The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 280



Only Noblemtl

280. Threats disguised as help (5)

wednesday.

In front of the noisy Taewoo Group headquarters.

I looked at the scene from the window of the chairman’s office and had a conversation with the planning director.

“It looks like you are well prepared.”

“Yesterday morning, we released related information to all media outlets. There are also a lot of media articles saying that officials from the world’s leading financial companies are visiting Korea and signing an agreement with Taewoo Securities. Of course, they still don’t trust our information, so they wrote the article. “There are media outlets that haven’t done so.”

If you don’t believe it, you just have to show it.

I turned away from the window and walked towards the door.

“The event is about to start. The host can’t be late after inviting guests. Let’s get going.”

“We will bring the journalists inside and start the event.”

While the planning director was preparing for the event.

I moved to the reception room.

Warren Buffett, known as the Sage of Omaha, was there quietly appeasing his hunger.

“How do you like Korean hamburgers?”

“Maybe because it’s the same brand of hamburger, it suits my taste very well.”

Warren Buffett has assets worth tens of trillions of won.

However, he always had a routine of preparing and eating breakfast menu items from hamburger chains.

“I guess the stock market isn’t doing so well today. I see you eating the cheapest burger set.”

“Hehe, I guess the rumor reached Chairman Kim’s ears. The stock market was in a turmoil due to the Lehman incident. But how could I eat the expensive menu?”

A fortune worth tens of trillions of dollars and a $3 hamburger.

Plus, on days when the stock market is good, I order a menu with bacon and eggs.

On days when the stock market is bad, I eat a simple sausage burger set without eggs.

Actually, it wasn’t that surprising.

It was rare for someone working in a financial company to not have their own routine, and financial companies were a place where all kinds of superstitions were spread.

“I’m sorry for inviting you to Korea during one of the busiest times.”

“What’s there to be sorry about? Things won’t change just because I’m in Korea, right? And since I can get advice from the most discerning person on Wall Street, how could I miss the opportunity?”

Who has good eyes? Are you talking about me?

If someone else had said that, I would have agreed, but since it came from Warren Buffett’s mouth, I quickly shook my hand.

“How dare I give you advice? I’m just telling you what I think.”

“Hehe, even people like George, CEO of Quantum Fund, praise Chairman Kim highly. It seems like he believes in Chairman Kim almost on a religious level. So, he is fully qualified to give me advice.”

My face turned red for the first time in a long time.

It was so sweet to hear praise from the mouth of the most famous person on Wall Street.

But this time could not last.

“Chairman, everything is ready. Others have left the hotel and are coming to the venue.”

“It’s already about time. I’ll go first and liven up the atmosphere at the venue.”

“This old man hasn’t finished his breakfast yet, so I’ll leave a little late.”

Went to the event venue.

The event had already started, and a president was leading the event as a representative.

The CEO was in a cold sweat, probably because he had already been bombarded with various questions, and he raised his voice as soon as he spotted me.

“Taewoo Group Chairman Kim Min-jae has something to say.”

A boss who passes the microphone to me.

Since the event was already planned, I naturally grabbed the microphone and poured out my prepared words.

“Today’s event is an opportunity to make Korea a financial hub in Asia. Korea is located in the center of Asia, so it is a country with the potential to become a financial hub. By creating innovative financial technologies and a transparent regulatory environment, we can develop an advanced financial market. “We want to create a Republic of Korea that leads the way.”

I read the entire script, but the response was lukewarm.

Because it was such an abstract statement, it was probably not enough to move people’s hearts.

Then you have no choice but to show yourself as a person, not just words.

“We will invite people who are leading the global financial market. First is George, CEO of Quantum Fund.”

George was a fairly well-known representative in Korea.

When he appeared, reporters eagerly tapped their keyboards and pressed camera shutters.

[and! Why did I only find out now that CEO George visited Korea in person?]

[Where have I seen that person a lot? Who is he?]

[What kind of reporter can you do without even knowing the legend of a hedge fund that won against the nation? This is why it is not possible to come out with an intern.]

Murmurs were heard everywhere.

Representative George was very famous among economic reporters.

Because he had the symbolism of victory over the nation, reporters were busy writing breaking news.

“This is Chairman Dimon, who leads the fintech bank and CITI Group.”

Dimon also flew to Korea for today.

Because we’re so comfortable together, I sometimes forget his location.

Before he knew it, he had become one of the leading figures in the global financial market.

[The head of CITI Group also came to Korea? I guess Taewoo Group sharpened their teeth?]

[Still, seeing as the head of CITI Group, once the world’s No. 1 financial group, came to Korea, it looks like a real financial hub business is about to start.]

[Wall Street is in chaos right now, so how did they invite all those people to Korea?]

The reporters’ clamor grew louder.

But it was still too early to be surprised.

Because the main character always appears last.

“Finally, I would like to invite Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.”

[Wow!]

An exclamation finally came out from the reporters’ mouths.

There was a lot of buzz when I saw the people in front of me, but now I didn’t even have the spirit to say anything, so I was cheering without even realizing it.

Warren Buffett’s popularity goes without saying.

There were investors all over the world who followed Warren Buffett or considered him a role model.

In a way, it was natural for journalists to exclaim with admiration as someone who was a textbook example of value investing appeared.

Representatives from financial companies briefly said hello.

The event was soon held in the form of a meeting.

Representatives George and Dimon led the meeting by citing several reasons why Korea is suitable as an Asian financial hub.

[I want to know why Korea is suitable as a financial hub!]

[Please tell us what the purpose of your visit to Korea is.]

[Please tell us about the impact the Lehman Brothers incident will have on Korea.]

Questions from reporters constantly pouring in.

Dimon mainly answered, and it was Warren Buffett who remained quiet during this time.

Then, at the end of the event, the microphone was finally handed over.

“Korea is a very attractive country, so we plan to open an Asian branch of Berkshire Hathaway in Korea.”

“Are you saying you are participating in the plan to make Korea a financial hub in Asia?”

“Yes. And I also planned to invest in several companies in Korea.”

The reporters’ eyes changed.

These were reporters waiting with the eyes of beasts looking for a scoop.

“Can you tell me which company you want to invest in?”

“First of all, I plan to invest in Taewoo Group. Taewoo Securities, Taewoo Motors, and Taewoo IT. These are companies with excellent corporate values ​​and endless growth engines. They also invest in Korean steel companies and parts companies. “I plan to do it.”

What more could you need?

Warren Buffett announced that he would open a Berkshire branch in Korea.

This is already being covered as breaking news on internet news.

The moment this content was covered in the main news, the public’s doubts would disappear.

* * *

The event has ended.

I said hello to CEO George and Dimon.

Because the situation on Wall Street was so urgent, they were unable to talk for a long time and had to return to the United States.

“Mr. Chairman, we have invited CEO Warren Buffett to the Taewo Hotel. We have increased the number of security guards by more than 20 times compared to usual, and have thoroughly prevented access to journalists and the general public.”

“Good job. We have a lunch date tomorrow, so please make sure nothing happens in the meantime.”

Warren Buffett did not return to the United States today.

Lehman Brothers collapsed and Wall Street was in chaos, but it was taking its time.

If other people were to take this kind of leisurely approach, they would call him arrogant, but since it was Warren Buffett, I felt like he was just biding his time.

“What is the response to this event?”

“There was a huge uproar. Main news outlets reported this event in depth, and articles from online newspapers to newspapers are pouring out.”

“Now that the media is moving, public opinion may change a bit.”

“After analyzing the reactions of various communities using big data, we see that public opinion in favor is increasing dramatically. And as time passes, public opinion in favor is increasing even more.”

Minjeong Cheon even created a big data analysis algorithm.

Thanks to this, Taewo Group was able to identify real-time trends and recognize public opinion faster than anyone else without having to conduct a separate opinion poll.

“It will greatly reduce the burden on the government.”

“I think the Blue House will issue an official position within this week.”

“The National Economy Party may move ahead of the Blue House.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the head of the planning office checked the related news and reported it.

“It is said that the National Economy Party has decided to support the financial hub project as a party line.”

“It’s really amazing. It must have been a decision made with the full knowledge that the sooner an issue is addressed, the more beneficial it will be.”

“It would be better to move one step faster than the Blue House. If the National Economy Party moved after the Blue House’s announcement, it might create the image that it joined hands with the government, but by moving first, that burden can be reduced.”

Of course, the Blue House has already officially announced the financial hub project.

However, because there were few people who believed the announcement, it was as if the Blue House had not made an official announcement.

Now that the possibility of realization has emerged, whoever moves first can dominate the issue.

“I’m going to be very sick to my stomach at the Blue House.”

“What’s there to hurt your stomach? Shouldn’t you be happy that the approval rating, which has been falling so far, has been able to rebound slightly?”

“That’s right. This is sure to be a huge boon for the government, which desperately needs an opportunity to turn the situation around.”

When I was talking with the planning director.

There was a call on my cell phone.

There were only a few people who knew this number, and it was a call from the President’s Chief of Staff, who had recently added a new number.

“This is Minjae Kim.”

[Chairman Kim! This event was very good. VIPs are also very satisfied.]

“Thank you for your positive comments. This is an event that we were able to create by mobilizing all of Taewo Group’s assets.”

[Very good. It’s all good, but it’s a little disappointing. If there had been a little more communication with the Blue House, we would have been able to attend the event. It seems like you only think about Taewoo Group.]

What kind of ghosts are you talking about?

I was so dumbfounded that I was at a loss for words.

They were saying that they were disappointed that they could not be the main characters when a large event was held to raise the government’s approval rating.

“I had no choice. Representatives of financial companies did not like being associated with the government. If I had been too forceful, the event itself could have been cancelled.”

[I’m just saying this out of regret. Hmm, soon KEPCO site development permission will be granted. The opposition party will no longer be able to argue. And one last thing: Please communicate a little more with the Blue House in the future.]

“I’ll try my best.”

I said I knew because it was dirty.

There was no need to increase work for no reason.

If you explicitly wanted something from Taewo Group, I wouldn’t tolerate it either, but since it was still within the acceptable range, I tolerated it.