Chapter 143 ·Isn't this too much work for us?
Isn't this too much work for us?
【Taeshin Group Emergency Shareholders' Meeting D－1. Who will be the next CEO? The fate of Taeshin Group, one of Korea's leading corporations, has yet to be decided... Public attention from countless shareholders and citizens is focused, with rumors that even overseas companies are jumping in...】
【Shaken Taeshin Group, who will lead the next management? Recently, Taeshin Group saw a record-breaking volume of stock trading as mismanagement and inefficiency at Taeshin Electronics came to light, shocking many. The company is now in a state of calm before the storm internally, and is drawing major attention from overseas economies as well...】
【Owner risk strikes Taeshin Group as well! Experts analyzed that the effects of family-run management are significant at subsidiaries like Taeshin Trading, Electronics, Construction, Life, and Heavy Industries... There's major attention as to whether this emergency shareholders' meeting will help overcome such problems...】
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In-hyuk was still at the hospital in Flagstaff.
From time to time, he checked the situation at the nearby Bellbyte Technology plant, but never strayed far from Tae Gun-seung's side.
"Mister Kang, aren't you going back to Korea?"
By contrast, Tae Gun-seung, still sitting on the bed, asked, as if curious at his actions.
"Would it change anything if I did?"
"So you're not interested in who'll take over Taeshin Group?"
"I'm just a division director."
A small chuckle slipped from Tae Gun-seung's lips.
"If I'd known this would happen, maybe I should have put you in charge of head office or an entire affiliate, not just made you a division director. That way you would've jumped into this war, even if you didn't want to."
"If that's the case, I would've refused."
"Aren't your answers a bit too cut-and-dried?"
Perhaps Tae Gun-seung's health had improved; he seemed more at ease as he spoke.
"More importantly, are you really all right?"
Yesterday, Norman McGrath had left for America after receiving the proxy over the shares from him.
It was as if Tae Gun-seung had fully withdrawn from the Taeshin Group emergency shareholders' meeting, so In-hyuk asked out of concern.
"Do you think I'd regret it now?"
"You might."
"It would be ridiculous to have lingering regrets about something I already let go."
Bzzz― bzzz―
Just then, In-hyuk's phone vibrated.
【Norman: The purchase contract with BlueForce has been signed at 3.2 billion dollars. I'll proceed with the rest after the Taeshin Group emergency shareholders' meeting.】
This was a matter ongoing until Norman McGrath visited the hospital.
Since BlueForce had originally been in charge of AMK Partners' security, they chose to purchase instead of replace.
In-hyuk nodded in understanding.
"I'll just step out and take a call."
Out in the corridor, after confirming no one was around, In-hyuk called Noah Vantrail.
[Yo~ boss!]
"No problems on your end?"
[Well, except your wife looked depressed when she went back to Korea.]
Currently, Noah Vantrail was secretly assigned to protect Tae Ju-ha.
Tae Ju-ha had flown to England to meet the CEO of Lumen Holdings, got refused, and then returned to Korea.
"So those guys aren't after her anymore, huh. And thanks for calling in my place yesterday."
He was referring to when Norman McGrath called Gordon Grimes at Tae Gun-seung's suggestion.
In-hyuk had been with Tae Gun-seung at the time.
There was no way Gordon Grimes could have spoken with Norman McGrath.
Noah Vantrail stepped in for In-hyuk.
Of course, it was obvious what decision Tae Gun-seung would make, and they could predict the likely conversation.
[Honestly, I didn't expect you'd ask me to pass along that decision. But it's not like it was impossible.]
"It's not easy living a double life."
[So, boss, you're not coming to Korea for the shareholders' meeting?]
"No need, really. Plus, given I need to keep an eye on things at Bellbyte, it's more convenient for me to stay here."
Noah's tongue, clicking in annoyance, echoed through the receiver.
[Tch―! Isn't this too much work for just us? Yu-geon and Ban are exhausted, too.]
"I pay you enough, don't I?"
[I'd complain if you paid us less.]
"Hang in there."
After ending the call, In-hyuk opened the Ghost Link app on his phone.
【Dorian: Departed for Korea.】
【Kael: Arrived in Korea.】
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Night deepened.
Now, in about twelve hours, the Taeshin Group emergency shareholders' meeting would be held.
Meanwhile, Reina Blackwood visited a fishing spot on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.
Inside, Im Deok-chang had arrived earlier and was waiting.
"Everything prepared?"
"We've secured 69 million shares. That's about 43% of the total."
Normally, shareholder turnout at shareholders' meetings is about 70%. Emergency meetings tend toward lower turnout.
Compared to such statistics, they'd secured a significant amount.
Of course, Im Deok-chang knew this and nodded, a touch of satisfaction on his face.
"I see it was worth informing major shareholders about Tae Gun-seung's situation."
"No matter how close someone is, when money's at stake, they can't just stick by a chairman who could pass away any day."
"Exactly—people keep stock to make money."
"By the way, have you still not identified the shareholders of the missing shares from last time?"
In the process of tracking Taeshin Trading's shareholders, there were about 27 million shares whose owners were unaccounted for.
A total of 21 people, holding a combined 16.6% stake.
From their position of already securing 43%, it was essential to find those shares in case of an unexpected twist.
"We still haven't determined if those are all overseas nominee shares."
"You don't think just one person holds them all, do you?"
"Judging from how scattered the registration dates are in the public records, that's unlikely. Plus, those shares are worth more than 3 trillion won. How could just one person hold that much?"
That amount would make someone the second-largest shareholder of Taeshin Group, after the shares allegedly held by Chairman Tae Gun-seung under borrowed names.
If one person held them, surely the National Intelligence Service's information network would have been able to discover the identity.
Still, Reina was nervous, feeling those shares could become a major variable.
"If it was just one or two people, maybe, but it's strange that we can't identify any of them."
"It could be nominee assets secured by foreign states or funds. If so, not only us, but the other guys are in the same situation."
"What if AMK Partners manage to find them? You know that would turn the tables."
Tae Gun-seung's shares had been transferred over via proxy.
Officially, AMK Partners held 28.54% of the shares.
If they acquired the unidentified shares, their stake would surpass 45%.
That would mean Tae Seok-ho failed in his bid for management control.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Everyone knows what's at stake here. But the odds are slim. The emergency meeting is now less than a day away."
A tense silence settled.
Reina quickly calmed her excitement.
"... I'm sorry."
Im Deok-chang sighed deeply at her reaction.
"This project isn't just important to you. So try to stay calm and keep a cool head."
"......."
After a brief silence, they went their separate ways.
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At the same time.
Tae Seok-ho was sitting in a traditional Korean pub built in a hanok style outside Seoul.
After a while, the door opened and a man walked in.
"You're here, Chairman Kang."
It was Kang Cheon-gyu, chairman of KQ Group.
Tae Seok-ho rose and sat opposite him as Kang approached.
"With the meeting so close, you must be busy."
"We're almost done wrapping things up."
Tae Seok-ho poured Kang a drink, and the two raised their glasses in silence.
In the quiet, Kang spoke first.
"You asked to see me urgently. What's the reason?"
He was eager to get to the point.
Sensing this, Tae Seok-ho lowered his glass and got straight to business.
"To be blunt, sir, I need your shares in Taeshin Trading."
KQ Distribution owned 13.38 million shares, or 2.89%.
They weren't acquired recently, but held from when KQ Distribution's founder and first chairman, Kang Gil-seok, first bought in—long before Taeshin Trading grew as big as it had.
Now, their value had increased dozens of times.
"Are you saying you want to be given authority over those shares, Executive Vice President Tae?"
With the emergency shareholders' meeting right around the corner, it wasn't hard for Kang to understand his intention.
"That's correct."
Kang fell into thought.
This wasn't just about any company, but about Korea's leading corporation and its next CEO, hinging on a card like that.
So it was hard to immediately grant his request.
"Hm... What do I stand to gain from this?"
That was, above all, the key issue.
"I intend to offer you something you need."
"For me?"
"Kang In-hyuk. Your son."
At that reply, Kang leaned back and poured himself another drink.
"To be honest, he never agreed, no matter what conditions I offered. Do you really think you can make it happen?"
Tae Seok-ho smiled faintly.
"It will be possible after I become the CEO of Taeshin Group."
"How?"
"No matter how talented Director Kang In-hyuk is, he's still inside Taeshin's fence. Think of the orders I could give him."
A question for a question.
Kang Cheon-gyu understood what was really being said.
"You mean you'll sideline him?"
"If there's nothing for him to do at the company, he'll take action on his own. Well, I know it's a petty move. But can we really keep letting a member of another company's bloodline work inside?"
"But even so, that wouldn't completely sever the connection with Taeshin Group, would it?"
After all, Kang In-hyuk was Tae Ju-ha's husband.
"That part is beyond my control. But if KQ and Taeshin join forces in advance, it should be good for both of us."
If Kang In-hyuk left Taeshin obediently as Tae Seok-ho said, it wouldn't be a problem.
But Kang Cheon-gyu's thoughts didn't stop there.
"As you know, Director Kang's skills and network are the talk of the town. Even if not KQ, there are plenty of companies eager to snap him up. AMK Partners, for example, is at the top of that list."
Tae Seok-ho fell silent.
"... Sorry, but I can't make any guarantees that far. In the end, it's up to you to win Director Kang's heart."
"Then what do I get out of this?"
The conversation circled around without progress.
Eventually, Tae Seok-ho cautiously asked,
"Is there something else you'd like?"
Kang Cheon-gyu didn't need long to answer.
"I'd like to add one more condition: the exclusive import and sale rights of Maison LTwoa in East Asia from Taeshin Department Store."
Maison LTwoa was a famous luxury fashion brand from Europe, and had been growing rapidly since last year.
It had yet to make a full-scale Asian debut, but Taeshin Department Store was negotiating a contract.
Tae Seok-ho furrowed his brow slightly.
"That's an unexpected condition."
"A businessman should do business, shouldn't he?"
Maison LTwoa's anticipated domestic annual profit was 300 billion won; if expanded across Asia, the profit could multiply several times.
Tae Seok-ho knew about this from the management reports.
So, to simply delegate authority over the shares, not even acquire them, felt like a huge loss.
Under the table, he clenched his fist out of sight.