Chapter 142: Mastermind (10)

Translator: Dreamscribe

News that Director Yu Gil-tae had made his home at ‘MEG’. Since Director Yu Gil-tae was one of the most renowned masters in Korea, considerable shock showed on the faces of CEO Seok Ji-yeon and the directors in the large conference room.

CEO Seok Ji-yeon looked at the composed Director Kim Ha-jae. Or rather, Kang Jae-ha, and inwardly clicked her tongue in amazement.

‘H-how the hell did he lure in a big shot like that??’

The gorilla-like Director Lee Dong-hak’s eyes were filled with question marks.

‘......‘MEG’ snagged Director Yu Gil-tae?? Even if they’ve been getting some attention lately, ‘MEG’ is still a fledgling investment firm that’s only been around for about a year. What kind of magic did they work?’

The other directors also burst inwardly with admiration, exclamations, or questions.

‘I couldn’t understand Moon Ji-a moving to ‘MEG’ recently either......and now even the great Director Yu Gil-tae??!’

‘I know ‘MEG’ already has Directors Kwon Sung-min and Hong Man-seop. If Director Yu Gil-tae gets added too- is ‘MEG’ collecting directors or something? Even so, I never thought they’d go after Director Yu Gil-tae too.’

It was an understandable reaction. A high-profile director like Yu Gil-tae had joined ‘MEG’ without any warning, completely out of the blue.

Meanwhile, the masked Kang Jae-ha remained quiet.

Well, he did enjoy the expressions of CEO Seok Ji-yeon and the directors, who looked ready to fall over in shock.

‘Their eyeballs are about to pop out.’

The towering Go Chun-seok standing behind him gave a small cough, as though his shoulders had risen with pride for no particular reason. In any case, the news about Director Yu Gil-tae had indeed been something Jae-ha deliberately timed and dropped. It was the perfect moment to raise ‘MEG’s’ image in the market. So ‘HG ENM’ could also be considered one of the targets.

As the buzzing atmosphere continued, CEO Seok Ji-yeon, her hair neatly tied back, looked at Kang Jae-ha and spoke.

“...Impressive. I heard that the growth has been tremendous, from ‘MEG’ itself to its subsidiaries. To think you’ve even brought in Ms. Moon Ji-a and Director Yu Gil-tae.”

In terms of scale, ‘MEG’ was smaller than ‘HG ENM’, but CEO Seok Ji-yeon judged that ‘MEG’ was far ahead when it came to recent growth. A mix of envy and competitive fire welled up within her. Kang Jae-ha soon gave CEO Seok Ji-yeon a small bow of his head.

“We’re working hard.”

It was then.

“Director Kim Ha-jae.”

The gorilla-like Director Lee Dong-hak called out to Jae-ha. At some point, a faint smile had spread across his face.

“First, congratulations on landing Director Yu Gil-tae. The film industry must be in quite an uproar right now.”

“Yes, I imagine so.”

“But with that level of growth and explosive momentum- hmm, regarding ‘K:FESTA’, couldn’t you put up 10 billion won instead of the initial investment of 8 billion?”

“......”

Kang Jae-ha immediately stared at Director Lee Dong-hak with a dry gaze. Director Lee Dong-hak was now trying to raise the initial investment from 8 billion won. He probably thought this was the perfect timing. In fact, he was feeling rather smug inside.

‘If I make enough of a mess, this deal might fall through.’

It was also a petty trick to preserve his pride.

“If you sign for 10 billion instead of 8 billion, wouldn’t the name ‘MEG’ leave an even stronger impression across the entire market? It’s only a difference of 2 billion won, after all.”

At that moment, CEO Seok Ji-yeon frowned and quickly tried to intervene.

“Director Lee Dong-hak!”

But before she could continue, Kang Jae-ha gave a short laugh and spoke to Director Lee Dong-hak. As though he found him utterly ridiculous.

“Are you seriously a director at ‘HG ENM’?”

Director Lee Dong-hak flinched.

“...What did you say?”

“Thank you.”

“Excuse me?”

“The first thing you should be saying to us at ‘MEG’ is thank you. If you’re a director of ‘HG ENM’, that’s only proper. Not deliberately trying to throw a wrench into things. Or was that intentional?”

In an instant, all expression vanished from Director Lee Dong-hak’s face. Because Jae-ha had hit on his true intentions. Regardless, the masked Jae-ha did not stop.

“We’re offering to invest in ‘K:FESTA’, a massive project worth tens of billions that’s floundering so badly it’s practically on its last legs, without even trying to haggle the price down further, and all you’re doing is spouting pie-in-the-sky nonsense.”

“It’s not pie-in-the-sky.”

“‘HG ENM’ lowered the price from 10 billion to 8 billion and still got no response, and we stepped in to take it, didn’t we? Then we’re the ones saving ‘K:FESTA’ and ‘HG ENM’s’ pride too, aren’t we?”

Every last word was true. Well, it was not exactly the sort of thing one normally said outright in a meeting, but Kang Jae-ha had no reason to hold back.

“Director Lee Dong-hak. If you really are a director of ‘HG ENM’, I’d think you should be grinning from ear to ear right now. Not trying to sabotage things at every opportunity. And testing the waters is the CEO’s job, not a director’s.”

Director Lee Dong-hak’s face quickly reddened as he quietly clenched his jaw.

“Watch your words.”

“If you don’t like it, scrap the deal. We’ve got nothing to lose. Raising it from 8 billion to 10 billion? Easy. Like you said, what’s so hard about adding another 2 billion? But you have to consider value. Whether it’s a business or a person, everything has a value. Just like the salary you’re paid.”

“......”

“I’m sure a director of ‘HG ENM’ knows what value investing is. ‘MEG’ has judged ‘K:FESTA’ to be worth 8 billion won. No, to be completely frank, it’s worth less. We’re actually giving it a higher valuation.”

At Kang Jae-ha’s sharp rebuke, the large conference room instantly fell silent. The directors were flustered, and Director Lee Dong-hak looked like he had bitten into shit. Meanwhile, Jae-ha remained calm and cold.

“If the contract with us falls through here, the value of ‘K:FESTA’ will plunge even further. If word gets out that the deal fell through even with a fledgling investment firm like ‘MEG’, forget 8 billion. I doubt you’d get even 6 billion. Securing the smaller sponsors would become several times harder too.”

Kang Jae-ha crossed his legs and looked Director Lee Dong-hak straight in the eyes.

“Or is that what you really want, Director Lee Dong-hak?”

Director Lee Dong-hak glanced at CEO Seok Ji-yeon before answering.

“......Of course not.”

“Right? There’s no way a director of ‘HG ENM’ would want to sink a project that the company’s fate depends on.”

“Of course.”

At Director Lee Dong-hak’s mechanical reply. Kang Jae-ha deftly eased the heavy atmosphere.

“I’ll take it as my misunderstanding. Director Lee Dong-hak merely wanted to raise the price of ‘K:FESTA’. While preserving ‘HG ENM’s’ pride.”

“If my words went too far, I apologize.”

“Your enthusiasm got the better of you.”

Jae-ha had an exceptional eye for people. Manipulating the atmosphere like this was also easy for him. Kang Jae-ha was subtly drawing out Director Lee Dong-hak’s true intentions while simultaneously making ‘MEG’s’ presence felt.

‘That should be enough.’

Kang Jae-ha murmured inwardly, then turned his gaze toward CEO Seok Ji-yeon.

“CEO, I’d like to speak with you alone, without the directors.”

Director Seok Ji-yeon snapped back to her senses and nodded.

“Yes, I think that would be best.”

A short while later.

The directors, including Director Lee Dong-hak, left the large conference room. Several of them glanced back and murmured about Kang Jae-ha’s behavior moments earlier.

“Seems like he’s got nothing to lose, talking like that without the slightest hesitation.”

“Doesn’t it just mean they’re doing that well?”

“He was treating 8 billion, 10 billion like pocket change.”

“Exactly. I can’t even imagine what kind of powerful backing he must have.”

Director Lee Dong-hak, walking at the very rear, was snorting hot air through his nose.

‘That fucking lunatic......A director from an investment firm that’s barely a year old is running his mouth, acting all high and mighty??’

At the same time, he recalled how he had been cowed by Kang Jae-ha’s chilling gaze. Well, the monstrous Go Chun-seok standing behind him had been intimidating too, but there had also been something abnormal about Kang Jae-ha’s eyes.

‘Fuck, those weren’t the eyes of someone from this line of work. What the hell is that bastard?’

Around then, Kang Jae-ha, under the guise of Director Kim Ha-jae as he spoke with CEO Seok Ji-yeon, said.

“I tend to be rather direct. If I offended you, I apologize.”

There was no trace of the man who had been wielding a blade moments earlier, and he was completely serene, which left CEO Seok Ji-yeon feeling a sense of incongruity, but.

‘Why are the seasons changing so damn fast?? That freezing atmosphere disappeared this quickly? I really can’t get a read on this man.’

She did not show much of it either.

“No, our director went too far. I’m the one who should apologize.”

“What do you think, CEO? Going with ‘MEG’ as the Running Mate for 8 billion won.”

“As I said at the beginning, I think that’s entirely reasonable. I’d like to build the second ‘K:FESTA’ together with ‘MEG’.”

She said they would build it together, but in reality, ‘MEG’ would merely put up the money, while ‘HG ENM’ would handle most of the planning and production. ‘MEG’ would serve as an inspector.

Kang Jae-ha, who knew that perfectly well, smiled.

“Then there’s no reason to drag this out. Let’s sign the contract right away.”

CEO Seok Ji-yeon’s expression immediately brightened, and she nodded.

“Thank you. I’ll organize everything, including a copy of the contract for your review and the business plan, and send it over as soon as possible.”

“Do that. And as for Director Lee Dong-hak- you should keep a close eye on him.”

“Ah.”

“Power struggles inside a company, well, they’re common. But from our perspective, friction before a major project like ‘K:FESTA’ is less than ideal.”

“...Yes, I’m aware.”

Jae-ha soon recalled the Deja Vu concerning ‘K:FESTA’. It had definitely said that it would become a nuclear-bomb-level smash hit. However, it was not certain that CEO Seok Ji-yeon, sitting here now, would be the one to pull it off.

‘There’s every possibility she gets pushed out midway and Lee Dong-hak takes the whole thing for himself.’

From Kang Jae-ha’s perspective, Lee Dong-hak and Seok Ji-yeon were similar enough, but CEO Seok Ji-yeon still scored somewhat higher. Well, in the end, both of them were in the palm of Kang Jae-ha’s hand.

‘In terms of character, Seok Ji-yeon wins.’

It would be easy to get rid of Director Lee Dong-hak right now. However, the justification was weak, and Kang Jae-ha saw no reason to involve himself in ‘HG ENM’s’ internal family feud at this point.

‘Besides, there’s no fun in simply doing it for her.’

The masked Kang Jae-ha then spoke to CEO Seok Ji-yeon.

“If your internal feud ever becomes too much to handle, speak to me.”

“...Excuse me?”

“I may be able to help you or lend you some support.”

“You, Director Kim Ha-jae?”

“‘MEG’ accurately reads the flow of money and carves out new paths for it. ‘K:FESTA’ is another such case. So our intelligence network isn’t bad. Nor, of course, is our ability to act. If there’s money in it or something benefits ‘MEG’, we tend to push ahead.”

“Ah-”

At this point, CEO Seok Ji-yeon of ‘HG ENM’, who had been around the block in this industry for quite some time, thought.

‘It’s different. I can’t quite put it into words, but- ‘MEG’ is different from the investment firms I’ve seen in this industry. So is this man in front of me. Dangerous, yet strangely compelling.’

She instinctively realized that ‘MEG’ was no ordinary investment firm. There was also the huge Go Chun-seok behind him. She had thought from the beginning that there was something unusual about ‘MEG’, but that impression had only grown stronger now.

‘Yeah, almost like a mastermind behind the scenes.’

Kang Jae-ha soon rose from his seat.

“When someone brings in strength from outside instead of relying on people within, that’s usually called hiring ‘Mercenaries’. We don’t shy away from mercenary work either.”

‘MEG’ itself was the Mercenary Corps. So calling it mercenary work was not entirely wrong. Of course, there was merely the small difference that this particular mercenary was the Commander who set up the board and shook the entire game.

“Contact me, whether it’s about the contract or mercenary work.”

Kang Jae-ha and Go Chun-seok then left the large conference room. When the two entered the elevator, Go Chun-seok, who had silently watched the entire meeting, asked his Commander in a deep voice.

“Commander. Is there any need to help that CEO Seok Ji-yeon? I don’t know much about this, but that Lee Dong-hak fellow looked easier to handle.”

“Right. A shady bastard like that is easier to manipulate.”

“Then why CEO Seok Ji-yeon?”

“Unlike the Other World, if you make someone indebted to you here, it’ll come in handy someday. The difference is how useful that debt will be. Even if we put Lee Dong-hak in our debt, where would we ever have a use for him?”

“Nowhere. He had exactly the face of a man who’d betray us.”

“Exactly. If this were the Mercenary Corps, his head would’ve been taken off before long.”

“Hmm.”

“On the other hand, CEO Seok Ji-yeon is useful. Her character and competence are one thing, but more importantly, her position is hanging by a thread, so she’s desperate too.”

“The difference in usefulness. I understand.”

“‘K:FESTA’ is happening anyway. While we’re at it, we might as well add another useful chess piece inside ‘HG ENM’ who owes ‘MEG’ a debt. All the better if that piece is the CEO.”

“But CEO Seok Ji-yeon might not ask ‘MEG’ for help with their internal feud, right?”

Kang Jae-ha patted Go Chun-seok on the shoulder and thought of the furious Director Lee Dong-hak and CEO Seok Ji-yeon, whose nerves were probably still jangling even now.

“People naturally seek the easier path. That’s the same in the Other World and here. If there were no possibility, that would be one thing, but once there is, it can’t help but keep lingering in their mind. CEO Seok Ji-yeon will crave our help.”

Jae-ha’s smile was filled with certainty.

“Even if she doesn’t, it doesn’t matter, because I can make her.”

*****

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