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Chapter 38: Kimchi Soup For You
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The night streets of Cheongdam-dong.
Leaving the company, Myung Un-seok entered a club called “Artemis,” where a long line of people had formed.
The men guarding the entrance greeted him familiarly and made way for him.
Loud music poured out from inside.
Myung Un-seok went straight up to the third floor and opened the door to a VIP room located at the far end.
“Oh—! Myung Un-seok!”
Inside, several second- and third-generation chaebols, including Ahn Seung-joo, were seated.
“You’re all here already.”
“For us, meetings like these are always punctual. How have you been? I heard there’s been a lot going on at MH.”
At that moment, the other friends sitting around chuckled quietly.
It was a topic bound to come up eventually. Myung Un-seok sighed lightly and looked at them.
“There was a lot. The family tree has gotten pretty messy.”
“Did you suddenly gain an aunt and a cousin?”
“Shut up. Just pour me a drink.”
As soon as the expensive whiskey filled his glass, Myung Un-seok drained it in one go, as if quenching a deep thirst.
“Ah—!”
“Seems like you’re seriously stressed.”
“Would you be fine in my situation?”
“Still, they’re just illegitimate. Do you think your grandfather really cares? Honestly, they’re just kids who appeared out of nowhere.”
They could speak so freely because the details hadn’t leaked outside.
Besides, even within the group, Im Hee-yeon operated under secrecy. The other family members wouldn’t spread the news either, as it would hurt their own positions.
“I know. But it still bothers me.”
“Well… when a fly buzzes around, it’s annoying. But isn’t it too much that you haven’t even met them since the incident?”
Ahn Seung-joo refilled Myung Un-seok’s glass and clinked it with his own before drinking together.
“The family’s been noisy lately. Unlike your easy life.”
“What? Are you mocking me?”
“Just stating facts.”
“Hahaha! That’s true! It’s a fact!”
Ahn Seung-joo, the heir of S-One Finance, was the only son of the current CEO, Yoo Ji-young.
Even before his grandfather and father both died in accidents last year, his path to succession had been clear.
Now, it seemed his ascension to owning S-One Finance was even faster than before.
“Lucky bastard.”
“If you need help, just let me know. If that so-called cousin of yours causes trouble, I’ll take care of him properly.”
“You planning to use your thugs?”
S-One Finance was a company founded by Ahn Geun-seok, a famous corporate loan shark in Gangnam.
Given its history of ruling the underworld with money, it had strong ties with violent gangs throughout Seoul.
“Though it’s a bit dirty, their skills aren’t bad. Those who rely on fists for a living are usually desperate and often brutal.”
“Didn’t you get in big trouble with your dad back in high school for misusing those guys?”
“Why are you bringing up my high school days?”
Back then, Ahn Seung-joo had gotten into a fight with delinquents from another school over a girl and ended up getting beaten.
In retaliation, he mobilized the gangsters connected to S-One Finance, leaving the delinquents half-crippled and escalating the situation.
“I’m just saying, be careful. You made the news again recently.”
“What? Oh, you mean the drunk driving? I only drank a little, but that damn cop still canceled my license.”
“And then you hit someone on the sidewalk while trying to flee?”
“At least they didn’t die. We settled it well, too. The article was only up briefly before it got taken down.”
That incident was smoothed over because his mother, Yoo Ji-young, had bought out the media outlet that reported it.
Of course, not everything could be covered up, but the hefty settlement with the injured officer helped keep the matter quiet.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Myung Un-seok shook his head in disbelief.
But Ahn Seung-joo just smirked at his reaction.
“That’s how life is. So, just say the word. If you don’t like something, this big brother will crush it for you.”
“No, thanks. More importantly, are any of you interested in an investment project?”
“Huh? Investment?”
“What kind of investment are you talking about?”
Surprised by the sudden proposal, Ahn Seung-joo and the others tilted their heads.
“You know how popular the Strategic Investment Headquarters has been lately, right?”
“I heard the profits there are pretty good. Didn’t Division 2 recently acquire pre-IPO shares of Livio Soft?”
Hearing one friend’s comment, Myung Un-seok smirked bitterly.
“Well, yeah.”
“But isn’t it true that they don’t accept external trades?”
Lately, the Strategic Investment Headquarters had been attracting inquiries from various companies due to its high profitability. However, only Division 1 handled corporate and individual contracts, while Division 2 worked solely with MH Group’s internal funds.
“They’ll open up external trading soon. But only after an internal screening of investors.”
As soon as they heard this, everyone frowned.
“What?! Screening? No matter how great MH Group is, screening investors is over the top.”
“Exactly. Division 1 doesn’t even do that. Why would Division 2?”
Ignoring their complaints, Myung Un-seok smiled faintly after taking another sip of his drink.
“That cousin of mine is surprisingly skilled at investing. But he’s overly cautious and opposes the higher-ups’ push for external trading.”
At this, Kim Byung-woon, sitting opposite him, responded with a grimace.
“Is he just a big-headed idiot? Someone like that needs to taste the sting of the media… Want me to handle it?”
Kim Byung-woon was the second-generation heir to Chosun Daily, a mid-tier media company.
As such, he often received requests from the others at the table whenever media manipulation was needed for their companies.
“No, thanks. Stirring up trouble would hurt MH Group more than him.”
Once again, Ahn Seung-joo stepped in.
“Hey, hey. You just need to clean up a brat like that a little.”
“That guy’s also the CEO of KITE. After what happened last time, he’s probably surrounded by bodyguards.”
At this, several friends, including Ahn Seung-joo, looked shocked.
“The mysterious attack on KITE’s CEO? That Baek guy was your cousin?”
“That bastard is really KITE’s CEO?!”
Baek Shin-woo, the son of Im Hee-yeon, an illegitimate child, had never appeared in public.
Even through media channels, only his name had been mentioned.
Myung Un-seok assumed this was because of his grandfather, Myung Joong-hwan’s strict control.
“What… you didn’t know?”
Kim Byung-woon, as the son of a media company CEO, smirked slightly, as if ridiculing the others, already aware of the truth.
“You knew but didn’t say anything?”
“I thought you already knew. Well, I heard MH Group placed an embargo on it.”
Hearing that response, Myung Un-seok concluded that his assumption was correct.
“It’s not something that can stay hidden forever anyway.”
“If this isn’t media suppression, then what is? Chaebols are just…”
The hypocrisy of their words was laughable. Everyone in the room was a second- or third-generation chaebol themselves.
Ahn Seung-joo changed the subject to steer the conversation back.
“About that investment project you mentioned earlier—what is it? Something big?”
“I’ve received some intel. I can’t tell you the source, but if it works out, you can expect at least five times the returns.”
Everyone, holding their drinks, stared at Myung Un-seok in surprise.
Speaking for the group, Ahn Seung-joo asked,
“Five times? What kind of investment is this?”
Having successfully piqued their interest, Myung Un-seok paused for dramatic effect.
“It’s a U.S.-based IT company called Telecom. Their current stock price is about $22 per share.”
“So, in Korean won, that’s just under 30,000 won. Are you saying Telecom is going to skyrocket?”
Normally, this would be the time to call in women and party. But with serious money talk on the table, everyone quietly focused on their conversation.
“Actually, that’s a target for Division 2.”
“You mean that department run by Baek Shin-woo?”
“Exactly. I had to dig deep to get this info, but I think there will be quite a windfall.”
If the stock price quintupled, it would rise from 30,000 won to 150,000 won per share.
If investments in the billions of won were poured into it, the returns would surpass any other investment.
“Is this for real? Why would it increase so much?”
None of them were fools. As heirs of prominent businesses, they required solid evidence before moving large sums of money.
“I’ll send the data only to those who join. But keep in mind, this isn’t without risks. The minimum buy-in is 1 billion won, and you’ll need to follow my instructions for when to get in and out.”
The plan was to ride on the coattails of Baek Shin-woo’s Division 2 project and cause disruption while also making significant profits for his friends. This would strengthen both his financial and personal relationships—a win-win scenario.
Of course, a lot of effort had gone into stealing the data and formulating the plan. With high risks involved, caution was necessary.
This caused the others to hesitate momentarily.
“Even if I lose, I’m in! I’ve never taken a loss from one of your deals!”
With Ahn Seung-joo’s enthusiastic shout, the others began to join in one after another.
“Count me in!”
“I’m in too!”
Kim Byung-woon and Jo Min-kyu, the second-generation heir of Sungjin Apparel, along with two others, also agreed.
With a faint smile, Myung Un-seok sent messages containing the data to the five participants.
Everyone’s eyes gleamed as they pored over the documents.
Telecom was a company specializing in network technology. They were on the verge of completing a new technology utilizing their existing patents.
“Don’t leak this to anyone else. Not even as a ‘just in case.’ How soon can you prepare the funds? It has to be ready within three days.”
“I’m good anytime.”
“Three days is more than enough.”
As scions of prominent families, moving a billion won was not a problem for any of them.
“Then let’s make this happen!”
“Let’s do it!”
“Hey! Can we call the girls now?”
“You haven’t already?”
As their glasses were refilled, the VIP room burst into loud chatter and laughter.
.
.
.
At the same time.
In a secret space inside Mansoo Electric near Cheonggyecheon, Jang Man-soo walked toward a bookshelf packed with fantasy novels.
“What should I wear to work tomorrow~?”
Fumbling near the eighth book on the bottom-right shelf, he pressed something.
With a click, a hidden section behind the right side of the bookshelf opened.
When the bookshelf fully swung open, it revealed a roughly 10-pyeong (33-square-meter) space.
To the left were dazzling clothes neatly hung on a double rack. The opposite wall was covered with numerous photographs.
“I wore the green one yesterday, and yellow feels a bit stale… Oh, right! I have that new outfit I had dry-cleaned!”
Delighted, Jang Man-soo pulled out a shiny pink suit wrapped in plastic from the far-left corner of the wardrobe.
“Look at this brilliance! Matching suits are the way to go… Plus, it’s the current trend.”
The suit’s colour was a glossy hot pink.
As he admired the suit, a sound came from his computer.
Beep—Beep—Beep—
“What now?”
Jang Man-soo exited the secret room, carefully closing the bookshelf behind him.
He then delicately placed the suit on a makeshift bed and moved to the computer.
【WARNING】
【WARNING】
【WARNING】
.
.
An alert filled the screen, making Jang Man-soo’s expression turn serious.
“Who dares mess with our system~!”
But soon, a gleeful grin spread across his face, as if he had just spotted a fun new prey.
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