CH87 | MCT

The Victor of Negotiation (3)

The spacious conference room contained nothing but a single table and four sofa chairs—leaving it almost desolate.

The heavy sofas were too cumbersome to move easily. Trying to rearrange them would only damage one’s dignity.

Han Cheong-ho’s plan to take control of the meeting by sitting at the head seat crumbled instantly.

“Looks like Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan must be broke. What kind of conference room is this? Looks more like a bench in front of a neighborhood grocery store. Tsk.”

That was thanks to Tae-soo’s warning earlier when he met Jang Jun-yong.

—Han Cheong-ho is going to cause a ruckus, so please remove anything that could get damaged.

Without saying much, Jang Jun-yong complied with Tae-soo’s request.

“So, are you going to sit or not?”

“You cocky bastard. Were you raised without manners?”

“If you don’t want to sit, feel free to stand. You can sign while standing.”

“Tsk.”

Han Cheong-ho had no choice but to slump into a sofa.

His secretary, Park, sat beside him and pulled out the prepared contract.

Han Cheong-ho threw the contract at Tae-soo.

“Sign it.”

Tae-soo skimmed through the contract.

“You really went to town with this nonsense, didn’t you?”

Without hesitation, he tossed the contract into the trash bin beside the table.

Clean and decisive, without a trace of regret.

Han Cheong-ho’s eyebrow twitched.

“Did you just reject Cheongil Refinery?”

“I can't sign a contract like that.”

“Then don’t.”

Han Cheong-ho sneered.

“I clearly proposed the acquisition and merger of Cheongil Refinery. It was you, Kang Tae-soo, who rejected it. Even the President won’t be able to blame me now. Well, I’ll be on my way.”

“Hold on. We’re not finished yet.”

“I am.”

Han Cheong-ho stood up abruptly.

With a lighthearted expression, he turned toward the conference room door.

But Tae-soo’s words stopped him in his tracks.

“Don’t we need to show His Excellency a document proving that we reached an agreement?”

“Is that really necessary?”

Han Cheong-ho looked down with a haughty face, lecturing the rookie.

“You must be young and naïve. When a negotiation falls through, it’s customary to end it by leaving the table.”

“If this were a typical merger and acquisition, that would’ve been enough. But isn’t this a merger contract ordered directly by His Excellency, the President?”

That statement was the problem.

It was a noose that kept Han Cheong-ho from leaving the conference room.

“I plan to report that the Cheongil side tried to flee the moment the negotiation began, unwilling to hand over Cheongil Refinery.”

“You’re the one who threw the contract, Kang Tae-soo.”

“You seem to have forgotten—I said I couldn't sign that contract.”

Tae-soo laced his fingers together and continued.

“Let’s focus on the outcome. If you leave like this, His Excellency will come down hard on Cheongil. We’ll be meeting again regardless. The question is—will we get to meet again before the final bankruptcy?”

President Park Jeong-hwan had made it explicitly clear that the merger process had to be finalized before the final bankruptcy.

Cheongil Refinery, already in its first stage of bankruptcy, was racing toward collapse.

Time was not on Han Cheong-ho’s side.

“Damn it… There’s no getting around this.”

With no other choice, Han Cheong-ho slumped back onto the sofa.

In that single motion, he crushed his pride, his dignity, and even his tailored suit.

“Let’s write up an agreement on the breakdown of the merger.”

“I have no intention of doing that.”

“Then why did you call me here?”

“To properly hand over Cheongil Refinery, of course.”

At Tae-soo’s signal, Han-soo, seated next to him, pulled out a document envelope.

Tae-soo retrieved a single-page contract and slid it across the table toward Han Cheong-ho.

“What’s this?”

“A contract I prepared. Unlike yours, it’s easy to read, simple, and to the point.”

It was a merger contract for Cheongil Refinery, a deal worth hundreds of billions of won.

Dozens of legal articles would normally be cited for a deal of this scale.

Considering the price index at the time was about 1/30th of 2020 levels, this was effectively a multitrillion-won agreement.

And yet, the contract was just a single sheet.

“A merger involving hundreds of billions, and you're joking with a one-page contract? Are you playing games with me?”

“Let’s be clear—the ones playing games were Cheongil.”

Did they really think he wouldn’t see through that cheap stunt?

“This crap is a contract?”

“As you can see. A single-page contract is still a contract.”

A contract is nothing more than a mutual agreement, with signatures and stamps. That’s it.

“It’s only one page. Won’t take long to read, so go ahead and give it a look.”

“There’s no need to read it.”

“Then just sign and stamp it, and you can leave.”

Han Cheong-ho crumpled the contract and tossed it into the trash.

Just like Tae-soo had done earlier.

“You and I are even now. Let’s call it a draw.”

“Unlike me, Chairman Han, you might want to dig that contract out of the trash.”

Tae-soo leaned back on the sofa and smiled.

“Don’t you realize the situation has changed a little since earlier?”

"Nothing has changed. We both rejected the other's offer. That’s all there is to it."

Han Cheong-ho sprang up from the sofa once again.

With both sides having had their proposals dismissed, there was nothing to hold him back this time—so he thought.

But Tae-soo shook his head.

“Kang Tae-soo proposed a merger to Cheongil. But Cheongil refused, deliberately, without even reading the contract. How do you think His Excellency will take that? Now it’s certain he’ll come down hard on your side.”

A problem had arisen.

Han Cheong-ho's face crumpled in frustration.

His pride, his dignity, his suit, his face, and now even the contract—everything was wrinkled and ruined.

“Kang Tae-soo!”

“Why don’t you sit down and calmly read the contract first?”

“Fine! Let’s see what the hell this contract says!”

With no other option, Han Cheong-ho slumped back onto the sofa.

He was boiling with rage at having been pushed back in every power play.

“The contract!”

He thrust out his hand toward Tae-soo.

Tae-soo casually gestured toward the trash can.

“I already gave it to you. Go ahead and fish it out.”

Han Cheong-ho clenched his fist.

His teeth ground together audibly.

Secretary Park, sweating profusely, pulled the crumpled contract out of the trash.

He did his best to flatten it out before handing it over.

“Ch-Chairman... here it is…”

“Give it to me.”

Only then did Han Cheong-ho take the contract and begin to read it.

There were only a few lines.

But the more he read, the wider his eyes grew.

“You son of a bitch!”

He crumpled the contract once more and tossed it back into the trash.

Unable to control his fury, he kicked the trash can.

Crash! Clatter...

With a loud noise, the trash can broke apart and rolled across the conference room floor.

Its contents scattered messily in all directions.

“You expect me to sign that thing?!”

“Yes.”

“Are you insane?!”

“You seem to be, Chairman.”

“Kang Tae-soo, I asked if you’re out of your damn mind!”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly sane.”

Tae-soo remained unbothered.

In stark contrast, Han Cheong-ho was fuming, unable to contain his rage.

“You’d have to be insane to shove that in my face! Sign it? I’d rather die!”

“You will, eventually.”

Bang!

Han Cheong-ho kicked the table in a fit of anger.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he pushed over the sofa.

Crash! Bang!

He was so furious, he seemed to draw strength from sheer rage.

Han-soo, seated nearby, glanced nervously between his brother and Han Cheong-ho.

Secretary Park had already scurried to a corner of the room, trembling.

“Have you ever seen such a goddamn thief?! You think you can challenge me just because His Excellency’s protecting you?!”

Despite the chaos, Tae-soo remained calm.

He wasn’t just unfazed—he still wore a soft smile.

Naturally, this only drove Han Cheong-ho further into a rage.

“Ten won for Cheongil Oil?!”

That was the first reason he was furious.

“Not ten billion, not even a hundred—just ten won? If that’s not a joke, what is?!”

And that wasn’t all.

“The contract states Cheongil Group will be fully responsible for all prior losses incurred by Cheongil Oil before the signing?”

Han Cheong-ho had deliberately dumped all the group’s losses into Cheongil Oil.

Now he was being told Cheongil Group had to pay it all back?

“Why the hell should I pay for that?! You don’t even understand the basics of mergers and acquisitions, you conniving little bastard!”

Normally, an acquisition includes taking on a company’s debts.

Assets, liabilities, net profit, growth potential—all these factors are weighed before arriving at an acquisition price.

“Okay, fine. Cheongil Oil has too much debt, so I’ll tolerate the ten-won offer. But you’re saying I still have to hold on to the debt while you get the company? Are you out of your mind?!”

That was the second reason Han Cheong-ho was losing it.

In short, Tae-soo was openly trying to snatch Cheongil Oil for free, while refusing to take on the debt.

And there was more.

“To top it all off, you’re demanding an apology for violating business ethics and disturbing the socioeconomic order—by having Cheongil Heavy Machinery handed over for ten won too?!”

Cheongil Heavy Machinery hadn’t even been included in the presidential directive.

And yet, Tae-soo wanted that too—for another ten won.

At this point, it was no wonder Han Cheong-ho’s eyes bulged and foam nearly formed at his mouth.

“If this isn’t madness, what the hell is?! You lunatic bastard!”

No matter how he looked at it, it was beyond reason.

He even started to doubt whether he had read it correctly.

Now, he couldn’t even trust his own memory from a minute ago.

“If you’re going to go crazy, do it quietly on your own! What the hell is this supposed to be—a contract?!”

In a fit of disbelief, Han Cheong-ho stooped down and picked up the crumpled contract from the floor again.

A single sheet. Just a few lines.

He read it once more—same as before.

Again and again—no change.

Even a man like Han Cheong-ho couldn’t help but feel like he was going mad.

“Arrrrrgh—!”

He stomped and flailed, utterly beside himself with rage.

If this wasn’t madness, what was?

“Even if Cheongil Oil goes bankrupt! Even if His Excellency scolds me personally! I’ll never sign that! This isn’t just unreasonable—it’s unacceptable!”

He shouted, shaking with fury.

He shoved the crumpled paper right in Tae-soo’s face, nearly spitting his anger.

“If His Excellency sees this contract himself, he’ll understand! He won’t scold me—he’ll come after you, Kang Tae-soo! You’ve crossed the line!”

Han Cheong-ho turned his back.

Clutching the contract he now planned to present to President Park Jeong-hwan himself.

But then, Tae-soo’s calm voice broke through the air.

“The one who crossed the line… wasn’t me. It was you, Han Cheong-ho.”

Tae-soo pulled something from inside his jacket.

“What do you think His Excellency will say when he sees this?”

Han Cheong-ho froze mid-step.

There was something unsettling about how confident Tae-soo sounded.

‘What the hell is that bastard Kang Tae-soo relying on?’

Without knowing the source of that confidence, he couldn’t just dismiss it.

But turning back now? That would mean baring the full depths of his humiliation.

A wave of conflicting emotions surged through him.

‘This has something to do with Park Jeong-hwan. It can’t be a trivial matter.’

Han Cheong-ho turned his head.

His eyes were filled with bitter defeat and humiliation—an expression Tae-soo had never seen, even in a past life.

And with that, Tae-soo drove the final nail in.

“Sign the contract. Sell me Cheongil Oil and Cheongil Heavy Machinery for ten won each. Refuse… and I’ll send this to His Excellency.”

In Tae-soo’s hand was a photograph.

And when Han Cheong-ho saw it, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

His hands started to tremble.

“No… it can’t be…!”

When he spent six hours brooding in the study, trying to figure out why Park Jeong-hwan had changed his mind…

There were three things that had bothered him.

And now, one of them had just appeared—right there, in Tae-soo’s hand.

“No!”

Han Cheong-ho let out a scream.