Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 219

219. The Fateful General Shareholders Meeting (1)

Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

A chief prosecutor was volunteering to lead the way.

“This way.”

The prosecutor, once sponsored by the Cheongil Scholarship Foundation, had risen to the position of chief prosecutor.

The seeds sown by his father, Han Cheong-ho, had steadily grown and borne fruit.
Han Il-kwon was making good use of it.

In front of the interrogation room door, the prosecutor said,

“This case is being closely watched by the Prosecutor General. I don’t think I can give you more than 10 minutes with my authority.”

“That’s enough. Off the record, you know?”

“Of course. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Han Il-kwon entered the interrogation room.

A man sat in the interrogation room chair, his head bowed.

“This is a pity, isn’t it?”

At Han Il-kwon’s cold voice, Lee Mun-bok raised his head.

His face was haggard.

“C-Chairman!”

“Shamelessly, you still call me Chairman?”

Still, Han Il-kwon was the only person Lee Mun-bok could cling to.

“Please help me!”

“The money?”

“If I get out of here…!”

“Money!”

The purpose of this visit was only one thing.

“I heard you said you lost it.”

“T-That’s…”

“Isn’t it?”

“…”

“It better not be.”

Han Il-kwon’s eyes gleamed eerily.

Lee Mun-bok’s eyes darted around frantically.

‘I have to get out of here no matter what!’

He couldn’t afford to be a castaway.

Guilty if you’re poor, innocent if you’re rich.

Those with power and money can cover up even major crimes.

That’s power, that’s the way of the world.

“No! I didn’t lose the money! I’ve hidden it well.”

“Spit it out.”

“In a place no one knows, only I know. So if you get me out of here…”

“Tsk, tsk, you’re wrong. That’s not how you negotiate. You don’t seem to understand the situation yet.”

Han Il-kwon clicked his tongue.

“I’ll add embezzlement and misappropriation charges. And one more thing, I’ll call Cheongil’s legal team and ruin your life properly.”

Han Il-kwon smiled, his eyes crescent-shaped.

“Or should I kill you without anyone knowing? Of course, your whole family too. They’re in Japan, right?”

“Chairman!”

“Why? You don’t think I can do it?”

“S-Save me!”

Han Il-kwon put his shoe on the desk.

“Spit it out. Where did you hide my money?”

Lee Mun-bok swallowed hard.

* * *

Han Il-kwon left the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office and got into the car.

As soon as Secretary Jang sat in the passenger seat, the car started.

Secretary Jang glanced at Han Il-kwon’s expression in the back seat.

Han Il-kwon’s atmosphere was unusual.

‘His build is just like the head of security for the Taeyang Group? Could it be Kang Tae-soo…’

It was unsettling.

‘It’s a route involving the Japanese Yakuza [Japanese organized crime syndicate]. That Japanese guy must have specially found a big, skilled Yakuza.’

But unlike what he thought, why was he so uneasy?

‘I had people on Lee Mun-bok’s tail, but I didn’t know he was trying to smuggle himself out of the country. How did Kang Tae-soo know about that?’

It couldn’t be.

No matter how good that guy’s skills are, it’s impossible.

Han Il-kwon shook his head.

‘Kang Tae-soo…!’

Just thinking about Kang Tae-soo made his teeth grind.

He had bad luck from their first meeting, and the guy kept rubbing salt in his wounds every time they met.

‘I, Han Il-kwon, have never been pushed back by anyone’s aura.’

Han Il-kwon was someone who didn’t back down even in front of the heads of the HanKyungRyun [Federation of Korean Industries] chaebols [large family-owned conglomerates].

Age didn’t matter, and neither did gender.

After all, the world was a jungle, and Han Il-kwon was the strong one.

But Han Il-kwon couldn’t stand up to Kang Tae-soo.

He clearly confirmed Kang Tae-soo’s status at HanKyungRyun, so he hated him even more.

Thinking about it again, it was embarrassing, and the more he thought about it, the more resentful he became.

“Where shall we go?”

“Let’s go to Daeungak in Seongbuk-dong.”

There was something he had to do at the high-end Korean restaurant that his father used to frequent.

“Call all the bank presidents.”

It was time to reap the seeds that his father had painstakingly sown.

Secretary Jang sighed.

“Even when Chairman Han called them, they made all sorts of excuses to get out of it. They’ll guess what you’re calling them for; will they come willingly?”

“Tell them that if they don’t, those dog-like things will be revealed through the Cheongil Ilbo [Cheongil Daily News].”

Han Il-kwon’s eyes flashed.

If he couldn’t harvest the seeds his father had sown, he could just reap them in another way.

“They’ll have to gather if they don’t want to see exactly what kind of ruthlessness I possess.”

They would realize that Han Il-kwon’s methods were much more brutal than his father’s.

* * *

Seongbuk-dong, Daeungak.

In the same room where he met Tae-soo, Kim Bong-nam was meeting with his Cheongil friends.

Having a drink while reviewing the documents Tae-soo had left behind.

“It’s serious.”

“Cheongil could go bankrupt at any time.”

“The situation is this bad; what on earth has the head of the group been doing?”

The more he looked at it, the more dumbfounded he was.

Kim Bong-nam looked at Cheongil’s loyalists and recited the words he had said to Tae-soo.

Then those words worked surprisingly well.

Those who had jumped at the initial suggestion to bankrupt Cheongil Construction were nodding their heads at the end.

“We have no choice but to separate Cheongil Construction.”

“Cheongil Motors is perfect as a holding company.”

“It can’t be helped. We can’t just watch the Cheongil Group collapse like this.”

Everyone followed Kim Bong-nam’s path and reached the same conclusion.

But they and Kim Bong-nam were a little different.

‘Cheongil Motors? I sold most of my nominee shares in that company.’

‘After Chairman Han was taken away, there was no support from headquarters, so I sold Cheongil Motors shares to overcome the crisis once.’

‘The other affiliates must be taking good care of it, right?’

It wasn’t like Cheongil Motors’ shares were divided among the affiliates.

Anyway, they were scattered in the market, scattered among the affiliates, and the Han Cheong-ho family’s stake was tiny.

Since the oil shock, the operation of affiliates had become difficult one after another, and the funds had run out a long time ago.

‘In order to overcome the management crisis, I had no choice but to increase cash liquidity in the safest way.’

Even Han Cheong-ho, who was supposed to report, went to jail, and Han Il-kwon didn’t care about the situation of the affiliates.

It was a truly unavoidable decision.

-Everyone shared the shares equally.

-Just me.

-Cheongil won’t be shaken just because I sell my shares.

Kim Bong-nam smiled as he looked at the heads of the affiliates.

“I expect everyone to lend a hand.”

“Of course.”

“There’s no other way.”

Kim Bong-nam nodded with a satisfied face.

‘Cheongil Distribution has 5%, Cheongil Shipping has 6%, Cheongil Electronics has 6%, Cheongil Electric has 4%.’

The abacus beads were constantly moving in his head.

‘Cheongil Food has 3%, Cheongil Wood has 2%, Cheongil Window has 2%, Cheongil Textile has 1%, Cheongil Fashion has 2%, Cheongil Ilbo has 2%, right?’

They all agreed with Kim Bong-nam.

‘Their shares are 33%, and if I join forces with Kang Tae-soo, it’s 44%.’

It’s not a majority, but anyway, it’s difficult to gather a majority in Cheongil Motors.

‘The Han Cheong-ho family’s 15% or so won’t be able to stand against me.’

The next head of the Cheongil Group will be me!

Ambition blazed in Kim Bong-nam’s eyes.

* * *

On the way out of Daeungak in Seongbuk-dong.

The heads of Cheongil affiliates and Han Il-kwon ran into each other in the courtyard of Daeungak.

It was an embarrassing situation.

“What brings you here, Chairman…?”

“I was thinking of meeting the bank presidents to get some support.”

Han Il-kwon tilted his head crookedly and asked.

“What kind of conspiracy were the heads of Cheongil affiliates up to, flocking together like this?”

“Conspiracy? We’re just…”

“Just? What?”

“Lee Mun-bok was stirring up the affiliates, so we were discussing it…”

It was suspicious.

Han Il-kwon scrutinized the faces gathered in this place.

Kim Bong-nam stepped forward and said.

“I was going to have a showdown with the Chairman about this matter anyway.”

“Showdown? About what?”

“How about moving the holding company and bankrupting Cheongil Construction…?”

“That’s ridiculous!”

Move the holding company?

Bankrupt Cheongil Construction?

Let go of the sturdy lifeline that the Han Cheong-ho family had secured with a majority stake?

“So you were plotting a rebellion?”

“Ahn Jung-woo directly notified us to repay a huge amount of government debt immediately, right? Is that correct?”

That’s right.

“Why didn’t we know anything about it? How were you going to raise such a huge amount that couldn’t be covered by selling one or two affiliates?”

“That’s why I’m going around meeting these bank presidents.”

“Do you think we don’t know that the banks are refusing to lend to Cheongil?”

“Then is there another way? Excluding nonsense like Cheongil Construction’s bankruptcy.”

“Stop acting like a kid.”

Kim Bong-nam glared at Han Il-kwon with determination.

“Stop being unreasonable. Do you think group management is a joke?”

“Hey, President Kim!”

“We will hold a temporary general shareholders meeting. Let’s discuss this issue again there.”

“Shareholders meeting?”

The general shareholders meeting includes the regular general shareholders meeting held regularly and the temporary general shareholders meeting held from time to time in accordance with Article 365, Paragraph 2 of the Commercial Act [South Korean Commercial Code].

Generally, the management of a joint-stock company holds a general shareholders meeting, and general shareholders holding 3% or more of the shares can also convene a general shareholders meeting.

“What is this? What discussion! Do you mean you don’t trust me now?”

“It was the Chairman who brought the situation to this point.”

It wasn’t just Kim Bong-nam.

Distribution, Shipping, Electronics, Electric, Food, Wood, Window, Textile, Fashion, Ilbo.

All 11 affiliate presidents were glaring at Han Il-kwon with the same eyes.

They were all deeply rooted loyalists of Cheongil and strong pillars of Han Cheong-ho.

They were conveying their intention to rebel against Han Il-kwon head-on.

“Then I’ll see you at the general shareholders meeting.”

As soon as he bowed, Kim Bong-nam brushed past Han Il-kwon.

The other affiliate presidents were the same.

However, as they passed Han Il-kwon, they heard the sound of clicking tongues and sighs.

Han Il-kwon was furious.

“Hey! Don’t stop there? Hey!”

Even when Han Il-kwon shouted, no one turned around.

“These bastards…!”

It was when Han Il-kwon was about to grab the Cheongil affiliate presidents.

Secretary Jang grabbed Han Il-kwon’s arm one step ahead.

“All the bank presidents have gathered. They have expressed their intention to return immediately if the Chairman does not come.”

“Damn it!”

Han Il-kwon turned his back.

Now was not the time to hold onto the affiliate presidents and argue.

It was time to work with the bank presidents as they had gathered with difficulty.

The bank presidents had also gathered because they had some uncomfortable things on their minds, and they would not respond to such things again next time.

It was a golden opportunity.

‘Persuade them to lend and invest in Cheongil.’

That was the original purpose.

The reason he brought his father’s bribery ledger and the bank presidents’ children’s scandals that Han Il-kwon had created was also for this reason.

‘Also, the voting rights for Cheongil shares held by the bank. I must make them stand on my side.’

Han Il-kwon’s eyes shone.

“Let’s go.”

The work of punishing the traitors comes next.

First, protect what’s mine, then take revenge.

Han Il-kwon walked away with a cold wind blowing.

Creak. Clunk.

Han Il-kwon opened the Daeungak door.

* * *

The temporary general shareholders meeting held at the Cheongil Group headquarters is today.

Tae-soo, who was working in the Taeyang Group headquarters chairman’s office, checked the time.

The time was approaching.

“It will be a fateful general shareholders meeting that will shake the entire Cheongil Group.”

Tae-soo carefully packed the documents related to Cheongil Motors shares and put them in his arms.

At the same time, Secretary Song, who boasted a generous physique and abundant hair, also stood up.

“Chairman, we have received a call from Jangsu Bank that they have already departed.”

Tae-soo fluttered his suit and opened the chairman’s office door.

Secretary Song Chang-joon followed Tae-soo.

Behind him were Kim Kwang-rok and Secretary Song.

When Tae-soo came out into the hallway, two presidents who had been waiting adjusted their briefcases.

“The day has come to run wild at Cheongil headquarters.”

It was Lee Chang-won, the former president of Cheongil Heavy Industries, and Noh Il-guk, the former president of Cheongil Oil Refining.

In his previous life, weren’t these two presidents called Cheongil’s rampaging two-horse carriage?

‘I saw a lot of dirty things being pushed around by Cheongil’s pure-blooded loyalists.’

‘Today, I have to watch the pure-blooded loyal dogs of Cheongil and the Han Cheong-ho family biting and tearing at each other.’

That was the reason why they firmly packed their shares, put off their work, and followed Tae-soo.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

The people of the Taeyang Group led by Tae-soo departed for the Cheongil Group.