Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 60

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

60. If they become an obstacle, then I’ll have to clean them up neatly.

Under Drew Evans’ piercing gaze, I responded with unhurried composure.

“Intent? Does an investor need any special reason to purchase shares in a promising company?”
“Is that truly all there is?”

Seeing the distrust in his eyes, I shrugged and met his gaze directly, turning the question back on him.

“What else could there possibly be?”
“….”
“I’d rather ask you what you’re so suspicious about.”

Drew Evans paused for a moment, then his expression hardened as he spoke.

“After learning about the share acquisition, I looked into the Eldorado Fund.”
“And?”
“Despite being newly established, the results you’ve shown are quite remarkable. Particularly impressive was how you somehow acquired a large volume of NCR shares before the merger and acquisition announcement was made, turning a substantial profit.”

Leaning back against the sofa, I listened quietly to what he had to say.

“Don’t you find it contradictory that a hedge fund focused on short-term returns would invest based on future potential?”

As if challenging me to respond, I answered without hesitation, my composure unshaken.

“Hedge funds don’t necessarily avoid long-term investments. Especially when substantial profits are guaranteed.”
“And you expect us to believe that now?”

Drew Evans raised his voice slightly, his eyes widening.

“To be frank, I suspect the Eldorado Fund approached the company with ulterior motives. If that’s the case, I want you to stop immediately.”

It was only natural for Cisco’s management to be wary—the hedge fund hadn’t merely become a major shareholder through a sudden large-scale stock purchase, but continued to increase its stake.

“And if I refuse?”

I folded my arms and asked leisurely, and Drew Evans responded in a strained voice.

“If you want a fight, we won’t just sit back and take it.”

At my blatant display of hostility, Landon Shore, seated to my right, furrowed his brow.

“Your tone seems rather harsh.”

As Landon Shore expressed his discomfort, Samuel Schwartz, the CIO sitting beside Drew Evans, picked up the conversation as if passing a baton.

“You were the ones who started this confrontation first.”
“You—!”

Just as Landon Shore, irritated, was about to respond, I raised one hand to stop him.
Even amid this clash of wills, my expression remained composed and unruffled.

“I think you’re all laboring under a significant misunderstanding.”

Drew Evans and Samuel Schwartz stared at me with expressions questioning what scheme I was attempting, but I continued speaking calmly, regardless of their scrutiny.

“First, I intend to continue accumulating Cisco shares going forward.”
“Just as I thought!”

As if they’d expected as much, both men’s eyes hardened with intensity as they glared at me.
I let their piercing gazes wash over me lightly, a faint smile playing at the corners of my mouth.

“However, I have no intention of interfering in company operations or threatening management control.”

At that, Drew Evans scoffed dismissively and immediately countered.

“We’re not naive enough to believe that.”
“With the additional share purchases this time, I’ve become the second-largest shareholder.”

At my words, Drew Evans’s face hardened visibly.
When I’d first made the massive share acquisition, Landon Shore had met with Cisco’s executives as my representative and made it explicitly clear that this was an investment-based stock purchase.
Yet despite that, Cisco’s CEO Drew Evans had resorted to obvious lies and rushed to New York to meet with me because I’d purchased additional shares and risen to become the second-largest shareholder.

‘If I accumulate just one percent more shares, I’ll become the largest shareholder. From Drew Evans and Cisco’s management perspective, they must be absolutely panicked.’

Moreover, Cisco was a company without an owner—the founding couple had liquidated all their shares and departed.
In plain terms, if I decided to make a move, I could swallow the entire company whole.
No wonder the Cisco executives felt anxious and uneasy.
Acquiring the company would yield greater profits, but there was a risk that excessive interference could alter the future I had foreseen in unexpected ways.

‘If I leave it alone, it will generate enormous wealth for me. There’s no need to cut open the belly of the goose that lays golden eggs.’

Knowing that I held the upper hand, I maintained an unhurried demeanor throughout and spoke.

“You’re aware that as the second-largest shareholder, I have the right to demand board participation.”
“….”

The moment those dreaded words left my lips, Drew Evans and Samuel Schwartz tensed visibly.

“But I have no intention of doing so.”
“Pardon?!”
“What do you mean….”

Caught completely off guard by my unexpected statement, both men’s eyes widened in shock.

“I mean exactly what I said. I have no intention of participating in Cisco’s management.”

Drew Evans and Samuel Schwartz exchanged glances of disbelief.
It was a statement that defied all logic and reason.

“Frankly, it sounds like nothing more than a deception to put us at ease.”

Unmoved by their lingering suspicion, I reached for the teacup before me.

“Believe it or not, that’s the truth.”

My composure made it impossible to discern whether I was being sincere or lying.
I couldn’t possibly be so composed if I weren’t serious, yet on the other hand, the statement made no sense unless it were the truth—the contradiction left them bewildered.
Drew Evans watched me take a leisurely sip of coffee and set the cup down, then pressed me with a probing question.

“Then what’s your reason for accumulating such a large volume of shares if you won’t interfere in management?”

Landon Shore’s brow furrowed at the sharp tone, but he recalled my earlier instruction to remain silent and kept his mouth shut.

“As I mentioned earlier, I invested because I believe in Cisco’s future value.”

Drew Evans narrowed his brows, his expression openly skeptical.
Seeing the distrust in his eyes, Seokwon spoke with utmost seriousness.

“I believe the future lies in the internet.”
“…!”
“Isn’t that precisely why you yourself spent considerable capital acquiring Crescendo Communications not long ago?”

Drew Evans, who had been bracing himself to counter any honeyed words, found himself momentarily speechless.

“Acquiring a company with such superior technology in network switching, precisely when personal computer adoption is expanding, was an exceptionally astute decision.”
“….”
“Unfortunately, the market doesn’t seem to share that view.”

The stock price collapse following the Crescendo Communications acquisition had been deeply painful for Drew Evans.
Yet when Seokwon defended the decision as sound, Drew Evans found his thoughts suddenly muddled about how to respond.

“While developing proprietary technology has merit, in an internet market that evolves by the day, acquiring companies with proven technology and expertise—making them your own to outpace competitors—is equally valid strategy.”

Drew Evans was inwardly startled by how precisely Seokwon seemed to peer into his very thoughts.

“Of course, excessive acquisitions can create aftereffects. But I’m not concerned, because your company has a leader capable of orchestrating the integration smoothly and turning it into a successful merger.”
“….”

There was no need to explicitly state who that leader was.

“If I simply let things proceed naturally, my investment will multiply substantially. There’s no reason to interfere and risk ruining it.”

After a brief silence, Drew Evans looked at him and asked.

“Are you saying you trust me and the board?”
“If you fail to meet expectations, I’ll reconsider. But for now, yes.”

As a professional manager appointed through the board rather than a founder, it was only natural that underperformance would necessitate his departure.
Drew Evans nodded slightly, his voice noticeably softer than before.

“But couldn’t you still stab us in the back after saying all this?”

If I were to set aside my suspicions over a few words, that would be far more peculiar.
I turned my head calmly to look at Landon Shore.

“Show them that.”
“Yes.”

Landon Shore replied tersely and retrieved a thin folder from the bag beside him, placing it before Drew Evans.

“Review the contents.”

At my words, Drew Evans picked up the folder with a puzzled expression and opened it.
After examining the documents inside, he immediately looked up and spoke.

“This is a power of attorney, isn’t it?”
“As you can see, I intend to delegate all voting rights for my Cisco shares to you, Mr. Evans.”

Neither Drew Evans nor Samuel Schwartz could hide their astonishment—they had never anticipated such a complete transfer of voting rights.
Drew Evans maintained his composure despite his wavering pupils as he asked.

“But couldn’t you simply revoke the delegation at any time, rendering this worthless?”
“That’s true.”

As I readily acknowledged this, Drew Evans’s expression hardened once more.

“So no matter what promise you make now, you could change your mind as easily as flipping your hand.”
“Are you suggesting I’m toying with you?”

I regarded the indignant Drew Evans with a stern expression instead.

“Would you prefer I sign a legally binding agreement?”
“….”

I fixed my gaze upon him with cold, measured eyes as he struggled to respond.

“If that’s what you’re asking for, you’ve crossed a line entirely.”

He didn’t raise his voice or express anger, but the sudden shift in atmosphere pressed down on Drew Evans like a physical weight, and he found himself swallowing hard without realizing it.
It was as if the very air had transformed into a razor-sharp blade, pricking his skin with invisible cuts.
A premonition seized his mind—one wrong word and there would be no turning back.
Samuel, seated beside him, visibly tensed, his body going rigid.

“Believe it or not—that’s your choice. But one thing is certain: I didn’t invest to take losses. I’m not foolish enough to yank the reins on a horse that’s running well.”

Drew Evans kept his mouth shut, his expression clouded with deliberation.
The words delivered in that dry tone carried no hint of deception or manipulation, which only deepened his confusion.
I remained seated on the sofa, giving him time to think.
As a heavy silence settled over the Penthouse, Drew Evans, after considerable deliberation, finally spoke again, looking toward me.

“Would it be acceptable if I gave you an answer after thinking it over for a few days?”

Recognizing this wasn’t a decision to be made lightly, I nodded.

“Please do. I’d very much prefer to hear a positive answer.”
“Then I’ll take my leave now.”

Drew Evans rose to his feet alongside Samuel, his expression heavy with thought.
After a brief handshake, the two men left the Penthouse, and Landon Shore, who remained seated with his arms crossed, turned to me with a question.

“Should we just take the proxy and join hands with them?”

It was understandable to be concerned, given how visibly guarded he seemed toward us.

“We’re not instigating a management dispute—we’re simply purchasing shares as an investment. And it won’t be easy for Drew Evans, who isn’t even the founder, to pick a fight with us.”

But I responded without concern, leaning back against the sofa with an unhurried demeanor.

“His visit today was precisely to manufacture a pretext, however weak.”

Had I shown even the slightest appetite for management rights or demanded a seat on the board, he would have seized upon that as justification for conflict.

“But what if, despite this appeasement, he takes a confrontational stance and comes at us aggressively?”

At that, my expression turned cold.

“I hope it doesn’t come to that, but if he becomes an obstacle, then we’ll have to clean it up decisively.”

At the chill in my voice, Landon Shore unconsciously swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.

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