Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 321

323

Bum-seok and Gloria entered the grand entrance of the Redina Hotel, situated in the heart of Dacton City. Today, it was hosting Mavs Corporation’s special general meeting of shareholders. They both wore broad, relaxed smiles, radiating confidence. The outcome of today’s meeting seemed so assured that they appeared utterly self-assured.

The number of shares in Mavs Corporation currently held by Rainbow Group and Gloria totaled a significant 53%. This impressive figure was comprised of their initial 24% stake, an additional 20% acquired from institutional investors, 2% purchased on the open market during negotiations, and a recently approved 7% stake cleared by the Financial Supervisory Service.

‘Hmph~ Too bad. I could have squeezed out more profit.’

The total profit Ilsimhoe [a private investment group] made through stock trading amounted to 1.6 billion krang [fictional currency]. This was largely due to Gloria’s acquisition of all 26% of the shares, bought at 110 krang and sold for 220 krang.

Bum-seok divided this windfall among the seven original members of Ilsimhoe, allocating 230 million krang to each. Yet, a nagging feeling of regret lingered – he felt they could have extracted even greater profits. Had they managed to acquire more shares from individual investors and institutions, they could have potentially earned an additional 400 to 500 million krang. Still, he reasoned that it wasn’t wise to be overly greedy.

It wasn’t worth making enemies over a few pennies. Individual investors were one thing, but maintaining positive relationships with institutions could prove beneficial in future endeavors.

He glanced at Gloria, who walked beside him. She was, without a doubt, the biggest beneficiary of this entire operation.

“Gloria, Rainbow Group has grown substantially because of this, hasn’t it?”

Gloria offered a subtle smile. She had personally earned over 200 million krang, and Rainbow Group had reaped unimaginable profits.

The payment for the 7% of shares acquired from Mavs through the Financial Supervisory Service was officially recorded as assets of Mavs Corporation, which had been suffering losses due to the Black Society’s corruption. This essentially meant that Rainbow Group’s funds were simply transferred to Mavs Corporation, which would soon become a subsidiary, effectively granting them 4 million shares for free.

With Mavs Corporation’s stock price soaring to 230 krang due to rumors of Rainbow Group’s impending takeover, it was akin to earning 920 million krang for absolutely nothing.

“Hahaha. Yes, indeed. It’s like acquiring a company with assets exceeding 20 billion for just 5.4 billion krang. Thanks to you, I’ve been inundated with encouraging calls from shareholders lately.”

“That’s excellent. What are your plans moving forward?”

“First, I intend to reduce our debt using the available cash assets.”

“Why? I was under the impression that Rainbow Group’s debt ratio wasn’t particularly high.”

“That’s correct, but Mavs Corporation presents a slight complication.”

“What sort of complication?”

“Mavs Corporation’s total debt and deposits amount to 7.6 billion krang, and a significant portion of this is held by the Black Society. If they decide to relocate their offices and demand immediate repayment of the debt, we could find ourselves in a precarious situation. Therefore, I’m preparing for that contingency.”

Bum-seok nodded in understanding. Given that Mavs Corporation was previously owned by Mavs, a known member of the Black Society, close ties were almost certainly present. It was prudent to address this potential issue before they attempted any financial manipulations.

“Hmm. I concur. It’s definitely better to be proactive.”

Before they realized it, Bum-seok and Gloria had arrived at the entrance to the general meeting hall. As they stepped inside, they were immediately greeted by a throng of well-wishers.

Most were institutional investors and major shareholders holding substantial stakes in Mavs Corporation, eager to welcome the day’s protagonists. With Gloria and Rainbow Group now controlling 53% of the shares, the outcome was all but certain.

However, not everyone shared their enthusiasm. Scattered among the crowd were disgruntled minority shareholders, hoping to receive some form of compensation from the meeting, and a few ominous-looking members of the Black Society.

Bum-seok spotted a man seated in the front row of the meeting hall and offered a wry smile. Gloria also noticed him and her eyes narrowed slightly.

“I wonder why Chairman Lucas is here.”

“Who knows? Seeing him willing to endure the humiliation of defeat suggests he has a motive. Gloria, please continue to greet the shareholders here. I’ll go and investigate.”

“Yes. Please be careful.”

“Hehe. What’s there to be careful about? I’ll be back shortly.”

After excusing himself to Gloria, Bum-seok made his way down the aisle lined with blue seats.

Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, Lucas slowly turned his head. Upon recognizing Bum-seok, he scowled. He couldn’t possibly be unaware that Bum-seok was the driving force behind Rainbow Group’s acquisition of Mavs Corporation.

“You. You’ve completely lost your mind. How dare you do this?”

Bum-seok casually took the seat next to him and smirked.

“Hehe. I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge.”

Lucas, his brow furrowed in anger, spoke in a low, menacing voice.

“You don’t seriously believe you can trifle with the Black Society and get away with it, do you?”

“And did you honestly believe the Black Society would be safe if it trifled with me?”

“You still don’t seem to grasp the situation. Mavs Corporation is nothing more than a toenail to our Black Society. It’s an insignificant company that we can discard whenever it becomes inconvenient. If you become arrogant because of this minor victory, you’re in for a rude awakening.”

Bum-seok blinked and stared at him intently.

“What are you talking about? Me winning? You seem to be seriously mistaken. This Mavs case isn’t about winning or losing. It’s simply a polite declaration of war against the Black Society.”

Lucas let out a hollow laugh, as if utterly dumbfounded. The audacity of his statement was remarkable. For Ilsimhoe to dare declare war on the Black Society was unprecedented.

“Haha. A declaration of war on us? Are you actually serious right now?”

“I’m perfectly serious. Even neighborhood kids don’t start fights as a joke. And let’s not forget, the Black Society initiated this conflict. Didn’t you attempt some underhanded tactics behind our backs a while ago? I’m referring to the Federal Pro-Wrestling Association’s annual banquet.”

Lucas was momentarily speechless, unable to refute the accusation. They had indeed struck first, attempting to undermine Ilsimhoe on multiple occasions.

“Hmph. Fine. I’ll concede that point. But do you honestly believe you can defeat our Black Society?”

“What’s there to lose? We have a powerful ally. You don’t think Mavs Corporation could have been brought to its knees solely by the power of Ilsimhoe, do you? Hehehe. That’s why you should refrain from making so many enemies… Just mentioning the name of the Black Society makes everyone grind their teeth and eagerly offer their assistance. It’s almost unfair to fight under such circumstances.”

Lucas frowned deeply. As Bum-seok pointed out, the Black Society had amassed a considerable number of enemies. In addition to various economic organizations, they had recently antagonized major financial institutions, Vice Chairman Louis, and even an exclusive social club that included members of the Chaplin family. Even though Ilsimhoe was relatively small, their combined strength was a force to be reckoned with.

And that was certainly the case with Mavs Corporation. He suspected that Vermillion [a powerful financial entity] had been assisting Bum-seok, as the attack mirrored the Mering Pharmaceuticals incident from the previous spring.

“Hmm. Did you receive assistance from Vermillion this time?”

“Assistance? It’s a dignified alliance. I’m planning to unite all forces that harbor animosity towards the Black Society and launch a coordinated attack.”

Lucas clenched his fists tightly on his knees. His suspicions were confirmed.

‘This is a serious problem. He’s become someone the Black Society can no longer afford to ignore.’

He had been cultivating a close relationship with the social club to which Vice Chairman Louis and Chairman Wilkins belonged. Now, he was reaching out to economic organizations and attempting to forge a united front. The moment this alliance was solidified, the Black Society would be attacked from all sides, facing unprecedented challenges. He had to sever the connection known as Bum-seok at all costs.

“I can’t allow you to continue down this path.”

“Is that going to be easy? I believe I’ve successfully countered all the tricks the Black Society has attempted thus far.”

“Hehe. That’s because I haven’t fully unleashed my power yet. But once I’ve made up my mind, things will be different. In fact, you could say it’s already begun.”

Bum-seok offered a wry smile. He was already aware of their intentions. The recent volatility in the stock price of Leopard Planning, a newly listed company, strongly suggested the Black Society’s involvement.

But it didn’t particularly concern him. The Black Society was merely playing into his hands.

‘Geez. I wonder if Chairman Lucas’s blood pressure will spike so high he’ll die. If he speaks so confidently and then realizes the truth later, he’ll be too embarrassed to even die.’

To date, Ilsimhoe had been managing a total of three funds. One was the White Angel Fund, which had been used to target Mering; another was the LHN fund, which had been deployed against Mavs and was now terminated. The last was a secret fund dispersed across securities companies worldwide, holding a substantial amount of Leopard Planning stock.

The quantity was a staggering 60%, exceeding 13 million shares. Currently, Leopard Planning’s stock price stood at 1,190 krang per share. It was an almost unbelievable sum.

The Black Society would continue to drive up the stock price through aggressive buying, causing it to skyrocket even further.

“Hehe. Is that a threat?”

“No, it’s a statement of fact. I don’t make idle threats.”

“Ah. But it won’t be easy. What should I do? The economic organization is providing me with close support.”

“Hmph. Haven’t you learned anything from your previous setbacks? There are no eternal friends or eternal enemies in this world. There’s no guarantee that we and the economic organization won’t eventually join forces.”

Bum-seok tilted his head inquisitively.

“Well, I haven’t been in this world long enough to know that for sure. In fact, being betrayed by the Black Society was a first for me. I suspect there aren’t many people like that. Ah! I do know one thing. There are eternal suckers in this world. I’ve encountered so many of them. Kekeke.”

“Are you implying that our Black Society is a sucker?”

“Isn’t it obvious if you examine the Mavs case? Our Ilsimhoe members have made a fortune from this. It’s like winning the lottery. Kekeke.”

Lucas, his forehead displaying prominent veins, wore an expression of barely suppressed rage. Indeed, the Black Society had been dealt a significant blow by the Mavs case. With the corruption allegations splashed across the media and national institutions launching investigations, their options were limited. All they could do was sever the connection between Mavs and the Black Society.

“Indeed. I was hit pretty hard. So I intend to return the favor in due course. To the point where it’s chilling.”

“Oh, is that so? I’m so terrified I might wet myself. Hahaha.”

Bum-seok responded to Lucas’s threat with blatant sarcasm. The angrier Lucas became, the more it benefited him. If Lucas lost control of his temper and invested heavily in Leopard Planning’s stock at inflated prices, Bum-seok stood to make a substantial profit.

Lucas, oblivious to this, glared at him with fierce intensity.

“We’ll see if you’re still laughing next time.”

“Show me today, not next time. I dare you to reclaim Mavs using the power of the almighty Black Society.”

It was an impossible task, short of divine intervention. With Rainbow Group and Gloria controlling 53% of the shares, no one could possibly reverse the outcome. Lucas, rendered speechless, simply shut his mouth and turned his attention to the platform. Engaging with Bum-seok was only raising his blood pressure to dangerous levels.

“Now, let’s commence the 55th Mavs Corporation Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders.”

Some time later, the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, convened to determine the future ownership of Mavs Corporation, officially began with the host’s opening remarks. Although a few employees loyal to Mavs attempted to disrupt the proceedings, the meeting progressed smoothly.

This was largely due to the overwhelming support from the majority of shareholders for Rainbow Group’s takeover of Mavs Corporation. Had today’s attempt to acquire management control failed, the stock, which had barely recovered to its previous level, would have plummeted once more. In that scenario, the shareholders would have suffered significant losses, making them eager to welcome Rainbow Group.

During the subsequent speech segment, representatives of individual and institutional investors unanimously voiced their support for the change in management. A few Black Society members attempted to voice their opposition, but they were quickly forced to leave the platform amidst a barrage of thrown objects and angry protests from the shareholders.

Finally, the voting commenced. The results revealed that 88% of the shares held by the attendees were cast in favor of the change in management, with only 11% voting against it.

Given the unusually low attendance of minority shareholders, it was a decisive victory. Bum-seok turned to Chairman Lucas with a mocking smile, realizing that a significant portion of the shares acquired by Rainbow Group had originated from the Black Society.

Before the Mavs corruption scandal had erupted, they had controlled approximately 26% of the shares.

“Hehe. Now that I think about it, we’ve absorbed a considerable portion of the Black Society’s stake. Isn’t this a bit excessive for fellow members? Mr. Mavs, the former president, would be quite upset if he were to witness this.”

Lucas, his face flushed crimson, abruptly rose from his seat. The extraordinary general meeting of shareholders was now concluded, and he had already delivered his warning to Bum-seok. There was no reason for him to remain any longer.

“Don’t speak nonsense. I’ll be taking my leave now. I wish you the best of luck.”

“Yes. I extend the same wishes to you. Please don’t disappoint me by being caught off guard as you were this time.”

Lucas, as he passed by, shot him a venomous glare.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make you beg for your life on your knees.”

“Hehe. That’s precisely what I should be saying. But please, refrain from kneeling before me. I’m not inclined to show mercy simply because you beg.”

Lucas gritted his teeth and hastily exited the general meeting hall. He knew that any further interaction with Bum-seok would only result in further frustration. He would demonstrate his intentions through actions, not words.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

In fact, I had an interview with a close writer friend and a newspaper reporter yesterday. A lot of things were said, but it was a bit embarrassing.

The decisive thing was when the income part came out. I would confidently reveal it if it was a lot, but I write such maniacal articles that it is not very good compared to the top writers. As soon as I said that, the reporter also made a troubled expression, and I was also embarrassed. From the reporter’s point of view, it would be good to write an article if the serial writer earns a lot of income, but I am not qualified for that. So, after thinking about it yesterday and today, I thought about how about breaking away from some maniacal and difficult parts and going out with easy and popular materials to get high views or popularity.

Hahaha.

Then everyone have a good day. I’ll see you again tomorrow.