Free Web NovelPutin drank his liquor while studying my expression.
“I received the report and laughed for a long time. Those arrogant bastards hurriedly convened a meeting because of you, Muhyuk. That was amusing. Thanks to it, I was able to figure out their identities to some degree.”
The faction watching me was one that even the President of Russia—who commanded one of the most powerful intelligence agencies in the world—could not fully grasp.
Unlike the smiling Putin, I could not laugh. He noticed the stiffness on my face and spoke.
“Why that expression, Muhyuk? Landing a blow on them is a good thing, is it not?”
Of course, as Putin said, achieving a victory was good.
But the fact that they already knew about me was even more important. I still had not figured them out.
If you do not know the enemy’s identity, you can be caught again.
“······You said you were able to gauge their identity to some extent this time?”
Putin nodded. If they had managed to uncover it thanks to the trouble I caused them, then I had every right to hear it.
“Would you be willing to tell me? Which families are involved, and what their purpose is.”
“Their purpose······.”
Putin trailed off, set his glass down, and straightened his posture. The smile disappeared, replaced by seriousness.
“Their history is long. After watching Hitler’s tyranny during the Second World War, and the subsequent communization of Eastern Europe, they must have realized that a single family’s power alone could never keep up with global currents.”
I nodded as I listened to his quiet, steady explanation. At the same time, I could not help thinking it sounded arrogant.
“I suspect their goal is not to follow the flow, but to create it. With vast wealth, they seized politics, business, and even the media across the United States and Western Europe. Their aim is to secure the power that protects their fortune.”
What a wealthy man fears most is power that can strip it all away in an instant.
If they could shield themselves from that power—and even seize it themselves—the outcome was obvious. Simply having money was not enough.
Putin drank another glass before continuing.
“What we have firmly identified are the Medici family of Italy, the Rockefeller family of America, and the Rothschild family, who span all of Western Europe. As for the rest, we are not certain. Nor do we know who leads the gathering.”
They were such famous dynasties that I at least knew the names. And I thought I understood why they wanted power.
It was clear that money alone was not enough to secure the top seats they had once occupied. My brow furrowed unconsciously.
“This time, the faction that directly clashed with Future Investment has been identified as the Medici family.”
“I did sign a major contract with UT Investment Bank, headquartered in Italy.”
Putin nodded, muttering in his still-serious tone.
“As a result, the Medici family has reportedly been driven to the brink of bankruptcy. The meeting was convened to discuss how to deal with that crisis. If only we knew the location, we could probably identify the rest of the members.”
It was the first I had heard about them being driven near bankruptcy. That must mean Han Kyungyeong was gripping them by the hair and holding on with everything he had.
I covered my mouth faintly with my hand as I thought of all the losses they had suffered.
“Thank you. You’ve given me valuable information.”
I filled Putin’s empty glass, then poured one for myself as well.
“May boundless glory walk with you on your path, Mr. President.”
At the toast, Putin lifted his glass with a radiant smile.
The crisp sound of our glasses clinking echoed through the room.
After parting ways with Putin, I went straight back to Pyeongchang-dong.
Sitting in the study to sort out my tangled thoughts, I called Han Kyungyeong.
“Hyung, can you talk?”
— Just a moment! Give me a bit.
I heard bustling noises over the receiver. After issuing instructions for a while, Han finally spoke.
— Okay. I can talk now.
“How’s the situation?”
— Panic, what else. I can’t even predict how much further it will fall. Even the private investors who had been watching are all dumping now.
When expectations of a rosy future turn into distrust, people are thrown into panic. That was the result—this kind of panic selling.
But more important than how the ants behaved was the state of the great powers.
“Have you heard from the banks?”
— Of course. Asking when I’ll liquidate. But I held on until you told me to sell. Why? Should I liquidate?
If they were driven to the edge of bankruptcy, any move would not be surprising.
But if all he received were questions about liquidation timing, that made things more complicated.
“Did you recover all the losses?”
— Naturally. I put only half of the reserve funds into short positions. That alone completely recouped everything we lost until now.
“Really? Well done.”
As expected of Han Kyungyeong. Because I trusted him and let him be, the results exceeded imagination.
A smile naturally spread across my face.
— You seemed overwhelmed, so I acted on my own discretion. I remembered how you said that if a real downturn comes, it’ll be a total collapse. I believed that and moved right away. Your words have never been wrong.
“Well done. By the way, wasn’t it the Italian banks we signed the largest contracts with?”
Instead of answering, I heard him rifling through documents.
— Hm, just a sec······. UT Investment Bank, plus several insurance and investment firms they introduced······. Yeah, most of them are Italian. Why, something going on?
“I met with Putin today······.”
I slowly recounted to him everything Putin had told me.
When I finished, Han exhaled in awe.
— I see. I’ll look into it thoroughly.
“Good. I’ll be counting on you, hyung.”
After hanging up, I leaned back in my chair and sighed.
Since I had landed a blow, they would be watching me even more closely. I closed my eyes and muttered softly.
“I’d like to meet them once. To see just what kind of bastards they are.”
The next day, Chairman Kim Byungwoo of Joongwoo Group came to Pyeongchang-dong.
“Welcome. Please, sit.”
“Yes, President.”
As he sat down, I offered him the teapot. Once Kim Byungwoo held the cup, I spoke first.
“Did you get along well with Medvedev yesterday?”
“Thanks to you, President, we had a good conversation.”
His expression and tone told me he had secured a promising connection. It was worth the introduction.
“He is a highly influential man in Russia. He will be of great help in business.”
“Yes. It seems Joongwoo Group has much it can do in Russia.”
“That’s right. And you, Chairman Kim, enjoy ‘global management,’ do you not? After all, you are a Joongwoo man.”
Under that slogan of “global management,” Joongwoo Group had grown in strength.
Many had been dispatched to Eastern Europe, and Kim Byungwoo himself had struggled for years in Romania, establishing an automobile factory.
I asked again, as he gave a bashful laugh.
“By the way, is everything ready?”
“Yes, Joongwoo Construction has already finished the internal arrangements for merging with Geukseong Construction.”
It seemed my earlier warning had sunk in well. I nodded.
“Good. Once Geukseong Construction is ready, proceed with the merger.”
“Understood.”
“And there may be good news soon. Negotiations are underway to acquire Japanese semiconductor companies that are on the market.”
Kim Byungwoo’s jaw dropped. For him to hear that something he thought utterly impossible was actually being pushed forward—it was no wonder he looked that shocked.
“I was saving it until things were firm, but I’ve already received word that negotiations are in progress. At this point, we can regard it as practically concluded.”
“If that’s true, we can stop Ilseong’s monopoly. Price competition has already begun, after all.”
The price war between Ilseong and Joongwoo semiconductors would inevitably trigger a chicken game in the global semiconductor market.
The fight was unfolding years earlier than I had known in the original history. But just because prices were low did not mean automatic victory.
In the end, it was always quality and price together that decided whether consumers would choose you and whether you could seize the upper hand in the market.
“Right now, Ilseong Electronics’ semiconductors are far superior in quality, so in reality we’re being pushed back. But at the same time, we can’t just slash prices recklessly······.”
I could guess why Kim Byungwoo trailed off. No matter how much they lowered prices, they still had to avoid provoking American semiconductor companies into filing suits.
“Because of the anti-dumping laws, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I’ll work out a plan for that. Chairman Kim, just do the best you can within your reach.”
I gave him a gentle smile as he nodded gravely.
* * *
A mansion on the outskirts of France. Around a large round table sat five men.
One of them, his face red, slammed the table and shouted.
“Meyer!”
Meyer looked at the shouting Lorenze with a crooked smile.
“If we had just held out a little longer, we could have won. It was a fight we could absolutely take!”
“Lorenze.”
The man seated at the head of the table called his name quietly.
Although he was boiling with rage, Lorenze could not vent further once his name was spoken. He sat back down.
“Calm yourself. This meeting is to save you, is it not?”
“······Forgive me.”
Lorenze sat back, swallowing his excitement, and bowed his head slightly.
“Meyer, and you—are you really laughing right now?”
“My apologies.”
The man at the head °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° of the table scolded the two in a grave voice.
“I know you’re bitter enemies. But must you reveal it even here?”
Instead of answering further, Meyer lowered his head quietly as well.
The man at the head looked around the table before speaking again.
“Lorenze, explain the situation properly.”
At last, Lorenze began to explain his predicament.
“With the NASDAQ crash, all the banks we hold are on the verge of bankruptcy. Before this, I pleaded with all of you here. If you wouldn’t help, at least wait and watch.”
“You made such reckless bets that you’re about to collapse?”
Lorenze hesitated for a moment, then gave a sharp nod.
“Yes. I thought it was necessary to press him down this time. He made far greater profit than us on the board we had set. I couldn’t let it pass off as just luck on his part.”
One man, raising the teacup before him, asked,
“Kim Muhyuk? You’re speaking of that man?”
“Yes, Grand Duke.”
“And the conclusion?”
The Grand Duke set down the cup and asked in a solemn voice.
“All the families here must help me. Otherwise, my family’s fortune may vanish entirely.”
The Grand Duke swallowed, troubled. Meyer, head of the Rothschild family, carefully spoke up.
“Grand Duke.”
The Grand Duke turned his head toward him. Though Meyer had mocked Lorenze, his expression too was sour.
“My younger brother is also involved in this.”
“Your brother?”
Meyer glared savagely at Lorenze as he continued.
“Lorenze lured my brother into scheming together behind my back.”
“Mm······.”
So the Rothschild family was entangled along with the Medici family. The Grand Duke furrowed his brow at Meyer’s words.
“As head of the family, I will give my brother the punishment he deserves for acting without a word. But before that, Lorenze, who broke our meeting’s rules, must pay our family a price befitting his offense.”
“Lorenze?”
The Grand Duke called him after hearing Meyer’s words. Lorenze, who had kept his lips sealed, met his eyes.
“Is Meyer’s word true?”
“That is······.”
He tried to excuse himself, but under the Grand Duke’s chilling gaze, he stopped speaking.
“Just say whether it is true or not.”
“······It is true.”
“What were you thinking?”
Rubbing his temples as though with a headache, the Grand Duke spoke.
“Our family alone couldn’t shoulder all the contracts.”
“Fine, I can accept that. But why use Meyer’s brother instead of informing the head of the family himself?” ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
“······.”
Lorenze only mouthed silently, unable to produce a defense. The Grand Duke narrowed his eyes.
“Have you forgotten our rules, or are you scorning me?”
“No! I haven’t forgotten.”
“And yet you acted like this. Lorenze, you······.”
The Grand Duke’s reproach was icy. The meeting convened to prevent the Medici family’s bankruptcy was turning into a tribunal against Lorenze.
In silence, Lorenze lowered his head. Meyer, his face tightly twisted, glared daggers at him.
Then Marx, head of the Wallenberg family, spoke.
“Lorenze’s actions were certainly wrong. But I believe the punishment should be decided only after we save the Medici family from collapse.”
His reasonable argument was supported by David, head of the Rockefeller family.
“Keeping them alive comes first, does it not? If the Medici family falls here, this gathering has no reason to exist. Let us remember why our forebears created it in the first place.”
After pondering Marx and David’s words, the Grand Duke nodded.
“Meyer, let us discuss that matter later.”
Meyer’s face was filled with discontent, but he did not oppose the Grand Duke’s decision.
Thus the meeting was able to proceed, and for hours they discussed ways to prevent the Medici family’s bankruptcy. frёeωebɳovel.com
In the end, they decided to move the Italian government into injecting public funds.
* * *
Once the Russian President’s visit to Korea ended, Putin departed for his next stop, Japan.
That evening, a call came from Han Kyungyeong.
— Muhyuk, UT Investment Bank has contacted us. They want to meet you. What do you say?
It was the call I had been waiting for. At last, word had come from them requesting a meeting.
