Chapter 84
Don't Leave Out a Single Thing!
After finishing his meal, In-hyuk parted ways with Jang Hyung-cheol in front of the restaurant.
Hong Yu-geon and Van Hester, who had eaten separately in another room, were also with him.
They all got into the car, and the first thing In-hyuk did was pull out his phone.
[What brings you at this hour?]
The call connected to Go Mi-ah.
"I need you to gather some data on a company called Hwain Techon right now."
[That's not difficult, but by when do you need it?]
"As soon as possible. Investigate the backgrounds of the CEO and the executives, the routes of chartered vessels used in both imports and exports, and every transfer record involving company funds."
[Why are you making so many requests? Is there some kind of incident?]
Go Mi-ah's voice showed some concern.
"I just have something to check. Please make sure to leave as few traces as possible."
[That's not a problem. Okay, leave it to me.]
As soon as the call ended, Hong Yu-geon, who was driving, cautiously asked.
"You look really serious... Did something happen? Weren't you just having breakfast with CEO Jang?"
"Something came up by chance."
The problem was the loan review documents for Hwain Techon that Jang Hyung-cheol had shown him.
In the original future, Hwain Techon had collapsed after massive corruption and mismanagement were revealed.
The real issue was that, in the wake of this collapse, banks and financial firms that held bonds and loans were hit hard, and even some companies connected through business ties couldn't avoid bankruptcy.
"If you're contacting Mi-ah in such a hurry, this doesn't sound like an ordinary matter..."
"It won't become a major problem now that I know about it. But there are things I need to take care of."
Back then, the financial institutions harmed were not Chulsan Capital.
At that time, Chulsan Capital had already disappeared, shattered as Jang Hyung-cheol was arrested.
But now, because of In-hyuk's interference, the course of the future had changed, and the new target had shifted from Chulsan Capital to its predecessor, AMK Bridge.
"Should I take you back to the office now?"
"Yes, please do."
The car set off right away.
In the meantime, In-hyuk began sorting through his increasingly complicated thoughts.
The future had already started to change. His own fate, as well as the destiny of several others, was now included as well.
Considering all the causal and correlational relationships, it was impossible to calculate every variable.
He didn't even know for sure how far the reach of Kooou, the organization behind Baek Si-hwan, extended.
Of course, the Hwain Techon incident could be considered a separate matter.
But now that AMK Bridge—a company that should have disappeared—was the new target, it stood to reason that AMK Partners could also be in the crosshairs.
'Back then, Hwain Techon inflicted massive damage and then vanished—like a corporate bomb... And the ones who got hit hardest then...'
bzzz―
Just then, a message from Go Mi-ah arrived.
Checking the contents, it looked like the preliminary financial records of Hwain Techon had been investigated.
"Bareum Finance..."
Hong Yu-geon met his gaze in the rearview mirror and asked.
"Huh? What do you mean, 'bareum'?"
"I was just mumbling. Focus on driving."
Currently, Hwain Techon's lender was Bareum Finance. The loan amount was about 1 trillion won.
For a mid-sized company, that was not bad, but in reality, this was just the tip of the iceberg.
As undisclosed corporate bonds and collateralized loans began collapsing one after another, Hwain Techon's headquarters, factories, and subsidiaries would become entangled, triggering a series of chain bankruptcies.
* * *
WISE&WIRE Group's chairman, Baek Ji-woong, checked the report that had just come in.
It wasn't an official document—it had been passed along internally through his secretary, Do Jung-geol.
"So, madam Kwon, who has been quiet for a while, is making her move again. But why the sudden shift from Bareum Finance to AMK Bridge? Is this really necessary?"
Madam Kwon referred to his wife, Kwon So-jeong, who was the only daughter of the late W&W Group's chairman, Kwon Sang-chun.
Currently, she was officially the CEO of W&W Entertainment, which combined celebrity management with production.
In reality, however, she was the largest shareholder in W&W DAYS, the holding company for the W&W Group, making her more powerful than even Baek Ji-woong.
Secretary Do Jung-geol, who brought the report, spoke gravely.
"They say they plan to expand the scale of the operation."
"Even more? Truly, she is ambitious..."
Baek Ji-woong shook his head.
"So, some of Hwain Techon's existing loans are being transferred to AMK Bridge and will go through there?"
"The loans are under review now... There shouldn't be any problem with approval."
"Madam appears to think the same."
The real owner of Hwain Techon was none other than former W&W Group chairman Kwon Sang-chun.
Of course, the company's true purpose wasn't in raw materials but was a front for slush funds, tax evasion, illegal transfer of currency, and so on.
Now it was under Kwon So-jeong's control.
"I just hope she doesn't escalate things for no reason, but that seems unlikely, doesn't it?"
"The originally planned capital is about 2 trillion won. Expanding further could be risky."
The figure was staggering, but Baek Ji-woong didn't flinch.
"Would she listen, even if I told her not to?"
"In that case, we'll just keep watch."
"Let's do that for now. What's going on with KQ? Is Chairman Kang Cheon-gyu on the move?"
At this, Do Jung-geol checked something on his tablet.
"The latest report from KAME says they're conducting genetic testing. Once the results are out, it looks like they'll move to approach Kang In-hyuk in earnest."
Baek Ji-woong slowly shook his head.
"Such caution—testing a stone bridge over and over, even at this stage... It's almost foolish."
"But don't you think we might have provoked Jeon Hae-in too hard? If she makes a move out of our control, your plans could get tangled."
If Kang Cheon-gyu confirmed that Kang In-hyuk was really his son, he would likely position him as another KQ Group successor.
Of course, Jeon Hae-in, KQ's matron, would not simply accept that.
"More than that, I'm curious to see what Kang In-hyuk will do. Aren't you?"
"To be honest, it's strange. If being a KQ Group successor is such an advantage for In-hyuk, why hasn't he used it? I can't help but wonder if he'll actually play the role you intended."
This time, Baek Ji-woong nodded.
"That's right. To the beginning until now, it's always been a question: Why hasn't Kang In-hyuk used that card?"
"Maybe he's been waiting for the right moment? Kang Do-young went down badly because of Kang In-hyuk. If In-hyuk reveals his existence in this situation, it would be much easier for him to be named as KQ Group's successor."
It was not a bad speculation.
But it deepened Baek Ji-woong's thinking.
"The whole Texcellence and RSK thing was orchestrated by AMK Partners from the start. Kang Do-young tried to use KQ Fabric and ended up tripping over his own feet."
"It's very complicated."
"Nothing is easy. And regardless of what plans Kang In-hyuk has, in the current situation, he'll have to go along with our setup."
KQ Group's chairman, Kang Cheon-gyu, was his biological father.
With Kang Do-young falling from grace, a new successor was needed.
Kang In-hyuk, the son-in-law of the Taeshin Group family and a man who had created huge profits for Taeshin Asset Management, was the perfect strategic move.
Of course, the Taeshin Group would feel the same.
"Understood."
"Just keep watching that side for now. The most important thing is Accentia. What do you think? Will we win the lawsuit?"
"It's working in our favor that Accentia pursued Redboar's investment. Even if the price tag increases a bit, it looks like we should be able to secure it without problems."
"If we lose after pouring all that money in, we might as well die."
What had started as a curious investment in Accentia, took an unexpected turn when AMK Partners stubbornly filed a lawsuit.
This only made Baek Ji-woong more determined.
"Make sure they don't let their guard down until the end."
"I'll see to it."
bzzz― bzzz―
Then Do Jung-geol's phone buzzed in his pocket.
"It's a call from Redboar. Would you like to take it now?"
"Put it through."
When the call connected, a middle-aged woman's voice in English came through.
[We won. We wrapped up the investment contract with Accentia without any issues.]
It was Amber Hart, the CEO of Redboar Technology. At her report, Baek Ji-woong cocked his head.
"I thought there were a few days left before the trial?"
It was an unexpected turn of events. Amber Hart continued in a slightly excited voice.
[AMK Partners requested a settlement. It might have been a stretch, but the terms were more favorable than if it had gone to court, so I concluded negotiations as quickly as possible.]
"How much?"
[The penalty is $15 million.]
About 20 billion won in Korean currency.
It was not a small amount, but given how serious Accentia's and Redboar Technology's liability had been, a lawsuit could have doubled that penalty.
"Do you know why they suggested a settlement?"
[I checked. It seems there was a clash in Africa over battery material production rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Orbis Investment involved.]
"Tengyuenz Cobalt, huh. But I thought Orbis focused only on projects in the Middle East. So they've ventured into Africa."
[It appears they're expanding. Anyway, that's probably what caused this issue, but to us, it was an opportunity.]
In this situation, he should have felt relieved, but an inexplicable sense of unease crept up inside.
"Is there any chance of a problem with the Accentia investment contract? Any loophole for them to exploit..."
[We have a watertight contract. I even included toxic clauses so their CEO won't get any funny ideas.]
She sounded supremely confident.
Indeed, she was not someone to take lightly, given her extensive experience managing Redboar Technology and more.
Baek Ji-woong knew this well and trusted her.
"Hmm..."
Sensing his odd reaction, amber Hart asked in return.
[Is something wrong?]
"No, it's just..."
At that moment, voices filled with exclamations could be heard over the line.
It sounded like reactions from Redboar Technology's employees.
[Ah...]
Amber Hart's voice mixed in as well. Sensing something off, Baek Ji-woong quickly pressed.
"What's going on?"
[Well...]
Just before she could answer, Do Jung-geol, who was standing beside him, suddenly checked something that had come through on his tablet.
His expression hardened, and after a short hesitation, he slowly handed it to Baek Ji-woong.
Before Amber Hart could respond, Baek Ji-woong checked the contents, and his face crumpled as if his skin were wrinkled paper.
【AMK Partners Acquires IT Firm Velion! Based in Texas, Velion develops and researches programs essential for low-power battery systems. As part of the deal, CEO Rachel Baker will remain, and all employees are guaranteed continued employment...】
【AMK Partners Continues its Acquisition Spree! The Second Target is IT Firm Velion! AMK Partners' Korean branch manager, Norman McGrath, even announced a joint technology development agreement with Greenbyte Labs...】
.
.
Baek Ji-woong's hand, which held the tablet, began to tremble. Noticing this, Do Jung-geol asked with concern.
"... Are you all right?"
But Baek Ji-woong ignored him, continuing to speak into the still-connected phone.
"Amber Hart."
[Yes, chairman.]
"Conduct a full investigation into every single thing Accentia is developing right now. Find out exactly what AMK Partners was after—leave out nothing!"
[Y-yes, sir...]
The call ended before she could finish her reply. A deep sigh escaped Baek Ji-woong's lips.