Chapter 67. The Rascal of Hwanan Group (2)

For a moment, I thought I had heard wrong.

‘What did this guy just say?’

As if to confirm that I hadn’t misheard, Han Miro leaned back comfortably on the sofa.

“Ah! It’s fine. I’m actually more comfortable if you treat me casually. From now on, I’ll also be more relaxed and informal.”

“......”

What is he talking about?

Being able to speak and act casually is a privilege only those in power can afford. I can be informal with others, but I cannot tolerate them being informal with me.

“You’re saying...”

Before I could shout in disbelief, Han Miro said calmly,

“Actually, Chairman Yoo Jae-ho has been treating me with so much formality and respect that it was a bit uncomfortable. He’s much older than me, you know.”

“......”

In other words, even the older Chairman Yoo Jae-ho doesn’t speak informally to me, so what makes you think you can?

Han Miro loosened his tie and crossed his legs.

“I thought all the people from wealthy families were like that, but I’m really glad Mr. Hoo Min-woong isn’t.”

“What? Mr. Hoo?”

“Yes. We’re so close that it feels too stiff to call you by your title. But calling you ‘hyung’ seems too hasty.”

“......”

At this point, I was speechless.

‘What is this guy up to?’

Being a member of a wealthy family isn’t just about having a lot of money.

They have actual control over companies and exert influence in politics, academia, the legal system, and the media, affecting all aspects of Korean society.

He is the son of the chairman of Hwanan Group, one of the top ten conglomerates in Korea.

Regardless of his age and position, most people have always treated him with respect. Of course, there have been people who have acted arrogantly in front of him, but he could never tolerate rudeness from someone in a lower position.

Normally, he would have thrown a punch before even speaking.

The problem was that the person who introduced him was Chairman Yoo Jae-ho. Treating the person who introduced him rudely would be a sign of disrespect to the introducer.

Moreover, since he was being openly arrogant, it was actually harder to take action against him.

Hoo Min-woong suppressed his rising anger and said,

“Tell me why you’re here.”

I didn’t want to waste time talking to someone who couldn’t even understand the situation. I just wanted to hear his business and send him away.

But then he said something completely unexpected.

“I’m here to save you, Hoo Min-woong.”

“......What?”

* * *

I looked at the man in front of me.

He was 31 years old and not yet married.

Standing at about 180 cm, he was well-built and handsome. I knew he had graduated from Duke University, a prestigious school in North Carolina.

He was the second son of Hwanan Group’s chairman, Hoo Sung-hoon, and his name was Hoo Min-woong.

He was fluent in English and, having lived abroad, mainly handled overseas business. Currently, he was the head of Hwanan Energy’s overseas investment team.

He had also been in charge of the collaboration with Thomas Motors.

He glared at me with sharp eyes.

In the past, I wouldn’t have been able to meet the heir of a wealthy family, let alone make eye contact. How often does one get to meet such people in life?

But I wasn’t particularly nervous.

Was it because I had experienced so much?

After all, I had already met Chairman Yoo Jae-ho, so why would I be nervous about the son of the Hwanan Group chairman?

Despite the intimidating atmosphere, I remained calm, and Hoo Min-woong had no choice but to speak first.

“You’re here to save me?”

“Yes.”

“Are you saying I’m in a situation where I might die?”

“Exactly.”

Hoo Min-woong, looking incredulous, got up and walked to the bar where bottles of alcohol were lined up. He poured himself a glass of Macallan whisky and drank it in one gulp.

That bottle of alcohol would be equivalent to a month’s salary for an average worker.

“I don’t consider myself a polite person, but don’t you think you’re being too rude?”

From his expression and tone, it was clear he was trying to suppress his rising anger.

After all, when does the son of the chairman of Hwanan Group ever receive such treatment? He’s only being treated this way because it’s me.

If it weren’t for Chairman Yoo Jae-ho’s introduction, he would have been kicked out long ago.

Since I had already set this tone, I decided to stick with it.

“Give me a glass too.”

“Do you think you deserve to drink?”

“If someone who can’t even afford a drink was introduced by Chairman Yoo Jae-ho, wouldn’t that be strange?”

After looking at my face for a moment, he poured half a glass of whisky into an on-the-rocks glass and placed it on the table. I don’t particularly like alcohol, but I wouldn’t turn down the chance to drink expensive whisky.

I slowly sipped the whisky.

“Thomas Motors is holding the PureCell Day event the day after tomorrow. I understand that the hydrogen infrastructure business agreement will be signed before the event. After the announcement, the stock prices of Thomas Motors, Hwanan Energy, and Hwanan Solutions will likely rise significantly.”

“Let’s stop with the obvious. If you have something to say, just say it and leave.”

I nodded.

“Let’s consider the best-case scenario first. If the hydrogen infrastructure investment goes well and shows results, Hwanan Solutions will likely take it over anyway.”

Hwanan Solutions’ vice president, Hoo Min-hong, is the eldest son of Chairman Hoo Sung-hoon.

“You mean your brother will take it over? How?”

“By merging Hwanan Energy and Hwanan Solutions.”

Hoo Min-woong said, sounding displeased.

“Who decides that?”

“The management and shareholders. If the group decides to push for the merger, can you stop it?”

I know this because the merger actually happened. Although it was for different reasons, Hwanan Energy was eventually absorbed by Hwanan Solutions.

Even if he holds a lot of shares, the largest shareholder is still the group’s holding company, Hwanan.

And...

“Does Hwanan Energy have the capital and capability to run the business independently without the group’s support? Large-scale investment from the group level will be necessary for the hydrogen infrastructure. Even if the infrastructure is built, it will take at least three years to start generating profits. In the end, won’t you have to ask for help from above to keep the business running smoothly?”

Hoo Min-woong said, sounding displeased.

“Why don’t you mind your own business?”

He must know this much and probably has a plan. Of course, there are limits to how much a plan can defend against such a situation.

Anyway, as he said, I have no reason to worry about his family’s affairs.

“Sure.”

I nodded and fell silent.

After a moment, Hoo Min-woong asked,

“So?”

“So what?”

“If you’re going to upset someone by saying obvious things, you should at least have a plan, right?”

I said matter-of-factly,

“You should think about your own family’s affairs, not ask others.”

“......What?”

Now he didn’t even look angry.

I kindly explained, in case he was confused.

“In fact, there’s no need to worry about that issue.”

“Why not?”

“Because this business will fail, and you will be kicked out of the group.”

“......”

There was a moment of silence.

Hoo Min-woong stared at me and said,

“Stop making nonsense and get out.”

“It’s not nonsense. The hydrogen infrastructure collaboration will fail, and you will have to take the responsibility.”

“Why?”

“It’s a scam.”

“What is?”

“Thomas Motors.”

“......Your sentences are getting shorter.”

“Should I make them longer?”

That wasn’t the important part, so he returned to the main topic.

“What about Thomas Motors is a scam?”

“Everything.”

Hoo Min-woong laughed, looking incredulous.

“Ha ha!”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Do you expect me to believe that?”

I laughed the same way.

“Ha ha!”

“Why are you laughing?”

“When I first pointed out the problems with the Premus Fund at DA Securities, I heard the same thing. But what was the result?”

“......”

There was no need to say more.

My observations were correct, and Executive Yang Jeong-wook lost his job.

The same will happen this time.

After David’s report exposed Thomas Motors as a scam, the stock price dropped by 80%. The market capitalization, which was 40 billion dollars, shrank to 8 billion dollars.

Although Hwanan Energy and Hwanan Solutions had bought at a low price, so they didn’t incur a loss, most of the paper profits disappeared.

The bigger problem was that this completely ruined Hwanan Group’s energy roadmap.

Hoo Min-woong took full responsibility for this.

He resigned from his position as the head of Hwanan Energy’s team. After that, he had almost no influence within the group and had to watch his brother take over the group.

Hoo Min-woong’s face hardened.

He must not have felt good hearing that his business was a scam.

“Can you take responsibility for what you just said?”

“What’s the point of me saying I’ll take responsibility? You have to make the judgment yourself.”

He gripped his glass as if he wanted to break it and said,

“Explain properly.”

“Let’s start with the hydrogen production plan. Thomas Motors announced that they will produce 3,000 tons of hydrogen annually using solar power. They claim to have reduced production costs to one-third of the current level through technological innovation. What is this technology? Are all other companies fools for producing hydrogen at three times the cost? I know Hwanan Energy installed a lot of solar panels for them, but are they producing hydrogen now?”

“Delays in production plans are common. What’s the problem with that?”

“Then let’s talk about hydrogen cars. Many people compare Thomas Motors to Tesla, but Tesla has consistently released cars since its startup days. While opinions differ on whether Tesla will make a profit in the future, no one doubts its leading technology in electric vehicles and autonomous driving. What about Thomas Motors? Has Thomas Motors ever produced a single car? Let alone mass production, have you ever driven a hydrogen truck made by Thomas Motors?”

“......”

Hoo Min-woong couldn’t answer. Of course, he couldn’t.

He tried to defend himself,

“They unveiled the T1 FCV last year.”

“Oh! That prototype?”

“They’ve already completed test drives and plan to officially launch it in the second half of next year.”

“Who said they’ve completed test drives?”

He frowned, thinking I was joking.

“They did test drives on the road. Didn’t you see it?”

I showed him a video on my laptop.

“Do you mean this video?”

Hoo Min-woong nodded.

“Yeah.”

“It was rolled down a hill.”

“......What?”

“Think about it. CEO Brad Button only said the truck moved, not that it drove.”

Hoo Min-woong raised his voice.

“Are you joking with me?”

“Does it sound like a joke?”

Surprisingly, when the truth came out, he actually used this as an excuse. I thought he was making a joke at first.