Chapter 66. The Rogue of Huwan Group (1)

While we were busy gathering information on Thomas Motors, the CoolCloud executives made a decision.

As expected, they agreed to Seid's demands and decided to give an additional 15% of the shares.

"This is the contract."

Seid brought the contract to us.

David carefully examined it.

It was not a stock issuance but a method where each person would contribute shares according to their current ratio.

This way, Alex's share would decrease from 38% to 32%, Rolf's from 37% to 31.16%, and PrestigeA PE's from 16.84% to 16.84%.

And Seid's share would increase to 20%.

Of course, it wasn't just a free handover; various conditions were attached.

If Seid left the company within 15 years, he would have to return not only the 15% he received this time but also the 5% he had already received, and during this period, the shares would be locked up, making them impossible to dispose of.

"You've really thought this through. If Seid leaves within 15 years, he won't take a single share. Additionally, the share ratio can be adjusted at any time through a stock issuance."

I nodded.

"Ultimately, you're tying Seid to CoolCloud for at least the next 15 years."

Ten years can change a lot.

In the IT industry, where trends change rapidly, 15 years is practically a lifetime.

If he is deemed to have no value later, you can lower his share ratio through a stock issuance.

Anyway, they must believe they can continue to dominate CoolCloud, which is why they decided to give shares.

It will be an easy problem to solve once I take over.

I reviewed the revised share ratios again. The desired ratio was perfectly aligned.

"Sign it if it's okay."

* * *

Seid signed the contract.

The well-groomed blonde man said, almost boasting,

"I barely managed to persuade Alex, who said it was impossible. I feel like I've been a bit neglectful towards you. I should have taken care of it earlier."

Seid nodded half-heartedly.

"Yes."

He remembered the articles about him from the days when he used to sit in his room and use his computer. He thought he was a genius from Silicon Valley and wanted to work with him, so he applied to his company without knowing anything.

A year had passed since then.

Seid recalled the first time he saw Minerva.

It was the most perfect program he had ever seen. This made him respect Rolf even more.

But...

It turned out that Rolf didn't create it.

Jason Kim had created it from start to finish, and Rolf's only contribution was changing the name and forming the company.

Yet, in the media, Rolf boasted about the development process, making up stories that never happened. Calling such a person a genius is a real insult to true geniuses.

When Seid signed the document, Rolf patted his shoulder and said,

"Good job. You won't talk about leaving the company anymore, right?"

Seid nodded sincerely.

"Of course."

Because there's someone else who will leave the company.

* * *

Gabriella sent photos of the factory, and Morris sent a summary of the interviews he conducted with former Thomas Motors employees.

As we gathered the information piece by piece, it was truly a spectacle.

David shook his head.

"The factory hasn't even started the foundation work, and the solar power generation facilities, which were supposed to produce hydrogen, are not operational. At this rate, mass production will be impossible even in three years."

Even if they claim to have made a prototype, mass production is a completely different issue.

For mass production, they need to invest a huge amount of money to build production facilities, hire people, and manage quality.

Therefore, among the electric vehicle startups that showcase new cars at CES or motor shows, only a few actually achieve mass production.

So, did they even make a proper prototype?

The location where the T1 FCV driving video was shot was hard to find because Thomas Motors kept it secret.

Fortunately, Morris was able to narrow down a few locations through a friend, and after searching through satellite images, we finally identified the location.

Edward, who went to the site, said excitedly,

"It's just as you said! The car really reached 60 miles per hour with the gear in neutral. I've taken a video with a drone and sent it by email."

"Thank you for your hard work."

David was amazed when he saw the video.

"Really, it was just rolled down a hill. It's hard to believe even after seeing it."

Even though I already knew, it was still surprising. How much more surprising must it be for someone seeing it for the first time?

David asked curiously,

"But how did you figure this out?"

I brushed it off.

"I just had a hunch, and it turned out to be right."

A company with a market cap of $40 billion!

The founder and CEO, Brad Button, holds 16% of the shares, which means he has already earned $6 billion.

At this point, KNC International, which falsely claimed to have a cobalt mine, seems almost cute in comparison.

As befits a great nation, the scale of the fraud is extraordinary.

I brainstormed with David on how to expose this.

"It won't budge with a minor attack."

"So, we need to make it as big and flashy as possible. Something that will grab everyone's attention."

If a minor attack doesn't work, a stronger one will.

"First, write a report. Two versions."

One to be released before the incident and the other to be released after.

"How will you inform the media? Do you know any journalists?"

"Fortunately, I know someone suitable."

"Huwan Energy is the key."

If we can turn the enemy's strongest ally to our side, we'll have a significant advantage.

I nodded.

"I'll meet the team leader first."

* * *

Montgomery, Alabama, USA.

I was waiting alone in my accommodation when I received a call from Chairman Yoo Jae-ho.

"The meeting is at 8 PM at Dalton Hotel. They'll guide you if you mention it in the lobby."

"Thank you."

"By the way, Team Leader Huh Min-woong is known for his rude personality, so be prepared."

"I know from the news."

No wonder his nickname is the Rogue of Huwan Group.

A famous anecdote is that he spoke informally to Vice Chairman Kwon Hyuk-jun in private, which made Chairman Yoo Jae-ho furious.

Additionally, he has been involved in three incidents of assaulting staff at entertainment venues and two drunk driving accidents. The most famous incident was a fight at a club while he was drunk.

It was said that the fight started over a woman, and he even punched the security guards who tried to stop him.

Interestingly, when the police investigated, all the victims claimed that they started the fight first.

If this much is known, how many unknown incidents must there be?

It seems that every heir to a chaebol has such stories.

Chairman Yoo Jae-ho joked,

"But he's very polite to me."

"Is that so?"

No matter how unruly, he doesn't seem to have the nerve to act arrogantly in front of the chairman of Yuseong Group.

"One more question."

"Yes."

"Are you long or short?"

He must have figured out why I wanted to meet.

"As you might guess."

It's hard to push the stock price higher when it's already inflated by expectations. On the other hand, it's relatively easier to bring it down.

"How much do you expect it to drop?"

"More than 80%."

Chairman Yoo Jae-ho pretended to be surprised.

"Really that much?"

"You'll see."

Of course, I won't just sit and watch.

Chairman Yoo Jae-ho is the wealthiest person in Korea, but most of his wealth is tied up in stocks, and he is known to have little cash.

Is that really the case?

Not everything is as it seems. There must be a significant amount of hidden funds accumulated over generations.

Given that Yuseong Group is the largest chaebol in Korea, the scale of these hidden funds must be unimaginable.

They must have inherited these funds without paying taxes.

The fact that he asked me suggests he might want to join the game. If it's a good opportunity, why not share it?

At that moment, a good idea came to mind.

"What if you invest in me?"

"Invest?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

"The more, the better, but how about $100 million?"

Chairman Yoo Jae-ho laughed.

"You don't mean 100 million won, right?"

"Dollars."

If it were company money, it might be different, but for an individual, it's a significant amount.

"Do you think I have that much money?"

"Maybe not."

Chairman Yoo Jae-ho himself might not have that much money.

"If you know any investment companies, you can introduce me."

For example, a paper company in a tax haven.

"What are the terms?"

"Half the profit."

"Quite a lot."

"But you'll make at least double."

"What if there's a loss?"

"Then I'll work hard by your side to make up for it."

"It won't be easy to pay back with my salary."

"Trust me. You won't be disappointed."

After a moment, Chairman Yoo Jae-ho said,

"Can I give you an answer by tomorrow?"

"Sure."

* * *

Huh Min-woong welcomed a guest in his hotel room.

"Hello, I'm Han Miro."

"I'm Huh Min-woong. Nice to meet you."

I was curious about who he was, but he turned out to be a plain-looking Korean man in his mid-20s.

I looked at him closely, wondering if I knew him, but it was a face I had never seen before. However, his name sounded familiar.

"Han Miro? I've heard that name somewhere."

At that moment, something clicked.

"Was it the Premus incident...?"

The other person nodded.

"Yes, that's me."

The Premus incident is well-known in the business world. A new employee's expose led to a change in the successor of DA Financial Group.

Huh Min-woong was taken aback.

'Why is he here?'

He was known to have left the company after exposing the Premus incident.

It was surprising enough that he came to meet me in the U.S., but even more surprising that Chairman Yoo Jae-ho introduced him.

'How does he know Chairman Yoo Jae-ho? What's their relationship?'

Given that Chairman Yoo Jae-ho called him directly to arrange the meeting, they must be more than just acquaintances.

Huh Min-woong asked casually,

"How do you know Chairman Yoo Jae-ho?"

"I met him by chance due to work."

"What kind of work?"

"You'll have to ask Chairman Yoo Jae-ho for the details. I can't disclose them."

"..."

This only made him more curious.

'So, what's their relationship?'

A former securities company employee who exposed a fund scandal and the chairman of Yuseong Group. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't see any connection.

But he couldn't just call Chairman Yoo Jae-ho to ask.

After exchanging greetings, the two sat facing each other.

Huh Min-woong stared at the young man in front of him.

'He's the one who ousted Yang Jeong-wook?'

An employee should just do what they're told. Reporting is one thing, but the decision to accept or reject it is the management's job.

Exposing it to the media was overstepping.

'He's a troublemaker who doesn't know his place.'

Huh Min-woong didn't like such people. But since he was introduced by Chairman Yoo Jae-ho, he had to treat him well and send him off appropriately.

He said bluntly,

"So, why did you want to see me?"

Han Miro smiled and said,

"You're a man of few words."