
Of course, he had not decided to acquire these companies just because Han Miru said so. Before that, he had investigated them carefully.
In business, there were moments when a man simply knew whether something would work or not. Instinctively, he had realized these companies had to be acquired.
If things went well, Yuseong Electronics could leap ahead at once in the system semiconductor design field, where it had been falling behind for years.
As he thought that, Han Miru’s absence became all the more frustrating.
How in the world did he know these companies were worth it?
There was no way that was a coincidence.
Maybe he has some kind of gift for seeing straight to the essence of things on instinct.
The meeting had already been dragging on for more than three hours.
Even the executives who had started out sitting upright had begun to fidget, one by one.
I need a break.
I’m dying of sleepiness.
When is this meeting ever going to end?
Can’t we take a short break?
I’d really like to step out for a cigarette.
The older executives were showing every sign of exhaustion. But they were still the lucky ones. The people with urgent bodily needs were, quite literally, burning with impatience.
There was a joke that you should wear diapers to any meeting chaired by the chairman.
I need to use the bathroom.
Should’ve really worn a diaper, honestly.
I’m seriously in trouble.
I’m going to die!
A few of them were so desperate their faces had gone red from holding it in.
But since the chairman was pressing ahead with the meeting so enthusiastically, no one had the nerve to raise a hand and ask to use the restroom.
Can’t somebody else speak up first?
Please! Someone suggest a break!
Just hang on a little longer! There has to be at least one bastard here who’s worse off than me.
The more urgent man loses!
Everyone was exchanging glances, waiting for somebody else to go first, when the chief of staff came in and whispered something to the chairman.
After hearing it, Chairman Yoo Jae-ho gave everyone the answer they had all been hoping for.
“We’ll take a short break and resume afterward.”
The moment the chairman left the conference room, the executives who had been sitting rigidly upright all let out the breath they had been holding.
Chief of Staff Kim Ji-seok said, “The chairman has gone to take a call, so it should take a little while. I’ll let you know before he comes back, so please relax in the meantime.”
At that, the men with urgent business rushed straight for the restroom, while the others got up to stretch or went out for a smoke.
Then, in the middle of that, someone muttered, almost to himself, “But who’s calling him?”
That made everyone turn with startled expressions.
Come to think of it...
Who on earth could it be, to make Yoo Jae-ho interrupt a meeting just to take a phone call?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Back in his office, Yoo Jae-ho took the call.
“Hello.”
[Good day, Chairman.]
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
He was receiving help free of charge that no amount of consulting fees in the hundreds of billions could have bought.
Just when he had been thinking he should reach out sometime, the other party called first, and that made him genuinely pleased.
There were many people who wanted to contact him, but it was rare for him to be the one waiting for a call.
[Yes. And I trust you’ve been well too, Chairman?]
“As always.”
[I heard you were in the middle of a meeting. Is now a bad time to talk?]
“I’ve paused it for a moment.”
[Because of me?]
“It was time for a break anyway. We’d been going for three straight hours without stopping, so by now they’re probably making faces like they’ve just been brought back to life.”
[That long? Don’t they get exhausted? I imagine they’re all older, too.]
Yoo Jae-ho laughed at that. “If you want a bunch of stubborn old men to listen, sometimes you have to do it this way. Then they get the message and behave themselves next time, if only because they don’t want another meeting.”
[Oh! So that’s why you make it go on so long.]
“But where are you calling from?”
[Ah! I’m in the United States on business right now.]
“I see. You’ve made it to America already. So what’s this about?”
[I have a favor to ask.]
At that, Yoo Jae-ho said lightly, “A favor? You say that so easily.”
[It’s an easy favor.]
“Whether it’s easy or not, I’ll judge that after I hear it.”
He was curious what sort of request this could be.
[Do you know Heo Min-woong, the second son of Hwaan Group?]
“I do. He works at Hwaan Energy.”
[He’s in the United States right now.]
“And? Do you happen to know him personally?”
[Not at all. That’s why I was hoping you might introduce us.]
What an absurdly easy favor.
He was curious about the reason, but instead of prying, Yoo Jae-ho answered readily. “When and where?”
[The sooner, the better. As for the location, just tell him I’ll come to him.]
“Understood. I’ll contact him and sort it out.”
[Thank you.]
After hanging up, Yoo Jae-ho fell into thought.
Han Miru would never have made a request like this without a reason. If that was the case, then it had to be connected to whatever Heo Min-woong was doing now.
“Why is Heo Min-woong in the United States?”
At that, Assistant Park Soo-chan answered, “As far as I know, he went there for cooperation with Thomas Motors.”
“The hydrogen truck company?”
“Yes. I believe they’re currently working with the Hwaan Group side on hydrogen infrastructure.”
“...”
There was definitely a connection.
Han Miru had once spotted that a fund everyone thought was sound was actually rotten to the core. He had also realized that a company everyone assumed was already dead still possessed valuable technology.
Then this time, too, he was probably onto something and already moving.
What exactly is he trying to do?
For some reason, Yoo Jae-ho found himself interested.
He gave an order. “Compile everything we have on Thomas Motors and bring it to me. I also want details on the business they’re pursuing with Hwaan Group.”
Assistant Park answered at once. “I’ll have it ready before the meeting ends.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Heo Min-woong, head of Hwaan Energy’s overseas investment team.
The second son of Hwaan Group chairman Heo Seong-hun, he was on a business trip to Alabama to work on hydrogen infrastructure cooperation with Thomas Motors.
As environmental concerns began to take center stage in the twenty-first century, governments around the world invested in green energy such as solar and wind, while at the same time declaring that internal combustion vehicles would be phased out.
The EU Commission announced that it would ban the sale of internal combustion vehicles altogether within the next fifteen years, and the United States assigned each manufacturer a mandatory quota for eco-friendly vehicle sales.
Whether they liked it or not, automakers around the world had rushed into green vehicle development.
It was truly a seismic shift, the kind that came only once since Henry Ford had popularized the automobile. Thanks to it, the stock prices of electric vehicle and battery companies had shot up as if they had no ceiling at all.
After electric vehicles, the next thing to draw attention was the hydrogen car.
Hydrogen existed abundantly in nature, and after combustion it turned into nitrogen and water. It was, in every sense, a clean energy source that could one day replace oil and coal.
This cooperation on hydrogen infrastructure in the United States was the starting point for Hwaan Group’s push into hydrogen energy. After this, they planned to expand it into Europe and Asia.
Daean Motors was one of the few companies in the world producing hydrogen vehicles, which was why the Korean government had also been highly active in hydrogen energy investment.
The broad agreement had already been settled, and the details were still being hammered out by the working-level staff, so there wasn’t much for him to do.
He was resting at the hotel, feeling as though he were on vacation, when an unexpected call came in.
[Hello. This is Yoo Jae-ho.]
Heo Min-woong nearly jumped out of his skin when he answered.
Even in South Korea, a country often called a republic of conglomerates, Yuseong Group stood at the very top.
Its market cap was immense, but more than that, it wielded influence over not only politics and business but also the legal world, academia, and the media across the whole of Korea.
The single man leading that vast group was Chairman Yoo Jae-ho.
“Hello, Chairman.”
[I hope it isn’t too sudden of me to call.]
“Not at all. Please, not at all.”
Heo Min-woong had a slight connection with Yoo Jae-ho.
Several months ago, he had run into Yuseong Electronics Vice Chairman Kwon Hyeok-jun at a private gathering by chance.
Age-wise and in terms of experience, Vice Chairman Kwon was far above him, so he should have been respectful. But Heo Min-woong had never cared much about anyone’s age or rank unless they were from the owner’s family, and he had treated him the way he normally treated subordinates, brushing him off casually.
Vice Chairman Kwon had laughed it off, but the story reached Yoo Jae-ho through someone else who had been there.
When Yoo Jae-ho heard about it, he was furious and called Heo Min-woong’s father, Chairman Heo Seong-hun, directly to complain.
The mere fact that the chairman of Yuseong Group was angry sent Hwaan Group into emergency mode.
Heo Min-woong was dragged before his father, scolded until he felt like tears were going to come out of his eyes, and then sent off to apologize to Vice Chairman Kwon with his head bowed so low it nearly touched the floor.
He had had no further contact with Yoo Jae-ho since then, and now, out of the blue, the chairman was calling him himself.
Heo Min-woong spoke respectfully. “I’d like to apologize once again for what happened last time. I’m truly sorry.”
[Haha! That was a while ago. I’ve already forgotten about it.]
“Thank you, Chairman.”
[I understand you’re in the United States right now.]
“Yes. I’m in Alabama on company business at the moment.”
[You must be busy, but could you do me a favor?]
Yoo Jae-ho was asking him for a favor?
This was a good chance to make up for his previous mistake.
Heo Min-woong hoped with all his heart that it would be something he could actually do as he asked, “Yes. Please tell me.”
[Could you meet someone for me? I was asked to introduce them to you by an acquaintance.]
“Me?”
[Yes.]
Fortunately, it was an easy favor.
The fact that the message was being passed through Yoo Jae-ho rather than by direct contact meant the person in question was someone he didn’t know.
“Who is it?”
Then Yoo Jae-ho said lightly, [Why? Do you want to find out who it is before deciding whether to meet them?]
Heo Min-woong realized his mistake. Once Yoo Jae-ho had asked him, the meeting was practically decided already.
With his name already under scrutiny, how could he possibly refuse?
Heo Min-woong said, almost pleadingly, “Ah, no, that’s not what I meant. I was just curious about the reason.”
Chairman Yoo Jae-ho laughed. [Haha! Truthfully, I don’t know the reason either. I was only asked to pass it along.]
“Ah, yes. I see.”
Who on earth asked him, then?
If someone could ask this of the chairman of Yuseong Group, they clearly weren’t an ordinary person.
“Just let me know the time and I’ll make it work.”
[It was a sudden request, but thank you for agreeing so readily. You’ve helped me save face, too.]
“Oh, no. If the chairman asked, of course I should meet them.”
[As thanks, may I offer you one piece of advice?]
“Of course.”
Advice from Yoo Jae-ho?
Heo Min-woong held his breath and listened.
[I don’t know what you’ll talk about when you meet, but if you listen carefully, it will certainly help you. It did for me.]