After the Divorce, I Found a Thousand Bitcoins - Chapter 57
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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 057
A super cycle meant a period when a specific industry rises steadily over the long term.
Semiconductors were a representative super cycle sector.
Semiconductors used in smartphones later continued their cycle when used in electric vehicles, and now with AI exploding, prices have skyrocketed.
The stock prices of related companies were the same.
If you properly ride such a super cycle, profits rise dramatically.
‘The red light appearing in nickel means it will rise in the future.’
Before meeting Prime Minister Lao Xing.
Kang Hyeon gathered various information to determine what conditions he should propose.
One of them was nickel’s chart.
And Kang Hyeon was able to discover the red light that only he could see in nickel.
‘Nickel’s price was stable. Although demand increased, supply increased accordingly.’
Looking at nickel’s market supply, it was slightly more than demand.
Of course, for the higher grade Class 1, supply was insufficient, but not in other areas.
As a result, prices on the LME had been stable for several years.
‘That level of red light appearing in such stable nickel means a sharp rise. This can be predicted in two ways. One is the possibility of war.’
Nickel prices had recently soared after the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out.
The war between the two countries became the catalyst for nickel prices to skyrocket.
If nickel prices rise again, it would mean another war as important as the war between those two countries would break out in the world.
‘If not that, then nickel would be importantly used in current businesses. For example, Nathan’s immersion cooling.’
Kang Hyeon knew that Nathan’s immersion cooling would succeed.
That’s why he acquired the company called Nereid.
And Nathan had said that nickel would be used when immersion cooling was commercialized.
Considering this far, nickel demand was likely to rise in the future.
‘I can’t control war and don’t know when it will happen. But immersion cooling is different. Calculating the timing of that new technology’s introduction and nickel mining, coupling it to nickel’s current price is the right choice.’
Originally, royalties paid to the Indian government are synchronized with quarterly LME prices.
If a super cycle begins, naturally royalties would also rise.
‘Nickel prices have been stable for 3 years. Moreover, the current price is at a high point in that stable period. If I appeal this…’
The information gap between the opponent and himself.
He planned to use that.
* * *
Prime Minister Lao Xing called in an expert.
The expert he called was CEO Lai of Invest India.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes, Prime Minister.”
“The reason I called you is…”
After hearing all of Prime Minister Lao Xing’s explanation, Lai carefully brought up the topic.
“It seems like reasonable conditions. Nickel is a mineral with constant supply and demand, so price fluctuations aren’t large. Considering price changes over the past 3 years, the current point can be seen as the price being at its peak.”
“Is there no possibility of prices rising further?”
“If additional nickel is produced from the nickel mine discovered in our India, supply would rather increase, potentially causing price declines. However, if variables like war occur, it would be a factor for price increases, but that influence wouldn’t last long, within a year.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“Yes. Even in the Russia-Ukraine war, nickel prices rose for about a year before finding stability again.”
“Even if war breaks out, it would follow a similar pattern?”
“Yes. Since mining rights are long-term contracts, averaging it out, freezing at current prices also seems like a good choice.”
If India’s top investment expert said so, it would certainly be a good choice.
“Moreover, considering the infrastructure they’re providing, even if nickel rises 1.5 times from the current price, it would still be profitable.”
That nickel’s cycle was over was the common opinion of experts.
Because all technologies to be invented had already been invented, and places where consumed nickel would be used were limited.
In other words, an assessment that prices wouldn’t rise significantly.
Prime Minister Lao Xing nodded after hearing CEO Lai’s evaluation.
“We should consider it positively.”
It was the moment Prime Minister Lao Xing bit the hook that Kang Hyeon had cast, not knowing it was bait.
* * *
Rohan Desai, CEO of Shakti Buildcon, was flustered.
“The Prime Minister wants to give mining rights to KH Consortium?”
“That’s right. This is really…”
The person he was talking to was Vikram Thakur from Chhattisgarh State Government.
He was evaluated as a legislator who served three terms in Chhattisgarh and had good relations with the federal government.
“Is this accurate information?”
“Word is that the federal government is internally proceeding with KH Consortium as the predetermined candidate.”
“Isn’t the auction still in progress?”
“That’s just for show. What matters is the federal government’s will!”
“Sigh…”
He knew it.
That even in auctions, there were ultimately predetermined candidates.
He had lobbied for that himself, so he had nothing to say.
“Isn’t there any way?”
“If you can fulfill just 2 of the conditions they proposed, I can solve the rest.”
“2 conditions…?”
“Building a data center or battery factory, and a highway.”
He felt like punching the legislator’s face as he spoke so casually.
Even doing just one of those would shake the company’s foundation, and he’s asking for 2?
No, more than that.
‘What are those guys that they’re doing all 3?’
He was being outmatched by money power.
* * *
Kang Hyeon received a phone call from Prime Minister Lao Xing.
-I’ll accept your conditions.
“Thank you.”
A phone call saying he would accept the conditions.
Kang Hyeon lightly clenched his fist after receiving that call.
‘Done.’
Choi Byeon, who was watching Kang Hyeon, asked.
“Did Prime Minister Lao Xing accept?”
“Yes. He accepted our conditions. The mining rights will likely come to our consortium.”
“As expected… But will it be okay? If we fulfill all three conditions, profits will decrease accordingly.”
Choi Byeon was worried.
The three infrastructures promised to provide to India.
Highway, battery factory, DC.
Building all of them would cost astronomical amounts.
Although there would be support from the Indian government, making substantial upfront investments remained unchanged.
“If the amount of Class 1 grade nickel is less than expected, it could be problematic.”
The reason for making such investments was the judgment that there would be a lot of Class 1 grade nickel in the nickel mine.
However, for Class 1 grade nickel, you could only know how much was stored by actually mining.
In other words, less than expected could come out. Or more could come out.
However, Kang Hyeon wasn’t worried.
“It’s fine. Not only Class 1 grade nickel, but nickel demand is expected to explode in the future.”
The ability to see light, the practicality of immersion cooling that Nathan was researching, and even the nickel demand that would go into it.
Considering everything, nickel prices had no choice but to soar in the future.
On the other hand, since royalties were fixed at current prices, Kang Hyeon calculated that KH Consortium wouldn’t lose out.
“If the CEO says so, then it must be so.”
Choi Byeon also nodded his head soon after.
While watching this deal, Choi Byeon also realized that there was something special about Kang Hyeon.
That’s why he wasn’t too worried.
‘Now, let’s finish this deal.’
It was time to get his hands on the Indian nickel mine.
* * *
KH Consortium.
Centered around KH Recovery, along with KH Construction, SS Battery, SS Minerals, and even India’s Barma Group.
It was a global consortium of five companies in total.
And the representatives of all the companies in this consortium had gathered at the auction house.
“That’s them.”
“KH Consortium…”
“Isn’t it essentially a Korean alliance except for the Barma Group?”
“SS Group getting involved was also unexpected.”
The Indian business leaders gathered at the auction house cast wary glances at them.
India had been pursuing protectionist policies all along.
They gave more benefits to domestic companies, providing clear advantages.
But KH Consortium was different.
The conditions they presented were so good that no Indian company could match them.
They even pushed out Shakti Buildcon, which could be considered a major corporation.
Business leaders who heard this news came to the venue in person even though they had nothing to do with this auction.
Journalists were the same.
Click!
Click!
They captured the representatives of KH Consortium with their cameras, photographing the historic scene that would unfold today.
Then a man walked toward them.
“It’s Rohan Desai.”
“Why is Shakti Buildcon’s CEO going over there?”
The CEO of Shakti Buildcon, who was essentially the only rival for this nickel mine, walked toward them.
And he stopped in front of the consortium representatives.
Though there was no particular action, it was enough to make the observers tense.
Then Rohan Desai opened his mouth.
“I’m Rohan Desai from Shakti Buildcon.”
“I’m Choi Kang-hyeon, serving as the representative of KH Consortium.”
Kang Hyeon introduced himself as the representative.
At those words, a strange light flickered in Rohan Desai’s eyes.
‘Not SS Battery’s CEO Lee Tae-sik, but this young Asian man is the consortium’s representative?’
Since SS Group’s SS Battery was in the consortium, he naturally thought CEO Lee Tae-sik would be the consortium’s representative.
But a man named Choi Kang-hyeon was the representative here.
However, that wasn’t what was important.
“I wanted to meet you in person. The owners of the place that beat our Shakti Buildcon and took the nickel mine.”
“It’s not confirmed yet.”
“Haha, are you hiding your cards even when we’re alone together? Well, let’s say that’s the case. Although we were pushed back this time, we won’t back down like this next time.”
He really wanted to say this.
As if filled with spite, he left those words and turned around.
Watching Rohan Desai walking away, Kang Hyeon turned his head to look at his consortium colleagues.
“Let’s go to our seats.”
* * *
The auction began.
The list had already been submitted by all bidders.
In fact, all the bidders knew.
They knew that the auction was just for show and that the winner had already been decided.
And word had already spread about what conditions that predetermined winner had offered.
“I will now announce the results for the Chhattisgarh Nickel Mine mining rights.”
Everyone’s attention focused on the auctioneer.
Although it was already a decided fact, since changes could happen at the last moment, Rohan Desai offered a prayer.
‘Please…!’
As his earnest hope that his prayer would reach the Hindu gods echoed through the auction house.
The auctioneer took out documents from an envelope and announced the final result.
“The Chhattisgarh Nickel Mine mining rights go to KH Consortium.”
“We did it!!”
“Ahhh!! We made it!!”
“Congratulations, CEO!!”
KH Consortium officials all cheered in unison while Rohan hung his head.
SS Battery’s CEO Lee Tae-sik shook hands with company officials, sharing their joy, then looked at Kang Hyeon and extended his hand.
“CEO Choi, please take care of us going forward!”
“I should be the one asking you to take care of us.”
Squeeze!!
The image of the two CEOs firmly grasping hands was captured on camera, bringing the competition for the nickel mine mining rights to a close.
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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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