The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 135

#135

Winning Before Fighting

This saying from Sun Tzu’s *Art of War* means achieving victory even before engaging in direct combat.

Victorious armies win easily because they establish the conditions for success before the battle even begins.

Fighting Before Winning

Losing armies struggle and barely manage to win because they seek ways to achieve victory only after the battle has commenced.

In the Dragon Motors acquisition, Shinhwa Group’s strategy was to ‘win before fighting.’

After announcing their intention to acquire Dragon Motors, Shinhwa Group actively promoted the benefits of the acquisition through various media channels.

First, they emphasized Shinhwa Group’s substantial financial resources.

Shinhwa Technology, formerly known as Hanho before rebranding to Shinhwa, is also making significant investments in research and development.

Their focus is on tanks, self-propelled guns, and missiles, areas where they possess a competitive edge.

They are striving to become global leaders in these specific military technologies.

Next, they announced plans to recruit three of the world’s top automotive designers following the acquisition.

The fact that one of them considered joining Dragon Motors was seen as a miracle.

Initially, people were skeptical, but the designer confirmed his participation in an interview.

He stated that he would join as the design director if Shinhwa Group successfully acquired the company.

Whether motivated by artistic passion or financial incentives remains unclear, but his involvement promised to revolutionize Dragon Motors’ design philosophy.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they addressed job security.

Shinhwa Group has acquired numerous companies in the past but has never implemented layoffs.

This track record became a key selling point.

Subsequently, the labor union endorsed the acquisition, and civic groups in Pyeongtaek City issued statements of support.

Small business owners in the vicinity of the factory also organized rallies, asserting that Shinhwa Group was the only viable option for the acquisition.

They were well aware of the GM Daewoo Motors layoffs that had occurred in Bupyeong [a city in South Korea], and the resulting hardships faced by small business owners who struggled to maintain their businesses for over a year.

In the chairman’s office, Jung-hoon calmly awaited the final outcome.

He surveyed the room.

No one doubted Shinhwa Group’s success in the acquisition.

The phone rang.

“This is Yoon Jung-hoon.”

“Connecting you to the President.”

Soon, Gu Han-soo’s voice came through the line.

“The announcement will be made shortly. I’m calling to confirm the promise.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be too busy to even consider layoffs.”

“Hahaha, Chairman Yoon’s spirit is truly admirable. I wish Dragon Motors soaring success.”

“Thank you.”

After ending the call, Jung-hoon looked at the people gathered in the chairman’s office.

All eyes were fixed on him.

“We have embraced a dragon.”

“Kyaa!”

Cha Young-mi exclaimed.

She embraced Lee Byung-seok tightly, who then lifted her and spun her around in elation.

The two exchanged a prolonged, intense gaze.

The distance between their lips began to close.

‘Are those two crazy? Anyway, those two are a bit… excessive.’

“That’s enough.”

Jung-hoon quickly intervened.

“Cha Young-mi, call Dragon Motors. Tell all executives to gather.”

“I’ll call right away.”

“Eun-soo, let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Jung-hoon tossed the keys to his beloved Bugatti to Eun-soo.

He now manages the keys himself.

He couldn’t continue to tolerate her secretly taking it out every night and wasting gas money.

Yoon Jung-hoon, the head of Shinhwa Group, felt a strange aversion to the amount of gas money Eun-soo was consuming.

The Bugatti, roaring like a monster, arrived at the factory entrance.

-Woo Woong!

It sped past the main gate and pulled up to the entrance of the main building.

“Hey, turn up the engine sound a bit.”

The roar of the engine reverberated.

The executives and employees lined up in front of the main building visibly flinched.

As he exited the car, an employee escorted Jung-hoon to the conference room.

The executives followed Jung-hoon, who led the way.

Jung-hoon’s shoulders straightened.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yoon Jung-hoon, Chairman of Shinhwa Group.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The narrow conference room echoed with the collective greeting.

Jung-hoon’s lips curled into a smile.

He wasn’t intoxicated by power.

Respect? Obedience?

The ambiguous attitude of the employees, difficult to define, was simply not unpleasant.

“Effective today, Dragon Motors’ company name will be changed to Shinhwa Motors.”

Everyone nodded.

“Soon, the new Chairman of Shinhwa Motors will be appointed. I hope everyone will actively support his management philosophy.”

“Yes.”

Jung-hoon turned his head and looked around.

Everyone was focused on Jung-hoon’s words.

“And today, I will announce the layoffs.”

“Yes? Wasn’t it a full employment succession?”

“That’s for production workers and lower-level office workers. Executives are not the target.”

“This is a breach of promise.”

A man with a shiny bald head sitting in the middle stood up and shouted.

A firm resolve was etched on his face.

***

He couldn’t resign in such a humiliating manner.

He wanted to be a martyr.

He believed he should become a victim of the new chairman’s unfair oppression.

A glorious martyrdom.

That was the envisioned ending of Cha Joon-seok’s dream company life.

He glared at Chairman Yoon Jung-hoon, who was conducting the meeting.

The shameful incidents that had occurred in the airplane bathroom and in the factory flashed through his mind.

His hideous behavior had been exposed to others.

He seized this opportunity to reverse the situation.

“It’s different from the promise. Didn’t you promise job security?”

Standing up from his seat, he glared at Yoon Jung-hoon, who was sitting in the chairman’s seat.

He took a step towards him.

Incheon Legend Cha Joon-seok.

He was a legend who had beaten 3rd graders when he was in 1st grade and had taken down the Incheon gangsters when he was in 3rd grade.

Today, he would announce the resurrection of the legend and resign with dignity.

The romance of office workers resisting unfair abuse of power.

Today, Incheon Legend Cha Joon-seok would deliver an uppercut to Chairman Yoon Jung-hoon’s face and resign.

“Director Cha Joon-seok. Haven’t you resigned yet?”

“Keep your promise. Yoon Jung-hoon.”

‘Yoon Jung-hoon? That guy…’

“I can’t work with criminals.”

“What?”

Fire blazed in Cha Joon-sik’s eyes.

Jung-hoon smirked at him.

He could feel the animosity emanating from him as he approached.

His face suggested he was about to throw a punch with his fist clenched tightly.

“What is it? Are you suggesting we should resort to violence?”

Jung-hoon turned his chair to face him as he approached.

Cha Joon-seok trembled before him and sat down.

“You rude young bastard, I’ll teach you some manners.”

His fist flew towards Jung-hoon.

Jung-hoon, still seated, kicked him in the groin with his instep.

-Heok…!

The movement ceased.

He looked at Cha Joon-seok’s face, who was losing his balance and falling forward.

He punched him, just like that day.

“Look, Director Cha. You should have been grateful for being fired. I was going to handle this amicably, but I guess not.”

Jung-hoon nodded to Eun-soo, who was standing guard in the corner.

“Eun-soo, bring what’s in the trunk. I need to correct Director Cha Joon-seok’s bad habits.”

After a moment, Eun-soo entered the conference room carrying a large cleaver.

Everyone was startled.

“Director Cha, you’ve been sexually harassing subcontractors. It seems this right hand is the source of the bad habits you displayed on the plane. I’m going to remove it and correct your hand habits for good.”

Eun-soo grabbed his wrist and positioned it on the cleaver.

“Ah, ah. Please save me. Chairman. I was wrong. Please save me.”

He was desperate.

“I’ll save you. Don’t worry. I’m helping you.”

“Please forgive me. Please, huh? I’ll leave quietly. Just once, please just once.”

“No. We have to set an example. Eun-soo.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Clench your teeth tightly.”

“Iaaaah!”

“No!!!”

Cha Joon-seok fainted at Eun-soo’s exaggerated actions.

His pants became wet, and the salty smell of urine permeated the conference room.

Jung-hoon rose from his seat.

Everyone’s eyes were filled with fear.

“Here is a Death Note. Inside are the names of those who must resign today. Check and pack your bags. You don’t have to refuse. If you want to end up like Director Cha, come to the chairman’s office.”

As Jung-hoon opened the door and left the conference room, all the executives checked the documents to see if their names were listed.

Those who were named and doomed, and those who survived.

It was a moment of both joy and sorrow.

***

After signing the Dragon Motors acquisition contract, Peter Glider arrived in Korea.

He didn’t even unpack his bags before heading to Pyeongtaek, where the company was located, and summoning the executives.

He lectured the executives on the harmony between art, design, and technology.

His opening statement, as an art enthusiast, was:

“If it’s not beautiful, it’s not worth existing.”

The middle-aged executives pondered their own worth, considering their appearances.

The executives, who had anticipated the meeting, were taken aback by the extended lecture.

Despite the opportunity to meet with the world-renowned master, some executives began to doze off.

Peter acted decisively.

“Those who are sleeping over there, wake up.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. The new chairman’s words were too complex, so I dozed off for a moment.”

He spoke sarcastically, disregarding the fact that Peter was a foreigner.

Peter’s eyebrows shot up at his words.

And he unleashed his fury.

“You’re fired.”

The eyes of the three executives widened as if an earthquake had struck.

Shortly after, the guards coldly escorted them out.

The remaining executives felt extreme tension and straightened their posture.

They listened to the master’s lecture with a newfound level of concentration.

“I heard you fired three people today…”

Jung-hoon asked Peter.

“Yes, they lacked the fundamentals. I also needed to set an example.”

“Good job. We need to establish discipline. We can’t afford to be lenient from the start.”

“Yes… Thank you for accommodating my unreasonable request.”

Peter expressed his gratitude to Jung-hoon.

Initially, Jung-hoon had considered him for the design director position.

However, Peter contacted him and requested the position of CEO.

Jung-hoon agreed that it was a better arrangement.

To fully implement his philosophy, he needed significant authority.

Becoming CEO was the most effective way to achieve that.

“No. Peter’s suggestion is the right one. Take full control and transform it into a new company.”

“Thank you.”

The two went to the best pork cutlet restaurant in Pyeongtaek while conversing.

This was because Jung-hoon had promised to introduce him to Korean-style schnitzel at their last meeting.

“This is the best pork cutlet restaurant in Korea.”

They couldn’t go to Namsan [a famous mountain in Seoul], but the best restaurant was conveniently located near the Pyeongtaek factory.

It was still early for dinner, so there was no line.

A father and son were standing in front of the store without entering.

“Dad, buy me pork cutlet, huh? Pork cutlet! Pork cutlet, please?”

The man was sweating, struggling with his son’s persistent begging.

“Jung-hoon, Dad will buy it for you next month, okay? Today… When Dad’s company is doing well, I can buy it for you every day.”

“No, now, buy me pork cutlet quickly!”

“Dad promises, I’ll definitely buy it for you next month instead of today. Let’s go home and eat today. Okay?”

“Dad’s food is not good. I won’t eat anything until Mom comes.”

The man’s face was covered in sweat.

His wife, who worked at the restaurant, wouldn’t be back until 11 o’clock.

He was in a difficult situation.

Jung-hoon observed the father and son’s argument.

He deduced the situation from their words.

He is a Dragon Motors employee… He doesn’t have the money to buy pork cutlet for his child because of the delayed salary.

There is no mother at home, and he cooks dinner for the child.

There was nothing more to consider.

“This little guy is really handsome. Let’s go in.”

Jung-hoon stroked the child’s head and said to him.

The man was surprised and had a conflicted expression.

Peter, having understood the situation, took the child inside.

“Brave friend, shall we go inside with Uncle?”

“Wow, it’s a foreigner.”

Peter went in first, and Jung-hoon said to the man.

“Don’t worry about the meal. I want to buy it today because something good happened.”

“Yes?”

He hesitated for a moment.

He had an expression that suggested he didn’t like being indebted to others.

“Just think about your child now. You probably haven’t spent much time with your son… Enjoy the pork cutlet.”

“I will definitely repay this favor. I will repay it when the delayed salary comes in next month. Please give me your account number.”

“It’s okay. I’m buying it because the child is cute.”

“No. I can’t live with debt.”

Jung-hoon had no choice but to give him his account number.

“Then enjoy your meal.”

After letting the man inside, he immediately called the CFO of Shinhwa Motors.

“This is Chairman Yoon. Pay the delayed salaries to all employees of Dragon, no, Shinhwa Motors right now.”

“Yes? Right now?”

“Is there a problem?”

“The financial situation…”

“Shinhwa Group is not a company that worries about finances. Do it right away.”

“I will do it immediately.”

When they went into the store and were ordering pork cutlet with Peter, text messages began to arrive on the phones of the people in the restaurant.

-Ting,

-Ding

-Tiriing

“Oh, oh… the salary came in.”

Someone shouted loudly.

“All the delayed payments came in at once.”

“Oh, oh… really!”

A significant number of the people in the pork cutlet restaurant were Shinhwa Motors employees.

The man who was eating pork cutlet with his child also checked his phone.

A bright smile appeared on his face.

He quickly dialed a phone number.

“Honey, all the delayed salaries have come in now. How about chicken and beer tonight?… Don’t cry, you’ve worked hard all this time.”

The man’s eyes also turned red.

“Dad, are we eating chicken today? Then two chickens!”

The child’s cheerful request.

The man’s face was filled with an even brighter smile.

It was a text message that erased the worries and depression of the past in an instant.

That day, the chicken, pizza, and pig’s feet restaurants around Shinhwa Motors were packed.

The bright smiles and joyful laughter of the people illuminated the dark night sky like brilliant fireworks.

For the first time in a long time, a pleasant celebration was taking place everywhere.

***

“Jung-hoon.”

It was Im Cheol-soo from Legend Company in the United States.

“We have secured 4.94 percent so far. I think we’ll have to disclose it soon…”

If you acquire more than 5 percent of the shares, you are required to disclose it.

For what purpose are they buying the shares?

“What is the total amount secured?”

“If you include what you secured under borrowed names, it’s over 25 percent. It’s a very threatening figure.”

“KP Group doesn’t know yet?”

“Well, I don’t think they are completely unaware… Unless they’re incompetent, they’ll be prepared.”

“Yes, then please keep me informed of the progress. I think we should start moving slowly now.”

Jung-hoon thought of the individuals he had beaten up on Gangbukbuk-ro [a street in Seoul].

The KP Group chairman’s cousin.

Of course, it’s not solely due to these personal feelings.

KP Group will soon experience significant difficulties.

Foreign investors failed, but Jung-hoon was confident that he would succeed.

He was preparing to acquire one of the top 10 chaebol [South Korean conglomerate] groups in its entirety.

“Who’s talking about me?”

Suddenly, Jung-hoon’s ears became unbearably itchy.

Meanwhile, KP Group’s Choo Kyung-seok was in a very foul mood.

Someone had acquired 5 percent of his company’s stock without his consent.

He needed to identify these individuals.

“Chairman, Robert Yoon of Legend Company has accumulated nearly 4.9 percent. And…”

“Who the hell is Robert Yoon? And are you saying it’s not just one person?”

“Yes, Sovereign Investment has also purchased 4.5 percent.”

Choo Kyung-seok’s cheekbones trembled as he bit his lip tightly.

He, who rarely raised his voice, spoke briefly in a cold tone.

“Find them.”

The man quickly knelt on the floor.

-Thwack, thwack, thwack

After swinging the golf club three times in a row, he said in a low voice.

“You son of a bitch, you’ve been watching the group’s stock being sold here and there and you’re only reporting it now?”

-Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack

He swung the golf club wildly in a 5-hit combo without stopping.

“I’m sorry. Chairman. I’ll do better.”

“Robert Yoon, you son of a bitch, find him no matter what. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Choo Kyung-seok threw the golf club on the floor of the chairman’s office.

And he said in a low, thick voice.

“Call an executive meeting right now!”

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King Becomes a Chaebol