CH402 | Heir

The next day.

From the early morning, the Financial Tower carried the tension of a battlefield on the verge of war.

People were gulping down coffee like rations before combat, and it wasn’t hard to spot a few slapping their own cheeks to stay sharp.

I watched the scene with some satisfaction as I made my way up to the office.

Soon after, Vice Chairman Han entered, carrying the results of yesterday’s strike.

“The Shanghai index fell more than 2%. Nearly one trillion yuan evaporated in a single day.”

“As expected, with a market that size, even a two percent drop means massive losses.”

“Just one trillion yuan amounts to roughly 183 trillion won.”

The Shanghai Stock Exchange alone carried a market cap of six trillion dollars.

With ten trillion dollars in total, that was over one gyeong won—an astronomical figure.

And that was the market we were assaulting. Yesterday’s two percent fall was only the beginning.

“The decline will continue. Keep pressing the attack.”

“How far do you think it will fall?”

“Within two months, at least forty percent.”

“That’s an extreme projection. On the Shanghai exchange alone, that would wipe out 2.4 trillion dollars.”

“It’s a massive table we’re playing at. Which is why we need to scoop up as much as we can.”

Money was vanishing by the gyeong.

No matter how aggressively we scooped, there was no way to pocket wealth on that scale. At best, we could gather up a few trillion. But even then, grabbing the money was only half the problem.

“If the market falls the way you predicted, Chairman, all of China will be in chaos.”

“Exactly. Right now, shorting stocks and making money is simple enough. The real question is whether we can actually get the money out.”

“So what’s your plan?”

“We make accomplices. We’ll drag the Chinese elite into this mess.”

“And how do you intend to do that?”

It wasn’t difficult to create accomplices. The moment someone shared in the profits, they became tied to the crime.

“Set up several proxy accounts. Configure them so each one earns about a hundred million dollars.”

“You’re planning to hand those accounts over to the Chinese elite?”

“Not just them. Spread them far and wide. This time it won’t just be Taewoo Securities acting alone, but every financial firm inside the Tower. That’s the only way we all survive and make it out of the Chinese market intact.”

There was a reason gamblers always cut the table in on their winnings. If you wanted to be welcomed back, you left a piece behind.

“Won’t the other firms resist? They won’t like giving away money they fought hard to earn.”

“They can try surviving without it if they want. Better to skim off a little and walk away with a fortune than to get greedy and end up with nothing.”

“Understood. I’ll notify every firm in the Tower.”

“Tell them five percent is enough. And make sure they don’t waste bribes on the wrong people. They lobby only the ones I designate.”

There was more to a gambling den than just a cut of the winnings.

There was also the seat fee. And that fee, of course, had to be paid to the owner of the table. Handing money to the wrong person did nothing; it had to go to those at the true center of power.

“I’ll make sure it’s delivered properly.”

“I’ll send David to China. He’ll hand over the proxy accounts to the officials there.”

“I’ll have it prepared.”

“And make sure the princelings get an extra share. More than enough, so no one can complain later.”

If Taewoo Securities tried to handle all the lobbying alone, the burden would be too great. But with every firm in the Financial Tower pooling together, the cost barely registered.

As long as the mouths at the top could be silenced, it wouldn’t matter even if China’s stock market were cut in half.

***

The next day.

China’s stock market was still sliding.

For two days in a row, hundreds of trillions of won had evaporated, and the firms under the Financial Tower were busy scooping up the pieces.

Vice Chairman Han was no exception.

Everyone’s fingers moved like possessed demons, frenzied by money.

I watched them for a moment, then answered the call from David.

[Boss! I’ve arrived in China. Today I’ll meet with Governor Li Gang to hand over some of the proxy accounts, and I’ll also deliver the message that we’re ready to provide massive support accounts for the princelings.]

“There’s one thing you need to make clear. This short-selling isn’t being carried out by Taewoo Group. It’s being done by the firms under the Financial Tower. Make sure that point is understood.”

[Come on, who’s going to believe that? Everyone knows Taewoo Securities is using a fintech bank as cover. You think anyone buys that Taewoo Group has nothing to do with it?]

A game of make-believe.

They all knew the truth, but for the sake of pretending not to, a little obvious playacting was necessary.

On the surface, Taewoo Group wasn’t visible. And as long as money flowed generously into their own pockets, they would be more than happy to look the other way.

“It’s a blatant lie, sure. But if we state it brazenly enough, they won’t press the issue. So keep emphasizing that you’re acting as a representative of the Financial Tower firms.”

[Okay! You know I’ve got a talent for acting. I’ll stress it again and again—that I’m here only as a proxy, offering support.]

“If they demand more money, agree. Whatever amount they ask for, give it to them.”

[Wait, they might demand even more than what we’re already putting on the table? Do you realize how much this is? This kind of money could fund an American presidential campaign and still leave change.]

It was enough to make David gape.

But compared to the profits we stood to make, it was pocket change. If it bought us an escape route, the money was well spent.

“Make sure it’s handled cleanly. I don’t want any whispers afterward.”

[Leave it to me. I’ll win them over completely—and make sure they’re hoping the Chinese market falls even further.]

David’s voice brimmed with confidence.

He had worked in China many times, built wide networks, and was one of the rare people who could meet high-ranking officials without needing an appointment.

As soon as the call ended, the planning director, who had been waiting outside, hurried into the room.

“Chairman, we’ve received an urgent message from Samsung Group.”

“What kind of message?”

“Chairman Oh Hee-gun wishes to see you.”

“He’s awake?”

Chairman Oh had been bedridden after a heart attack.

He had slipped in and out of comas several times and had been completely absent from business matters, not to mention public appearances.

So hearing that he wanted to see me came as a shock.

“They say he just woke up. And the first thing he asked was to meet with you.”

“Prepare the car right away. We’re going to the hospital.”

Chairman Oh was, alongside my grandfather, one of the true elders of Korea’s business world.

If someone like him wanted to meet me—possibly for the last time—I had no choice but to go.

I arrived at Samsung Seoul Hospital, where one of the group’s executives was waiting for me.

He led me straight to the VVIP ward.

Clack—

Inside the room, several people were already gathered.

Among them were Chairman Oh’s family members, including Vice Chairman Oh Yong-jae, who had been running Samsung Group in his father’s stead.

“Chairman Kim Min-jae of Taewoo Group has arrived.”

The man who looked like the chief secretary announced my presence.

I stepped forward, and at last saw Chairman Oh’s condition with my own eyes.

What had become of him?

The fierce energy that once made him seem like a tiger was gone. Now he clung to life, relying on machines to keep his breathing steady.

“Chairman Oh, it’s been a long time. Kim Min-jae of Taewoo Group.”

“Chairman Kim… you came. Everyone, leave us. There’s something I must say to him alone.”

His voice was weak but firm.

At his command, his family and the others quietly left the room.

As their silhouettes slipped past the door, I suddenly felt his frail hand clutch mine.

“Chairman Kim… do you know how deeply I’ve resented you? Your Taewoo Group has always stood in Samsung’s way. Cough—”

“In terms of groups, yes, Taewoo holds the top spot. But if we speak of single companies, Samsung Electronics is still number one.”

He gave me a faint, bitter smile.
“Wordplay. Do you think I don’t know better? You haven’t even shown all your cards yet. Others may be fooled—but not me.”

For the first time in a long while, a trace of guilt stirred in me.

By the flow of history, Samsung should have remained the nation’s number-one group.

But my arrival had shifted everything. Taewoo took the lead, and Samsung was pushed down to a perpetual second place.

“Samsung has plenty of cards still hidden, don’t you think?”

“Cards, yes… but to play them properly, succession must be secure first, don’t you agree?”

“Vice Chairman Oh Yong-jae will carry on well enough.”

He shook his head slightly, breath catching.
“In my eyes, he falls short—terribly short. That’s why I have one request of you. Just one. Will you help him… through the succession?”

The succession issue would sort itself out just fine without me.

Of course, some problems would arise, and Vice Chairman Oh Yongjae would end up in prison.

But one way or another, the transfer of power from Chairman Oh Heegeon to Vice Chairman Oh Yongjae was completed.

"Even without my help, Vice Chairman Oh Yongjae will be able to inherit everything from you, Chairman."

"I’ve heard what that son of mine is plotting to secure the succession. His method may hold up for now, but once the administration changes, it’s bound to cause trouble. Can’t you take care of that problem for me?"

Chairman Oh Heegeon truly was different.

He immediately spotted the flaws in the succession plan.

And it seemed he had already calculated that I was the only one who could fix it.

But why me?

I did respect Chairman Oh Heegeon, but that was a personal sentiment.

Helping Samsung Group with its succession problem wasn’t something I could do as an individual. That required Taewoo Group’s involvement.

And to move without any gain?

That would amount to a breach of trust, something that went against my values.

I could offer a word of advice here and there, but I couldn’t act directly.

"Chairman Kim, this isn’t just a request. If you can ensure the succession goes perfectly, I’ll transfer to you all of the Taewoo Group shares I hold. I don’t know the current market price, but they should be worth at least twenty billion won."

Chairman Oh Heegeon was making one mistake.

He must have been recalling the stock price before his hospitalization when he said twenty billion won. But at the current price, it was worth at least fifty billion.

Fifty billion won wasn’t a sum I desperately needed.

But since it wasn’t just any shares—it was Taewoo Group stock—I found myself tempted.

"I’ll show Vice Chairman Oh Yongjae a way to complete the succession properly, and I’ll help him carry it out. But if he refuses, there’s nothing more I can do."

"That’s more than enough. If Yongjae can’t even recognize a benefactor, then he isn’t worth helping anyway. Before the week is out, my chief of staff will see to it that my Taewoo Group shares are transferred to you through the proper channels. Now, could you call the others waiting outside?"

With that, our negotiation came to an end.

From here on, it depended entirely on Vice Chairman Oh Yongjae’s choice. Without hesitation, I bowed to Chairman Oh Heegeon and left the hospital room.