A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 64

“Let’s go with this for the article title. Mysterious private equity fund indiscriminately purchasing Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Concerns over corporate hunting spreading.”

In the conference room of Daehan Group headquarters, Han Ji-beom instructed calmly.

The expressions of the team members sitting around the long oval table were all serious.

Each had a laptop unfolded, but all gazes were concentrated on Han Ji-beom.

“Let’s dig deeper into HJ Partners for the second article. HJ Partners' recent suspicious asset movements captured. With a feeling that a hidden power is suspected.”

Everyone wrote down exactly what Han Ji-beom said.

One of the team members suggested cautiously.

“How about going with an expert critique for the third one?”

Seong Min-ho, who was in his fifth year at the company, was attending such a high-level meeting for the first time, but he was a core member of the staff who received Han Ji-beom's trust.

“I think it is also a method to package it in a way that says immediate investigation by financial authorities is necessary as management rights of the corporation could be threatened.”Han Ji-beom nodded with a satisfied expression.

“Good. Let’s set them off sequentially within 24 hours. However, we must handle it carefully so that it never gets on our hands. Bear in mind that it must look like the media outlets covered it voluntarily.”

They launched a meticulously planned public opinion offensive.

The media network that Daehan Group had built over many years began to move all at once.

Starting from economic newspapers to daily newspapers and online media, related articles poured out sequentially.

In just two days, the top ranks of real-time search terms on portal sites were full of stories about HJ Partners.

Speculations surrounding HJ Partners also poured out like a flood in online communities.

Reporters moved faster than expected.

In particular, economic specialist reporters moved to a degree that even those inside Daehan Group were surprised.

The veterans were not satisfied with simply transcribing given information.

They began to put all their effort into digging into the identity of HJ Partners.

And finally, reporter Ma Seon-ho of an economic newspaper obtained it.

A veteran reporter with over a dozen years of experience, he was famous for having a wide network in the economic world.

After heating up the information collection by making phone calls until late at night, he finally gained a harvest.

“Who did you say the representative's name is?!”

At first, he even asked again, thinking he had misheard.

However, the moment he learned the identity hidden behind that name through additional coverage, reporter Ma Seon-ho's eyes flashed.

This was not a simple economic article but material for a top story on the social page.

Lim Hyunjun, a third-generation heir of Taeseong Group.

“This is… a total jackpot.”

The corners of reporter Ma Seon-ho's mouth went up.

The title of the article that would decorate the front page tomorrow morning was already appearing in his head.

***

The next morning at Daehan Group headquarters.

Nam Jae-heon commuted to work 30 minutes earlier than usual.

Because he couldn't sleep properly last night either, faint dark circles were cast around his eyes.

Entering the office, he habitually picked up the morning newspaper placed on the desk.

As soon as he saw the letters written on the front, his hand stopped.

[Taeseong 3rd Gen Lim Hyunjun High School Entrepreneur. HJ Partners' actual representative targets Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering]

The type in bold letters caught his eye like a warning light.

Nam Jae-heon's gaze naturally headed to the photo below it.

The boy with handsome looks in the photo was wearing a school uniform.

He had an impression that looked calm to the point it was hard to believe he was an 18-year-old high school student.

The article was written like this.

[…Ranked 1st in the entire school and recorded a perfect score on the National Union Achievement Evaluation. From a troublemaker of a chaebol family to an investment genius… Currently managing a fund reaching tens of billions of won, he is concurrently handling studies and corporate management.]

Nam Jae-heon's complexion gradually turned dark.

While reading through the article meticulously, he stopped completely at one of the sentences.

[HJ Partners is becoming a hot topic even among experts by showing agile judgment even amidst the stock price plunge based on a sophisticated low-price purchase strategy and market sentiment analysis]

Nam Jae-heon stared at the newspaper and uttered that name lowly.

“…Lim Hyunjun. We were played this much by a single high school student?!”

The newspaper held in his hand began to be crumpled slowly.

The past events passed through his head like a kaleidoscope.

From the Iraq project taken away by Taeseong Construction to the acquisition of PREZO.

HJ Partners was involved in all of those things.

A hollow laugh flowed out of Nam Jae-heon.

“So it’s not a chaebol young master, but a tiger cub. How dare a young brat toy with us!”

His gaze began to flash increasingly sharp.

He was like a beast of prey targeting its game.

“I will make you pay dearly for playing with us.”

Anger began to boil up slowly.

He relayed through his secretary.

“Summon everyone from the Strategic Planning Office, the Media Response Team, and the Legal Team urgently!”

At the same time, an uproar occurred in the Chairman's office of Daehan Group.

The secretary hurried to open the door and come in to deliver the news.

“Chairman, there is a matter you must check.”

Chairman Nam Kun-ho was reviewing the business report that came up in the morning.

Despite being well over seventy, his physical strength was not inferior to a young person's.

To the point where the charisma of leading Daehan Group for decades was evident in his whole body, so what more needs to be said.

Nam Kun-ho looked at the secretary who came in panting and asked.

“What is so urgent?”

The secretary held out a tablet.

[Taeseong Group 3rd Gen Lim Hyunjun. Birth of a high school genius entrepreneur]

The bold title entered Nam Kun-ho's field of vision.

His eyebrows twitched as if in a spasm.

“What is this! Lim Hyunjun? Are you talking about Do-kyung's son?”

A nuance of disbelief was deeply embedded in the Chairman's voice.

He was in a rival relationship with Chairman Lim Man-seok of Taeseong Group, but he had lived thinking the man was far inferior to himself.

Yet, he never dreamed that the grandson would grab Daehan's ankle in this way.

The secretary spoke cautiously while trying not to offend the Chairman's feelings as much as possible.

“Yes, Chairman. That’s right. It is said he is currently a high school student while serving as the representative of HJ Partners.”

Even before the secretary's words finished, Nam Kun-ho's expression became greatly distorted.

The more he read down the article, the darker his expression became.

Lim Hyunjun's actions so far were recorded in detail within the article.

And most shocking of all was the fact that he was trying to intervene in a management rights dispute by purchasing stocks of Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

“Is that Taeseong brat saying he is waging a head-on battle against us right now?”

Bang!

In an instant, his fist struck the desk hard.

An object placed on the desk rolled down to the floor due to the vibration.

A hollow laugh burst out.

In all his life, a group that was among the top three in the business hierarchy had never felt such humiliation.

The wrinkles on the Chairman's forehead deepened further.

“There is no way a young brat established a company alone. It must certainly be Chairman Lim's doing. How dare he deceive me until now!”

A fire rose within him.

It was difficult to control the rage that was boiling over.

He rose from his seat, looked out the window, and thought.

From this spot looking down at the city of Seoul, he never even imagined that things he believed were far below him would become a threat.

He slowly turned his head and looked at the secretary.

“Call that fellow Nam Jae-heon immediately! And tell Park Se-dong and Han Ji-beom to come as well.”

The secretary moved swiftly.

If he dawdled, he didn't know what kind of thunderbolt would fall.

“What, a high school student? Not even funny.”

He looked at Lim Hyunjun's photo on the tablet screen once again.

A strange energy was felt in the gaze of the eighteen-year-old boy.

He felt as if the boy was mocking him while looking at him.

Eventually, he picked up the tablet and threw it.

The expressions of the employees waiting outside the Chairman's office turned pale.

Everyone kept a low profile because if they were caught in the wrong way today, they were highly likely to suffer hardships from Chairman Nam.

***

A rare warm sunlight shone through the window.

It was around the time when a myth was spreading that the weather had recently become cold because of the upcoming CSAT day.

In a high school in Seoul, I, Lim Hyunjun, was attending the morning assembly as usual.

Dressed neatly in my school uniform, I was maintaining a calm expression, as if I didn't know at all that I had decorated the front page of the newspaper.

However, my cell phone already had dozens of missed calls and messages piled up.

Interview requests from media outlets and investment firms also contacted me competitively.

To the extent that my father, Vice Chairman Lim Do-kyung, was looking for me urgently.

While the storm raged fiercely, my daily life was very peaceful.

At least the students didn't seem to know yet that I was the actual owner of HJ Partners.

Jang Wooseok nudged me slightly and asked.

“Did you sleep late yesterday? Your eyes are red.”

I smiled and nodded my head.

“I’m fine.”

During class, I glanced at my wrist and checked the time.

'I guess the days of living quietly are over now.'

When class ended and it became break time, I took out my cell phone and checked it.

Dozens of missed calls and texts had arrived.

I quickly left a message for Choi Seo-jun.

“I think it would be better to change my cell phone number.”

As if he had been waiting, a text from Choi Seo-jun came immediately.

-Yes, I will take action immediately.

I turned off the cell phone altogether.

And then I enjoyed a day that might be the last with my friends.

The time when all classes ended.

The front of the school gate was crowded with reporters.

They were all people who had swarmed to cover me.

As expected, I headed to the back of the school with Wooseok.

We climbed up the high wall and went over easily.

There was a car waiting in advance in that place.

Choi Seo-jun opened his mouth while watching me, who went over walls.

“Representatives who are high school students are rare, but there won't be anyone who goes over walls either.”

I wore an awkward smile and got into the car Choi Seo-jun was driving.

Of course, Jang Wooseok was with me as well.

Wooseok seemed to have encountered the articles through his phone, as he didn't ask me separately.

However, because he kept watching my reaction as if he was worried, I let out a joke.

“You better stay on my good side. Then I'll give you a job later.”

“What are you saying? You crazy guy.”

“Hahaha. That’s my friend.”

We two guys bickered with each other and returned to our usual appearance.

After dropping Wooseok off at home, I headed straight to HJ Partners.

Now that the whole world knew who I was, I had to give up the freedom I used to enjoy before.

When the car I was in entered the entrance of HJ Partners, the bodyguards who were waiting ran out.

As expected, a crowd of reporters had swarmed here as well.

I got out of the car while wearing my school uniform.

Camera flashes went off continuously.

I was barely able to come inside while surrounded by bodyguards.

Choi Seo-jun grumbled while smoothing his crumpled clothes.

“Do celebrities live while experiencing this kind of thing every day?”

“I wonder. I’m not a celebrity, so I don’t really know.”

I moved my steps first as if I didn't even care much.

Choi Seo-jun watched my back and wore a dumbfounded expression.

“Even though his face is unmistakably an idol's…. This is a foul.”

What Choi Seo-jun said was not wrong.

Not long after, my popularity became no less than an idol's.

As that was the case, women would linger near the company holding large cameras.

There were even incidents where they infiltrated the school I attended.