The Famous Millionaire

As soon as he heard Hyunwoo’s question, Duyoung felt his body was frozen like ice. He thought it over several times.

“Did you say you wanted to sell STM to OneStar?”

“Yes,” said Hyunwoo casually.

Duyoung didn’t need to reply to his question, though. His glittering eyes and facial expression also indicated he made up his mind.

But it was an outrageous question to Duyoung.

But Hyunwoo didn’t care and pressed on him to reply quickly.

“I think selling is better. Let’s sell it as quickly as possible.”

Duyoung wanted to challenge him by shouting “Are you crazy?” but held back the urge to do so. For he thought there might be a reason when Hyunwoo wanted to sell.

Calming down his troubled heart with efforts, Duyoung said,

“Can I ask why?”

Only then did Hyunwoo explain to him in a calm manner.

“Dad, you know the Paekdu Project that Samryong Motors has been working on. Just imagine when we succeed in it!”

Just like Hyunwoo said, Duyoung imagined it.

Samryong Motors could dominate the world car market. Hyunwoo was so confident about the future of Samryong Motors.

But that’s all Duyoung could imagine. Though Hyunwoo could make lots of money, Duyoung didn’t feel things would be much different from what they are today.

“I really have no idea,” said Duyoung.

As if his father’s reply was kind of frustrating, Hyunwoo explained again.

“Look at the world ten years later. We will see most of the roads covered with the cars produced by Samryong Motors.”

“Sure,” Duyoung seconded.

“These cars are all-electric cars. Do you think Super Green can sell well then? There won’t be many cars on the roads that use gasoline or diesel.”

At that moment, Duyoung’s eyes popped out as he now clearly understood Hyunwoo’s intention.

The Paekdu Project was all about innovative electric cars. Just like steam engines changed the world, the Paekdu Project would change the world into a completely different world.

At least Hyunwoo and Duyoung were confident about that.

Then gasoline-fueled cars would disappear from roads. Accordingly Super Green will lose its vitality, too.

If that was the case, this was the best time to sell STM because its stocks were now at an all-time high.

Now, Hyunwoo said he wanted to sell STM to OneStar.

Duyoung was well aware of OneStar because it was involved in the notorious takeover of Korea Exchanges Bank.

Duyoung clearly knew what Hyunwoo was going to do by selling STM to OneStar. Basically Hyunwoo wanted to take revenge on the foreign equities company OneStar on this occasion.

“Okay, then. Let’s sell STM to OneStar. Let’s make them pay a dear price this time.”

Both of them made a hearty laugh.

But Hyunwoo had one more plan that he didn’t yet confide to Duyoung.

It was about corrupt politics in Korea.

The reason Hyunwoo decided to sell STM to OneStar was not just because he hated OneStar. In his mind, OneStar was a foreign fund that made stronger political lobbying than any other company.

But Hyunwoo couldn’t confide it to his father. Most likely his father would be so worried about Hyunwoo that he could hardly go to sleep or do the necessary research.

***

Hyunwoo met Jungsu Paek, a young prosecutor and the husband of his former lover Suji.

This time Hyunwoo contacted him first.

But Hyunwoo was careful in corresponding with him through texts because text messages could be taken illegally anytime when the politicians put pressure on the telecommunications companies.

Jungsu brought with him three young men. One was a journalist, the other one was a ranking official at the National Tax Services and the last one was an opposing lawmaker.

They introduced each other. But as the meeting was very covert in nature, they could not afford to chat away.

Hyunwoo brought up the main topic first, “I’m planning to sell STM.”

Everyone was startled to hear that.

“No, you shouldn’t. Super Green is the technology of the future that could feed Korea for over 100 years. Why are you trying to sell it?”

“Why are you suddenly trying to sell it?”

But all of them nodded their heads after hearing his explanation.

Of course, he didn’t share his plan on the Paekdu Project with them. It was a top company secret that only Hyunwoo, Duyoung and some core technicians of Samryong Motors could keep under wraps to the end.

What Hyunwoo revealed to them was his plan on how to get rid of the corrupt politicians through OneStar. In other words, it was like a sting operation.

Though they were all persuaded, they didn’t look good.

“It’s important to drive out the corrupt politicians, but don’t you think we’re paying too high a price for that.”

“Right. I think you’ve more losses than gains by selling STM.”

“Why don’t you sell another company?”

But Hyunwoo shook his head.

“This is a huge deal. OneStar should make a big sacrifice, too. I think the selling price of STM is around 100 trillion won. I think I can find a new future industry with that money.”

The members of Songjukhoe including Jungsu’s jaws dropped at that. 100 trillion won was something they could not even imagine.

Hyunwoo then made a conclusion.

“The reason I called the meeting today is not because I wanted to discuss the merits of selling STM. I’ve made the decision already. I hope you guys can reveal any wrongdoing in the process of OneStar participating in the takeover of STM.”

“Got it. We’ll join hands to catch all the politicians in any potential scandal related to it.”

After parting with them, Hyunwoo contacted the president of OneStar in America.

The chief of OneStar was a guy named Morgan.

Morgan was an unknown billionaire. He owned not only DonStar and OneStar, both global equities funds, as well as other companies dealing with natural resources, food, and timber.

Compared with Hyunwoo’s wealth, Morgan was way behind. Hyunwoo was not only the world’s richest man, but also a businessman whose wealth was growing the fastest.

Any businessman would like to work with Hyunwoo as their partner.

Morgan was one of such businessmen. As soon as Hyunwoo asked to see him, Morgan gladly replied that he would love to see Hyunwoo. As he was over 70, however, Hyunwoo flew to New York to meet him.

Hyunwoo entered the conference room of DonStar’s headquarters in New York.

There were eleven executives in the conference room, including Morgan’s three sons.

On the other hand, Hyunwoo was accompanied by five. Three were bodyguards among them.

After exchanging greetings briefly, they got down to business right away.

Hyunwoo cut to the point.

“I’m going to sell STM by the end of this year. The reason I came here to meet Chairman Morgan is to ask if you are willing to take over STM in whole.”

“What? STM?”

“Selling STM, and that in whole?”

The conference room became noisy all of a sudden. Nobody from OneStar expected such a bombshell announcement by Hyunwoo.

Morgan himself was surprised. But he was not that excited like other participants. Instead, he looked at Hyunwoo quietly as if he wanted to read Hyunwoo’s mind.

After thinking over it for a while, Morgan asked, “I just want to know why you want to sell STM.”

Hyunwoo thought Morgan could ask that question naturally. So, he came up with a standard reply to that.

“First of all, I am going to massively invest in Bangladesh with that money. About 20 trillion won will be spent on it. I guess I can make more by investing in Bangladesh than I can make with Super Green .”

“Is your investment related to mangroves? I heard you have recently developed new mangroves…”

“Oh, you know that already. That’s true. In ten years, I’m going to cover the whole coastline of Bangladesh with coconut mangroves. And the world will be filled with the fever of coconuts.”

Morgan nodded.

If he could succeed, that might have a huge commercial potential.

But the success could not be guaranteed, of course.

Now, Hyunwoo gave Morgan another reason.

“Secondly, I think the future cars will be powered by electricity and ethanol. Gasoline and diesel will lose competitiveness in 50 years. Maybe the automobile world will be changed at an early time. So, I want to switch business to that direction.”

Actually, that’s the area that all the car experts were expecting. And numerous scientists were developing electric cars and bio car fuel.

But that was a story of the distant future. It was too hasty judgement to sell Super Green with that assumption in mind.

For Morgan, Hyunwoo’s decision to sell STM was something thankful. OneStar could buy STM and sell it later for a huge profit well before the world car market changed to the electric car age.

But that was not all Hyunwoo wanted to sell STM.

“In fact, I’ve one more important reason than that. Well, let me express it as ‘condition,’ not reason. If OneStar is interested in buying STM, you have to accept one condition.”

Morgan made an expression on his face as if he asked, ‘I knew it!’ Hyunwoo didn’t need to sell so quickly STM that laid golden eggs for him. Obviously, Hyunwoo would ask for a huge condition.

But he would lose nothing just by hearing what Hyunwoo had to say.

“What kind of condition is it?