Chapter 77: What Is His True Intention?

"Specialist Cha, who was calling?"

As soon as Jiham returned to his seat, Tracy immediately asked with obvious curiosity written across her face.

Since she was already acquainted with Lee Ujin, Jiham saw no reason to hide it.

"It's someone you know as well."

"If I know him... was it Lee Ujin?"

"Very perceptive. He says he misses everyone, so we should all get together before you fly back to America."

"Then how about meeting tonight?"

"Well, do as you wish, Tracy."

Tracy had expected Cha Jiham to eagerly seize the opportunity and immediately agree.

Instead, he reacted with complete indifference, as though it had nothing to do with him.

Sensing that something was wrong, she decided to continue.

"Specialist Cha, are you busy tonight?"

"The American stock market opens in an hour, so I'll be incredibly busy."

"Ah, I completely forgot about the time difference."

Ignoring Tracy's response, I turned to Isabella.

"Has Wolf News published the correction online yet?"

"I've been checking constantly, but they still haven't posted anything."

Clark Bongard's meeting with Wolf News Executive Director John Garfield had taken place two hours earlier at the international airport. That meant one hour was more than enough time to publish the correction online. Since nothing had appeared yet, there could only be one conclusion: something had gone wrong.

While I was wondering what the problem might be, Louis Williams, Clark Bongard's chief secretary and trusted confidant, approached me and quietly said,

"The Chairman asked me to tell you that he has something important to discuss with you. He's waiting in his suite."

"When will dinner be over?"

"It should wrap up in about ten minutes."

As soon as Louis Williams walked away, Tracy looked at me anxiously.

"Specialist Cha, it sounds like something serious has happened. What's going on?"

"I don't know the situation myself yet, so I have nothing to tell you."

At that moment, Deputy Manager Woo Changhun joined the conversation with a puzzled expression.

"Tracy, what makes you think it's something serious?"

"Mr. Williams' face was darker than a storm cloud. He never looks like that."

"Ah, I see."

Woo Changhun nodded as though everything finally made sense.

***

Ding!

The moment I pressed the doorbell, the suite door swung open. Louis Williams seemed to have been waiting for my arrival.

Following him into the living room, I found Clark Bongard, Michael Hudson, Chairman Yoon Jongu, Chairman Park Yeongil, and Vice Chairman Yoon Sanghun already deep in conversation.

After giving them a slight bow, I took a seat on an empty sofa, and Clark Bongard calmly broke the silence.

"Specialist Cha, I assume you've already guessed what happened."

The words How would I know? I'm not a fortune teller, nearly slipped out, but judging from the atmosphere in the room, this was hardly the time for such a remark.

"I can only assume it concerns Wolf News."

"Exactly. Every other news outlet is enthusiastically covering our press conference with Vice Chairman Yoon. Why is Wolf News refusing to publish even a brief correction?"

"My conclusion may be wrong, but please hear me out."

I'd better prepare the ground first, just in case.

"Go ahead. We're listening."

"I believe Executive Director John Garfield is caught between two impossible choices."

"And naturally, you have a reason for thinking that?"

"There's a very high probability that President Melvin Douglas granted Wolf News certain privileges in exchange for publishing that false article."

Clark Bongard immediately understood the hidden meaning behind Cha Jiham's answer.

If Wolf News published the correction, it would naturally lose whatever benefits President Melvin Douglas had promised. Those privileges were evidently attractive enough that John Garfield could no longer decide which side to choose.

To confirm his conclusion, Clark Bongard asked directly.

"My thoughts are exactly the same as yours."

"What sort of privileges do you think President Melvin Douglas offered John Garfield?"

"As far as I know, astronomical sums are spent on political advertising in America."

"So you're saying President Melvin Douglas awarded all of those political advertising contracts to Wolf News?"

"That's exactly what I believe."

"Now everything makes sense. So how should we crush Garfield?"

"I don't think that's necessary."

"You're suggesting we simply let that scoundrel go?"

Clark Bongard's voice carried unmistakable anger.

Fortunately, I already knew what I could rely on.

"You wanted to teach Executive Director Garfield a lesson for publishing false information. But thanks to your press conference, everyone already knows Wolf News was lying. There's nothing left preventing Bongard Group's and Endivia's stock from rising. So why dirty our own hands?"

"That may be true, but Garfield's behavior is outrageous."

"Countless news outlets are discussing the joint venture right now. Wolf News is the only one stubbornly refusing to change its position. Unless Garfield's bones are made of titanium, he'll eventually have no choice but to publish a correction."

"Hmm... That does make sense."

Just then, Louis Williams, who had been watching his phone attentively, suddenly interrupted.

"Wolf News has just published an apology for distributing false information."

"Hahaha!"

Clark Bongard burst into booming laughter.

Naturally, the rest of us smiled broadly as well.

After a while, his laughter subsided, and he instructed Louis Williams,

"What's happening with our company's stock and Endivia's?"

"There's an overwhelming flood of buy orders."

As if on cue, the American stock market finally opened.

Just as expected, shares of Bongard Group and Endivia surged upward the moment trading began.

After listening to Louis Williams' report on the opening prices, Clark Bongard turned to me with a smile.

"Specialist Cha, what do you think is driving such explosive growth in our company's stock and Endivia's shares?"

I already had my own answer, so all I needed to do was stroke Clark Bongard's ego.

"I believe it's because the strategy you devised worked flawlessly."

"Haha, thank you. But just how high do you think our stock and Endivia's shares will rise?"

"Our target return for both investments is fifty percent."

"Isn't that rather conservative?"

"When reality exceeds expectations, the satisfaction is much greater."

"Haha, that's true enough. And when will we reach that target?"

"The impact of your press conference will peak tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow? Not today?"

I shook my head.

"You held the press conference while most Americans were asleep. Investors need at least twenty-four hours to fully absorb its significance."

"I see. So tomorrow night is the time to sell?"

"I completely agree."

"Specialist Cha, how many shares of our company and Endivia did you buy personally?"

"I didn't purchase a single share. However, Korea Investment and Hangang Group bought them in enormous quantities."

"So Specialist Cha himself won't benefit at all?"

This was, in a sense, the decisive moment.

The amount that would ultimately ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) end up in my pocket depended on how I answered.

"Not at all. Chairman Park and Chairman Yoon promised to reward me with part of the profits."

Chairman Yoon Jongu had never made such a promise.

I lied without the slightest hesitation solely to apply gentle pressure on Clark Bongard and Chairman Michael Hudson.

"I see. Then Chairman Hudson and I should also share part of our profits with you."

To inherit Chairman Park Yeongil's personal fortune, I'd eventually have to pay an inheritance tax of thirty-five trillion won.

There was absolutely no reason to refuse Clark Bongard's offer.

Still, accepting it immediately would look undignified, so courtesy demanded that I decline once.

"I shared the investment information without expecting any reward."

"Should I interpret that as a refusal?"

"..."

"Hahaha."

Clark Bongard laughed warmly, as though he had read my mind.

When his laughter died down, I gratefully addressed him.

"Mr. Bongard, Mr. Hudson, thank you both for your generosity."

"It's nothing. What percentage do you think would be fair?"

Since anything from Clark Bongard and Chairman Hudson was essentially an unexpected bonus, there was no reason to be greedy.

"I'll gladly accept whatever amount you think is appropriate."

"Hmm. How about thirty percent of the investment profits?"

"...What?!"

Clark Bongard and Chairman Hudson had invested two hundred twenty billion dollars in Bongard Group stock.

Assuming a fifty-percent return, Cha Jiham's share alone would amount to thirty-three billion dollars.

Anyone receiving such an astronomical sum as a mere reward would naturally be stunned.

"Specialist Cha, you're not shocked because you think the amount is too small, are you?"

"Of course not. How could that possibly be?"

Bzzz.

At that moment, the phone in my pocket vibrated briefly.

Taking it out, I saw a message from Lee Ujin.

Lee Ujin: Are you really not coming?

Cha Jiham: I'm with some important people right now. I'll call you later.

I sent my reply and was about to put my phone away when Clark Bongard spoke again.

"May I ask who you were just texting?"

Even if I had pulled out a lamppost to pick my teeth, Clark Bongard would have had no reason to ask about it.

Viewed from the opposite angle, there could only be one explanation.

He had some hidden objective I couldn't yet see.

What the hell is Clark Bongard's real intention?

"It was a friend inviting me out for a drink."

"In that case, you shouldn't keep him waiting."

"We see each other all the time. There's no need to rush."

"I'm rather tired after such a long flight."

"Then I suppose we'll be leaving as well."

Chairman Yoon Jongu spoke before I had the chance.

Clark Bongard realized things were no longer going according to plan, but there was nothing he could do.

"Chairman Yoon, let's discuss the joint venture tomorrow morning."

"Haha. Agreed. We'll meet tomorrow morning."

Clark Bongard and Chairman Hudson escorted Chairman Yoon Jongu and the others out.

After sitting back down on the sofa, Clark Bongard turned to Louis Williams.

"Mr. Williams, how are our company's stock and Endivia performing?"

"Our company is up twenty-seven and a half percent from yesterday's close, while Endivia has risen twenty-four point three percent."

"We should reach our target return by tomorrow, correct?"

"If this trend continues, that's entirely realistic."

"Hahaha!"

Once Clark Bongard's laughter subsided, Chairman Hudson spoke hesitantly.

"Chairman Bongard, don't you think you promised Specialist Cha too large a share of the profits?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Clark Bongard clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Thanks to Specialist Cha's information, you and I are going to make an enormous amount of money. Tell me, could you earn this much in only a day or two under normal circumstances?"

"Of course not."

"I offered Specialist Cha such a generous share because I intend to win him over to our side."

"Ah..."

Chairman Hudson nodded in understanding.

"You must be tired as well. Go back to your hotel and get some rest."

Receiving the unmistakable hint, Chairman Hudson left the suite.

Clark Bongard then turned to Louis Williams.

"Ambassador Tony Goodwin has probably already reported everything that happened at dinner to President Melvin Douglas, hasn't he?"

"Most likely. Should we send President Melvin Douglas a warning not to do anything reckless?"

"You said his advisor, Joel Graff, is currently on his way to Korea, didn't you?"

That meant the warning should be delivered through Joel Graff, President Melvin Douglas' closest confidant.

"I understand."

"By the way, what is Tracy doing now?"

"She went to meet Gloria."

"And Specialist Cha will probably head there as well?"

"I believe so."

"The lengths I have to go just to bring Specialist Cha and Tracy together..."

Shaking his head, Clark Bongard rose from the sofa.