After the Divorce, I Found a Thousand Bitcoins - Chapter 42
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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 042
Kang Myeong-gu, the CEO in South Korea, received a phone call.
“Yes, Director.”
It was a call from Kang Hyeon, who could be called his benefactor.
-CEO, would it be possible for our company to take on an Indian highway construction project if we were to receive the order?
“Indian highway construction…”
When he first said he was going to India, I thought he was going to win an apartment bid.
But suddenly highway construction.
Though he could have been flustered, CEO Kang Myeong-gu organized his thoughts and answered immediately.
“Could I contact you back in exactly one hour?”
-Yes, I’d appreciate that.
“I’ll do my best.”
After hanging up, CEO Kang Myeong-gu immediately contacted an old acquaintance.
“Seong-cheol? It’s me, Myeong-gu. Yeah! You’re doing well, right? It’s not about anything else, but what’s your team up to these days?”
CEO Kang Myeong-gu, who had cut his teeth on construction sites, mobilized all his connections.
* * *
Kang Hyeon received CEO Kang Myeong-gu’s call exactly one hour later.
-If we can just receive the order, we can hire personnel immediately on this end.
CEO Kang Myeong-gu was indeed reliable.
To have over a hundred personnel on standby in such a short time.
Of course, since it wasn’t formal employment, it wouldn’t be confirmed until contracts were signed.
Still, it felt like crossing one major hurdle.
“Thank you for your hard work. And I’ll be sending you a project. Please handle the related paperwork.”
-Understood. If you give instructions to Vice President Cha regarding that part, we’ll handle everything on our end.
Was this how reassured Liu Bei felt when he gained Zhuge Liang?
Recruiting CEO Kang Myeong-gu felt like a stroke of genius.
After hanging up, Kang Hyeon immediately had a meeting with Vice President Cha.
“CEO Kang Myeong-gu says he’s prepared personnel in South Korea.”
“As expected…!”
Vice President Cha nodded as if he had somewhat anticipated this.
Kang Myeong-gu’s influence on construction sites was certainly remarkable.
“Now what we need are the documents to submit when entering the bid.”
“The most crucial among these would be the construction plan. If we don’t properly resolve this, there’s a high possibility that the Indian Government, as the contracting authority, won’t grant approval.”
“Please provide the plan from KH Construction. I’ll proceed with meetings with the Indian Government.”
“Understood. Then I’ll prepare to explain our construction capabilities during the bidding.”
“Yes, please do.”
They began preparing in earnest to persuade the Indian Government.
* * *
The second meeting with Menon.
In this meeting, Vice President Cha took the lead.
“Our KH Construction has been conducting various construction projects since our predecessor JS Construction, and we have extensive experience in road construction as well as apartments.”
This was a fact Kang Hyeon hadn’t known.
He had mostly checked only money-related data from the JS Construction era, so he didn’t know the details about their track record.
But befitting a mid-sized construction company, JS Construction had undertaken various construction projects.
Particularly in the 1980s, they had participated extensively in infrastructure construction.
Since data from that time remained, it was sufficient to persuade the Indian Government.
‘They were going to literally disintegrate such an excellent company?’
He realized anew how foolish the former CEO’s actions had been.
Meanwhile, Vice Minister Menon smiled with satisfaction.
“Haha! KH Construction is much more excellent than we thought.”
The reaction to the presentation wasn’t bad.
However, he expressed one concern.
“But you do know that this project’s construction cost is 900 million dollars, right?”
His tone carried doubt about whether they could handle this amount of money.
“According to what we’ve confirmed, KH Construction’s capital strength is around 500 billion won, and most of that is tied up in real estate.”
Befitting a vice minister, he had already gathered information about KH Construction.
“We have doubts about whether you can handle this construction cost.”
His doubt was natural.
Money was the most important thing in construction, after all.
Vice President Cha, who had been conducting the presentation, stopped speaking and looked at Kang Hyeon.
Realizing it was time for him to step forward, Kang Hyeon smiled and came forward.
“This is a document stating that KH Recovery will take full responsibility for all funding.”
The document was perfect.
No gaps could be found, and the amount was sufficient.
“This should be enough. I’ll report this to the Minister.”
“Please do.”
Everything proceeded smoothly.
* * *
A problem arose.
“What? A sole bid is impossible?”
At the third meeting arranged at Menon’s request, he heard an unexpected answer.
“Yes, those above are expressing concerns about KH Construction bidding alone. They worry the construction might not proceed properly.”
“Regarding that part, KH Recovery guarantees the deposit…”
“We know. This is more about concerns over time-related losses rather than monetary aspects. So we want you to form a partnership with an Indian construction company and create a JV.”
JV means a joint venture.
Though it was a commonly used method when constructing abroad, Kang Hyeon had other intentions for this construction project.
‘If we create a joint venture, there’s a high possibility of disruptions to the plan.’
However, he couldn’t simply ignore the Indian Government’s request.
“Could we discuss that part and get back to you?”
“Yes, please do. And we’ve selected several companies suitable as JV partners on our end, so please refer to them.”
“Thank you.”
He took the documents Menon handed over, left the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and returned to the accommodation.
Then he immediately entered a meeting with Vice President Cha and Choi Byeon.
“Creating a JV would be better. That way our responsiveness locally will improve.”
Vice President Cha was positive.
When conducting large-scale construction abroad, establishing a JV was natural.
Choi Byeon had a similar opinion.
“If we select a partner and establish a JV, it’ll be easier to pass through Indian domestic law. And local response will be faster too.”
Looking at just the construction, there was no reason to refuse.
Above all, it was a request from the Indian Government.
Refusing this could overturn the entire construction project.
‘Since that place is also included in the construction line, there should be a way somehow.’
It would be sufficient if construction continued to that hill he had discovered.
“The important thing is the partner company. Among the construction companies proposed by the Indian Government, the best one is here.”
Choi Byeon selected one construction company from the documents and presented it.
[Barma Infrastructure]
[Revenue: Annual 4.5-5.5 billion dollars]
[Market Cap: Approximately 8 billion dollars]
[Employees: Approximately 32,000]
[Major Projects]
[1. Delhi-Jaipur Industrial Logistics Highway Construction]
[2. Paradip Port Hinterland Industrial Complex Development]
[3. Central India Coal-Power Linked High-Speed Arterial Road]
All the representative projects were substantial ones.
They had won contracts for projects with budgets exceeding 1 billion dollars each.
And these construction projects played a major role in greatly expanding Barma Infrastructure.
A company that appeared to have no problems on the surface.
However.
‘Of all companies, why this one?’
In Kang Hyeon’s eyes, the documents containing Barma Infrastructure’s information were glowing blue.
Just to be sure, he entered the Indian stock market and searched for Barma Infrastructure to check its chart.
‘As expected….’
Barma Infrastructure glowing blue.
This company was destined to experience a downward trend.
* * *
After that, Kang Hyeon’s group continued their meeting with Menon.
They tried several times to change to a different company, but the company they wanted was already decided.
“The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs wants Barma Infrastructure.”
“Even looking at the companies they’re proposing, Barma is the most solid. Above all, the projects they’ve previously undertaken are excellent. Honestly, I don’t understand why you want a different company, Director.”
Vice President Cha was opposing Kang Hyeon’s opinion.
Kang Hyeon shared his opinion to persuade Vice President Cha.
“I may not know much about the construction industry, but I’m quite confident about charts. Barma Infrastructure’s revenue is growing every year, but its stock price hasn’t risen accordingly. Moreover, looking at overseas reports, there are many questions about Barma’s internal situation.”
Kang Hyeon didn’t rely solely on the light.
When he discovered light, he moved to understand what state that company was in.
This time was no different.
As soon as he discovered the light, he instructed KH Capital employees in Korea to investigate Barma.
Information came quickly, and he learned that Barma’s external evaluation was not good.
Even with this explanation, Vice President Cha still tilted his head in confusion.
“Even if the external evaluation is like that, isn’t Barma the company the Indian government wants? Unless we change this, there’s no other way.”
It was a fundamental argument.
For Vice President Cha, who worked in the field, Barma was a decent choice as a strategic partner.
Their construction experience in India was at a level that overwhelmed other companies.
Moreover, the Indian government was backing them.
This meant one thing.
When he wasn’t specifically mentioning that part, Choi Byeon spoke up.
“Lobbying probably took place.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes. The scale of this construction project exceeds 900 million dollars. Given the scale of this construction and India’s characteristics, the possibility that no lobbying occurred is low.”
“At this point, there’s no possibility we could win the bid alone.”
“If we could meet the Prime Minister again and ask for a favor, the story would be different, but….”
Unfortunately, that was impossible.
What Prime Minister Lao Xing had for him was just goodwill.
What he had granted with that goodwill was priority for the construction project.
Failing to secure this and going to Prime Minister Lao Xing to ask for another favor would be like openly admitting incompetence.
“Realistically, let’s go with choosing Barma as a partner and establishing a JV.”
Realistic.
That was correct.
But it felt unsettling.
‘Do we really have to cooperate with Barma, which is on a downward trend?’
The light that had led him to this position was telling him.
Barma was dangerous.
Why should he board a stock that was on a downward trend?
‘There’s no need to take such risks.’
He had no desire to board a sinking ship together.
What he needed to do now was find out why that ship was sinking.
“I’ll meet with Barma Chairman.”
To do that, he needed to meet the ship’s captain.
* * *
Rajendra Varma, chairman of Barma Infrastructure, was traveling somewhere in his Maybach.
“Do I really have to go to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs myself?”
“The Minister personally requested it….”
“Tsk! That man has gotten too big for his boots. How dare he order me around.”
“Haha….”
He was displeased.
How dare someone he had put in the minister’s position with his own money order him around.
But right now, he had no choice.
‘I’ll have to humor him until I replace him. I’ll need to put a proper leash on the next guy.’
He realized this time that putting on a sloppy leash made them bark at their owner.
So this time, he needed to make it so they couldn’t even bark.
‘Well, that’s for later. Today, let me grill that guy first.’
Today’s opponent was just some guy from Korea.
According to the information he received in advance, he was just a 34-year-old kid. Grilling such a guy would be nothing.
Soon the car arrived at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
After completing simple procedures, he was guided to the meeting room by Menon Vice Minister who came out to greet him.
“The other party?”
“Yes, they arrived early and are waiting.”
“Of course they should.”
Although Menon was a high-ranking public official, he couldn’t move a muscle in front of Barma Chairman.
To anyone watching, it looked as if Barma was a minister or something.
This meant that Barma Chairman’s position was quite significant even within the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
When they arrived at the meeting room, the vice minister opened the door and entered.
‘Hah.’
Three Asian men waiting inside.
They all looked similar so he couldn’t tell who was who, but he approached the man who seemed to match the age in the profile and extended his hand.
“Rajendra Varma of Barma Infrastructure.”
The man looking at his confidently extended hand showed a bewildered expression.
Then the younger Asian man standing beside him spoke up.
“I’m Kang Hyeon Choi, CEO of KH Recovery and outside director of KH Construction.”
Barma Chairman realized he had guessed wrong, but looked at the man who identified himself as Kang Hyeon Choi and twitched his eyebrows.
‘What? He’s this young? The profile clearly said he was 34 years old. Just looking at him, he looks like he’s in his twenties.’
Moreover, the aura emanating from his opponent was pathetic.
How could a CEO who came all the way to a foreign country for a project worth hundreds of millions of dollars look like this.
‘This will be easy to devour.’
As his dark intentions grew stronger, Kang Hyeon was also solidifying one thought as he looked at Barma Chairman.
‘This person… black light is emanating from him.’
Until now, black light had never emanated from a person.
Since black light itself had only appeared when indicating the AI bubble, there was little data.
But one thing was certain.
‘The black light emanating from this man is spreading throughout the entire Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs building.’
The light that seeped into the floor spread out like a net and scattered in all directions.
He didn’t know who they were connected to, but this meant one thing.
‘The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs itself will collapse along with this man.’
Barma Chairman, the source of the black light.
His conviction that there was no reason to join hands with him solidified.
* * *
When both sides gathered, Menon proceeded with the meeting.
“Well then, today we’ll discuss establishing a joint venture for the highway corridor construction.”
“Our demands are simple. The JV’s main entity will naturally be our Barma Infrastructure, and we require a 70 percent stake.”
A 70 percent stake.
This essentially meant they would handle the joint venture as they pleased.
“And we’ll take charge of on-site command. Since this is construction in India, naturally our Barma Infra…”
It was during Barma Chairman’s passionate speech.
“Wait a moment.”
A quiet but powerful voice cut off Barma’s words. It was Kang Hyeon.
He quietly placed the proposal Barma Chairman had presented on the table and spoke.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I don’t understand the conditions.”
“…What do you mean?”
“70 percent stake and on-site command authority. The Barma Group is taking quite a lot.”
Kang Hyeon placed his clasped hands on the table and stared directly at Barma.
“Then what will the Barma Group be putting on the table?”
“Wh-what do you mean? Our local infrastructure and know-how, and…!”
“Not those intangible values.”
Kang Hyeon’s tone was dry.
Like an accountant tapping a calculator, his speech was devoid of emotion.
“Capital. Money, I mean.”
“…”
“No matter how I look at the proposal, there’s no breakdown of funds that the Barma Group would provide. You’re not planning to just lend your name and act like the owner, are you?”
Barma Chairman’s face flushed red at being hit right on target.
“Look here! Mister Choi! Do you know how much this construction costs? 900 million dollars! It’s not an amount a startup like yours can handle!”
“Money.”
Kang Hyeon let out a brief, scoffing laugh.
“That’s the easiest problem.”
“What?”
Kang Hyeon withdrew his gaze from Barma Chairman and looked at Menon Vice Minister sitting beside him.
“Vice Minister. What the Indian Government is ultimately concerned about is ‘completion feasibility,’ isn’t it? You’re worried about the situation where construction stops due to dried-up funds.”
“Y-yes. A single bid does carry risks…”
“I’ll eliminate that risk for you.”
When Kang Hyeon looked at Choi Byeon, a pre-prepared tablet PC was passed to Menon Vice Minister.
“This is KH Recovery’s proof of funds.”
“This is…?”
“900 million dollars for construction costs. I’ll deposit the full amount in cash. If necessary, I’ll transfer it to the Indian State Bank tomorrow.”
When the words were conveyed through interpretation, only silence filled the meeting room.
Menon Vice Minister’s hands trembled as he flipped through the documents, and Barma Chairman stared blankly at Kang Hyeon with his mouth agape.
900 million dollars. 1.2 trillion won in Korean currency. That astronomical amount in ‘cash,’ not loans or financing?
“…Mister Choi. Are you serious right now?”
“Would I come all this way to joke around?”
Kang Hyeon leisurely picked up his teacup and moistened his lips. Then he showed a cold smile toward the frozen Barma Chairman.
“As you said, Chairman, 900 million dollars is big money. But it’s not money I’m desperate enough to need a partner for.”
In Kang Hyeon’s eyes, he could see the black light wrapped around Barma Chairman. A rotten rope.
“I’ll provide the money. I’ll do the construction. So where is there room for the Barma Group?”
Silence flowed through the meeting room.
No one could refute his words.
“I think the meeting ends here. I’ll take my leave first.”
There was no one to stop Kang Hyeon.
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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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