The Chairman Who Wants to Play and Eat - Chapter 51



51st Episode. This is why I called you.

‘It’s gone up again.’

Ding,

The Bloomberg terminal he had recently acquired displayed the stock fluctuations on the screen. The stocks of Bedford and Hampshire had risen again.

Deputy Director Oh Hyun-sik couldn’t hide his joy.

It was just a few days ago.

The young master, who should have been in Korea, suddenly appeared in the office.

“Young master! What about school?”

At first, he was surprised.

“Deputy Director Oh, I need you to do me a favor.”

But after hearing the story, he was even more astonished.

He had come to promise to buy a whopping 1,000 shares of that Warren Kane stock, which was notoriously difficult to acquire.

From then on, it was a smooth ride.

I flew straight to Omaha to wrap up the formalities.

1,000 shares,

Totaling about one million dollars.

Naturally, compared to its value, that price was ridiculously low.

Just looking at the stock price that kept climbing proves that beyond doubt.

Wait a minute?

Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind.

Having provided only two pages of information out of thirty-four, if this is the result, what if the information I sent had been complete?

‘Then maybe 2,000 shares, or perhaps even 10,000 shares could have been possible.’

There were plenty of bullets.

So the more I thought about it, the more I felt a pang of regret.

That’s what he thought.

Before he knew it, Oh Hyun-sik, the manager, was becoming one of those who would blindly believe even if the young master Hyun-sun was making soybean paste with red beans.

“Assistant Bang!”

“Yes! Manager!”

It felt rewarding to have scolded him loudly. He came running in less than a second.

“Is today’s report ready?”

“Yes!”

“Don’t make any strange mistakes like last time. Send it properly. Don’t leave out a single page, got it?”

“I will complete it with my life on the line!”

His voice was booming.

“Don’t overdo it. Ah, anyway, you can touch the fax machine, but don’t even think about laying a finger on that Bloomberg terminal, especially when I’m not around! If it breaks, you won’t be able to repay that with your life.”

Before long, his number one treasure had shifted from the fax machine to the Bloomberg terminal.

It would probably be the first among Korean companies.

All thanks to the young master.

It was an expensive, state-of-the-art machine that cost thousands of dollars a year to maintain.

It hadn’t been long since its release.

If the investments hadn’t succeeded and given me some leeway, I wouldn’t have even thought of bringing it in so easily.

That was when.

The ringtone blared loudly.

Just from the sound, I knew. It must be that Matthew guy.

It had only been a few days since I heard his plea.

“Whenever good information pops up on the Bloomberg terminal, you let me know first, okay? Just until our company buys it for me, I beg you.”

Of course, I refused.

I didn’t even pick up the phone.

Information isn’t cheap.

Especially if it’s information that can be received even a minute, no, a second earlier than others.

If it were a young master’s permission, that would be one thing, but I had no intention of giving away such precious information for free.

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*

Time passed.

It was late evening.

“What could it be?”

Chairman Hyun Byung-geon suddenly received word from the Blue House that the President wanted to invite him in for a late-night meal.

Though it was called an invitation, it was more of a command. Disobeying it would lead to consequences.

He called his chief secretary.

“I’ll prepare right away.”

Even in his usually steady voice, tension had begun to seep through.

He headed towards Bukak Mountain.

He passed through countless checkpoints. It was a smooth passage. It took less than ten minutes to enter the Blue House grounds.

In the annex restaurant,

He wasn’t the only one summoned.

“What’s this, a midnight surprise?”

“Do I look like I know? I can only hope it’s nothing serious.”

Other group chairmen, who had also rushed in after receiving sudden notifications, whispered among themselves.

No one openly expressed their dissatisfaction.

They didn’t have the guts to do so.

The Blue House, with its sharp ears, listened to both day and night conversations without missing a beat.

If it were just his own skin on the line, it wouldn’t matter, but he was responsible for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of employees. He had to be careful.

It was then.

“Mr. President is entering.”

Soon after,

with the announcement, a man walked in. His stride was arrogant. It was the President.

“Ha ha, what can I say about calling the elderly at this late hour?”

It was a statement devoid of sincerity.

“Please, everyone, take a seat. No need to stand. I simply wanted to gather you all to discuss the happenings of the world. There’s no need to be tense. Ha ha.”

To say not to be tense was to imply the opposite.

Regardless of what was to come, I steeled myself once more.

A moment later,

“Last year, I launched the professional baseball league for the betterment of the public welfare, and I trust everyone remembers that?”

This was said while we were eating noodles, which had been brought out as a late-night snack.

The moment those words were spoken, Chairman Hyun realized.

He was hinting for more investment in baseball.

Everyone chimed in.

“Thanks to you, Mr. President, the entire nation is enjoying it.”

“Amidst your busy schedule, we appreciate your attention to such details.”

Flattery followed.

“Um, ahem. So, about that······.”

To summarize what the President said next:

The Miseong Stars,

a perennial bottom team that had finished last for two consecutive years.

To make matters worse, their parent company had gone bankrupt, leaving them unable to operate the team any longer.

Yet, they couldn’t reduce the league size that had been set at six teams from the start, and someone had to take over that team, he began.

As soon as the name was mentioned, everyone understood.

He was asking for a takeover.

“If there happens to be a patriot among you, I could particularly waive this year’s Saemaul donation.”

He had no intention of hiding his motives. It was a blatant request.

“Ha ha, how could we spare any expense when it comes to serving our country?”

“Indeed. Just say the word, and we will comply.”

Words alone.

There was no chairman willing to step forward.

And it was understandable.

Acquiring the baseball team was just the beginning.

Making money from ticket sales was still a distant dream, and instead, there were countless expenses to cover. It was a business riddled with deficits.

Moreover, the team was the weakest of the weak.

So who would want to boldly step up and say they would take it on?

The president’s expression hardened as he looked around at the group, all of whom were merely exchanging glances.

“It seems there’s really no one willing to take this on.”

“······.”

“Very well. I’ll give you some time. I didn’t expect a decision to be made right here anyway. I’ll give you a week. Choose between making a donation or acquiring the baseball team.”

It was a warning. The atmosphere felt as prickly as a bed of thorns.

That night,

“Director Joo, come in quickly.”

As soon as Chairman Hyun entered and sat down, he called for him. His face was flushed.

“What is it, Chairman?”

“First, sit down.”

“Yes.”

He explained the situation.

“Let’s call the subsidiaries first. I think we need to hear the opinions of the presidents. Acquiring the baseball team is bound to be a burden for our group, right?”

“It would be best for you to hear the presidents’ opinions first, and then make your decision, Chairman.”

Director Joo chose his words carefully.

Both of them knew well.

It was only recently that the Daeguk Group, which had fallen out of favor with the regime, had been dismantled. A conglomerate that ranked in the top ten had literally disintegrated.

It was a time to tread carefully.

“Well, that’s true.”

Chairman Hyun let out a grunt and suddenly said,

“While calling the presidents, also invite the vice-chairman. No matter how urgent it is, we should give them at least 30 minutes to gather, right? Since it’s late.”

Director Joo guessed the underlying meaning.

It wasn’t a request to wait for 30 minutes. He intended to take care of another matter during that time. Seeing Director Joo scratch where it itched, Chairman Hyun smiled faintly.

“You’re just as sharp as they say.”

“I apologize for that.”

Then, Chairman Hyun spoke.

“They served noodles as a late-night snack at the Blue House, and I couldn’t tell if they were going in through my nose or my mouth. They called me over after serving two bowls to fill my stomach, and tell Sang-yoon to come too. Make sure he arrives in five minutes. Don’t tell him why. I want to hear what he thinks first.”

I was in the middle of reviewing the report.

‘Has it gone up again?’

It was sent from the United States.

It was a mistake to choose based solely on the data provided by Seonghyeon Electronics.

Bedford and Hampshire’s stock price had been rising day by day.

No matter how much I tried to reassure myself that it would only be temporary, that it would soon drop, the anxiety was an undeniable fact.

Moreover,

[Future Killer has just finished in North America. ······ Total revenue approximately $80 million, likely to be recorded as one of the highest-grossing cases ever.]

Future Killer had ultimately gone all the way.

A massive success.

With worldwide total revenue at $80 million, even after deducting various expenses, our share from Seonghyeon, which we invested half of, would be close to $40 million.

I had only spent a million dollars of that.

And that was still rising.

Ah, that calculation excludes Starfox. That was the only thing I could rely on.

‘Next is Ronald Durham.’

The day I was leaving Omaha, Howard Johnson from Starfox’s parting words echoed in my ears.

After hearing that, I looked into this Ronald Durham. Once again, it was through Manager Oh.

This time, the data came through properly.

It was an extensive report of over 30 pages.

It stated that Ronald Durham was a wealthy individual who had achieved great success in Manhattan real estate investments, known for his aggressive investment tendencies, such as acquiring abandoned stations to transform them into cultural complexes or even taking over an entire minor league football league.

‘It’s all or nothing.’

He was the complete opposite of Warren Kane.

Suddenly, I felt grateful to Howard.

In the case of Warren Kane, he had been wrong, but it seemed this time he would introduce me to a good friend.

Just as I was lost in these thoughts.

“Is the young master here?”

A person emerged from the secretary’s office. It was a face I had seen coming and going.

“What’s the matter?”

“Sir, I apologize for the late hour. The chairman urgently requests your presence.”

“Is that so? Let’s go quickly.”

What could it be?

From his expression, it seemed to be something urgent.

The family home,

“Have you arrived?”

The current chairman’s face looked somewhat haggard. It was a dark expression I had never seen before.

“Sit down.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“I called you to have a late-night snack together. There are things to discuss.”

Soon, the noodles arrived.

I had been craving a late-night snack anyway. Following the silent eating of the elderly Chairman Hyun, I began to put the noodles into my mouth.

Inside, I was curious.

‘What could it be?’

Seeing his dark expression, could it be that he intends to scold me this time?

Could it be because I invested in Warren Kane without informing him beforehand? Or could there be another reason?

In the midst of this, Chairman Hyun opened his mouth.

“What do you think about investing in professional baseball?”

It was an unexpected question.

I quickly replied.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”

“Really? Why do you think so?”

There was only one reason.

It’s a business filled with deficits.

If the government hadn’t forced large corporations to take it on as a mandatory allocation, no one would have started such a venture.

So, for me, there’s ample justification to do it, and the deficits aren’t burdensome enough to topple the group. It’s strange that I hadn’t recommended it until now.

But I couldn’t say that.

I offered another reason.

“Right now, it’s a time of rapid growth, so it’s difficult, but in the future, our developed nation will spend extra money on culture and leisure. If we wait until then to prepare, it will be too late. Even if there are no immediate profits, I believe we need to lay the groundwork in advance to respond swiftly to future changes.”

At my words, my grandfather’s face brightened a little.

“Yes. That’s exactly it. I think the same.”

“But…”

“I’ll be honest with you. I just received a call from the President and returned from the Blue House.”

My ears perked up at my grandfather’s explanation.

The President was involved.

I had to respond seriously.

If I recklessly tried to satisfy my own desires here, it could shake the very foundation of the company.

I just wanted to avoid being kicked out; I had no intention of shaking the entire group.

Seonghyeon was my nest.

At the very least, the two characters of Seonghyeon should remain before my name, Hyun Sang-yoon.

By the way, a baseball team?

“I think it would be wise to follow the President’s directive. We should avoid strong winds. I believe it would be better to acquire the baseball team.”

In that moment,

An idea flashed in my mind.

While following orders to acquire the baseball team, I could also scratch my own itch with this idea.

“Losing my grandfather’s trust, resolving the tens of millions of dollars I’ve earned as a future killer all at once, while simultaneously fulfilling the President’s directive—this is a brilliant three-in-one solution! Why didn’t I think of this sooner?”

I quickly organized my thoughts.

“Since we’re spending money on the baseball team, how about looking overseas?”

“What? Overseas?”

At my words, Chairman Hyun flinched.

“In the United States, there’s something called Major League Baseball. It’s American professional baseball. What if we acquired a team there? It would bring even more joy to the people and satisfy the President as well.”

“…But how would we do that?”

I continued my response.

“There’s nearly 40 million dollars that hasn’t been spent, sitting in the American corporation. With that amount, it would be sufficient to negotiate with any team, as long as we don’t aim for 100% ownership, Chairman.”

Silence stretched on.

My grandfather was glaring at me after I finished speaking. The chief secretary, who had been standing behind him for some time, looked the same.

How many minutes passed like that?

“Hahaha!”

The heavy expression on my grandfather’s face suddenly lifted. A hearty laugh erupted from him after a long time.

“What a brilliant idea!”

The sound echoed through the study.

“If we do it this way, we won’t bend too much to the government’s unreasonable demands, yet we won’t be making any reckless moves that could get us into trouble. If it’s a professional team in the U.S., it won’t even be a deficit, so the benefits will be ample. If our player gets to play in America, it will also enhance Seong-hyun’s image, so the promotional effect will be more than sufficient. Truly, it’s a win-win-win situation!”

Hmm,

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It is a win-win-win, but not quite like that, Grandfather.

Yet, I said nothing.

Why?

Because, as if the darkness had never been there, my grandfather’s face was now shining. He had regained his usual sharpness.

“This is why I called you. I knew my grandson would have the answer. Well done. It’s thanks to you. You’ve saved our Seong-hyun again.”

It was a pleasant atmosphere.

A moment later, someone came in and whispered to Manager Joo.

“All the subsidiary company presidents are here waiting. What should we do? Should we have them wait longer?”

Manager Joo replied.

“They’re waiting for me?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Then let’s talk again. I wonder if any of the presidents have thoughts as good as our Sang-yoon’s.”

Chairman Hyun’s face had returned to its original, steely strength.

He had fully recovered.

That’s good, but,

‘Hmm…’

Something felt off.

I couldn’t explain it in words, but I felt it.

A little while later,

Chairman Hyun, waiting for the presidents to enter, asked Manager Joo.

“Is it time to give it now?”

“If you’ve made up your mind, I believe now is the right time, before its value increases further. Most of the electronics assets are practically thanks to the young master’s contributions.”

It was Manager Joo’s opinion, rarely revealing his own thoughts.

Chairman Hyun nodded.

That was the right thing to say.

He thought that his resolution had come too late.

*

The next morning,

He asked Coach Ahn Chil-seong, who was waiting at the pool.

“Do you happen to know any baseball players?”

“Baseball players?”

Why the sudden question? He hesitated as he asked.

It was a question that seemed obvious.

“Not right now, but soon we will be acquiring a professional baseball team through a company in the U.S. To buy a professional baseball team, I need to become a professional in baseball first. That’s my principle.”