Chapter 36: Why Don’t You Work with Me on This One?

Cheon Sang-do.

He might now be acting the part of a respectable securities company president, but his roots lay in the dark, grimy backstreets of Myeong-dong’s private loan market.

“Aigo, look at this, the young president himself! You must be busy on a day like this—what brings you all the way down to this shabby place?”

He stood up and exaggeratedly reached out his hand to me. I took it lightly and smiled.

“It’s been a while, President Cheon.”

“Well now, how long has it been, really? Not even a month, eh? Hehe, still lively as ever, I see.”

After our handshake, Cheon Sang-do guided me to the sofa deeper inside his office.

As soon as I sat down, I asked,

“Have you taken part in Daegung stock’s paid-in capital increase?”

“That one? Hah, I’m planning to sneak in on the last day, maybe. Too many folks are crowding in—it’s a madhouse out there.”

Watching his indifferent expression, I continued,

“It seems President Park Jeong-ho didn’t assign the subscription work to Mando Securities. On my way here, I saw the area in front of the Korea Securities Exchange and several other firms completely packed with people.”

“Tsk. You think that man would ever bother dealing with someone like me?”

A flash of irritation crossed his face. His voice carried deep resentment toward Park Jeong-ho, along with anger at being treated with contempt.

“He and I both started in the money business, but now that he’s made it big, he acts like I’m beneath him every time we meet. Hah, he sure knows how to look down on people.”

Though he said they both started in the same business, the truth was that Park Jeong-ho and Cheon Sang-do were worlds apart.

Park Jeong-ho had come from a prestigious banking background, joining hands with power from the very start to build his fortune in the open.

Cheon Sang-do, on the other hand, had clawed his way up through the private loan market’s underbelly.

“Well then, what’s the real reason you came to see me today? You’ve probably got something that smells strongly of money, don’t you?”

Cheon Sang-do chuckled slyly. His tone was light, but his eyes gleamed sharply. It was his way of saying, enough small talk.

I caught his intent and nodded.

“President Cheon. Why don’t you work with me on this one?”

“Work… with you, huh? Haha, well.”

Cheon Sang-do straightened his posture. His instinct to react immediately to anything that could make money was practically second nature.

“Alright, let’s hear it. What kind of fun are we talking about?”

“But once you hear it, you’ll have to commit to it.”

At my firm tone, Cheon Sang-do frowned slightly.

“Now listen here, young man. You haven’t even told me what this is about, and you expect me to just nod along like a fool?”

“This won’t be something that’ll harm you, President Cheon. In fact, it could be a tremendous opportunity.”

“Aigo! Then speak plainly, will you? Don’t keep me hanging!”

I had come here considering him as a potential partner for this operation—but that didn’t mean I trusted him.

Given his background and temperament, he was the type who could stab me in the back at any time.

So I couldn’t tell him everything from the start. I had to tame him first.

“For now, let me offer you one valuable piece of information.”

“Information?”

“Sell every single Daegung stock certificate you currently own—both the physical shares and the ones you bought through regular trading—right away.”

At my words, the expression vanished from Cheon Sang-do’s face in an instant. The mask of the sly businessman shattered.

He furrowed his brow and glared at me as if he had just heard something insane.

“Wh-what did you just say? Sell all my Daegung shares? The ones that are skyrocketing like crazy?”

“Yes. You need to sell them immediately. And do not participate in the upcoming paid-in capital increase.”

“Y-you crazy bastard…!”

Face red with fury, Cheon Sang-do shot up from his seat and pointed a trembling finger at me. He was shaking, unable to contain his rage.

From his perspective, my words must have sounded like mockery or deceit.

“So, you make us buy those stocks, and now you tell us not to even touch the capital increase?! You call that advice? You punk! You think you can scam me just because I’m older?!”

“President Cheon. Watch your words.”

I stood up as well, staring back coldly. My voice dropped to a chilling tone.

At my gaze, Cheon Sang-do’s face grew even redder.

“What did you say? You little brat…! Do you even know who you’re talking to right now?!”

“President Cheon. Even if you’re angry, you should mind your words. If this is how you talk, then we can’t work together. I may be younger, but I’m not your subordinate.”

Our glares collided violently in the air—his burning with rage, mine sharp and icy.

Judging from his reaction, he wasn’t going to calm down easily. So, I decided to give him a moment to breathe.

“Let me finish explaining first, President Cheon. Then you can be as angry as you want.”

“What’s there to explain?!”

“Or should I just walk out now? I’m offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Cheon Sang-do opened and closed his mouth soundlessly. The fire in his voice dulled, and a heavy silence fell.

He must have been thinking fast. If I had come here to trick him, there would’ve been no reason for me to visit and tell him something this risky.

“Ehem… My apologies. I got a bit heated there.”

Finally, Cheon Sang-do cleared his throat and took a step back. There was no need to push further once he had yielded.

“I understand. It’s only natural for you to be suspicious, President Cheon.”

“Well then, go on. Let’s hear the rest.”

He dropped back onto the sofa first, and I followed suit. Then I calmly laid out what I knew—the current situation, and the danger it posed.

“Park Jeong-ho will not participate in this capital increase.”

“What? What did you just say? President Park isn’t going to take part in the paid-in capital increase?”

“That man is hollow inside. He may look glamorous on the outside, but he’s completely out of cash. He doesn’t even have the money to take part in the paid-in capital increase.”

“What? Everyone in this business knows President Park made the most money this time around. How can that make any sense?”

“All of that money has already flowed into the KCIA. What Park Jeong-ho has left now is only his Daegung stock.”

“J-just a moment, wait right there.”

Cheon Sang-do suddenly jumped to his feet and opened the heavy safe in one corner of his office. From inside, he pulled out a thick ledger.

His trembling hands flipped rapidly through the pages as he checked something. Soon after, he sighed deeply with a groan of disbelief.

“This is bad… if President Park really doesn’t join in, then this shareholder-allocated capital increase is as good as ruined…”

The shares of Daegung stock held by Park Jeong-ho and his faction amounted to nearly sixty percent of the total market volume.

If they refused to take part in the capital increase, that would practically guarantee its failure.

“That’s correct. But Park Jeong-ho believes he can dump all that stock through a public offering instead. He’s betting everything on the market’s current frenzy.”

“That won’t be so easy. No matter how much blind money is flowing in, people still have eyes. If the major shareholder walks away, do you think anyone will rush to buy through a public offering? Even in this crazy market, folks will think something’s off.”

“You’ve read it perfectly, President Cheon. That’s exactly why I came here to advise you today—sell all your holdings. Not just Daegung stock, but every single share Mando Securities is holding right now.”

“What did you say? You’re telling me to sell everything we have? Not just Daegung stock, but all the shares held by our firm?”

Cheon Sang-do’s face turned pale. I silently nodded.

He seemed to have quickly understood what I meant. A man who had clawed his way from the private loan market to the position of a securities president wasn’t someone to underestimate.

“Then… you mean the entire stock market’s about to collapse, don’t you? You’ve forgotten who’s standing behind President Park.”

He was right—it was stock manipulation directly backed by the powers within the regime.

Market participants believed that those in power would never allow a collapse.

“But what happens if those people don’t protect him this time?”

At my cold retort, Cheon Sang-do’s eyes widened to slits.

If that assumption crumbled, the current bubble would burst in an instant.

“If you sell now, you’ll still get a premium over the current price. But this good time won’t last long, President Cheon.”

“W-wait a minute! I need to check something right away!”

Cheon Sang-do hastily reached for the call button on his desk to summon his secretary.

“Please wait, President Cheon.”

He wasn’t usually someone who acted this rashly. Clearly, he was shaken. I quickly stopped him.

“Don’t let anyone else know about this information. The more people find out, the smaller your profit will become.”

Cheon Sang-do froze for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and nodded.

“Whew… I was too hasty. My apologies.”

“No need. I would’ve done the same.”

Now composed, Cheon Sang-do erased the restlessness from his face and leaned forward, his gaze earnest.

“Be honest with me, young president. Why are you telling me something this valuable? I really don’t get it.”

“I told you already, didn’t I? I want us to work together. That’s why I’m sharing this. I wouldn’t deceive my future partner. The truth is, I only learned this information after I sold off all my shares. I’m telling you now so there’s no misunderstanding later, President Cheon.”

“Still… this information’s worth a fortune, you know.”

“When you hear about the work we’ll be doing together, you’ll realize this is only the beginning.”

I smiled faintly and glanced at my wristwatch. It’s already this late. Standing up, I said,

“You’ll be quite busy for a few days. Once you’ve cleared everything up, contact me.”

I picked up a notepad from the table, wrote down my private contact number, and slid it toward Cheon Sang-do.

“I can’t wait too long. You’ll have to contact me within three days. If you decide not to work with me, there’s no need to call.”

With a slight bow of my head, I left the president’s office without hesitation.

After meeting with Cheon Sang-do, I headed straight to our secret office located in the heart of the Gangnam District.

There, together with Kang Cheol-min, Yoon Ji-seong, and Ma Dong-jin, I spent two sleepless days discussing the operation that lay ahead.

Time was short, and the list of things we had to prepare was mountainous.

“Whew… this is huge. If we fail, even Master Yang won’t be able to protect us.”

After several days of analysis, Kang Cheol-min finally spoke, swallowing hard. His face carried both excitement and deep concern.

Yoon Ji-seong and Ma Dong-jin silently nodded in agreement.

Looking at the three of them in turn, I said,

“You’re right. That’s why this time, your roles—no, all of our roles—are more important than ever.”

“We’ll follow your lead, of course, but… to be honest, this operation carries risks on a whole different level,” Yoon Ji-seong said cautiously, his tone measured.

“Riding along with their plan to profit is one thing—but overturning their plan and setting up a new board entirely is something else.”

“This time, we’re not shaking the board ourselves. We’ll move strictly from the second line, steering things in our favor. The people directly leading this operation won’t be us—it’ll be others.”

“I just worry we’ll get crushed in a fight between the big whales,” Kang Cheol-min said frankly.

“Cheol-min, that’s enough.”

In a low voice, Ma Dong-jin stopped him. But Kang Cheol-min scowled in frustration.

“No, hyung. What I mean is—”

“I said that’s enough. If the boss says we move, we move.”

At that moment, the sharp ring of the office phone cut through the air. Everyone turned their gaze toward it.

Ma Dong-jin picked up the receiver. After a brief exchange, he handed it to me.

“President Cheon Sang-do wishes to speak with you.”

“Ah, that was faster than I expected.”

Smiling faintly, I took the phone.

“This is Baek Min-woo speaking. Have you made your decision, President Cheon?”

— …Yes. I’ll do it.

“You’ve made a wise choice. Then come over here. I’ll send someone to pick you up.”

After hanging up, I tossed the car keys to Kang Cheol-min.

“Mr. Kang Cheol-min, head to Mando Securities and bring President Cheon Sang-do here. Politely.”

“Yes, boss.”

Not long after, the office door opened—and Kang Cheol-min entered with Cheon Sang-do by his side.

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