A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 30

“Representative, if it is not now, we will end up losing PREZO to Daehan.”

A moment of silence flowed.

Soon, I, Lim Hyunjun, spoke in a calm voice.

-I understand. Let'

s move right now.

“……!”

-Representative Choi, go to the headquarters as scheduled.

“…Yes?”

-It'

s not that there isn'

t still a chance. So, believe in me and go to the headquarters to meet Chairman Lemond.

“Yes, I understand.”

It was an answer full of conviction.Choi Seo-jun knew that at times like this, he had to believe in him and wait.

***

After finishing the call, I quietly put down the cellphone.

I lightly drew in and exhaled a breath, then spoke to Jang Wooseok, who was sitting in the next seat.

“Wooseok, I have to go first. Let'

s go eat next time.”

In fact, I had planned to have dinner with Wooseok today.

Wooseok asked because he was worried about me.

“Is something wrong?”

“Something I need to handle suddenly came up. I'

ll go first. See you tomorrow.”

Jang Wooseok did not ask further.

Looking at me, he instinctively realized that it was better not to ask right now.

I took my bag and quietly left the classroom.

I headed to the corner of the library reading room, one of the most secluded spaces on campus.

It was a window seat where students'

footsteps rarely reached.

I sat there and opened my laptop.

As soon as I turned on the laptop, I opened a specific folder.

Inside the folder, encrypted audio files and transcript documents were organized.

It was a file containing the details I learned at the Liberation Day event a few days ago.

With earphones plugged in, I briefly checked the recording again.

[Park Se-dong]

“If Daehan finishes the acquisition well this time, I will make sure you are not disappointed.”

[Min Ki-tae]

“Haha. President Park is still thorough. I will help so that there is a good result.”

Their conversation was clear.

It was content about Daehan Group mobilizing diplomatic channels to conduct private lobbying for intervention in the PREZO acquisition.

I attached the transcript file and the original audio to an email.

The recipient was Nam Kun-ho, the Chairman of Daehan Group.

The email subject was the circumstances of private lobbying regarding President Park Se-dong in the Ministry of Industry diplomatic line.

I began to write the body of the email without hesitation.

[To the Chairman.

The attached file is a transcript of an informal conversation President Park Se-dong recently shared with the 1st Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Within that content, the circumstances under which private lobbying was conducted to intervene in the PREZO acquisition using diplomatic channels are contained exactly as they are.

I do not know whether you, Chairman, were aware of all this. However, if you did not know this fact, you should reconsider your judgment even now.

And if you did know, I want to ask if pushing through an international corporate acquisition in this manner is truly what Daehan Group aims for.

You, Chairman, will know better what will happen if this material leaks to the media or the National Assembly side.

The judgment belongs to the Chairman.]

Finally, I clicked the send button.

As soon as the email was sent, my gaze grew deep.

“Soon we'

ll find out who is really holding the handle of the sword.”

***

In front of the PREZO headquarters main gate.

The taxi slowly came to a stop.

Until the moment he got out of the car, a heavy tension was deeply laid across Chief Oh Young-tae'

s expression.

“Chief, shall we go now?”

After finishing the call with me, Choi Seo-jun'

s reaction had strangely changed markedly.

Oh Young-tae thought that perhaps he had given up early.

He opened his mouth with the intention of comforting Choi Seo-jun.

“Even if it'

s late, one never knows. One must try until the end.”

Choi Seo-jun said while even showing a short smile.

“You'

re right. But I have a feeling that it might not be late.”

Oh Young-tae thought it was strange but nodded his head.

Looking at Choi Seo-jun'

s attitude, he was full of confidence.

The two entered the main building'

s front gate.

“Mr. Choi!”

A hurried yet welcoming voice was heard from afar.

A woman wearing a sophisticated dress walked over to the two.

It was Heloise, a staff member of the PREZO Chairman'

s secretary'

s office.

Choi Seo-jun and Chief Oh Young-tae stopped their steps for a moment.

Heloise, appearing to have come in a hurry, caught her breath for a moment and then began to guide the two.

“You are the ones from HJ Partners, right? I am Heloise. The Chairman told me personally. He said to bring you to the Chairman'

s office as soon as the two of you arrive.”

Choi Seo-jun asked Heloise as if it were unexpected.

“You are the person I spoke with on the phone, right? Didn'

t you say the Chairman was in a meeting?”

“That'

s right. The meeting was suspended after that.”

At those words, the two looked at each other simultaneously.

It was Chairman Lemond, who could not even be reached just a few minutes ago.

Oh Young-tae asked as if to confirm once more.

“The meeting was suspended?”

Heloise nodded her head.

“Yes.”

At her words, Oh Young-tae'

s expression changed brightly.

This was clearly a good sign.

Heloise pointed toward the Chairman'

s office with her hand and said.

“This way. The Chairman is waiting.”

Choi Seo-jun and Chief Oh Young-tae nodded without a word and walked toward where Heloise pointed.

The steps of the two heading toward the Chairman'

s office had become markedly lighter than before.

Heloise quietly opened the door to the Chairman'

s office.

“You may go in.”

Choi Seo-jun whispered a word to Chief Oh Young-tae.

“It seems our thoughts were right after all. It'

s not late yet.”

Oh Young-tae nodded with a short smile.

The two entered the Chairman'

s office.

Inside, Chairman Lemond was quietly waiting for them.

Chairman Lemond, who was standing beyond the elegant leather sofa with his back turned to the window, slowly turned his head.

A deep fatigue was settled on his face as he looked at the two, but his gaze alone was shining.

“Bienvenue, Messieurs.”

Lemond wore a gentle smile and continued in English this time.

“It'

s a pleasure to meet you.”

The moment Chief Oh Young-tae saw Chairman Lemond'

s face, he felt as if time had stopped.

It was even more so seeing the face he faced along with the familiar French pronunciation.

“Lemond…. It'

s been a long time.”

The two laughed simultaneously.

The tension that had been flowing in the Chairman'

s office vanished cleanly, and memories of their younger days spread to them.

Lemond approached and spread both arms.

“How long has it been?”

Oh Young-tae smiled brightly and embraced him.

“It'

s been so long I can'

t even remember. You'

re still the same.”

“You too. The day we drank all night in the dormitory feels like yesterday.”

The two were holding each other'

s hands this time, appearing happy to see each other.

Lemond'

s gaze moved to Choi Seo-jun.

“It'

s a pleasure to meet you. I am Jean Lemond of PREZO.”

Choi Seo-jun looked at the two with surprised eyes for a moment and then greeted politely.

“It'

s a pleasure. I am Choi Seo-jun of HJ Partners. I did not know the two of you had such a deep connection.”

Lemond nodded and said.

“I learned a lot from Young-tae while spending time with him in the past. He is a friend who taught me what sincerity is.”

Oh Young-tae laughed shortly.

“Why bring up such embarrassing talk. Man, really.”

Only after Heloise brought in tea and entered did they sit on the sofa.

Lemond took a peek at the documents placed on the table, turned his gaze, and opened his mouth.

“It is a story I'

m sorry for telling HJ Partners, but in fact, I was about to make a major decision at the board meeting today.”

At Chairman Lemond'

s words, the expressions of Oh Young-tae and Choi Seo-jun grew heavy again.

Lemond continued his words.

“The meeting was suspended because there were those among the directors who strongly opposed it. That is why I am meeting you all again now.”

Lemond took a sip of tea slowly and then put down the cup.

He had no choice but to think about the company, regardless of personal liking.

“I am very happy to meet you two, but I will speak honestly.”

He opened his mouth with his arms crossed.

“The current PREZO is in a state where it has faced a considerable crisis. For survival, I have no choice but to face reality cold-heartedly.”

Choi Seo-jun and Oh Young-tae listened to his story without a word.

“Among the companies that have contacted us so far, the conditions proposed by Daehan Group were the most excellent. They satisfied all the conditions we proposed, including securing short-term liquidity, assuming debt, and a stabilization plan without personnel restructuring.”

Lemond'

s gaze slowly moved toward Choi Seo-jun.

“If your offer is not to the extent of overturning those conditions, I would like for you to leave this seat even now.”

Having heard everything Chairman Lemond said, Choi Seo-jun spoke in a calm tone.

“I sufficiently understand your words, Chairman. We would have done the same if we were in the same situation.”

He took documents out of the bag he had brought and placed them on the table.

“We did not come just to talk about short-term liquidity or debt resolution. Rather, if looking only at such conditions, Daehan might be better.”

Lemond'

s eyebrows moved minutely.

Choi Seo-jun continued speaking in a quiet but confident voice.

“However, I wonder if you have thought about why PREZO has come this far. PREZO was once a company with technical skills that were among the best among European companies that had entered the US market.”

He immediately took out a few pages of materials about PREZO'

s past entry into the North American market and spread them out on the table.

“What PREZO needs now is not just paying off debt and getting over today'

s crisis. Restoring PREZO'

s presence in the US market again and growing it into a central brand in the global market is what we aim to achieve.”

Lemond looked at the documents on the table for a moment.

“We, HJ Partners, have not just acted as investors. We have designed a brand strategy for PREZO.”

Choi Seo-jun looked directly into Chairman Lemond'

s eyes.

“Daehan is likely thinking of growing PREZO in the Asian and European markets. However, we are looking further ahead than that.”

Chief Oh Young-tae nodded quietly.

He was also in agreement with the opinion Choi Seo-jun put forward.

Lemond raised his teacup without a word and took a sip.

Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“The US market…. It is the direction we wanted to go, but realistically, I feel it is impossible. In the US, there are already many famous car companies that have established themselves. Pushing through that gap is actually a very difficult task. Thus, it was also the reason we failed there.”

Choi Seo-jun nodded and quietly chimed in.

“I entirely agree with your words, Chairman. The US market is still a place that is not easy. But at the same time, it is also the most attractive place.”

He took one last document out of his bag and placed it on the table.

“And this is the contract we finalized a few days ago.”

Lemond'

s gaze flashed.

“It is an electric vehicle company headquartered in Anaheim, California, USA, called Pisker Motors. Have you heard of it, Chairman?”

Lemond opened his mouth while wearing a surprised expression.

“I know of it. How could I not know? Is it not the company that commercialized the world'

s first luxury plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology? But you acquired this company?”

“Yes. HJ Partners has been conducting under-the-table negotiations for several weeks, and we finalized the final acquisition procedures this week. If PREZO joins hands with us, it will be able to take flight again in the US.”