A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 21

In an industrial complex in the southern Gyeonggi region, there was a small mid-sized construction company called Yeonho Plant.

Its representative, Lee Chang-ho, was looking down at a pile of documents with reddened eyes.

Beside him, the management support team leader, the financial director, and even the site manager were all sitting at the meeting table in silence.

The management support team leader opened his mouth first.

“It is finally a formal withdrawal.”

At the team leader’s words, Lee Chang-ho nodded quietly.

“An official letter just came from Taeseong Construction. They said the Karbala refinery facility construction project was canceled, so all contracts are terminated, and subsequent responsibilities will follow legal provisions.”

“Then what are they telling our company to do! Is this not really too much!”

“We have to pay 9.7 billion won just for the delivery price of this project. If we consider the amount invested in advance, the loss is more than 13 billion won.”

At the financial director’s words, a lamentable sigh that seemed suppressed broke out in the meeting room.The site manager also asked as if his chest felt tight.

“The factory is still running, Representative. We were planning for the delivery volume to go out in earnest starting this week.”

Lee Chang-ho closed his eyes without a word.

The sound of welding and machine noises coming from outside the window sounded heavy.

For several months, they had run the factory at full capacity, trusting only Taeseong Construction.

Everyone had been excited at the mention of their first overseas expansion.

He had just promised incentives to the employees.

The financial director spat out the words as if vomiting them up.

“We even took out a loan because of this one project. Does your wife also know?”

Lee Chang-ho looked at the official letter placed on the desk and trailed off.

“...I haven’t been able to tell her yet.”

In fact, this situation was not a problem only for Yeonho Plant.

A number of small and medium-sized plant, material, piping, and power equipment companies that had signed contracts with Taeseong Construction suffered successive chain-reaction blows.

Some had already stopped factory operations and gone into temporary closure.

In some places, whispering was starting among employees due to concerns over unpaid wages.

There was no one who took responsibility.

Taeseong Construction notified of a collective contract termination, citing the ‘overseas political instability’ clause in the contract, and the partners were left to face the storm with their bare bodies.

The media was quiet.

The news was overflowing with only President Lim Do-hyun’s responsible management and the declaration of treasury stock buyback.

Amidst those flashy modifiers, the suffering of the partner companies was thoroughly ignored.

Then one day, news was delivered that the representative of a subcontracting company had taken his own life in the dawn factory warehouse.

He left a single suicide note for his family.

‘I am sorry. I could not hold on any longer.’

Only then did a few media outlets begin to post articles one line at a time.

[Taeseong Construction partner company representative. Extreme choice. Suffered from financial difficulties....]

However, it did not remain in people’s memories.

The voices of those pushed before a crisis gradually became stronger.

Tension began to linger inside Taeseong Construction once again.

President Lim Do-hyun also did not expect things to reach this point.

After seeing the contents of the article submitted in a report, he put down the coffee he was drinking and snorted.

“Why are people so weak these days?”

Lim Do-hyun lifted the cup, took a sip, and then opened his mouth again.

“Why do they turn the fact that they could not manage their own business properly onto us? Political risk was specified in the contract. Does this industry not know that? Honestly.”

Spitting out the words, he said mockingly.

“Is that not how life is originally? If you cannot hold on, you are weeded out, and the one who holds on survives. We are not some welfare foundation, those crazy people.”

Executive Director Lee Tae-jun, who was beside him, opened his mouth cautiously.

“The media has also been on the quiet side so far. It seems like it will be buried soon, so you do not have to worry much.”

“Of course. Do you know how much money I spray on media companies to do things like this.”

But they did not know that a wave that had once risen would soon return as an uncontrollable surge.

In the quiet time when everyone was asleep.

A post was uploaded on SNS.

Lee Chang-ho.

The representative of a subcontracting company who had staked his entire fortune, believing in the Iraq Karbala project.

It was a post uploaded by his family.

[My father believed until the end. He worried, saying that the wages of the people working in the factory must not be delayed. ...We only trusted Taeseong Construction. Trust returned as betrayal, and that betrayal broke my father. My father is the one who chose death, but who is the one who drove my father to death!]

According to the family, Representative Lee Chang-ho had inquired with the headquarters several times due to the problem of non-payment of funds since last month and had expressed frustration to those around him, saying, ‘I think it is really over now.’

Nevertheless, testimonies from employees were also reported that he struggled until the end to avoid unpaid wages.

The confession that started quietly spread in an instant.

The comments gradually increased to the point of exceeding thousands.

The media also gradually reacted.

At first, it started with online media, and then major media also began to pour out related articles one after another.

[Taeseong Construction subcontracting company representative extreme choice. Financial difficulties due to non-payment.]

[Trust becomes betrayal... Successive appeals of damage from Taeseong Construction partners.]

[Civil society organization joint statement. Taeseong Construction, take responsibility.]

As time passed, the repercussions only grew.

Several subcontracting companies, including Yeonho Plant, gathered in front of the Taeseong Construction headquarters.

In their hands, every single one of them held a picket.

[No payment is given and Taeseong Construction has no responsibility!]

[The saying that Taeseong killed him. Not a single thing is wrong.]

[Are subcontracting companies tissue paper to be used and thrown away!]

A crowd gathered in front of the building in an instant, and the road was blocked.

Civil society organizations also stepped in.

The banners they put up fluttered in the wind.

Videos capturing the atmosphere of the scene spread through SNS.

Even influencers and economic YouTubers began to mention the controversy.

Then, this time, it spread into a boycott movement.

From Taeseong Department Store, Taeseong Electronics, to Taeseong Hotel.

Protest calls and inquiries flooded the service counters of each subsidiary.

On the real-time search terms of portal sites, the boycott against Taeseong and Representative Lee Chang-ho rose and fell.

***

Taeseong Electronics headquarters chairman’s office.

On Chairman Lim Man-seok’s desk, today’s major newspapers were spread out.

[The bare face of Taeseong Group. The number one company that ignored the death of a subcontractor]

Just by looking at the phrase on the front page, one could tell that the wave of public opinion was becoming fierce.

Lim Man-seok sat in his seat and looked at the newspapers one by one.

He could not pass over any single phrase lightly.

On the page where his gaze stopped for a moment, there was Representative Lee Chang-ho’s wife, crying while holding a funeral portrait with her head bowed.

While Chairman Lim Man-seok’s eyes were wavering, Chief Secretary Kang Cheol-woo hurriedly opened the door and came in.

Normally, he was a person who maintained etiquette no matter how urgent it was.

It meant it was a matter of pressing.

“Chairman, it is Cheongwadae. The VIP wants to speak with you personally.”

Lim Man-seok’s fingertips trembled slightly.

He nodded and lifted the receiver with a heavy hand.

“This is Lim Man-seok, Mr. President.”

A low and determined voice was heard from beyond the receiver.

-Chairman Lim. It has not been long since this country established a new government. The people want change, and at a time when I must become the symbol of that change....

Lim Man-seok’s brow narrowed.

-At a time like this, the whole country is noisy because of Taeseong Construction. I heard a subcontractor representative died? What on earth are you doing right now!

Chairman Lim Man-seok carefully brought up his words.

“We are quickly grasping the situation and taking measures....”

Then the President’s voice became even sharper.

-Your words are indeed fast. The reason I cherish Chairman Lim is because I recognize your contribution to sustaining the industry of this country. But what is this?

At the President’s scathing criticism, Lim Man-seok only listened quietly.

-It is not just a problem of Taeseong Construction. Every company with the name Taeseong is being dragged into being cursed at. Because of you people, what is this state of public sentiment!

The President drove Lim Man-seok as if he had seized an opportunity.

-I hope you show what responsibility is before a bigger event occurs in the future. The government can no longer cover for Taeseong either. Do you understand!

Click.

The President hung up the phone after only saying what he wanted to say.

Only a heavy lingering feeling remained in the chairman’s office.

Lim Man-seok slowly put down the receiver.

He pressed his temples with one hand.

He looked extremely tired.

Even a figure who had led the business world for such a long time was feeling poignantly that the world was turning its back on him right now.

Chief Secretary Kang Cheol-woo asked cautiously.

“...Are you all right, Chairman?”

It was a question filled with worry for him, whose complexion was not good.

Lim Man-seok remained silent for a long time, then said in a low voice.

“...Call Do-hyun.”

In his voice, the deep despair and disappointment of one facing a crisis were contained.

***

I, Lim Hyunjun, returned home after a few days.

I entered the house with shopping bags full in both hands.

“I’m back.”

My mother, Kang Ji-yeon, welcomed me with a glad face.

“Hyunjun! Did you have a good trip?”

“Yes, Mom.”

Lim Do-kyung, who came out following Kang Ji-yeon, also had a softer expression than usual.

“It seems you stayed without any trouble.”

I said while taking off my sneakers.

“Since there were many pretty things at the travel destination, while looking around, I thought of Mom and thought of Dad too.”

As I entered the living room with the shopping bags, the scent of warm tea permeated the tip of my nose, as if they had prepared in advance.

The atmosphere I felt for the first time in a while made me feel warm rather than making me feel awkward.

I took out the boxes carefully packed one by one from the shopping bag.

I handed the first box to Vice Chairman Lim Do-kyung and said, “Dad, you said you used to take notes often. They say this fountain pen writes well even if the writing pressure is weak. Since it is a vintage model, it will be good for you to keep and use for a long time.”

Lim Do-kyung looked into the box I handed him and nodded lightly.

“Thank you. I will use it well.”

This time, I took out the second box and handed it to Kang Ji-yeon.

“Mom, I heard you haven’t been able to sleep well lately. They say if you put this next to the sink, the scent spreads and makes your heart feel at ease.”

Inside the box, natural lavender soap was contained.

On the surface, it was written that it was a handmade product crafted by nuns by hand.

My mother liked the gift I gave very much, and she smiled after smelling the scent.

“It reminds me of the air freshener you gave me when you were little.”

I replied while recalling the memory.

“At that time, I really just bought anything, but this time, I chose it while thinking of Mom.”

Whether those words were touching, my mother became even happier.

After delivering the gifts, I had a short chat while drinking tea with my parents.

My mother saw the gift I hadn’t unpacked yet and spoke to me quietly.

“Make sure to give it to your grandfather directly too. He will be very happy since you chose it with care.”

I nodded.

“I was planning to. I will go now.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

I put the gift in my bag and stood up from my seat.

It was in order to go to Taeseong Electronics where Chairman Lim Man-seok was.

When I entered Taeseong Electronics, the employees who recognized me quietly offered greetings.

I also offered greetings brightly and said.

“I am Lim Hyunjun. I have come to greet my grandfather.”

After a while, Chief Secretary Kang Cheol-woo met me.

“Young Master Hyunjun, it has been a long time. The Chairman is inside. Please enter.”

I entered the chairman’s office like that.

“I’m back, Grandfather.”

Lim Man-seok turned his head.

Since the one he was waiting for was his second son, a look of brief surprise flashed on his face.

But that surprise soon turned into a smile.

“Today is the day you returned from your trip. Did you have a fun time?”

“Yes, I returned safely without any trouble.”

I smiled quietly and sat close beside my grandfather.

I was about to hand him something when the sound of a knock rang out.

“Chairman, President Lim Do-hyun has arrived.”