You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 171

You’ve Been Defended – Episode 171

Jo Bong-joon tilted his head, still looking puzzled.

“No, of course, if Wooshin acquires Geumsan Card, it would be a huge win for them. That’s the same for other companies too. Everyone’s just testing the waters because Geumsan Card’s debt ratio is no joke. Which company in Korea right now has the funds to swallow Geumsan Card? There aren’t any.”

*It seems he’s not Apollo for nothing.*

I can see the big picture all at once because I’ve seen the future and know the plan that started three years ago, but he can’t.

His ability to infer the unknowable future situation based only on my hints is remarkable.

Plus, he’s keenly aware of the current financial state of the companies.

“That’s why Antrozol Alpha is coming out.”

“Isn’t that a leap? Jong-hyun hyung [older brother or close male friend] himself said it takes 10 years to develop a drug. Did they know Geumsan Card would be sold 10 years ago? Geumsan Group even rose to 4th in the business world 10 years ago. You have to say something that makes sense.”

Jo Bong-joon grimaced and waved his hands repeatedly.

“Myungwha Pharmaceutical probably knew from the early stages of Antrozol research that adding those two ingredients would enhance the effect. But they couldn’t use those two ingredients in Antrozol because of the side effects. Antrozol Alpha was probably on standby.”

“Hmm.”

“Now that they’ve crunched all the numbers, there’s nothing to hold them back. So, they started playing the media by saying they would start developing Antrozol Alpha three years ago. And as Jo Bong-joon said, this coincides with the time when rumors started circulating that Geumsan Group was 추진 [pushing for] selling the card company.”

“What if someone else snatched Geumsan Card in the meantime? They were lucky it wasn’t sold for three years, but if they were unlucky, someone else would have taken it.”

“Is the Wooshin Economic Research Institute just sitting around? They would have crunched the numbers. Among Geumsan affiliates, the card company still has a pretty good market capitalization, right? It’s already known that Geumsan Group was desperately trying to hold onto the card no matter what, even if they sold everything else. They probably figured Geumsan Group could hold out for three years. They must have established a plan to raise funds by releasing Antrozol Alpha within three years. And as you said, they were naturally less worried because other companies were also in bad financial shape.”

“Heeum.”

“Since the research results are already out, they can go straight into clinical trials. They would aim for one phase per year, so three years, and if it seemed like it would take longer, they would even consider making a deal with the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to speed it up.”

“The timing is suspiciously perfect. But was this the only way to raise the acquisition funds?”

“Myungwha Pharmaceutical is the only way for Wooshin Group to definitively increase its value in the short term of three years.”

“To think they’re doing such a crazy thing just to acquire Geumsan Card…”

Jo Bong-joon repeatedly said, ‘Wow, this is…’ and tilted his head.

He quietly closed his mouth and pondered something, then straightened his back and opened his mouth again.

“More than anything, even if Antrozol Alpha is a huge hit and the stock price skyrockets, will that be enough to acquire Geumsan Card? Ah, wait…”

Jo Bong-joon, who had been constantly questioning, furrowed his brow and squeezed his eyes shut.

He muttered to himself and folded his fingers as if trying to figure something out, then suddenly opened his eyes and shouted.

“Are you perhaps planning a rights offering?”

“That’s right. If Wooshin Card tries to do a rights offering without anything, it’s likely to be seen as bad news. But if Myungwha Pharmaceutical, which has made a fortune with Antrozol, aims to expand its business, there’s no reason for investors to see it as bad news.”

In my previous life, Wooshin Group eventually hit it big with Antrozol, successfully completed the rights offering, and acquired Geumsan Card.

And as Wooshin Card rose to the top of the industry, Wooshin Card’s stock price soared again.

The risky decision to embrace Geumsan Card, which had a high debt ratio, remained as an achievement to be recorded in Wooshin’s history.

As a result, Wooshin secured a lot of funds and enjoyed a boom in 2010, when all companies were having a difficult time.

“Ha, this picture is too big to see at a glance…”

Jo Bong-joon said with a blank face, as if the shock hadn’t worn off.

“At that level… it’s worth doing crazy things. It also ends the sons’ fight. Rights offering, acquiring Geumsan Card, and securing funds with Wooshin Card’s stock price rising to solve the debt. The snowball is rolling like crazy.”

Jo Bong-joon, who continued to exclaim, clapped his knees and shouted.

“I roughly understand. I also know that it’s not just a pipe dream. And I also know that it’s a highly probable guess.”

He suddenly turned his head towards me like a machine detecting a strange energy.

“But. Why is Attorney Cha telling me this now? Attorney Cha, who I didn’t even know, wouldn’t be spending so much time meeting me in person to explain this because he’s worried about my reputation, afraid that I’ll go somewhere and tell people to buy Myungwha Pharmaceutical stock.”

I met Choi Jong-hyun’s eyes.

He nodded slowly once.

The preamble was long.

From now on, this is the main point.

“We’re going to overturn all of this.”

I said it quite seriously, but Jo Bong-joon started laughing loudly.

Choi Jong-hyun and I looked at each other and wondered if there was something strange about what I said.

“Overturn it? How?”

“If Antrozol Alpha fails, Go Sang-joon’s plan will be ruined, right?”

Choi Jong-hyun said, lighting a cigarette.

Jo Bong-joon crossed his arms and tilted his head.

“So?”

“The idea is to make a big deal out of the fact that Antrozol Alpha’s ingredients are terrible.”

“Ah. So, the two of you were planning to screw over Myungwha Pharmaceutical and throw shit at Wooshin Group. And you’re telling me to join in on that plan in a 존~나게 [very/extremely] long way?”

“That’s right.”

I nodded as well, following Choi Jong-hyun.

Jo Bong-joon 벌떡 [suddenly/abruptly] stood up and put his hands on his hips.

“Damn, you said you wanted to talk about being a guest on that internet broadcast or something, and you’re trying to reel in an innocent guy like me like this?”

He became serious.

Choi Jong-hyun was sure that Jo Bong-joon would do this with us, but judging from that expression, I’m not so sure.

“Why, you don’t want to?”

Choi Jong-hyun brazenly looked up at him and blew out smoke.

Then Jo Bong-joon 실실 [smiling slyly] smiled and replied.

“No, I’m completely 재밌지 [interested/excited].”

As Jo Bong-joon 흐흐 [chuckling] sat down again, Choi Jong-hyun pointed at him as if to say, “See?”

“Look. What did I say? I said Bong-joon would definitely say okay, as expected of Bong-joon. I knew it.”

“Do you have a specific plan? Well, I think I know why you two chose me. You’re telling me to slowly spread rumors in this industry, right?”

“Exactly. First, we’re going to publish an article with this ingredient analysis and German research data that Attorney Cha showed you. I’ll take care of that. Then you can start working based on that.”

“Hmm, it’s not difficult to spread rumors among general investors, but shouldn’t the rumors also spread to big 손들 [big hands/influential investors]? That’s the only way the stock price will drop quickly and it’ll be mentioned in the news, even if it’s just a line. It’s a bit difficult for me alone.”

“Are you saying we need 댓글 알바 [comment part-timers/online reputation manipulators] or something?”

“키야아아 [exclamation of excitement/agreement].”

Jo Bong-joon 탁 [sound of clapping] once again clapped his knees and made an unknown gesture.

Judging from the way he’s shooting finger guns, it seems like what I said is roughly correct.

“I have an 전문가 [expert]. In that area.”

“전문가 [expert]?”

This time, even Choi Jong-hyun looked at me as if he was hearing it for the first time.

“I was going to introduce you to a reporter anyway, so this is perfect. Let’s meet him together tomorrow. With Jo Bong-joon too.”

“Just call me hyung [older brother or close male friend]. ‘Jo Bong-joon 씨 [Mr./Ms. Jo Bong-joon]’ sounds so distant. Attorney Cha is two years younger than me, so I’ll drop the formalities too. How about it?”

“Feel free to drop the formalities. I’ll drop them when I feel comfortable.”

“……Ah, you’re a 진지한 [serious] style. Hyung [older brother or close male friend], you’re not quite our style.”

He leaned towards Choi Jong-hyun and whispered.

“He’s always like that. But make a good impression. He’s our 쩐주 [financial backer/sugar daddy].”

“Ah, that’s right. He hits the jackpot with every stock he touches and has a 3 billion won real estate profit myth?”

“……Anyway, let’s go meet him tomorrow.”

* * *

“Is this a 단란주점 [Korean-style room salon]?”

The two people who followed me down to the basement looked around as if it was strange.

“Did we come to the right place? It’s still a long way until these places open for business.”

“That’s right. What time is it now?”

“10:50.”

“Then he might be asleep.”

“It’s almost lunchtime, and he’s still asleep? What does he do?”

I was thinking of calling in advance, but I couldn’t figure out when he sleeps, so I didn’t call.

I didn’t want to wake him up and have to deal with his annoyance.

Sometimes he sends emails in the 새벽 [early morning hours], and other times he sends them late at night.

But what’s certain is that he’s a 은둔형 외톨이 [hermit/recluse], so he’s always here.

If you want to meet him, just come here without any plans.

“You’ll know when you meet him.”

I 쾅쾅 [bang bang] knocked on the door.

But there was no response.

“……Looks like we came too early?”

Choi Jong-hyun said, scratching the back of his head as if he was 머쓱한 [awkward/embarrassed].

I didn’t care and knocked on the door.

Then, I remembered that Tae-shik came out scratching his head 짜증스럽게 [annoyingly] when I kicked the door.

Since there’s no 초인종 [doorbell], making a lot of noise would be the best.

I kicked the door a few times.

Not long after, a man with a voice that was 잠긴 [hoarse] all the way to the end yawned and opened the door.

“하아아……. I don’t watch the news. I don’t buy water purifiers or jade mats. I’ve already met Jesus. I don’t buy it. Go away.”

He 줄줄 [nonstop/rapidly] rattled off the words as if he was saying a prepared line without even opening his eyes.

And he tried to close the door again.

I 잽싸게 끼워 [quickly inserted] put my foot in the door.

“What the, 시벌 [swear word].”

When the door didn’t close, he 치뜨며 [glaring] glared at me 신경질적으로 [nervously/irritablely].

“……아잇, 앗, 앗, Attorney?”

“Can I come in?”

“No, why suddenly at this time without 연락도 [even contacting]……. Ah, anyway, come in. It’s a bit 드럽긴 [dirty], but…….”

“It’s always 더럽잖아 [dirty], though.”

“That’s true. But who are those 아저씨들 [middle-aged men]? Are they 사복 경찰 [plainclothes police]?”

He 횡설수설 [rambling] spoke, then looked at the two 아저씨들 [middle-aged men] standing behind me.

The 아저씨들 [middle-aged men] were also 훑어보고 [scanning/sizing up] 국정원을 [the expert, playing on the name of the Korean Intelligence Agency] with a slightly 경계하는 [wary/guarded] look.

Since they couldn’t easily step inside even though the door was open, I decided to start with the introduction that I had been putting off.

“This is 국정원 [the expert, playing on the name of the Korean Intelligence Agency], the 전문가 [expert] I told you about. He’s the 업계 탑 [top of the industry] in the 댓글 알바 [comment part-timers/online reputation manipulators] area.”