Free Web NovelAt Han Kyungyeong’s bombshell remark, Son Jeongui asked with a stiff expression.
“Did they really say Apple would hand over their shares? CEO Steve Jobs himself?”
Seeing the shock written all over his face, Han Kyungyeong flashed a triumphant smile.
“If you don’t believe me, you can confirm it with Apple directly, Chairman.”
Son Jeongui furrowed his brow despite himself at Han’s confident demeanor.
‘This is bad.’
Son Jeongui had intended to sell his ARM shares to Han Kyungyeong at a high price and get something more out of the deal.
But if Apple’s shares were already in play, there was no way Han would pay top dollar for his.
“What will you do? If you want a hostile takeover, I’ll proceed that way.”
“······.”
Hermann Hauser and another executive, Andy Teschler, exchanged glances.
Han Kyungyeong, waiting for their answer, spoke again to Son Jeongui.
“I take back what I said earlier. I’ll pay twice today’s closing price. Will you sell?”
As expected, once the value dropped, his shares were no longer a bargaining chip.
Son Jeongui deliberated with a hard face.
“I don’t normally prefer this kind of heavy-handed atmosphere. But you’ve already shown me disrespect twice. I don’t want to become the same kind of person, but I had no choice but to create this mood. I hope you understand.”
The words sounded polite, but the sting was there.
Leaving those words, Han Kyungyeong waited silently.
“May we step out for a bit to talk among ourselves?”
Hermann and Andy asked cautiously. Their opinions seemed divided.
“Go ahead. Just don’t take too long. This meeting already started thirty minutes late thanks to someone.”
“······Understood.”
Hermann shot Son Jeongui a resentful look before answering.
When Hermann and Andy left, the room was silent with only Han Kyungyeong and Son Jeongui remaining.
Han lifted the glass of water before him and moistened his dry lips.
Through the glass, he could see Son Jeongui deep in thought. Han reflected.
‘If not for the gift Muhyuk threw me, I would’ve been taken for a fool today...’
As Han set the glass down, Son Jeongui finally spoke.
“Not double, I’ll sell at today’s closing price. But in return, do me a favor later.”
“A favor?”
“Yes. It won’t be anything excessive.”
Han tapped the table lightly with his fingers, then stared straight into Son’s eyes.
“Why should I?”
“······.”
“Don’t you think you buttoned the first button wrong? From the start you should have said, ‘let’s invest together,’ or asked for help, or at least built some rapport. Now that things aren’t going your way, you pretend to concede? Is that it?”
Silence returned to the room.
Han’s sharp words cut like ice as his gaze swept Son Jeongui’s face.
“You’re out of order. Right now, you shouldn’t be making conditions. You should walk away completely. Then maybe next time we meet, we can greet each other with a smile. So what will it be? Will you back off?”
Son hesitated at being forced to the line. Pride made it hard to swallow.
But he was also a man who knew when to retreat.
“Fine. I’ll back down this time. Next time, this won’t happen again.”
“I’ll send the contract over with my staff.”
“······.”
Son nodded and rose first. Then he extended his hand.
“I didn’t think you’d drag Apple in. To think you convinced that stubborn, self-righteous Steve Jobs.”
Han stood and clasped his hand.
“I never once got that impression from Jobs when I met him. It was a pleasure.”
Han’s polite mask stayed on to the very end, unbothered by Son’s parting jab.
Son released his hand and headed for the door.
Just then, Hermann and Andy returned and stopped at the sight of him leaving.
“Chairman Masayoshi, where are you going?”
“I’ve decided to withdraw from this matter. I hope it turns out well. Good luck.”
With that, he brushed past them and left the room.
Hermann and Andy stared blankly at the closed door.
“Have you talked enough? We’re behind schedule. Let’s move quickly.”
Han Kyungyeong’s voice pressed from behind them.
The thought that greed could cost them everything flickered through their minds once more.
* * *
After meeting Murdoch, I came home and sat alone at the dining table with a bottle of whiskey.
Swirling the glass slowly, I replayed our conversation. My head was a storm of thoughts.
“Looks like you finished first.”
Han Kyungyeong entered the living room. He looked worn out, but not grim.
“Yeah. How did the negotiations go?”
“If not for the gift you gave me, I’d have been taken for a ride. It seems there was already some deal between Chairman Son Jeongui and ARM management.”
“And the result?”
Pressed for an answer, Han’s face lit up as he sat across from me.
I poured him a drink.
“Well. Since you told me not to push them too hard, I bought half of their shares at double the price. In return, I secured their agreement that once our shares plus theirs exceed 90%, the stock would be delisted from the London Exchange and NASDAQ.”
So he’d put that gift to good use. I smiled faintly and raised my glass.
“Well done. We’re acquiring that company for their talent. They lack money, not ability or technology.”
“True. That’s what it looked like.”
“And Chairman Masayoshi? He joined the race too.”
Han lifted his glass, frowning slightly.
“The moment I mentioned Apple’s shares, he backed off. The man clearly took me for a sucker. Since I’ve gone after every company you pointed to, no matter the cost, I guess rumors spread.”
After the Alibaba investment, Han had indeed moved heaven and earth to secure any company I indicated. No wonder the talk spread.
Our glasses clinked with a clear ring. After a sip, I asked,
“Arrogant, wasn’t he?”
“Felt like he looked down on me. I nearly lost my temper.”
The way he waved his hand above his head exaggeratedly made me laugh.
“You should’ve let it out. Even if the deal fell through, it wouldn’t have mattered.”
“No. It’s fine. No need to make an enemy of Chairman Son. He withdrew cleanly. Knowing when to retreat is a skill too.”
“Right. It is. During our Japan offensive, he was the only one among Japanese firms who actually made money. That means he has a sharp sense for timing.”
Han poured me another drink.
“Somehow I feel we’ll keep crossing paths. By the way, how did your meeting go? You said you were meeting The Sun’s chairman.”
“Hm...”
“What? Did it not go well?”
Seeing my vague answer, he pressed with concern.
“Not The Sun’s chairman. The chairman of News Corporation himself showed up.”
“Rupert Murdoch? He moved personally?”
Han’s voice trembled in shock.
“Yeah. He came straight to see me. Originally, he was targeting you for coverage, but someone tipped him off about me.”
“Who leaked it?”
“I don’t know. Must be someone who knows me.”
Han’s face grew more serious. The idea of a tip unsettled him. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
“That man doesn’t move lightly... He can sway public opinion in Australia, Britain, and even the U.S. He has weight in American politics too. So, what happened?”
Han knew him well. I had wanted to settle it calmly.
But I couldn’t help a bitter smile.
“He’s incredibly self-righteous. Trusts too much in his own power. So I gave him a warning.”
“You didn’t...”
“You don’t need to know, Hyung. You belong in the light.”
“······.”
I said it lightly to reassure him, but I still saw his hand trembling with unease.
“Don’t underestimate Murdoch’s power. His media is the only one openly friendly to the Republicans in the U.S. He played a key role in Bush’s election. Making him an enemy...”
Han’s concern made sense, especially since most of our investments were U.S.-based. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
But I couldn’t let myself be pulled along by someone like that.
“I only warned him. The meeting wasn’t planned, so I hadn’t prepared. I killed no one, cut every tie. There’s nothing to worry about.”
A half-baked threat was worse than none. Once ready, I would send him a proper gift.
No need to burden Han with that. I smiled softly and shifted the topic.
“I hope he understands my warning. Let’s talk about something else. I don’t want you too deep in this.”
Knowing my intent, Han smiled weakly and raised his glass.
“Alright. Let’s change the subject. What’s the point of heavy talk?”
We clinked glasses again.
After a few rounds and lighter topics, the talk drifted to football clubs.
“You said you wanted to buy Leeds United, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I looked into it. Definitely a prestigious club. But their finances are shaky. Will it be okay?”
“I’m not in it for profit. Are they really that bad?”
Han pulled a stack of papers from his briefcase and set it on the table.
“What’s this?”
“Documents on Leeds United.”
“When did you gather all this?”
I set my glass down in admiration and picked one up.
The papers, written in English, laid bare the club’s financial condition.
“They reached the Champions League semifinals this year but lost the qualifying spot in the league, finishing fourth. Liverpool snatched it by a single point.”
“I heard the broadcasting rights bring in huge money. Losing that must’ve hurt.”
“Exactly. So Chairman Peter Ridsdale is taking on reckless loans to satisfy the players’ demands.”
I listened as Han detailed the club’s situation. Worse than I’d thought.
“They can probably hold out this year. But next year’s the problem. Without Champions League revenue, the players—who’ve already tasted its riches—want higher wages. It’s a mess.”
I ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) nodded grimly, reading the financials.
Han sipped his whiskey patiently while I read.
“Wow... their transfer dealings are atrocious. How did they even stay afloat?”
“Ridsdale’s mortgaging club assets to survive. I’d say they’ll collapse within a year or two. Do you really want to buy this club?”
“A club like this is easier to acquire. Do you have the player roster?”
Han pulled out another paper and handed it over.
“Here. But I couldn’t tell who’s who. I only marked nationality, age, current wage, and desired wage at renewal.”
“Impressive. To dig this up in a few days.”
“This much is nothing. If I set my mind to it, I can find out fast.”
He brushed it off, but these contract details weren’t publicly available. This was all his ability.
“Hard to know where to start. Even if I buy it, most of these players will have to go.”
My brow furrowed page after page. The first thing I muttered, seeing the wages they demanded, was:
“They’ll all have to be released.”
