Episode 184
A mansion in Shenzhen.
This was one of my and Wang Jin-hee’s homes.
A modest two-story house with a small garden, it paled in comparison to Chairman Wang’s palatial estate, but it was more than enough for me. I only needed a place to eat and sleep.
“This tea is excellent.” I had acquired a taste for Chinese tea after years of doing business in China. I had even started collecting rare and expensive teas. “What should I have for dinner tonight, Chairman?” the housekeeper asked.
“Nothing, I’m having dinner out tonight.”
The housekeepers were the only permanent residents of this house. Wang Jin-hee was always busy with work in Beijing, and I was constantly traveling between China and Korea. And the housekeepers were also…
“Anything unusual?” I asked.
“No, sir. Nothing to report,” they replied.
…heihaizi, gathering intelligence.
They might have started as ordinary people, but they had received specialized training, becoming experts in their respective fields. The first and second-generation recruits, who had been with me for years, were highly skilled agents. They were stationed at all our residences, monitoring Wang Jin-hee’s every move and reporting back to me. This Shenzhen house, the Beijing mansion, and even my house in Seoul.
“Good. Keep up the good work… Oh, it’s time.” I stood up, put on my suit, and said, “Let’s go for our first-anniversary dinner.”
Wang Jin-hee was already waiting for me in a private room at the hotel restaurant. “Welcome. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” she said with a smile.
“It has.” I sat down across from her. “How have you been?”
“Very well.” Then, her smile turning cold, she added, “Except for my brothers constantly trying to sabotage me.”
She had joined Haixin Group and was exceeding expectations, defying the stereotype of an incompetent woman. Unlike her reckless brothers, she was a Harvard graduate, a capable and intelligent woman. Her brothers, who had initially scoffed at her, were now starting to see her as a threat.
“Do you need my help?” I asked with a smile.
She sighed. “Not yet. I don’t want them to say I’m relying on my husband.”
“Really? I thought you wanted to see me for something more than just a first-anniversary dinner.”
She smiled. “We have to celebrate our anniversary, don’t we? And you’re my hidden card. I can’t use you too often.”
“That’s a flattering way to put it, but it’s been a year. Shouldn’t we make our move?”
She thought for a moment. “I’ve been assigned a new project. Once that’s done, I’ll start preparing in earnest.”
“A new project?” My eyes gleamed. “What kind of project?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you yet. It’s not finalized.”
“Tell me. I might be able to help.”
She looked at me, hesitated, and then shook her head again, smiling. “No, not yet. I’ll tell you when it’s finalized.”
I was curious but pretended to be disinterested and changed the subject. “So your brothers are giving you a hard time. You seemed annoyed earlier.”
She immediately started venting. “Those petty bastards! If they want to compete, they should do it fairly. They’re nitpicking everything, delaying approvals, withholding funds… it’s infuriating!” She continued, her frustration evident, “And the factionalism! I’ve only been here for a year! My department is known as the dumping ground for those who have offended my brothers. It’s ridiculous!”
She was the head of the newly created Sales Department 5 at Haixin Group’s headquarters.
Her official duties were to support other sales departments, a position with minimal responsibilities, created by her father. But she was using it to her advantage, proving her competence by solving problems other departments couldn’t handle. Sales Department 5 was becoming an indispensable part of the company.
“That sounds difficult. I’m ready to help if you need it.”
She sighed and then smiled brightly. “No, I’ll save you for a more critical moment. And it’s not all bad. Many of the employees in my department are competent and upright.”
Incompetent leaders often felt threatened by competent subordinates and surrounded themselves with sycophants.
And her brothers were the epitome of incompetence, so they were constantly being challenged and corrected by her team members, who had been “exiled” to her department precisely because of their competence.
She was an excellent leader, and her talented team would eventually become her power base.
“Haha, I understand. Just let me know if you need anything.”
After dinner, I suggested she stay at the mansion, but she said she had to go back to work.
I returned to the mansion and was changing my clothes when my phone rang. It was Baek In-hwi’s phone, and the caller was Wang Jin-hee. “Hmm?” I cleared my throat and answered in a low voice. “This is Baek In-hwi.”
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Hello, it’s Wang Jin-hee. Her voice was cheerful.
“Yes, I know. What can I do for you?”
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So formal. I have a favor to ask. Will you help me?
A favor? She was asking Baek In-hwi for help instead of me, her husband?
I was more curious than offended. “What is it?”
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I’ve been put in charge of a new project…
I remembered her mentioning a new project earlier. So this was what she wanted help with. Something she couldn’t ask me, her husband, but could ask Baek In-hwi?
“Is that so? Congratulations.”
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Thank you, but there’s a problem…
“What kind of problem? I’ll help you if I can.”
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Do you still have connections in Korea? Joongang Investment Group was being liquidated after our deal with the president, but the process was slow and complicated due to the size of their assets.
“Yes, I still have some connections.”
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That’s good. I need some people.
“People?” China was full of people, what kind of people did she need?
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I need some electronics engineers.
It hit me like a lightning bolt. “Electronics engineers? Don’t tell me…”
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Yes! I need some current employees from Saseong or MG.
Her intention was clear.
“Industrial espionage…”
She giggled. – You’re so blunt. Well, yes. She explained her plan, – It’s a secret project, but as you know, our main business is electronics. And we’re significantly behind Korean companies technologically. So we have to acquire their technology somehow, and stealing it is the fastest way.
Stealing? It wasn’t a “project,” it was theft.
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But their security is tight. And we don’t have any connections in Korea. You were the first person I thought of, CEO Baek. Can you help?
“Does it have to be Saseong or MG?” I asked, casting my bait. “What about Daehoo Electronics?”
Daehoo Electronics, now a subsidiary of Chunha Group.
It might have fallen in the rankings after the acquisition, but it was still a leading electronics company in Korea.
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Daehoo Electronics… I did consider them…
She had actually considered stealing from her husband’s company?!
So that’s why she hadn’t told me about the project.
She hadn’t been sure if I would help her. And of course, I wouldn’t.
I said calmly, “Should we include Daehoo Electronics as a target?”
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Um… She hesitated. – Let’s exclude Daehoo Electronics. It’s my husband’s company, so it’s a bit awkward.
Oh, she did have some conscience.
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And their technology is inferior to Saseong and MG’s anyway.
“…” Figures.
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Well, we can think about that later. If all else fails, I can always ask my husband for some outdated technology as a favor. So, can you help?
I pretended to consider it. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Back in Korea, I called Maru and Park Jong-bum for a meeting.
“Wang Jin-hee asked for ‘engineers,’ but hiring a few engineers won’t magically improve their technology.” I narrowed my eyes. “She’s essentially asking for someone to steal their technology.”
It wasn’t just about recruiting engineers. She needed someone to act as a spy and steal confidential information. The difficulty level had increased significantly.
“Do you think Saseong and MG’s security is that lax?” Maru asked. “They might not be able to control what’s inside the engineers’ heads, but they won’t let them steal confidential documents.”
Park Jong-bum nodded. “That’s true. Their latest technologies are top secret, heavily guarded.”
I smirked, seeing their concern. “But it’s a good opportunity. The engineer will be the scapegoat, working for Haixin Group, and we’ll get the technology without any risk.”
If a company’s confidential information was leaked, and the suspected employee suddenly got a high-paying job at Haixin Group, it would be obvious that they were an industrial spy.
We, on the other hand, would just be the middlemen, passing along the information, so we could shift all the blame onto Haixin Group. “Wang Jin-hee is completely dependent on us in Korea. Her brothers won’t help her. So we’re the ones who have to find the engineer and deliver the technology to Haixin Group. And we can easily copy it in the process. We can then give it to Daehoo Electronics’ research lab and have them modify it slightly.”
Maru thought for a moment. “That’s fine, but that’s assuming we can actually steal the technology. The problem is how to steal it.”
I nodded. “That’s the biggest challenge. That’s why we’re here.”
“Hmm, this is not easy.”
As they fell silent, I clapped my hands, getting their attention. “Have we ever faced an easy opponent? Let’s start the investigation. Maru, you gather information on Saseong, and Director Park, you handle MG. Focus on the location of their research labs, their organizational structure, their security systems, etc. I’ll also be making my own inquiries. Now let’s get to work.”