The Clash of Obstruction and Bluffing (4)
‘Wait, if YK receives the Famicom from Nintendo and then sells it in Korea, doesn't that mean it ultimately leads to foreign currency outflow?’
The pressure Jung Taeryong had applied to JSD through his grandfather was precisely about foreign currency outflow. Yet, in this situation, it made no sense that Ryu Geun-tae was discussing the import of Famicoms, which would cause another outflow of foreign currency.
‘Then, did he leave for Japan not to earn foreign currency, but simply for the future plans of YK Department Store? Leaving the resolution of the foreign currency outflow issue for later?’
It was a choice that clearly held significant possibility. Perhaps embarrassed by the fact that he had been overthinking things until now, Jung Taeryong let out a sigh-like exclamation along with a bitter smile.
“Ha! To think I made such a mistake. Ryu Geun-tae didn't come to Japan to earn foreign currency.”
Shaking his head, Jung Taeryong began to think again, building upon a new foundation.
‘But even if YK didn't come to earn foreign currency, wouldn't obstructing YK itself be a very meaningful action? If I disrupt their profit-making business, that much surplus capital will end up being invested overseas for nothing.’
There were only three months left until the end of the year. Within that time, YK had to invest somewhere, no matter what. Therefore, Jung Taeryong decided to step up himself to inflict even a little more damage on YK.
“Haha, it seems Korean people are quite interested in game consoles these days?”
At the words of Nintendo President Yamauchi, Jung Taeryong smiled, hiding his true intentions.
“That is correct. I played Nintendo’s Famicom myself, and I couldn't help but be interested.”
“Isn't it a product that isn't sold in Korea yet?”
Jung Taeryong shrugged his shoulders.
“As I introduced, I have the circumstances that allow me to travel abroad easily, and I have a great interest in games, so I was able to know about the Famicom’s release immediately.”
Jung Taeryong’s status was that of an executive director at Daehan Chemical and the eldest grandson of the Daehan Group Chairman. As such, Yamauchi was treating Jung Taeryong with more formality than he had treated Ryu Geun-tae.
“That is certainly true. However, I heard you requested today's meeting because of the import of the Famicom……”
As Yamauchi cautiously trailed off, Jung Taeryong nodded.
“That is correct. But, are there perhaps others interested in the Famicom besides me?”
“That does seem to be the case.”
“Could I possibly know who that is?”
At Jung Taeryong’s subtle question, Yamauchi shook his head immediately.
“Unfortunately, I cannot tell you that. We don't know what kind of deals we might make with the other party in the future.”
Jung Taeryong poked at him once more, aiming at the man who clearly drew a line.
“Is it perhaps a person named Ryu Geun-tae?”
Yamauchi flinched for a moment. For Jung Taeryong, this small movement was enough evidence to judge many things.
‘So it was him after all.’
However, Jung Taeryong didn't show it and gave a bitter smile.
“You really are tight-lipped. Well, it doesn't really matter. My goal is the purchase of the Famicom. Is there any chance that my current actions might cause some unfortunate event where I can't buy them……?”
At Jung Taeryong’s feigned whining, Yamauchi smiled brightly and shook his head.
“No, not at all. How could that be? But does Daehan Group have the conditions to sell the Famicom?”
Jung Taeryong was standing here not as an executive director of Daehan Chemical, but as the grandson of the Daehan Group. That was why Yamauchi asked that question. Here, Jung Taeryong found one more basis for his judgment. It was a matter related to the subject, which he had even double-checked with the interpreter.
‘Daehan Group, you say? Does that mean YK Department Store didn't have the conditions to sell them? No, I should see this not as a negative particle, but as a confirmation. Because YK is definitely not a place without the capacity to sell Famicoms.’
If you combined their main department stores and mini-department stores, YK had more than enough places to sell Famicoms. And this situation was the same for the Daehan Group.
“Of course. Our Daehan Group also produces electronic products. I think it will have a very positive effect if we hold a promotional event along with our TVs.”
“Then let’s have the working-level staff handle the full-scale agreement. When would be a good date?”
“I will send the working-level staff within a week.”
“Good.”
An agreement between Yamauchi and Jung Taeryong. Meanwhile, Ryu Geun-tae was waiting desperately for his second meeting with Yamauchi in the waiting room in front of the reception area on the first floor.
“My, this is fun no matter how many times I see it.”
What Jung Taeryong was enjoying these days was watching Ryu Geun-tae visit the Nintendo headquarters. He had even moved his hotel accommodation for this purpose, and Jung Taeryong looked through a telescope from his suite window at Ryu Geun-tae, who was coming out with slumped shoulders again today, with a satisfied expression.
“Secretary Han.”
“Yes, Director.”
Han Sang-yoon was originally handling affairs in Korea on Jung Taeryong’s behalf, but he had been summoned to Japan by Jung Taeryong for the working-level agreement and was staying in Japan for a while.
“How is the agreement going?”
“It is proceeding well.”
“What about the clause I proposed?”
“That seems difficult to achieve. Those Japanese guys have pretty good heads, too.”
“Well, that’s true. They are guys who stab you in the back while wearing a nice smile.”
In fact, Jung Taeryong himself was the one trying to stab Nintendo in the back, but without such self-awareness, he simply criticized Nintendo.
“Should we proceed as planned for now? Or what do you think about demanding more strongly from Nintendo?”
At Han Sang-yoon’s words, Jung Taeryong shook his head.
“Our goal is to obstruct YK, so it would be troublesome if our deal with Nintendo fell through. If the deal falls through right now, that guy named Ryu Geun-tae over there will take our deal, won't he?”
“That is what is presumed.”
The poison clause Jung Taeryong had tried to insert into the deal with Nintendo. It was the clause that the final decision on the transaction would be made after three months. From the beginning, Jung Taeryong only needed to obstruct YK until December. Since the goal was to obstruct, not to import game consoles, Jung Taeryong had been thinking that far ahead.
However, no matter how much he wanted to do that, the other party wasn't a fool, so this attempt eventually ended in failure.
‘Well, it doesn't matter. I can just sell the goods in Korea anyway.’
Thinking that if worse came to worst, he could just pretend he knew nothing and sell the Famicoms to YK, Jung Taeryong smiled.
‘I cannot forgive anyone getting more spotlight than me. YK must shrink tremendously. Like a neighborhood supermarket.’
“Ugh, I’m going crazy!”
Ryu Geun-tae ruffled his hair wildly as soon as he left the Nintendo headquarters. Even though he had visited Nintendo a whopping seven times, he couldn't buy Nintendo’s stock at all. The meeting a little while ago wasn't even with the president, Yamauchi, but with a department head. In short, it meant they didn't even want to talk anymore. Therefore, Ryu Geun-tae was truly at his wit's end.
‘Should I just buy it on the stock market?’
But Ryu Geun-tae shook his head soon after. It was clear that the volume Yoon-gi told him to buy wasn't that small, and even if he secured it that way, he would only lose trust.
‘Should I ask Brigadier General Colson for advice? And then have it connected to Mr. Guster to point a gun at Nintendo?’
He was in a state of mind where he was having such absurd thoughts. However, Ryu Geun-tae soon shook his head with a bitter smile.
‘That’s impossible.’
Without dreaming that someone was watching him with a telescope, Ryu Geun-tae eventually returned to his hotel room empty-handed.
‘Sigh, what on earth should I do with this……. Should I ask President Choi for help? I can't do it alone, but if I join forces with President Choi…….’
Thinking that it might be possible with Choi Cheol-kyu’s unique sociability, Ryu Geun-tae seriously considered contacting Choi Cheol-kyu. But he passed on that too. He judged that if he solved it that way, it would mean Choi Cheol-kyu had performed the task, not him, which would be different from Yoon-gi’s intentions.
‘It can't be helped. Let’s report it honestly.’
Ryu Geun-tae contacted Yoon-gi through Guster’s secret line.
"Ah, Secretary Ryu. What is it?"
“I……, Chairman.”
Ryu Geun-tae swallowed without realizing it.
"Yes?"
“I’m sorry. I……, I don't think it’s possible.”
A confession made with courage, hoping to be scolded instead. But a completely unexpected answer came from across the line.
"Well done!"
“I really, I never imagined that the Chairman was thinking that way.”
At Ryu Geun-tae’s words, Yoon-gi smiled brightly.
“I’m sorry. But it was a task where the naturalness would have dropped if Secretary Ryu had known the details.”
“Ah, I’m definitely not angry or anything like that. I was just extremely flustered and dumbfounded at the time. Still, I’m just grateful that I was of help to the Chairman like this.”
Currently, Yoon-gi and Ryu Geun-tae had returned to Korea and were meeting in the study. The conversation on the secret line from before. Since then, Ryu Geun-tae had wandered in front of the Nintendo headquarters four more times. Of course, because he had heard the facts to some extent, it felt a bit unnatural, but since it looked like the behavior of someone who realized the fact that ‘it wouldn't work anyway’ from the outside, it wasn't a problem at all. Or should I say it felt natural because of that?
“To visit 11 times. Nintendo is quite something, too.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Honestly, I thought it was too much.”
“Strictly speaking, they are managing well. There is no reason for them to treat the other party desperately just because they approach desperately.”
“That is true.”
Ryu Geun-tae, who agreed immediately, opened his mouth again toward Yoon-gi.
“For now, we haven't lost anything, and that guy named Jung Taeryong is going to be stuck with a massive volume of Famicoms, right?”
“He himself won't think he’s stuck with them. He’s probably thinking of passing the volume to us.”
“Come to think of it, you said he would think of importing Famicoms, not trying to buy stocks, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Even so, the fact that he’s stuck with them remains the same.”
At Ryu Geun-tae’s expression, Yoon-gi shook his head.
“If we come under pressure from JSD, he might try to dump the volume using his card as an excuse.”
The most important task currently that he had forgotten for a moment. When he recalled the foreign currency outflow case, Ryu Geun-tae made a troubled expression.
“Come to think of it, what should we do about that case? The situation is that we can't buy Nintendo’s stock……”
Ryu Geun-tae, who had been speaking up to this point, suddenly made an expression as if he had remembered something, and then looked at Yoon-gi with an ‘Aha’ expression.
“Chairman, please tell me honestly. You’ve already done something, haven't you?”
At Ryu Geun-tae’s words, Yoon-gi began to smile mischievously.