Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 276

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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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276. It seems you still can’t let go of your lingering attachments.

A few hours later.
Woo Ho-geun sat across from Kwon Seung-seop, the president of Donghae Mutual Credit Union, in a private room of a high-end Japanese restaurant located in downtown Seoul.
The table was laden with fresh sashimi and appetizing dishes, yet they remained largely untouched.
Kwon Seung-seop, summoned without warning or explanation, listened to Woo Ho-geun’s proposal and widened his eyes in startled surprise.

“So you’re asking me to issue an illegal loan?”

Unlike Kwon Seung-seop, who made no effort to hide his bewilderment, Woo Ho-geun calmly set down his glass and spoke.

“As you well know, President Kwon, we’re engaged in a fierce equity battle with Daheung Group, and we desperately need capital that’s difficult to secure through normal channels.”

Donghae Mutual Credit Union, as an affiliated company, had been pushing funds through collateral-backed loans from the beginning, so it understood the situation well.

“I’d love to help, but we already have 20 billion won in outstanding loans, and it’s simply impossible to extend more.”

Kwon Seung-seop’s expression grew troubled.

“That’s precisely why we’d use paper companies to circumvent the restrictions.”

Though he spoke of circumvention as casually as if it were nothing, using paper companies for round-trip loans was clearly illegal.

‘I had a bad feeling the moment he contacted me out of the blue.’

Kwon Seung-seop muttered inwardly, feeling as though he’d stepped in something foul.
But Woo Ho-geun was someone certain to inherit the group.
If he made a poor impression on such a person, he might not only lose his reappointment but could be forced to resign before his term even ended.
Having been summoned and heard the proposal, he couldn’t simply refuse without planning to leave the company, so Kwon Seung-seop carefully managed his expression and asked cautiously.

“How much are you looking for?”
“I’d like to secure as much capital as possible, but considering the credit union’s circumstances, I’d appreciate it if you could push through an additional 30 billion won.”
“Thirty… thirty billion won, you said?”

Kwon Seung-seop, who had been trying to figure out how to arrange 20 to 30 billion won, dropped his jaw at an amount far exceeding his expectations.
Yet Woo Ho-geun ignored Kwon Seung-seop’s shock and pressed forward.

“The situation is urgent, so I’d appreciate it if you could raise the funds as quickly as possible.”

From his words alone, it seemed Kwon Seung-seop had already accepted the demand.
Kwon Seung-seop wiped cold sweat from his forehead and spoke with an uncomfortable expression.

“It’s not a normal loan… It’s difficult to prepare such a large sum on short notice.”

At his indirect refusal, Woo Ho-geun’s expression hardened immediately.
Seeing that, Kwon Seung-seop felt panic rising and hastily changed his words.

“Instead, I think I could manage around 3 billion won, or perhaps 5 billion won.”

It was an enormous effort on his part, but Woo Ho-geun seemed far from satisfied, his expression darkening as he called out to him in a low, measured voice.

“President Kwon.”
“…Yes. What is it?”

Kwon Seung-seop instinctively shrank back at the fierce glint in his eyes.

“I’m not here to ask for a favor.”

As Woo Ho-geun stared directly at him with blatant pressure, Kwon Seung-seop could no longer hide his distress.
He looked like a rabbit cornered by a wolf.
Observing Kwon Seung-seop’s state, Woo Ho-geun continued with a forceful tone.

“I won’t belabor this. I’m giving you two weeks to execute a loan to the shell company I mentioned earlier.”
“But… if this becomes a problem, the situation could become serious. Did Chairman Woo authorize this?”

At that, Woo Ho-geun’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Surely you’re aware that my father entrusted me with full authority over this M&A?”

Woo Ho-geun deliberately showed displeasure and responded evasively.
In truth, he hadn’t yet discussed this with Chairman Woo Yong-gap, but there was no need to mention that.
If Chairman Woo Yong-gap discovered he was doing this without prior approval, he would be furious, but blinded by rage at being betrayed by Seok-won once again, Woo Ho-geun ignored the consequences and focused solely on winning at the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting and securing control of Midopa Department Store.

‘Even if it’s discovered later, I’ll be forgiven if the results are good.’

When I borrowed money from my Uncle last time, I handled it on my own without consulting Chairman Woo Yong-gap, yet wasn’t I praised for doing well?
Woo Ho-geun repeated this to himself, earnestly seeking to justify his actions.
Kwon Seung-seop, unaware of these circumstances, accepted it as something Chairman Woo Yong-gap had approved, leaving himself in an even more precarious position.
If he had no intention of resigning from the company, there was only one choice.
After wrestling with his thoughts, Kwon Seung-seop finally lifted his head, looked at Woo Ho-geun, and reluctantly opened his mouth.

“…I understand. I’ll do as you’ve said.”

At that, Woo Ho-geun’s rigid expression softened, and he personally poured liquor into Kwon Seung-seop’s empty glass.

“You’ve made the right decision. I won’t forget how actively you’ve helped me this time, and I’ll mention it to my father, so don’t worry.”
“…Thank you.”

Unable to refuse the glass being offered, Kwon Seung-seop answered weakly with a dark expression.
Beyond earning Chairman Woo Yong-gap’s favor, all he could hope for was that this matter wouldn’t become a problem.

And not long after.
After finishing their meal, Woo Ho-geun boarded the waiting sedan, seeing off Kwon Seung-seop.
Kwon Seung-seop watched Woo Ho-geun’s Mercedes disappear with a complicated expression, then turned and sat in the back seat of a domestic luxury sedan through the door his driver held open.
From the beginning, there was a gaze secretly observing both men.
In the driver’s seat of a silver vintage Sonata parked across the street, a man in a thin jacket captured every moment of Woo Ho-geun and Kwon Seung-seop’s parting through his camera lens.
He then lowered the telephoto lens camera from his eyes and smacked his lips.

“Tch. I thought I’d get a photo worth some money, but it looks like today’s a bust.”

After spending a considerable time in the car with a meager dinner of bread and milk, the photos he’d barely managed to capture didn’t seem worth much, and his expression turned disappointed.
The man set the camera on the passenger seat, quickly started the engine, and pursued Woo Ho-geun’s car that had departed ahead.

* * *

Several days later.
Seok-won, wearing a red Gucci necktie, stood before the floor-to-ceiling window on one side of the President’s Office, gazing out at the scenery while speaking with Woo Chun-il, Secretary-General of the New Era National Council.

[The Prosecution will launch a reinvestigation into the Boseong Communications stock manipulation case within this week.]

Seok-won smiled at the corners of his mouth at the news he’d been waiting for and responded.

“Thank you for taking care of this despite your busy schedule.”

Woo Chun-il, the Secretary-General, smiled pleasantly and spoke.

[Haha, not at all. By pressuring the Blue House and the Ruling Party over this matter, we’ve managed to use it as an opportunity to restore order to the party, which had been in disarray since our defeat in the general elections. If anything, I should be thanking you.]

Woo Chun-il lowered his voice slightly, his tone conveying genuine warmth and familiarity.

[And between us, there’s nothing we can’t do for each other at this level.]
“I’m simply grateful that you see it that way, sir.”

Seok-won answered humbly.
Despite his youth, he neither acted carelessly nor overstepped his bounds—a quality that made Woo Chun-il regard him even more favorably.

[Ah, and the Chairman wanted me to tell you that he received the melon gift you sent last time.]
“Though modest, I’m relieved it pleased him.”
[He asked me to reschedule that appointment we postponed before. When would be convenient for you?]

A spark of interest flickered in Seok-won’s eyes.
It was only natural—this was a rare opportunity to meet the man who would become the next president.

‘Moreover, when I consider that the so-called Big Deals between major conglomerates to resolve redundancy and overinvestment during the IMF crisis will be orchestrated by the Blue House, it becomes all the more crucial to cultivate a relationship with Chairman Kim Jae-chun.’

The Big Deals conducted at this time were not voluntary but rather semi-coercive measures imposed by the Blue House, inflicting tremendous damage and upheaval on the conglomerate groups.

‘Conversely, it’s an unprecedented opportunity to acquire premium businesses at bargain prices.’

For the groups suffering losses, there could be nothing more unjust or infuriating.
The TG Group, which had been forced to surrender its carefully nurtured semiconductor division entirely to Hyunwoo Electronics and shed tears of blood, never turned its gaze toward semiconductors again afterward.
Hyunwoo Electronics, which had acquired TG Electronics’ semiconductor division and expanded its scale, did not fare well either.
In the subsequent D-RAM chicken game that erupted, it could not withstand the mounting astronomical losses and ultimately went bankrupt.
Considering that it subsequently had to undergo court receivership for a long time, being forced to surrender the company might have actually been a blessing in disguise for the TG Group.

‘Of course, it later resurrects brilliantly as a golden goose, but that’s a story for much later.’

Clearing his thoughts, Seok-won adjusted the mobile phone in his hand and spoke.

“Just say the word, and I’ll keep my schedule clear.”
[Understood. I’ll speak with the Chairman and call you back.]
“Thank you.”
[I’d like to talk longer, but I need to get into the main meeting. I’ll be in touch.]
“Yes.”

After hanging up, Seok-won gazed out the window, recalling the conversation he’d just had with Woo Chun-il, the Secretary-General.

“President Kim Jae-chun… well, he’s still the Chairman for now. Anyway, just thinking about meeting him in person has me excited already.”

As I stroked my chin with one hand, contemplating how to win Kim Jae-chun’s favor and deepen our connection, the keyphone on my desk suddenly rang loudly.
Turning around and walking to the desk, I pressed a button and spoke.

“What is it?”
[It’s a call from Manager Choi Ho-geun.]

Na Seong-mi answered from the other end of the keyphone speaker.

“Put him through.”
[Yes.]

When the keyphone rang again shortly after, I pulled my chair forward and sat at the desk, picking up the receiver.

“It’s me.”
[I’m calling because I have something to report.]
“What is it?”
[As the afternoon session opened, massive buy orders suddenly flooded in. The Midopa stock price, which had been stagnant, broke through the 72,000 won level and is surging significantly.]

An instinctive sense of unease washed over me, and I furrowed my brow.

“How much buying volume are we talking about?”
[In just over an hour, there’s already been more than 200,000 shares.]

That volume suggested someone major was making a large-scale purchase.
I quickly moved the mouse and pulled up the Midopa Department Store stock chart on the monitor.
Sure enough, from the afternoon session onward, buy orders were pouring in, creating a large white candlestick as the stock price climbed steadily.

“Have you identified who’s buying?”
[We’re currently investigating, but it appears the Donghae Group, which had been quiet for several days, has started moving again.]

Seok-won shared the same sentiment.
I had thought that cutting off the Hong Kong funding would cause them to hesitate and lose momentum for a while, but the unexpected turn of events made me furrow my brow.
After quickly organizing my thoughts, I gripped the receiver firmly.

“Let’s respond quickly using the funds in the Ubo Foundation and textile accounts.”
[How much should we inject?]
“Start by pushing in one billion won, then buy more of the same amount depending on how things develop.”
[Understood.]

After giving the order, Manager Choi Ho-geun responded immediately.
Setting down the receiver, I clicked my tongue as I watched the Midopa stock price, which had already climbed to just below 73,000 won.

“They can’t seem to let go of their attachment to the end. But it’s nothing more than a final desperate struggle before death.”

My eyes had grown as cold and sharp as frost on a winter’s day.
Rather than feeling threatened by their actions, the game was already set—I only needed to sever the final thread of life. Their unnecessary spending was merely an annoyance.

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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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