The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 281



Only Noblemtl

281. Threats disguised as help (6)

next day.

I visited Captain Kang’s Korean restaurant for lunch with Warren Buffett.

“I don’t know if traditional Korean cuisine will suit your taste.”

“The food is too much for two people. A hamburger or a piece of steak would be enough, but you prepared too much.”

“We’re having lunch together for free, so shouldn’t we prepare something like this?”

Lunch with Warren Buffett.

This was by no means an easy task.

Every year, Warren Buffett used to select the person who would have lunch with him through an auction, and there was one person who paid over 20 billion won and won.

Since we saved 20 billion won, we should at least provide a generous reward.

“It’s a good restaurant, and the food is very delicious. It’s boring, but the seasoning is just right and you can drink it.”

“If you are short on food, just let us know at any time.”

“There’s no shortage of food, but there’s no Coke.”

“Ah! I’ll order it right away.”

Warren Buffett was a famous cola fanatic.

He loved cola so much that he drank more than 5 cans of cola every day, so he even owned cola-related stocks.

I ordered a cola through the staff.

A can of red cola passed into Warren Buffett’s hand.

Jump, jump, jump! Was there too much fat in the food? It was Warren Buffett who emptied his Coke in one go.

“Korean cola tastes really good too. Did you know that the taste of cola is subtly different in each country?”

“I know very well. The Taewoo Group holds the distribution rights for Cola in Korea. I also love Cola, so I bought the rights to distribute Cola myself.”

“Hehehe, you seem to get along well with me. Everyone tells you to quit drinking cola for your health, but if you don’t have that kind of fun, how can you live your life for fun?”

The sense of distance rapidly diminished with the story of Coke.

Is that why? Warren Buffett’s speaking volume has increased dramatically.

“Bill also wanted to come to Korea with us, but the situation in America was so noisy that we couldn’t come together.”

“Wouldn’t there be a chance someday? When an appointment is made, I will go to America.”

“It would be easier for us if you said yes. As we get older, long-distance flights are very difficult.”

It was Warren Buffett, playfully tapping his knee.

That appearance reminded me of my grandfather.

“We will definitely have our next meeting in the United States.”

“Heh, by the way, the situation at Lehman Brothers is getting more serious. It seems like more than one company is going bankrupt.”

“Companies that are managed negligently are unlikely to avoid bankruptcy. This is the same situation not only in the U.S. but also in all companies around the world.”

“It’s also a great opportunity for investors like us. So what companies are you targeting?”

This was a question Warren Buffett suddenly asked.

He asked the question with certainty as if he knew where I would acquire a few more companies.

“There are no companies that are very interested yet. Just acquiring AIZ is a difficult situation.”

“You’re not good at lying. It can be seen on your face.”

“Is that so? It’s not the right time yet, but I’m looking for an opportunity. I’m thinking about acquiring a few companies related to the Taewo Group.”

“Then it would be IT or the manufacturing sector. If it’s manufacturing, I think the most likely place would be an automobile company.”

Maybe he has the same abilities as me?

It was Warren Buffett who read my inner thoughts.

“It’s not like we’re not considering acquiring an American car company.”

“The automobile industry is in a difficult situation. Even if we receive government support, we may go bankrupt.”

“It is still holding up well, but it has grown so rapidly that it has been hit hard by this incident.”

GM alone owns 13 brands.

Although there were some brands created in-house, most were brands purchased through mergers and acquisitions.

Because they had invested a lot of money to purchase the brand, they were inevitably vulnerable to economic crises.

“You know it very well. It’s like you did your research for the acquisition.”

“We were looking at a variety of industries, not just the automotive industry.”

“I hope people who know each other don’t get into trouble. You mentioned electric cars to me earlier, right? But I don’t think Taewoo Motors’ strength alone is enough to lead the electric car market.”

I got goosebumps all over my body.

Warren Buffett knew exactly the big picture I was envisioning.

It was so accurate that I thought for a moment that David or CEO Han might have been spies.

“So do you think I’m going to take over an American car company?”

“No? If not, I apologize. But if it is, please be honest. I might be able to help you a little.”

“I have an intention to acquire it. I am considering acquiring GM or Ford.”

I no longer hid my true feelings.

Warren Buffett even offered to help, but it was rude to continue to remain ignorant.

In fact, rather than being courteous, I revealed my true feelings because I was curious about the help he was offering.

“If Taewoo Group acquires an American automobile company, I will acquire part of the shares.”

“What percentage of equity do you have in mind?”

“I can’t invest a lot because I have to purchase shares of financial companies, and I’m thinking about $5 billion.”

$5 billion was a huge amount.

It was an amount of over 6 trillion won in Korean money.

However, considering the debt of American automobile companies, it was not that much.

However, it could not be evaluated simply by the amount.

Because not all money is the same.

The money from Warren Buffett’s company had to be worth at least five times more.

As soon as it is known that he has invested, the value of the company becomes much higher than before.

“I think you know better than anyone else that American car companies are going through a difficult time. Could you tell me why you want to purchase shares?”

“It can be said for the same reason as buying shares of a financial company. This is the lowest point, and since it is a company worth investing in, I see no reason not to invest.”

“Is that really the end of the reason?”

This time, Warren Buffett was hiding his true feelings.

That’s why I asked the question in a slightly strong tone.

“Of course, that’s not the whole reason. I wouldn’t pay attention if someone else said they were taking over an American car company, but Chairman Kim has a clear vision, so it’s worth investing in.”

“I thought you didn’t like the vision I had.”

“I’m still not sure about electric vehicles. But it’s enough to have a clear vision. And I’m confident that Chairman Kim will do whatever it takes to normalize the acquired company.”

In short, he was saying that he wanted to invest in me.

Warren Buffett was willing to spend as much as 6 trillion won on any car company he acquired.

“Thank you very much for looking at me favorably. If I can receive investment from CEO Warren Buffett, I will be able to acquire an automobile company with a little more ease.”

“Hehe, the person with the most cash on Wall Street is complaining. I know very well that $5 billion is not a very large amount from the perspective of a SAVE company.”

“We live in an era where the value of a company is evaluated by its potential, not its money. I am truly grateful that you have helped me gain the trust that money cannot buy.”

“What can I say? Hehehe.”

Usually, stock prices are formed through sales and operating profits.

However, as times change, growth potential has become a more important evaluation factor than a company’s sales.

This was the reason why there were companies whose stock prices were 50 or 100 times their sales, and the moment Warren Buffett’s name value was added, the value of the company was bound to increase several times.

“We have not yet decided which company to acquire, but we will contact you first as soon as the decision is made.”

“I’ll be waiting for your call. Now that we’ve finished eating, shall we get up? If we take our time, we’ll be late for our flight.”

“I will see you off at the airport.”

“Don’t do that. What would you do with a busy person’s time? Then, let’s meet in America next time.”

It was a meal that achieved great results.

Did you say that the price of lunch with Warren Buffett was 20 billion won?

It was such an incredible achievement that I wanted to give not just 20 billion won, but 100 billion won.

* * *

The financial hub project began in earnest.

The head of the planning department and a president visited the chairman’s office to report on the progress of the project.

“Permission was granted by the government and the National Assembly. The opposition party voiced opposition until the end, using environmental protection as an excuse, but thanks to the active support of the National Economy Party, it was passed without major problems.”

“The government and Seoul City have already granted construction permits, and Taewoo Engineering & Construction has started ground work today.”

It was a result that was worth the effort.

How much effort was put into building a high-rise building on the KEPCO site?

At first, KEPCO purchased the KEPCO site with the help of a Russian energy company, but construction permits were not granted, so they were barely able to start construction, including the financial hub project.

“The construction will proceed without any disruption, right?”

“That’s right. It was designed in the form of a twin tower. Building 1 houses energy companies and Building 2 houses financial companies, so it is designed to maximize the characteristics of each industry.”

A financial hub building and an energy center building.

It was like killing two birds with one stone, and it would be a skyscraper that would bring enormous profits to Taewo Group.

“Don’t worry about construction costs, but please make sure it is completed as quickly as possible while being as strong as possible. If the completion is delayed for no reason, this government may find something to complain about.”

“We made plans to complete it before the end of the president’s term, and promised huge incentives the sooner we accelerate the completion schedule.”

“You did a good job. The benefit of completing the project as early as a day is greater than the money paid as an incentive. However, you should never rush construction just to hasten the completion. Please make sure to thoroughly check to ensure that the project is completed as per the design.”

“Don’t worry. Everyone in the industry knows that Taewo Construction is strict.”

The construction industry was an important field for Yudori.

Although there is a blueprint, the design could be changed on the spot on the spot, and to some extent, it was done in a roundabout way with mutual agreement.

But it was not Taewoo Engineering & Construction.

The number of auditors was at least twice that of a typical construction site.

If any illegal money exchange was discovered, strong sanctions were imposed.

“I can finally put down one big piece of luggage.”

“Chairman, but another problem has arisen. Whoa.”

A CEO said with a sigh.

However, although he was clearly sighing and frowning, his eyes were full of mischief.

“What’s the problem?”

“I received a report that financial companies held a meeting. It is said that the meeting was held for the purpose of regulating Cocoa Bank, which is closely related to the Taewo Group.”

From the perspective of a financial company, Cocoa Bank may feel like a thorn in the mouth.

How obnoxious would it be to provide financial services simply through the Internet and apps, unlike ordinary banks, without a bank branch?

“CEO Han should meet with financial company representatives and have a good conversation. If they say they need help with internet banking services, provide help as well.”

“We will do our best to help you. We will also do our best to help you with KIKO-related insurance products.”

Although words were helpful.

It was no different from threatening them using KIKO Insurance as a weapon.