Chapter 149

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Jin-ho. Today I met with the Daegwang Group Chairman.”

“Didn’t you meet with other group chairmen yesterday?”

“Yeah. Right now there’s a whole truckload of people wanting to meet me.”

Hyung-nim didn’t come all the way here just to brag about connections.

“It’s… you know. The natural gas thing.”

“Is it because of the price?”

“That’s right. The price is the problem. We agreed to sell to European countries at 11 times the price, right? But this is a direct hit on our country too. Right now, not just foreign companies, but domestic companies are in an uproar too.”

It was understandable.

We’re selling natural gas at 11 times the price.

That means the European economy will be severely shaken, and it will deal fatal damage to our country, which receives parts from Europe.

“That’s why corporate chairmen have been coming to our Chairman, pleading and causing a commotion. If the price stays like this, domestic companies will obviously suffer enormous damage. All overseas companies indirectly connected to Europe will be affected too.”

Actually, when I decided on the 11x price, I and our team members were most worried about this aspect. However, I only set the price according to my intuition—I had no such intention.

“They’re saying they’ll do anything, just please do something about it. Earlier, Chairman Kang Seong-ho came by and asked if I couldn’t persuade you.”

“Wait. Why is he bothering you instead of coming to me?”

“Hehe, those gentlemen are all watching your mood. How could they come directly to you and tell you to lower the price? They’d get an earful.”

“Did I have that kind of image?”

“They’ve never faced you directly. But seeing even Chairman Kang, who’s close to you, acting like this, imagine how the others must feel.”

I’m not that cold of a person.

It seems my image has solidified that way on the outside.

“Think about it with the Vice President here. If domestic companies suffer damage across the board, there’ll be a lot of resentment. Ah. But I’m not forcing you? I’ll follow your wishes entirely, Jin-ho. Then I’m heading to another meeting.”

Hyung-nim said he had no time to rest and hurried out for his next meeting.

Only the Vice President and I remained in the president’s office.

“What do you think?”

“The Chairman is right. Since natural gas prices have become so expensive, the collapse of European manufacturing will be instantaneous, and not just our country but the whole world will be affected. It might be good to negotiate in a different direction and adjust the price. In return, it seems good to get something from domestic companies as well.”

As hyung-nim mentioned earlier, they said they’d do anything if we could just lower this price.

“……..”

I was lost in thought for a moment.

This price was clearly decided by intuition, though.

“……..?”

That’s when I felt something brush past the back of my head.

“Vice President, can we talk again later? Let me think about it.”

“Ah, yes, call me anytime.”

After sending off the Vice President, I returned to my seat and opened the drawer.

The book placed there seemed to be calling me.

“What should I do about this? You were the one who decided the price. Should I push through like this? Or do I really need to adjust it?”

I opened the book following the feeling.

[Everything is going according to plan.]

Everything is going according to plan?

But if things continue like this, domestic companies will suffer major damage too.

Are you really telling me to just leave it be?

[Sometimes it’s important to ask for the other party’s opinion rather than your own.]

Ask for the other party’s opinion?

Who?

Our employees? Or the Vice President? Or hyung-nim?

“…….”

But this time, no intuition came.

Who exactly was it telling me to ask?

As I muttered through whatever names came to mind,

“Surely you’re not telling me to ask Germany…….hm?”

Right then, an intense signal spread throughout my entire body.

“You’re really telling me to ask Germany?”

Once more, intuition struck me hard.

“……..They probably won’t want to talk with us.”

I could already picture the faces of the furious Germans.

***

“Th-this is… what?”

“It’s data showing the future Germany will face.”

Looking at the indicators before him, Chancellor Olaf broke into a cold sweat.

The prediction that Germany would suffer $300 billion in losses if natural gas prices skyrocketed had already come out long ago.

What kind of country is Germany?

A manufacturing-centered country.

That’s why they’re extremely sensitive to nickel prices and natural gas.

So they had made a deal with Russia to avoid that $300 billion loss.

“But with the destruction of Nord Stream, that deal fell through, and receiving the murderous price tag of 11x from Gwangwoon made the projected indicators even more serious.”

If Germany ends up buying natural gas from Gwangwoon at 11 times the price.

If they also buy nickel from Gwangwoon at high prices.

These were indicators showing how Germany’s economy would flow as a result.

“Natural gas is used for heating and electricity production, so prices are expected to rise more than 7 times from now. Also, with wheat prices rising, from flour for making bread to feed for livestock—everything will jump several times in price.”

“The most serious issue is manufacturing. Especially the automobile market, which is highly dependent on nickel and natural gas, will likely be completely wiped out in global price competition. No, it will definitely happen.”

Consumer price index explosion

GDP collapse

PMI index, which should maintain 50, crashing below 20

Unemployment rate surge

German stock market collapse

This was the horrific future Germany had to face.

“……”

What these indicators said was only one thing.

Germany’s downfall.

Some might say they’re making a fuss, but with murderous energy prices 11 times higher, that was more than possible.

“So………what do you want us to do? Refuse the natural gas? When we’ve already reached an agreement through the EU? If we just endure for one turn. Just one turn?”

The reason the EU and Germany accepted the 11x price from Gwangwoon was because there was no alternative right now.

With no way to receive natural gas from Russia anymore, they had to endure through Gwangwoon while other countries worked hard to produce natural gas.

If Gwangwoon doesn’t supply the gas, Germany and all of Europe’s systems would be paralyzed.

The economic losses at that point would be incomparably more devastating than the indicators shown now.

“The problem is that enduring that one turn brings these catastrophic results.”

“So you’re saying to renegotiate? Do you think Gwangwoon, those devils, would make a deal with us?”

Gwangwoon are devils.

That’s what Olaf thought.

It was highly likely they were behind the Russia-Ukraine war breaking out, and they definitely destroyed Nord Stream.

That’s why they can so boldly demand the insane price of 11x.

From the beginning and even now.

Europe had been playing right into Gwangwoon’s hands.

“Or should we go to war? With whom? Declare war on Korea? Do you even know where the real force controlling Gwangwoon is? What if they isolate our Germany like they did during World War II?”

If Germany started a war now, it would be the same as declaring they would erase Germany from this world.

Unlike the Hitler era, today’s German military power was far too weak to show off force.

“I’m not saying we should go to war. I’m saying we should negotiate again. With new bargaining chips.”

“New bargaining chips?”

“Something Gwangwoon desperately needs—Germany might be able to give it to them.”

“We have something like that?”

Chancellor Olaf couldn’t help but perk up his ears.

“Actually, Gwangwoon reached out to us first. They said since natural gas prices were set too high and could severely damage the national economy, we should come up with a new plan.”

A hollow laugh escaped him.

Who caused this situation, and now they’re acting like they’re doing us a favor?

“I know you’re angry. But that’s the situation now. Gwangwoon has the upper hand. Rather than being emotional, we need to think coldly. Otherwise, Germany will collapse.”

Chancellor Olaf barely suppressed the rising anger.

“So? What does Gwangwoon want? They didn’t specifically mention it? Are they telling us to figure it out ourselves?”

“I hear Gwangwoon is trying to acquire Faceweb.”

“And?”

“To acquire Faceweb, the CEO Markus Berg needs to give up his stake voluntarily. But he’s stubbornly refusing to give it up. So they need to completely destroy Faceweb, and we can help with that.”

Chancellor Olaf quickly started thinking.

What was the best way to bring down a company?

Regulations through law.

Specifically, legislation targeting Faceweb!

“Is this really what Gwangwoon wants?”

“Gwangwoon can’t openly ask us to create legislation to destroy Faceweb. So they approached us as if subtly asking about negotiation options.”

“Wait, so when they demanded 11 times the natural gas price, they never intended to actually get that price from the start?”

“If we move the EU to create regulations targeting Faceweb, and in return accept the proposal to sell natural gas at a lower price, then as you said, Chancellor, Gwangwoon never intended to sell gas at that high price from the beginning.”

The 11x natural gas price was actually a design to move Germany and the EU?

But is Faceweb worth giving up that high price to acquire?

“It is. Gwangwoon has issued KW Coin and wants as many people as possible to use it, and they want a platform with overwhelmingly more subscribers.”

“That place being Faceweb?”

“Yes. It’s hard to find a platform with 4 billion subscribers like Faceweb. But if KW Coin usage becomes authorized there? Then that coin will experience explosive growth. Enough to justify giving up 11x the natural gas price.”

After hearing all that, Olaf’s head became very cold.

He was no longer angry.

Instead, a different emotion was felt.

It was fear.

Where on earth did they start designing from?

Natural gas, nickel, Russia-Ukraine war, Nord Stream pipeline.

All these incidents were a plan to spread KW Coin across the entire world.

“I think I understand a bit why the White House can’t do anything about Gwangwoon. They’re truly terrifyingly beyond imagination.”

“Yes. They create plans that human minds cannot possibly follow, and execute them. They’re completely unpredictable. What’s most vicious is that they don’t give the other party any choice.”

Just like Germany right now.

Chancellor Olaf had no choice either.

“They’re threatening with Germany’s survival at stake, so I have no choice but to accept. But is there justification for creating regulations that would cut off Faceweb’s lifeline?”

They couldn’t just suddenly attack Faceweb with regulations out of nowhere.

“There is. Didn’t Markus even appear at congressional hearings over the Cambridge data leak incident? It’s an old incident, but it’s still being mentioned. We can use that to impose personal data regulations. Completely cut off advertising revenue in Europe.”

Hearing that, it seemed like a good idea.

“Won’t PikPik also be indirectly affected?”

“Gwangwoon would know that much. After all, rather than advertising revenue, what they want is to spread KW Coin as widely as possible.”

“What about persuading the EU?”

“The EU knows that if our Germany falls, everything falls like dominoes. Persuasion won’t be difficult.”

In the end, the EU is one.

Because they’re already tied together with a single currency.

“Then proceed immediately.”

“Yes.”

After sending off the staff, Olaf remained alone, unable to leave his seat from the feeling of emptiness.

“But……… all of this happened because of a single coin?”

***

Faceweb’s CEO Markus Berg held out until the end, refusing to open the gates.

Wall Street, seeking to maximize profits through KW Coin, declared themselves Gwangwoon’s underlings and continuously attacked Faceweb.

Questions about leadership.

Questions about Faceweb’s future.

The crashed stock price and financial problems, and so on.

Despite all this, Markus was holding on.

He may have wasted a fortune getting intoxicated by that strange concept called metaverse.

But it was okay.

Faceweb was still standing.

After all, didn’t Faceweb create Outstagram and make it a huge hit?

Although even that got pushed aside by PikPik, as long as he, the lord Markus, didn’t open the gates, he could defend this castle to the end.

“I just need to hold out a little longer. Our Faceweb’s potential is limitless.”

Even if they were down now, in a few years they would rise to the top again.

Markus believed in that potential.

Knowing that, Gwangwoon was also desperately trying to capture Faceweb.

Just as he was steeling his will with those thoughts,

“R-Representative.”

The executives entered his office en masse with despairing faces.

“What’s going on? Is the media attacking us again? I told you. Don’t get swayed by such public attacks, just hold your position and……..”

But instead of answering, they turned on the TV in the office.

And the first headline that caught his eye was:

[EU. Large-scale SNS regulations.]

“………?”

Why would the EU suddenly regulate SNS?

“It’s legislation the EU created targeting our Faceweb. Blocking personal information violations, and if users don’t permit it, advertising itself becomes impossible.”

“What? But why us…………”

“Word is that Gwangwoon made a deal with the EU over natural gas. After that legislation was passed, through new negotiations, they agreed to significantly lower natural gas, nickel, and wheat prices to supply Europe.”

“!?”

But it was still too early to be shocked.

“Due to this legislation, all SNS operated by our Faceweb is regulated. Outstagram is no exception. The revenue we get from Europe is effectively cut off. Companies that were placing ads with us are already pulling out en masse after hearing this news.”

“Th-these crazy bastards! Wasn’t Gwangwoon trying to acquire us? But if they pressure us like this, our Faceweb might just shut down entirely?!”

“That’s exactly it.”

“What?”

One of the executives spoke in a resigned voice.

“Gwangwoon is now trying to bankrupt our Faceweb.”

Only then could Markus understand Gwangwoon’s intention.

If it’s a castle that won’t open, if it’s a company they can’t have,

They had decided to just destroy it completely.

<End of Chapter 149>