The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 66 (66/840)
< It's always nice to meet friends. >
#66
It's always nice to meet friends.
It was the first time I had seen Hyeonseong's face in a year.
Our gazes met in mid-air.
"What? Why are you just standing there? Sit down. I already ordered."
At Myeongsoo's scolding, I took off my coat, hung it on the hanger, and sat down.
Since we hadn't been in touch after parting ways in Busan, I thought it would be awkward to meet Hyeonseong.
"Have you been well?"
"Uh, how about you?"
"I'm always the same. You said you visited my grandma every day, right? Thanks."
"Um."
But it felt as natural as if we had met yesterday.
That's what true friends are like.
Even if you haven't seen each other for a long time, there's no awkwardness.
"Save the family reunion for later. Today's star is me, you guys."
We all laughed for a while at Myeongsoo's playful words.
It felt good to laugh together after so long.
"Myeongsoo, this is just the beginning."
"I know. I have to maintain the grades to become a prosecutor. I have to study hard. I can study with the kids."
"Still, it won't be lonely with the kids around."
"Yeah, that's true. Anyway, I'm going to think of it as two years of death."
"Right."
Myeongsoo pointed to Hyeonseong, who was quietly eating.
"He's going to stay at my place for a while. He'll help me focus on my studies."
Hyeonseong nodded.
"Are you settled now? Are you still scared of me?"
"For heaven's sake, what a fuss. Is Kim Muhyeok scary? I'm not scared anymore."
Myeongsoo said something, but I waited silently for Hyeonseong's response.
Hyeonseong put down his chopsticks.
"I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I understand now. Why you went to such lengths... "
"That's enough. What are you planning to do now?"
"I'm going to stay at Myeongsoo's place for a while."
"Is that okay for you?"
"Yeah, I'm all better."
"Take your time. Think about what you want to do."
It had been a year since the accident. There were no signs of aftereffects, as Hyeonseong said. Maybe he was just hiding it...
"I want you to help me with my work, but that's just my wish. If you have something you want to do, just let me know. I'll help if I can."
"Okay."
"Thanks for taking care of my grandma."
"Thank you. I'll make it easier for you."
It would be convenient to entrust work to the reliable Hyeonseong, but he was a friend who had been hurt too much. I didn't want to take advantage of him.
"Let's eat."
Just as the dishes came out, we reminisced and had a lot of conversations.
The pleasant meal time ended quickly.
After parting ways with my friends and heading to Pyeongchang-dong, I leaned my head against the seat and closed my eyes.
"Boss, are you in a good mood? You look happy."
I opened my eyes at Manager Ma's words. I must have been smiling without realizing it.
"It's always nice to meet friends."
I closed my eyes again and leaned back.
* * *
In early 1995, the yen, which had been around 100 yen to the dollar, began to strengthen sharply after the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Hedge funds in the United States bought large amounts of yen and Japanese government bonds, fueling the yen's strength.
Han Kyung-yeong also bet on the yen's strength in January using the funds he had earned in Mexico.
Now was the time to bet again.
He planned to liquidate all positions and bet his entire fortune on the yen's weakness.
The Japanese foreign exchange futures market was on a different scale from Mexico.
It was large enough for us to make the trades we wanted.
In Mexico, we had to create the product, but in Japan, we didn't need to.
β Contract completed. Phew, it's thrilling. Are we always going to go all in like this?
"Good job. I'll tell you when to liquidate. Stand by."
β Understood.
"Focus on setting up a company in a tax haven for now."
β Okay.
I hung up the phone.
The so-called reverse Plaza Accord.
The yen's strengthening trend, which began with the 1985 Plaza Accord, faced indiscriminate attacks from natural disasters like the Great Hanshin Earthquake and hedge funds. The 90-yen mark against the dollar eventually collapsed.
Japan eventually reached out to the United States. At the G7 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors, they agreed to weaken the yen.
This agreement ultimately triggered the Asian financial crisis.
The futures and options markets were a zero-sum game where one person's gain was another's loss.
It didn't matter how much you knew about the future if there was no one to take the other side of the contract.
But the Japanese foreign exchange market was a playground for global hedge funds.
There were plenty of derivatives for us to trade.
The yen, the second reserve currency after the US dollar, and the dollar's tug of war would bring astronomical profits to me.
My initial investments in Netscape and Steve Jobs in the US were to disguise myself as an investment firm.
Of course, those investments also made me a lot of money, but they were nothing compared to derivatives.
'Things are going according to plan... but...'
I didn't know how the future would change because of my actions.
But to take control of Korea, the IMF crisis was the only opportunity.
I had to take the gamble, even if it meant losing everything.
Perhaps because I had already confirmed that the future didn't change in Mexico, I wasn't nervous even with the larger amount.
Now that I had taken care of business in the US, it was time to handle things in Korea.
"Grandfather, it's Muhyeok."
"Come in."
I went straight to Grandfather's study.
"I want to recover the funds invested in Hyunbo Group."
"Hyunbo? Why there?"
Surprised by my sudden request, Grandfather asked with interest.
"Their debt is too high. They are continuously borrowing from banks. We need to recover the funds or convert them into stocks and sell them on the market."
Hyunbo Group.
A large conglomerate centered around Hyunbo Corporation, specializing in construction and manufacturing.
The Eunmi Apartments in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, were built by them.
A major corporate group ranked 18th in the business world, but it was a hollow giant.
During the Sixth Republic, the group faced a crisis due to the Sujeong District land scandal, the largest power-related corruption case of the time.
Although Chairman Jang's bribery tactics led to his stepping down from the front lines of management, the group survived...
"Chairman Jang is nothing more than a real estate speculator. He's too greedy. It will come back to haunt him. I think it's best to recover the funds before that happens."
Grandfather stared at me without saying a word.
The regular sound of his fingers tapping the armrest filled the study.
After a moment of silence, Grandfather nodded.
"I don't fully understand yet, but I trust you. Take charge of this. Can you get Myeonghoon's help?"
He was asking me to recover the funds from a large corporate chairman.
This was a kind of test.
I could sense the expectation in Grandfather's face as he spoke.
I smiled and shook my head.
"No, I'll prepare and act with Manager Ma."
Pleased with my answer, Grandfather called for Secretary Ha.
"Transfer all the Hyunbo bonds to Muhyeok."
"Hyunbo Group?"
"Yes, transfer them all."
Grandfather looked at me again.
"Do you really not need Myeonghoon's help?"
"If Secretary Ha moves, it won't be me recovering the funds. What Secretary Ha does is what you do. Everyone knows that."
"Haha, good. Give it a try."
I bowed to the satisfied Grandfather and left.
* * *
"How is Hyunbo Group's financial status?"
"It's not much different from other large corporations. If Hyunbo is in danger, all large corporations are in danger."
Inside the study after Muhyeok left.
Chairman Cheon's smile had disappeared.
"There must be a reason why Muhyeok keeps insisting on recovering all the bonds. He said he has recovered most of the funds from companies outside the top 20, right?"
"Yes. We recovered all the funds, but we bought more convertible bonds from some companies."
"What is that boy thinking?"
"Since you've entrusted him, why not keep an eye on him?"
Chairman Cheon nodded but frowned.
Although the matter was already decided, he couldn't help but worry about his grandson.
"Losses aren't that important. People who have been successful all along often collapse with one mistake."
"He's always so confident."
"That's why I'm more worried. Too much confidence can turn into arrogance, and that can lead to pride."
Chairman Cheon already trusted Muhyeok.
A successor who had never made a wrong judgment in all his actions so far.
He trusted Muhyeok, but he was worried that this trust might become a poison.
"Keep an eye on him. By the way, what about the Cheongpunghoe's movements?"
"They don't have the capacity to focus on us right now. The current president is so stubborn..."
"Indeed, Yonghyun must be busy too."
Chairman Cheon's voice carried a hint of amusement.
The Cheongpunghoe had tried to pressure politicians and bureaucrats, but the president was pushing through his agenda with determination.
He had even announced a real-name property registration system on top of the financial real-name system, causing chaos.
"Have you transferred the properties to your name?"
"All the properties held in trust have been transferred to the young master."
"Good. Make sure there's no room for problems in the future, even after I'm gone."
"...... Chairman."
Secretary Ha looked at him with a troubled expression.
Chairman Cheon chuckled and waved his hand.
"Hey, I'm not dead yet. No need to look at me like that."
"......"
Although his recent health checkup showed no abnormalities, Chairman Cheon knew his physical strength was declining.
After dismissing Secretary Ha, Chairman Cheon looked out the window and muttered.
"Min-suk, I'm sorry. I'll come to you soon."
* * *
After receiving the bonds and financial statements from Secretary Ha, I began my review.
I had already assigned Manager Ma to conduct a separate investigation.
There were no major issues on the financial statements.
The debt ratio was high, but it wasn't much different from other large corporations.
However, I knew the insides were rotten.
There were many short-term loans. If one payment failed, the entire group would collapse.
The bonds Grandfather held were convertible bonds of Hyunbo Corporation, which were not listed.
Using these, I could take over Hyunbo Group with a bit of effort, but...
'There's no need to do that.'
More appetizing companies would come up for sale later. I didn't want to eat this rotten apple.
"Indeed, excessive external borrowing is causing excessive financial costs. They keep getting loans by bribing, but it's uncertain how long that will last."
After hearing Manager Ma's report, I was even more certain.
It was time to settle things.
"Let's go. To collect the money."
The headquarters of the 18th-ranked large corporation was in a truly absurd location.
I had never known this before.
"Is this really it?"
Looking up at the Eunmi Apartments commercial building, I asked in disbelief.
"Yes."
The answer didn't change.
I let out a hollow laugh.
"Really, this guy is not an ordinary person."
The headquarters of Hyunbo Group was on the third floor of an apartment commercial building.