Chapter 93: A Good President, Huh…

Kim Hak-gwon, the President-elect, didn’t rush to answer my question.

But knowing the politician Kim Hak-gwon, I could more or less guess what was on his mind.

He wanted to leave his mark on history.

“If you manage to overcome the IMF crisis during your term and reform the reckless corporate culture of the conglomerates, you’ll be remembered as a good president, even after your time in office.”

“Haha, a good president, huh…”

“Korea’s corporate culture has been heavily influenced by Japan. What the IMF is asking of me now, I see as a demand to shift from Japan’s ways to the American system.”

In the U.S., companies often raised capital by issuing bonds or utilizing the stock market, rather than relying on bank loans.

What the IMF wanted was for Korean companies to share their profits with speculative capital from the U.S. and other foreign investors.

Once Korea’s capital market fully opens, that door will be wide open.

“It’ll be humiliating, sure, but opportunities like this won’t come around again. The conglomerates will push back hard, but as long as you can use the IMF as a scapegoat, they’ll have no choice but to comply. Push forward with the policies you want. You can do it.”

Kim Hak-gwon listened to me intently until the very end.

“Thank you for indulging my presumptuous advice.”

“Haha, no need to be so humble. You’ve been helpful. Many of your thoughts align with mine, though there are some differences. My aides and the bureaucrats are busy defending the conglomerates’ interests, but you, on the other hand, you’ve managed to scratch that itch I’ve been feeling.”

My words wouldn’t drastically change policy, but I had thrown a small stone into the pond.

If, when they inject public funds, they even briefly reconsider my advice, that would be enough for me.

My meeting with Kim Hak-gwon continued for quite some time after that.

* * *

Eva arrived in Hong Kong and immediately began digging into Peregrine using her network.

Rumors of the company’s impending bankruptcy were already widespread in Hong Kong’s financial circles.

“Eva?”

“Long time no see.”

“Haha, I thought you’d gotten married and disappeared from Hong Kong, but here you are again.”

“Thanks to that, I’ve learned a lot, Daniel.”

Eva had bumped into her former boss, Daniel, by chance.

“Did things go smoothly after we parted ways? Or do you still think I abandoned you?”

“You didn’t help me at all, that’s a fact. But it’s fine now. I found a great boss after that. Enjoy your evening.”

Daniel looked a bit flustered by her bluntness, but he didn’t try to stop her.

Leaving Daniel behind, Eva scanned the room, searching for someone.

When she finally spotted the person she was looking for, she smiled and approached him.

“Andre?”

The man, who had been talking to someone else, turned his head at the sound of his name.

“Do I know you?”

“You’re Andre Lee, the director at Peregrine, aren’t you?”

“That’s right, but…”

“Good. Then I’ve found the right person. Hi, I’m Eva. Nice to meet you.”

With a bright smile, Eva introduced herself and extended her hand.

Andre, caught off guard, found himself shaking her hand.

“Once you’re done talking with that gentleman, how about grabbing a drink with me?”

Andre’s eyes briefly scanned Eva.

“…Alright. Just give me a moment.”

“I’ll wait.”

Leaving him with that, Eva moved away and took a seat at the bar.

“One Snow White, please.”

After ordering her favorite cocktail, Eva glanced around the room.

She recognized familiar faces from her banking days, each engaged in their own conversations.

‘Back then, I used to work so hard just to build connections here.’

With a small chuckle, she took a sip of her cocktail.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

By the time her drink was half gone, Andre Lee had returned.

“No worries. It’s been a while since I’ve been here, so time flew by. Please, have a seat.”

Eva gestured to the seat next to her.

Guided by her gesture, Andre sat down.

“So, how do you know me? I don’t recall meeting you before.”

“How many people in Hong Kong’s financial world don’t know Andre Lee from Peregrine?”

“Haha, you’re flattering me now.”

Andre Lee.

He was the director in charge of bonds at Peregrine.

Born to a Canadian father and a Korean mother, Andre was of mixed Korean descent.

And he was also the man largely held responsible for Peregrine’s collapse.

“I’ll have the usual.”

Andre placed his order with the bartender, casting a sly look at Eva.

“So, what brings a beautiful woman like you to me?”

“Why the hurry?”

Eva, fully aware of Andre’s gaze, responded with a playful tone.

Just then, the bartender handed Andre his drink.

“How about we have a drink before we chat?”

Eva raised her glass and smiled.

“Sounds good to me.”

Andre lifted his own glass to meet hers.

After taking a small sip, Eva casually remarked,

“There are rumors circulating in Hong Kong’s financial world that Peregrine’s in serious trouble…”

The smile instantly vanished from Andre’s face.

“Shit.”

Andre muttered in Korean under his breath.

“What are you trying to pull here?”

Switching back to English, Andre’s voice turned cold. Eva’s lips curled into a smirk as she replied in Korean.

“That wasn’t aimed at me, was it? Surely not.”

“You speak Korean? No, no, that was just me talking to myself.”

Eva, still smiling, watched as Andre’s face remained hard as stone.

“Maybe you should hear my proposal before deciding whether or not to curse me. Who knows, I might just be the golden rope you need.”

“Hmm…”

“I’m well aware of your capabilities. You probably never imagined the Southeast Asian financial crisis would hit, right? Thanks to that, Peregrine, a firm with over a decade of history, is now on the verge of bankruptcy.”

“Are you here to mock me?”

“Oh, no need to get so worked up. I came to make you an offer. I want to acquire Peregrine.”

“Acquire… Peregrine?”

Andre’s previously hardened expression shifted to one of surprise.

“You already know why I’m interested. The name carries weight. Wouldn’t it be better to join me and at least secure a severance package, rather than watch the company disappear without a trace?”

“Severance…”

Seeing Andre’s pride take a hit, Eva flashed a seductive smile.

“Seems like I’ve hit a nerve. Andre, it’s Peregrine, the company you single-handedly destroyed. Instead of clinging to your pride, you should be worrying about how you’re going to survive.”

“…”

Unable to respond, Andre remained silent.

“It’ll be tough to bounce back. Who would hire the man who brought down Peregrine, the most famous investment firm in Hong Kong—no, all of Asia?”

Eva couldn’t help but feel a rush of satisfaction.

The idea that she was now in a position to look down on Andre Lee, a man she once couldn’t even approach, was exhilarating.

“I’m offering you a million dollars in exchange for internal documents.”

“Internal documents?”

“Yes. I want details—how much debt the company has, which bonds can still be recovered over time, the complexity of the shareholding structure, and any weaknesses of Chairman Toss. That kind of information.”

Andre now wore an expression of shock.

Eva hummed a little tune as she added,

“Depending on the quality of the information, your severance could increase. Whether you walk away with $100,000 or a million—or even more—is up to you.”

With that, Eva rose from her seat.

“Oh, and by the way, staring at me like that when you’re a married man… well, I don’t think your wife would be too happy about it. Anyway, give me a call. Here’s my card.”

Eva placed her business card in front of Andre’s drink and turned to leave.

Heading straight to her hotel, Eva called her boss, Kim Mu-hyeok.

Hello?

Hearing Mu-hyeok’s voice on the other end, Eva excitedly exclaimed,

“Mu-hyeok!”

Eva? How’s Hong Kong? It’s been a while since you’ve been back.

“It’s amazing.”

How’s everything going?

Eva recounted her approach to Andre and everything she had learned so far.

You’re doing great.

“Haha, I’ll bring Peregrine right into your lap. Just wait for it.”

Alright, keep up the good work.

“I’ll keep you updated if anything comes up.”

Feeling giddy, Eva threw herself onto the bed.

Her face was lit up with a broad smile.

* * *

Looking at my phone after the call ended, I smiled slightly.

‘Judging by how excited she sounds, she must be happy to be back in Hong Kong.’

Seeing my smile, Park Dong-su asked,

“Hey, what’s up? A girl?”

Pulled out of my thoughts by his question, I raised my glass and replied,

“Yeah, it’s a girl…”

“Who is she? Little bro! Bring her here. You know I’ve got an eye for the ladies!”

“As far as I know… that’s not true at all. Isn’t it about time you settled down?”

“What are you talking about! No way, I’ll live like this until the end. There’s no one to pass my burdens onto.”

With a shudder, Park Dong-su downed his strong liquor in one go, clearly not wanting to pass his dangerous future onto anyone else.

“Once this current situation is sorted out, there shouldn’t be any more serious risks. You can think about it then.”

“There’s no one left in Korea who can stand against us, right? Some small-time gangs are still around, but they’re no match for us. Still, we’re seeing some side effects from merging so quickly.”

Park Dong-su had forced the country’s major organizations to submit with overwhelming capital.

Some groups had resisted at first, but once he showed them his strength, they had no choice but to fall in line.

It wasn’t yet a single unified organization, but it was starting to take shape.

“In times like this, you can always create an external enemy.”

“The Yakuza?”

“Yes. They’ll be coming to Korea soon.”

“Those damn Japs are trying to come into Korea? Should I just slit their throats?”

“Yeah, they’re not like the domestic gangs. Handle them like the thugs they are, but avoid doing it in public or where there are witnesses.”

“That’s just basic stuff.”

“There may even be people within our organization who’ll side with them. Keep an eye out. Once we take out the Yakuza, we can make our move into Japan. How about conquering the Japanese underworld?”

“Haha, nah, Korea’s enough for me. Who needs Japan?”

“Alright, then I’ll handle Japan by creating a separate force.”

We clinked glasses and continued drinking.

“Oh, by the way, Yang Suhyeong will be released soon. You’ve heard, right?”

At my words, Park Dong-su’s face instantly brightened.

“Thanks. He’s getting out sooner than I expected.”

“It wasn’t a serious charge, so it wasn’t too hard to pull some strings. Are you planning to send him down to Busan once he’s out?”

“Of course. He’s my most trusted little bro, isn’t he? Who else could I trust with Busan?”

“Busan’s going to be crucial. There might be occasional clashes in Seoul, but most of the action will be in Busan.”

“He’ll do great. Look at Sang-geun. He’s really running the company well, isn’t he? People are even saying I’m just a figurehead and that Lee Sang-geun is the real boss, hahaha.”

Lee Sang-geun was an exceptional man.

He had been instrumental in hearing out various stakeholders and brokering deals behind the scenes.

While Park Dong-su’s strength had been key in the unification, Sang-geun’s quiet but effective work had been just as crucial.

“Hahaha, is that okay with you?”

“What? You think I’d get pissed and start a knife fight over rumors like that? Forget it. I’m only called ‘the boss’ because of you. Honestly, I was just a guy who could hold down a small neighborhood in Busan.”

“Come on, don’t say that. Even if I helped, taking control of Korea’s underworld wasn’t exactly easy, was it?”

“It’s all about the money now. We don’t need knives anymore. Just toss them something to eat, and they’ll crawl right to you. I don’t even know if the world has changed or if it’s always been like this.”

Just like Park Dong-su said, the days of solving everything with violence were over.

Now, money ruled everything.

Maybe it was the alcohol from last night, but when I woke up, my head was pounding.

After having breakfast with my grandfather, I took a short break and then headed out.

“To Myeong-dong, please.”

“Got it.”

I was finally meeting Cheon Ji-young after a long time.

‘Cheon Su-han’s release should be next month, right?’

Cheon Su-han, who had been in and out of mental hospitals, was due to be released in about a month.

“Oppa!”

When Ji-young saw me getting out of the car, she smiled, but her face still looked troubled.

“Ji-young, it’s been a while.”