Free Web Novel“President Kim Muhyuk.”
Kimura Shinjiro, the Japanese Ambassador, who had been biting his lips for a long time, finally spoke in a stiff voice.
“Do you think Japan is doing this because we are afraid of you?”
At his question, I simply crossed my legs and smiled without replying.
Perhaps he sensed the ridicule behind my smile, for Ambassador Kimura’s face flushed red.
“Even the government of the Republic of Korea does not treat me this way. Yet you, just a mere businessman, treat me—who has come representing Japan—like this?”
“I do not have the leisure to entertain uninvited guests. So then, what is the reason for barging in like this?”
Ambassador Kimura clenched his fist, his hand trembling violently, before opening his mouth.
“······Please honor the terms of the negotiation you held with Representative Eva.”
I burst into loud laughter. Of course, the Japanese Cabinet must be getting desperate by now.
After laughing for a long while, I wiped away the smile and spoke sternly.
“The negotiation is broken. The negotiator was attacked in Japan, and yet you shamelessly make such demands?”
“If you do not comply, we will hand over NEC’s semiconductor division to Ilseong.”
At such a pathetic threat, I snorted and raised a finger.
“Do as you like. I will also do exactly as I please. My condition is only one. The Japanese government itself must find the culprits behind the attack on Eva and hand them over to me.”
It was worth some praise that they figured out the person who used the link between Eva and me to forge the contract.
But trying to stop me with nothing more than a threat to transfer NEC’s semiconductor unit to Ilseong was impossible.
“Even if you hide the culprits, I will still find them. No matter how much you cover up information or cut off the tails.”
The sight of my opponent, frightened before the battle had even begun, throwing out empty threats, was nothing but laughable.
“Keep pretending ignorance. Japan’s Lost Decade will become the Lost Twenty Years.”
Perhaps feeling insulted, Ambassador Kimura bit down on his lips once more.
“Mark my words. You will pay the price for scorning Japan.”
His broken Korean, spoken in warning, was nothing but a comedy.
It seemed that in the minds of the Japanese, the idea that Korea was beneath them still lingered.
And yet, to dare give such a trivial warning to the one who had shattered Cheongpunghoe, the group that gnawed at Korea, and who could shake Japan’s economy.
I glared at him with cold eyes and spoke in a low voice.
“One week. Within one week, bring the force behind Eva’s attack before me. If you cannot bring the culprit, then at least provide information. Otherwise, I will destroy Japan’s economy, no matter the cost. Deliver my words to your Prime Minister without missing a single syllable.”
From between Ambassador Kimura’s lips came the grinding of teeth. Meeting his eyes, filled with hostility, I spoke one last time.
“If you have nothing more to say, then leave.”
As I gave him an outright order of expulsion, Ambassador Kimura bit his lips so hard that blood burst forth. Spitting out each word like he was chewing them, he rose from his seat.
“I will never forget this humiliation.”
At the sight of him clinging to his pride until the end, I slowly shook my head.
I did not feel like giving him any answer, so I leaned back against the sofa and closed my eyes.
Soon after, the office door slammed shut.
“Will this be okay? Did you not provoke them too much?”
Han Kyungyeong, who had only listened to the conversation between me and Ambassador Kimura, asked while glancing at the door.
Opening my eyes, I shrugged. I had indeed provoked more than necessary.
“Japan will never listen to mere words. During World War II, even as their citizens were burning alive, they still cried for desperate resistance.”
“Still, this way it is like giving them time to prepare.”
At Han Kyungyeong’s worried tone, I smirked and replied.
“Do you think the Japanese government can control the foreign exchange and derivatives markets, which are now nothing but greed?”
The derivatives market was a place where people blinded by greed from all over the world gathered. Even if the United States went all in, controlling such a market was absolutely impossible.
It was a place filled with people who did not care even if a nation collapsed, as long as they could secure their own profits. I planned to use my money as bait and throw Japan into their midst.
“If I were aiming for profit, I could never make this decision. But if my goal is to shake the market, even at the cost of losses, then with just half of my assets I can drag Japan’s economy into ruin.”
Japan had already declared surrender under Wall Street’s invasion and merely a few billions of dollars’ worth of foreign exchange attacks.
Of course, the biggest factor was that the U.S. government turned its back. But even for the Japanese government, interfering with the market recklessly was never easy.
Even if they intervened, fully prepared for bleeding, their international credit rating would inevitably fall. When that happened, it was only natural for foreign capital to flow out like a receding tide.
“Hyung, prepare to strike immediately. While I stay in Pyeongchang-dong, you can control Dreamhigh’s headquarters, right?”
“Got it. I will finish all preparations and wait.”
With Han Kyungyeong in charge, I could feel at ease. After the incident in China, he no longer hesitated to use my money as a weapon.
All preparations were complete to drop a weapon more terrifying than a nuclear bomb onto Japan.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, a week had passed. Sitting in the study at Pyeongchang-dong, I waited for contact from Japan.
But instead of the Japanese government, a call came from Eva.
— Boss.
“Eva, are you ready to come back to Korea?”
— Yes. Everything is prepared.
Eva had wanted to finish matters in Japan to the very end, but with the Korean shareholders’ meeting just ahead, she had no choice but to return. Since it was something she had prepared for a long time, she had to lead the shareholders’ meeting herself.
“Then come back immediately. Move with the security team as well.”
— Understood. But Boss, more than that, the Japanese government came to the Russian Embassy.
Since they had barged in at Myeongdong as well, it was easy to guess they would also go to the Russian Embassy. They must have surely brought up Eva.
“Really? What did they say?”
— They asked the Russian Ambassador to hand me over.
Asking the Russian Embassy to hand Eva over. As expected, their actions did not stray from prediction.
“Did they say why?”
— They said I had to appear at the police station as a reference for the previous attack. They requested my attendance, but the Russian Ambassador refused.
They were clearly planning to summon Eva, imprison her, and then use me for negotiations. Clicking my tongue at such a disgraceful ploy, I muttered.
“Then you cannot even go to the airport.”
— That is why I called, Boss. Even if I take the Russian Ambassador’s car to the airport, I doubt they will grant me departure clearance······.
This had become troublesome. Massaging my temple against the throbbing ache, I said:
“Understood. For now, wait. I will find a way.”
— Okay, Boss.
Ending the call with Eva, I summoned Han Kyungyeong. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
“Hyung, let us begin right away.”
Han Kyungyeong nodded slightly and asked carefully.
“Preparations are finished. But were you not just speaking with Eva? What did she say, is she safe?”
“Those crazy bastards asked the Russian Ambassador to hand Eva over. State power acting like street thugs.”
“Ha······. Are they out of their minds?”
The curse slipped out naturally. While finding a way to extract Eva from Japan, it was also time to launch the attack against them.
Over the course of a week, Han Kyungyeong had prepared everything step by step and reported that the chances of victory were sufficient.
He also said that achieving the goal would require being ready to throw away astronomical sums of money.
But for the safety of me and the people around me, that much was nothing. I would mobilize all possible means—force included—if I had to.
Through this strike against Japan, I planned to etch into everyone’s memory what would happen if they dared touch me.
“Money can always be earned again. So Hyung, proceed as planned.”
“Understood. We will attack not only the bond and foreign exchange markets, but also the spot and derivatives markets simultaneously. Taesan Finance will move with us this time as well.”
This would be the first overseas market debut of Taesan Finance, made possible through Han Kyungyeong’s proposal.
“I suggested to Chairman Ha Myeonghun that we attack together. There could not be a better event for a first world-stage debut.”
It seemed Taesan Finance readily accepted the opportunity. I nodded in satisfaction.
“Instead, I have arranged the plan so that Taesan Finance only gains substantial profit.”
“Since you are the one leading, I trust you will do well. Crush Japan’s economy—thoroughly, and in the shortest time possible.”
“Okay. Then we will begin as soon as we head out.”
After Han Kyungyeong left, I was alone, pondering how to get Eva out of Japan. Tapping the table with my fingers, I sank into deep thought for a long while.
Soon, one method came to mind, and I placed a call somewhere.
The dial tone rang, and then a voice came through the receiver.
“Chairman Medvedev.”
— President Kim, it has been a while. I heard about what happened in Japan.
It was Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev who answered. I had thought of him because earlier I had asked Russia’s side to investigate the culprits.
“You have not managed to find anything on the Russian mafia yet, have you?”
— Not easy. It is complete chaos.
“You still have not cleaned it up?”
— It was literally a battlefield. There were even jokes that you could buy nuclear weapons on the black market.
After the Soviet Union collapsed and Yeltsin came to power, all kinds of Soviet military weapons began circulating on the black market.
Even though so many soldiers and mafia were involved, and even after Putin rose to power and rooted many of them out, Soviet-made weapons still circulated illegally.
Because of that, it seemed it would take quite some time before meaningful results could be achieved.
— Still, there should be good news soon.
“Thank you for that, Chairman. The reason I am calling today is to tell you that I plan to strike at Japan.”
— Hm······.
A muffled groan came over the line.
“That is why I am thinking of bringing Eva back to Korea. Today, the Japanese government requested the Russian Embassy to hand her over.”
— I already received that report. Do not worry, I already ordered them never to hand her over. We do not hand over a friend’s friend.
It had paid off that I had hidden Eva in the Russian Embassy instead of the Korean one. I let out a small laugh at Medvedev’s firm tone.
“Of course. I was never worried about that.”
— As long as she is under our embassy’s protection, Japan will not dare act recklessly.
Confidence was thick in his voice.
“Medvedev, it is a difficult request, but could you personally escort Eva out of Japan to Russia? If you are with her, Japan would not dare block you.”
— Are you asking me to go to Japan myself right now?
“Yes. You are the only one I can trust with this.”
In truth, I wanted to ask Putin, but it would require too much preparation for a head of state to move personally.
On the line, silence lingered as he asked me to wait. I calmly awaited his answer.
— Sorry for the delay. I was checking my schedule······. I also reported this to Putin. If his approval comes, I will enter Japan tomorrow and bring Representative Eva out.
“Thank you. I will not forget this favor.”
— Between us, this much is nothing.
Medvedev spoke as though it were nothing, but for Putin’s closest ally to move personally was no small matter.
Naturally, I would have to repay him handsomely later, but right now bringing Eva out was more urgent.
“No, I will definitely repay you.”
Recently I had received too much help from Putin and Medvedev.
If one side only kept receiving, that was bad manners. In the end, if the scales tipped too far, the relationship would collapse.
— Now I am curious what you will give me since you said that.
Even though I had made such a difficult request, Medvedev laughed for a long time. Relieved, I too let out a laugh.
* * *
“Damn it! How dare a worthless Joseon bastard threaten us? Kim Muhyuk, that bastard!”
Japanese Prime Minister Masado Hasaki sat in the Prime Minister’s Office, receiving the report from the Japanese Ambassador to Korea.
After venting his anger for quite a while, he summoned the Chief Cabinet Secretary, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Foreign Minister! What did the Russian Ambassador say?”
“He said absolutely no.”
“Why on earth is Russia shielding Representative Eva like that?”
The Prime Minister slammed his desk as he asked, and the Foreign Minister hesitated before answering.
“······It is said President Putin is very close with Kim Muhyuk. He even entrusted all Russian investments by Korean companies to him.”
“There are no friends in international relations! What nonsense!”
The Prime Minister’s furious shout shook the office. fгeewebnovёl.com
“Is Wall Street moving with him again? Like before?”
“No. The United States advised Japan to quietly let it go this time. It seems Dreamhigh is moving alone.”
“We cannot surrender to some Joseon bastard. This time, whatever it takes, we must stop him.”
It had been a huge shock when they learned Dreamhigh was behind Wall Street’s previous assault.
The fact that Dreamhigh—a mere company, and one led by a Korean—had shaken Japan’s economy left a scar on their pride.
“Finance Minister, if Japan’s banks clear their contracts with them, how much will the losses be?”
“······Without government support, they will go bankrupt without question. That is ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) why we negotiated with Representative Eva. We agreed to hand over NFC’s semiconductor division to Joongwoo Group in exchange for clearing the contracts and repaying in installments.”
The Finance Minister answered calmly.
“Are you saying the government must inject public funds now?”
“Yes, without fail.”
At that answer, the Prime Minister furrowed his brows.
“If we let them go bankrupt?”
“If we leave them to collapse, the crisis will be worse than what Korea suffered in 1997.”
The Prime Minister fell into deep concern. He recalled Kim Muhyuk’s words about Japan’s Lost Decade.
“If we inject public funds and save them, do we have countermeasures prepared?”
“We will proceed with the bank mergers as originally planned······.”
Hearing the Finance Minister’s words, the Prime Minister gave a small nod. Putting out the immediate fire was the priority.
“Then begin preparations in the Ministry of Finance.”
“Public fund injections? That will be a huge burden on the national budget.”
“But we cannot just hand Japanese companies over to a Joseon man, can we?”
Even if they resolved it with public funds, since Japan had already been shaken once, international trust would surely fall.
The Prime Minister jerked his chin at the hesitant Finance Minister.
“Whatever happens, let us think after we get through this crisis. As for the ministry officials, manage them yourself. Once this crisis is over, we will dismantle the Ministry of Finance······.”
Before he could even finish his words, the door of the Prime Minister’s Office burst open, and the Chief Secretary ran in.
“Prime Minister! A massive amount of yen has just been dumped on the foreign exchange market. Both the spot and forward markets are flooded!”
At the Chief Secretary’s bombshell report, the Prime Minister’s Office was instantly thrown into shock.
