The Genius Grandson of the Loan King - Chapter 99 (99/840)
< I will do my best to stop it. >
#99
I will do my best to stop it.
The Yamaguchi-gumi was a federation of various organizations.
Thus, the succession was passed down to a child only once, to the first boss, Yamaguchi.
Since then, it has never been passed down to a direct descendant, and the tradition is to hand it over to the boss of another organization when stepping down.
Watanabe Saoru, with his outstanding political skills and charisma, was designated as the successor.
He is also known for ruthlessly killing those who oppose him.
β It would be good to meet. Wouldn't it be better to resolve things through dialogue?
I had never met him before.
I thought about it for a moment, but there was no reason for me to avoid it.
"Alright. Where shall we meet?"
β Let's meet in Myeongdong tonight.
Was this a show of confidence?
From his suggestion to meet in Myeongdong, which was practically enemy territory for him, I could tell something about his character.
"Then let's meet at Myeongdong Hotel. At 6 PM."
β Understood. I look forward to a good meeting.
After hanging up, I looked at Manager Ma.
"Manager, I have a meeting at Myeongdong Hotel tonight. Please arrange for people to be stationed around the area and contact the Dongsuba side."
"Yes, Boss."
Manager Ma bowed and left the room.
Alone, I pondered why Watanabe suddenly wanted to meet me.
'Why? We had no connection before. Is he trying to eliminate me this time?'
I ran through various scenarios in my mind, but ultimately, no conclusion was reached.
That evening, I arrived at the hotel, the meeting place.
Watanabe had already arrived and booked a room.
I went straight to the room without prior notice, but he opened the door calmly.
"Welcome, Kim Muhyuk."
Watanabe's first impression was that of a 'businessman.'
"Pleasure to meet you, Watanabe."
There was one man with a sharp look, presumably a bodyguard, but no one else was visible.
"It's an honor to meet the master of Myeongdong."
As soon as we sat down, he smiled warmly and praised me.
"I didn't expect to meet the successor of Japan's underworld."
"Hahaha. It's not set in stone yet."
"Isn't the tide already turning in your favor?"
"You said you didn't know me, but you seem to know everything. Shall we get straight to the point?"
I nodded, and Watanabe smiled broadly.
"We plan to enter the Korean loan market. I intended to meet Chairman Cheon, the master of Myeongdong, but I heard that most of his business has been taken over by Kim Muhyuk."
"Chairman Cheon is still in good health."
Watanabe didn't argue but continued with a calm expression.
"Let's put the past behind us and have a healthy competition. Is there any reason to shed blood?"
"Your words sound like you're asking me to give up my territory. Does that mean I can enter the Japanese loan market as well?"
"Hmm... There's nothing to gain in Japan. The government has strict laws on interest rates, and illegal collection is difficult due to the anti-gang laws. But Korea is different, isn't it?"
I could sense a subtle disregard for the Korean government in Watanabe's words.
While I understood, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.
"True, but why should I give up the Korean market to you? It's a market I can handle alone. Would you give it up if you were in my position?"
"Hahaha!"
Watanabe laughed loudly, then his face turned cold as he spoke.
"I don't mind a fight, but are you okay with it? It seems you underestimate the power of Japan and me. I must achieve my goals, whether it was 100 years ago or now."
I smiled.
"100 years ago, you're still clinging to the ghosts of the past. Come in if you dare. I will do my best to stop you."
Watanabe's face grew even more fierce.
He may have put on a polite act, but he was still the successor of Japan's largest yakuza group.
"Looks like the negotiations are off."
"Is this something that can be negotiated?"
"I thought you were a rational person, unlike Chairman Cheon, but I was wrong. It was nice meeting you. Next time we meet, it won't be with smiles."
I shook Watanabe Saoru's outstretched hand.
"It won't be a friendly relationship. If you know about the Cheongpunghoe and me. It was nice meeting you too."
We shook hands with a smile, but our grips were tight, and we exchanged intense glances.
"I'll send you a gift soon, so look forward to it."
Before parting, Watanabe said this.
His words continued to echo in my mind as I headed home.
'A gift.'
I couldn't tell what he was planning, but I had a bad feeling.
"Manager, send the Black Bear 1 Team to Busan immediately. Once the domestic personnel selection is complete, bring them back. I'm feeling uneasy."
If someone were to attack someone close to me, the easiest target would be Grandma.
"Wouldn't that be inconvenient for Grandma?"
"I'll call her. It can't be helped until this matter is resolved."
"Understood. I'll make sure to complete the domestic personnel selection as soon as possible to minimize inconvenience for Grandma."
"Alright."
I looked out the window, trying to calm my troubled mind.
The red traffic light glowed in the darkness.
* * *
Prosecutor General's Office.
Chairman Park Dae-ho sat in a chair, his face gaunt, talking to his lawyer.
"How's the situation?"
"Domestic conglomerates and even foreign private equity funds are vying to carve up JooWoo Group like a pack of wolves. The government is also seriously considering the matter."
"Have you contacted the Blue House?"
"Yes, I contacted the Secretariat, but there was no proper response."
Park Dae-ho sighed deeply.
"What about the bail application?"
"We've submitted the application, but it's likely to be denied. The prosecution is taking a much harder stance than expected."
Park Dae-ho couldn't understand how he ended up in this situation.
He had believed that his path would remain smooth with the new government.
"At least I need to get out to stop whatever happens. Haven't you met the judge in charge?"
"He's refusing to meet."
At that moment, the door opened, and Oh Hyun-woo entered.
"Good to see you, Chairman Park Dae-ho. We will start the investigation now."
Oh Hyun-woo walked in confidently, sat in front of Chairman Park Dae-ho, and placed a laptop and a stack of documents.
The lawyer looked at them in dismay.
"I heard you applied for bail. It's likely to be difficult."
"Listen, Prosecutor Oh."
"Yes, sir."
"Can't you talk to the Chief Justice and ask for leniency? If Chairman Park is detained, JooWoo Group will fall apart."
"What power does a retired person have? I know Chairman Park built JooWoo Group, but he's also the one who brought it down. The more we investigate, the worse it gets."
Oh Hyun-woo pushed the stack of documents towards the lawyer with a calm face.
The lawyer's face turned pale as he looked through the documents.
"Not only the prosecution but also the National Tax Service and the Financial Services Commission have been mobilized. It was a challenge for experts to uncover what you've hidden. Even if we liquidate all of Chairman Park's stocks and real estate, it won't be enough."
Chairman Park Dae-ho started trembling as he looked at his lawyer.
Oh Hyun-woo smiled faintly.
"Chairman, even God can't save you. It's better to give up."
That evening, Oh Hyun-woo addressed the reporters gathered in front of the Prosecutor General's Office.
"I am Prosecutor Oh Hyun-woo of the Central Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office."
Reporters raised their hands one after another.
"I am Lee Hana from Hanbit News. I understand there are other charges besides financial fraud and illegal loans."
"The investigation is ongoing."
"What will happen to JooWoo Group?"
"I am a prosecutor. My job is to investigate criminal charges and ensure they face legal judgment. Economic matters are not my concern."
Another reporter raised their hand.
"There are rumors that the Blue House influenced this JooWoo investigation."
"The prosecution is an independent body. We do not make political judgments. That's all for now."
"Wait! Prosecutor!"
Oh Hyun-woo disappeared, leaving the reporters' calls behind.
After the prosecution's announcement, pressure on the government came from all directions, both domestically and internationally.
All newspapers and news outlets published articles about the potential impact on the Korean economy if JooWoo Group were to collapse, fueling public anxiety.
Future Investment and major American private equity funds began to observe the situation, retracting their acquisition intentions.
After Eva announced a public tender offer, the stocks of all JooWoo Group subsidiaries, which had risen, started to plummet, recording daily limits and spreading fear.
The Kim Hak-gwon government could no longer delay the matter.
"Accept all of Han Kyung's demands."
Despite the concerns expressed by the chief secretaries, including the Secretary-General, the President's resolve did not waver.
"If we accept his demands, he will carry out restructuring and consolidate the subsidiaries, but he won't sell them off. If we wait any longer, it could become uncontrollable."
"What about Future Investment?"
At Minister Lee Sung-gyu's question, the President frowned.
"Are you a spokesperson for Future Investment, or the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Korea?"
"For your sake, sir."
"Hahaha. For my sake? What have you done in this situation?"
"Sir!"
Kim Hak-gwon shook his head firmly.
"There will be no reversal of the decision. From now on, work on transferring the entire JooWoo Group."
"There will be accusations of favoritism, sir."
"Favoritism? Go tell that to Eva of Future Investment. Ask if he's willing to acquire JooWoo Group under the same conditions as Han Kyung. When the financial fraud amount was announced, they were the first to back off, weren't they!"
Kim Hak-gwon raised his voice and started to get angry.
Lee Sung-gyu bowed his head.
"Understood, sir."
"Listen carefully. You are government officials. Be reasonable. There are limits to what we can endure."
President Kim Hak-gwon's eyes were filled with anger as he looked at the chief secretaries.
After dismissing everyone, the President asked the Secretary-General.
"Have you found anything on Kim Muhyuk?"
"According to the National Intelligence Service, the connection between Kim Muhyuk and Han Kyung started when Kim Muhyuk paid off Han Kyung's debts in Korea."
"Debts?"
"Yes. Han Kyung came to Korea temporarily, borrowed money from the loan market, and lost it all in the stock market. They became close after Kim Muhyuk paid off his debts."
Kim Hak-gwon frowned and tilted his head.
"Someone who was struggling with loans in Korea suddenly became someone who can move such large sums of money in the U.S.? Do you expect me to believe that?"
"The NIS director will report to the Blue House tomorrow."
"Something keeps bothering me. There's something about Kim Muhyuk. I'm sure of it."
Kim Hak-gwon stared into the air.
A small sense of unease, like a speck of dust settling in the light, slowly but surely accumulated in his heart.
* * *
"The government has contacted me. They will accept all of my demands."
"Good. Try to meet their demands as much as possible without causing inconvenience to the government."
Han Kyung, who had been staring at me, said.
"The government must be in a tight spot if they need to make concessions to an investor like me. In a way, you're a patriot."
"Me?"
"You may not think so, but your actions suggest otherwise."
I chuckled at Han Kyung's words.
"You could see it that way. But I didn't choose JooWoo for patriotic reasons. We'll see."
"What about the acquisition funds? Will you bring them from the U.S. corporation?"
"If Eva had acquired it, it would be different, but we can't use the money in tax havens. Bring 20 billion dollars from the U.S. corporation first."
"20 billion dollars?"
Han Kyung's eyes widened in surprise.
"It could be more. Even if we write off the debt, there's still a lot to pay. Most of it can be covered by restructuring and consolidating subsidiaries, but we can't ignore the costs for voluntary delisting."
"Is delisting necessary?"
"Since we're not just doing legal business, there's no reason to run a listed company. We don't lack money."
Han Kyung finally nodded.
"Ah! Once this is over, set up a meeting with some Wall Street people."
"Wall Street?"
He looked at me with a puzzled expression.
I shrugged.
"There's an opportunity to make money, and I want to see if they're interested in moving together. Dream High will be driving this time, and I want to see if they'll join in."