Chapter 77
About the Divorce
【Taeshin Energy deceased department manager A – kickback charges are certain! Amid confirmation that a portion of the company funds siphoned overseas was deposited under the account of his wife's father, prosecutors announced they had uncovered traces of money laundering while tracking the account... In addition, for another deceased person, the Taeshin Heavy Industries fall victim, evidence emerged that embezzlement was definite...】
【Taeshin Group personnel restructuring – reform or purge list! This Taeshin Group personnel overhaul proceeds with the prosecution and disciplinary action of those breaking the law. Some say the internal fearful atmosphere disrupts work, but it was announced that since clear evidence of wrongdoing was discovered, the distinction is clear...】
【Taeshin Asset Management exclusively handling Texcellence's RSK M&A! The M&A division of Taeshin Asset Management, which participated in the recent acquisition of Chulsan Capital, took charge of this new deal as well, drawing significant attention... but unlike before, as the current president A is under arrest and investigation, it was revealed that there will be a hostile M&A battle over shares...】
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The media's focus, which had targeted Taeshin Trading, began to shift.
Of course, many outlets were still taking aim, but it was a trend that would soon be forced to change.
Meanwhile, Reina Blackwood arrived at an abandoned fishing site on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
It was past midnight. As she walked further in, a middle-aged man was waiting for her in the darkness.
Reina gave a slight bow of her head.
"Sorry I'm late. Some whiny human needed comforting, so I got held up."
She was referring to Tae Seok-ho.
Because she hadn't been able to delay the personnel shakeup, she had to listen to all sorts of complaints.
The middle-aged man started walking toward her.
"Seems things have gotten pretty tangled."
This man was Hyottoko, one of the elders holding the organization's highest rank, who had ordered Reina to work under Tae Seok-ho.
"That's right. Kang In-hyuk is much tougher than what was in the previous reports. I mentioned earlier that we should take care of him just in case, but the deputy general manager put it on hold."
At the same time, he was also Im Deok-chang, current third deputy director of the National Intelligence Service.
Of course, Reina was well aware of his identity.
"It wasn't just my decision."
"So, do I have to stay by Tae Seok-ho's side from now on? Looking at how things are, even if we collect the shares and delegate the authority... Honestly, it doesn't seem hopeful. If we get rid of Kang In-hyuk now, there might be a chance, though."
Im Deok-chang shook his head at her grumbling.
"Don't you want to take care of Baek Si-hwan rather than Kang In-hyuk?"
"Why would I want to deal with that guy?"
"You said you didn't like him. Besides, you know better than anyone that he's always using tricks."
"It's more that I don't like the people Baek Si-hwan follows."
"You mean chairman Baek Ji-woong? True, you've always said you didn't care for that man."
Reina shuddered a little and rubbed her forearms with both hands.
"You never know what he's thinking."
"You have to be that capable to have Kitsune behind you and run W&W. Anyway, you'll have to stick by Tae Seok-ho for now."
Kitsune was also an elder like Hyottoko.
His position was Fourth Elder. But judging from the tone, their relationship wasn't exactly friendly.
At his warning, Reina's eyes widened slightly.
"Continuously? Wouldn't it be better to try seducing Kang In-hyuk instead? If we're not going to get rid of him, he's much better than the Tae brothers."
After seeing Kang In-hyuk's intelligence at the recent Taeshin Trading executive meeting, Reina had been frankly astonished.
She had thought this plan was something that simply couldn't be overturned.
Yet Kang In-hyuk's investigation had not only caught up to them, but had completely flipped the tables.
Furthermore, the issue of Taeshin Asset Management shares, which she'd deliberately leaked toward Tae Seok-hyun, had been used to obliquely address and block internal issues at Taeshin Electronics.
That was something she hadn't caught, and even while hearing about it, she found herself anticipating the outcome.
"Was he really that impressive?"
"He's even more unreadable than chairman Baek Ji-woong. But at least he's not creepy, so I don't mind."
"But there's no place for Kang In-hyuk's talents in Taeshin."
"He's the Taeshin family's son-in-law. Are you planning to have him divorce and marry one of W&W's daughters?"
W&W Group itself was one of the main funding sources for their organization.
Over many years, they'd kept the family line alive and always placed the most capable in the chairman's seat.
Baek Ji-woong was one of those people.
At this, Im Deok-chang smiled faintly.
"That's not a bad idea, actually."
"I was joking, but you're taking this so seriously?"
Even as she said it, she thought it sounded ridiculous.
But Im Deok-chang's expression was earnest.
"No. It's entirely possible."
"What?"
"Kang In-hyuk is chairman Kang Cheon-gyu's biological son. If he ever considers leaving Taeshin to take over KQ Group, we can push away that idiot Kang Do-young and put In-hyuk in his place. As for the planned wedding to Baek Hae-na..."
He meant W&W Group's second daughter, Baek Hae-na.
That marriage had been another project their organization had orchestrated.
Reina stared at Im Deok-chang in shock.
"Really? Ah, so that's why you put off dealing with him."
"That's right. Now that he's proven more useful than expected, it's actually a decent hand for the organization. It might even be a chance to change the manager at W&W."
"So now what? Is someone upstairs going to contact Kang In-hyuk?"
Im Deok-chang's expression grew serious at that.
"That's the problem. It's impossible to clearly gauge his intentions or agenda. And to make matters more interesting, he seems to have close ties to AMK Partners as well."
"The National Intelligence Service did a background check, right? Did anything turn up on AMK Partners?"
AMK Partners was a new player in investment, hailed as the Midas touch.
Yet instead of economic hubs like Hong Kong, dubai, or New York, they had set up a Korea office.
Of course, there was no way the Korean government would let that be, and the affiliated National Intelligence Service rigorously investigated AMK Partners.
"Actually, it's the Korean branch that's active. There, Norman McGrath, a Wall Street veteran, runs everything. As for the real CEO, Gordon Grimes—aside from records, there's no other info available."
"So he could even be a fictional person?"
"Very likely. But due to being based in the Cayman Islands, a British territory, it's hard to investigate closely. The actual operating accounts are likely in a third country."
Reina nodded.
"How deep Kang In-hyuk's connection goes is the real issue."
"All of the M&A assignments AMK Partners has made so far could have been handled directly without any problem. The fact that they went out of their way to use Kang In-hyuk at Taeshin Asset Management... either they needed a proxy, or there's a high chance Kang In-hyuk is someone they need."
"Complicated, isn't it?"
Maybe feeling a bit stifled himself, Im Deok-chang took out a cigarette and lit up.
"Hoo—! Anyway, for that reason, you need to keep a close eye on Baek Si-hwan in Taeshin if anything happens. He should also be aware of Kang In-hyuk's real identity because of the Daemyung incident. So is Baek Ji-woong."
He was referring to what happened via Daemyung Detective Agency. Reina also knew this, having read Baek Si-hwan's report.
At the same time, she immediately understood why Jeon Hae-in had tried to kill Kang In-hyuk.
"Ah... Acting on Jeon Hae-in's orders, Daemyung moved to eliminate Kang In-hyuk and failed, right?"
"During that, Baek Ji-woong also discovered who Kang In-hyuk is, and is now sizing him up to decide how to use him. So make sure to watch things in the middle. Particularly, keep your eyes on Baek Si-hwan, so he doesn't try anything reckless..."
Faced with the directive, Reina paused to think.
"If Kang In-hyuk sides with Baek Ji-woong? Not to mention the hypothetical close relationship with AMK Partners. Even now, his value as Kang Cheon-gyu's child is significant—if you add all that up, wouldn't he become too tough to handle later?"
"That's not a prediction to be dismissed."
No immediate conclusion was reached.
Then Reina remembered something.
"What about Skull? The National Intelligence Service didn't find anything?"
This time, Im Deok-chang shook his head again.
"No. There's no CCTV footage of their movements. There were hardly any cameras in that area to begin with. Same for other locations."
"Don't tell me... could it be Aoshika?"
"Who knows? Since Norman disappeared three years ago, there's been no trace. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility completely."
Norman was the head of Aoshika.
Previously, he had been responsible for the organization before it split into two, for its own reasons.
Even now, they were still searching for Norman.
"Do you and the other elders really not know Norman's identity?"
It was a question sparkling with unfeigned curiosity.
"What, are you that curious?"
"It's just fascinating. Even if he's a former chairman, he must have ties with the other elders. But to not find him at all until now—do you really know nothing?"
Im Deok-chang just heaved a sigh.
"Just let it go. Whatever you do, don't talk to anyone else about this."
Reina shrugged.
"I'm not that loose-tongued."
"Anyway, make sure you keep a tight leash on Tae Seok-ho. Don't let things get derailed for no reason."
With those words, Im Deok-chang vanished into the darkness, and before long, there was no trace of his presence at all.
* * *
The Taeshin Group personnel shakeup passed the board of directors.
As a result, a storm of blood swept through the head office, subsidiaries, and affiliate companies—total chaos.
In-hyuk and Tae Ju-ha were sitting face-to-face in the Taeshin Asset Management CEO's office.
"This is the stock purchase contract for the 25% stake in Taeshin Asset Management that Taeshin Life was holding. The funds were drawn, as discussed at the last meeting, from the profits held by the MP Division."
"... With this, the company's holdings reach 43%; if you add what I and the executives own, it goes over 55%."
At Tae Ju-ha's answer, In-hyuk nodded.
"We're no longer a subsidiary."
"Indeed."
With a soft reply, Tae Ju-ha's gaze remained fixed on the contract that In-hyuk had passed over.
But it wasn't because she was reading the short text over and over.
It was because the promise she'd made with In-hyuk after his return from America was finally being kept.
"Taeshin Life still owns about 26%, but the dividend payout rate will be noticeably reduced. And in the event we go for an IPO, the chairman said he'd take care to protect the shareholding for initial management rights defense."
At this, Tae Ju-ha was again surprised.
"He told you that as well?"
"Taeshin Group will only benefit from listing Taeshin Asset Management, after all."
In-hyuk was matter-of-fact.
At his attitude, Tae Ju-ha let out a shallow sigh.
"So now all I have to do is fulfill my end of the bargain?"
"What do you mean?"
He genuinely didn't know what she meant.
After a moment's hesitation, Tae Ju-ha spoke slowly.
"... The divorce. I mean."
"... Ah."
It was the conversation they'd agreed to at the start of the year.
They were to remain married for a year from that point.
In exchange for Tae Ju-ha handing over the H&T Fund account records she'd obtained, he would gather Taeshin Life shares, the parent company's stake.
And soon, their agreed period would be up.
"If you let me know when you wish, I'll start preparing for a consensual divorce."
As In-hyuk listened, he drummed his fingers on the table where the contract lay.
Tok― toouk―
"Let me think on that a bit more. I have a lot to take care of at the moment."
Between AMK Partners, Hong Kong's SGA, and Lumen Holdings, there was too much going on tied up with Taeshin Asset Management.
Especially since Greenbyte Labs, which Taeshin Asset Management was investing in, was approaching a crucial phase.
He couldn't afford to jeopardize his involvement in business because of a divorce.
"Understood. Then, just let me know whenever you're ready."
"Will do. I'll be going, then."
Having finished the conversation, In-hyuk got up from his seat.