CH126 | VOC

“I have a good eye for people. You’re impressive, CEO Park.” Chairman Wang Qian of Haixin Group said with a smile. “You’ve already secured three months’ worth of supply in just one month.”

Just one month after we started siphoning off defective semiconductors, we had supplied half of Haixin Group’s order, earning me another invitation to his grand mansion.

“You’re too kind,” I said modestly, and he laughed heartily.

“That’s impressive, but what’s even more remarkable is that your name hasn’t been mentioned anywhere.”

The defective chips went from Saseong Semiconductor to Kim In-ha’s shredding company, then to Hanyoung Tech, then to Woo-hyuk at the Shenzhen department store, and finally to Haixin Group.

Everyone was dancing to my tune, but on the surface, it looked like they were all acting independently, pursuing their own interests.

“I’m not brave enough to take risks directly… Hahaha.”

“Not brave enough, you say?” He smiled. “You seem quite daring to me.”

I smirked. “You’re mistaken.”

“Hahaha, you’re amusing! Very amusing!” He laughed heartily, wiping away his tears. “So, what are you planning to do with the payments for the three months’ worth of defective chips?”

“Woo-hyuk will receive the payment and then pay 40% to the department store as rent. He’ll keep 30%, and the remaining 30%…”

I smiled brightly. “…will be deposited into Hanyoung Tech’s account at the appropriate time.”

Money never lies.

It was true that Hanyoung Tech had received the shredded material from Kim In-ha’s company, and it was also true that Woo-hyuk had received payment for the defective chips.

In the world of capitalism, there was no stronger evidence than the flow of money.

The amount might be large, but I had only received the rent.

“Perfect. Absolutely perfect.” Chairman Wang clapped his hands in delight. “So, CEO Park, how about we extend our partnership?”

“Extend it?”

“It’s a shame to end it after just six months, now that we’ve found such a good method.”

His eyes gleamed. “I’m enjoying life these days. The defective chips have reduced our production costs significantly, and we’re closing the gap with Huai Group. We might even become number one soon. The thought of their frustration makes me happy! So, CEO Park…”

He looked at me. “Let’s continue this. We’re a good team.”

I had anticipated this.

Once they tasted the sweet nectar of defective chips, half the price and only slightly less efficient, why would they go back to regular chips?

Using regular chips would feel like a waste of money, especially with the number one spot within reach.

“Chairman, what do I get in return? Should we create a fake contract and have you deposit some extra money into my account, in addition to the payments to Woo-hyuk?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m sticking to the original plan. Six months, and then we’re done. Maybe a month or two more.”

His face hardened slightly. “Everything is going perfectly, what’s the problem? What’s the difference between ending it now and ending it later? Let’s do it for a year, CEO Park. It’s just a few more months. Don’t you agree?”

“It wouldn’t be difficult.”

“Right? So…”

I interrupted him. “But we can’t.”

He said with a disappointed expression, “I thought you were more flexible, CEO Park. I’m a bit disappointed.”

“But…” I smiled. “Just wait. Defective semiconductors will be flooding our department store soon, even without our involvement.”

He looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“I’m going to expose this operation.”

He was shocked. “What?! Expose it?! Are you insane?!”

I smirked. “Let me explain.”

After hearing my plan, he looked speechless.

“So you’re not just going to stop after six months, you’re going to create a new market…”

“Haixin Group’s role is crucial. If you continue buying defective semiconductors and create a stable market, all the defective chips in the world will flow to our department store.”

“But then other companies will be able to use defective semiconductors too. How does that benefit Haixin Group?”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry about that. That’s my specialty.”

Manipulating the market with a price list and controlling the supply through rent adjustments was child’s play for me.

“We’ve established a connection, and I’d like to maintain a good relationship with you, Chairman. I’ll offer you a better price than other companies for defective semiconductors. You can acquire a stable supply of cheap, high-quality defective chips and grow your business. You have to be number one, don’t you? Trust me, I always keep my promises.”

He looked impressed. “That’s… a compelling offer.”

If Haixin Group agreed, my safety and a stable market would be secured.

Even Saseong couldn’t touch me with Haixin Group’s protection.

“Alright, let’s do it.”

He extended his hand excitedly. “We’ll be good partners, CEO Park.”

I shook his hand. “I look forward to working with you, Chairman Wang.”

“He’s impressive,” Chairman Wang muttered after seeing me off. “He’s daring and has a keen understanding of the market. He’s a true talent.”

He asked his butler, “How big is his company?”

The butler bowed respectfully. “Including the department store, the factory, and his other businesses in Korea, it’s estimated to be worth over 2 trillion won.”

It was a significant amount, even for the chairman of Haixin Group.

“And he built it all from scratch?”

“Yes, his parents and relatives are ordinary people. He built it all on his own.”

“Hmm…”

He had initially contacted me just to buy time, hoping I could provide him with even a month’s worth of supply.

But I had turned it into a long-term partnership.

“A market naturally forms when there’s supply and demand. And he’s minimizing his risk and maximizing his profit by staying behind the scenes. He’s a true talent.”

He licked his lips. “He’s tempting.”

I reminded him of his younger self.

He had also started from nothing, overcoming countless obstacles to build Haixin Group.

In today’s hyper-competitive world, it was almost impossible to succeed without exceptional skills or bending the rules. And he had walked that path too.

He frowned. “He’s a dragon compared to those spoiled brats.”

China had only opened its market in the 1980s, so most of the top conglomerates were led by self-made entrepreneurs.

They were veterans of fierce competition, who had built their empires from scratch.

But their children were mostly spoiled brats, enjoying their fathers’ wealth without understanding the hardships their parents had endured.

The contrast between them and Park Sol was stark.

“My youngest is 20 this year, right?”

The butler said in surprise, “Are you thinking of pairing her with CEO Park, sir?”

“Let’s wait and see. He seems like a worthy candidate.”

* * *

Two months had passed since we started siphoning off defective chips, and Saseong was starting to suspect something.

Haixin Group had declared they would stop buying chips from Saseong, and yet, they were releasing new products at lower prices.

Saseong had initially assumed that Haixin was using its existing inventory, which usually lasted for a month, but two months had passed, and Haixin was still operating without any problems. They concluded that Haixin must have found another supplier.

“Sir, we have a report from Li Yang in Shenzhen,” Park Jong-bum said nervously, after receiving a call from Woo-hyuk. “Saseong’s semiconductor factory in China is being audited.”

Saseong had been moving its factories to China, anticipating its growth potential.

Their core semiconductor business was also moving.

They were investigating the possibility of leaks from their Chinese factory.

“Hehehe, as expected.”

They didn’t know where the leak was, so they were starting with their Chinese factory, the most likely suspect.

And with Saseong’s massive scale, the audit would take a long time, buying us more time.

“How many chips have we collected so far?”

“We’ve almost fulfilled Haixin Group’s six-month order, about 90%.”

“Almost there. Good. Let’s start preparing. It’ll be three months since we started the operation in two weeks. That’s when we expose them.”

Park Jong-bum nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Have Woo-hyuk transfer 30% of the money he received to Hanyoung Tech’s account. Make sure they can’t trace the sender.”

Park Jong-bum said with a worried expression, “But sir, what if Hanyoung Tech reports it to the police? It’s almost 300 billion won.”

I scoffed. “Do you think they would report it? They’re struggling because of us. They’ll be too busy spending the money to think about the consequences.”

As we were talking, my phone rang.

It was the heihaizi who was acting as a liaison between me and Kim In-ha.

To avoid being traced, I had assigned a heihaizi to relay messages between us.

“Hello?”

[Sir, it’s me.]

“Yes, what is it?”

[Nothing unusual at the factory. Kim In-ha asked me to relay a message.]

“What is it?”

[Hanyoung Tech, the company we’re selling the shredded material to… their CEO made an offer to Kim In-ha.]

My intuition tingled. “What kind of offer?”

[He asked if he could get some defective chips.]

My face lit up in a grin. “Hehehehehe.”

I couldn’t contain my laughter.

“He’s sticking his head into the lion’s den. Kikikikikiki.”

A junkyard owner wouldn’t be a junkyard owner if he wasn’t tempted by defective semiconductors after seeing the shredded material.

This was the icing on the cake.

An idea flashed through my mind. “Good! Stay there, I’ll be right there!”

I hung up and said to Park Jong-bum urgently, “Call Woo-hyuk and tell him to come back to Korea.”

“Korea?”

“Yes! Have him go to Hanyoung Tech and offer to buy defective semiconductors!”

I smiled. “Kim In-ha will sell a small amount of defective chips to Hanyoung Tech, and Woo-hyuk will buy them back. This will make our plan foolproof!”

10% truth to mask 90% lies.

Hanyoung Tech would become the perfect scapegoat, bearing the full brunt of Saseong’s wrath.

I smiled cruelly.

“This is the perfect movie. I can’t wait for the premiere. Hehehe.”