Chapter 89. Is this reasonable? (1)

Park Tae-il, the mastermind behind the Premus incident, was apprehended just before his departure at Incheon Airport and has been under detention ever since.

Given the high public interest in the case, the trial proceeded unusually quickly.

While he expressed remorse to the victims and promised to do his best to make amends, he also assembled a super-luxury legal team composed of former prosecutors and judges to defend him in court.

And finally, the first-instance verdict was handed down.

[Premus Asset Management CEO Park Tae-il sentenced to 10 years in prison, fined 500 million won, and ordered to pay 65.1 billion won in restitution]

[Almost no possibility of recovering the restitution]

[Prosecutors tracking assets hidden overseas]

[Both the prosecution and defense teams have announced their intention to appeal]

- Hey, even after embezzling 1 trillion won, he only gets 10 years?

- He still thinks it's too harsh and is appealing.

- If he appeals, he'll probably get a 5-year sentence. He can live happily ever after with the money he made while in prison.

- Well, they say he's already moved all the remaining money overseas?

- His family has already left the country. Smooth sailing~

- In Korea, the rule is that the scammer lives in luxury while the victim lives like a beggar.

- In the U.S., the Enron and Madoff cases resulted in life sentences, but in Korea, it's just 10 years.

- I heard the CEO of Thomas Motors might get a 20-year sentence this time.

- That's why Korea is called the "Republic of Scams" hahaha.

- The person who exposed this case must be pretty disappointed.

- I remember it was a new employee who exposed it, right?

- I heard he quit right after exposing it.

- How is he going to make a living after quitting?

- Maybe he's working part-time at a logistics center?

- I bet 500 won he opened a chicken restaurant.

- Opening a chicken restaurant after retirement is a rule, right?

- I wonder what he's doing now?

Seung Yuna thought as she read the comments.

'Yeah, I wonder what that person is doing now?'

She heard he went to the U.S., but there's been no news since then. She thought he would contact her when he returned, but there's still no word.

'He said he went to the U.S. for work, but hasn't returned yet? Or could he have returned and not contacted me?'

To find out, she decided to call him first.

She called Han Miro's phone, but it was turned off. The next day was the same.

Just in case, she sent a message, but it wasn't even read.

'Why is his phone turned off? Could something have happened to him in the U.S.? I heard there was a shooting yesterday, didn't I?'

Worried, Seung Yuna went to the research department during lunchtime.

"Hello."

Everyone was clearly surprised by her appearance. After all, she is the granddaughter of the chairman of DA Financial Group.

Or, should she now be called the only daughter of the next chairman?

Kim Su-won, the new department head who replaced the demoted Yoon Young-cheol, was flustered.

"Y-You're here... What brings you here... I mean, what's the matter?"

"I have some business with Manager Lee Dong-ho."

Lee Dong-ho, who had been bowing his head like an ostrich with its head in the sand, was startled.

"Me?"

"I thought it was lunchtime, but if you're busy, I can come back later."

Kim Su-won quickly responded.

"Oh! It's already lunchtime. Everyone, go ahead and have lunch."

Seung Yuna turned to Lee Dong-ho.

"Can we talk for a moment?"

"Ah, yes."

Outside, Lee Dong-ho stood at attention in front of her. They had greeted each other occasionally, but never had a proper conversation.

'What could she want from me?'

While he was thinking hard about what he might have done wrong, Seung Yuna asked.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No way. I'm very relaxed right now."

"..."

But why doesn't he look relaxed at all?

"You can relax and stand normally."

"Understood."

Lee Dong-ho relaxed his posture.

Seung Yuna sighed.

"I didn't mean to make you stand at attention."

"..."

Lee Dong-ho asked.

"What's the matter, then?"

He is Han Miro's senior both in school and at work, and they are known to be close.

Seung Yuna casually asked.

"Have you been in touch with Miro recently?"

"Huh?"

Lee Dong-ho was taken aback.

'What should I say to this?'

After all, Han Miro exposed a company issue and quit. While it was the right thing to do, many people didn't view it positively.

'Is this a test of my loyalty to the company?'

To avoid any misunderstandings, Seung Yuna quickly added.

"Just wondering. I heard he went to the U.S. a while ago and thought he might be back by now."

Lee Dong-ho looked surprised.

"He went to the U.S.? What for?"

'What? You didn't know he went to the U.S.?'

She came to ask but ended up informing him.

"Well, I heard it was for work..."

"Wait, what kind of work in the U.S.? Did he open a kimbap shop or something?"

"..."

That's exactly what she was curious about. What kind of work is he doing there?

"But why don't you just call him? Don't you have his number?"

"No, I've tried, but his phone is always off. I'm worried something might have happened."

"I see."

Lee Dong-ho nodded, then asked curiously.

"Why are you worried about Miro?"

"Well, that's..."

'What should I say to this?'

Seung Yuna tried to explain.

"We're colleagues."

"But he quit, didn't he? He's no longer part of the company."

"Well, once a colleague, always a colleague, right?"

"..."

That's not how it usually works. Colleagues who stay in the company don't really care much about those who leave.

Feeling a bit off, she decided to skip lunch and just have coffee.

'I must be stressed; I'm craving something sweet.'

Seung Yuna sipped a chocolate chip frappuccino, which she usually wouldn't drink, and thought.

'Why is his phone turned off? It's worrying.'

She was fidgeting with her phone when it suddenly vibrated. She quickly checked, hoping it was Han Miro, but her expression soon turned to disappointment.

"Hello."

[Oh, Yuna. How are you doing?]

His name is Joo Hyun-jin, a person from Hanjeong Group. They met in childhood due to her mother and occasionally kept in touch, but recently, he has been contacting her more frequently.

"What's up?"

[What are you doing this weekend? You know Jae-yoon, right? Jae-yoon from SL Group. He's having a party. Why don't you come with me?]

"I have work, so you go alone."

[Come on, don't be like that. It's good to get out and blow off some steam. A lot of people from the business world will be there, so I can introduce you to a few. It'll be useful for you in the future.]

"It's fine."

Despite her repeated rejections, he continued to insist as if he didn't care.

'At this point, shouldn't he get the hint? Is he clueless?'

"I'm working now, so I'll call you back later."

[Okay? Then after work...]

She hung up before he could say anything else, but he called back immediately.

Seung Yuna said with a slightly annoyed tone.

"I told you, I'm working."

[Oh, I thought it was lunchtime. I'm sorry.]

His voice sounded different from before.

Surprised, she looked at the name on her phone and was taken aback.

"Oh! Hello, Chairman."

[I'll call you back later. When is a good time for you?]

"No, it's fine now."

[But you said you were working.]

"Well, it was a loan consultation call, so I said that."

He laughed.

[That's right. I get those calls too. They offer 50 million won without collateral.]

The caller was none other than Chairman Yoo Jae-ho.

She almost hung up on the chairman of Yuseong Group. Fortunately, he didn't seem upset, so she let out a sigh of relief.

[How are you doing?]

"Fine. How about you, Chairman?"

[I'm always the same. I'm calling because I have a good proposal for you.]

"What is it?"

[Yuseong Securities is partnering with a Swiss financial company to acquire a German LNG infrastructure project. We are currently the preferred bidder and are in negotiations. Are you aware of this?]

"Yes, I am."

How could she not know?

The project involves acquiring 72% of the shares held by the local company, with Korea and Switzerland taking 39% and 33%, respectively.

The total investment by the Yuseong Securities-led consortium is approximately 510 million euros, or about 700 billion won.

The expected return is 8% annually.

Given its stability and profitability, it has attracted a lot of interest. Large securities firms like BK Securities and Mirae Investment Securities are also reportedly interested in joining the consortium.

[I thought DA Securities could participate in this.]

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Really?"

For a mid-sized securities firm, it's not easy to join a large M&A for an overseas infrastructure project. It involves various due diligence, negotiations, and legal issues in the target country.

However, with Yuseong Securities leading the effort, DA Securities can simply follow along. This would also provide valuable experience for the staff.

In short, it's a golden opportunity.

[DA Securities can participate to the extent they desire. The publicity will be significant. There will be a lot of media coverage.]

The benefits go beyond the financial returns. Being part of such a large M&A consortium would have a tremendous promotional effect. It could also help improve DA Securities' image, which has been tarnished by the Premus incident.

[We'll send a proposal to DA Securities in a few days. The management will review it, but I wanted to let you know in advance.]

Even as the granddaughter of the chairman, she is just an employee now and can't make any decisions.

However, the fact that he told her first implies that he is considering her in the proposal.

Chairman Yoo Jae-ho joked.

[I won't be upset if you reject it.]

"No, no, Chairman. I wouldn't reject it."

For a mid-sized securities firm, this is a rare opportunity. Rejecting it would be foolish.

"Thank you for this great opportunity."

[No need to thank me. Consider it a way to repay a favor.]

"Huh? A favor?"

[Didn't you introduce me to Miro? I owe you a big favor.]

She shook her head.

"A favor? That's too much. I just introduced you."

[It wasn't just Dongwoo Precision. You helped in other ways too.]

"Huh?"

'Other ways besides Dongwoo Precision?'

At that moment, something clicked in her mind.

"You don't mean the companies Yuseong Electronics recently acquired...?"

[That's right. They were companies Miro recommended.]