The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 88 (88/840)
< Return in Splendor (錦衣還鄕) >
#88
Return in Splendor
Han Kyung-yeong's return to Korea was a feast for the Korean media.
Han Kyung-yeong possessed all the elements that the Korean media would love.
As a Korean immigrant who had settled in the United States, his success in the heart of global finance, Wall Street, was an opportunity to elevate the national prestige, which had been lowered by the IMF crisis.
Even before his arrival, many feature articles had already adorned the pages of newspapers.
With such sensational headlines.
Han Kyung-yeong was flustered.
The moment he completed the entry procedures and came out, the sudden burst of flashlights made it impossible for him to open his eyes.
"Mr. Han Kyung-yeong, please tell us the secret to your investment success!"
"Why did you come to Korea?"
Han Kyung-yeong couldn't react to the sudden barrage of questions and looked around.
"Please give a word of comfort to the people!"
"Did you come to Korea to invest?"
Han Kyung-yeong was hesitant about what to say.
At that moment, a group of people pushed through the journalists and appeared.
"Mr. Han Kyung-yeong? Please come with us."
Without any explanation, their abrupt action to take him away made Han Kyung-yeong frown.
The journalists, who seemed to know their identities, kept taking photos.
"Let's go, Mr. Han Kyung-yeong."
Under continuous urging, Han Kyung-yeong responded in English.
"Who are you to tell me to come or go? Am I your subordinate?"
The U.S. Treasury Department people had never treated him this way.
Being approached by unknown people who told him to follow them, he couldn't help but feel upset.
A few journalists who knew English and the people in the group were stunned by Han Kyung-yeong's response.
"So, who are you?"
The person who seemed to be the leader replied in English.
"I am Hong Tae-soo, working in the Blue House Secretariat. The President wishes to meet you."
Hong Tae-soo thought that now that he had introduced himself, Han Kyung-yeong would bow down.
However, Han Kyung-yeong's reaction was completely different from what he expected.
"Ha ha ha, do I look like a Korean citizen to you? I am a U.S. citizen. If you want to meet me, make an appointment first. No matter where you come from, don't give me orders like this."
Hong Tae-soo and the Secretariat people were momentarily speechless, staring blankly at Han Kyung-yeong's face.
Ignoring them, Han Kyung-yeong turned to the journalists and spoke in Korean.
"Journalists, I'm still adjusting to the time difference and am not in the right state of mind. I will hold a separate press conference or interview later. Please understand."
But the Korean journalists wouldn't back down so easily.
"Please give us just one word. Why did you come to Korea?"
"What do you think about the current Korean economy?"
Ignoring the continuous questions, Han Kyung-yeong finally pointed to one journalist.
"I will only answer one question. You there, yes, that's right."
The journalist pointed out by Han Kyung-yeong smiled brightly and stepped forward.
Envy was evident in the eyes of all the journalists.
"Please give us your thoughts on the Korean economy. Recently, we have handed over economic sovereignty to the IMF. What are your thoughts on this?"
"Ha ha ha. I said I would answer one, but now it's two."
Han Kyung-yeong laughed, momentarily refreshing the atmosphere before answering the journalist's question.
"I believe that the Korean economy, which is currently struggling, will soon recover. That's why I came to Korea and plan to invest here. I have faith in the resilience of the Korean people. Haven't we all experienced the Miracle on the Han River?"
Han Kyung-yeong used gestures to emphasize his positive words.
"You mentioned that we handed over economic sovereignty to the IMF. It was an unavoidable choice. Their demands may be excessive, but ultimately, we have no choice but to open the capital market. We cannot develop in isolation. I believe that this foreign exchange crisis is a time for the Korean government and people to become more vigilant."
With those words, Han Kyung-yeong tried to leave with his security detail.
However, Hong Tae-soo and his people blocked his way.
"A VIP wants to meet you. If you continue like this, living in Korea will be very inconvenient for you."
Hong Tae-soo threatened in a low voice.
After a moment of silence, Han Kyung-yeong burst out laughing, finding it absurd.
"Ha ha ha! You must be kidding. Mr. Hong Tae-soo, even the people you grovel to and serve need to make an appointment to meet me. It seems the Korean government still doesn't know how to handle things. Step aside, or I will formally protest through the U.S. government."
This time, he spoke in Korean, so all the journalists heard it clearly.
There was no need to explain how powerful the Blue House Secretariat was in Korea.
Hong Tae-soo couldn't hide his flustered expression. He had never received such treatment while working at the Blue House.
Initially, he was taken aback, but soon he became angry.
"Mr. Han Kyung-yeong! Are you going to push this to the end?"
Hong Tae-soo raised his voice.
Just as Han Kyung-yeong was about to say something, another person ran up.
"Hello, James. I'm from the U.S. Embassy. Is there any problem?"
It was the staff from the U.S. Embassy who had come to assist with Han Kyung-yeong's entry.
Han Kyung-yeong pointed to Hong Tae-soo with his hand.
"These people are blocking my way."
The embassy staff glanced at Hong Tae-soo and then smiled at Han Kyung-yeong.
"We will handle it. You can go."
"Yes, thank you."
Han Kyung-yeong left the flabbergasted Blue House Secretariat staff behind and followed the U.S. Embassy staff out of the airport.
The U.S. Embassy staff turned to Hong Tae-soo with a look of disbelief.
"You work at the Blue House Secretariat? What authority do you have to oppress a U.S. citizen? We will formally protest."
"No... that's not it."
"James Han is an important figure in the U.S. as well. This is disappointing as an ally."
The embassy staff's face showed disdain for Hong Tae-soo.
With that, the embassy staff turned and walked away. Hong Tae-soo could only watch his back.
That afternoon, Han Kyung-yeong's interview was featured on the front page of the evening newspaper.
However, the conflict between the Blue House staff and Han Kyung-yeong was not reported in any of the evening newspapers.
This was the reality of Korea.
* * *
"Ha ha ha!"
I was secretly at the hotel where Han Kyung-yeong was staying.
I couldn't help but laugh when I heard about the trouble he had with the Blue House staff at the airport.
"He would have let it slide if he could, but he couldn't stand it when he saw their faces."
"Korea is still a place where authority is everything. The Blue House never changes."
Han Kyung-yeong shook his head from side to side, still feeling unpleasant.
"I tried to give them lip service, but I didn't expect to be treated like this. It doesn't happen in the U.S."
"You were treated like a Korean."
Choosing Han Kyung-yeong was a wise decision.
Being a U.S. citizen gave him such significant power in the current Korea.
If he had accumulated such wealth as a Korean citizen, the hyenas would have pounced on him long ago.
"They will probably contact you again tonight."
The National Intelligence Service would already be monitoring him.
My relationship with him would be exposed, but I didn't care.
I would need to be careful when meeting Eva, but my friendship with Han Kyung-yeong would only benefit me.
"If they invite you again, go to the Blue House. When will you get another chance to visit such a place?"
"Hmm... I don't even want to think about it right now."
Indeed, Korean bureaucrats would never come to their senses.
Han Kyung-yeong's status was greater than they thought.
A legend of Wall Street and a member of the Wall Street cartel—these titles are not just about having a lot of money. They mean he has significant influence in the U.S.
"For the time being, Michael and the security team will protect you. Soon, Eric's staff will come to Korea. From then on, they will properly protect you."
"Already setting up a branch in Korea?"
"Yes, I've prepared a reliable security team. I can't use Park Dong-su's subordinates as security."
"Of course not."
After some more casual conversation, we got down to business.
"You will invest the money from the New York corporation into stocks and companies. I will give you a list. The government will likely make many demands on you."
Han Kyung-yeong nodded slightly, understanding what I said.
"What about the shell companies?"
I hadn't told Han Kyung-yeong about Eva yet. It was time to start explaining the plan.
"I have a separate person named Eva who follows my instructions. However, there will be no connection between you and her. No one will think you are on the same team. Eva doesn't even know that you are my person. Of course, she doesn't know that I am the owner of Dream High Investments."
I didn't plan to tell Eva everything.
Han Kyung-yeong was different.
As I slowly explained the plan, Han Kyung-yeong nodded, showing that he understood, and listened silently to me.
"You will maintain good relations with the government while continuing to invest in companies. With the restrictions on foreign investment lifted by the IMF, you will play the role of the good cop, while Eva will be the bad cop."
"Yes, I understand. Eva will act like a hyena, legally and illegally, to take everything."
My plan was as follows:
When Eva shows a hostile intention towards companies on the market, Han Kyung-yeong will step in as Korea's white knight in the acquisition battle.
At that time, he will acquire the companies at a low price after getting the maximum debt reduction.
After that, he will use Dream High to gather as many shares as possible and then voluntarily delist.
While listed companies can easily raise funds, they are subject to many restrictions. Unlisted companies, on the other hand, have fewer restrictions.
Since we don't lack money, there's no need to maintain the listing.
"I understand. This is what I need to do."
"After the meeting with the Blue House, meet with the Progressive Party's Kim Hak-gwon. It would be good for us if he becomes president."
I didn't tell Han Kyung-yeong about the existence of the Cheongpung Association.
"Really? The Conservative Party is fine too."
"No, if the Conservative Party wins, it could cause problems."
I didn't give detailed explanations, but with his firm trust in me, he didn't object.
As expected, the Blue House sent someone to formally invite Han Kyung-yeong again.
During his visit to the Blue House, Han Kyung-yeong had a private meeting with the President and had a good verbal exchange.
Although the President gave a vague and non-committal response, the government immediately reported it as news.
A few days later, Han Kyung-yeong secretly met with the Progressive Party's presidential candidate, Kim Hak-gwon, along with me.
With less than a month left until the presidential election, and no sign of a rebound in the Progressive Party's support, Kim Hak-gwon desperately needed Han Kyung-yeong's support.
"Nice to meet you. I am Kim Hak-gwon."
"I am Han Kyung-yeong, Mr. Kim."
Even in front of a living political giant of Korea, Han Kyung-yeong couldn't be arrogant.
After the greetings, Kim Hak-gwon finally turned to me.
"Nice to meet you. You are Chairman Cheon's grandson, right? I heard you have been very helpful to our campaign."
"Yes, Mr. Kim."
To run for president, a party needs to gather all the funds possible, even to the point of uprooting the party's foundation.
While legally, if a candidate receives more than 15% of the vote, the campaign funds are returned, elections are not just events that can be run with legal campaign funds.
Astronomical amounts of money poured into the campaign, and it was considered normal.
However, most large corporations only gave lip service to Kim Hak-gwon while supporting the Conservative Party with large sums of money.
While my help was beneficial to the campaign, it was not entirely welcome from Kim Hak-gwon's perspective.
'At least, you shouldn't show such a face in front of people.'
The atmosphere with which Kim Hak-gwon treated Han Kyung-yeong and me was completely different.
"I didn't know you were friends with Mr. Han Kyung-yeong. A legend of Wall Street and the successor to Myeongdong..."
Kim Hak-gwon turned his head to Han Kyung-yeong, ignoring me.