Britain’s pharmaceutical industry was currently facing the challenge of generational change.

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Of course, the pharmaceutical industry still had a strong industrial foundation in each country.

However, as patents for products called blockbuster drugs were approaching expiration, generic drugs began being produced here and there.

“Still, GSK and AstraZenon are large enough to compete for first and second place among British pharmaceutical companies, so they’re pouring massive funds into generational change. Also, no matter how much pharmaceutical companies below them try to rise up, they’re pushed back by size.”

GSK, Britain’s largest pharmaceutical company, and AstraZenon.

Both are merger companies formed by combining several companies.

As a result, both companies were exerting comprehensive influence enough to always be in the TOP 4 even in Europe.

In other words, they had become so massive that collapsing them was now virtually impossible.

“But this time AstraZenon definitely took a hit.”

If our country’s Kangsung has a governance structure centered on Chairman Kang Seong-ho, AstraZenon is a publicly held company with dispersed ownership.

Simply put, instead of being dominated by one person like Chairman Kang Seong-ho, stakes are dispersed among countless investors worldwide, and professional managers are running it.

Especially here, the largest shareholder holds only 8%, and even that is Whiterock, the world’s largest asset management company.

“This time, as Britain’s economy experienced a major crash, didn’t funds and institutions first throw away their stakes, and individual investors who belatedly grasped the situation also throw away their stakes together?”

Due to that, Britain’s stock market kept triggering circuit breakers and ultimately closed the market entirely in an unprecedented situation.

“Due to that, AstraZenon’s stock price also fell together.”

“But even with falling stock prices, it’s still a difficult company to acquire, right?”

“Yes. Because AstraZenon is one of Britain’s representative pharmaceutical companies. Even when a shocking financial crisis hit Britain, AstraZenon held up relatively well. Since this place does well not only in Britain but also in Europe, everyone judged this place would be okay.”

I carefully examined the report about AstraZenon.

While looking at what fields in Britain were worth noting, interestingly my intuition activated in this pharmaceutical area.

Among them, this AstraZenon was emitting the strongest light.

Out of curiosity, I brought my hand to that company name that had been glowing since I opened the report.

“!?”

Then suddenly one intense image was embedded in my mind.

It was a horrifying sight of a red virus spreading across the entire Earth.

“…”

I quickly removed my hand from there.

To the point where my breath rose to my chin, it was a terrifying fantasy I never wanted to see again.

‘What was that just now?’

It’s not like the zombie virus you see in movies.

The sight of the entire Earth being dyed red.

“President. Are you okay?”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

I took a short breath.

What would it mean that my intuition showed me such a fantasy?

That a tremendous event is about to happen on this Earth.

“So in conclusion, acquiring AstraZenon will be difficult?”

“Yes. The market cap is large, and since no specific force holds large controlling stakes, it’ll be difficult. But there is exactly one method that could make AstraZenon take a big hit.”

I thought I knew what that was.

“No-deal Brexit?”

“Yes. Didn’t Prime Minister March leave this time and now the prime minister position is vacant? Although an interim prime minister came out, it’ll take several months until a new prime minister is selected.”

And the EU was trying to push forward no-deal Brexit seeing Britain’s economy collapsing.

“The interim prime minister has declared they’ll prevent no-deal Brexit no matter what. They’re also threatening EU countries.”

It was somewhat ridiculous that Britain, whose feet are on fire, is threatening European countries with that.

“So no-deal Brexit won’t happen?”

“Probably the worst situation will be avoided. Especially companies like AstraZenon with high dependence on European countries will even more try to prevent no-deal Brexit. Rumor has it such large corporations are lobbying by spreading money throughout European countries.”

So no-deal Brexit won’t happen?

But in the previous fantasy I saw, Britain ultimately passed Brexit.

Does that mean agreement will be reached amicably?

I lightly touched my finger to the British flag drawn in the report.

“…!”

Then a fantasy captured my eyes once more.

It wasn’t like before where the Earth was dyed red and groaning.

‘This is…’

It was British people welcoming no-deal Brexit and shouting in celebration.

***

“These crazy bastards finally…”

An event that would shake the world financial market burst.

The EU officially passed no-deal Brexit.

“In effect, isn’t this declaration the EU announcing they’ll cut all connection points with Britain?”

Should this be viewed as an emotional decision?

Or was it a calculation that if they remain connected with Britain like this, financial crisis repercussions will cover all of Europe making them suffer together?

Whatever it was, the conclusion from this was one.

“Britain is now fucked.”

“Yes. The interim prime minister stabilized the market by firmly stating no-deal Brexit absolutely won’t happen, but if it becomes like this…”

The results were already appearing in financial markets.

Britain’s market was experiencing another major crash, and the ripple effects were spreading to other countries too.

Also, extreme rumors were even circulating that Britain and Europe might wage war.

Of course, war would absolutely never happen, but that anxiety was real, so it was appearing in financial markets as is.

“One investment from Gwangwoon snowballed like this.”

Gwangwoon, which exploited financial market loopholes and destroyed the system by hitting massive short selling.

Usually bastards who made a big score quietly hide until things calm down.

Didn’t even George Soros live quietly hidden after bursting Black Wednesday so he wouldn’t get caught and killed?

But Gwangwoon didn’t do that.

Rather, they blatantly exposed themselves.

“Why did Gwangwoon acquire those companies? Did you find commonalities?”

“Yes. We found exactly one similar point.”

Gwangwoon earned billions of euros in one shot.

After achieving such legendary accomplishments, instead of withdrawing from Britain’s market, they began aggressively acquiring companies.

“First, most were companies on the verge of bankruptcy. Probably because GSK and AstraZenon dominated the market, growth was difficult.”

“Is that the commonality?”

“No. The real commonality is that they’re specialized in the vaccine field.”

“Vaccines?”

“Yes. It’s called the mRNA platform, one of the next-generation vaccine development technologies being researched in the biotechnology field. Our body’s genetic information is contained in DNA, and in the process of making proteins according to this DNA information, it plays an intermediate bridge role…”

“Stop. TMI isn’t necessary. So Gwangwoon acquired companies professionally researching this technology?”

“Yes. Currently all 5 companies acquired at bargain prices were places that had been concentrating on researching this technology.”

When you reach Gwangwoon’s size, what companies they’re acquiring is quickly detected.

Unless they hid their identity by establishing paper companies and operated.

They’re blatantly acquiring companies trying to create a new group within Britain. So even without looking into details, you could know what Gwangwoon is doing.

“After making Britain’s economy like this, all they do is acquire pharmaceutical companies?”

Raynold thought Gwangwoon didn’t simply target system loopholes.

Looking at Gwangwoon’s path shown so far, they had big purposes.

Although he can’t know what purpose they ultimately have, he intuited that attacking Britain’s market this time was also definitely for some purpose.

Isn’t it a truly terrifying company?

To topple the massive country called Britain for their own goals.

But that purpose was actually acquiring those small pharmaceutical companies?

“They’re not only acquiring small companies. There’s one company that was running as a leader in the mRNA technology research I mentioned earlier.”

“Where is that?”

“AstraZenon.”

“Wait. Then surely…”

“Gwangwoon already contacted us too. Asking to trade the 3.5% AstraZenon stakes our Gold Reagan holds with them.”

With this, it wasn’t just suspicion, but certain.

Right now Gwangwoon is trying to unite British pharmaceutical companies to create a massive pharmaceutical group.

“But… Isn’t AstraZenon the biggest victim of this no-deal Brexit?”

“Yes. Already the European Medicines Agency moved from London to France changing patent regulations, and there are generational change problems and new drug side effects newly bursting too. Especially it’s a place with very strong European dependence, so it’s the place that suffers most damage if no-deal Brexit bursts.”

So he absolutely couldn’t fathom Gwangwoon’s thinking.

AstraZenon being a big company in Britain is right.

But with Britain’s financial crisis, new drug side effects and patent expiration, and no-deal Brexit finally bursting, AstraZenon was experiencing its greatest crisis ever.

“Even acquiring here, it’s not a structure where you can make profit, right?”

“Yes. It’ll be a self-destructive act. Honestly if only no-deal Brexit hadn’t burst, somehow the company would’ve gotten a chance to recover, but if it becomes like this…”

Is there no hope?

Who would’ve thought Britain’s second-largest pharmaceutical company would collapse like this?

And ironically, what made AstraZenon like that is exactly Gwangwoon.

If only Gwangwoon hadn’t made such insane investment, AstraZenon wouldn’t have fallen.

“So this whole situation is entirely Gwangwoon’s doing to acquire the massive pharmaceutical company AstraZenon? Is this a plausible conclusion?”

Blowing up Britain to eat one pharmaceutical company?

“That technology you just mentioned. If that develops maximally, where would it be good?”

“Although it’s focused on genetic diseases and cancer treatments, it’s said to be most useful for vaccine development.”

“Vaccines? Did some virus spread? Like that MERS before.”

“According to what we found out, no epidemic of that scale has been reported yet.”

Then is Gwangwoon now trying to develop cancer treatments rather than vaccines for specific viruses? Certainly if they develop treatments for that area, it seems it’ll be a game changer.

“Usually isn’t that at least 10 years?”

“Yes. For one new drug to come out, you must plan for at least 5-10 years.”

Having such a long-term perspective and investing.

That Gwangwoon?

No matter how much he thought, it was strange.

“The price? Is that decent?”

“Yes. No matter how much Gwangwoon acquires that company, we see no possibility of recovery for a while.”

“…”

It means if you hold it, it becomes waste paper.

Then the right action for a financial person would be to quickly sell it.

“Don’t sell it, hold it.”

“What? Th-this might be the highest point.”

“It’s not anywhere else but Gwangwoon acquiring that company. I’ll try betting on them. No. Rather, see if we can also purchase some stakes.”

3.5%.

It’s not very large stakes.

Also the stock price keeps falling, so it really might become waste paper.

However, if it’s Gwangwoon,

If it’s Gwangwoon trying to acquire this company while making Britain like that,

He had a strange conviction that these stakes will later become gold bars you can’t get even if you want them.

***

AstraZenon, a massive pharmaceutical company with a market cap reaching 70 billion dollars.

That company called one of Britain’s largest pharmaceutical companies was plunging to 30 billion dollars.

“You could call it a fatal disadvantage of dispersed companies. When they take hits like this, everyone starts throwing the stakes they hold.”

If someone was firmly controlling this company, even if stock prices fell, they wouldn’t have sold all stakes to hand over management rights.

But this company has no set dominant force, so once selling starts, the tower collapses instantly.

“Probably if we wait more here, the stock price will fall more. Purchasing then would be…”

I was also thinking that.

But my intuition kept sending signals.

That I must dominate this company as soon as possible.

“Please secure controlling stakes as quickly as possible.”

“You don’t care about price?”

“Yes. As quickly as possible. That way we can participate in that company’s management, right?”

Team members had expressions not knowing why I was suddenly obsessed with pharmaceutical companies.

I don’t even have knowledge in that area.

But I vaguely know.

Why my intuition is nagging me like this trying to quickly secure controlling stakes and participate in management.

Probably it’s related to the fantasy shown then, right?

That horrifying sight of something like a red virus spreading across the entire Earth.

Does it mean I must research that as soon as possible even now?

“We’ll secure stakes quickly as the president wants.”

“Yes. Please work hard.”

“Yes. Ah. And there are corrections to our securities line open in Hong Kong this time.”

Hong Kong.

A country I envy, because Hong Kong is Asia’s representative global financial hub.

If that could be our country instead of Hong Kong, that would be every securities person’s wish.

“Are there corrections?”

“Yes. The Hong Kong government is trying to revise various laws this time. Finance is mixed in among them. Probably the vice president thinks the president should also see this content, so he sent a separate document.”

I checked the document the vice president sent.

‘Fugitive Offenders Ordinance?’

Hong Kong was creating new regulations called the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance this time while also touching securities-related parts.

The problem is China’s government influence was strongly applied to this.

‘But why suddenly finance…’

While pondering that and about to turn to the next page.

“!?”

A vivid fantasy of countless people bleeding and being trampled by the military in downtown Hong Kong unfolded before me.