KS Shipping CEO Song Gil-seop was summoned for questioning by the prosecution.
The investigation was still ongoing, and even the media had no way of knowing what was being discussed behind closed doors. But I had an inside source—Captain Kang—who fed me the details.
"The prosecution has secured testimony from Song Gil-seop stating that he provided over 10 billion won in slush funds to political figures during the presidential election."
"That’s quite a generous hand...
The news of Chunha Trading joining the consortium, initially met with skepticism, proved decisive.
“Buy Daehoo shares before the consortium makes its move! You can double your money once the acquisition process begins!”
Who was Park Sol of Chunha Trading?
An icon of honesty, the only conscience in these times.
A self-made man who hadn’t forgotten his roots, helping the underprivileged and donating his entire earnings from the gold collection campaign. He was ...
“Hahaha, yes, Chairman Kim. It’s good that the stock price is rising thanks to those rabble-rousers. It’s like free money. There’s no reason to complain. Daehoo won’t be swayed by such trivial matters. Anyway, let’s play golf sometime. I need some exercise. Hahaha. Yes, let’s meet soon.”
Chairman Kim Hoo-joong’s face hardened after ending the call with Chairman Kim Chan of Kim-Ae Development, despite his cheerful tone during the conversation.
“…It’s not C...
September 1, 1997
The morning chatter of sparrows perched on the branches of the cherry blossom tree in the garden stirred Chairman Park Tae-hong from his sleep.
Still dressed in his pajamas, Park Tae-hong propped himself up and glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside his bed. It had just passed 6 a.m.
He threw off the sheets, got out of bed, and shuffled toward the bathroom in his slippers.
A few minutes later, after a light wash, he emerged...
September 8, 1997.
Early morning.
While most people were just waking up, Na Un-hak—now in his fourth year as a foreign exchange trader—arrived early at the headquarters in Euljiro 2-ga.
"Korea Exchange Bank: Making Customers’ Dreams Come True."
Passing through the lobby where this year’s company slogan hung in large letters, he took the elevator up to the fourth floor and stepped onto the trading floor. The staff who had arrived before him greeted ...
As soon as Deputy Secretary Liu Shangfu saw Seok-won, he stood up. Wang Yongwei greeted him with a cheerful smile.
“Ah, I see you arrived before us.”
Liu glanced briefly at Seok-won before turning away and replying coolly, “The earlier meeting wrapped up sooner than expected, so I got here a bit early.”
Naturally, the exchange was in Chinese.
Wang, mindful that Seok-won didn’t speak the language, smoothly brought him into the conversation so he wouldn't f...
September 3, 1997, Gwacheon Government Complex.
In the office of the Minister of Finance and Economy, Vice Prime Minister of Economy Lee Eun-hyung sat on the sofa, flanked by Vice Minister Shin Seung-gi and Financial Policy Director Jung Ji-hoon on either side.
The atmosphere in the room was heavy, reflecting the worsening situation in the foreign exchange market—contrary to their hopes.
Lee Eun-hyung ground out his half-smoked cigarette in a crystal as...
The next day
From the early morning, the country was in an uproar over the presidential election results.
The ruling party’s candidate won by just a 2% margin, but the opposition party refused to accept the results, demanding a recount and alleging election fraud.
"Vice Chairman! The ruling party may have won, but the opposition is crying foul and calling for a recount."
"Let them be. The results won’t change no matter what they do."
"Foreign m...
Despite Kim Min-sik’s near-declaration of war at the press conference, the stock market remained relatively calm.
Usually, a hostile takeover attempt would send the target company’s stock price soaring, but the problem was that the announcement had come from Kim Min-sik.
Individual investors, unaware of the situation, started buying Daehoo shares, but institutional investors and market analysts were cautious.
“Does he really intend to acquire Daehoo?” one analyst ...
The Gulfstream IV private jet touched down smoothly and taxied slowly along the tarmac until it came to a stop at a designated apron area on one side of the expansive airport.
Moments later, the airstairs descended, and Seok-won emerged from the aircraft, dressed casually in an open-collar shirt accentuated by a blue silk handkerchief. He was accompanied by his executive assistant, Han Ji-sung.
Awaiting them was a stout middle-aged man in his mid-forties, flanked by two subordin...
August 19, 1997.
Yoon Ki-hoon, an executive at Daehung Investment, had lunch with the president of a company he had invested in and returned to the office.
After taking off his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack, he sat down in a plush chair, leaned back, and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the drowsiness from the meal.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, a knock sounded from outside.
"Oh. What's going on?"
Yoon Ki-hoon opened his...
Wednesday afternoon.
I left work early and was alone at home.
Outside the window, New York’s bright summer unfolded.
The skyscrapers gleamed under the sunlight, and in the distance, Central Park’s greenery appeared no larger than a thumbnail.
Since it was a weekday afternoon, my roommates were all at work.
‘It’s nice and quiet for once.’
Due to my recent, sudden rise in fame, my roommates had started getting uncomfortably fami...
Ding!
A notification sound rang from my smartphone.
Checking the screen, I saw an email from Raymond.
The body of the email briefly summarized the schedule of an event I was to attend in about ten days.
It also mentioned that the physical invitation would be mailed to Goldman.
A natural smile tugged at my lips.
This event wasn’t just any ordinary gathering.
It was a meeting with none other than the Theranos Board of Directors.
...
Goldman, 47th floor, corner office.
A man stared blankly out the window, lost in thought—it was none other than Pierce.
The new office he received upon his promotion boasted a wide-open view, with two walls made entirely of glass.
The Hudson River, dyed crimson by the sunset, flowed leisurely, and the cityscape of New Jersey lay in view across the way.
Yet Pierce had no time to admire the scenery. His gaze was once again fixed on his smartphone.
<I...
[You certainly caused quite a stir.]
That was the first thing Raymond said, without even a greeting.
“I was merely doing my job.”
[Does everyone in your industry work that way?]
Of course not.
If all investment bank analysts went on air to humiliate Wall Street’s big players, who would dare to play the role of a shark anymore?
But now wasn’t the time for small talk.
“How is the investor recruitment for Theranos progressing?” ...
White Shark’s declaration of defeat sent shockwaves through the financial world.
The head of Shark Capital, who had reigned as the undefeated legend, had stepped back without securing even a single board seat…
Perhaps this event was the beginning of a seismic wave that would reshape the course of all activist funds in the future.
[A total defeat, to the extent of not securing even one seat. Doesn’t this clearly demonstrate Goldman’s strategic superiority?]
...
The Victor of Negotiation (5)
In Han Cheong-ho’s mind, the three things that could lead to a fallout with Park Jeong-hwan were all significant.
First, matters involving Japan.
That was Park Jeong-hwan's weakness, but it was something Han Cheong-ho could manage with just a little effort, so it was fine.
Second, matters involving Park Jeong-hwan’s wife.
This touched on Park Jeong-hwan’s pride as a man.
It could end with his wife, ...
The Victor of Negotiation (4)
Outside the conference room where Tae-soo and Han Cheong-ho had entered.
Hearing the loud crashes and banging from inside, Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan clicked his tongue.
“They’re wrecking someone else’s hotel. Damn brat.”
Secretary Kim, standing beside him, chuckled.
“Well, thanks to clearing it all out in advance, there isn’t much left to break anyway.”
Inside, all that remained was a single ...
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?...
The Victor of Negotiation (2)
After his one-on-one meeting with President Park Jeong-hwan, Han Cheong-ho walked out and spoke to Tae-soo.
"You’re going to end up with nothing but garbage, Kang Tae-soo."
"You’re going to regret this moment. I won’t go down easily."
"So you can embrace that and die with it."
At that moment, Han Cheong-ho must have already intended to leave such words behind.
Tae-soo had expected Han Cheong-ho to r...
The Victor of Negotiation (1)
Tae-soo quickly stopped spying.
“Uh… our boss’s car isn’t here. Looks like he already left.”
“That man—didn’t he drink?”
“Uh… well… maybe he has a driver?”
“Oh, right. What a silly question to ask.”
To Park Kyung-hye, the idea that someone might not have a personal driver was unimaginable.
Although Park Chul-wan had grown up alongside her due to the close ties between ...
The 16th presidential election campaign was in full swing.
However, the gap in approval ratings was so significant that rumors were openly circulating that the election was already decided.
From May to October, the opposition candidate maintained a lead of over 15%.
“Vice Chairman! The ruling party candidate’s approval rating is rising sharply.”
“Is there any talk of a consolidation deal?”
“Yes. There are rumors that a merger negotiation is under...
I declared war on Daehoo, but I didn’t act immediately.
A wounded dinosaur was still a dinosaur.
Thorough preparation was essential.
“2.5 trillion won from Chunha Trading, 3 trillion won from Joongang Investment Corporation, and 1 trillion won from Hanho Savings Bank. A total of 6.5 trillion won.”
That was my war chest.
“Have you gathered any information on Daehoo’s recent activities?”
Park Jong-bum, reviewing the documents he had collecte...
August 14, 1997.
Dark clouds hung heavily over the slopes of Inwang Mountain outside the window, making it seem like rain could pour down at any moment.
Sitting on the leather sofa in the spacious office with plush carpeting, President Kim Seong-gyu spoke with an expression of discomfort.
"So, are you saying that you won't extend the grace period for Gi-chang Group's debt moratorium, which ends next week, and will let it expire as scheduled?"
Minis...
August 11, 1997.
After a weekend break, Seok-won returned to the office and sat with one leg crossed on the plush leather sofa in his CEO suite, watching CNN's satellite broadcast on the large TV across from him.
On the big screen, Henry Woo, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, appeared, passionately addressing reporters with an impassioned expression.
"Our Hong Kong government has successfully defended against the massive ...
CH426
In Lynn's mind, the biblical passage about hell surfaced, one part of which was the skinning purgatory used to punish the gravest sinners.
These monstrous beings in front of them were the executioners, their faces bloody with faintly visible orifices—eyes, nostrils, and mouths.
Their bodies contorted, as if their skin had been ripped off, leaving only bloody muscles and bones. They held execution tools, resembling a group of walking corpses, moving s...
2025-05-12 12:50:41 +0000 UTC View PostCH421
Lucia, riding a griffin, naturally noticed the fighter jets speeding through the air.
In her magical sight, the polarizing magic that could achieve visual invisibility had no effect.
"The highest speed is actually over three hundred kilometers per hour?" Lucia quickly estimated the opponent's speed through the maneuvers of the fighter jets in the air.
If quantified, a mere three hundred kilometers per hour wouldn't count for much, but in their cu...
2025-05-12 12:50:32 +0000 UTC View PostCH416
The continuous barrage of bullets did not catch Sireid’s attention, as the Lava Fire Dragon, while destroying airships, also faced the wizards' counterattacks at every moment.
As for Sireid himself, the majority of his focus was on suppressing the Lava Fire Dragon beneath him and constructing protective spells. He couldn't spare much attention to sense the origin of the incoming attacks.
However, his underestimation proved fatal. The fighter jet, tra...
2025-05-12 12:50:18 +0000 UTC View PostCH411
Under Joshua's explanation, Sireid realised the frightening nature of this new type of weapon, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he quickly spoke.
"We can't wait any longer. We must immediately send these minions of evil straight to hell!"
Sireid couldn't fathom the consequences of letting these wizards continue developing, knowing they could create even more powerful magical weapons.
"If only we had continued the pursuit earlier," Sireid...
2025-05-12 12:50:08 +0000 UTC View PostFrench restaurants take dining etiquette very seriously.
Dress codes, table manners—everything.
But we ignored all of that.
And surprisingly, the restaurant owner didn’t seem to mind.
“Your Romanée-Conti has arrived. A Great Vintage from 1990, an exceptional year for Burgundy.”
“Bring us a few more bottles of the same.”
“Right away.”
We tossed back the million-dollar wine like it was cheap beer.
Not a sing...