InkBound posts
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CH91 | DI
Dex Slater, also known as the Great White Shark, appeared on the program ‘Market Mastermind’. It’s a fairly prestigious economic news show. I wanted to watch it immediately, but it was 2014. “Buffering…” With the internet speed of this era, it was impossible to stream a broadcast on a moving train. Simple web surfing and checking emails were the best one could manage. After a few attempts, I clicked my tongue and shook my head. “Is something urgent? Work-related?” Rachel asked with a concerned look. I smiled at her reassuringly....
CH90 | DI
“Sean, you’re here?” A familiar voice echoed in my ears. When I turned my head, Rachel was approaching me with a gentle smile. Behind her, I also saw David’s fiancée, Jessie. “Since when….” “We arrived yesterday. We had a conversation with Amelia, and we needed to discuss important matters with the attending physician…” It was only then that I realized these two had been in the room from the beginning. I was so preoccupied with the patient that I hadn’t noticed their presence. ‘Instead of asking why you’re here today...
CH89 | DI
“How is it?”I asked David, looking straight at him.In order for my hedge fund to continue providing funding for the development of the treatment, the Castleman Foundation had to operate a for-profit company under its umbrella.Every company needs a CEO.I wanted to entrust that position to David, but his face showed only burden.“Do I really have to take on this role? It’s going to be funded by Sean’s money anyway, so in this case, Sean could…”David indirectly expressed his intention to decline, but I firmly cut him off.“That won...
CH88 | DI
After spending a night in a hotel I had booked in advance in San Francisco, I boarded an early morning flight.My destination was Philadelphia, to meet David.There were two main purposes for my meeting with David: to make him a somewhat unusual offer and then to meet an important person afterward.I arrived at Philadelphia airport at 2 PM.As soon as I turned off airplane mode, my phone rang.The caller was David.[Come out at Gate 3.]“Could it be… you came to pick me up? I was planning to take a taxi…”[Ha-ha, I can’t let a valued guest ta...
CH87 | DI
“It’s easy to say, but what if I get fired for exposing internal information? My livelihood is at stake, I can’t just rush into this…”Emily defended me in a trembling voice, but Christine was resolute.“That’s still being complicit. You’re just trying to live well by deceiving everyone, aren’t you?”It’s not that she’s wrong…It was almost comical hearing such words from an employee of the scam group Theranos.Of course, I was the only one who found the situation amusing.Emily’s expression was extremely somber.Christine,...
CH86 | DI
Relying solely on my own power to find the whistleblower would be foolish. Matters like this require the touch of an expert. That’s why I had researched several detective agencies in Silicon Valley in advance. However, finding someone who met my criteria wasn’t easy. I visited four places, only to come up empty-handed.“Should I give up…?”As I wrestled with the thought, I knocked on the fifth door. Finally, the person I was looking for appeared.“Do you know of a place called Theranos?” I asked. At my question, the man’s expressio...
CH85 | DI
“Emily Cheng.”“Ha Si-heon. You can call me Sean.”Emily and I exchanged business cards.On the outside, I smiled, but inwardly, I swallowed my disappointment.This woman isn’t the whistleblower from my previous life, after all.I don’t remember the whistleblower’s name, but I do recall one critical fact: he was the maternal grandson of former Secretary of State Schultz, who serves on Theranos’s board.If he’s a “grandson,” that obviously means he’s male, so Emily—being female—couldn’t possibly be the future whistleblowe...
CH182
That night.I called Jo So-deok to check the paintings engraved on the building.“How is it?”“If it were me, I’d want to save it, too.”“Right?”“Yes. While we’re at it, we could set up the interior to match the mural.”For example, if there’s a young man throwing a bouquet drawn outside the store,inside, we could place a mannequin with arms outstretched, waiting for the bouquet.The idea is to create witty concepts where the artwork and the interior resonate.“Can you do it?”“Me? M-me?”“Who else would do it?”“Usual...
CH181
After the conversation had mostly ended. I took out a résumé and handed it to Henri Vuitton. “Is this the designer who’s supposed to bring in massive sales?” “Yes.” Henri Vuitton examined the documents. Luke Jacobs. If Tom Hood had rebuilt Gucci, then. Luke Jacobs was the one who made Louis Vuitton dominate the Asian market. You know, that thing. The monogram bag that was called the ‘three-second bag’ because you’d see one every three seconds on the street. That was Luke Jacobs’ creation. “A graduate of Parsons School of D...
CH180
Dmitri sat nervously in front of the TV.Today was the day of the European Cup final!According to Park Ji-hoon, the ad would air during prime time.Which meant…Most Europeans would now know the name “Red Bull.”‘This is nerve-wracking.’With the broadcast preview, commercials started airing one by one.Iconic American jeans, hamburger franchises, and sports drinks.Then came Europe’s leading car brands and famous coffee companies.Among these giants… is it really okay for our Red Bull to be here?And then, it happened.A screen with except...
CH62 | MCT
Preparing to Hunt Cheongil (4)Tae-soo spoke."Let’s give some weight to the rumor that Jangsu Bank is buying up Western oil company stocks.""You're not actually suggesting we buy those stocks, are you?""Why not? Let’s go all in. Make it big. We need to put out a scent so strong that Choi Mu-ryong won’t be able to resist."Jang Mal-dong snapped his head around."At this rate, a war is bound to break out in the Middle East soon. Less than six months, tops."A man who smuggled weapons into the region would hav...
CH61 | MCT
Preparing to Hunt Cheongil (3)Tae-soo had already predicted how Rahman would act after their meeting.‘If it’s Rahman, he’s already making preparations by now.’His father was none other than the Saudi Minister of Defense.‘Rahman was convinced war was coming. That’s why he rushed out of the cabin in a panic. That’s why he scrawled his signature on the contract without hesitation.’Tae-soo had deliberately put the contract in front of him.He wanted to see Rahman’s true intentions.Words could be deceptive, but actions revealed the ...
CH60 | MCT
Preparing to Hunt Cheongil (2)Tae-soo looked into Han-soo’s eyes with earnest desperation.He hoped Han-soo would change his mind."If he still refuses to yield… there’s nothing I can do. That must be his fate."Jininsa Daecheonmyeong (盡人事待天命)."Do your best and leave the rest to fate."This was the extent of Tae-soo’s persuasion.The final decision lay with Han-soo.After a long silence, Han-soo nodded."Alright. I’ll do it. This is the hand I’ve been dealt—there’s no use fighting it."His gaze was fi...
CH59 | MCT
Preparing to Hunt Cheongil (1)It had been a long time since Tae-soo returned home.He had left with nothing but the clothes on his back, yet now he returned with arms full of gifts.Tae-soo arrived at his family’s home in a mining village in Gangwon Province."I'm home."The moment his mother saw him, she dropped the basket she was holding.Tae-soo beamed at her."Tae-soo!"She ran barefoot toward him and pulled him into a tight embrace.Tae-soo hugged her back just as tightly."Have you been well?""How are you already ...
CH120 | VOC
“Welcome, sir!”Shenzhen Airport buzzed with the arrival of dozens of heihaizi, including Li Yang, all greeting me in unison.Basking in the attention, I smiled and said,“Li Yang, how have you been?”Li Yang, who had once taken a knife for me and nearly died, was the most trusted member of my loyal heihaizi.He was in charge of my business in China while I was away, and as befitting his position, he stood at the forefront, bowing his head respectfully.“I’ve been well, sir. It’s been a while.”I had been busy in Korea and hadn’t vis...
CH132 | Heir
November 21st.Taewoo Group officially announced the acquisition of Hyundai Semiconductor today.After personally shaking hands with the creditors and signing the documents, I headed to Captain Kang’s office.“Congratulations on acquiring Hyundai Semiconductor.”“I’m not sure if it’s something to celebrate. I’ve basically taken on a massive time bomb.”“If used correctly, a bomb can become a nuclear power plant; if misused, it turns into a nuclear bomb. But I have no doubt that you, sir, will handle it exceptionally well.”Dimon o...
CH131 | Heir
SAVE Investment’s Conference Room.All the key members were gathered, watching TV.They were sipping cola and munching on popcorn, but this wasn’t a movie night.In fact, what they were watching was far more exciting than any movie—the presidential election results broadcast."At this rate, Bush should win comfortably. He’s leading 54 to 3.""We still need to wait and see. The early results are from the South, where the Republicans are strong. Things could change once Florida starts counting."As the results continued to roll ...
CH130 | Heir
Various types of semiconductorsare used in mobile phones.In particular, manufacturing smartphones required memory semiconductorsas well as communication semiconductors.To develop CDMA-based smartphones, it was essentialto use Qualcomm’s chips—this was hardly an exaggeration.Qualcomm’s technological prowesswould allow it to dominatethe CDMA market.And before smartphones became mainstream, securing a favorable patent agreementwith Qualcomm was crucial.That’s why I flew directly to the U.S.As soon as I arrived, I headed straight to SAVE In...
CH129 | Heir
Chairman Jang Young-joo cast aside his pride.He believed that the only person who could save Hyundai Group now was Chairman Kim Tae-jung, so he humbled himself completely.“Without Taewoo Group’s help, Hyundai Group won’t survive. Please, acquire Hyundai Semiconductor.”“If it were just a matter of my feelings, of course, I’d do it. However, acquiring Hyundai Semiconductor could bring down Taewoo Group as well. I can’t let Taewoo collapse to save Hyundai. How could I possibly take on a company that carries a staggering 16 trillion w...
CH128 | Heir
Acquiring Hyundai Semiconductorwas essential.But paying an exorbitant price for itwas out of the question.That was precisely why Dimonhad been working on this for the past six months.“What would be the ideal acquisition price for Hyundai Semiconductor? CL Group sold its 60% stake for 2.5 trillion won, right?”“Including the debt assumption, the real acquisition cost was 6.5 trillion won. If we want a better deal, we should let it fall into the creditors’ hands first, then buy it from them.”“Are you sure no one else will snatch it up?...
CH127 | Heir
Even after the foreign exchange crisis, the country remained embroiled in corporate insolvency issues.The governmenthad issued an ultimatum—there would be no further financial support. Companies had to negotiate with their creditors.Large corporations, including Hyundai Construction, had been holding out, convinced that the government wouldn’t let them fail.But then, the Financial Supervisory Servicedelivered a chilling message:“Even if the government wanted to save you, there’s nothing we can do.”Panic spread within Hyundai Group.Eve...
CH323 | GSI
March 11, 1997 — Prime Minister’s Residence, Bangkok, ThailandAs the solid wooden door opened and Prime Minister Muangsai Kidikaem entered the room, Finance Minister Chartchai and Central Bank Governor Warit, who had been seated on the office sofa, immediately stood up.“Apologies for keeping you waiting after calling you here to the residence,” the Prime Minister said.“Not at all, sir. More importantly—did the meeting with the opposition leader yield any results?” Chartchai asked.Kidikaem’s brow furrowed at the question.“They ...
CH322 | GSI
A gentle piano melody played in the background of a spacious penthouse.[SET: 587 (32)]Sitting alone on the sofa, Seok-won held a whiskey on the rocks in one hand, watching the Thai SET index on his laptop screen. He muttered to himself,"Fending off the attack from currency speculators is certainly a good thing, but that doesn’t mean it’s all good news for the Thai economy or its stock market."In fact, it was closer to a major setback.As the baht rose, already struggling companies saw their export competitiveness weaken further. On t...
CH321 | GSI
“Wooooaaah!”“That’s it—we’ve got it now!”The foreign exchange officers at the Bank of Thailand, who had been barely holding the line against the relentless assault led by George Soros and the hedge funds, erupted into deafening cheers as the situation flipped on its head thanks to the massive support fire from Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian central banks.[THB: 26.18 (+1.21)]Unable to contain their excitement, people rose from their seats, hugged one another, clenched their fists, and expressed their joy with their whole bodie...
CH320 | GSI
February 19, 1997 – Bangkok, ThailandAt the Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) International Affairs Office, tension hung thick in the air from the early morning.Everyone knew what was coming—another brutal day battling the hedge funds once the forex market opened—and their stiff expressions showed it.Piyaphong, one of the lead forex officers, looked especially haggard. A week of relentless currency defense had clearly taken its toll. Usually clean-shaven and well-groomed, he now had patchy stubble and dark circles under his eyes that made him lo...
CH58 | MCT
Let’s Go, Back to Korea (2)“Hands up. Move, and I’ll shoot.”“Captain? Why are you here…?”The assassin was caught off guard.At the captain’s signal, armed men stormed into the room.It was Song Jin-gu, the loan sharks, and the miners.“Damn it!”They were faster than the assassin.Pfft.Song Jin-gu’s gun fired.It was a hunting rifle, powerful enough to take down a beast.“Nothing personal. Sweet dreams.”Song Jin-gu wished him a good night’s sleep.The assassin staggered as the tranquilizer round struck his thigh.“Get some ...
CH57 | MCT
Let’s Go, Back to Korea (1)Everyone jumped up in shock.[Wait, benefactor, what do you mean all of a sudden…?][But the construction isn’t even finished yet!]Tae-soo smiled gently.[I think my work here is done.]The limestone mine was running smoothly, and the cement factory was a massive success.Thanks to the Bedouins' strength and work ethic, the construction was progressing at an incredible speed.The initial struggles had been overcome, and as long as they continued like this, everything would be fine.[Skinny will oversee the rest of ...
CH126 | Heir
It was the end of summer.For the first time in a while, I left work earlyand spent the evening watching the newswith my grandfather over tea and snacks."Tsk, tsk. These days, every time I turn on the news, it's nothing but North Korea.""Well, the family reunions are a huge issue. It’s only natural that the media is all over it.""Even journalists are going to North Korea, and now politicians are coming and going as well. Heh, at this rate, one might even think reunification is actually possible."At that time, the tw...
CH125 | Heir
By mid-June, a month had passed.During that time, I had been reviewing the employee roster.As the number-one conglomerate in the industry, it was only natural that the number of employees was enormous. Simply reorganizing the structure took up all my time.While I was immersed in this work, the president of Taewoo Telecom, Lee Joo-young, came to my office with exciting news."Vice Chairman! The new release of Diablo II by Blizzard has been an absolute hit!""That must mean Taewoo Telecom’s market share has increased again.""S...
CH124 | Heir
The day of the Russian presidential inauguration had arrived.Until then, I had been staying at a villa in a resort town, so this was my first opportunity to meet many people, including those whose names I had heard countless times.“I’m Kim Min-jae, Vice Chairman of Taewoo Group. It’s an honor to meet you.”“I’m Roman, Governor of Chukotka. I’ve heard a lot about you. You have quite a deep connection with him, don’t you?”It was my first time meeting Roman, who was more famous as the owner of an English football club.He was one o...
