Chapter 145 ·Like a Wild Horse Off the Leash
Like a Wild Horse Off the Leash
In the end, the vote for the first item on the shareholders' meeting agenda, "The Matter of CEO Tae Gun-seung," was completed.
Everyone returned to their seats and sat down. Meanwhile, the staff bustled in one corner, tallying up the shareholders' votes.
Sarak— Sarak—
Inside the large auditorium, only the loud sound of papers being turned echoed around.
About thirty minutes later, the vote count from five locations was finished.
The staff handed the consolidated results to department manager Lee Yoon-seok.
"Ahem—!"
His throat-clearing, magnified by the microphone, drew the shareholders' attention.
"I will now announce the results of the vote. In favor... 116,044,552 shares. Opposed, 30,988,240 shares. Abstained, 4,967,208 shares. With a majority in favor, the motion to dismiss CEO Tae Gun-seung has been approved."
Most had cast votes in favor.
Tae Seok-ho, seated at the podium, clenched his fist tightly.
He had finally succeeded in bringing down his father, the unshakeable pillar of the Taeshin Group.
At that same moment, murmurs swelled again among the people present.
The general mood was one of disbelief—few had anticipated such a large margin.
Then, department manager Lee Yoon-seok tapped the microphone to calm the increasingly noisy hall.
"We will now proceed to the second agenda item, the appointment of a new CEO. The director nominated for new CEO is Executive Vice President Tae Seok-ho of Taeshin Trading, who has received a majority recommendation from the board. Please vote in the same manner as before."
Once again, people began to move.
However, the mood was slightly different than before.
A heavy atmosphere emanated from the AMK Partners, Orbis Investment, and Lumen Holdings delegations.
The three companies together held about 15% of Taeshin Trading's shares.
Moreover, AMK Partners also held an additional 20% stake entrusted by chairman Tae Gun-seung.
That totaled 35%. Although this was far less than the 46% secured by Tae Seok-ho, it was still not a negligible amount.
'Where are the holders of the additional 30% who voted with us for dismissal?'
Tae Seok-ho found his mind growing increasingly complicated as he watched the people lining up to vote.
If that much shareholding voted against his appointment, his nomination as CEO would be rejected.
More and more people passed through the voting booths and returned to their seats.
After even the Taeshin Group executives had voted, the secretaries of the Taeshin family began to move.
"Hyungnim. I hope you made the right choice—for the sake of the child."
He had said this to Tae Seok-hyun, seated beside him.
The overwhelming share consolidation in favor of Tae Seok-ho at the dismissal vote was apparent.
Because of this, Tae Seok-hyun clenched his teeth and let out a long sigh.
Just as his younger brother, Tae Seok-ho, had said earlier, there was only one choice left.
Shortly after, ballot counting commenced again.
With the item concerning the appointment of Taeshin Group's CEO at stake, people's attention was even more focused.
Then, Tae Seok-ho made eye contact with Norman McGrath, who was seated in the right corner of the auditorium.
The distance was not close, but the staring was tangible.
Norman McGrath, noticing Tae Seok-ho's serious look, gave a subtle smile.
'Does he think he has a chance based on the earlier situation?'
For now, Tae Seok-ho judged that the 30% he had worried about earlier were on his side.
Otherwise, they would have blocked the dismissal motion in the first place.
Time passed, and the vote count for the second agenda item was completed.
Department manager Lee Yoon-seok, standing at the podium, received the results.
But as he glanced awkwardly and looked at Tae Seok-hyun, his expression turned troubled.
At the same time, a sense of foreboding gripped Tae Seok-hyun.
But, even in an emergency, it was the shareholders' meeting.
Once the item was tabled and counted, it could not be stopped.
"I will now announce the results of the vote for the new CEO appointment."
People's stares were loaded with mixed emotions.
With a tense face, Lee Yoon-seok continued reading.
"In favor... 71,629,240 shares. Opposed... 78,789,504 shares. Abstained, 1,581,256 shares. The motion to appoint Executive Vice President Tae Seok-ho as CEO has been rejected by a majority."
In terms of shareholding ratio, that was 47.12% in favor, 51.38% opposed.
Murmur murmur—
With these results, the noise swelled once more.
Meanwhile, Tae Seok-ho, sitting in the center of the podium, became frigid and scowled deeply.
The foreboding he sensed from Lee Yoon-seok's earlier awkwardness had come true.
Simultaneously, his gaze returned to Norman McGrath. The smile on Norman's face was even broader than before.
'So this was the picture those guys were painting?'
The outgoing CEO was dismissed, but the appointment of a new CEO was rejected.
That left the CEO seat representing Taeshin Group vacant, inevitably causing disruption in the administration.
Moreover, under Taeshin Trading's board bylaws, CEO appointments could only be made via the shareholders' meeting.
But under the current regulations, a new appointment couldn't be tabled at this meeting—a definitive problem.
Soon, the auditorium erupted in raised voices.
"Everyone, please calm down! The meeting is not over yet!"
Lee Yoon-seok tried to reassure the crowd, but it was to no avail.
. . .
At the same time,
In Flagstaff, Arizona, America, midnight was approaching.
In-hyuk was sitting on a bench outside the hospital, wearing earphones and staring at his phone.
The feed was showing scenes from the ongoing Taeshin Trading shareholders' meeting.
"That's right..."
He muttered as the camera zoomed in on Tae Seok-ho at the podium. The screen, enlarged from a distance, had no audio.
But just by looking at Tae Seok-ho's face, In-hyuk could tell what sort of feelings he was having.
"You should start by experiencing the feeling of everything you've built so far starting to collapse."
That was the reason he hadn't killed Redfall, who had tried to assassinate In-hyuk by colliding with Warborn, when he had the chance.
Using people and then ruthlessly killing them—such ways belonged to a past that no longer existed.
Just then, a message arrived via Ghost Link.
【Norman : The appointment of Executive Vice President Tae Seok-ho as CEO has been rejected.】
It was a report on the situation he had just witnessed.
【Gordon : Good work. Please proceed with the remaining tasks as planned.】
【Norman : I'll make sure there are no issues.】
It was a reply brimming with reliability.
Ever since Norman McGrath became branch manager of AMK Partners' Korea office, he had handled everything neatly and thoroughly.
Especially since being given 3% of AMK Partners' non-public shares recently, he seemed to be working even harder.
In-hyuk smiled. Of course, this wasn't over yet, so he couldn't be complacent.
He checked another message on Ghost Link.
【Yu-geon : I've found what I suspect to be Kooou's camp. The location is called Shakalulu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.】
【Guest5436 : Do not approach for now. Only scout the surroundings.】
【Yu-geon : Ok. But aren't you running around causing too much trouble like a wild horse let off its leash since we're not there with you?】
. .
That was the conversation he'd had with Hong Yu-geon the day before.
It had taken nearly a month just to find the camp.
Of course, it wasn't yet certain. If there really were Kooou's agents there, it would be extremely dangerous.
No matter how skilled Charybdis, Hong Yu-geon, and Van Hester were, facing an organized group would be impossible.
They needed solid evidence and to prepare proper countermeasures.
"And if it's the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo), there are options..."
But the most pressing matter for now was the conclusion of the Taeshin Group situation.
In-hyuk took one last look at the ongoing shareholders' meeting on his phone, then put the device in his pocket.
"Then, shall I start preparing?"
* * *
"Aaargh—!"
With Tae Seok-ho's scream, the executive vice president's office was thrown into chaos.
Everything on the desk was swept to the floor, and the golf clubs in the corner were swung about, bent like wire.
Reina Blackwood, entering through the door, dodged a glass cup he threw with only a twist of her head.
The cup shattered against the wall in a spray of glass.
Jjaeng-geurang—
"Let's stop this now."
Tae Seok-ho heaved deep breaths, glowering at her.
"Stop? Stop what? How could you say something like that in this situation?!"
Tae Seok-ho had been certain that he would have the Taeshin Group by today.
The decision to dismiss chairman Tae Gun-seung as CEO had made that certainty feel just within reach.
But then, the CEO appointment had been struck down by an unreasonable gap in shareholding.
At that moment, Reina pulled something from her sleeve and threw it at him.
It was a palm-sized flying knife.
Shuaaa— Pak!
The blade grazed Tae Seok-ho's left cheek and stuck in the wall.
"......."
"Are you calm now?"
Tae Seok-ho was too stunned to speak.
Reina continued.
"I don't blame you for reacting like this, executive vice president. But it's not as if all chances are gone."
For a moment, Tae Seok-ho was unable to accept her words.
"They've already secured over 50% of the shares. Don't you get that it's over?"
"AMK Partners doesn't hold all those shares in their own right. 20% of them belong to chairman Tae Gun-seung, and most of the rest do, too."
"Then what's your plan? Nothing seems likely to change."
Some of the shares were probably held by Orbis Investment and Lumen Holdings.
At the shareholders' meeting, both companies had sided with AMK Partners.
"Consider this an opportunity to buy more time until the next extraordinary shareholders' meeting. In the meantime, we need to proceed with the plan we put on hold."
"... Put on hold? You mean that one? Don't you realize that's just going to arouse suspicion?"
She was speaking of their plan to take out chairman Tae Gun-seung.
"But you know better than anyone that there are no other options right now. Once the chairman is dealt with, those shares will be scattered, and then we'll have a chance."
Reina's explanation made Tae Seok-ho even grimmer.
"It absolutely cannot look like murder."
"Indeed. Plus, with the chairman's age and health, as long as we make it look like a sudden illness, there will be no problem."
In the end, Tae Seok-ho made a decision.
Reina sent a message to someone via her phone.
【Code USAGI: Operation start. Make it look like an accident. Absolutely no exposure.】
The recipients were her subordinates who had previously staked out the hospital.
A reply soon came.
【Code IRUKA : Target lost. Confirming situation.】
At that moment, Reina's expression froze.