Chapter 58: Only One Path

I walked only one path.

I had to walk only one path.

I will walk only one path.

– Ajin Automobile

Korea’s first minivan.

Korea’s first compact SUV.

Korea’s first mini car.

Korea’s first OOO

This is the path of Ajin Automobile.

Joo Young-il, Chairman of Daehyun Group, stared intently at the full-page advertisement in the Hanseong Ilbo before tossing the newspaper aside.

“What is this? Why is Song Hyun-chang doing this?”

A tense atmosphere filled the conference room. Someone needed to step forward and offer a plausible explanation for the advertisement.

“It’s their last desperate struggle. There’s no need to worry about it.”

It needed to sound plausible, but it didn’t.

Chairman Joo’s gaze sharpened, and his voice grew louder.

“Really? Then why doesn’t it look like a desperate struggle to me? It looks like a meticulously planned operation being carried out step by step!”

Chairman Joo picked up the newspaper he had thrown down.

“See these three circles here? Dot, dot, dot! What do you think will go in there? It’s the new car they’re going to release, isn’t it? And Korea’s first! It shows their determination to survive. Don’t you get it?”

Another wave of icy silence swept through the conference room.

As everyone exchanged cautious glances, someone broke the silence, speaking carefully.

“Excuse me, Chairman.”

“What is it?”

“The intelligence team has picked up on some suspicious rumors…”

All eyes turned to the speaker.

Their gazes held a sincere hope that the new information would provide a clear explanation for today’s full-page advertisement.

“We’ve picked up rumors that there are other contenders besides Daehyun in the bid to acquire Ajin. However, the credibility is low, more like unsubstantiated gossip.”

“Who is it?”

“Rumor has it that an investment firm is fully prepared and waiting.”

“An investment firm?”

“Yes. Miracle Investment… I don’t know if you remember, but they were involved in the acquisition of Hando Steel.”

Chairman Joo’s eyebrows twitched. It was a name he couldn’t forget.

“Those bastards again?”

A foreign investment firm that was constantly hunting for Korean companies. It was too unsettling to dismiss as just a rumor.

“Yes, but it could also be a rumor spread by the creditor banks to drive up the acquisition price. Competition is more advantageous than a sole bid.”

“You idiot! Why are you reporting this now?”

“Yes?”

The reporter blinked, startled by Chairman Joo’s outburst. The senior executives attending the meeting also struggled to understand why he was reacting so sensitively to what seemed like a simple rumor.

“Don’t you know the creditor banks and the government have already agreed? It’s a done deal! There’s no way they’d stir things up now! And create competition? Their promise is to hand over Ajin Automobile before the presidential election at the end of the year. There’s no reason to make it difficult.”

Chairman Joo paced restlessly, looking agitated.

He vividly remembered this same firm interfering in the acquisition of Hando Steel, spoiling everything. He still ground his teeth over missing out on the prime real estate Hando Steel owned. And now they were meddling again.

The presidential election was only a few months away. This time, he couldn’t afford any unexpected variables.

Chairman Joo stopped pacing.

“I’m going to their company. I need to confirm for myself whether this is just baseless gossip or the truth.”

* * *

“D-Director. We have a visitor.”

The door burst open, and the secretary rushed in. Her eyes were wide, as if she’d seen a monster.

“Who is it? Why are you making such a fuss?”

“It’s the Chairman of Daehyun Group….”

“What?”

Oh Se-hyun and I jumped up simultaneously. Our reactions mirrored the secretary’s alarm.

“T-Tell him to wait a moment.”

We exchanged hurried glances, then started frantically tidying the documents scattered across the table.

“Uncle, I’ll be in the next conference room. Oh, and turn on the intercom. I want to hear what you guys talk about.”

“Alright. It would be a disaster if he recognized you. You’ve been on TV a bit.”

I pulled my hat down low and quietly slipped out of the director’s office. Avoiding the Daehyun Group Chairman’s watchful gaze, I hurried to the conference room at the end of the hall and quickly turned on the speakerphone.

“Welcome, Chairman.”

Oh Se-hyun bowed his head, and Chairman Joo immediately extended his hand.

“Thank you for welcoming this uninvited guest so warmly. I hope I’m not imposing.”

“There’s no place in Korea that would consider you an uninvited guest, Chairman. Please, don’t worry about it.”

Oh Se-hyun handed over his business card. The middle-aged man who accompanied Chairman Joo took it and reached for his own, but Chairman Joo waved his hand.

“As the uninvited one, I can’t offer my secretary’s card.”

Chairman Joo took out his own business card from his pocket and handed it over.

Joo Young-il, Daehyun Group.

The card contained only his name and cell phone number.

Oh Se-hyun was now one of the few key individuals who had a direct line to Chairman Joo. Considering he also had Chairman Jin of Soonyang Group’s number, he might be in the top ten.

“Please, have a seat. My office is rather humble.”

Chairman Joo gave a faint smile as Oh Se-hyun gestured to the chairs.

“A company eyeing Ajin Automobile can hardly be called humble, wouldn’t you say? You’re being modest.”

Oh Se-hyun’s hand paused for a moment but quickly regained its composure.

There was no reason to be intimidated by reputation. They were sitting at the same table now.

They were dealing cards with equal footing in the fight for Ajin Automobile.

The only difference was the amount of chips they held, and even that wasn’t a difference significant enough to be unilaterally overwhelmed.

“So, is it just that rumors travel fast? Or is Daehyun Group’s intelligence network really that impressive?”

Intrigue flickered across Chairman Joo’s face. He had expected him to try and hide the truth, but here he was, being so upfront. Skipping the unnecessary mind games was refreshing.

“You can leave us for a bit. It seems we need to have a private conversation.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

The middle-aged man who had come with him bowed and quietly left the room.

“Since you’re not hiding anything, we can get straight to the point. What do you want?”

“Well, obviously, I want Ajin Automobile. Is there something else on offer?”

“Assuming you acquire Ajin, what then? Are you planning to buy it big and sell it off in pieces, or fatten it up and sell it for an even bigger profit?”

“Did you see today’s advertisement in the Hanseong Ilbo?”

Oh Se-hyun picked up the newspaper, but Chairman Joo waved his hand dismissively.

“I saw it. I don’t need to see it again.”

“I actually quite like this advertisement. The car that will go in the dot, dot, dot… Doesn’t it make you want to build it yourself?”

Chairman Joo glanced at the monitor on Oh Se-hyun’s desk.

“Trading stock charts for cars? You have big dreams.”

“I have enough money to make those dreams a reality. It’s good to have money. Hehehe.”

Chairman Joo’s jaw tightened, as if he were clenching his teeth.

To dare show such a blatant mocking smile in front of him.

“Enough with the nonsense. Tell me what you want. Aren’t you an investment firm? Invest and reap the rewards… that’s your purpose, isn’t it? Just tell me how much of a premium you want, and we can avoid this pointless fight.”

“So, you’re offering me a payout to drop out of the bidding war?”

“Exactly. This kind of fight, where you only drive up the price, is just a hassle. Isn’t this a good opportunity?”

It was only by throwing himself into this major acquisition battle that Oh Se-hyun began to see the true nature of Korea’s major conglomerates.

They didn’t fight to win; they eliminated the fight itself. Judging by Chairman Joo’s expression, he seemed ready to offer even a hundred billion won.

But even so, as the sole bidder, he could simply write a bid a hundred billion won lower.

“I think you’ve got the wrong idea… Our investors also have plenty of money. Right now, they’re interested in the game. They’re all car enthusiasts, so they simply want a car manufacturer.”

Buying a toy company for a child who loves toys.

This absurd statement meant only one thing: there would be no negotiation.

“A single article about foreign speculative capital draining the nation’s wealth, and you’ll have nowhere to stand. Koreans are second to none when it comes to patriotism.”

“The bidding price will show everyone in Korea who is more patriotic.”

It was a warning that they wouldn’t be outbid.

Chairman Joo clearly understood Miracle’s determination. It wasn’t some frivolous whim about dreams and car enthusiasts.

As Chairman Joo let out a soft groan and began to stand, Oh Se-hyun’s phone rang.

“Excuse me, Chairman. I have to take this call….”

Chairman Joo nodded and picked up his teacup.

“Go ahead and take your call.”

Chairman Joo wondered who the person was that Oh Se-hyun needed to speak with so urgently, whispering in the corner of the office. If it was someone he absolutely had to talk to in the middle of such an important conversation with someone of his stature…

Oh Se-hyun returned to his seat after the brief call, his expression open.

“My secretary must have informed our major investors that you arrived, Chairman.”

“So, that’s your backer?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“And? Did they give you important instructions?”

Oh Se-hyun scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

“He’s quite direct and values efficiency….”

“What? What did he say?”

A glimmer of hope appeared on Chairman Joo’s face. Perhaps they wanted to avoid the competition?

“He suggested we lay all our cards on the table… fill in whatever we can with public funds and just compete on the acquisition price. It would be mutually beneficial. A win-win. It’s a less damaging approach for everyone, no matter who wins.”

“Are you serious right now?”

The suggestion was to unite on the non-price factors to request from the creditor banks and compete only on the bidding price.

Chairman Joo was dumbfounded. How could he make such a suggestion with a straight face?

“You’re the one who barged into my office and offered to compensate me with money to drop out of the bidding war, Chairman. You proposed the shortcut first, so I’m just responding in kind. If we set rules for the fight, it becomes a sport. Wouldn’t that elevate the prestige?”

Chairman Joo glared at the smirking Oh Se-hyun before standing up from the sofa.

“You’re an interesting fellow. It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper fight. Prestige? The name Daehyun wasn’t built on prestige. It was built by fighting dirty in the mud. I’ll make sure you remember that. Look forward to it.”

Oh Se-hyun watched Chairman Joo’s retreating figure as he stormed out, wondering if he’d said too much.

He checked the intercom to confirm the door closing and then quickly ran to the director’s office.

“Hey! Did we just poke a bear?”

As soon as he saw my face, my uncle exclaimed anxiously.

“Why? Was he hostile?”

“You heard him, right? No, you should have seen his face. That old man was radiating fighting spirit. It was chilling.”

Did I miscalculate? No way.

“Did you also think my suggestion was bad, Uncle?”

“No. It was appropriate. That’s why he immediately made his offer. If both sides’ debt relief requests are the same when we enter the bidding, the creditor banks will have no choice but to accept. And they must have guaranteed Daehyun Group a huge amount of debt relief.”

Oh Se-hyun glanced at my face and chuckled.

“You really are chaebol material.”

“Why are you bringing that up now? Aren’t I a third-generation chaebol?”

“You’re not arrogant or rude, and you actually study diligently, so I keep forgetting. But to think of debt relief in such a short moment, it’s impressive.”

Seeing Oh Se-hyun’s bitter smile, I held back the urge to say more. Showing my sincerity is about actions, not words.

I just need to work with him for a long time and show him that I’m the only chaebol who doesn’t treat the nation’s money like their own.

“Alright, let’s revise the documents. Double the estimated debt relief and recalculate.”

“What? Hey! Didn’t you hear Chairman Joo say—”

“I heard him. You can ignore it.”

Oh Se-hyun’s concerns were completely unnecessary. Chairman Joo’s words were just an impulsive outburst.

Fighting dirty? A brawl?

That’s a thing of the past. The current Joo Young-il is a chaebol through and through. No chaebol would refuse a proposal to save money by working together.