RR 24
[024] Covertly, for More Money 4.
“Because chaebol families have many secrets.”
“That’s not what I meant, is it?”
He still didn’t relax his furrowed brow.
“I’m just a bit smart, you know. For my age.”
“It’s more than that. How could you know something like this? At your age?”
Oh Se-hyun said, shaking the notebook I had given him.
Now was the time to deliver the prepared scenario.
“About three years ago, I think? I first realized it then. That our family was completely disregarded.”
I had to remember to say it with a slightly wistful expression.
“The reason our family is disregarded is because of money.”
“Do-jun. That’s a misunderstanding. No one disregards your family.”
Was he truly ignorant of it? Or was he saying it as comfort? Since he was Father’s best friend, it was probably the latter. I ignored his words and continued.
“But I also saw my uncles’ families being wary and jealous of each other.”
“You’re observant.”
“Yes. They must be doing that to get more of Grandfather’s company.”
“So you also want to inherit your grandfather’s company?”
“No. I already told you. I want to have a company bigger than my grandfather’s.”
“That doesn’t seem to be the answer to this notebook, does it?”
Oh Se-hyun furrowed his brow again and shook the notebook.
“If a 12-year-old kid made the content of this notebook, no one would believe it. Even putting the content aside, how did you know this? Setting up an investment company in the U.S. and investing back into Korea? Even kids from Seoul National University’s business school wouldn’t think of this.”
I had to answer well now. It would be a stretch, anyway.
“Because Seoul National University students aren’t the grandsons of conglomerate chairmen. And they don’t have dreams as big as mine.”
“What?”
“For the past three years, I went to my grandfather’s house every week. During vacations, I stayed by his side constantly. And I tried to understand everything my grandfather said. You might not know, but I’m smart, you see. So much so that I don’t get a single question wrong on school tests.”
This uncle’s eyes were getting wider and wider, and I thought I needed to cut him off here.
The more I talked, the more questions there would be.
“Uncle. Can we stop talking about this?”
“Th-that’s right. Just one more question, then.”
“Yes.”
“Why do you want to move money abroad?”
“Grandfather keeps a lot of money abroad. He said that’s the best way to hide money. And the fact that I’m making money needs to be hidden. Because there are many jealous people.”
“Your uncles?”
“Yes. They’re probably already jealous that Grandfather favors me, aren’t they?”
“So you’re saying that if you make money, you want to send all of it to the company you’ll create in the U.S. to hide it.”
“Yes.”
Now it was time to throw out bait that would erase Oh Se-hyun’s curiosity.
“I’m always by Grandfather’s side. And he talks about very important things even when I’m around. If I just follow his lead, making money should be easy, right?”
Now, no matter what I said, he wasn’t surprised. Even his eyes were sparkling.
No matter what anyone said, Oh Se-hyun was also a frontline fighter of capitalism.
He had just discovered a way to find out the Sunyang Group Chairman’s secret investments or investment plans in advance. How could he not be greedy?
But that expectation would soon turn into disappointment.
This wasn’t something I was doing to earn a paltry sum. Even if I were to earn money by relying on Chairman Jin’s words, the profit margin wouldn’t be great.
Of course, for someone like Oh Se-hyun, it would be an enormous return.
If I were satisfied with doubling or tripling my money, there would be no need for the hassle of establishing a company in the U.S.
It had to be tens or hundreds of times the return to be worthwhile. For someone like me, who knows the future so clearly.
Oh Se-hyun picked up the stack of asset management documents he had set down earlier.
“This won’t be necessary. The Sunyang Group Chairman’s investment plans must be far more valuable than a plan like this.”
Oh Se-hyun, having gathered his documents, sat comfortably in front of me.
It was the stance of a professional.
“By the end of the year, we’ll have an investment firm set up in the U.S. Your money will be transferred from our company to the U.S. headquarters and deposited into the investment firm’s account.”
“You can handle things like that on your own.”
I waved my hand as I spoke, but Oh Se-hyun’s explanation didn’t stop.
“You’ll own 100% of the investment company’s shares, and the funds will remain in the U.S. until you want them. Of course, the operating expenses of that company will be covered by your money.”
He was upholding the fundamentals of an asset manager. He was fulfilling his duty to explain everything to the client without concealing anything.
“You need to make money quickly so that the investments yield returns. Otherwise, you’ll just lose money. Heh heh.”
“Before that, I have another favor to ask.”
“Again? How much more are you going to surprise me this time? Haha.”
He would be surprised, but it would be a different kind of surprise.
I calmly explained what I had been thinking about all this time.
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A Father’s Mixed Emotions
Seeing Oh Se-hyun descending from upstairs, shaking his head, Jin Yun-gi quickly pulled him aside.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“You really have an amazing son. You lucky bastard.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Let’s sit down first.”
Oh Se-hyun tossed his bag aside and plopped down on the living room sofa. He pulled out a cigarette and exhaled a long stream of smoke, remaining silent. Jin Yun-gi couldn’t hide his impatience.
“Aren’t you going to speak? Are you just going to smoke?”
“As I said earlier, I’ll manage Do-jun’s money. But he only wants 10 billion won managed.”
Oh Se-hyun didn’t elaborate on the investment plan, nor did he tell the whole truth. It wasn’t because of the confidentiality agreement. The son and father had opposite personalities. He was worried that knowing too much would only lead to conflict.
“10 billion won? Wasn’t it 14 billion won in total? So what about the 4 billion won?”
“He says he wants to create a film production company? And the top candidate for CEO of that production company is you.”
Oh Se-hyun emphasized the word “candidate” and observed Jin Do-jun’s expression.
He, himself, must have looked like this.
That face, frozen in surprise, mouth agape, unable to say anything.
It was quite entertaining to shock others and watch their reactions.
Currently, the average production cost of a Korean film was only 150 million won. Even director Im Kwon-taek’s The Son of the General, which was currently in production and reportedly involved enormous production costs, didn’t exceed 600 million won. 4 billion won could make at least ten movies.
And that too, without a single penny of external investment.
“The kid thinks deeply. He said if he just gave you the money, you’d obviously refuse, so he absolutely insisted on setting up a film company. He said then you, Yun-gi, would have no choice but to take on the company, even if begrudgingly.”
He couldn’t hide his complex emotions.
His bruised pride, his thoughtful son’s admirable nature, the opportunity to grasp a dream, and his father Chairman Jin’s gaze.
Jin Yun-gi still couldn’t open his mouth.
“I wish you would just do it, abandoning all those miscellaneous thoughts. It’s an opportunity given by your young son. Make the most of it. You’re still young, too.”
Oh Se-hyun tapped Jin Yun-gi’s shoulder and left, but Jin Yun-gi remained seated, as if nailed to the spot, completely still.
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A Son’s Gift
My father, with a faint blush, looking somewhat excited, cautiously opened my door and entered.
“Are you studying?”
“Ah, yes.”
He couldn’t easily bring himself to speak, but his expression showed his willingness to take on the film company.
I thought it would be better if I spoke first to dispel the awkwardness and embarrassment simultaneously.
“Father. I wish our whole family could be happy. Mother said it, and you did too, didn’t you? That happiness comes from doing what you want to do.”
It was an abrupt statement, but he couldn’t have misunderstood my intention. Father’s face turned even redder.
“Isn’t it a bit funny? A father should be protecting his son’s happiness, but…”
“I just gave you a gift, Father. You’re going to keep protecting me, aren’t you? Nothing’s changed, and it’s not strange at all.”
“What if I make a movie and it completely flops?”
“Then you’ll just go back to being jobless.”
Seeing me speak with a smile, Father also showed a relaxed smile.
“4 billion won is a very large sum of money. There might come a time when it’s absolutely necessary for your dream of becoming richer than your grandfather. Many companies fail because they lack 400 million won, or even 40 million won.”
“Then you just have to make good movies, Father, and turn it into 40 billion won.”
Oh, good heavens, even if you lose it all, it’s fine. That 4 billion won, it doesn’t matter if it’s gone. Don’t worry, just go for it – those words swelled in my throat, but I held them back.
I never knew it would be this hard to fulfill the dream of one pure adult.
But as I felt my father’s strong embrace, my eyes welled up for no reason.
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A Secretary’s Concern
“What? A full withdrawal?”
- Yes, Chief Secretary. I was surprised by the sudden request myself.
The bank branch manager’s voice trailed off. He had only complied with a customer’s request, but because the customer was such an important person, he flinched as if he had committed a crime.
“When was it withdrawn?”
- It was just transferred in full a moment ago.
“To where?”
- It’s an asset management firm called PowerShares. You know it, don’t you?
Of course, he knew. Who among those who dealt with money wouldn’t know that name?
“Did Do-jun come alone? Or? With his father?”
- No. Only the PowerShares representative came. They came perfectly prepared with all the necessary documents, including parental consent…
“Alright. Contact me immediately if there’s any new information.”
- Yes, Chief Secretary.
Chief Secretary Lee Hak-jae hung up the phone and quickly called a few employees.
“Find out who among PowerShares’ executives and employees is related to Jin Yun-gi. No, find everyone related to the Chairman’s family.”
He had not expected this at all.
Do-jun was just a child, and his father was a good-natured man with no greed for money.
The money he thought would sit dormant in the bank until Do-jun became an adult was withdrawn in less than a month.
It would be a disaster if he had been scammed.
Lee Hak-jae, who had spent almost a day anxiously, sighed in relief after reviewing the information compiled by his employees.
At least it didn’t seem like he had been scammed.
But this wasn’t something to just bury either.
Lee Hak-jae rushed to Chairman Jin’s study with the documents.
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