“Anyone interested in buying a bomb? Part 2
“Couldn’t we just meet at the office? Why go through all this trouble…?”
“Where… are we? This looks like Miracle’s headquarters… doesn’t it?”
Their awkward speech, darting eyes, and slightly trembling fingers made it clear that the three men entering the conference room were nervous.
As the grandson of the founder and the largest shareholder, I held their fates in my hands, yet I had never actively involved myself in the company. They seemed unsure of how to approach me.
“Please, have a seat. Yes, this is Miracle’s headquarters, but it’s mostly just me working here with a few staff.”
I tried to ease their discomfort by changing the formal tone.
“Speak freely, like before. I’m a major shareholder, but I don’t hold any official position in the company. It’s more awkward for me to hear formalities now.”
“Is that really okay?”
“Of course. Speaking casually doesn’t change our positions.”
Their positions wouldn’t change… meaning I still held their fates in my hands, and I was their superior. The three men’s expressions hardened.
“I didn’t call you here for anything else.”
I tossed a newspaper onto the table, and their faces turned crimson.
“You’ve all seen the article, right?”
“Yes, we were just about to discuss it…”
“Hold on. May I speak first?”
President Yang Woo-chan closed his mouth and nodded.
“President Lee Min-seop.”
“Yes?”
He looked startled, his eyes wide.
“I saw your press conference.”
“Really? You did?”
“Yes, it was on the lunchtime news. But you completely denied the article, didn’t you? Something about not letting a journalist’s fiction affect the stock price, right?”
“Y-yes.”
“But how can you be so sure it’s fiction?”
“Well, obviously… there’s no reason to sell a profitable subsidiary of Sunyang, is there?”
“The sale of a corporation involves selling the shares held by major shareholders. The shareholders change. Shouldn’t you have asked me immediately after seeing the article?”
He avoided my gaze, unable to answer. He knew too well that no excuse would suffice.
The other two also began to look around aimlessly, as if they had read my mind.
“President Yang Woo-chan and President Go In-kyu.”
When I called their names, they couldn’t avoid my gaze any longer.
“I can’t understand why you would meet with people from unrelated companies about an article concerning Sunyang Card. The two vice presidents you met this morning have no say in our company’s affairs.”
“Well, that’s because…”
“Oh, since they’re my uncles, they might offer some advice if I ask. But that’s all, isn’t it?”
They all closed their mouths, clearing their throats repeatedly. They had nothing to say, and their pride was surely wounded.
Now, I planned to show them my childish side. I felt a bit sorry for the old men, but what could I do?
They always ran to my uncles whenever there was a problem, so they brought this on themselves.
“Is this your way of saying you don’t acknowledge me?”
“N-no, Do-jun, that’s not it…”
President Yang Woo-chan stammered, flustered.
“How much more can I concede? I haven’t made any personnel changes out of respect for your positions, and I promised not to interfere in management. But you must acknowledge my rights as a major shareholder, right?”
They all blushed, unable to lift their heads. Was I being too soft? Should I be harsher?
“Honestly, if I wanted, I could run a few companies with just a snap of my fingers. All you do is manage insurance agents, issue a bunch of cards, and collect fees and interest. What’s so great about that?”
The old men’s eyebrows twitched, and their foreheads wrinkled.
“I’m considering selling the card company because it’s a basic investment principle. Life, fire, and securities companies draw in customers’ money, but cards lend our money to customers. If I manage that money, I can earn dozens of times more. Do you understand what kind of person I am?”
President Lee Min-seop seemed to be at his breaking point. If I said one more word, would he storm out?
“You’ve dedicated your lives to Sunyang Group, so it must seem impressive to you, but you’re like frogs in a well. Look at America. They’ve experienced an unprecedented boom over the past decade. The Dow Jones index has quintupled. Has Sunyang grown fivefold?”
Was I being unreasonable, comparing stock indices to corporate growth rates? But what did it matter? I was just playing the role of a boastful young man.
“Money made from selling phones and washing machines? You can earn that in a few days on Wall Street. The world is ruled by finance, yet you still run around talking about production and exports. Honestly, it’s laughable.”
Finally, President Yang Woo-chan gritted his teeth and spoke.
“What are you trying to say? That we should quit and start an investment company?”
“I’d like to, but since it’s something my grandfather left behind, I have to hold onto it for now. Oh, I’ll keep Sunyang Securities and turn it into an investment company.”
I put on my most arrogant expression, and President Lee Min-seop finally exploded.
“What does a brat like you know, yapping away! You little punk. We built factories with cement and sweat before you were even born. It’s thanks to those factories that a kid like you can pretend to be a chairman!”
“If you want to cling to memories and reminisce about the good old days, retire and go back to your hometown. Time always moves forward. It doesn’t go backward.”
As soon as I retorted, President Lee Min-seop trembled all over, unable to speak.
“I’ve said my piece. I’ll sell the card company, and if the other companies don’t meet my profit standards, I’ll sell them too. My profit standard is my personal investment return. If you want, I’ll disclose my returns anytime. If you don’t like my approach, there’s only one option. Move to my uncle’s company, which you seem to prefer. But resign first.”
I was serious about the resignation.
I hadn’t personally appointed them as presidents, so they wouldn’t accept me. When they saw my face, they’d see a ten-year-old child. How could they stand behind me?
I needed executives who shared that moment of triumph in their careers with me.
“I’ve said all I need to say, so please leave. I have a lot of work to do.”
Before I even finished speaking, they all stood up and left in a rush.
Their pent-up anger was evident in the loud slam of the door.
Now, they’ll run to my uncles, exaggerate what I said, and hope my uncles judge me based on that.
Jin Dong-ki smirked as he read the sign in front of the Sunyang Hotel’s Japanese restaurant.
“Closed for internal repairs today. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
It was undoubtedly the work of Vice President Jin Young-ki.
The eldest son, filled with a sense of entitlement, couldn’t stand being in the same space as ordinary people.
Born as the eldest son of Sunyang’s founder, he saw himself as chosen and couldn’t escape the compulsion that everything had to be special.
Jin Dong-ki shook his head and opened the door.
“Welcome, Vice President. Your table is ready over here.”
“Is no one else here yet?”
“No, sir.”
Seeing the employee unable to lift his head, as if it were his fault others were late, irritated him.
“Bring me a cold beer. I’ll move to the window seat.”
Jin Dong-ki settled at a table with the best view of the snow-covered garden.
A sip of the icy beer brought some calm.
The entrance grew noisy, and Jin Young-ki approached briskly.
“Are you alone? Where’s Yoon-ki?”
“Not here yet. He’ll come. Sit down.”
“What’s he doing, not moving early?”
Jin Young-ki also showed his irritation and raised his hand. An employee hurried over, bowing.
“Bring me a beer too, and serve the food. We’ll eat while we wait.”
“Yes, Vice President.”
As the courses arrived one by one, the two men ignored the food, sipping their beers in silence.
Finally, Vice President Jin Young-ki spoke.
“What’s Yoon-ki doing? It’s been 30 minutes.”
“Maybe he’s giving us time.”
“Time for what?”
“Time to negotiate first.”
Jin Young-ki set his beer down with a thud, a peculiar smile on his face. It seemed mocking.
“Give it up. You and I both know the company’s situation inside out. You don’t have the funds to acquire the card company.”
“There’s always some pocket money.”
“Don’t overextend yourself out of greed. The card company isn’t essential for either of us.”
“Isn’t it the same for you? With Sunyang Electronics making a fortune, why bother with a financial company?”
“The reasons aren’t different from yours. Isn’t that right?”
The goal was to have one more Sunyang subsidiary, even if the details differed. The main objective was to show off.
The number of key subsidiaries. Who has more determines the status.
After their father passed, when outsiders looked at Sunyang, they’d judge which brother was superior based on size.
Sales, operating profit, number of subsidiaries, and so on.
The effort to expand a company’s size and the brothers’ efforts to increase subsidiaries were no different.
Vice President Jin Young-ki had already assessed Sunyang Card’s value. He knew the shares needed to control the company and had enough funds to match.
As long as the young nephew didn’t do anything crazy, Sunyang Card would surely be his.
As the two men glared at each other, the entrance grew noisy again.
“Who told you to run the business like this?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Whether it’s this or that! Do you have any idea how much we make in a day? Do you think money just falls from the sky if we take a day off? What on earth are you thinking?”
“I’m really sorry. But it was the vice president’s order, so we had no choice.”
“The vice president? Vice President Jin Seo-yoon?”
“N-no, it was Vice President Jin Young-gi…”
“What?”
With a voice that loud, there’s no way he didn’t hear it.
Vice President Jin Young-gi’s face twisted in irritation.
And that voice wasn’t the one he was expecting to hear.
“Brother, isn’t that… Do-jun?”
“Why are you asking? You can tell just by his towering height. But what’s going on here?”
“Exactly. Why is he here?”
Just as Jin Dong-gi pulled out his phone, a message popped up with a ding.
“Handle it yourself. The Sunyang subsidiaries aren’t mine; they’re Do-jun’s. Don’t be too harsh and make the kid cry. Be gentle… That’s all.”
Feeling bewildered, Jin Dong-gi was about to call Jin Yoon-gi when his nephew strode over to the table.
“Sorry I’m late, Uncle. Dad called me out of the blue, so I rushed over.”
The two men let out a short sigh as they watched their nephew bow his head. The thought of discussing handing over or selling the company in front of him was more than a little awkward.