Chapter 49 – WARNING AREA (1)
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Baek Shin-woo was summoned to the Strategic Investment Headquarters Director’s office first thing in the morning.
As he entered the office and stood in front of the desk, familiar items and printed photographs of them caught his attention.
“Last night, an unannounced security audit was conducted on our Strategic Investment Headquarters.”
“…Is that so?”
In reality, Shin-woo already knew about the schedule since Jang Man-soo had control over the MH Group system.
He had even asked Jang Man-soo to tidy up Lillian’s desk in advance.
However, the military knife and tools that were supposed to have been cleared out were now sitting on Im Hee-yeon’s desk.
“What exactly are you all doing in this company?”
“……”
“Let’s say Manager Jang Man-soo occasionally slacks off during work hours.”
The materials in question were related to the clothing and airgun shopping websites Jang Man-soo had browsed online.
The colorful suit photos, in particular, were so flamboyant that Shin-woo couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
“But what about this knife and these tools? Is Deputy Director Lillian Foster secretly doing construction work at the company? Or is she building something?”
“…It won’t happen again.”
“Explain it! Why are these things here in the office?”
After thinking hard, Shin-woo cautiously responded.
“Well, the tools are probably because Deputy Director Lillian Foster enjoys fixing things.”
“And the knife?”
“…Perhaps it’s for self-defense.”
“This kind of knife?!”
It was hard to justify classifying a military knife the length of an adult forearm as a self-defense tool.
“She probably has her own methods.”
“Hah… Do you know how much trouble this caused me?”
It wasn’t uncommon for unnecessary personal items or prohibited items to show up during a security audit.
However, finding dangerous tools with unclear purposes, like these, was unprecedented.
‘Jang Man-soo, that guy…’
Clenching his teeth, Shin-woo had no choice but to bow his head again.
“I’ll make sure to give a firm warning.”
“Of course, everyone in the company acknowledges the outstanding performance of Operations Division 2. The recent Telecom acquisition facilitated by Livio Soft is especially impressive.”
“……”
The compliments now were clearly a prelude to the final rebuke.
“But that’s one thing, and this is another. I hope you take this as a wake-up call, as the Director of the Strategic Investment Operations Division 2. Please.”
“…Understood.”
Im Hee-yeon let out a long sigh, deeper than before.
“Hoo… As I mentioned earlier, the results are remarkable. Did you plan from the beginning for Livio Soft to acquire Telecom?”
Everyone had assumed Operations Division 2 was merely investing in Telecom stocks.
However, when the acquisition was announced during the U.S. stock market trading hours, both companies’ stock prices surged.
There were even claims that Livio Soft had taken a risky move.
Adding to the surprise was the announcement of a new project incorporating Telecom’s “Cellium” technology.
“It was Plan B. The likelihood wasn’t high, so I didn’t mention it beforehand.”
“Thanks to you, the rise in stock prices for Livio Soft and Telecom shares we held has yielded substantial profits.
“While selling the shares now is an option, considering the current situation, holding onto them may be more beneficial.”
Blue-chip stocks are valuable assets with high growth potential.
Understanding this better than anyone, Im Hee-yeon came to the same conclusion as Shin-woo.
“I’m glad things worked out well.”
“You knew it would succeed without any issues, didn’t you?”
“How could I possibly know that?”
Apart from Telecom and Livio Soft, other stocks in their portfolio continued to show an upward trend.
“While reviewing the investments, I noticed something odd. Why were several projects abruptly halted?”
“They were deemed high risk.”
Hearing this, Im Hee-yeon checked the list of companies on her tablet.
Recent stock trend charts for those companies were also included.
“There are indeed signs of speculative activity. Still, didn’t you handle such things more boldly before?”
These companies were part of the operations stocks managed by TSF.
However, Shin-woo had stopped engaging with them after TSF approached him.
Since Im Hee-yeon wasn’t aware of the full context, she had no choice but to trust his explanation.
“I’ve secured my position to some extent now.”
“So, you intentionally took risks before?”
“It was necessary at the time.”
The former head of Operations Division 1, Myung Un-seok, had overreached and was reassigned to a subsidiary.
This allowed Shin-woo to solidify his unique position.
Of course, MH Electronics, where Myung Un-seok was reassigned, remained the most powerful subsidiary after the main office.
It had plenty of resources to stage a comeback at any time.
“For now, Team Leader Na Jung-hyun will take charge of Operations Division 1.”
“He’ll handle it well.”
“There’s also talk of merging Operations Divisions 1 and 2 within the headquarters. What are your thoughts?”
Shin-woo didn’t take long to answer.
“I’m against it.”
“Why? You’re doing well, and increasing personnel to expand investment operations seems like a better option.”
“We have enough staff for now. If more are needed, I’ll hire them myself.”
“You mean people like Manager Jang Man-soo and Deputy Director Lillian Foster?”
With this rebuttal, Im Hee-yeon’s gaze shifted to the internet browsing records, the military knife, and the tool pouch on the desk.
“They do their jobs well enough.”
“Hah… Fine. Just make sure nothing like this happens again.”
Clatter―
Gathering up Jang Man-soo’s and Lillian’s items, Shin-woo prepared to leave the room nonchalantly.
“Oh, Deputy General Manager Baek Shin-woo.”
“…Yes?”
Im Hee-yeon’s voice stopped him abruptly.
“Aren’t you curious about the results of the unannounced security audit?”
“They must have been fine.”
What was she implying?
Feeling slightly uneasy, Shin-woo headed back to the Operations Division 2 office.
“Jang Man-soo, that guy…!”
As the office door opened, Jang Man-soo was deeply engrossed in stock trading.
Today, his attire was peculiar, as if he wanted to reenlist in the military. He was wearing a suit with a mosaic military green pattern, complete with a matching tie.
“Hah… Hey! What happened? I told you to clean up Lillian’s desk.”
“Huh? Her desk? Ah—!”
Jang Man-soo had a completely blank expression, as if he had totally forgotten.
“I thought you had a good memory? Didn’t you say it improved after coming back here?”
“That’s true, but my memory only works for humans.”
The implication was that he didn’t consider Lillian to be human.
“Even so… Because of you, I just got called in by the director.”
At the same time, Jang Man-soo appeared genuinely surprised.
“Wait, they didn’t call you in to give you a cash bonus for the Livio Soft and Telecom profits?”
He seemed disappointed, as if that’s what he had been expecting.
“Cash bonus, my foot! It felt like a school locker inspection, and I got scolded afterward.”
As Shin-woo spoke, he threw the confiscated items at Jang Man-soo.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“I can’t keep them here. Take them home and just store them.”
“Tsk, fine…”
Grumbling under his breath, Jang Man-soo stuffed the items into the shiny, bright red enamel backpack he had brought to work that day.
Meanwhile, Shin-woo returned to his seat, puzzled by another issue.
“More importantly, why didn’t you clean up your computer?”
“My internet history? It has to look natural. If it’s too spotless, the guys raiding us will get suspicious.”
“Are you sure no other files were discovered?”
“Unless they have my private password, there’s no way.”
Shin-woo shook his head at Jang Man-soo’s nonchalant attitude.
“Myung In-chul really took a bold gamble. It was reckless, though.”
“It was desperation.”
“Still, you need to stay cautious. Cornered people can do unpredictable things.”
“Got it—Ok!”
Buzz— Buzz—
At that moment, Shin-woo’s phone started vibrating.
“This is Baek Shin-woo speaking.”
[Good day, Mr. Baek Shin-woo. This is Oh Han-seong from TSF.]
It was Kwak Chi-young’s secretary from the TSF Investment Korean branch.
“Go ahead.”
[The technology patent you requested has been secured. When would you like to meet?]
“After work would be fine.”
[We’ll send you the time and location shortly.]
As the call ended, Jang Man-soo, who had been listening quietly, tilted his head.
“Who was that?”
“TSF. They said they secured the patent we wanted.”
“Oh—! Not bad for a bunch of scoundrels. They’re quick.”
“They must have checked Koga Pharmaceutical’s stock. In the meantime, you get approval for Telecom’s Cellium usage through Livio Soft.”
“I’ve already submitted the request.”
The patent TSF acquired for them from Westrope, along with Telecom’s Cellium, were critical components Jang Man-soo needed to complete the Triad Eye’s communications network.
When Jang Man-soo gave a big thumbs-up, Shin-woo couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.
.
.
.
At the same time.
In the MH Group headquarters president’s office, Myung Seong-cheol sat across from Myung In-chul.
“Does this even make sense? Using Livio Soft to acquire Telecom for 550 billion won, and only 23 billion in returns?”
The two companies’ stock prices continued to rise due to the acquisition’s synergy effects.
Even though the bubble would eventually burst, the profit margin was undeniably massive.
“It’s good news for MH Group.”
“Of course, that’s true, but the results are vastly different!”
“As if I don’t know that.”
Baek Shin-woo’s name had spread beyond MH Group’s headquarters and throughout its subsidiaries.
No matter how much the company tried to control the narrative, it was impossible to stop.
Meanwhile, Myung In-chul’s son, Myung Un-seok, had been reassigned from headquarters to MH Electronics.
Although the official reason was not disclosed, the general consensus was that there had been some issue.
Naturally, this shift led to heightened expectations for Im Hee-yeon, the Strategic Investment Headquarters director, and her son, Baek Shin-woo.
“You’re not thinking of any funny business with our father, are you?”
This had been a concern previously as well.
However, in addition to warning Myung In-chul and Myung Un-seok, Chairman Myung Joong-hwan had also purchased a factory site owned by S-One Finance at a 60% discount.
It was a classic case of “the bear dances, and the middleman takes the money.”
The actual gains went to Myung Joong-hwan. From the outside, it seemed like he was thoroughly exploiting Im Hee-yeon and Baek Shin-woo for his own benefit.
“Father must have his reasons.”
“Reasons? If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have treated Un-seok that way.”
Of course, the complaint wasn’t entirely sincere. Myung In-chul knew that, which is why he responded with a faint smile.
“It won’t take long for him to return to headquarters.”
“That’s to be expected. But are you going to just leave Im Hee-yeon and Baek Shin-woo unchecked? I heard several executives are already unhappy.”
“You seem quite interested in that side of things.”
Most of the executives were aligned with Myung In-chul. However, some sided with Myung Seong-cheol and Myung Soo-yeon due to internal power struggles.
Of course, for now, everyone prioritized Chairman Myung Joong-hwan.
But once a definitive successor was decided, these alliances could shift in an instant.
“I just pick up bits and pieces here and there.”
“So, do the executives think my position is in jeopardy?”
“Come on, no way.”
Myung Seong-cheol grinned slyly, but the underlying sense of menace remained.
“Stop worrying about unnecessary things and focus on your work. I have a meeting to attend, so I’ll take my leave.”
It was obvious to anyone that Myung Seong-cheol had come to gauge Myung In-chul’s situation.
With that, Myung In-chul stood up and left the office as well.
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