I don't plan on cutting even a single penny off.
I already knew the family history of the KS Group.
The eldest son of Choi Woo-shik couple had a different seed, and Choi Woo-shik was aware of this fact.
Choi Woo-shik also had an illegitimate child. And his wife, Yoon Hyun-joo, knew about it.
So, to summarize in one word, it was a bean powder family.
"Do you know that Chairman Choi Woo-shik knows your secret?"
"Are you collecting stocks under someone else's name? That's because the president······."
I shook my head and cut off Yoon Hyun-joo's words.
"The eldest son who will inherit the company is another man's child."
"······."
"Chairman Choi Woo-shik already knows."
"Is that true?"
Her eyes shook violently as she questioned him. I opened my mouth, trying to figure out his intentions while engraving that image in my mind.
"That's what I found out. We've already completed the paternity test in secret. I thought you knew about it, Director."
As soon as the word management rights came up, I concluded that Yoon Hyun-joo knew that Choi Woo-shik had done a paternity test on his eldest son.
But the response that came back was completely different.
"Didn't you know?"
She nodded, unable to control her bewildered expression.
"So I thought you were trying to take over management rights."
"How on earth did he······."
I shrugged my shoulders as I watched Yoon Hyun-joo muttering in a dazed manner.
"I don't know about that. I just found out while researching about the KS Group. Oh, you know that Chairman Choi Woo-shik has an illegitimate child, right?"
"I know that. I'm thinking of passing the group down to that kid."
"Knowing that, did you think Chairman Choi Woo-shik wouldn't know that his successor was of a different bloodline?"
There is a child born from an affair.
Both men want to pass the group down to their bloodlines.
"That's why he must have collected stocks in someone else's name. It was after he found out that Chairman Choi Woo-shik was going to hand over management rights to his illegitimate child."
"······That's right. It was insurance."
It was a good opportunity for Yoon Hyun-joo.
Due to Chairman Choi Woo-sik's fraudulent accounting and embezzlement scandal, the stock prices of all affiliates of the KS Group fell simultaneously.
She did not miss the opportunity and bought the shares of not only the holding company but also all of its affiliates in another person's name.
However, the emergence of Sovereign brought the issue of management rights disputes to the surface.
The stock price quickly rebounded, and Yoon Hyun-joo, who had not secured enough shares to put up a fight, came to me.
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I think he decided he couldn't waste any more time because I told Choi Woo-shik that his wife was buying stocks under another person's name.
"He started monitoring my every move by moving his secretarial office. You told him that I was buying shares."
"I didn't do it on purpose. You know, doesn't it annoy you when Chairman Choi Woo-shik smiles? I tried to hit you, but I ended up hurting you unintentionally."
Yoon Hyun-joo nodded slowly without denying it.
"It's the fault of the person who got caught. I don't blame them for that. However, I don't plan on being kicked out like this. If he found out who my child is, I can't back out now. Please help me."
I didn't answer hastily, but instead knocked on the table and thought about it.
She also raised her glass again while I was gathering my thoughts.
'What do I have to gain by helping you?'
The reason I did not necessarily covet the management rights of the KS Group was because, except for KS Telecom, there was no sign of growth at the moment.
Daehyun Electronics, which KS Group was supposed to acquire in ten years, had already been acquired by Jungwoo Group and was engaged in the semiconductor business.
The future of KS Group was semiconductors.
But that opportunity is gone now, because I have no intention of selling Jungwoo Electronics.
What ended my thoughts was Yoon Hyun-joo's earnest voice.
"Please help me. I'll do anything."
"I'll do anything."
I stopped tapping my fingers on the table and stared at her.
"Don't you know how scary those words are?"
"KS Group is a company that was created by my father's efforts. However, my husband is an ungrateful person who has never visited my father since he retired. He probably doesn't even know how to be grateful to the CEO. When he was fighting with Sovereign over management rights, he stopped me in the middle? He probably thinks that's natural and is probably cursing me a lot inside."
I knew that too. How narrow-minded Chairman Choi Woo-shik was.
"I can't forgive him."
What the hell is a dirty dog scolding another dirty dog. It seems like people who are the same have found each other.
Well, if you're going to raise your hand, it might as well be to help a dog that's actually very filial.
"Okay, I'll help you."
Yoon Hyun-joo's face brightened up all at once.
"thank you."
"But there is a condition."
"What are the conditions?"
"Sell me all the real estate in Gangnam."
"Huh? What is that······?"
At my words, Yoon Hyun-joo rolled her eyes and trailed off.
"Why are you acting like an amateur? You know who my grandfather is. I'm talking about the buildings built on the land in Gangnam that your father bought under someone else's name. Hand them all over."
"······I don't know. What are you talking about?"
Look at this? Even though I say this, you still pretend not to know.
I laughed out loud at the sight of him scheming so obviously.
"Where on earth did the director get the money to buy enough shares to take over management rights? Wasn't it all the money saved by his father under someone else's name? The person who manages the property already knows that."
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Chairman Cho, known as a wealthy man with trillions of won in land in Gangnam, was her warehouse manager.
"I already know that Chairman Cho is the manager's maid. My grandfather helped me with all the work. Are you still going to pretend not to know?"
"What the heck······."
Yoon Hyun-joo opened her mouth wide in shock.
There was a hint of fear in his eyes, as if he had no idea how much I knew.
"If you hand it over, I will help you. Of course, I will give you the market price. I will not lower the price by even a single penny."
Chairman Cho owned more than ten buildings in Gangnam's core commercial district, and also owned land throughout Gangnam.
The land tax he paid was the highest among landowners in Gangnam.
Chairman Cho, who was hiding behind a curtain, paid his taxes without any hesitation and did not even think about lowering the rent to fill the vacancies in his building.
So most people don't know his identity.
Gangnam real estate agents know him, but only a few have met him in person.
"If you can't answer right away, I'll give you a week."
To be clear, Yoon Hyun-joo no longer denied it.
He just nodded weakly and said.
"······I'll think about it."
"KS Group will not be worth less than that land in Gangnam. No, comparing it to others is an act of ignoring KS Group. It's not like I'm just asking for it, it's like I'm saying I'll buy and sell it at the market price, so I'll wait for a good answer."
I got up from my seat and checked my wristwatch.
"Then please contact me within a week. I have to get up now because I have another commitment."
Yoon Hyun-joo nodded with a serious face.
As soon as I left the Hanok, I gave instructions to Director Ma.
"Sir, please find out all the stock holdings of the KS Group. Everyone with more than 1% of the stock, including all affiliates."
"Yes, boss."
"And Chairman Choi Woo-shik and······."
I continued speaking while looking at the Hanok.
"Please keep an eye on Yoon Hyun-joo as well. See who she meets and what she does."
"all right."
"Lastly, please investigate Chairman Cho's surroundings. Even if it's under someone else's name, the old man is still the owner. Tell him to report to you every day."
I didn't do anything, but the rice cakes covered in soybeans rolled in on their own.
Yoon Hyun-joo probably wouldn't have any other choice but to hand over the land and building in Gangnam.
Unless you plan on giving up on the KS Group.
As soon as I got in the car, I contacted Eva.
After telling her to come to Myeongdong, I sat quietly in thought.
Eva arrived at the Myeongdong office first and was waiting.
"boss!"
She was sitting alone in my office, and as soon as she saw me, she got up from her seat and greeted me.
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"When did you come? Aren't you busy?"
"Even if the world falls apart, if the boss calls, you have to come running right away. What do you mean?"
I let out a small laugh at the sight of him putting his hands on his waist and looking so serious.
Anyway, the jokes have gotten worse. He patted Eva on the shoulder and gestured for her to sit down.
"Let's sit down first. Don't just sit there. Let's have a cup of tea."
"No. I just got here, boss."
"What would you like to drink? Coffee? Or I have some nice pu-erh tea. Would you like that?"
"Yeah. The tea the boss gives me is delicious."
I pressed the extension phone next to me and asked for three cups of boycha, then asked Eva.
"There's nothing else to report?"
"Nothing in particular. I'm slowly sorting out my stocks little by little, just like my boss told me to. I'm mixing buying and selling appropriately, so probably no one will notice."
As expected, he's a tough guy. I nodded with satisfaction.
"I believe that since it's Eva, she won't make any mistakes."
"But why did you call me? Is something urgent?"
"Have you been in touch with the Sovereign Fund yet?"
"Sovereign Fund? Of course. We've been in touch about the KS Group issue. We're now discussing the timing of liquidating our stake."
The Sovereign Fund planned to liquidate its holdings and withdraw from Korea as promised.
"Really? Richard and Christopher Chandler are in Korea?"
"No. I went back to Monaco."
"Hmm······."
"Boss, what's really going on? Why are you suddenly looking for the Chandler brothers?"
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation.
It was only after the employee who had put down the tea left that he opened his mouth again.
"We would like to acquire the stake owned by the Sovereign Fund."
"Huh? Why did you take over that? There was no need to do that, so we just made an agreement in the middle. Ah, thinking about that day makes me mad again. That weird reporter······."
Eva frowned.
She complained, recalling a reporter asking Eva at a shareholders' meeting about her source of funds.
I smiled slightly and pushed a cup of tea towards Eva.
"The situation has changed. At that time, I was thinking of leaving Chairman Choi Woo-shik alone. But now, Director Yoon Hyun-joo has jumped into the game."
"Yoon Hyun-joo? Chairman Choi Woo-shik's wife? Why is that woman here all of a sudden?"
I simply told her the story I had shared with her.
"Is what I heard true, boss? It's totally Hollywood. The eldest son is not Chairman Choi Woo-shik's son, and Chairman Choi Woo-shik has an illegitimate child with another woman?"
Eva blushed as I briefly summarized my story.
"So, Director Yoon Hyun-joo asked me to hand over the management rights. She said it was possible with the help of Sovereign Fund and me."
Eva nodded, still frowning.
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"That's not enough. Half of Chairman Choi Woo-shik's friendly shares are related to that woman, Yoon Hyun-joo."
"But I don't think the Chandlers will back out if they find out."
"That's right. They are such people. So, should we take over the shares held by the Sovereign Fund?"
As I nodded, Eva thought for a moment and muttered.
"That's right. If the shares owned by Sovereign were to come out on the market, they would inevitably plummet······."
The stake that Sovereign currently holds is quite large.
He had purchased quite a bit of stock in KS Corporation as well as its affiliates.
"They said they'd give me an additional 20% based on today's closing price."
"20%?"
"But it's still cheap. The real estate owned by Director Yoon Hyun-joo under another person's name is worth no value. It's estimated to be worth about 1 trillion won, but I estimate its value to be over 5 trillion won."
Eva gave a small exclamation of admiration at my words and whistled.
"Wow. There's no need for something like the KS Group. Why are you so obsessed with management rights?"
"Well, maybe he thinks it's his since the company grew thanks to all sorts of special privileges given to him by his father, Minister Yoon. Anyway, it's not bad for me."
"Minister Yoon, is he the politician with a military background who was rumored to be a real power?"
"That's right. That's why we were able to grow so rapidly during the military regime. It was also thanks to that that we were able to acquire KS Telecom."
After her father passed away, Yoon Hyun-joo was managing the assets under his name. It was natural, since she was an only daughter.
Choi Woo-shik doesn't know anything about that real estate.
Well, I would never have known if it weren't for my grandfather's ledger that I got my hands on in this life.
In the previous life, all sorts of suspicions were raised, but the owner of the property was never revealed.
"Is it possible?"
"Hmm. Should I ask you to come in? Do you want to meet the boss in person?"
I shook my head.
"Then I'll be more suspicious. You can come up with a good reason. You can say it's because of the iPhone."
"Okay, I'll do that. I'll fly to Monaco myself. Those guys with heavy butts will say "Time flies by" if I tell them to come."
"Thank you for that. Now that we're done talking, let's have a meal together. You're too skinny, Eva."
Today I had no other plans. I decided to spend some leisurely time with the people I care about for the first time in a while.
Eva smiled brightly, as if she was so happy about the suggestion to eat together.
"You should go too, sir. What do you want to eat, Eva?"
"Expensive. You'll buy me some drinks too, boss?"
I left the office thinking about a dinner menu that would satisfy Eva.
< I don't plan on cutting even a single penny > End
< Everything is going according to our plan