Chapter 202: Curious About What Will Happen

“Boss, it’s Myung-hoon.”

As he was heading to the ancestral grave, Myung-hoon pulled out his phone. Although it wasn’t requested, he instinctively called Kim Mu-hyeok to report.

― Have you finished organizing everything?

Yes. I will visit the chairman’s grave first, then head to Pyeongchang-dong.

― Take your time and be careful.

Understood.

Briefly reporting what had happened at the mountain lodge, he was about to hang up when Kim Mu-hyeok casually added.

― Just sprinkle the ashes over grandfather’s grave. You don’t need to bring any back for me.

After ending the call, he closed his eyes, feeling as if Cheon Su-man’s screams were echoing in his ears.

Everyone wait for me. I’ll go alone.

Upon reaching the ancestral grave, he issued commands to his subordinates before starting up the mountain trail with the urn.

Before long, he arrived at the grave of Cheon Tae-san.

With a complex expression on his face, Myung-hoon set the urn down in front of the grave and stood there for a long time.

Chairman…

Though he called out to Cheon Tae-san, there was no respo Only the cool mountain breeze brushed past his face.

Bowing his head, Myung-hoon opened the urn’s lid.

He walked around the grave, slowly scattering the ashes. The ashes danced in the wind before eventually dispersing.

…Chairman, please rest comfortably there. You need to stay well until I arrive. I will visit often.

Myung-hoon, with a face full of longing, bowed deeply at Cheon Tae-san’s grave before turnto descend the mountain.

His expression as he left the mountain was the same impassive look he always wore.

Let’s head to Pyeongchang-dong.

From now on, Myung-hoon would have to live not as one of Cheon Tae-san’s people but as Kimhyeok’s.

* * *

After setting down the phone, he fell into deep thought.

Though there were still mountains of tasks to handle, one of them had been resolved.

‘Finally rid of that annoying Cheon Su-man.’

He was the cause of his parents’ deaths and the one who ordered his murder in his past life.

He thought once he was dead, he’d feel relief.

Yet that wasn’t the case. For some reason, his mouth felt bitter.

As he walked to the study, he gradually organized his chaotic thoughts.

Glancing at his grandfather’s photo on the wall, his restless mind began to settle a bit.

Cheon Su-man was already dead. There was no need to worry about the deceased. It was time to forget the past and think only of the future.

He turned and sat down in his chair, calling Manager Ma to come in.

Did you call for me, boss?

Manager Ma entered the study after opening the door.

From now on, all the tasks that Chief Ha used to handle will be your responsibilities. First, please select the people who will work from home. You’ll be referred to as Chief Ma from now on.

Manager Ma needed to fill in Myung-hoon’s void. While it would be tough for him right now due to the amount of work, Manager Ma, no, Chief Ma would manage just fine.

Understood.

And please contact Jang Dae-ho to let him know we’ll be entering China together next week.

He started to organize one thing at a time, beginning with Jang Dae-ho.

Reach out to the Blue House and find out when I can meet with Kim Hak-gwon.

He still held no good feelings towards Kim Hak-gwon.

Still, he was able to be present during his grandfather’s final moments thanks to him.

If he hadn’t helped, he would have had to pass through China or Russia and would not have been able to witness the last moment.

Kindness must be repaid. He resolved to help him if he needed anything I could do.

He would also need to issue a warning to prevent Chairman Seo from thinking he could take advantage of him.

And don’t schedule any other appointments for today. I’ll be visiting Chairman Song’s home in the afternoon, and I’ll have dinner with my grandmother and her friends in the evening.

Yes, I understand.

As he spoke, a sharp throb pulsed in his head, causing him to press his temples with both hands.

Are you feeling unwell?

I suddenly have a headache.

Should I call the doctor?

He shook his head. Although Chief Ma was concerned about him, sometimes it felt like he was a bit overly protective.

No, it’s just that I have a lot on my mind. I can take some headache medicine at home.

But just in case, shouldn’t we check?

Chief Ma repeated his concern. Seeing the worry etched on his stoic face made him chuckle slightly.

If it continues to hurt, I’ll let you know later.

Understood.

For now, you can step out. Contact Chairman Song’s side and confirm the time.

Yes.

After Chief Ma bowed and exited, he thought that was about enough for his Korean affairs. He took a deep breath and promptly picked up his phone.

― Hello.

Oh, it’s me.

― Is this Mu-hyeok? Was the chairman’s funeral properly conducted?

Yeah, thanks to you.

― I should have gone too…

Han Gyeong-yeong’s voice was filled with regret.

Knowing why he felt sorry, Myung-hoon casually replied.

Even if you went, you would’ve only stayed a short while. Besides, they say the atmosphere in the U.S. is strange right now. Just tell me straight.

He hadn’t paid much attention to what Han Gyeong-yeong said earlier as he was preoccupied with his grandfather’s affairs.

― Ah, that. The atmosphere has indeed felt unusual for a while now. Maybe it’s because of the ten-year-long economic boom, everyone is being overly optimistic. Honestly, it doesn’t make sense.

The 1990s U.S. economy was experiencing an unprecedented boom. A decade-long boom also cast long shadows.

Investment, stock markets, consumption, dollars, real estate… everything in the U.S. was bubble-wrapped.

In his past life, investors had thrown their stocks to secure profits, leading to panic selling.

This triggered the bursting of the stacked bubbles like a domino effect.

However, unlike the future he knew, this time the Nasdaq index didn’t just stop at 5,000 points but soared to 7,000.

It was sheer madness, an absurd bubble.

Exactly. It’s ridiculous.

― As you said, investors have started realizing their profits. But they have been gradually releasing their shares to minimize market impact.

No matter how slowly they sold, sharp-eyed people would notice when investors pulled out.

― But the founders didn’t do that. These crazy people went all out as soon as the lock-up period ended. But the market managed to absorb it all.

The founders dumping their stocks. Normally in a whale fight, the shrimp gets crushed, but it seemed apparent the small investors would be suffering.

― Even though it’s a lot for retail investors to eat up, it won’t be enough to defend the stock price. As they throw in their shares, institutions are mostly gobbling them up. I can’t make any sense of it.

Han Gyeong-yeong’s voice was charged with emotion. It seemed like he suspected another faction was at play.

Hmm… So where’s the place that’s absorbing the most?

― UT Investment Bank is the most actively involved, and a few investment banks are joining in as well. JP Morgan and most big banks are on the sidelines.

UT Investment Bank… He tapped his fingers on the desk while pondering.

They had to defend the stock price at all costs. Because of the options tied to Dream High, they were bound to go bankrupt if a major crash happened.

However, the fact that other investment banks were involved meant they had formed a coalition.

Moreover, other institutions should have begun to gradually enter the market by now.

But the fact that even major banks like JP Morgan were just watching meant that there was someone behind the scenes controlling their actions.

Still, there must be limits. How long do you think they can artificially hold it back?

― I don’t know. For now, it’s crucial to see when large banks like JP Morgan will switch to sell positions.

Han Gyeong-yeong, who had been agitated earlier, now spoke calmly.

After a brief pause, he quickly began to summarize the situation.

― They can’t have infinite funds. In my opinion, it will burst within a month.

A month… If they had the power to halt the big banks, then they must have considerable capital behind them.

What if their financial power exceeds what we imagine? What will happen then, brother?

― Even if it’s unexpected, we can’t stop it. Unless it’s of a scale that prints dollars, no one can handle this.

……Really?

The U.S. hadn’t yet initiated the quantitative easing policy of cranking out dollars uncontrollably.

Got it. Let’s get ready to collect what’s ours.

― Honestly, if it weren’t for you, I might have acted just like everyone else. Betting against this madness is only possible because of you. Think about it, in the end, bubbles disappear.

His words filled with trust made him chuckle.

After all, the one who had walked alongside him all this time was bound to feel that way.

You, the U.S. economic experts, and institutional investors all know this. It’s just a matter of whether they choose to act or not.

The Wall Street hyenas had no reason to deflate the bubble.

No, in fact, their job was to inflate the bubble even further and continue to lure in individual investors to siphon away their money.

The FRB only issued verbal warnings about the rising Nasdaq index without taking any action like raising interest rates.

The combination of the U.S. government, FRB, and Wall Street’s ‘moral hazard’ ultimately led to this crisis.

Let me know when the decline starts.

― Okay, boss. You’re coming to the U.S., right?

Yeah, I’ll head there once I finish sorting things out here. Hang in there a bit longer. Eva seems busy too, running around Asia.

Although Han Gyeong-yeong was busy, Eva was no less occupied. The Asian situation was just as chaotic as the U.S.’

― We’ve been keeping in touch daily. If it blows up in the U.S., Asia won’t be safe either.

Alright, I’ll reach out again soon.

After ending the call, he pressed his brow hard. Although he was tired, it felt good to be getting things done.

‘I wonder how this will turn out.’

If they were indeed watching me as Putin warned, they would approach me in some manner.

Whether they’d become allies or enemies could be decided later.

A knock at the study door made him look up.

Boss, it’s Myung-hoon.

Come in.

Myung-hoon opened the door and walked in, his face heavily set.

He must be feeling troubled. Instead of offering any words of comfort, he simply asked quietly.

Did everything go well?

Yes.

It’s not exactly uplifting, is it? I don’t find it very comforting either.

A bitter smile surfaced on Myung-hoon’s tense face.

Now, hand over everything to Manager Ma… Chief Ma, and prepare for the chairman of Taesan Financial.

Yes, understood.

He had only heard the situation loosely over the phone, not the exact details.

Did Chairman Seo order this? He shouldn’t be able to pull off something like this on his own.

Yes, it was Chairman Seo’s directive. It seems Cheon Su-man was also used.

Used, you say…

A flicker of pity crossed Myung-hoon’s face, prompting him to shake his head.

This is a tragedy brought on by his own greed. Cheon Su-man brought this upon himself. He pulled in the Cheongpung Group and Chairman Seo out of sheer incompetence. He’s not worth any sympathy.

Whether he had been used or had taken the lead himself, Cheon Su-man’s actions were inexcusable.

The image of his grandfather lying in a hospital bed surfaced in his mind.

What about the medicines?

I don’t know the details; they say it was passed to Gong Seung-yeon, the representative from the Atlantic Law Firm.

The Atlantic Law Firm?

Yes, that was the firm handling Cheon Su-man’s lawsuits. I suspect it was passed on at Chairman Seo’s behest.

Using others while keeping his hands clean, eh?

Il-sung shouldn’t be left uunchecked.

……As for Seo Yong-geon, he must be taken care of. Got it, good work.

Boss, I can take care of it.

While he had mentioned delegating tasks related to his grandfather to Chief Ha, he had someone else in mind for this matter.

No, we don’t need to dirty your hands for someone like him. He can be handled by this chairman. It’s time to loosen the strings a bit.

The Geuksung Group was facing severe scrutiny due to a massive investigation by the prosecutors, and their core members were on the investigation list.

While he was in dire need of help, Lee Sang-geun had never reached out to him even once. He was a stubborn person, much like Park Dong-su.

Now was the time to start wrapping things up.

Stay here until you assume the role of chairman. During this time, organize everything.

Yes.

You can go now.

After Myung-hoon left, he remained alone in the study, murmuring Gong Seung-yeon’s name.

Gong Seung-yeon, Gong Seung-yeon…

How should I kill him to make him suffer the most?

Simply cutting off his life wouldn’t suffice for satisfaction.

He had killed his grandfather, so inflicting a life worse than death wouldn’t be too much to ask.

Boss, it’s time to go.

Chief Ma entered the study. It seemed a considerable amount of time had passed since he had finished his task.

Have you checked the time?

Yes, they say you can go now.

Standing up, he put on the suit jacket that Chief Ma handed him and left the study.

After a thirty-minute drive, he arrived at Chairman Song’s residence.

Chairman, thank you for coming.

Ha ha, it’s nothing. It’s the least I could do. Come on in.

Chairman Song took me to his study. It hadn’t changed much since my last visit.

Have a seat.

After seating me, Chairman Seo rummaged through the bookshelves and pulled out a faded photograph from an album.

This is a photo of me in my youth with Cheontae. It’s the only one left.