Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 102

102. 30th. Panama Duck Egg (4)

Jang Ho-min, who had been reviewing the contract for a long time, closed the file and stood up.

“I understand, CEO Sun. I’ll go back to the company and review it positively. May I take the contract with me?”

“Of course! I hope to see you again in this spot, haha.”

Jang Ho-min shook hands with Sun Hae-cheol and returned to the company.

“How is it?”

The executives who entered the conference room at Jang Ho-min’s call examined the contract and couldn’t hide their surprise.

“Did you… really get this, Vice Chairman?”

“The conditions are too good. The interest rates are lower than domestic banks, so the burden will be much less, Vice Chairman.”

There had never been a contract like this before. The fact that the maturity was renewed every year and additional collateral had to be provided according to exchange rate fluctuations was a concern, but didn’t they request a $1 billion loan, setting the collateral value of the three companies at 800 billion won [approximately $600 million USD], on the condition that the usage was kept secret?

Foreign investment was going well, the exchange rate was around 800 won per dollar, and the national income was over $10,000, so additional collateral due to exchange rate fluctuations was just a formality. If this contract was revealed at a crucial moment, taking over Hango Steel would be as easy as drinking water.

As the executives’ faces flushed, Jang Ho-min smirked.

“There’s no need to make a fuss. Our side was thoroughly prepared, wasn’t it?”

The executives nodded.

Didn’t they check the Fed interest rates on a weekly basis to prepare for the loan negotiations and try to value the three companies offered as collateral as ‘fairly’ as possible? Although it was unknown from whose perspective it was fair.

“This is it. Drag it out for a while and then sign the contract.”

Jang Ho-min had no intention of appearing weak, even if he was in a weaker position. Since Standard Capital was trying to set the stage using Lee Dae-soo’s eldest grandson, he intended to secure an even higher position.

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Once the contract is done, prepare to detonate Hango Steel at the appropriate time and move in. The days of melting iron in Goro and receiving thick plates from Haedong Steel are over.”

“If they don’t like it, they’ll have to hand over the thick plate factory to us, haha.”

Jang Ho-min and the executives smiled broadly, waiting for the day they could kick out Haedong Steel.

***

I swallowed hard as I watched Sun Hae-cheol enter the office.

“How did it go?”

“Why is that bastard so slippery? He was testing me? Is that a family trait with Jang Ho-geon too?”

Sun Hae-cheol plopped down on the sofa and grumbled. Seeing this, Park Tae-jin chuckled.

“Vice Chairman Jang Ho-min is a bit like that. Didn’t the Chairman, Seung-joo hyung [older brother/respected male figure], and the Vice Chairman tell you that it’s just a facade?”

“That’s true, but… whether it’s a hyung or a dongsaeng [younger brother/respected male figure]… I don’t like those Jang guys.”

Sun Hae-cheol shook his head as he looked at Park Tae-jin. I said to him to lighten the mood.

“Still, please treat my sister well, Uncle. She’ll be your niece-in-law later.”

“Please take good care of my wife too, Owner.”

While Park Tae-jin was looking at me and Sun Hae-cheol telling each other to take care of our respective women with a pathetic expression, a phone call came in.

“Yes, this is Lee Seong-min from Standard Capital.”

[It’s me, Seong-min. Did the contract go well?]

It was Go Seung-joo. Seeing that the always calm man called first, it seemed like he was getting impatient to know if our contract went well.

“Yes, Baekbu-nim [uncle-in-law]. I heard from my uncle that they’ll review it positively.”

[Review, my ass. With those conditions, the executives in his office must be grinning from ear to ear, hehe.]

“Then that’s even better. I’ll pretend to be fooled until the contract is signed, hehe.”

How many contracts in the world are so friendly and even appear to be so submissive? Perhaps it was because they had just opened this year, or because they were lending money to the Haedong Group on favorable terms, but it seemed to have helped Jang Ho-min see us as pushovers.

I felt strange. In my past life, I was always disappointed that I couldn’t squeeze more out of them even when I signed contracts on terms favorable to us, but now I’m happy even if I sign a contract that’s disadvantageous, at least for now…

As I smiled, thinking about a year from now, Go Seung-joo’s voice was heard.

[After signing the loan agreement, stop by the company before going on your Panama trip. I’ve prepared what I asked for at the last group executive meeting.]

“You mean the power of attorney?”

[Yes. Everyone’s, including the Chairman, Vice Chairman, your cousins, the three CEOs, and mine. I’ve also kept a copy of your stock certificate.]

The most basic preparation was okay. I asked Go Seung-joo if the status of other preparations was also okay.

“What is the value of the Kazakhstan copper mine and the Australian zinc mine shares?”

[The confirmation from Deloitte headquarters just came in a while ago, and it’s much higher than CEO Bae’s estimate. Even the CEO was surprised when he saw it, haha.]

I wouldn’t know how much it was until I received the confirmation, but since it was certified by the world’s largest accounting firm, the value of the two mines could be sufficiently recognized. I was curious how much the value was that Bae Jae-hoon was surprised.

“Thank you, Baekbu-nim.”

This business trip seemed like it would be quite long. I’d have to be on the other side of the world for a month or two.

***

A few days later.

After Jang Ho-min signed a $1 billion loan agreement with Sun Hae-cheol, the three of us crossed over to New York. The first place we visited was the CEO’s office at Standard Capital headquarters.

“Welcome, Johnny!”

“Hello, Aunt.”

Claire, who was running towards me with her arms wide open, stopped for a moment and made a sulky face.

“Johnny, you’re teasing me, aren’t you?”

“No, Aunt. You even registered your marriage with Uncle, how can I call you by your name?”

Even when I retorted with a playful tone, Claire looked at me with narrow eyes.

“It feels strange to hear a younger guy call me Aunt. Just call me Claire, hehe.”

Claire, who was smiling brightly, also greeted Park Tae-jin next to her.

“It’s been a while, Tae-jin. How’s company life?”

“It’s fun because it feels like I’m doing double spy work. But…”

Park Tae-jin, who paused for a moment, wore a faint smile.

“I don’t think I should call Claire Hyung-soo-nim [older brother’s wife] either, haha.”

I didn’t know Park Tae-jin could make such jokes. He was always a serious man in my past life… I wondered if he had more peace of mind because the group’s finances were more relaxed.

“Tae-jin, really. How’s our husband?”

“I thought he had become a monk or was preparing for a bodybuilder competition. He works out at the fitness center early in the morning with a professional trainer, and in the evening, he works out with me or Doryeon-nim [young master] and goes home. He only drinks a glass or two of alcohol, literally.”

Park Tae-jin’s words were not false.

Sun Hae-cheol had changed after registering his marriage with Claire. He always worked out at the gym at 7 a.m. with the guidance of a professional trainer, and in the evening, he would have dinner at our house and practice taekwondo, judo, or kendo with us.

Claire listened to Park Tae-jin’s words and glared at Sun Hae-cheol.

“I thought he would be loose because we live apart… If I had known this would happen, I should have dragged him to court sooner, hehe.”

“I’m trying too, Claire. I’m a head of the family now, so I have to work hard. Including myself.”

As Sun Hae-cheol spoke with an embarrassed expression, Claire hugged him tightly.

“Thank you, Sun. We’ll have the wedding in early October. Is that okay?”

“Of course, Claire.”

With the reunion of a couple over, we entered the conference room.

Bang! Bang!

Sun Hae-cheol, who was pushed in by us and opened the door, blinked at the loud sound of firecrackers.

“Congratulations on your marriage, Sun!”

The identity of the firecrackers was the board members of our company standing at the entrance.

“You, how did you guys…?”

The board members smiled at Sun Hae-cheol, who was stuttering.

“We’re disappointed, Sun. How could you register your marriage without saying a word to us?”

“We heard from Claire and Henry. You went to court first, right? Hehe.”

“If you leave us out of the wedding, we won’t let it go? Haha.”

The board members smiled brightly at Sun Hae-cheol.

As the early members of Standard, the rookies raised by Henry and Sun, they were now forming their own teams and managing funds in units of $1 billion, but the bond built at Triumph seemed to be still strong.

“…Thank you, guys.”

Tears welled up in Sun Hae-cheol’s eyes. It was the first time I had seen the always cheerful man like that, but even I felt a lump in my throat.

When the reunion between the OBs [Old Boys] was over, the board members smiled at me.

“Thank you, Johnny. We were worried about when our Sun would get married, so thank you so much for helping.”

“No. My grandfather also said he was worried about when Uncle would get married, haha.”

I stopped joking and composed myself.

“First of all, I have something to apologize for. I’m sorry for asking you to fulfill my request when you’re tight on funds. And thank you.”

Even if I was the owner, it was wrong to move funds unilaterally without saying a word to them. Nevertheless, they accepted my request without complaint, so I offered my apology and gratitude.

“No, Johnny. Thanks to the Australian business, we’ve even secured a new business model, so we should be thanking you instead.”

“That’s not all. Thanks to the success of ‘Mission Impossible,’ ‘The Rock,’ and ‘Independence Day,’ the cinema fund’s return rate has turned positive.”

“Yahoo’s market capitalization is already approaching $8 billion. Gucci is also acquiring Fendi, Bottega Veneta, and Yves Saint Laurent, and if it goes public, its market capitalization will exceed $5 billion. The volume of stocks we’ve been investing in since the beginning has also increased through cyclical trading.”

“If it weren’t for Johnny, outsiders like us wouldn’t have been so successful. Thank you sincerely, Johnny.”

The board members, who were telling me about the company’s story, bowed to me all at once.

It seemed like they were acknowledging me because of my skills, which was a bit disappointing, but seeing the board members conveying their gratitude with bright expressions, I felt like I was gradually building a bond with them.

“Thank you. Then, shall we sit down and talk?”

Sitting at the conference room table, we turned on the projector to closely check the current asset management status, and then moved on to the training of personnel dispatched from Haedong Securities.

“Charlie Min, or rather, Min Joo-hyung’s group is achieving results with aggressive investments.”

“To what extent?”

“His ability to read the market trends and supply and demand and trade is among the top 20 percent of Wall Street fund managers. About 5 out of 50 are negative, but the rest cover the losses of those 5 and the return rate is 21 percent.”

The evaluations of the other directors were the same, so it seemed that Min Joo-hyung’s group was strong in sharp, intuitive investments. After confirming, I moved on to the next.

“How about Joo Seung-bin’s group?”

“Jason Joo, or rather, Joo Seung-bin’s group is good at analyzing the company’s financial statements and managing risks. The return rate of individual stocks is not very high, but all 100 stocks are positive and the average return rate is 20.6 percent.”

Joo Seung-bin’s group was showing a stable form, even if it wasn’t flashy. When I returned to Korea, I would have to take the related data and discuss the Haedong Securities organization with Jo Young-chan.

Finally, I checked the most important slush fund issue.

“Currently, the funds laundered through the Cayman Islands, Labuan, the Virgin Islands, the Netherlands, Switzerland, etc., amount to $100 million in U.S. dollars. We will continue to prepare $100 to $200 million each year, considering Standard’s business expansion and Johnny’s family business.”

All of this was illegal, but what could I do? If I, if we, didn’t use it, someone else would eat it and take away the business.

Since the government bond issue last year, Haedong Group had stopped creating slush funds, but as overseas businesses increased, more slush funds were needed. Construction projects, resource development, mergers and acquisitions, etc., weren’t all of them influenced by politicians from various countries?

To prepare more money that wouldn’t be caught by Korean law, I had to create it at Standard in addition to my grandfather’s slush fund.

I would block legal lobbying, but I would block the creation of slush funds for overseas businesses no matter what. Until I put Haedong’s sign on the Shinseong Group affiliates or kick the Jang family out of the Shinseong Group, not a single speck of dirt should be on the Haedong Group.

***

After the meeting at Standard Capital, Park Tae-jin and I joined the people from Haedong Corporation’s New York branch and crossed over to Panama City, the capital of Panama.

It is no exaggeration to say that the country of Panama was created because of the Panama Canal. This is because the United States supported the Panama independence army to monopolize the Panama Canal and made it independent from Colombia.

The Cobre Panama copper mine that I was aiming for was a business that the government invested in 10 years later in my past life, but it was destined to be branded as a deep-rooted evil and withdrawn, but in this life, it would be a super jackpot business.

“Hoo, I’m already suffocating.”

Apart from that, as soon as I came out of the airport, I was suffocated by the humid air as humid as the summer in Korea. The people in charge of Haedong Corporation’s New York branch were also frowning, and the discomfort index was soaring in the humid summer.

Looking at them, I asked the group just in case.

“Everyone took malaria medicine, right?”

“Yes, Director. I took it as soon as I received a call from headquarters.”

Panama is a place where 28,000 workers died from malaria and other diseases during the construction of the Panama Canal. Even if making money is good, it’s all for nothing if you ruin your health, so I had to be careful in advance.

After hearing the answers from the people in charge of Haedong Corporation’s New York branch and the people in charge of North Limited, I went into a regular room at the hotel I had booked, unpacked my luggage, and changed my clothes.

“President Park Byung-joon said he was staying at this hotel, right?”

When I asked Park Tae-jin, who was sharing the room with me, he nodded.

“Yes, Doryeon-nim. According to the information Vice Chairman received from Jang Ho-min, I heard that he is using room 1012 of this hotel.”

“I see.”

Jang Ho-min kindly included the room of the hotel where Park Byung-joon was staying in the Panama copper mine data and handed it over to Lee Myung-jin. As a result of double-checking with the data handed over by Gong Seong-pil, there was no doubt about the Panama copper mine data.

“It’s interesting. We clearly only told Gong Seong-pil to pressure Park Byung-joon, but it’s coming back like this… Hehe.”

I knew about the relationship between Park Byung-joon and Jang Ho-min, Jang Ho-min’s personality, and that he was preparing for an internal war with Jang Ho-geon. The more I thought about the events that had happened one after another, the more interesting it became, and a smile leaked out, and Park Tae-jin smiled at me.

“It’s possible because Doryeon-nim managed it thoroughly. If we recruit Park Byung-joon this time, no one in the group will doubt Doryeon-nim’s ability.”

“I guess so. This time, it seems like things will be easily resolved, hehe.”

It was thanks to the butterfly effect that I was able to pick up Park Byung-joon, the duck egg, so thank you.