The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 113

113. Genius and Sage (4)

Washington D.C.

Senior Deputy Managing Director’s office at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“It seems things are working out as you planned.”

The one offering the coffee was the Senior Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, Ain Perman.

“I only connected people at Mark’s request.”

The one responding to Ain Perman was Justin Balmer of the Federal Reserve Board.

Both were figures who significantly influenced the global economy.

“Is that all?”

“Don’t you think so?”

“Wall Street is swept up in rumors.”

“Isn’t your interest elsewhere?”

The message was to not focus on Wall Street but to be faithful to his role as Senior Deputy Managing Director of the IMF.

Ain Perman shrugged at Justin Balmer’s remark.

“Only Justin?”

“You seem to be criticizing me.”

“I wouldn’t go as far as criticizing.”

“Then?”

“Perhaps you’re just overly fond of your alma mater.”

This was a jab at Justin Balmer’s actions for MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a prestigious university known for its science and engineering programs].

“You know, you hold grudges. Just like Arthur.”

Arthur Morgan, Chairman of JP Morgan.

He was a man who never forgot a grudge.

“Did someone who knew that provoke Arthur?”

“I just said hello once.”

“One greeting cost Neil his head? If you really used your influence, JP Morgan would be dismantled.”

Justin Balmer knew his question was dripping with sarcasm.

“It seems you’re not pleased with my visit.”

“Neil was a decent junior colleague.”

Justin Balmer’s lips curled up.

“Are you giving me the cold shoulder because of Neil Hamilton?”

“Consider it a small act of venting.”

Justin Balmer sighed briefly.

“Hmph… It seems you’re more devoted to your alma mater than I am.”

“Let’s say that’s the case.”

Ain Perman uncrossed his legs and clasped his hands together.

“Justin, the situation is unusual.”

Justin Balmer raised his eyebrows at Ain Perman’s words.

“Unusual?”

“I’m talking about the United States and Japan.”

“Isn’t that something for the Treasury Department or the State Department to handle, not us?”

“I suspect it’s out of their hands.”

Justin Balmer narrowed his brow.

“Out of their hands?”

“I suspect it’s gone to a higher level.”

“Hmm, is the President directly involved?”

Ain Perman nodded slowly.

“It seems so.”

It was not uncommon for the U.S. President to be at the forefront of an economic war.

However, going too far could hurt the feelings of allies.

“I don’t have connections with the President.”

“What about MIT?”

“If it’s about universities, you’re better than I am, aren’t you?”

He meant that MIT was a university of engineering, not a comprehensive university.

“You always slip away like that.”

He believed that the economic war between Japan and the United States was negatively impacting the global economy.

‘Every time two giants throw punches, earthquakes occur in developing countries.’

The state of the world in 1984 was not good.

There was a war raging in the Middle East, a famine in Africa, and civil wars still ongoing in Southeast Asia.

“There are many groups moving besides us. People don’t want an economic war between the two countries.”

Ain Perman asked.

“Justin, how do you think this war will end?”

Justin Balmer sighed deeply.

“Hoo… Well, no matter what anyone says, I can’t imagine the United States losing.”

“You’re saying Japan will eventually yield.”

“Wouldn’t that be better for your side too?”

The IMF also did not want large amounts of funds being siphoned into Germany and Japan.

“I just hope the economic war ends quickly.”

Developing countries with little power were the ones fatally wounded when the economic war dragged on.

“If the President is involved, results will come soon.”

Justin Balmer said that the economic war with Japan would end soon, but the Plaza Accord [a 1985 agreement among major economies to depreciate the U.S. dollar] was still a year away.

“Is the story over?”

Ain Perman answered Justin Balmer’s question.

“Mostly.”

“If it’s mostly, does that mean there’s still something left to say?”

“The boy Justin is pushing.”

Justin Balmer narrowed his brow at his words.

“Pushing? Anyone listening would think I’m his sponsor. I’ve only met him once.”

“Really only once?”

“You don’t believe me.”

“No, I believe you.”

Justin Balmer unfolded his narrowed brow.

“So, what do you want to say?”

“There are rumors that he’s rapidly growing closer to Bank of America.”

“I thought they were already close. Is there more to get closer to?”

“I hear they’re preparing a big deal.”

Justin Balmer waved his right hand.

“I have nothing to do with those friends doing big deals.”

“Really nothing to do with it?”

“Listen, Ain. Do you still see me as being on Wall Street?”

Ain Perman leaned back and answered.

“That’s not it.”

“I’m having a hard enough time catering to the old men.”

The Federal Reserve Board was full of directors older than him.

“Justin, the Fed must remain neutral.”

“You’re the one who should remain neutral.”

Many saw Ain Perman’s position as Senior Deputy Managing Director of the IMF as representing American interests, as it was customary for an American to be appointed to the position.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said.

“I’m not in a position to talk.”

“I don’t know why you’re interested in that boy, but I hope you’ll consider it unrelated to me.”

Justin Balmer drew a firm line.

“I understand. I won’t ask anymore.”

Ain Perman turned the topic to the economic instability in Southeast Asia.

* * *

A typical southern U.S. mansion.

The owner of this mansion was Ain Perman, Senior Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.

“Justin is denying everything.”

The woman sitting in front of him was Kani Paul, CFO of Bank of America.

“You mean he’s not behind Victoria Corporation?”

“He says he isn’t, so I have to believe him.”

Ain Perman met Justin Balmer because of Kani Paul’s request.

She was Ain Perman’s ex-wife.

“You haven’t changed.”

“Another complaint?”

“You’re treating me like a guest.”

“We divorced over 20 years ago.”

“Still, didn’t we live together for more than 10 years?”

Ain Perman sighed deeply.

“Hoo… Not all couples can love passionately.”

He was a man who didn’t outwardly express his emotions.

Kani Paul didn’t like that, then or now.

“You can’t know love if you don’t express it.”

“Kani.”

“Anyway, thank you for meeting him.”

Ain Perman raised his right hand.

“That look is why we broke up.”

“I’m not your student. Stop talking like that.”

“I apologize if it bothered you.”

Kani Paul said in a sharp voice.

“That’s exactly the tone.”

Ain Perman sighed deeply with a helpless expression.

“Ha… I’ve lived my whole life speaking like this. I can’t change it now.”

“You’re frustrating.”

Kani Paul stood up. Then Ain Perman also stood up.

“Don’t bother seeing me out.”

Ain Perman sat back down. Then he raised both hands and shook his head.

“You’re a very difficult person.”

Kani Paul said as she moved her feet.

“I admit I have problems. But you’re not normal either. I’ll repay this favor someday.”

“I didn’t do it expecting a reward.”

“It makes me uncomfortable.”

Kani Paul felt the cold wind blowing.

“Kani.”

“Don’t drink too much just because I said something.”

After she left.

Ain Perman took out a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet.

“You always make me reach for alcohol.”

Just as he poured the liquor into a glass without ice.

Ring. Ring.

The phone rang loudly.

“Tsk.”

He clicked his tongue and answered the phone.

“This is Perman.”

“You were home.”

Ain Perman narrowed his brow.

“Carlo?”

Carlo Giannini, he was the Chairman of Bank of America and Ain Perman’s senior from university.

“Has Kani left yet?”

Ain Perman shrugged and answered.

“She just left.”

“She hasn’t changed.”

“No, she hasn’t.”

Carlo Giannini sighed briefly.

“You’re still fighting, aren’t you?”

“She says I’m frustrating. If Kani had married Carlo, she wouldn’t have divorced.”

Carlo Giannini was a man who was honest about expressing his emotions. In short, his personality was the opposite of Ain Perman’s.

“Ain, if my wife heard that, she might pull out a shotgun.”

“I’d rather take a bullet.”

“Is it that bad?”

“It’s that bad.”

Ain Perman took a sip of the whiskey in his glass and raised his voice at the end.

“Carlo, so what brings you to call today?”

Carlo Giannini sighed lowly.

“Hoo, I’d like you to meet someone.”

“Someone?”

“Not to meet someone and do them a favor. After meeting that person, tell me what kind of person he is.”

To give an assessment of a person.

Ain Perman knew that Carlo Giannini was not usually a man to make such requests.

‘There’s always a reason when Carlo approaches cautiously.’

He thought of one person in his head and asked a question.

“Are you perhaps talking about the rumored friend?”

“Rumored?”

“The young friend Kani is paying attention to.”

Carlo Giannini’s voice rose.

“Did Kani mention him today?”

“She didn’t mention him today. Instead, Justin recently mentioned him.”

A young man that Justin Balmer and Kani Paul were both paying attention to.

He was none other than Jung Hyun-woo.

Carlo Giannini nodded and said.

“Charlie Jung, meet that friend and find out what kind of friend he is.”

“With no compensation?”

The position of Senior Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund was not that free.

“Tell me if there’s anything you want.”

“Write a letter of recommendation for my grandson.”

Carlo Giannini tilted his head.

“Isn’t your grandson not old enough to go to university yet?”

“He’s doing well in school, so he’s entering two years early.”

“Hmm, I see. Let’s make the compensation a handwritten letter of recommendation.”

Carlo Giannini’s letter of recommendation had more influence than a Nobel laureate at universities in the western region.

‘Seeing that he’s asking me for a letter of recommendation, Stanford must be his goal.’

If Harvard or Yale were the goal, he might have received a letter of recommendation from someone else.

* * *

After dinner.

Jung Hyun-woo stood up.

“Are you going straight back to Boston?”

He shook his head at Aria’s question.

“No. I’ll sleep at a hotel today.”

“There are many empty rooms. Why don’t you sleep here?”

It was not a lie that there were many empty rooms. There were so many empty rooms in Aria’s mansion that you couldn’t count them on one hand.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll decline today.”

“Are you being mindful of Sarah?”

“Maybe so.”

“If you’re that mindful, just get married.”

Jung Hyun-woo scratched his head.

“That’s scary even as a joke.”

He left the mansion, receiving Aria’s farewell.

“Hoo…”

Autumn in New York was cool.

‘It’s too early to sleep yet, I should make a call.’

He returned to the hotel and picked up the receiver.

After a while.

A dial tone was heard.

Ring. Ring.

“This is Jung Min-young.”

The person Jung Hyun-woo called was Jung Min-young, Managing Director of Daeyoung Construction.

Jung Min-young straightened his posture at Jung Hyun-woo’s call.

“It’s been a while.”

“How have you been?”

“I’m doing well.”

It was midday in Korea, so sunlight was pouring into Jung Min-young’s office.

He closed the blinds and turned around.

“Hyun-woo, you wouldn’t have called without a reason. What’s going on?”

“I have a few favors to ask.”

“Not one, but a few?”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded and answered.

“It just turned out that way.”

Jung Min-young sensed that Jung Hyun-woo’s request would not be easy.

‘Hyun-woo’s request can’t be simple.’

He held the receiver with his right hand and asked.

“Can you tell me the easy one first?”

“The easy one first?”

“I think I’ll lose energy if I hear the difficult one first.”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled at his words.

“I understand. Then I’ll tell you the easy one first.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“Go to Grandfather and tell him the results of this presidential election.”

Jung Min-young narrowed his brow at Jung Hyun-woo’s words.

“Presidential election?”

He thought Jung Hyun-woo was talking nonsense. That’s because Korea was a country where the people did not directly elect the president.

“The U.S. presidential election.”

“Ah, the U.S.”

“Doesn’t Daewoon Group also have ties to either the Republicans or the Democrats?”

Jung Min-young nodded and answered.

“I know that the corporation sends donations to the Democrats, and construction sends donations to the Republicans.”

Daewoon Group wanted to support both sides rather than going all-in on one side.

“Then that’s even better.”

“Better? But isn’t the U.S. still in the middle of the election campaign?”

There was still time left until the U.S. presidential election.

“President Reagan will succeed in his re-election.”

He thought that since Daewoon Construction was supporting Republican President Reagan, they should increase the amount.

“Did the polls say that?”

“It’s not a poll, but reliable information from Wall Street.”

Jung Min-young clicked his tongue inwardly at Jung Hyun-woo’s answer.

‘Tsk, reliable information from Wall Street. In short, it’s just gossip.’

He thought that Wall Street gossip was more reliable than the broadcasting station’s polls.

“Hmm, so I just have to tell Father that President Reagan will succeed in his re-election?”

“Push it strongly, saying he has a 99% chance of being re-elected.”

Jung Min-young frowned.

“99% is a bit much.”

He could lose face if President Reagan happened to lose the election.

“He will definitely win.”

“There is no such thing as absolute.”

There was no such thing for others, but there was for Jung Hyun-woo.

‘President Reagan will win this election no matter what.’

If President Reagan were to lose, the course of history would be completely different from what he knew.

“Uncle, please trust me.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, but the risk is too great.”

“I think you have to do this much to score points.”

It was a story of high risk, high return.

“Hmm.”

It was when Jung Min-young sighed.

“If President Reagan loses, I will deposit $10 million.”

A $10 million bet.

Jung Min-young clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, Hyun-woo. $10 million is too much of a joke.”

He didn’t know how rich Jung Hyun-woo was yet.