Chapter 197
“If your plan is so perfect, you don’t need our help, do you?”
There was little to gain from helping someone who didn’t need help. She had already prepared everything for her revenge. What would I gain from joining her now? “
That’s not true. I need your power, CEO Baek. Your… abilities are impressive.”
Since Wang Jin-hee’s confidants were actually working for Wang Jin-mi, she would be aware of Baek In-hwi’s involvement in the MG technology theft and Wang Jin-hee’s successful projects. “Is that so?”
“And secondly, you and Jin-hee’s husband are not on good terms, are you?”
Kim Min-sik frowned, thinking quickly. “That’s an understatement.”
“You’re helping your wife, even though you’re on bad terms with her husband? That’s strange, isn’t it? It seems like you’re trying to gain leverage over Jin-hee so you can betray her and her husband later. Am I wrong?”
Her words reassured him that Baek In-hwi’s true identity was still a secret.
And he was once again impressed by Park Sol’s foresight in creating the “Baek In-hwi” persona and portraying him as an enemy of Park Sol.
That carefully crafted image had created a smokescreen, allowing them to operate more freely.
He feigned surprise.
“H-how did you know…?”
She smiled.
“That’s when I appeared. I have more to gain from destroying Haixin Group, and it would also hurt Park Sol and Jin-hee, who are also aiming for the company.” He finally understood her confidence, her willingness to meet with him.
Just as he had suspected her of plotting against Haixin Group based on circumstantial evidence, she had also formed her own conclusions about Baek In-hwi based on his past actions.
“Well, that’s…” He hesitated.
“You don’t have to answer if you’re uncomfortable. It’s just my speculation,” she said with a smile. It might have been speculation, but she sounded confident.
He considered his options. “I’ll be honest with you. Yes, we approached Wang Jin-hee with the intention of targeting Park Sol.”
It wasn’t true.
He had just wanted to control Wang Jin-hee and prevent her from causing trouble. “Our plan was to use Jin-hee to instigate an internal conflict within Haixin Group and then destroy the company.” That wasn’t true either. He had planned to help her become chairman and then use that connection to facilitate Chunha Group’s business in China. Destroying Haixin Group had never been his goal.
“Do you know how we brought down Daehoo Group? The same way we’re planning to destroy Haixin Group. Internal conflict, self-destruction. We can hurt Park Sol and profit from the chaos. That was our plan.”
His plan, which had initially been about helping Wang Jin-hee become chairman, had now morphed into a plot to destroy Haixin Group and ruin Park Sol and his wife. She smiled. “Our plans seem to be aligned.”
“I told you this to dispel your suspicion that we might betray you. We didn’t betray Wang Jin-hee. Our target was Park Sol from the beginning.”
She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. “Don’t worry, there’s no reason for betrayal if we share the same goal.”
He laughed heartily. “I’m glad to hear that.” Then, his face turning serious, he asked, “So what do you want us to do?”
“It’s simple. What you’ve always done.”
She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “Chunha Group.”
“What?”
“My plan was perfect. The only problem was Jin-hee dragging her husband into this. According to my plan, my father would try to cover up the corruption. And there’s only one way for him to do that.” She frowned slightly. “He’ll make a deal with Chunha Group.”
“Chunha Group?”
“Chunha Group is a formidable company. No debt, all privately held subsidiaries, and estimated cash reserves of $3 billion to $10 billion. What are falsified financial statements? They’re just a way to make a company look healthier than it actually is, inflating the value or creating fictitious assets. But what if Chunha Group injected real money into those fictitious accounts, making them real?”
Creative accounting was usually used by companies that were short on funds, to create the illusion of financial health. But what if you did the opposite, injecting real money into those fake accounts?
It was more complicated than it sounded, but here’s a simplified example. Subsidiary B is supposed to have $100 million in reserves, but it only has $10 million. If you inject $90 million, the accounts become accurate. It was the ultimate form of money laundering, but Chunha Group had the resources and the motive.
She said with a troubled expression, “What if I tell my father, ‘If you cover up our accounting irregularities, I’ll give the company to Jin-hee’? What do you think he’ll do?”
Her plan relied on speed, on overwhelming Haixin Group before they could react. But Chunha Group had the resources to quickly cover up their financial irregularities.
“I see.”
“Of course, it’ll be a huge loss for Chunha Group. But it’s best to eliminate all variables.”
Kim Min-sik smirked. “So you want us to keep Chunha Group busy and prevent them from interfering with your plan or diverting their funds.”
She nodded, smiling. “You catch on quickly. I could find other partners, but it takes resources to weaken an opponent. And you’re the only one with the resources and the motive.”
He smiled cruelly. “That’s our specialty. We’ll show you what we can do.”
And so it began. Chunha Group’s factories and department stores in China were systematically attacked.
“Do you know who I am?! You bastards! Smash everything!” A group of men stormed into the secondhand electronics components department store, wielding clubs and smashing the display cases.
“No! These are expensive!” The owner cried out in alarm, but he wasn’t putting up much of a fight. And the attackers were only targeting the low-value items. The other customers were the only ones who seemed genuinely surprised. “Who gave you permission to do this?!”
“Who needs permission?! I just felt like smashing this place today!” The man continued his rampage. Then the department store’s security guards arrived.
“What are you doing?!”
“Get them!”
A brawl erupted, and the chaos spread to the nearby stalls. One of the attackers, thrown by a security guard, crashed into a display case. “No! That’s expensive!” The owner of the stall cried out, but like the others, his display case was also filled with low-value items, and he just stood there, wringing his hands. “Get them!”
The security guards eventually subdued the attackers and dragged them away.
The security chief said to the stall owners, “Are you alright?”
“You’re here now? After everything is destroyed?!”
They had arrived within three minutes, a quick response, but the chief just bowed his head apologetically. “I’m sorry.” “This is going to cost a fortune…” The stall owners picked up the damaged items, their faces grim, and the chief said firmly, “It’s our duty to ensure the safety and security of our tenants.”
They looked at him expectantly. “So…?”
“We’ll compensate you for all damages, including lost business.”
Their faces brightened. “Really?!”
“Of course. Is anyone injured?” One of the stall owners showed him a small scratch on his hand. “It’s just a scratch, but…” The chief’s face hardened. “Those thugs! How dare they injure our tenants! We’ll cover your medical expenses as well.” The other stall owners nodded approvingly, impressed by his sense of responsibility.
“Chunha Group is different.”
“Their chairman, Park Sol, and all his employees are so responsible.” The chief instructed his men to restore the damaged stalls and then announced, “We’ll do everything in our power to ensure a safe and secure business environment for our tenants!” The stall owners and the other customers applauded his words.
“How did it go?” I asked.
Li Yang smiled. “It went perfectly, sir. The public is sympathizing with Chunha Group, and we’ve successfully diverted attention from you.”
The attacks were coordinated, occurring simultaneously at various locations. And all of them resulted in property damage for Chunha Group, with the attackers being apprehended by our security guards. It demonstrated our commitment to security while avoiding any police involvement, eliminating potential legal issues. And most importantly, it created the image of Chunha Group as a victim.
I smirked. “Kim Min-sik is truly efficient.”
Thanks to his meticulous execution of my plan, I was now laundering money legally, through “compensation” payments. The damaged used cars, the secondhand electronics, the attackers, the stall owners, the security guards… it was all a carefully choreographed performance. I was paying inflated prices for worthless goods, and the money was flowing into my secret accounts.
“It’s just moving money from my left hand to my right hand, but…” I smirked. “…from the public’s perspective, it’s a massive loss for Chunha Group, and Baek In-hwi has fulfilled Wang Jin-mi’s request. Isn’t it perfect?”
“It is, sir,” he agreed, nodding. And it also further separated the identities of Park Sol and Baek In-hwi. Anyone who did a little research would know that they were enemies. Baek In-hwi was the one who had orchestrated these attacks, a fact known to everyone associated with me. And this wasn’t just a business dispute, it was a full-blown attack involving physical violence. Who would think that they were the same person?
“Should we make it even more dramatic?”
“More dramatic, sir?”
“Like… having me attacked.”
His face hardened. “Absolutely not.”
“I was just kidding…”
“Even as a joke, it’s not acceptable.”
I smiled. “Alright, alright. It was just a joke.”
“Don’t you remember what happened last time?” He was referring to the incident where he had been stabbed while protecting me from an attacker.
I said apologetically, “I know, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Alright, I was being careless.” Just then, my phone rang.
“It’s my wife.” I smiled and answered the phone.
“Yes, this is Baek In-hwi!” And then I heard her sharp voice,
– …Is this you? I said casually,
“What are you talking about?”
– Are those people attacking your companies… your men?!
I feigned surprise. “Me?”
Her voice softened slightly.
– It’s not you?
“No…” I smirked. “…how did you know?”