New Employees With an Annual Salary of 1 Trillion Won - Chapter 190

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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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Chapter 190. Epidemic (5)

The acquisition of the Yongsan District was proceeding in extreme secrecy.

The only people who knew about this were Korea Railroad Corporation, some related government departments, and the Blue House.

But somehow, the media began pouring out related articles.

“Branch Manager, several newspapers have published articles about the sale of Yongsan District. But… they’re all negative in tone.”

“I just confirmed it too. When I tracked it through Omnis, they were articles written by reporters close to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.”

Omnis was tracking not only articles but also the tendencies and backgrounds of all reporters.

The reporters who had written negative articles when dealing with the Hana Bank acquisition were still on the list.

“Do you think the Ministry of Economy and Finance is making a move?”

“It’s highly likely. Our relationship with the Ministry of Economy and Finance isn’t exactly good.”

“That’s true. The Hana Bank sale was a deal directly designed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance… but we overturned it.”

“Just because the administration changed doesn’t mean the working staff changed too. They probably intend to definitively suppress us with this opportunity.”

This is why relationships with government departments were important.

Even when administrations change, the working staff remains, and their memories continue as well.

Especially bad memories tend to last longer.

“The Ministry of Economy and Finance will be the biggest obstacle.”

“Articles are even coming out saying we shouldn’t hand over large-scale state-owned land to Foreign Fund. It seems they intend to block the land acquisition entirely by stirring up public sentiment.”

“Then we’ll have no choice but to appeal to public sentiment as well.”

“What do you mean?”

It was still a time when the fear of SARS hadn’t completely subsided.

Public opinion was now more sensitive than ever to infectious diseases and medical systems, and Tiger Fund stood at the center of it all alongside Korea University Hospital.

“The Ministry of Economy and Finance is trying to portray us as a despicable Foreign Fund that exploits Korea. So we just need to show how sincere we are about Korea. Immediately release an article about establishing a large-scale Infectious Disease Center together with Korea University Hospital.”

“I’ll frame the article with the narrative that Tiger Fund is accomplishing what no Large Corporation in Korea could do. And if necessary… how about creating TV and radio advertisements and broadcasting them Nationwide?”

It was a good method.

The more people who knew we were creating an Infectious Disease Center, the more public opinion would lean toward us.

“Prepare TV advertisements right now too. And coordinate with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to make them in the form of public service announcements if possible. If we make them as public service ads, all broadcasters will prioritize our advertisements first.”

“The Ministry of Health and Welfare will welcome it with open arms. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has been wanting to claim the Infectious Disease Center as their own achievement anyway.”

The impact of regular advertisements and public service announcements couldn’t be compared.

Public service announcements were often broadcast at low cost or even for free,

and the Ministry of Health and Welfare would directly coordinate the scheduling with all broadcasters.

***

Large electronic billboards in Seoul city center.

Citizens on their way to work naturally looked up at the screens.

Public service announcements related to SARS prevention were playing on the billboards.

With gentle music, the Hallway of Korea University Hospital, once bustling with SARS, appeared on screen.

A National Actor walked down that Hallway wearing a doctor’s gown and smiled at the camera.

“We did it!”

The screen switched.

Scenes of Medical Staff caring for patients in negative pressure rooms.

Images of Employees in protective suits encouraging each other continued with subtitles.

[An achievement no other country has made. Complete recovery, 0 deaths.]

The screen switched again.

Then an aerial view of a large-scale Infectious Disease Center slowly appeared.

The National Actor, wearing a Suit, pointed to the aerial view and said.

“We don’t stop. For a safer South Korea. Tiger Fund, Korea University Hospital, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare are together.”

Soon children without masks ran to the actor.

The actor embraced the children and delivered the final line.

“For the safety of our children, Korea’s first Infectious Disease Center is with you!”

The advertisement ended with hopeful music.

Citizens who watched the public service announcement each gave their reactions.

“Zero deaths is really amazing.”

“Exactly. I heard hundreds died in other countries.”

“The Medical Staff worked so hard.”

“Not just Medical Staff, but Korea University Hospital Medical Staff.”

A strange sense of pride and self-respect showed on people’s faces.

The successful quarantine that other countries couldn’t achieve was naturally stirring patriotism.

“But you know what? The negative pressure rooms built at Korea University Hospital were thanks to Tiger Fund.”

“I saw it in the newspaper. Tiger Fund is fully funding the Infectious Disease Center too?”

Foreign Fund is doing more public service than Korean Large Corporation?”

“Tiger Fund is practically a Korean company. They saved Daehyeon Semiconductor and Hana Bank too. And they don’t resell the companies they acquire.”

Most citizens showed favorable reactions to the public service announcement.

But in just one place, only the Ministry of Economy and Finance was hardening their faces while watching the advertisement.

“Section Chief… aren’t we just going to get criticized in the middle? The response to this public service announcement is too good.”

“We just did what we were told from above. But when did Tiger Fund prepare like that? They’re moving as if they knew in advance that we would act.”

“Could it be… that there’s a Tiger Fund spy inside us?”

As soon as those words fell, the deputy director and section chief simultaneously glanced around.

They were Colleagues who had worked together for years, but once suspicion took root, everyone seemed suspicious.

“We can’t know that unless the Board of Audit and Inspection steps in.”

“But… should we continue this war of words? Reporters are starting to avoid my calls too.”

“Once public opinion has shifted like this, reporters will find it difficult to write negative articles about Tiger Fund anymore. But what can we do? If the higher-ups tell us to attack, we have to attack.”

The Working Staff were in a difficult position.

They had simply moved according to orders from above.

Of course, they too harbored subtle ill feelings toward Tiger Fund.

Because Tiger Fund had overturned the Hana Bank restructuring they had designed for months in an instant.

“We need to find a breakthrough somehow.”

“Something will catch them. Where is there a place that doesn’t have dust when you shake it?”

No stop order had come down from above yet.

So the Working Staff had to find new methods of attack.

Just when they were about to put their heads together and think.

“The Minister of Health and Welfare has arrived.”

The Minister of Health and Welfare, who wasn’t even on the schedule, suddenly visited the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

While everyone was puzzled and wondering how to receive him, the Minister of Health and Welfare raised his voice first.

“Everyone is working hard. Thanks to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, we were able to proceed with SARS quarantine without problems.”

“No, not at all. It’s thanks to the Minister taking good care of the field.”

The Director General quickly rose from his seat to greet the Minister and bowed.

The Director General was a senior civil servant of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, but he didn’t match the rank of a Minister who was a political appointee.

The Director General, who knew this difference well, couldn’t hide his awkwardness on his face.

“Thanks to the Ministry of Economy and Finance executing the budget swiftly, we were able to achieve quarantine results.”

“Thank you for saying that. But do you happen to have a visit scheduled to the Minister’s office or Vice Minister’s office? Both are on business trips and will return in the afternoon.”

“I don’t have an appointment. I just… stopped by to encourage the SARS quarantine partners. Right now, SARS response is the most important task above all else, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

The Director General reflexively nodded and agreed.

But seeing that reaction, the Minister of Health and Welfare’s expression subtly distorted.

“That’s why I’m saying… I hope you’ll stop attacking quarantine partners now.”

“Wh-what do you mean…?”

“Hmm. You know very well what I mean. If we shake quarantine partners unnecessarily and cause confusion… that could become a national problem.”

The Ministry of Economy and Finance was a top-tier government department.

Since it controlled financial, tax, and Large Corporation policies, all other departments had no choice but to watch the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s mood.

But now the situation was completely different.

A state of emergency had been declared due to SARS.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance had been effectively downgraded to a department supporting the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

At this time, the Ministry of Health and Welfare had stronger influence than any other department.

If they even mentioned that the Ministry of Economy and Finance was interfering with SARS prevention, a storm could sweep through the entire Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Public opinion was also directed toward the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s status had risen due to their perfect prevention success.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I’ll speak separately to the Minister and Vice Minister. So please… stop attacking our prevention partners here.”

“Ah, understood.”

The Minister of Health and Welfare stopped walking for a moment.

He looked around the office and left a final warning.

“If a similar incident happens even once more, I’ll officially raise the issue with the Blue House, not the Ministry of Economy and Finance.”

The working staff of the Ministry of Economy and Finance couldn’t lift their heads.

Due to the SARS crisis, the Minister of Health and Welfare was the person with the most public trust and popularity after the President.

The moment they got on his bad side, their iron rice bowls would fly away and they could even face public criticism, so the working staff had no choice but to withdraw all their plans.

***

The public service advertisement conducted with the Ministry of Health and Welfare had excellent effects.

Not only did public opinion completely turn to our side.

The speed of ongoing projects also noticeably accelerated.

“All the negative articles have been taken down. Articles are even coming out saying the Yongsan District should be sold to Tiger Fund to resolve Korea Railroad Corporation’s deficit.”

“Are you saying the same reporter wrote such articles?”

“That’s right. The reporter who treated us like traitors just a few days ago is now actually defending us.”

We hadn’t done anything.

We hadn’t pressured media companies or signed advertising contracts.

“The Ministry of Economy and Finance must have changed direction.”

“Their behavior completely changed after the Minister of Health and Welfare visited the Ministry of Economy and Finance and scolded them.”

“The Minister was more aggressive than I thought. I didn’t expect him to actually visit the Ministry of Economy and Finance.”

It wasn’t us who moved him.

His political ambition made him move.

For the first time in his life, with public support behind him.

Any force blocking that flow would seem like an ‘enemy’ to him.

Even if that target was the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the top government department, it didn’t matter at all to the Minister of Health and Welfare.

“There’s still a lot of time left until the next presidential election, but if his current popularity continues, there’s talk that he could even become a presidential candidate.”

“I don’t know about presidential candidate, but it’s true he’s gained political assets. So the Ministry of Economy and Finance interfering with his current popularity would be an eyesore.”

“The Minister of Health and Welfare definitely seems to want to step on the accelerator.”

The Deputy Branch Manager pushed a document toward me.

[Public Healthcare Infrastructure Expansion and National Urban Planning Integration Meeting]

It was a meeting hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare bringing together related departments, and Tiger Fund’s name was written boldly on the attendee list.

“Since it’s hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, public healthcare infrastructure is natural… but they even squeezed in national urban planning.”

“It’s a document that shows the Minister is aiming for the next level.”

“We don’t need to worry about the Minister’s political moves. He’s set the stage for us, so we just need to enjoy it well.”

Just from the meeting name, the Minister of Health and Welfare’s will was clearly revealed.

He put ‘Public Healthcare Infrastructure Expansion’ at the front of the title to create justification for the Ministry of Health and Welfare to lead the meeting,

Then added ‘National Urban Planning Integration Meeting’ afterward, showing his intention to expand his influence even further.

“And the meeting is scheduled for this week. Usually these meetings take at least a month just to prepare, but they moved up the schedule as much as possible using the SARS emergency as justification.”

“It seems like his calculation that he needs to keep creating issues to maintain his reputation.”

“The Minister of Health and Welfare seems to want to use us to build his reputation.”

“Tell him to use us as much as he wants. We can use him too.”

It was a relationship where neither side had anything to lose.

He was happy to gain political assets, and we could secure the Infectious Disease Center and Yongsan District, so the calculation worked out perfectly.

“I’ll mobilize all employees to prepare for the meeting.”

“We need to get a definitive answer at this meeting. There won’t be another opportunity for all related departments to gather in one place. We must get stamps on contracts this time.”

“But… are you really planning to acquire the entire Yongsan District? Is it necessary to get the Yongsan District even while proposing Yongsan Station underground construction and redevelopment as conditions?”

At least 10 trillion won.

It was naturally a burdensome scale.

The original plan was simply securing land for a new headquarters, but it had somehow expanded into a mega project exceeding 10 trillion won.

“It’s absolutely not a losing investment.”

“The construction period alone would take several years, and unexpected costs could be added. Moreover, ownership of Yongsan Station will ultimately belong to the state.”

“That’s why we’re using the BTO model. If we can secure operating rights for 50 years, there’s no problem even without ownership. It’s a structure where we can invest 10 trillion and recover at least 30 trillion.”

Even if we invest 10 trillion won, ownership goes to the state.

All we get are operating rights.

But securing just the operating rights would be profitable enough.

Just by making Yongsan Station underground and putting commercial districts on top, hundreds of billions in annual revenue would be guaranteed.

“If the commercial district becomes active, that might be possible, but the current Yongsan Station commercial area doesn’t compare to Gangnam at all.”

“Even so, station area premiums are guaranteed. And the moment we start development, the entire value of Yongsan will be reevaluated. The land we secure for 1 trillion now could grow to over 10 trillion with good development.”

We had already secured two revenue structures.

We could gain operating rights through Yongsan Station underground construction and redevelopment, and through the Yongsan District we could capture additional profits from real estate value increases.

“Hearing it that way, the risk doesn’t seem as big as I thought.”

“It’s a solid investment with almost no risk. Moreover, it’s also a cash cow that will bring hundreds of billions in cash to the Korea Branch every year.”

So we absolutely had to acquire the Yongsan District.

For that, the upcoming meeting was more important than anything, and we had to prepare thoroughly to persuade all related departments.

“I’ll prepare a few more solid cards.”

“We need to prepare conditions that will satisfy not only related departments but even the Blue House. We don’t have much time. Let’s establish a perfect strategy in the meantime.”

We deployed all personnel for meeting preparation.

Each department moved simultaneously, and necessary materials piled up on my desk moment by moment.

Expected Q&A, cost-benefit analysis, development scenarios – all documents were organized overnight.

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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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