Chapter 37

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Thought it would take some time.

They say once a person is blinded by greed, reason becomes paralyzed.

Oh Jae-hyun’s greed to dominate the group preceded reason.

“You know why I’m visiting you again, right?”

“Yes. You’re here again because you intend to buy the stakes for 900 billion.”

“Whew. Will you really sell it for 900 billion?”

“As I said last time, I have no intention of discounting even one won.”

Cunning old man.

That man knows.

That Oh Jae-hyun himself is cornered at the edge of a cliff right now.

“I’ll buy it. But I don’t have capacity to pay 900 billion at once.”

“You have lots of wolves attached around you, President.”

“Even fund managers tried to cut losses immediately after hearing the amount of 900 billion.”

It was that absurd of a price.

To the point where there’d be no words to retort even hearing it’s called thuggery.

But that’s how prices are.

If someone needs it and buys it, that becomes the appropriate price.

“But if I can’t take those stakes. You heard yesterday, right? I’ll have to rot forever in the plastic factory. It’d be fortunate if it ends there. After Father passes away, will my brother leave me alone?”

“Terrifying just thinking about it.”

He pretends to care with effort.

“I don’t have 900 billion. But I must buy it. Then only one method remains.”

“.Don’t tell me you’re asking us to lend you money?”

“Yes. Please lend it to me.”

Expected it somewhat.

But Oh Jae-hyun’s attitude was very confident.

Anyway, he knows they also can’t receive that price if they don’t sell to him.

“Wait a moment. Can I make one phone call? Seems like consultation is needed.”

“Aren’t you the top decision-maker, President Hwang? Who are you consulting with?”

“Haha. On the surface, yes. But living life, I’ve learned just being president doesn’t mean you have all decision-making authority.”

Meaningful words.

Does that mean there was someone who designed all this from behind from the beginning?

‘Right. Something seemed strange. As expected.’

There was a mastermind who anticipated management rights battles would burst at LK Group soon, secured stakes at 300 billion, and is selling them at 3 times higher price.

From the start, it didn’t make sense for a mid-sized securities firm president to set up such a board.

‘What kind of bastard is he?’

Don’t know who, but wanted to see that smug face once.

Is someone cursing me?

My ears were itching a bit.

[Hey. What do we do about this? Now those bastards are telling us to come up with 900 billion?]

Rather than urgency, laughter oozed from the president’s tone.

“They’re asking us to lend them money?”

[Right. Since there’s no way to come up with 900 billion, they’re asking us for a loan now.]

“Is it possible?”

[It’s possible. We’re not actually finding 900 billion somewhere and giving it to them.]

Not actually giving 900 billion, but lending stakes worth 900 billion.

“How do you usually lend it?”

[What’s special about loans? You take collateral and give money. But 900 billion is a first for me too. Honestly, how many securities firms lend 900 billion. Even KS doesn’t lend 900 billion in cash. But in this situation, we receive collateral, raise interest rates, and lend our stakes. Setting a repayment date.]

Still, for someone like LK Group, thought they could come up with 900 billion somehow.

Since I decided the 3 times price by my intuition, I naturally expected that side to come up with the money.

But collateral.

Collateral.

What collateral should we take to lend our stakes?

[They poured tons of money into LK Tower construction this time anyway. Since money dried up within the group, Oh Jae-hyun also targeted this opportunity to start a coup.]

Right then.

The moment I felt sparks seem to fly from the ear holding the phone, I was startled and pulled my head far away.

[Jin-ho? What’s wrong?]

That just now wasn’t like static electricity.

It was something intense enough to leave that feeling on my eardrum.

“.President. What kinds of things can we take as collateral?”

[Well, real estate, certain stakes, or affiliates too. Since 900 billion is quite big money.]

“How about LK Tower?”

[Wait. What? LK Tower?!]

There, once more I felt something like sparks flying between my eardrum and phone.

Ah. This is it.

My intuition wants LK Tower as collateral right now.

[You know how much money the group poured into LK Tower?]

“5 trillion won, right? Probably.”

[Right. But 5 trillion went in alone, and its current value would sufficiently exceed 6-7 trillion, yet you want to take it as collateral for 900 billion?! Will that side do such an absurd deal?]

“Won’t it work if the opponent is desperate?”

[..]

Hyung-nim seemed dumbfounded and was silent briefly.

[Our Jin-ho, you’re a very scary person.]

“..”

Unsettling.

It’s been like this for days.

After the meeting with the second son and that thug-like securities firm president ended.

Chairman Oh had one thing weighing on his mind.

“That second son won’t suddenly go crazy and force himself to buy those stakes, right?”

He was very angry at the second son.

And fighting a blood-boiling battle after a long time, while being certain he finally won, he did make some emotional slip of the tongue.

He said in words he’d make the second son rot forever in the plastic factory, but saying is one thing—he planned to talk well to the eldest son, give some punishment, then return him to work.

After all, he’s got some performance.

Especially the European hotel industry project the second son was progressing needs him to finish.

“Even wanting to buy, he can’t.”

“Why? There are private equity fund bastards attached to the second son?”

“Fund managers most meticulously tap calculators. No matter how much they want to strip the company, 900 billion would feel like being scammed. They wouldn’t have confidence they could profit that much either.”

Private equity funds’ purpose isn’t operating companies.

Looking from outside, it might seem like buying companies to improve structure, but it’s actually behavior trying to strip everything strippable and discard only the shell.

Of course, there are private equity funds that aren’t like that, but the majority are.

Even to them, 900 billion far crossed the line.

“Director Yang.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“After this matter concludes, we need to reorganize the control structure.”

“I’m thinking the same.”

Twisting the control structure so difficultly like this was actually because of money.

After raising the company from Japan and receiving investments here and there to grow the company, control weakened, and to supplement that, they had no choice but to choose circular shareholding control.

The problem was the company changed to a circular shareholding structure twice as complex as other companies, and above all, this incident taught them that forces thought eternally friendly could betray anytime.

“Though the eldest son is lacking, anyway that guy just needs to hold the position. The guys below him will handle work on their own. But it’s troublesome if such things happen again after I die.”

Throughout world history, kings always passed throne to eldest sons.

Because eldest sons’ abilities were good?

No. Whether abilities are good or not, passing throne to eldest sons reduces fights between brothers over throne in later generations.

LK Group must be ruled by the Oh family forever—before, now, and in the future.

For that, the control structure needed touching once.

“And contact that president bastard from Gwangwoon Securities.”

“Yes? Why that person.”

“That 900 billion. I need to buy it.”

“Chairman. You’ll buy that?!”

“Right. To us it seems the second son absolutely can’t buy it, but weren’t we hit in the back of the head while being relieved like this? Before that bastard really does crazy things, even if it costs quite a bit, I need to bear it.”

“But with funds currently in the group, we can’t.”

“Look everywhere money can be pulled. Try borrowing from funds attached to us, borrow from friendly forces too. And good to use slush funds planted here and there. Even doing that, to firmly secure control rights.”

Chairman Oh stopped talking mid-sentence.

Suddenly the whole world seemed to spin, which wasn’t normal.

“Chairman?”

“Director Yang. I, I’m.”

Soon like a puppet with strings cut, Chairman Oh collapsed powerlessly.

“Ch-Chairman!”

At the words they’d lend stakes if LK Tower is taken as collateral, Oh Jae-hyun came out fuming.

It was LK Group’s life-or-death project that poured a whopping 5 trillion won.

Yet taking that as collateral for 900 billion stakes!

But cooling his head a bit and regaining composure, it seemed not such a bad contract.

Right now Gwangwoon Securities bastards do seem arrogant.

But they probably don’t think they could swallow LK Tower whole.

Literally collateral.

If repayment goes well, if interest is paid well, if there are no big problems with the company going forward, it’s just formal collateral.

“Never thought you’d think to take LK Tower as collateral. Even banks didn’t take LK Tower as collateral. Yet from mid-sized Gwangwoon? Isn’t your greed too big?”

“Yes. I naturally thought banks were holding LK Tower as collateral, but no.”

“Of course. Bank loans are loans, but we poured far more money. No need to take collateral.”

“Right. If only President Oh Jae-hyun hadn’t fought his chairman with knives.”

Is he scratching now?

Because I looked down on mid-sized a bit?

Though there was much to say, Oh Jae-hyun bit his lips tightly.

Because needlessly touching nerves then suddenly overturning the contract here would be troublesome again.

“Fortunate that you’re LK Hotel president. Otherwise, either couldn’t take collateral at all, or if you tried taking something like LK Tower as collateral, the process would’ve been very complicated.”

“What’s complicated? Anyway it’s just formal collateral. Once I grasp management rights and the company regains stability, though it’ll take some time, I’ll repay quickly.”

“Yes. Interest rate is quite high, so you should repay quickly. Haha.”

Oh Jae-hyun finished signing quickly.

Because he wanted to finish quickly and never see that detestable man’s face again.

“This is the end of contract signing, right?”

“Yes. As stated in the contract, now this 5% stake is President Oh Jae-hyun’s. Ah. Should call you Chairman now.”

Still felt somewhat good at the word chairman.

“Since you seem not to have even a speck of desire to enjoy a banquet commemorating contracting with me, I’ll withdraw now. Congratulations, Chairman. And please treat us well going forward.”

Wanted to hit the back of Hwang Dae-woon’s head as he left smiling, but Oh Jae-hyun calmed his mind.

Because LK Group control rights he so wanted had passed into his hands.

“Director. Let’s start work right away. Need to quickly start traffic control by holding board meetings first.”

“Yes. President. No. Chairman!”

The sword was prepared.

Now it was time to swing.

“Wh-what does that mean?”

But before he could draw sword from his waist and dance, the situation already ended.

Very futilely at that.

“Father’s in a coma!”

“We just learned about it too. He suddenly collapsed and hasn’t woken up yet.”

Did he collapse from shock from the management rights battle?

No. He was originally someone lying in sickbed due to old age illness.

Though it might look petty, honestly starting the rebellion while Father was lying down wasn’t entirely untrue.

Still, just days ago he was very energetically making threats, wasn’t he?

Yet such a person suddenly!

‘Wait. If this happens.’

Actually this management rights battle wasn’t between eldest and second sons, but between Father and second son. But Father collapsed.

The opponent’s king fell.

Forces already weighing scales and worrying who to side with will obviously choose President Oh Jae-hyun, not Chairman Oh.

That means—

‘This 5% was unnecessary from the start?!’

The winner of this fight wasn’t Oh Jae-hyun.

It was Gwangwoon Securities that earned 900 billion sitting down.

No. Probably that mastermind who manipulated everything with Gwangwoon Securities in front.

[While LK Group Chairman Oh Dong-young still hasn’t regained consciousness, the management rights battle has virtually ended in LK Hotel President Oh Jae-hyun’s victory. Shareholders gathered meaning the group shouldn’t shake anymore and appointed President Oh Jae-hyun as chairman.]

The LK Group management rights battle that made the world noisy finally ended.

The game ended as Chairman Oh Dong-young collapsed from illness. Thinking the chairman won’t be like before even if he rises, shareholders attached to the chairman’s side all attached to President Oh Jae-hyun.

“If we’d been slightly later, we’d really have become birds. How can timing be this exquisite?”

As hyung-nim said, timing was art.

If our contract had been even slightly later, Oh Jae-hyun wouldn’t have borrowed 900 billion worth stakes from us.

Because forces supporting the chairman would’ve attached on their own.

“Saying it now. When you told me to take LK Tower as collateral, I thought the contract was gone. Actually that bastard Oh Jae-hyun also left cursing.”

“What? He cursed at you, hyung-nim?!”

“Right. Even he himself was fuming. A mid-sized president bastard arrogantly told him to put LK Tower as collateral.”

“That bastard dares to our hyung-nim.”

“Enough. He’s a guy who got ripped off for a whopping 900 billion, so what if I hear a bit?”

Didn’t know hyung-nim would hear all curses from that bastard.

“Sorry, hyung-nim. Because of me for no reason. I should’ve gone instead.”

“No. Isn’t the president there to do such things? Plus for 900 billion, what’s cursing? Should smile even if few corns get stolen. Keke. That bastard must feel like we robbed all his organs.”

In games too, when such things happened, hyung-nim always stepped forward as guild master.

Someone who knows how to take responsibility when it should be taken.

That’s why he was always reliable.

“I was also startled at first. But thinking about it, it wasn’t really problematic. It wasn’t a bad contract for that bastard either. Though we took LK Tower as collateral, if he just repays 900 billion to us, there’s no problem. Just extinguish the urgent fire then scrape together money to repay.”

The problem is Chairman Oh collapsed after contracting.

Probably President Oh Jae-hyun is tremendously regretting contracting with us.

“But why LK Tower of all things? Honestly even grabbing any affiliate there and putting it as collateral would’ve worked. It’s not like he can’t repay money.”

“Just. Suddenly came to mind. I also got LK Tower presale, you know?”

Honestly I wondered too.

Why LK Tower of all things?

Though there were plenty of other things, why did my intuition fixate on LK Tower?

“Though unlikely, if those bastards suddenly shake internally again and capital circulation doesn’t work, we could swallow it whole.”

“That would be difficult, wouldn’t it?”

“Just delusion. Even if it really passes to us, how would we operate it? Our country’s most expensive building plus hotel attached.”

Securities firms and funds are the same.

Just buy or sell.

Don’t do management.

“Plus Oh Jae-hyun just became chairman so he needs to earn money first, so he’s working hard attracting business. He definitely has ability. Already seems to have stepped into overseas here and there.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Must’ve been a project he was progressing quite a while. A bit stagnant due to management rights battles, but resuming progress. This time especially wanting to create a world-class hotel brand, he’s targeting Europe, with lots of funds going into France.”

“Pfft!”

There I unknowingly spat out the alcohol I was drinking.

Hyung-nim was startled and patted my back first.

“What. Jin-ho. Why? Are you unwell somewhere? Are you sick anywhere?”

“N-no. I’m fine. Suddenly choked. Sorry.”

“I’m fine. But you’re really okay, right?”

“Really fine.”

I awkwardly wiped my mouth.

‘But what was that just now?’

This unpleasant feeling surging up from my core the moment I heard the word France?