Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 192

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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192. I wish he’d fight to the bitter end so that no one would ever dare to challenge him again.

As the rain that had been falling since dawn grew heavier, Seok-won drove his beloved BMW 540i toward Yeouido, where his company was located.
With the morning commute already congested and rain adding to the chaos, cars crawled along the gridlocked roads like tortoises.
Sitting in the driver’s seat and listening to a soft ballad, Seok-won tapped the steering wheel and muttered to himself as traffic came to a near standstill.

“The rain makes it even worse, doesn’t it?”

He glanced at the dashboard clock, then reached over with one arm to turn off the music and switch on the radio.

[We now bring you the following news.
The Prosecution’s investigation into former President Noh Ki-hoon’s slush funds worth 400 billion won is intensifying, and the fallout is spreading rapidly.
Meanwhile, the stock market reacted sensitively yesterday, dropping more than 20 points at one point.
In particular, Woo Young Bank, where a slush fund account worth 300 billion won was discovered, along with the Donghae Group and ST Group, which are in-laws of the former president, have shown sharp declines every day since the slush funds were first exposed on the 19th.
Donghae Oil plummeted to the daily lower limit in yesterday’s market, and ST Group stocks also fell across four subsidiaries and nine listed companies simultaneously.
Securities officials stated that the government and Prosecution plan to conduct special tax audits and fund-tracing investigations into companies and corporations that illegally transferred funds during the former president’s tenure, and rumors are circulating that most of those who handed over the slush funds were tycoons in their thirties, which is significantly dampening market sentiment.
Meanwhile….]

As the composite stock index recovered to four digits as reported in the news, the stock market, which had been burning with pink-hued hope, collapsed helplessly the moment the slush fund scandal involving former President Noh Ki-hoon was exposed.

“It’s not just one or two group chairmen being summoned—they’re lining up for the Prosecution’s photo line. If the market were fine, that would be the real anomaly.”

On top of that, concerns about current account deficits due to the weak won and oversupply in semiconductors were pushing the index even lower.

“With the slush fund investigation, not just banks but even the Myeongdong private lending market will freeze up for a while. The stock market will have no choice but to contract further.”

It was a situation where the entire economy could collapse if things went wrong because of the slush fund scandal.

“Thinking about it this way, releasing the related tycoons on non-indictment or suspended sentences and wrapping up the slush fund case quietly might have been an unavoidable choice.”

Of course, not only that, but since major politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties, including those at the Blue House, were all directly or indirectly entangled in this slush fund scandal, there was definitely a tacit agreement to settle matters at an appropriate level.

“Even Kim Jae-chun, the chairman of the New Era National Council who ran as the opposition candidate in the last presidential election, received 2 billion won as consolation money after losing, so there’s nothing more to say.”

Because of this, the New Era National Council, which had been fiercely attacking the Blue House and the ruling party, found itself in a considerably awkward position.

“This isn’t a scandal that will die down easily. At least for the rest of this year, we’ll be dealing with this kind of political turmoil.”

In the meantime, the stock market would inevitably struggle and decline, showing weakness across the board.
In such circumstances, domestic securities companies that relied almost entirely on trading commissions for their profits faced a catastrophic headwind.
Daehung Securities was no exception—President Go Young-il had even presided over an emergency response meeting yesterday.
But since this wasn’t the kind of situation that could be resolved through meetings alone, I accepted the circumstances with calm resignation.

“It’s a bleak situation, but if used wisely, it could be an excellent opportunity.”

When my phone rang, I picked it up from the seat beside me and answered.

[Boss, it’s me.]
“Hold on a moment.”

I found my earbuds, connected them to my phone, and inserted them into my ears.

“Go ahead now.”
[It seems you were in the middle of something?]
“I’m driving. Traffic’s so bad I’m practically standing still, so go ahead.”
[Yes, understood. I’m calling to inform you that we’ve completed the establishment of the investment company in Hong Kong as you instructed.]

Upon hearing this, a smile crossed my lips.

“Good work. When can we start investing?”
[We still need to complete the registration process with Korean financial authorities, so not immediately, but it should all be wrapped up in about a week.]

I estimated the timeline and spoke.

“Once everything’s ready, quietly accumulate shares in a domestic company.”
[Which company should we target?]
“Donghae Oil—a food company with annual sales of approximately 290 billion won.”
[290 billion won? Isn’t that a bit small for us to get involved with?]

Landon Shore’s voice carried unmistakable bewilderment.
It made sense—for someone like me who typically orchestrated deals worth tens of billions to hundreds of millions of dollars, this acquisition seemed remarkably modest.
Landon Shore asked, carefully concealing his disappointment.

[Does it have the kind of stock price potential that could skyrocket like Cisco, something others don’t know about yet?]
“It’s a company with good cash liquidity since it monopolizes over half of Korea’s edible oil market, but I don’t expect significant growth potential.”
[Then I’m not sure why you’re interested in a company that doesn’t seem particularly attractive.]

With an earpiece in place, Seok-won flashed a slight smile, revealing his white teeth.

“You could call it a Trojan Horse strategy. I’m preparing a card that lets me seize the opponent’s throat whenever necessary, just in case.”

Donghae Oil, as its name suggested, had grown from edible oil production and sales into a comprehensive food company, and it was also the parent company of the Donghae Group led by Chairman Woo Yong-gap.

“The timing is perfect for a low-price acquisition since the stock price has plummeted well below its fair value due to a scandal involving a former president.”

I couldn’t fathom what he was thinking, but since it was Seok-won’s doing, I assumed he had some plan in mind.

[How much of the stake should we acquire?]
“Foreign investment is capped at 15%, so we’ll secure as much of the stake as possible within that limit.”
[Are you perhaps… trying to gain management control?]

Landon Shore asked carefully.

“Not immediately, but depending on circumstances, we could do that.”
[I see. Understood.]
“There’s no need to rush the acquisition. Control the stock price appropriately and take a long timeline until the first half of next year, accumulating shares as quietly as possible.”
[Even if we move carefully, once we acquire a certain stake, the other side will inevitably notice. Wouldn’t it be better to create one or two more shell companies and split the stake purchases among them?]

Seok-won nodded slightly.

“That’s not a bad idea. Let’s do it that way.”
[Then I’ll proceed as instructed and provide an interim report again.]
“Yes.”

After ending the call, Seok-won removed the earpiece and set it down.
As rain streamed down with a soft pattering sound, Seok-won’s eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity.

“There’s no rule saying I can only stand and defend against an attack.”

Even if I managed to thwart the Donghae Group’s hostile M&A attempt, the defensive process would inevitably result in significant losses.
In fact, in the history before my regression, even with the help of the Federation of Korean Industries, the Daeheung Group barely managed to protect Midopa Department Store, but the entire group staggered from the severe aftermath.

‘And then, right after that, the IMF crisis hit us like a direct blow, and the entire group fell apart.’

I had barely managed to secure management rights, yet within just one year, the group collapsed into bankruptcy and dissolved entirely—a hollow victory scarred by defeat.
Of course, this time Seok-won would join the fight, so unlike before my return, Daeheung Group wouldn’t be driven to the brink of the cliff.
But even so, as the battle escalated to its limits, I couldn’t avoid taking damage, and there was a real risk that weathering the impending IMF crisis would become unbearably difficult.
So after much deliberation, I devised a strategy: the moment Donghae Group revealed its greed for Midopa Department Store and attempted a hostile M&A, I would strike back with equal force.

“If you covet someone else’s house and break in, only to get robbed blind in return, there’s nothing more pathetic than that.”

Even if Seok-won’s presence twisted the flow and Donghae Group either didn’t attempt the hostile M&A or, facing strong resistance, halfheartedly probed a few times before giving up—unlike the original timeline—that would be fine too.
In that case, I could simply sell the Donghae Oil shares I’d picked up cheaply at a tidy profit with no losses.

“Ideally, I’d want Donghae Group to keep coming at us until no one ever dares to covet Midopa Department Store again.”

Seok-won muttered coldly.
As the traffic jam ahead finally cleared and the cars began moving forward, Seok-won lifted his foot from the brake and eased the vehicle into motion.

* * *

Choi Bo-kyung, the wife of Park Jin-hyung, president of Daeheung Textiles, stepped into a famous hair salon in Myeongdong that was a favorite haunt of celebrities.

“Welcome!”

The Female Secretary standing at the entrance recognized her immediately and greeted her with a bright smile.

“Is the director inside?”
“Yes. She’s at her station, and I’ll call her right away for you.”

Choi Bo-kyung nodded, and a staff member promptly emerged from the back to show her to her seat.
Whenever she came here, the window-side seat was practically reserved for her, and this time was no exception.
As she gazed at the large mirror across from her and gently arranged her hair, the Hair Salon Director, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, approached with a smile.

“Bo-kyung, you’re here?”
“Hello.”

They had been close since Choi Bo-kyung’s days as a film actress, so she returned the greeting with genuine warmth.

“I heard about you, Director. They say you’ve been quite busy preparing for the Miss Korea pageant?”
“Oh my! The news has already spread that far.”
“You know how fast gossip travels in this industry. Congratulations on your appointment as a judge.”
“Thank you. There’s really no one quite like Bo-kyung.”

The Hair Salon Director ran her fingers through Choi Bo-kyung’s hair, assessing its condition.

“We’re just doing a light trim today, right?”
“My hair feels a bit dry, so while you’re at it, could you do a deep conditioning treatment? You mentioned you brought back some excellent hair care products from America last time.”
“Of course, dear.”

The director turned to address the staff member waiting nearby.

“Could you prepare the shampoo station?”
“Yes, Director.”

Shortly after, Choi Bo-kyung returned to her seat following the staff member, her hair freshly washed.
The director examined her hair carefully, then opened a nourishing ampoule and meticulously applied it with a comb throughout her locks.
Normally she would delegate half the work to her staff, but since her client was the VIP Choi Bo-kyung, she handled everything herself.

“Just sit still for thirty minutes like this.”

After the director placed a transparent hair cap on her head and stepped away, the staff member quickly presented a beverage menu.

“Would you like something to drink while you wait?”
“Then I’ll have an iced coffee, please.”
“I’ll have it ready for you right away.”

Shortly thereafter, the Female Secretary brought an iced coffee along with a magazine.
Knowing her preference for foreign fashion magazines, the staff had brought the English edition of American Vogue.
Sipping her iced coffee while flipping through the pages, Choi Bo-kyung’s eyes widened as she came across a feature article about Gucci’s recently successful fashion show.

“What?”

On the page where her gaze had stopped, there was a large photograph of Seok-won and Kinsley together in Florence.
As if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, Choi Bo-kyung blinked for a moment before studying the male model’s face carefully.
No matter how many times she looked, it was unmistakably a familiar face.

“Why is the young master appearing here?”

Did you perhaps resign without telling me?
Choi Bo-kyung pondered seriously whether she should inform her mother-in-law of this fact.

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