Chapter 190

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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[The Global Environmental Action for Resilience (GEAR), a climate change countermeasure association promoted by Gwangwoon Group, has received official certification from the US government. The White House states that a fundamental solution is needed for the increasingly severe global warming, and if a company with as much capital as Gwangwoon invests generously, the US government will also step in line. Accordingly, companies participating in GEAR will be charged lower tariffs, while those opposing will face higher tariffs…]

It seems we weren’t the only ones worried about the severe climate change.

The ESG Association evaluates companies and decides whether investing there is good or whether to withdraw.

In contrast, GEAR wasn’t for investment purposes. It was purely worried about global warming and played the role of monitoring and sanctioning companies using new government policies as weapons instead of capital.

If it were just an ordinary environmental organization, companies could ignore them.

But it would be difficult to ignore GEAR, which has the backing of a government, the US government no less.

“That’s fortunate. The White House processed it faster than expected.”

“Yes. We thought the US government would show resistance, but rather, it was the White House that took the initiative, which made things go quickly. The various natural disasters that occurred in America this time seem to have had a significant influence. Global warming is increasingly disrupting people’s lives.”

Very hot and very cold weather is occurring consecutively.

Snow falls where it shouldn’t, and heavy rain falls where little should, causing floods.

People too must have realized that the Earth is getting sick and it’s time to take action.

“One concern is that we could impose private sanctions through GEAR. There were people who opposed because of that, but even so, strong action is needed now, which is why the White House seems to have accepted our wishes.”

“Private sanctions shouldn’t happen. We created this organization for the global environment, not to throw our weight around with the US government in front of us, right?”

I have no intention of using GEAR for private purposes.

If the White House backs us up, GEAR can touch any company.

This means we could catch small flaws and deal significant damage to that company.

They seemed to be worried about that, but I will never do that.

“So tell headquarters to supervise properly. So that talk of private sanctions doesn’t come up. If such misunderstandings keep arising, GEAR might not be able to fulfill its proper role.”

“Yes. I’ll convey that.”

“And how are things going in Europe?”

“Ah, speaking of which, the EU has decided to accept all conditions through negotiations with headquarters. They quickly passed allowing Sentinel to escort shipping vessels, significantly lowering weapon restrictions to prevent damage, and establishing bases in each country.”

Actually, even if the EU didn’t accept our conditions, I was going to send food at reasonable prices.

Because this is a matter of people’s lives, and it’s not good to use that as leverage for threats.

Still, fortunately the EU also made concessions for us.

“They won’t withdraw later or anything, right?”

“They’ve firmly concluded that with a written contract. Apparently, if they violate it, they included conditions to withdraw all the money that the National Pension and our Gwangwoon are investing in Europe and file a massive lawsuit.”

Even with all this, the EU might stab us in the back later.

I just hope they don’t.

“Please keep a close eye on Europe going forward. Anything else?”

“This is a report from research about where our Prime Department, Gwangwoon Securities, and the National Pension should invest. They’ve focused the data toward the safest options possible.”

Our Prime Department, Gwangwoon Securities, and even the National Pension.

From the moment we got on track, we stopped making risky investments and put money in the safest directions possible.

Usually, when you put money in safe assets, you leave it alone for at least 6 months.

Then if nothing special happens, research makes materials and reports to me every six months to re-examine what other investment fields exist.

Today was exactly that kind of day.

“…”

I quickly looked through various items. Perhaps because most were safe assets, my intuition was quiet. Even after flipping through for a while, nothing particularly caught my eye and pages just turned.

‘At this level, I should just maintain the status quo…’

While thinking that, there was something at the end that made my eyes light up.

“China…?”

“Ah. They say China currently has significant risks in various ways. Starting from the real estate bubble that burst last time, the economy in some regions was paralyzed by the Sichuan earthquake, local government debt risks, rising maritime freight and insurance fees, and so on. The country is very turbulent right now. Especially with the food crisis on top of it, a request for food support came to our Gwangwoon.”

“A request for food support came?”

“Yes. It came through headquarters, but since we’re in the middle of negotiations with the EU, headquarters hasn’t given a definitive answer yet.”

But the data about becoming an anchor investor for a book building involving Chinese ETFs and bonds was stimulating my intuition.

“Could you bring me the materials on this?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll bring them right away.”

Before long, a large amount of materials sent from the research team came into my office.

“…”

But something is strange. When I first saw the materials from research, they all looked like they had good colors.

But when I actually brought the detailed materials and looked at them, they were all red. When I touched them, it was as if a strong mala flavor was striking my tongue, and the spiciness was so startling that I almost dropped the documents from my hands.

“Are you sure you brought the right materials?”

“Yes. Research judges that while China looks difficult in the short term, there’s a high possibility of recovery in the long term, so they’re recommending investing in those ETFs, bonds, and long-term options on LNG and iron ore.”

At the manager’s words, the documents glowing red seemed to burn even hotter.

This meant only one thing.

China was by no means a safe asset.

***

Chairman Hwang Dae-woon tilted his head at the executives’ report.

“Make sure talk of private sanctions doesn’t come up? Did Jin-ho really say to convey that?”

“Yes. He says to avoid any misunderstanding that the newly launched GEAR is being used for Gwangwoon’s private purposes.”

What is GEAR?

On the surface, it claims to address global warming, but it was an organization with very clear intent—to impose private sanctions.

Yet he says not to create misunderstandings that it was made for private sanctions.

Anyone could see it was an organization made for Gwangwoon’s benefit.

“He probably means to do the image-making well. Boldly invest in that field as if really caring about global warming, receive support from various countries, and then use it at a decisive moment.”

“So operate it as if really caring about the environment normally, and then use it as a weapon when Gwangwoon needs it?”

“Yes. Just as the ESG Association lowered Ampl’s rating through media and significantly affected the stock price, our GEAR will also sanction competing companies at the appropriate time to cause damage. However, it means that a certain amount of image-making and build-up is needed to do so.”

So GEAR isn’t a weapon to be used in the short term.

That means they’re gathering its power step by step to explode it all at once later, and it was already frightening not knowing what target Jeong Jin-ho was aiming for.

“The destructive power will be certain.”

“Yes. Didn’t the US government officially declare support? No company will be able to endure the combined attack of the ESG Association and GEAR.”

Using the excuse of caring for the environment to attack companies.

It was truly a brilliant disguise.

“Did you convey the China matter?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“He says he’ll leave it to headquarters.”

“To us?”

It was a bit burdensome whenever Jeong Jin-ho didn’t make the choice himself and left it to headquarters.

Worried about making a mistake.

But not everything could be left to Jeong Jin-ho’s choices.

Wasn’t it headquarters’ job to handle things tactfully and with good sense?

“By the way, Chairman. Right now our domestic stock market and even Wall Street are in confusion.”

“What do you mean, suddenly?”

“This time, President Jeong Jin-ho has been taking some money out of safe assets and suddenly buying up ETFs and stocks spread across Hong Kong, Singapore, and Wall Street in large quantities.”

“What kind?”

“All of them are related to China.”

“Isn’t Jin-ho putting most of his money in safe assets right now? Did he determine China is safe this time?”

From securities firms to the National Pension, when combined, the money amounts to thousands of trillions.

Rather than dangerously investing and shaking the market, he apparently decided it was better to put it in safe assets and have steady returns, so at some point, Jeong Jin-ho had been making only safe investments.

And with headquarters’ capital, he focused only on acquiring companies.

“If he really thought it was a safe asset, Wall Street wouldn’t be buzzing like that.”

“Wait. Don’t tell me… he went short?”

“Yes. The Chinese side picked our Gwangwoon as an anchor investor for their book building, but he refused and instead built large swap and futures positions. On the surface, he stated it was for risk management, but looking at how he induced a reduction in CHN short-term borrowing, it’s not ordinary.”

At those words, Chairman Hwang blinked.

Doesn’t this look like he’s hoping something will happen to China?

“Executive Vice President Kang Ji-hwan. Is this true? Is China in danger right now?”

“There was the earthquake that happened last time, and there are real estate bubble and food issues, but the Chinese government is still solid. In other words, Chinese conglomerates are actually making money from this crisis. That’s why we judged investing in China was rather safe. But…”

“But?”

“President Jeong Jin-ho doesn’t seem to view this favorably.”

“So he’s intentionally trying to shake the market?”

“Yes. So our Gwangwoon Securities is planning to release negative reports on the Chinese market starting tomorrow. Since our Gwangwoon is at the forefront of global finance, Wall Street will definitely react to this report.”

The current Chinese market is by no means bad.

But for some reason, Jeong Jin-ho was viewing it negatively.

So he was intentionally trying to bring down the market.

“If our Gwangwoon decides to make it happen, it can happen…”

“Yes. None other than President Jeong Jin-ho, who has never failed in any investment, has made this prediction. His reputation has already spread widely through media. Since it’s his prediction, Wall Street will also try to follow it like a trend.”

This is why reputation is important.

Even if something doesn’t seem true from a data perspective, if someone of high reputation says differently, doesn’t it spread like a trend?

“Perhaps he’s trying to open up the Chinese market through this opportunity?”

“Open up?”

“Isn’t China too closed off? Our KW Exchange and Enflix can’t enter there. But perhaps if China is greatly shaken internally through this, an opening might appear.”

Gwangwoon’s power has already spread across the world, but there are still a few places that haven’t been crossed.

China and Russia would be the representative examples.

“Good grief, how far does Jin-ho intend to go…”

But now, that blade’s edge was pointed at those two closed-off places.

Rather than being scared, honestly it was a bit thrilling and full of excitement.

Because if those two places are also breached, Gwangwoon could truly exert influence over every nation.

“Oh, by the way. How did that go?”

“Pardon?”

“Japan, I mean. Japan. Hasn’t the election announcement come out there yet?”

***

While other countries were groaning from food and economic crises, Japan was noisy for a different reason.

Scandals erupting day after day and resignations of lawmakers eventually led to early local elections and mayoral elections being held.

“Japan is finished now…”

Japanese lawmakers sighed at the election results appearing on TV.

“From local elections to mayoral elections, all pro-Korean factions have been elected.”

It wasn’t just pro-Korean factions.

The problem was that many Zainichi Koreans were elected.

In reality, there has only been one case in history of a Zainichi Korean being elected in Japan.

But even that person couldn’t maintain their position in politics for long.

Being a Zainichi Korean was a bigger disadvantage than expected.

“But isn’t this how things have changed with Gwangwoon controlling our Japan?”

Gwangwoon had economically struck Japan multiple times and even assassinated the former Prime Minister to take control of Japan’s economy.

But their greed knew no end.

As if intending to put Japan completely under their control, they were electing pro-Korean factions and Zainichi Koreans and pushing them into Japan’s political sphere.

“The scary thing is that all the leading candidates from our side and the opposition have been knocked out. With scandals breaking multiple times a day.”

Japan’s politics is very conservative.

It’s a place where political families with long lineages have always been in power.

But Gwangwoon has shattered that tradition.

“They even found Zainichi Koreans who had never entered our political world, made them stars through media, and connected that to election results.”

In other words, the era when famous political families were elected just because of their name was over.

“Now it’s divided between whether you catch Gwangwoon’s eye or fall out of favor.”

“Is there absolutely no way to stop this? This is tyranny. How can our Japanese politics be swayed by a single company!”

“Gwangwoon is not a single company. They’re a company that already has a grip on the entire world—how can you call them a single company?”

“Then what do we…”

“Until now, Gwangwoon has blown away all lawmakers who blocked their path by exploding scandals. Bringing things from somewhere that even we didn’t know about.”

Gwangwoon’s methods were truly nasty.

Somehow knowing all the past that lawmakers wanted to hide and exposing them to the media to socially bury them.

“But fortunately, there is one method.”

“R-really?”

“Integrity. That’s what we need to maintain. Just don’t do anything that Gwangwoon could catch as a weakness.”

At that moment, silence swept over both sides.

Integrity, huh.

What is a politician’s virtue?

Corruption and graft.

Integrity was a virtue that couldn’t exist for them.

“If Gwangwoon has nothing to expose about us, we have a chance. But among us, is there anyone who has walked their political life with enough integrity not to be caught by Gwangwoon?”

“…”

No one could answer honestly.

“Gwangwoon has thrown us a clear warning message through this election. No matter how cleanly a politician has crafted their image, they can send them to hell whenever they want.”

“And those who support Gwangwoon become stars instead?”

“Aren’t you watching right now? Opposing Gwangwoon means ending your political life, and supporting them opens new paths.”

They knew very well what Gwangwoon wanted right now.

That was Japan’s first-ever Zainichi Korean Prime Minister.

Just as Japan once ruled Korea in the past, now Korea’s Gwangwoon would rule Japan.

Someone should have stepped forward to stop Gwangwoon’s ambition, but—

“…”

No one had any intention of doing so.

Because even though they clearly knew that the first Zainichi Korean Prime Minister being born would allow Japan to be exploited like a Korean colony, their own positions right now were more precious than Japan’s fate.

End