The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 72 (72/840)
< The Genovese Family. >
#72
The Genovese Family.
"Would you like to take it over? At $60 per share."
Anderson, who had been drinking with a smile, stiffened.
"Hey, James. Do we really have to talk about this on a day like today?"
"I'm happy and excited too, but we have to do business."
Han Kyung-young continued speaking with a smile still on his face.
"The market closed at $57 per share. If our shares are transferred in full to another place, there will be a problem with Anderson's management rights. That's why I'm giving you this option. A $3 premium isn't a large amount, is it, given the current mood? Our boss is offering you the right of first refusal as promised."
"Where's Charlie?"
"The boss is busy."
"That's too much. Where are you going to get that much money right away?"
Han Kyung-young couldn't understand the abnormal stock price of Netscape.
It was a company that had never once turned a profit. Yet, on its first day of listing, its market capitalization closed at $390 million.
"Mr. Anderson, you should either use your shares as collateral or buy them in some way. Even if you can't buy all of them, you need to defend your management rights."
Anderson pondered for a moment before responding to Han Kyung-young.
"Give me a few days. I'll get the money. But I'll only take over half. It's too difficult to take over all of them."
"Understood. No matter what the stock price is, it's $60. If the stock price falls and you break the promise... ."
Han Kyung-young left the sentence hanging, but Anderson understood without hearing it.
"Got it. Tell Charlie I'm grateful."
"I'll pass it on to the boss. Should I find a buyer for the other half?"
"I'll get it."
"Understood. I'll see you when we sign the contract. Congratulations again on Netscape's successful IPO."
"Thanks, I won't see you off."
Han Kyung-young left with a smile. The atmosphere in the room, which had become cold, gradually became noisy.
* * *
We had talked a few times, but it had been a long time since we met in person.
Pixar, despite my investment, still hadn't achieved satisfactory results.
"Charlie, it's been a while."
Steve greeted me warmly. Someone else was standing next to him.
When I looked at him, Steve introduced him.
"He's a businessman from New York. I invested in him when I was at Apple. His name is Andrew Gigante."
A middle-aged man stood up and extended his hand to me.
"I'm Andrew."
"I'm Charlie."
I felt like I had seen his face somewhere before.
But I couldn't remember who he was.
"You came suddenly, so I had no choice but to join. You're not upset, are you?"
"Of course not. Who doesn't know that Steve is busy?"
We all sat down, and the food Steve had ordered in advance started to arrive.
"Did you come to the U.S. because of Netscape's listing?"
Steve asked me while eating a salad.
"That's part of it. I also came to see Steve. How's Pixar?"
"We're about to release a movie with Disney. It's called Toy Story."
Toy Story was the movie that made Pixar's name known when it was on the brink of bankruptcy.
"Oh! That's great. It will do well."
"Are you not worried? You're a legitimate shareholder of Pixar, after all."
"As I said before, I invested in you, Steve Jobs."
Gigante silently cut his steak and listened to our conversation.
Even while talking to Steve, I kept being distracted by the man.
I definitely saw him somewhere before...
"Although we don't expect huge profits from animation, it has the symbolic value of being the world's first full-length CG animated film."
I quietly smiled at Steve's words.
It was the top-grossing film in North America in 1995.
Thanks to this film, which was a long-term hit during the Thanksgiving season, Steve announced Pixar's IPO a week after the movie's release, with renewed confidence.
"It will be a success."
"I hope so. To be honest, I'm a bit tired."
Despite his determination, Steve's face showed his concerns.
"Let me know anytime. I'm ready to invest."
"Hahaha. You're a funny guy, indeed."
Steve turned to look at Gigante.
"Andrew, what do you think? I'm right, aren't I?"
"Hmm."
"You're a funny guy. You're definitely different from the old-timers on Wall Street, aren't you?"
"Seems that way. If I were an investor, I wouldn't invest in Pixar at all."
"Haha, isn't that a bit much?"
"Have you ever seen me lie?"
While listening to their conversation, I observed Gigante's face. It was familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.
"Is your father doing well? His name keeps appearing in the news."
"Always. I don't understand why they keep talking about a sick person."
"I've received a lot of help thanks to him. I've never met him, though."
"It's hard for him to meet people because of his poor health. The help he gave you was at my request."
It seems my father has considerable influence in the U.S.
Wait, Gigante?
A name suddenly came to mind.
'Vincent Gigante!'
He was known as the boss of the Genovese family, one of the five major families in New York.
His brother was a New York City councilman, and he himself was a powerful figure in the American mafia, with strong influence in the Mafia Commission.
"His health fluctuates. That's how mental illness works, isn't it?"
"Yeah..."
Steve's words suggested he had received help from the mafia, but I wasn't convinced.
I listened carefully to their conversation but couldn't get any more clues.
At that moment, Steve's phone rang.
"Excuse me. I'll take this call."
Steve left the room with his phone, leaving me and Gigante.
An awkward silence filled the air.
Gigante broke the silence first.
"You're from a country called Korea?"
"Yes. Do you know Korea?"
"I know it, though not in detail."
Gigante observed me while we talked.
"What do you do in Korea? You look young, but you invest a considerable amount."
"I'm in the family business."
I casually mentioned the word 'family,' and his expression changed slightly.
"Sorry. It's an important call."
Steve returned at the right moment.
Steve alternated between talking to me and Gigante.
After the meal, we agreed to meet again before I returned to Korea.
"Would you like a drink?"
Gigante asked me casually.
"Sure."
Gigante and I went to a nearby bar.
The staff, recognizing Gigante, naturally led us to a separate seat.
Gigante, a regular here, didn't even need to order. When the staff left, he began.
"Do you know anything about me?"
I answered his direct question straightforwardly.
"At first, I wasn't sure. I only knew your name. But after listening to your conversation with Steve, I got a general idea."
"Hmm."
"Andrew Gigante, the eldest son of Vincent Gigante, the boss of the Genovese family, one of the five major families in the U.S. Is that correct?"
The conversation was briefly interrupted when the staff returned with drinks.
When the staff's footsteps faded, Gigante quietly picked up his glass, a cold smile on his lips.
"Even the FBI can only guess the true identity of my father. You're calling him the boss?"
"Everyone is confident, but they can't find the evidence."
"Do you do similar work?"
Someone who does similar work...
The American mafia did anything that made money.
Especially the Genovese family, which succeeded the Luciano family, was known as the legitimate lineage of the mafia.
They operated bookmaking and loan sharking from New York to New Jersey and had strong influence in truck unions and port unions.
Vincent Gigante, the current boss of the Genovese family, was the only one among the five family bosses to escape the law during the U.S.'s major crime crackdown in the 1980s.
In the 1985 Mafia Commission trial, known as the trial of the century, his underboss was convicted as the boss.
"Indeed, I do similar work."
"There are mafias in Korea, then. Not just gangs..."
The mafia always emphasized that they were different from gangs.
To me, they didn't seem much different.
"Did Steve need help from the mafia? It doesn't seem like it."
"Not from the mafia, but I helped Steve with sales when he first started his business. That's why we've maintained our relationship."
When Steve founded Apple, it was an era when the mafia was involved in all interests.
Without the mafia's help, it was impossible to transport and sell products properly.
Considering the era, it wasn't unreasonable.
But there was no special connection, just a friendship?
I nodded, only half-believing his words.
"Is the man behind you your subordinate?"
Manager Ma stood like a statue behind me.
"Subordinate... Let's call him my representative."
"You subtly hinted that you know I'm in the mafia, so it seems you have something to say to me."
"I don't have anything urgent to say. I just thought it would be good to know each other, something I can't say in front of Steve."
"Right. I can't say it in front of Steve."
If there's a connection to the New York mafia, it would be a great help for business in the U.S.
Unlike in Korea, the mafia in the U.S. hides well behind legitimate businesses, providing a channel for lobbying in politics and business.
"Knowing each other... Will there be any benefit for me, a small mafia from Asia?"
"The world is changing rapidly. Asia is not weaker than the New York mafia. Just look at the yakuza in Japan, who have similar power to the American mafia. The Chinese triads and the triads in Hong Kong and Taiwan are not inferior to the American mafia. You know that, right?"
"Hmm..."
I tilted my glass, as if to say there was no need to worry. There was no harm for me.
Gigante, who seemed a bit hesitant, soon nodded.
"Alright. Let's stay in touch. Whether we can help each other remains to be seen, but I welcome a rich friend."
"Hahaha."
He was a straightforward man, a powerful figure in the mafia. It would be useful to know him.
We had many conversations over drinks until late. He showed a lot of interest in Korea.
As the pleasant drinking session was coming to an end, I casually gave him a gift.
The news that the FBI had caught up with Vincent, along with the name of an internal whistleblower who had broken the code of silence...
It was a gift to commemorate our new friendship.
Han Kyung-young eventually sold our shares to Anderson and the investor he introduced at $55 per share after negotiations.
He also hired capable stock brokers and financial company employees from Wall Street.
After Netscape's listing, which signaled the dot-com bubble, the Nasdaq experienced a boom that wouldn't be seen again until the early 2000s.
"Invest all the funds from Dream High in the Nasdaq for now. Keep an eye on the employees and see if there's anyone you can trust."
"Okay."
"The ghost company operation is only known to you. Delegate the rest to the employees. Make sure the company can run even without you. If there's a shortage of staff, consider acquiring another investment firm."
"Hmm... I'll think about it."
"I trust you. And I think you need a bodyguard now."
Manager Ma left the room after hearing my words.
A moment later, he brought in a man.
"This is Michael. A veteran who worked with me at EO."
"I'm Michael, boss."
"He's a former mercenary and bodyguard, an American. Travel together. Michael, your boss is James here. Take care of him."
Han Kyung-young, who was a bit surprised by the mention of a bodyguard, seemed even more surprised by Michael's size, his mouth agape.
"If anything happens to you, my plans will be ruined. Be careful, always be careful. Never go anywhere alone. Always take Michael with you. This is not a request. Do you understand?"
Han Kyung-young nodded at my words.
Perhaps because of my serious expression, he didn't object.
In the hotel room after Han Kyung-young and Michael left.
"Is Michael reliable?"
"Yes, we worked together at EO."
EO, Executive Outcomes. The best private military company in existence.
Blackwater hadn't even been established yet.
"Make sure to monitor and protect Han Kyung-young. The $200,000 annual salary is not given for nothing. Let's establish a proper company. Do you know anyone suitable?"
"I know an administrative expert from EO. He was also my superior. I'll make a proposal."
"Let's set up the headquarters in the U.S. and a branch in Korea. Korea has strict regulations."
"Understood. I'll report when it's ready."
I planned to secure personnel before proper PMCs were established. Manager Ma's connections from his mercenary days were a great help.
In the U.S., the live broadcast of the demolition of the Japanese Governor-General's Office on August 15th was shown.
I watched the removal of the Governor-General's Office tower on the TV in my hotel room. Thinking about how the members of the Cheongpung Society would be distressed, a smile naturally appeared on my face.