The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 272

272. Winner and Loser (2)

Chairman Kajima Jiro spoke to the interpreter before leaving the convention room.

“You must not tell anyone about what happened in this room.”

The interpreter quickly bowed his head.

“I will keep the secret without fail.”

While interpreting the conversation between Jung Hyun-woo and Chairman Kajima Jiro, he realized that the content was unusual.

‘This conversation is beyond my capacity to handle.’

Just being in the middle of a deal involving tens of billions of dollars was enough to make him feel an unbearable pressure. He didn’t have the courage to cause trouble by telling someone about it.

Chairman Kajima Jiro scanned him up and down and said coldly.

“Good. Let’s go out.”

As he and the interpreter came out, Kajima Group executives bowed.

“Chairman, thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Instead of accepting the executives’ greetings, Chairman Kajima Jiro called Mori, the president of Kajima Construction.

“Mori, come see me for a moment.”

President Mori quickly straightened his back and followed.

“Chairman, I will guide you to the lounge.”

The lounge they headed to was a space where singers and actors participating in performances stayed when performances were held in the hotel convention room.

Was that why?

It didn’t feel luxurious.

Chairman Kajima Jiro sat on a small chair and asked.

“Mori, how many years has it been since you joined Kajima Construction?”

President Mori bowed and replied.

“This is my 32nd year.”

After graduating from graduate school in the United States, he had been working at Kajima Construction ever since.

“32 years? Then how many years with me?”

“It will be about 25 years.”

President Mori answered Chairman Kajima Jiro’s question and felt that something was wrong.

‘This is the first time the chairman has shown such interest in me.’

Chairman Kajima Jiro listened to his answer and nodded slowly.

“25 years. That’s not a short time.”

“It feels like a long time if it’s long, and a short time if it’s short.”

“Yes, it could be.”

Chairman Kajima Jiro asked him again.

“In those 25 years, have I ever asked you for a favor?”

“A favor…….”

Chairman Kajima Jiro was the one who gave orders from above President Mori.

“I guess not. I’ve only ever given instructions.”

“Chairman?”

“I’m going to ask you for a favor for the first time. Will you grant it?”

It was an unlike story for Chairman Kajima Jiro.

“How can I refuse the chairman’s request?”

President Mori bowed deeply.

“The word ‘favor’ is usually used when talking about difficult things.”

Chairman Kajima Jiro took a long sigh and continued.

“Mori, I’ve been completely outplayed.”

President Mori slowly straightened his back.

“What do you mean by completely outplayed…….”

“Charlie Jung was completely aware of us. He even mobilized the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency].”

President Mori’s heart sank when he heard that the CIA had been mobilized.

“D, Do you mean wiretapping?”

“Wiretapping. Maybe he did more than that.”

“Then does that mean Tanaka’s flustered appearance was all acting?”

Chairman Kajima Jiro shook his head.

“I don’t think so. That friend lacked the qualities of an actor. Maybe his clumsy acting revealed everything.”

He suspected that Victoria Fund headquarters borrowed the power of the CIA after seeing Yoo Tanaka’s flustered appearance.

‘It’s possible enough.’

Whatever the reason or intention, the current situation was disadvantageous to the Kajima Group in every way.

President Mori slightly raised his voice.

“Chairman, then what will happen?”

Chairman Kajima Jiro stared into the air and replied.

“He told me to hand over the culprit.”

President Mori’s eyes widened.

“C, Culprit?”

“He didn’t mean to put him on trial. He just said that he couldn’t do business with us without finding the culprits on both sides. It’s half a threat.”

Culprits on both sides.

Victoria Fund had already named Yoo Tanaka as the culprit.

‘Does that mean I have to be the culprit on this side?’

President Mori realized what Chairman Kajima Jiro’s request was.

He bowed deeply and said.

“Chairman, I will take responsibility for everything.”

It was a conspiracy that started from Chairman Kajima Jiro’s greed. Nevertheless, he wanted to take responsibility for everything.

The relationship between the two was like that of a lord and vassal in the Middle Ages, not just a simple employer and employee relationship.

“Mori, I’m sorry.”

“No. I have learned a lot from Kajima Construction for 30 years.”

“I will prepare your retirement pay generously.”

Chairman Kajima Jiro wanted to put all the blame on President Mori.

‘It’s like cutting off a lizard’s tail, but this is the only way right now.’

President Mori did not resent or get angry at Chairman Kajima Jiro even though he was being framed. He was a typical Japanese salaryman of the 1980s.

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t be of more help to the chairman.”

Chairman Kajima Jiro said to him in a weak voice.

“Mori, if there is anything you want, tell me just one thing.”

The price of being framed.

President Mori raised his voice without raising his head.

“Chairman, how can I want anything from you?”

“Do you really want nothing?”

President Mori thought for a moment and then answered.

“Chairman, whenever a dangerous time comes for the company, can you take care of the employees first?”

It was a request regarding the treatment of Kajima Construction employees who worked under him.

Chairman Kajima Jiro readily accepted his request.

“Kajima Construction’s employees are my employees too. I promise to take care of them first.”

“Thank you.”

The conversation between Chairman Kajima Jiro and President Mori ended there.

“Well, it seems like it’s time.”

Chairman Kajima Jiro got up and headed to the convention room where Jung Hyun-woo was waiting.

* * *

The table was cleared.

Chairman Kajima Jiro began to speak in a heavy voice.

“Mr. Jung, there was a problem on this side too.”

Jung Hyun-woo slightly raised his voice at his words.

“Have you already found out?”

“Rather than finding out, I received a confession.”

Jung Hyun-woo only half believed his words.

‘It could be real, or it could be fake.’

The important thing was that the Kajima Group was trying to make huge profits while deceiving him and John Peer.

“What did you do?”

“I fired him on the spot.”

“Was it an executive?”

“It wasn’t just a simple executive.”

It meant that the person who caused the problem was not an ordinary executive such as a managing director or executive director.

Jung Hyun-woo could somewhat guess who Chairman Kajima Jiro had fired.

‘If it’s not a simple executive, then President Mori of Kajima Construction is the most likely.’

President Mori tried to make huge profits by joining hands with Yoo Tanaka.

‘It’s not an impossible story.’

But it wasn’t a 100% convincing story either.

‘The real estate payment would not be possible without Chairman Kajima Jiro’s approval.’

He had not yet dispelled his suspicion of Chairman Kajima.

“It seems like you made a difficult decision.”

Chairman Kajima Jiro relaxed his furrowed brow and said.

“Rather than that story, I would like to hear your answer to the proposal I made earlier.”

He had offered a third-party selection and a 10% premium on the sale price.

Jung Hyun-woo paused for a moment without answering immediately.

“I’ve been thinking a lot.”

Previously, he had stated that he could not continue to do business with a company that caused problems.

“I’m waiting for the result of that consideration.”

Jung Hyun-woo sighed briefly and said.

“Hoo……. John has sided with the Kajima Group.”

It meant that John Peer wanted to continue doing business with the Kajima Group.

“Mr. Peer?”

“If this deal is successful, it will all be his credit.”

Jung Hyun-woo took a slight step back. He wanted to give strength to John Peer.

‘I can’t come to Japan often.’

It was John Peer, not him, who actually handled the transactions in Japan.

“Does that mean you want me to favor Mr. Peer?”

“It’s not about favoring, it’s about respecting him.”

Chairman Kajima Jiro was satisfied with winning the exclusive rights.

“Hehehe, respect. How can I not respect the CEO of Victoria Fund?”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Chairman Kajima Jiro asked him.

“Are there any other requests?”

Jung Hyun-woo replied briefly.

“No.”

He didn’t want to add any reasons or conditions.

‘The bigger the deal, the simpler and clearer it should be.’

Chairman Kajima Jiro asked him again.

“What is a good date for signing?”

“Please discuss it with John.”

It would be John Peer, not him, who would sign the contract.

“I understand. I will talk to Mr. Peer.”

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

“I think it’s fortunate that the problem was resolved before it got bigger.”

“I agree with you.”

Chairman Kajima Jiro had suffered tens of billions of dollars in losses in this negotiation.

Nevertheless, he was not pessimistic.

‘Anyway, the deal is done.’

The Kajima Group would make huge profits from this deal. He had no doubt about this fact.

* * *

John Peer and Jung Hyun-woo had dinner together after finishing negotiations with the Kajima Group.

The restaurant the two were looking for was a high-end Japanese restaurant with private rooms.

“Charlie, you won again this time.”

Jung Hyun-woo moved his chopsticks and responded to his words.

“I just prevented the loss.”

“Loss? Didn’t you negotiate with Chairman Kajima and get a 10% premium?”

“I think of that as compensation for the Kajima Group’s conspiracy.”

Jung Hyun-woo thought of the 10% premium as compensation for turning a blind eye to this incident.

“Hmm, you mean 10 billion dollar compensation.”

Jung Hyun-woo put down his chopsticks and said.

“The actual amount will be more than that.”

“More than that?”

“Japanese real estate will continue to rise in 1988.”

Even as Victoria Fund withdrew, Japanese real estate prices would rise.

“If the price keeps rising…….”

Jung Hyun-woo interrupted John Peer’s words.

“John, you think it’s better to keep holding on to it.”

“Isn’t that common sense?”

There was no need to sell rising stocks and give up expected profits.

Jung Hyun-woo shook his head and replied.

“John, unlike stocks, it’s difficult to get out of real estate when you want to. Besides, isn’t the US government watching us right now?”

“Hmm, you mean we have to give up some profits in the Japanese market.”

“If they didn’t think it would be profitable, the Kajima Group wouldn’t have offered us a premium.”

John Peer asked Jung Hyun-woo.

“How much more profit do you expect from Japanese real estate, Charlie?”

Jung Hyun-woo answered with chopsticks in his hand.

“It will be about 100% more.”

John Peer’s eyes widened.

“Do you mean that there will be 100% more profit in the future?”

John Peer thought that if he could take 100% profit with a 10% premium, it would be a great deal.

‘The Kajima Group didn’t make a deal that would lose them money at all.’

A shadow fell on his face for a moment.

“John, are you sorry?”

He answered Jung Hyun-woo’s question.

“Charlie, wouldn’t it be a lie if I said I wasn’t sorry?”

“But the Kajima Group won’t be able to take all of that profit.”

“You can’t take the profit?”

“Didn’t I say? You can’t sell real estate when you want to.”

John Peer also knew that real estate was a heavier asset than stocks.

But if you cut the price, you could shorten the waiting period.

‘There’s no way Charlie doesn’t know this.’

It was when he narrowed his brows.

“John, do you know Black Monday?”

“Do you want to talk about the Great Depression or the Great Crash [referring to significant stock market crashes]?”

“In any market, if there is a big crash, you can’t sell even if you want to.”

“Will Japanese real estate really crash?”

As of 1987, Japanese real estate was the safest and most profitable investment product in the world.

Jung Hyun-woo drank miso soup and replied.

“If Japan continues to grow the bubble like this, it will.”

John Peer asked with suspicion.

“Charlie, what if the Japanese government reduces the real estate bubble?”

“If a soft landing of real estate is possible, we can hope for continuous growth. But the Japanese economy has come too far to hope for that now.”

The bubble in Japanese real estate was not at a level that could be controlled by government policies alone.

‘Strong policies can burst the real estate bubble, but the aftermath will be great.’

He knew the consequences of the Japanese bubble.

‘Was it the lost decade [a period of economic stagnation in Japan after the collapse of the asset price bubble]?’

John Peer sighed briefly.

“Hoo……. Macroeconomics is difficult.”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled and responded to his words.

“Because it’s difficult to predict, people use tricks.”

“Tricks?”

“Maybe the Kajima Group has information we don’t know.”

It meant that they didn’t pay the exclusive premium simply because they expected Japanese real estate to rise.

“If it’s information we don’t know, it means the Japanese government is preparing something.”

Jung Hyun-woo said in a calm tone.

“The Japanese government will lower interest rates further.”

John Peer raised his eyebrows at his words.

“Lower interest rates further here?”

He thought Japan’s interest rates were low enough.

‘If interest rates are lowered further here, stocks and real estate will skyrocket.’

Jung Hyun-woo said.

“The trade balance between Japan and the United States has begun to change.”

John Peer couldn’t help but pause when he heard his words.

“Do you mean Japan’s surplus is decreasing?”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded slowly.

“The effects of the Plaza Accord [an agreement between major countries to depreciate the U.S. dollar] have begun to appear.”

Commonly known as the J-curve effect.

In other words, the situation will continue to worsen in the early stages of negotiations, but after passing the worst point, the indicators will gradually rise and the situation will improve in the direction the United States wants.

“Hmm, then Japan…….”

“It will be difficult in the future.”

John Peer narrowed his brows and asked.

“Could the recent indicators be just a technical rebound?”

Jung Hyun-woo swirled his glass of water and replied.

“Then my prediction is wrong.”

John Peer nodded at his answer.

“You mean Charlie’s predictions aren’t perfect either.”

“Because I’m human.”

“Yes?”

“John, I’m also human.”

It was just that he was giving a statistically high answer.

It wasn’t about predicting the future.

“What should we do with Mr. Tanaka?”

At this point when the deal with the Kajima Group was completed, Yoo Tanaka was nothing more than a burden.

“The Kajima Group will move first.”

“The Kajima Group?”

“Tanaka will be an accomplice with them.”

Jung Hyun-woo thought.

‘Now that the conspiracy has been revealed, they can’t just stay still.’

He predicted that the Kajima Group would put pressure on Yoo Tanaka in some way.