The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 182

182. Summer in Wall Street (4)

Complete Independence of the AS Division.

Jung Hyun-woo’s offer was enough to persuade the AS engineers. They were captivated by Jung Hyun-woo’s vision and accepted his proposal without hesitation.

However, Chen added a condition: all promises must be documented.

He thought the offer of AS division independence was too good to be true and might end up being just a proposal.

Jung Hyun-woo agreed to his request, and the negotiation took a brief recess.

“The conditions are so unprecedented that everyone seems surprised.”

Mac Coile was more surprised by Jung Hyun-woo’s reaction than the AS engineers’ reaction.

“How can you be so patient, Mr. Jung?”

Jung Hyun-woo tilted his head at his question.

“Patient, you say?”

“Didn’t the engineers provoke you repeatedly?”

Mac Coile interpreted their rude behavior at the start of the negotiation as a deliberate provocation.

“I had no intention of falling for such obvious provocations.”

*Obvious* provocations.

It was a statement one might expect from a seasoned manager nearing forty.

But Jung Hyun-woo was just a young man who had recently turned twenty.

‘Was he born with the talent to bloom from the start?’

Mac Coile thought that Jung Hyun-woo possessed the innate qualities of a manager, like Bill Gates, rather than being simply an outstanding genius developer.

While the two were resting, Jung Hyun-woo’s secretary, Luna, brought the written agreement that Chen had requested.

“Here is the content you requested, summarized in writing.”

Jung Hyun-woo skimmed through the agreement she had prepared.

“It’s well organized.”

Luna’s meticulous work rivaled that of Anne.

“Luna, please inform them that we will resume negotiations.”

“Understood.”

A little later.

Negotiations resumed.

Chen, Albert, and Carl skimmed through the agreement presented by Jung Hyun-woo, groaning softly.

“Um, are you really going to agree to all of this?”

Jung Hyun-woo placed both hands on the table and replied.

“Of course.”

Chen looked back and forth between the agreement and Jung Hyun-woo, thinking.

‘He’s young, but his thinking is extraordinary. Is this what a genius is like?’

He had only thought of Jung Hyun-woo as a genius programmer from MIT.

But after actually meeting him, his perception was completely different.

“Let’s sign it right now.”

It was Albert who spoke up.

Chen heard his words and raised his right hand.

“Let’s take a closer look. There might be something missing.”

“Um, Chen…….”

“There might be something missing.”

“Okay.”

The negotiation table was filled with silence until Chen finished reviewing. Eventually, Chen put down the agreement and said.

“I think we can sign it.”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled slightly and said.

“You’ve made a good decision.”

The three AS engineers signed in turn, and then it was Jung Hyun-woo’s turn. He signed with practiced ease, and then Mac Coile signed.

“This is all done.”

Jung Hyun-woo reached out his hand, and Albert took it. Albert’s hand was thick and large.

‘A working man’s hand.’

On the other hand, Jung Hyun-woo’s hand was slender and soft.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Jung Hyun-woo shook hands with Carl and Chen in addition to Albert.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you for the good offer.”

Chen released Jung Hyun-woo’s hand and posed a question.

“Was the independence of the AS Center Robert’s idea?”

Jung Hyun-woo shook his head.

“Robert has stepped down from the AS division as CTO [Chief Technology Officer].”

“I see.”

“Are there any more questions?”

Chen nodded and replied.

“That’s all.”

He thought as he left the office.

‘The real power at Victoria Corporation wasn’t Robert, but Charlie Jung.’

* * *

Immediately after the announcement of the agreement with the AS division, Victoria Corporation’s stock price soared to $14.8.

Considering the lowest point was around $7, it had rebounded nearly twice in a short period.

“The losses have increased further.”

It was Paulo Giannini who sighed with a gloomy expression. As COO [Chief Operating Officer] of Bank of America, he had removed CFO [Chief Financial Officer] Canny Paul and greatly strengthened his own authority.

“It seems that the loss from this deal will be slightly over $100 million.”

The person sitting in front of Paulo Giannini was Lyra Marin.

She had accompanied him to New York to persuade Jung Hyun-woo.

“Well, let’s just think of it as the price of getting rid of Canny.”

Paulo Giannini tried to think positively.

“The short selling is a loss, but if Victoria Corporation’s stock price rises, the investment part will be a profit.”

“Um, are you saying that the profit from the investment part more than makes up for the loss from the short selling?”

“The amount on this side is larger.”

Bank of America’s stake in Victoria Corporation was about 10%, which amounted to $3 billion when converted to the current stock price of $15.

“When is the purchase expected to be completed?”

“It will probably continue until next month.”

Paulo Giannini tilted his head at her answer.

“Until next month?”

He had been thinking that it would be good to quickly buy back the shares that Canny had shorted.

“If we buy a large amount of Victoria Corporation’s stock in a short period, the stock price may skyrocket.”

“If the stock price skyrockets, the investment profit will be even greater, right?”

“If that happens, various agencies won’t stand still.”

The answer was that several supervisory agencies, including the federal government, might suspect stock manipulation.

“Uhm, that could be the case. I understand. Do as you see fit.”

Lyra Marin bowed slightly.

“Thank you.”

It was when she came out of Paulo Giannini’s office.

An employee ran up to her and said.

“Miss Marin, we have a big problem.”

Lyra Marin narrowed her brows and asked.

“A big problem? What happened?”

“Victoria Corporation’s stock price has broken through $17.”

When she entered the office to meet Paulo Giannini, Victoria Corporation’s stock price was only $14.8.

‘It rose by $2.2 in just 30 minutes?’

Lyra Marin asked with narrowed brows.

“What happened?”

“PC’s Limited, a related company of Victoria Corporation, has announced strong performance.”

“PC’s Limited?”

“It’s a computer manufacturing company that has been rapidly rising recently.”

Lyra Marin had no choice but to change her plans due to the unexpected news.

‘We need to hurry up with the stock purchase.’

PC’s Limited was a card she had not anticipated at all.

In fact, Jung Hyun-woo and Victoria Corporation had not even factored in PC’s Limited’s strong performance.

“Charlie, did you see the stock price?”

Jung Hyun-woo replied to Sarah’s question.

“I saw it.”

“Can you believe it?”

“I didn’t expect it to exceed $17.”

“Everyone is going crazy.”

Victoria Corporation’s current stock price was $17.1, with a market capitalization of $34.2 billion.

“Come to think of it, Charlie, you’ve become richer?”

“Pardon?”

“You bought a lot of treasury shares this time.”

Jung Hyun-woo shrugged.

“It’s not like I’m going to sell the shares anyway.”

“Charlie, are you just going to keep collecting stocks?”

“I have enough cash to use anyway.”

Sarah knew that Jung Hyun-woo only spent a few hundred dollars a month.

‘I guess. Charlie doesn’t even have time to spend money.’

He was a person who didn’t have enough hours in the day with just work and rest. That’s why he didn’t have time to spend on consumption.

“Oh, come to think of it, the car is coming out.”

Sarah tilted her head at Jung Hyun-woo’s words.

“The car is coming out? Charlie doesn’t even have a license.”

Jung Hyun-woo had planned to get a license several times, but it was canceled every time due to lack of time.

“It’s not my car, it’s Sarah’s car.”

Sarah asked with wide eyes.

“My car?”

“I told you before. I’ll buy you a Ferrari…….”

“Charlie!”

Sarah’s shout was like that of an older sister scolding her younger sibling.

Jung Hyun-woo had an embarrassed look on his face.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Such an expensive car doesn’t suit me. Besides, there’s no place to put it.”

Jung Hyun-woo scratched his head as if he hadn’t thought about the parking space.

“I can’t move the house because of the parking lot, so it’s become difficult.”

Sarah lowered her raised voice and said.

“If you cancel it now, the cancellation fee won’t be much.”

Jung Hyun-woo calmly accepted her words.

“Let’s just buy it and keep it. We’ll move someday.”

“What are you talking about? Buy it and keep it?”

“I heard that Ferraris are like collectible sculptures. Their value increases if you have them…….”

Sarah narrowed her eyes.

“Charlie, Ferraris are not antiques.”

Based on 1985, Sarah’s words were correct.

“Is that so?”

“Cancel it.”

“It was called Testarossa.”

Ferrari Testarossa.

It was Ferrari’s masterpiece supercar, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 1984.

However, Sarah’s answer did not change.

“Cancel it.”

Jung Hyun-woo waved his hand at her persistent request.

“Okay. I’ll cancel it.”

He said that, but he thought it was a waste to cancel it.

‘But if I don’t cancel it and keep it, I’ll hear another lecture.’

It was the moment he thought he couldn’t do it.

Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on the office door.

“Come in.”

It was Luna, the secretary, who came inside.

“We have a guest.”

“A guest?”

“Chairman Bud Walton has arrived.”

Bud Walton of Walmart.

Jung Hyun-woo and Sarah widened their eyes at his visit.

“Mr. Walton visited our company?”

“This isn’t even the headquarters…….”

The two decided to meet Bud Walton first.

* * *

Victoria Corporation’s New York branch.

The size of this place was not small, but the presence of the visitor was too great.

Bud Walton.

He and his brother were leading Walmart, the largest mart in the United States, no, the world.

“How have you been?”

Bud Walton had a bright face.

“I’ve been well, thanks to you.”

“Hahaha, what have I done…….”

Jung Hyun-woo slightly raised the end of his words, hinting at a question.

“Didn’t Mr. Walton spread the rumors?”

“What rumors are you talking about?”

“The rumor that you will be working with our company.”

Bud Walton’s face hardened slightly.

“I didn’t think of it as a rumor. Did *you* think of it as a rumor?”

Jung Hyun-woo straightened his posture.

‘Does not thinking of it as a rumor mean that he is serious about working with us?’

He answered with strength in his voice.

“If I can work with Walmart, I will do my best.”

Bud Walton smiled after hearing Jung Hyun-woo’s answer.

“Actually, I came to talk about that.”

He wanted to actually apply the online logistics management system that Jung Hyun-woo had previously proposed.

“If we can reform Walmart’s logistics system, we can maximize profits.”

“Maximizing profits. That’s a word I like.”

Sarah listened to the two and thought.

‘Collaboration with Walmart, if successful, will take Victoria Corporation to the next level. But right now, we don’t have the capacity to create a huge logistics system.’

Victoria Corporation was struggling just to grasp the concept of the module system that Jung Hyun-woo had previously announced.

“By using the online management system that Victoria Corporation will provide, you will be able to operate the mart efficiently while reducing inventory.”

“In other words, you can adjust the inventory of each mart from the headquarters.”

“That’s right.”

Sarah intervened.

“Uncle.”

Bud Walton turned his head at her call.

“Sarah, you seem to have something to say.”

Sarah nodded and said.

“The online management system that Charlie proposed will definitely be effective. But right now, our company can’t provide that system right away.”

Bud Walton accepted her words in a soft voice.

“I already heard from Aria that your company is busy.”

He was Aria’s father, so he was also close to Sarah.

“That means…….”

Bud Walton cut off her words and asked.

“How many years do I have to wait?”

Jung Hyun-woo answered instead when Sarah hesitated.

“Please wait two years.”

“Two years?”

“Two years will be enough.”

Bud Walton nodded.

“I can wait that long.”

Jung Hyun-woo could sense the余裕 [composure/confidence] from him.

“The actual development will take two years, but the concept research and business plan will be completed before that.”

“A blueprint?”

“I will send you the business plan before the end of this year.”

Bud Walton felt strength in Jung Hyun-woo’s answer.

‘This friend, he also has ambition.’

He nodded slowly.

“Okay. I’ll wait for your data.”

Around the time the conversation was 마무리 [wrapping up/concluding].

Bud Walton said to Jung Hyun-woo.

“I have something to talk about with Sarah, so would you excuse us?”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded and got up from his seat.

“Understood.”

After he went outside.

Bud Walton asked Sarah.

“What do you think of that friend?”

“Pardon?”

Sarah’s face turned red for a moment.

‘What do I think of Charlie…….’

She answered the moment Bud Walton tried to ask again.

“We, we’re business partners.”

Bud Walton sighed briefly.

“Hoo……. I wasn’t asking about the relationship between the two of you.”

Sarah’s face turned even redder.

“I, I see.”

Bud Walton laughed inwardly as he looked at Sarah’s embarrassed face.

‘Hoo hoo hoo, I’m envious of the young friends.’

He asked, raising his right hand.

“I was asking about his usual attitude and personality.”

Sarah had no choice but to lower her gaze.

‘Ah, Bud Uncle just wanted to know about the CEO of the other company before collaborating.’

She had no choice but to sigh inwardly.

‘Hoo……. I have to answer properly for Charlie’s sake.’

She cleared her throat and said.

“Charlie is always serious. And he’s sincere. There are few people as sincere as him.”

Bud Walton accepted her words in a soft voice.

“You can trust a sincere person. But a trustworthy person doesn’t always make people happy.”

Sarah raised her gaze and asked.

“Yes? Makes people happy?”

“Is he a fun person?”

Sarah answered briefly.

“No.”

Bud Walton nodded as if he understood.

“You’re saying he’s a sincere but not a fun young man.”

Sarah raised her eyebrows and asked.

“But what does that have to do with this business?”

Bud Walton crossed his arms.

“I didn’t ask because of business.”

“You didn’t ask because of business?”

“I just wanted to know personally.”

“Yes?”

Bud Walton said with a smile.

“He’s not a fun friend, but I’m glad Sarah is doing well.”

Sarah felt like she was falling into a maze.

“Uncle?”

“I’ve said everything I wanted to say.”

“…….”

“It seems there’s nothing this old man can ask.”

Sarah asked as Bud Walton stood up.

“Uncle, are you really going to do business with Charlie?”

He turned and answered.

“I have to. Didn’t he say we can maximize profits?”

Apart from the questions he had for Sarah, he was planning to test the new management system.

‘Companies that stay in place have no choice but to be pushed back.’

His thought was that he had to constantly change in order to maintain the world’s number one position.