The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 105

#105

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

A desperate voice echoed in the complete darkness.

Lee Hee-do shouted and turned his head, but he couldn’t see anything.

‘Is this hell?’

The last thing he remembered was at the sink.

Even now, his mind was hazy.

He couldn’t see anything.

The only thing that made him aware he was alive was his bound body.

‘Who did this to me?’

He couldn’t think of anyone.

AR Group Chairman Gu Chang-hoon was the most likely candidate, but he wasn’t the type.

He was a fool who trusted him until the end.

He had always maintained good relationships during his working life.

No matter how much he thought, he couldn’t recall.

Who would be his adversary?

“Ah.”

A short sigh escaped his lips.

‘Jo Jae-wook, Park Hyun-cheol, those bastards…’

The Cheonji Association’s legal family ousting him was the most plausible explanation.

He was a ‘sacred bone’ [a term for someone from an elite background] from Seoul National University’s law school, but he failed the bar exam.

Still, he had been loyal to the organization until now.

He had been leaking AR Group secrets for over 20 years for the Cheonji Association,

and now… because of one measly affiliate.

“Haa.”

He let out a long sigh.

‘A measly affiliate? No.’

Those guys are greedy and never give up, even for a thousand won [Korean currency].

He had been careless.

He should have been more thorough.

It was no use regretting it now.

“President Lee Hee-do.”

A strange voice reached Lee Hee-do’s ears.

If he pleaded now, he could save his life.

Realizing a glimmer of hope, he cried out urgently.

“Who is it? Please, save me.”

After a moment of silence, the voice asked.

“Why do you think you’re here?”

“Please, save me. Are you trying to kidnap and kill someone over one measly affiliate? I’ll give it up cleanly. Please tell Jo Jae-wook. If you spare my life, I don’t need anything.”

He was floundering in terror.

“Do you want to live?”

“Please, save me.”

“Then tell me what you’ve done for our Cheonji Association. I’m curious how much you’ve contributed.”

The history of betrayal over the past 20 years flowed from Lee Hee-do’s mouth.

What he did was far more malicious than any industrial spy.

Jeong-hoon recorded everything he said and spoke again.

“Tell me all your personal wrongdoings too. Harassment, ostracism, bribery. We’re verifying your membership in the Cheonji Association.”

Embezzlement, harassment, molestation, bullying, bribery, and other dirty misdeeds crawled out of his mouth like worms.

Jeong-hoon’s expression twisted severely.

– Phat

Yellow light turned on, illuminating his face.

“President Lee Hee-do. Thank you for confessing so readily.”

“Wh-Who are you?”

He had freely revealed stories that should have been buried deep.

His voice was urgent, matching his bewildered face.

“I’m Yoon Jeong-hoon from Shinhwa Group. I will deliver everything you’ve said to AR Group Chairman.”

“No!”

Jeong-hoon sneered at him.

“No? I’ll decide that! And Chairman Gu needs to see exactly how rotten you Cheonji Association guys are.”

“You cowardly bastard. Deceiving people like that.”

Jeong-hoon’s forehead crumpled like a crushed beer can.

“You guys really have a talent for making people feel disgusted. That’s not the kind of word that should come out of the mouth of someone who’s been handing over company secrets for 20 years.”

“Untie me, the Cheonji Association will punish you. They will never forgive you.”

“Of course not. I don’t need to be forgiven by you guys.”

Jeong-hoon kicked him in the chest as he glared at him.

He fell backward and struggled.

The door opened.

“Oh, Yoon Jeong-hoon, our junior.”

Kang Cheol-joong, with his hands in his pockets, swaggered in.

As he entered, he saw Lee Hee-do tied to a chair, writhing.

“Untie this, you bastard!”

Lee Hee-do shouted at Kang Cheol-joong, and his expression hardened.

He went to his head and kicked it like a soccer ball.

– Ugh

“How dare you curse at a prosecutor like me. Oh, should I call you ‘senior’? Sorry about today! I’ll treat you well later.”

Cheol-joong looked at Jeong-hoon and opened his mouth.

“Are you catching a big one?”

“Go easy, it’ll be a problem if he claims he was tortured. This should be a huge help to your performance.”

“I don’t care. I didn’t have any before, but now I really don’t care. I’ll show you how scary a prosecutor who’s given up on promotion can be.”

His cheerful and crazy personality was evident on his face.

It felt like seeing Kang Cheol-joong’s true self for the first time in a long time.

“Announce the appearance of the greatest sword under the heavens, my disciple!”

“Yes, Master.”

Jeong-hoon smiled brightly at him for the first time in years.

Kang Cheol-joong handcuffed the unconscious Lee Hee-do.

Jeong-hoon took the recorder with his voice saved.

***

“It’s not too late now. Grandpa, you have to ask Madam Hyun Jeong-ok.”

Chairman Gu Chang-hoon was in a dizzying situation.

‘How could AR Group be pushed into a corner like this?’

AR Group, ranked 3rd in the business world.

But…….

It was an unbelievable reality, but he had to assess the situation calmly.

He wanted to solve it with his own power if possible.

Especially, he absolutely didn’t want to ask Hyun Jeong-ok for help.

It was a matter of pride.

“I’ll sell my shares to solve it, so don’t worry too much.”

“Then your control will weaken. You know what that means.”

“No matter what, how can I borrow money from Jeong-ok in this situation? I have my pride.”

“What are you talking about? You used to borrow money often in the past.”

“That’s…”

Gu Chang-hoon couldn’t continue.

‘Ha, it’s humiliating…’

When he borrowed money from Jeong-ok, he actually had a lot of money.

He just borrowed it for the fun of seeing her face and talking to her under that excuse, but now it was really humiliating.

A man!

A life sustained by pride alone.

He couldn’t borrow money from her in a situation where his ‘gao’ [face/prestige] was falling.

“Let’s solve it with the stocks we have for now. The group’s control will drop a little, but there won’t be any major problems.”

“Ha, Grandpa. You have to think about the worst-case scenario. What if all of this is their plan? And what if they get the stocks you sell?”

“Surely they wouldn’t be that vicious. Have hope even in moments of crisis. That’s what drove our AR Group to overcome crises.”

Gu Hyun-ji couldn’t understand at all.

‘The group could collapse if we’re not careful, but why is he so optimistic?’

In this situation, we have to borrow money unconditionally.

‘If only we hadn’t guaranteed payment.’

If it weren’t for that, we could have negotiated with the creditors using bankruptcy as an excuse.

If we go bankrupt, the creditors will also lose huge losses.

But because of the payment guarantee, group funds went in, which eventually led to a liquidity crisis for the entire group.

Rumors always exaggerate crises.

People are clamoring for money everywhere.

The existing loans are also being urgently recovered.

If more than 700 billion won [approximately $530 million USD] doesn’t come in by next week… we can’t guarantee the group’s future.

In the worst case, the giant group ranked 3rd in the business world could collapse at once.

“Grandpa, I’ll contact Chairman Yoon Jeong-hoon.”

“What? That guy is trying to eat our financial company cheaply.”

“You were planning to sell it anyway.”

“But not now.”

The chief of staff entered the chairman’s office. He said with a troubled expression.

“A guest has arrived. It’s Shinhwa Group Chairman Yoon Jeong-hoon. What should I do? Should I send him back?”

“Tell him to come in.”

“Hyun-ji, I will never borrow money from Madam Hyun or Chairman Yoon. Never.”

Gu Chang-hoon glared at Gu Hyun-ji, but she didn’t care.

We can’t leave the crisis unattended any longer.

We have to pull the group, which is like a lamp in the wind, out of the swamp.

***

‘Why is the chairman’s office so hot? Did they have a heated debate?’

Both of their faces were red.

Gu Hyun-ji was full of dissatisfaction, and Chairman Gu Chang-hoon was angry.

There must have been a sharp conflict of opinion.

“Hello. I stopped by to say hello on the way.”

“Sit down.”

Gu Chang-hoon asked Jeong-hoon.

“It’s not like you don’t know our situation, so you didn’t come to say hello. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

He was always relaxed, but today he seemed quite sensitive.

“Have you investigated President Lee Hee-do?”

“Such background checks don’t fit the spirit of our AR Group.”

Gu Chang-hoon said firmly.

But Gu Hyun-ji had a different opinion.

“Yes, he was close to High Court Judge Jo Jae-wook. Jo Jae-wook was hanging out with Hanho Group Chairman Han Pan-soo and Park Hyun-cheol, who is likely to be the next Prosecutor General.”

“Hyun-ji, what have you done? Don’t you know that there’s no end to suspicion once you start?”

“Grandpa, face reality. Everyone is pursuing money rather than loyalty and values. Lee Hee-do is the same.”

Gu Hyun-ji’s eyes welled up with tears at her grandfather’s frustration.

“That can’t be. It can never be.”

Gu Chang-hoon was still closing his eyes to the changes of the times.

His era was full of loyalty, romance, and recognition.

He was still trapped in the mirage of the past.

Jeong-hoon thought he should show Gu Chang-hoon Lee Hee-do’s true colors.

“Lee Hee-do of AR Card was supposed to receive one of the financial affiliates for this. He would become a wealthy man with at least 10 billion won [approximately $7.5 million USD] in assets. Chairman, please check it yourself.”

Jeong-hoon took out the recorder from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Lee Hee-do’s voice flowed out.

Gu Chang-hoon’s expression was calm.

A forehead that contorted from moment to moment,

A trembling finger.

His anger could be felt.

But he still closed his eyes and remained silent.

Lee Hee-do’s voice no longer came out of the recorder, but he kept his eyes closed for a long time.

“Keueung.”

He let out a short moan and stood up to go to the window.

“Time… how much time has passed like this…”

Gu Chang-hoon turned to look at Jeong-hoon.

“Chairman Yoon, thank you. You took me out of the mirage.”

“No, Chairman. I’m sorry. I destroyed your romance.”

“No, you did well. It’s time to wake up from the dream. Now we have to normalize the group. Talk to Hyun-ji about the acquisition issue. I delegate all authority to that child.”

“I understand.”

“Hyun-ji!”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

“Conduct a major audit of all department heads and above in the group’s affiliates.”

“Yes.”

The awakened giant began to clean.

It might be dirtier than expected, but it was something that couldn’t be put off.

The days of those who were with him with loyalty and romance were gone, and he could no longer deny the trend of loyalty to money.

Chairman Gu Chang-hoon resolved to clean up and then establish a proper system.

***

“Present the item.”

“What do you want?”

Gu Hyun-ji’s eyes changed.

Her cynical and cold expression exuded a venomous energy as she began negotiations.

Even though the situation was like this, it meant that she wouldn’t be easily underestimated.

However, Jeong-hoon couldn’t just be kind.

First, he had to suppress the momentum.

Where the standard is set is important.

There’s a reason why Indians call a 1,000 won item 10,000 won.

If you cut a 10,000 won item to 5,000 won, 3,000 won, 1,500 won.

You might actually buy it because you’re tempted.

That’s the Indian trick.

Setting different standards.

Thoughts change depending on where the standard is.

“What can you sell? Frankly, we only need the card company. We already have a securities company, a bank, and a savings bank.”

“Then, let’s put fire insurance and life insurance on the negotiating table as well. And I want to sell a small securities company too.”

“Hmm, we don’t need that much. Frankly, the delinquency rate was lower than it is now when I proposed the acquisition last time.”

“That’s true, but…”

Gu Hyun-ji trailed off.

She knew it well too.

As time passed, the situation became rapidly unfavorable.

The insolvency became too great.

“If we get through this crisis, we’ll have the number one card company in the industry at once.”

That’s true.

Even if we clean up the insolvent members this time, AR Card is still number one in the industry.

And the current insolvency is at a level that Shinhwa and Mirae Financial Group’s financial resources can handle.

But we can’t buy it expensively.

‘Shall we start teasing her?’

She was cold and aloof.

We need to confuse her to lead the negotiations in our favor.

“Tell me the price.”

“I calculated 500 billion won [approximately $375 million USD] for the card, 1 trillion won [approximately $750 million USD] for life insurance and fire insurance combined, and 1.6 trillion won [approximately $1.2 billion USD] including the securities company.”

Jeong-hoon looked at Gu Hyun-ji.

‘Her poker face is good. There’s not a single tremor in her expression. Shall we start?’

Jeong-hoon smiled slightly as he looked at her prim expression.

“You’ve calculated a little too much. The price that came up from our Planning and Coordination Office is very different.”

“It won’t be much different. There’s a set rule for the price of selling a company anyway.”

“That’s true, but the management premium seems a bit excessive.”

Gu Hyun-ji looked at Jeong-hoon.

‘That bastard. I thought he was easy, but he’s not so easy.’

“A 20 percent management premium is basically recognized in business administration. Oh, I guess you don’t know because you’re from law school.”

Gu Hyun-ji deliberately provoked him.

She had to keep him from thinking.

She drove him again.

“But we only set a 10 percent management premium. That’s the same for the card company. So, it’s not a bad price at all.”

“Yes, that could be true. I don’t know much because I’m from law school.”

“It’s okay. You can learn now.”

The corners of Gu Hyun-ji’s lips went up.

‘Tsk, he’s nothing special compared to the rumors.’

She felt satisfied with being superior to Yoon Jeong-hoon.

“Yes, so I’m learning hard. But I heard that what’s important in business administration is intrinsic value and market conditions.”

“That’s right.”

Gu Hyun-ji was flustered when he suddenly came in.

Her expression hardened.

“So, we set the intrinsic value of AR Card at 1 won [approximately $0.00075 USD].”

At that moment, Hyun-ji doubted her ears.

‘What? 1 won… Is that bastard kidding me?’

She had to confirm his words one more time.

“1 won? Did I hear you wrong?”

“That’s right. Your thoughts are abnormal because of greed, but your ears are normal. That’s right. 1 won.”

Gu Hyun-ji’s cold face began to turn bright red.

“Are you kidding me?”

She shouted in a tearing, sharp voice.

But Jeong-hoon just smiled at her.

Cash King’s Genius Grandson, Becoming a Tycoon.