After the Divorce, I Found a Thousand Bitcoins - Chapter 187

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Got Divorced and Found a Thousand Bitcoins Episode 187

Seoul KH Group Headquarters.

Kang Hyeon, who had returned from India, sat at his office desk and immediately began flipping through the backlog of approval documents.

Buzz- Buzz-

The secure communication network placed on one side of the desk rang heavily.

Kang Hyeon picked up the receiver without taking his eyes off the documents.

“Please speak.”

-Chairman. This is Michael from Texas Astra Headquarters.

Michael’s voice through the receiver was rigidly stiff.

-We just completed the 7th integration test between SpaceX’s Falcon 9 system and the Astra engine.

“What are the results?”

-It’s another shutdown.

The sound of Michael swallowing dry saliva could be heard.

-The moment Astra’s plasma engine ignites, the actual output spikes 15 percent higher than the design specifications. SpaceX’s mainboard cannot withstand this overload and activates its defense mechanism.

Click.

Kang Hyeon finished signing the document and put down his fountain pen.

It was a failure report for a project with astronomical capital investment.

But there wasn’t an ounce of disturbance in Kang Hyeon’s expression.

“What is SpaceX’s position on this?”

-They’re firm. They say they cannot compromise even a single millimeter on the mainboard’s safety specifications.

“That’s a natural response.”

Kang Hyeon leaned back deeply into his chair.

No fool would risk having their launch vehicle explode in mid-air.

“Then what happens if we artificially lower our output by 15 percent?”

-…That would eliminate the reason for the Astra engine’s existence.

Deep regret was evident in Michael’s voice.

-Fuel efficiency and orbital entry efficiency would plummet by more than 30 percent. It would fall to a level no different from ordinary chemical fuel engines.

It was a perfect deadlock where neither side could bend.

One side had to protect the aircraft’s safety, while the other had to maintain overwhelming fuel efficiency.

It was a clear physical bottleneck that couldn’t be broken through with the technical capabilities of both working teams.

“I understand the situation.”

Kang Hyeon placed his clasped hands on his knees.

“Suspend testing for now and stand by.”

-Understood, Chairman.

Click.

The communication ended.

Heavy silence settled over the office.

‘Lowering Astra’s output is not an option.’

Kang Hyeon’s mind began spinning rapidly.

Space advancement with reduced efficiency would be worse than not doing it at all.

But forcibly modifying SpaceX’s mainboard wasn’t feasible either.

Tap, tap.

Kang Hyeon lightly drummed his fingers on the desk.

If A and B don’t mesh with each other, there’s only one solution.

Insert a ‘C’ between them that can fully absorb the tremendous overload.

Beep.

Kang Hyeon pressed the intercom.

“Manager Ha-ryul. Please come to the office.”

Creak.

Ha-ryul entered with quick steps, holding a tablet.

“You called for me, Chairman.”

“Did you check the error log data that came from Texas?”

“Yes. The 15 percent excess output is causing conflicts with the mainboard.”

Ha-ryul manipulated the tablet to display a red graph on the large monitor.

Kang Hyeon stared at the peak of the sharply rising graph.

“We need hardware that can perfectly control ultra-high temperatures and output that exceeds limits.”

Kang Hyeon turned his gaze to look at Ha-ryul.

“Commercial aerospace market components won’t even come close. Search the military sector.”

“The military sector, you mean?”

“Intercontinental ballistic missiles supplied to the US Department of Defense or nuclear submarine reactor control boards.”

A clear target was presented.

“Military-grade modules that can withstand such extreme environments should be able to handle Astra’s output sufficiently. Deploy Nereid to find the company with the most suitable technology.”

“Understood. I’ll immediately screen data from US Pentagon supplier companies.”

Ha-ryul bowed and left the office.

Kang Hyeon quietly looked down at the Astra engine blueprints displayed on the monitor.

The door to space was already open.

If there’s a gatekeeper blocking the way, just crush them with money and pass through.

Three hours later.

Vast corporate data appeared on the office’s large hologram panel.

Ha-ryul pointed to one company’s logo with a laser pointer.

“This is Sentinel Dynamics, headquartered in Virginia, United States.”

As her finger moved, the company’s financial statements and major supply records unfolded.

“They have exclusive supply contracts for reactor control modules used in the US Navy’s Ohio-class nuclear submarines. Their heat control and output calibration technology is currently the most overwhelming level on Earth.”

“Does it meet our required specifications?”

“According to Nereid’s simulation results, combining Sentinel’s control board with the Astra engine can perfectly buffer the 15 percent excess output without error.”

Kang Hyeon nodded lightly.

The technical puzzle fit perfectly.

“The problem is this company’s ownership structure.”

Ha-ryul brought up the next page while slightly furrowing her brow.

“It’s a very closed, typical defense industry company. The founding family holds 40 percent of the shares, and the board consists entirely of conservative white members.”

“They naturally have no intention of selling.”

“Yes. They would be extremely reluctant to hand over military technology to Asian capital in particular. It would be difficult to even arrange a normal negotiation table.”

A closed board and arrogant founders.

For a typical company, this would be where they’d have to look for other alternatives.

Clink.

Kang Hyeon lifted his teacup and checked Sentinel Dynamics’ market capitalization on the screen.

Approximately 3 billion dollars. About 4 trillion won in Korean currency.

“Manager Ha-ryul.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“You said 60 percent are floating shares in the market?”

“That’s correct, but most are held by Wall Street institutional investors, making acquisition difficult. They also won’t want to give up Sentinel’s stable dividend returns.”

“If they don’t want to sell, just show them numbers that force them to sell.”

Kang Hyeon put down his teacup and spoke calmly.

“How much liquid cash can we pull from Nova Smart City and Yeongjong Island Theme Park currently?”

Ha-ryul immediately tapped her tablet.

“Combining Nova’s first quarter occupancy revenue and theme park merchandise sales, immediately available dollar cash amounts to approximately 15 billion dollars (about 20 trillion won).”

“That’s sufficient.”

Kang Hyeon closed the document folder and stood up.

“Skip negotiations. Give immediate instructions to the global investment team in New York.”

“Will you proceed with a hostile M&A?”

“That’s right.”

Kang Hyeon’s eyes sank calmly and coldly.

“Offer twice the current stock price of Sentinel Dynamics. If institutions still won’t sell, raise it to three times.”

“Three times the market price? That’s excessive bleeding that far exceeds the company’s value!”

“It’s not bleeding. We’re buying time to get to space.”

Kang Hyeon stared at the urban area outside the window as he drove the point home.

“Even if we have to devour that entire company whole, we just need to extract the control board technology. Use all 15 billion dollars in cash as ammunition if necessary, and secure 51 percent of the shares within a week.”

“…Understood. I’ll immediately place buy orders on Wall Street.”

It was a clear and ruthless instruction.

There was no time to waste persuading the board of directors.

He had pulled out the most certain and violent rule of capitalism.

New York, Wall Street, United States.

The massive financial heart where capital crosses paths endlessly.

Ring-! Ring-!

Sharp telephone rings poured down like rain in the trading room of major investment bank Goldman Sachs.

“What the hell is going on! Why is the Sentinel Dynamics order book like this!”

Senior trader James burst a blood vessel looking at his monitor.

The stock of the quiet defense company was fluctuating wildly from the moment the market opened.

“Someone is sweeping up all the shares at market price!”

An assistant shouted urgently.

“Buy orders with 100 percent premium over current price are pouring in! Every lot that comes out gets filled in less than a second!”

“Who is it. Which crazy institution is stupidly sweeping up defense stocks like this!”

“We’re checking… Account tracking results show it’s Asian capital routed through Hong Kong. Identified as KH Group’s investment subsidiary!”

“KH? Why are those monsters who build smart cities suddenly targeting a Virginia defense company…”

James couldn’t continue his words and stared blankly at the red numbers on the monitor.

Sentinel Dynamics’ stock price was shooting straight up.

“It’s, it’s soaring! Premium has broken through 150 percent!”

“Sell all our institution’s Sentinel shares! Right now!”

James screamed.

Things like company value or long-term dividends weren’t even on his mind.

With stock prices jumping two, three times right before their eyes, there wasn’t a single fool on Wall Street who would hold onto them.

“Sell orders placed! Execution… All shares executed completely!”

A massive capital bombardment that paralyzed rational judgment.

Faced with amounts exceeding three times the market price, even the principles of proud institutional investors were torn apart like paper.

Just one day.

Fifty percent of Sentinel Dynamics’ floating shares on Wall Street were sucked into KH Group’s accounts like a black hole.

Virginia, United States, Sentinel Dynamics Headquarters.

The air in the emergency board meeting was frozen solid with tension.

“What the hell is this!”

Sentinel’s gray-haired CEO William slammed the table.

In front of him lay equity disclosure documents just received by fax.

“In just 48 hours, 51 percent of our company’s shares went to a Korean company! Are you telling me those Wall Street institution bastards sold us out completely!”

Not one of the executives dared to speak carelessly.

Their pride as a defense company and closed management philosophy crumbled helplessly before the ruthless violence of money.

“Exercise defense rights immediately…”

“It’s too late, sir.”

The CFO presented a report with a devastated face.

“KH has already secured a majority stake. Notice came that they’ll convene an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting at 9 AM tomorrow and propose dismissal of the entire board.”

“Dis, dismissal?”

William’s body swayed.

“This wasn’t a simple investment. From the beginning, they poured this enormous cash with the intention of devouring us.”

He touched the KH Group logo printed on the documents with trembling hands.

Decades of corporate history had been devoured by capital in just two days.

Seoul KH Group Headquarters.

A red-tinted ownership structure chart of Sentinel Dynamics appeared on the large monitor.

“Acquisition complete.”

Ha-ryul reported in a calm voice.

“Total funds invested: 9 billion dollars. We secured 52.5 percent of Sentinel Dynamics shares and became the largest shareholder. Management acquisition is complete.”

Kang Hyeon indifferently checked the numbers on the monitor.

“Dismiss the entire existing board and dispatch our working-level staff to Virginia.”

“Understood.”

“And.”

Kang Hyeon slowly rose from his seat.

“Immediately transfer all nuclear reactor control board technology in Sentinel’s Level 1 security zone to Texas Astra Headquarters.”

The physical bottleneck that had blocked the path to space.

Kang Hyeon had completely smashed it not through engineers’ compromise, but through a capitalist’s method.

“Tell Michael Senior that we’ll resume integration testing with the new control boards starting tomorrow.”

“I’ll relay that immediately, Chairman.”

To others, it seemed like a crude method.

Since he bought at an even higher premium than normal price.

But this method was common in capitalist society.

Usually massive capital from the United States or China targets companies in smaller markets like South Korea, but this time it was the complete opposite.

KH, a Korean group, had bombarded American defense stocks.

‘If I can buy time with money, I can pour out as much as needed.’

It was Kang Hyeon’s bold choice to shorten the time toward space.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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