Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 53

53. 17th. Tokyo Air Raid (2)

The Great Hanshin Earthquake.

This disaster, also known as the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake or the Great Southern Hyogo Prefecture Earthquake, struck on January 17, 1995, at 5:46 AM, with its epicenter in the northern part of Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture.

With a magnitude of 6.9 to 7.3 on the Richter scale, this earthquake caused immense damage to Kobe and the Japanese government, resulting in over 6,300 deaths and an astronomical $140 billion in damages.

Knowing this fact and betting on the rising yen, I am the most heinous person in the world.

However, after listening to Park Tae-jin’s advice just now, I calmly accepted the reality that had unfolded once again. Futile sympathy and shallow guilt are luxuries I can’t afford; they’re nothing but hypocrisy.

“Really?”

Nevertheless, I widened my eyes and raised my voice in front of Seon Hae-cheol. Shouldn’t I play along?

“I’m telling you! I heard from a Japanese friend who runs a pachinko [Japanese pinball-like gambling game] business in Osaka that it was a complete disaster. If I had slept there, I would have woken up in the afterlife.”

Seon Hae-cheol even shuddered, but there was no way I would have slept there. I would have made some excuse to return to Tokyo.

“Heaven must have helped you.”

“The Chairman is right. You have incredible luck. Park Tae-gon should bow down to you.”

It wasn’t heaven that helped, but rather I who used heaven, but Seon Hae-cheol’s eyes were filled with awe as he looked at me. I had something to say to him.

“Uncle.”

“What?”

“Now that things have come to this, let’s see it through to the end.”

“Huh?”

“If the impact reached Osaka, how severe must it be in Kobe? We need to act before the hedge funds do.”

With an entire city turned upside down, it was a foregone conclusion that the demand for yen would increase, whether for insurance payouts or reconstruction budgets. I was stating the obvious, but Seon Hae-cheol and Park Tae-jin stared at me, speechless.

Regardless of what they thought, I wanted to end this insane gambling game quickly, like a headsman swiftly beheading a death row inmate.

It didn’t take long for Seon Hae-cheol to regain his senses. His eyes seemed to show resolve.

“Alright. Everyone, pack your bags and let’s go back to New York.”

“Contact Henry too. Have my brother take care of grandfather.”

I would no longer feign virtue and would run towards where my desires pointed, until this gambling den of madness closed its doors.

After calling those in charge to inform them of the local situation and packing our bags, we arrived at Narita Airport.

“I still feel uneasy, Johnny. I never expected things to turn out like this…”

Claire’s face was still clouded with worry, perhaps because she had woken up late and heard the news. In hindsight, weren’t we exchanging the blood and tears of the Japanese people for money?

“There’s no need to feel that way, Claire. We didn’t know this would happen.”

“Sung-min is right. If you feel uneasy, you can donate some of the profits later. For now, let’s just focus on our work, Claire.”

Unlike me, Seon Hae-cheol’s words were as sharp as a knife. He was ruthlessly professional in separating human compassion from business acumen.

“Mr. Park is right, Miss Lawrence. There’s no reason for us to feel sorry for those we don’t even know.”

Park Tae-jin even twisted the words we had exchanged while drinking after the Mexico deal, prompting Claire to regain her composure.

“Mr. Tae-jin is right. I was indulging in cheap sentimentality that only suits amateurs…”

Seeing Claire trying to steel herself, I called out to Seon Hae-cheol.

“Uncle, what about Henry’s call?”

“It’s already started. He’s gathering additional funds and putting them all into the foreign exchange futures market.”

Perfect. The advance bombing squad had already carpet-bombed with about 2.5 trillion yen, so the missile shower to expand the gains would be launched by Triumph and Standard in New York.

After confirming this, I looked at the electronic display board and stood up from my chair.

“Let’s go. We have things to do.”

Our work here was done.

All that remained was to return and see it through to the end.

Forget today’s events before tomorrow comes.

***

As the four of them flew to New York, Chairman Lee was heading to the Haedong Group headquarters along Gangnam-daero [major street in Gangnam district, Seoul] as darkness receded.

As soon as he hung up the phone with his eldest grandson across the sea, he had ordered Ko Seung-ju to convene an emergency meeting, so by the time he arrived, the heads of the affiliates and key executives would be gathered.

Chairman Lee arrived at the headquarters and opened the door to the conference room.

Wearing a black fedora, a black coat, and even a scarf, Chairman Lee waved his hand at Ko Seung-ju, Lee Myung-jin, the heads of the affiliates, and the executives who stood up and bowed.

“Everyone, sit down.”

Ko Seung-ju and Lee Myung-jin personally took Chairman Lee’s overcoat, hat, and scarf and handed them to the staff. Even then, the two returned to their seats only after pushing the chair forward to match the speed at which Chairman Lee sat down.

“As Chief Ko informed you, Chief Park Tae-jin, who was dispatched to Japan, reported that an earthquake occurred in Kobe this morning. Steel.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

When Chairman Lee called him, the president of Haedong Steel stood up with a very nervous expression.

“How much material do you have left to run the factory?”

“If we include what was in the Osaka warehouse, we can last for two months.”

Chairman Lee’s face hardened.

Having the warehouse in Osaka had averted the worst-case scenario, but if the supply of hot-rolled steel sheets from the steel companies in Kobe was cut off, it was only a matter of time before the steel factory stopped. Above all, we needed a substitute for high-quality products that was comparable to Japanese products.

Chairman Lee, who had quickly calculated the situation, glared and shouted.

“If the factory stops, we’ll lose money. Pay extra to get it, no matter what.”

“I’ve already instructed the purchasing department, Chairman. We will secure it at all costs.”

“The trading company is the same. Contact Frankfurt immediately, CEO Bae. Germany is the only place to replace Japan.”

“I’ve already given instructions, Chairman. They should be contacting representatives from Thyssen or Krupp by now.”

Listening to Bae Jae-hoon’s answer, who was suppressing his nervousness, Chairman Lee drank the water in his cup. Whether he had put out the company’s urgent fire, Chairman Lee’s gulp as he poured water into himself was relentless.

Chairman Lee put down the cup with a thud and called Ko Seung-ju.

“Chief Ko, how much money did Moolsan invest in Triumph?”

“One billion dollars, Chairman. We invested the entire amount in convertible bonds.”

The two’s exchange was reminding the executives gathered here of the most important fact. The presidents, including Bae Jae-hoon, Tae Jae-ho, and Jo Young-chan, not to mention the executives below them, were flushed.

“We declared our second founding around this time last year, but this year will truly be the first year of Haedong’s true second founding. Everyone, renew your mindset.”

Even without Chairman Lee saying it, the eyes of all the executives were lit up.

Whether they converted the convertible bonds into stock and sold them on the US stock market, or resold them to Triumph for a premium without converting them, a huge amount of money would pour into Haedong Moolsan. Everyone seemed to be contemplating what kind of business they should do with that money.

“Finish the acquisition of the North Port Container Terminal by this morning. Throw cash at them and take all the terminal shares. Increase the budget for research and development of textile materials, and push ahead with the Australian project that we’ve been promoting since last year. Go.”

After giving instructions to push ahead with the projects that had been moving at a snail’s pace, Chairman Lee finished the meeting and entered the chairman’s office with Ko Seung-ju and sat on the sofa.

“Did you take good care of the medicine?”

“Yes. I’ve fed it evenly to Yeouido [political and financial district in Seoul], the Blue House [South Korean president’s official residence and office], as well as prosecutors, judges, and public officials, so they’ll keep their mouths shut.”

Lee Dae-soo nodded at Ko Seung-ju’s expected answer.

“You’re as reliable as ever. There’s no room for mistakes, hehe.”

“Aren’t they just a bunch of bastards who are lucky if they don’t cause trouble? We have to make sure there are no repercussions, hehe.”

Ko Seung-ju, who was laughing while looking at Lee Dae-soo, stopped laughing.

“But if we acquire the North Port Terminal, we’ll need 200 to 300 billion won [South Korean currency]. Are you sure about this, Chairman?”

“Kobe Port is devastated. Where will the ships that used to go there go? Osaka? No way. Isn’t it already at full capacity?”

“Ah…”

Ko Seung-ju let out a low exclamation at Lee Dae-soo’s self-answering question. Osaka’s capacity was insufficient, so the only thing left was Busan North Port.

Ko Seung-ju, who was admiring Lee Dae-soo’s long-term vision, suddenly shuddered all over his body. He was reminded of a guy who had as much foresight as Lee Dae-soo.

“Sung-min’s report… it’s terrifying, Chairman. It’s as if he foresaw even this.”

“If not, he’s just incredibly lucky, hehe.”

Lee Dae-soo, who was chuckling, composed himself.

“How much do you think we’ll earn this time?”

“The profits that will fall to Moolsan alone will easily exceed $1 billion, excluding the principal. Even considering taxes, if we include the profits that will go into the slush fund account, it will be well over $2 billion. Maybe even more.”

Lee Dae-soo stroked his chin as Ko Seung-ju straightened his expression and spoke.

“At least $2 billion… we could acquire the Kazakhstan copper mine eight times over, euhehe.”

Even as he burst into a hearty laugh, there was no sign of satisfaction on Lee Dae-soo’s face. He seemed to want higher, farther, and more.

“Pick out the smartest and most trustworthy guys from the International Finance Department, mix them with the finance team from the secretary’s office, and send them to the New York branch. We need to break the Japanese bastards’ vault.”

“Chairman?”

Ko Seung-ju’s voice rose, but Lee Dae-soo didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.

“This game will only end when the Bank of Japan raises the white flag. If we create a strong yen in the foreign exchange market, won’t their dollars be released even faster?”

“I know. But the current dollars remaining in the company…”

“Use A-bulk [high-quality raw materials] as collateral and get a loan. Let’s use dollars to our heart’s content, hehe.”

Ko Seung-ju, who was trailing off, erased the tension from his face only after hearing Lee Dae-soo’s answer and a sinister laugh. If it was just to show that we had the ability to repay, rather than breaking the piggy bank, we could handle the loan sufficiently with a side agreement.

Lee Dae-soo did not miss that sight of Ko Seung-ju.

“You still don’t know me well, huhuhu.”

“I guess not, hahaha.”

“Even if I increase the business, I will never use that money easily. It’s the history of our family that I’ll give to the guy who inherits after me, so I can’t use it carelessly, euhehe.”

Lee Dae-soo stopped laughing in the middle of laughing heartily while looking at Ko Seung-ju.

“Wait a minute… we need to bring in the other three houses too.”

Lee Dae-soo picked up the phone and dialed the number. To avoid Haedong Group bearing the brunt of this fight alone and to hit the triple sevens faster, he had to drag the other three accomplice houses in to the end.

“Brother, this is Lee Dae-soo. You know the news… you know it. Come in quickly. Isn’t this an opportunity for you to beat up the Japanese bastards you’ve been grinding your teeth at? Let’s do our best to the end, hehe.”

“Oh, in-law? This is Lee Dae-soo. You’ve heard, too. Oh, it would be great if Geumgang Corporation joined us. Let’s do some patriotism like our ancestors did this time, hehe.”

“Have you heard the news, Chairman Jang? You’re just like you, hehe. Yes. We need to end it quickly. Tell your scholarship students to close their eyes and ears. Me? I finished it a long time ago, euhehe.”

Lee Dae-soo, who had called Taehyun, Geumgang, and Shinseong, drank the water that Ko Seung-ju had filled in the meantime.

“Hehehehe… Euhahahaha!”

“Ch, Chairman?”

Lee Dae-soo’s sinister laughter turned into a wild laugh that echoed through the room. Ko Seung-ju’s body was trembling again at the sound of Lee Dae-soo’s laughter as he looked at the ceiling.

“That Hogan guy, he used to say that one genius feeds tens of thousands of people, but it’s all for nothing. The real genius is in our house, but I feel sorry for him? Euhahahaha!”

Lee Dae-soo’s exhilarating wild laughter echoed throughout the chairman’s office.

***

After returning to New York, we went straight to the company without even having time to unpack or relieve our fatigue to direct the foreign exchange futures trading.

“It doesn’t matter how much it costs! Keep going until it’s over!”

“Deutsche Bank sent 140 million marks!”

“We received $76 million from JP Morgan!”

“Citibank will also shoot $67 million!”

The managers who were holding the phones were shouting the amounts borrowed from their respective banks and checking the accounts repeatedly. Everyone was converting the money into yen as soon as it came in.

I turned to Seon Hae-cheol as I walked around the desks checking the current status.

“Uncle, what about Henry?”

“He’s buying up yen with his investors. It’s already over $2 billion, hehe!”

“I guess they knew the tide had turned, haha!”

As far as I knew, the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan would consider 80 yen per dollar as the last line of defense.

If our allied forces, who had bet the most money on this game, went on the offensive, other guys would follow suit and pour money bombs. Japan would raise the white flag sooner than expected.

While Seon Hae-cheol and I were laughing confidently, Park Tae-jin asked quietly.

“But if the exchange rate collapses too much, it won’t be good for us in the long run, young master. Isn’t the main stage Korea, even if we’re here?”

Park Tae-jin’s concern was correct.

If the yen-dollar exchange rate soared rapidly, it could adversely affect the Korean economy, which makes a living by importing materials and parts from Japan and selling processed finished products to the United States. Wouldn’t we be pushed back in export competition with Japanese products? But I also had something to rely on.

“Washington will take appropriate measures. There’s a precedent called the Plaza Accord [1985 agreement to depreciate the US dollar], right?”

“…Do you mean that this time, they will restore the yen-dollar exchange rate in the opposite direction?”

“There’s a high possibility of that. They can’t let the economy of their proxy in Asia collapse.”

The White House can never stand by and watch the Japanese economy collapse completely. If Japan collapses, the military power to be deployed in the Pacific, in other words, the US government’s financial burden, will increase.

In the worst case, the Japanese government may release a large amount of US Treasury bonds held in its foreign exchange reserves to manipulate the exchange rate. If that happens, the value of US Treasury bonds will also plummet.

The United States, which runs its economy by selling debts to other countries, will have no choice but to lower the value of the yen on its own. The ‘Reverse Plaza Accord’ that took place in May of this year in my past life will be triggered again.

Park Tae-jin nodded after hearing my words.

“That could be the case. There’s already a precedent, even if the direction is different.”

“All we’re doing is speeding things up. Don’t worry, hyung [Korean term for older brother or male friend].”

Japan failed to win the early battle against the United States during the Pacific War, but I can end Japan quickly because I’m riding on the back of a giant called the United States.

The day the Bank of Japan raises the white flag, the dollars that were filling their vaults will be paid as war reparations to our allied forces.

While I was waiting for that time with the feeling of waiting for a savings account to mature, one of the employees came to find me.

“Johnny, a guest has arrived. He looks like an Asian and says he was introduced by Jerry Yang.”

I blinked at the employee’s words. Originally, I thought Yahoo would only bite around the fall, but is it because of the butterfly effect?

I decided to think comfortably. That Asian investing in Yahoo was like destiny.

Shall I go meet him? A gambler who believes in his vision and turns a huge game.