Chapter 137 : Come to My Office
Come to My Office
The next day, the bomb terror incident that had occurred at Bellbyte Technology and the hospitalization of Chairman Tae Gun-seung became an even bigger wave, stirring public opinion.
Along with this, the existence of Kang In-hyuk, who had already been attacked in terror attacks both in Silicon Valley and Vladivostok, was naturally mentioned once again.
As the situation began to settle, Norman McGrath, the branch manager of AMK Partners' Korean branch, gathered reporters. The reporters fired off questions, the flashes going off wildly.
"I heard that many unidentified bodies armed with personal firearms were found in this incident. Does this mean that there's a force targeting either Bellbyte or AMK?"
"Is this unrelated to Kang In-hyuk, the division director at Taeshin Asset Management?"
"What's the exact scale of the damage?"
"Do you know the condition of Taeshin Group's Chairman, Tae Gun-seung?"
The interview site was an empty lot near Bellbyte Technology, where the aftermath was being managed.
Not far away, police and firefighters were still investigating the events that had unfolded the previous night.
As Norman McGrath, bombarded with the reporters' questions, tapped the microphone set before him, Thoom— Thoom—
the speakers on either side reverberated, forcing the reporters to fall silent.
"To begin with, there were no guests directly injured at the Bellbyte Technology opening ceremony."
"Then what about Chairman Tae Gun-seung's condition? Do you know that Taeshin Group's stock price is being affected right now?"
"Please explain in more detail!"
The reporters didn't miss a beat, pressing forward.
Even so, Norman McGrath didn't lose his composure and waited for them to quiet down before speaking again.
"Taeshin Group will give a separate statement on that, but to keep it simple... For now, his life is not in danger. However, given his age, the hospital is monitoring his condition, and the group said they would give a later interview."
"Have you identified the terrorists?"
"Was the intention to threaten Bellbyte Technology through terror?"
"Who killed the terrorists? Is there a suspect?"
"When can we expect an official statement from the police?"
Once again, a barrage of questions was fired off. The seriousness of the situation attracted a lot of attention, and the initial reports that went out first only heightened speculation, causing countless rumors to swirl.
"The investigators are still working to determine the facts. Since Governor Hele Carver of Arizona was among the honored guests, the U. S. government is also showing great interest and will likely conduct its own investigation."
As soon as he finished, the reporters seemed eager to jump in again, so Norman McGrath quickly continued.
"And, as of today, Bellbyte Technology has begun production. Soon, we'll be opening bids for distribution and sales rights to companies in various countries. If sales exceed our targets, we may consider outsourcing production itself. So please, refrain from any speculative or unfounded reports beyond what I've stated."
Click— click, click—
With the sound of flashes, the startled reporters' fingers danced rapidly over their keyboards.
After the interview, Norman McGrath stepped down from the temporary platform and slipped into an area shielded by vehicles.
His secretary, Yoo Dae-hyun, handed him a cold water bottle.
"It seems the reporters are hounding us even more persistently than expected," he said with concern.
With a sigh, Norman McGrath took a drink first.
"Whew... This situation is really blowing up. Kang In-hyuk—what is that guy doing to attract all this mess?"
"Is this happening because of Taeshin's division director Kang In-hyuk?"
Yoo's expression was genuinely curious.
"How would I know? I just said what everyone else is thinking. It's not like he's got some misfortune-attracting ghost attached to him."
"But then, who really took care of those terrorists?"
There were a total of 12 unidentified bodies found in and around Bellbyte Technology.
All were equipped with the same model of radio and personal firearm. That alone suggested a clear link—they had targeted Bellbyte Technology.
Moreover, evidence of a trap using the gas pipeline was found under the ceremony platform, confirming a bomb attack.
"I have no idea. Maybe we have a guardian angel or something watching over us..."
"With all due respect, that sounds more like a scary angel. Wouldn't a grim reaper be more fitting?"
"Not a bad analogy. Anyway, there's a mountain of aftermath to deal with. I just hope CEO Baker and CEO Campbell keep their composure and handle it well..."
He was referring to Rachel Baker and Mark Campbell, co-CEOs of Bellbyte Technology.
Both retained their original CEO titles at AMK Velion and Greenbyte Labs, and now jointly headed Bellbyte Technology as well.
Even though Rachel Baker held 50% of the shares—more than Mark Campbell—she had been installed as co-CEO thanks to the backing of Taeshin Asset Management.
"For now, I'll send regular reports after checking with CEO Rachel Baker."
"Let's hope there are no problems."
No sooner had Norman McGrath got into his car than a call came through, just as if it had been waiting for him.
He asked everyone else to leave before taking the call.
"... Yes, CEO."
The caller was Gordon Grimes.
[I've checked the report from the Bellbyte side. It seems the situation is rather complicated from the news coverage.]
Of course, it was actually In-hyuk.
Not knowing this, Norman McGrath could only sigh heavily.
"Corporate credibility hasn't dropped much, but there are some voices of concern."
[At least we're not the kind of company that has to worry about our shareholders.]
AMK Partners, after all, was still a privately held company, with all shares owned internally.
Despite its phenomenal growth attracting numerous massive offers of investment in exchange for shares, it refused them all.
Thus, AMK Partners presented an unbreachable fortress.
"If this sort of thing keeps happening, I worry about your safety as well. Is that why you keep your identity hidden?"
Movers and shakers in the business world were desperate to uncover the real face of Gordon Grimes, the head of AMK Partners.
Plus, ever since rumors had spread of his brief appearance in Hong Kong, it was even more the case.
[Something like that. Even so, we've met twice, haven't we?]
First when Norman McGrath was scouted, and again in Hong Kong.
"In Seoul, I only heard your voice..."
[Back then, and now, I have to remain cautious. And with the current situation, I think AMK Partners will need its own security team.]
"Are you saying I should recruit more personnel?"
Currently, only Norman McGrath had a security guard assigned to him at AMK Partners' Korean branch.
While there was a company security staff, no real professionals capable of handling threats at this level.
[Let's take this opportunity to acquire a security company. For personal protection, we'll contract a foreign mercenary unit for security work.]
"... The whole company and a mercenary unit? But if it's that important, wouldn't it be best for you to handle it directly, CEO?"
Security and personal protection were directly linked to the safety of AMK Partners' executives and employees.
This burdened Norman McGrath, as branch manager, with responsibility.
[As an incentive for overseeing the Bellbyte Technology matter, I'll award you 3% of our shares. That should give you enough power to make important decisions, don't you think?]
"T-Three percent...?"
At present, one unlisted AMK Partners share was worth about 200,000 won. According to experts, the total market value was about 23 trillion won. So, 3% was nearly 700 billion won—enough to leave Norman McGrath utterly dumbfounded.
[I considered your hard work so far. Of course, given the situation, it could also be called hazard pay.]
Besides, AMK Partners' value was only set to climb further thanks to Bellbyte Technology. Should it ever go public, those 3% shares would be even more valuable.
"D-Do I really... deserve this?"
Even now, Norman McGrath was drawing one of the highest salaries and incentives around, having already built up considerable wealth. Yet, Gordon Grimes was proposing to give him even more.
[As I said, such a sizable share won't always be a source of happiness.]
There was a great responsibility to bear along with the money. Norman McGrath understood that better than anyone.
"Thank you for your trust."
[I look forward to working with you. I'll send the share transfer paperwork, as well as materials for the security company and the mercenary unit to hire as security guards. You can handle the contact and contracts from there.]
"Understood."
The call ended. Setting his phone down, Norman McGrath found his heart pounding so fiercely that his shoulders trembled.
Then, still in the car, he noticed a strange tension among the reporters outside. Opening the car door, he asked his secretary, Yoo Dae-hyun,
"Is something up?"
"A new article just came out about the Bellbyte incident."
"An article?"
Norman McGrath took the tablet from him. The moment he saw the content, his brow furrowed deeply.
* * *
CRASH—!
A loud sound echoed through the office of the third deputy director of the National Intelligence Service in Korea.
The office's owner, Im Deok-chang, had just swept everything off his desk, and his feet were surrounded by scattered items.
"Who the hell are these bastards?!"
At that moment, the door opened and his subordinate, Choi Dong-hoon, entered.
"Deputy Director! Are you all right?"
Though Im Deok-chang's expression was sharp, Choi Dong-hoon calmly approached him.
"I see you've read the article."
"Find out immediately where that information came from!"
His finger pointed at the only item left on the desk—a tablet. On the screen was the article Im Deok-chang had just read.
【U. S., Bellbyte Technology Terror Incident! Was it a crime committed out of jealousy by a foreign government? Reports indicate that some of the suspects involved may have been agents of certain national intelligence services...】
The article didn't end there; it continued with follow-up reports. Choi Dong-hoon did not move to follow Deok-chang's orders, but answered calmly.
"If we try to trace the source of that article now, it'll only reveal our own tracks."
"So you're saying we should just sit and do nothing?!"
They had just carried out an elaborate operation to deal with Tae Gun-seung.
Li Weicheng's team had infiltrated as staff for the opening, and handled the bomb installation and external logistics seamlessly.
The bomb did explode, but instead of taking out Tae Gun-seung, it had only burned down an unlucky warehouse. Plus, all the VIP guests at the ceremony survived, leaving only Bellbyte Technology and Taeshin Group as the focus of attention.
"For now, since Chairman Tae Gun-seung is hospitalized in Flagstaff, it'd be best to finish him off there, even if it's a stretch."
"I've already given Reina the order, so she'll act when the opportunity comes. Here, we need to figure out how Li Weicheng's team's records were exposed."
The problem was critical: agents from WID, having infiltrated a foreign intelligence agency, were now publicly revealed.
Naturally, that agency would want to know why armed agents had died in Sedona, Arizona.
Ring-ring— Ring-ring—
Then, the internal phone rang, and the voice of NIS Director Jin Jong-man came through.
[Come to my office.]
It was an abrupt summons. Im Deok-chang scratched his head and sighed deeply.