Genius Grandson Of The Loan Shark King

Future Building.

On the 1,000-pyeong lot in Daechi-dong that I took from Chairman Jung of Hyunbo Group, I had originally planned to construct two towers, but I settled for just one.

I had been thinking of letting Han Kyungyeong use it when he came to Korea, but if I wanted to maintain my “nice guy” image, it seemed better to get a smaller office—so I changed my mind.

In the end, this place would become Eva’s base of operations.

“The top floor’s furnished like a hotel suite. You can stay there.”

“When can I check it out?”

“End of this year. How is it? Do you like your present?”

“GOOD!”

Eva beamed up at Future Building with the brightest smile on her face, clearly delighted.

“For now, just stay in the hotel suite and get things ready.”

“You said I can recruit whoever I want, right?”

“Yeah. Got someone in mind?”

“Not yet. I’ll start meeting people now. If I don’t prepare ahead of time, I won’t be ready to launch by year-end. It’s going to get busy. But... you’ll stay with me today, won’t you?”

Eva shot me a look filled with temptation.

“Hahaha. I’ve cleared my schedule for today. I’ll show you around Seoul. It’s your first time here since you were a kid, right?”

“Yeah. Let’s start with something spicy.”

I took her to a restaurant I’d reserved in advance. It was a traditional Korean restaurant that catered to foreigners.

We talked over dinner about the preparation process, then I drove her back to her hotel.

“Seoul’s night view isn’t any worse than Hong Kong’s.”

“It’s developed a lot, right?”

“Yeah. I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

Eva murmured as she looked out the window.

“Is a country like this really going to fall into crisis?”

“You saw what happened to Thailand.”

“But Thailand and Korea aren’t even in the same ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) league economically.”

She wasn’t wrong. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

The gap between Korea and Thailand’s economies was vast.

This was the second Asian country to join the OECD.

On the surface, Korea was an economic powerhouse, the miracle of the Han River.

But underneath? A hollow shell. A sandcastle built on debt.

“Indonesia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong won’t be safe either. The hyenas of Wall Street don’t care who they attack. But their final target will be Korea.”

Originally, Korea hadn’t been part of their plans. But when the country began to shake due to the Southeast Asian economic crisis, they made their decision.

With the U.S. at their back, they moved the IMF to start pressing Korea with conditions that only favored them.

“Trust me, boss. For me, a crisis is an opportunity. Thanks for letting me in on this event.”

Eventually, the car slowly stopped at the hotel entrance.

“Come on up. Let’s have a drink in the room you’ll be staying in.”

Eva nodded and stepped out with her usual elegance.

Her appearance turned heads.

As she walked up beside me and linked her arm in mine, she said:

“Since it’s the last day, this much is okay, right?”

She was right. Once she officially stepped into the political and financial scenes, meeting like this would be impossible.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

The next day.

I left the hotel early in the morning.

“What’s on the schedule today?”

“Nothing except dinner with Miss Cheon Jiyoung.”

“Then take me to Myeongdong.”

Hyunseong was in Myeongdong, learning the basics of bookkeeping and loan sharking under Twin Blades.

According to him, Hyunseong was picking things up faster than expected.

“Welcome, boss.”

When I arrived at the office, Kim Hosik—Twin Blades—was the first to greet me.

“You look like you’re doing well too, Mr. Kim.”

“Hahaha, I’ve just been lazing around lately. The other loan sharks are the ones having a field day.”

When the economy slows and money stops circulating, Myeongdong is always the first to react.

With banks and investment firms tightening their cash flow, ordinary people had nowhere to turn except the private lending market.

Small business owners and self-employed folks were flooding to Myeongdong in desperation—

—unaware they were heading straight into ruin.

“You should start cleaning up your identity, Mr. Kim. If you keep lending now, it’ll be hard to collect later, and you won’t be able to move into the legal market.”

“I know. Just talking.”

We entered the office while chatting. Inside, I spotted Hyunseong at a desk, looking over documents.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

He looked up at my voice.

“Fine.”

Still blunt as ever, even in the private lending world.

I walked behind him to glance at the papers. All loan forms.

“You getting used to it?”

“More or less. It’s tough.”

“You only need the basics. You won’t be working on the ground, so there’s no need to become an expert.”

“No. I need to understand it. Otherwise, why would I be here? If I’m doing this, I’m doing it properly.”

That was just like him. Steady and straightforward.

“Alright. Do what you want. Let’s go eat.”

He glanced at the clock on the wall.

“It’s not even noon.”

“So what? Let’s go.”

“Okay. Just let me finish this.”

While Hyunseong wrapped up the paperwork, I sat on the office couch with Twin Blades.

“Next year we’ll start founding loan companies. Appoint figurehead CEOs we can trust. You’ll take on the actual management with Hyunseong assisting.”

“Thank you for the opportunity.”

“Don’t betray me. We’re down to two left.”

“I know.”

He understood better than anyone how Sledgehammer and Marauder were handled. Thankfully, he was someone who listened.

“You’ll be rewarded if you put in the effort.”

“Yes.”

“When you handle rice cakes, you’re bound to get crumbs on you. I’ll allow a bit of that—but don’t cross the line.”

“Understood.”

Just as I finished warning him, Hyunseong stood up.

“I’m done.”

“Yeah? Then let’s go. Mr. Kim, I’ll see you again.”

“Take care, boss.”

We went to a humble restaurant nearby.

It had been a while since I’d eaten in such a packed place.

“Things will get busy starting next year.”

“Yeah.”

Myungsoo was currently serving in the military as a legal officer and planned to enter the prosecution once he was discharged.

Hyunseong, on the other hand, had been exempted from service after the incident. freewёbnoνel.com

“Thanks for your help.”

“Don’t mention it. I should be thanking you.”

That “painful finger” of mine, Hyunseong, was finally settling into place—and I felt like I could finally breathe easier.

We didn’t talk much.

Whether for my own satisfaction or for his future, I just hoped this was the right choice.

After parting with him, I headed to Pyeongchang-dong.

When I stopped by the study to greet my grandfather, he spoke first.

“You stayed out last night.”

“Yes, I had something to take care of.”

“Sit. We need to talk.”

“Okay.”

His face was serious.

Once I sat down, he hesitated briefly before speaking heavily.

“The government contacted me. They want me to release dollars into the market.”

That was sooner than expected.

The government, while reassuring citizens they had $30 billion in foreign reserves, had just announced a financial reform bill that increased the individual foreign currency holding limit to $500,000 without asking for the source of funds. That move was the only reason they could claim to be holding $30 billion.

“What do you think?”

“If dumping my dollars would prevent the crisis, I’d do it—even owe them a favor. But it’d be like pissing on a frozen foot.”

He was right. Even if he poured out all his dollars, it wouldn’t matter.

It was better to hold onto it and lend it out later in exchange for stakes in corporations.

“Then you should refuse.”

“You sure? It’s not wise to clash with the administration.”

“Don’t worry. The government’s already dead. The Prosecutor General is on our side, and the Tax Office Director is your long-time friend.”

The two key people who could pose a threat were already close to us.

“This idiotic government made too many political decisions. They got into a pissing match with the Bank of Korea and ignored every warning from frontline officials. The so-called Minister of Finance...”

This administration had bet everything on joining the OECD and hitting a per-capita income of $10,000.

Purely for political reasons.

They had no idea that investment firms were borrowing short-term from the U.S. and Japan and lending it back out to Southeast Asia and domestic companies.

With the Fed raising interest rates and Southeast Asia crashing, capital was starting to flee back to the U.S.

The ticking time bomb was nearly out.

“Any contact from the major conglomerates?”

“Not yet. None of the top ten.”

“How about Ashin?”

He nodded faintly.

“Ashin doesn’t have a real owner. Who’d come to represent them?”

“Good point. So who contacted you from the government?”

“The Finance Minister himself. Said it was a VIP order and acted all high and mighty... what a fool. And this guy’s steering the country’s economy.”

Thailand’s surrender was just the beginning.

Attacks on the Indonesian rupiah had caused it to crash too. Now the offensive was shifting toward countries like Taiwan and the Philippines.

“In a few months, the conglomerates will be lining up at our door.”

“Do you want something in return?”

“Just do what you’ve always done. Make them put up core company shares or issue convertible bonds.”

“Haha, alright. I don’t know what you’re planning, but I’ll do it right.”

“Especially Ilseong Electronics. I want to secure as much as possible.”

“Ilseong Electronics?”

He looked puzzled. I smiled.

“Yes. It’s the heart of Ilseong Group.”

“I’ll try.”

“Thank you.”

After finishing my talk with Grandfather, I went up to my room. Chief Ma reported to me.

“The PMC prep is complete. Incorporation will finish next month, and weapons purchases will begin in spring.”

“What about the Korean branch?”

“They’re planning to establish it in the spring too. They’ll send a team of Navy SEAL elites.”

“Eric’s doing a good job.”

Over $2 billion had already gone into setting up the PMC.

And we hadn’t even started buying weapons yet.

“The spending is insane.”

“Well, we are building a private army. But if we can get contracts from the U.S. government, we’ll recoup quickly.”

“True. And it’s not really about the money. Keep going.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once Chief Ma left, I called Han Kyungyeong.

—Hello.

He sounded groggy. Probably just woke up.

“Were you sleeping?”

—Ugh... Muhyuk?

“If you’re going back to sleep, call me later.”

—No, wait a sec.

I heard him rushing around on the other end.

—Yawn... What’s up?

“Hyung. How much is in the Bermuda account?”

—Black Mouse?

“Yeah.”

—A bit over $30 billion.

“Okay. Invest that into Korea. As soon as the market opens tomorrow, place bets for January contracts: won over 1,800, KOSPI under 400.”

—...What? I’m wide awake now.

“1,800 won. KOSPI 400.”

He went quiet for a while.

“You got it?”

—Yeah, I got it... but I don’t know if we can burn the whole 30 billion. I’ll check once I get in.

“Thanks.”

—Are we done with Southeast Asia?

“No. Hong Kong’s still left. But for now, place a $30 billion bet on Korea’s collapse.”

Korea wouldn’t fall because of Wall Street’s assault.

It would collapse when the bombs already planted inside exploded.

If I backed out just because it was my home country, someone else would take the profit.

I remembered what Chairman Song once said:

‘Then you should seize the opportunity. If you don’t, someone else will. That’s how the economy works.’

Right. Better I take it than someone else.

Han Kyungyeong began buying up all available futures and options under the ghost company registered in Bermuda.

While hedge funds wrapped up their “Southeast Asia tour,” they were now preparing to attack Asia’s financial hub: Hong Kong.

This was the moment—the biggest opportunity to make money during the Asian financial crisis.

< The Government’s Already Dead > End