Three days had passed since I joined the company, and the weekend had arrived.
I boarded a train at Changwon Station, heading for Seoul. Sitting next to me was Captain Kang.
"Those lunatics are certainly talented. Especially the one from the National Tax Service—he managed to uncover not only the factory manager and executives' tax evasion but also a list of companies associated with them."
"There's one more thing we need to look into."
I handed two photos to Captain Kang.
They were ID photos of two accountants registered in the HR system.
"They're from the General Affairs Team, but their relationship with the factory manager seems... unusual."
"Unusual? You mean... an affair?"
"The factory manager is quite old. He must be overexerting himself. Shouldn't we step in to help?"
"I'll start an investigation right away. Back when I was in the Defense Security Command, I had a team that specialized in these kinds of background checks."
"Feel free to use as much of the budget as you need. Even if you stay in a hotel suite, I won't say a word—just make sure you get solid evidence."
Anyone working under me never has to worry about money.
A third-generation chaebol. Not just any chaebol, but the head of a well-known investment firm on Wall Street. There's no way I'd ever run out of money.
"I still have some of the funds you provided earlier."
"You must be mistaken. That wasn't an operational budget—it was a scouting fee. Recruiting top talent from the Defense Security Command requires a proper transfer fee."
"You gave me 1 billion won. I'm not worth that much."
"That's for me to decide. I've deposited another 500 million won into this account for operational expenses—use it freely."
"…Thank you."
Captain Kang hesitated for a moment before expressing his gratitude.
He seemed deep in thought.
"Soldiers and civil servants are usually underpaid. They work for power and honor, so they settle for modest salaries. But working with me? There's no power or honor—so I have to make sure you're well compensated."
"These days, even the Defense Security Command doesn't offer much in the way of power or honor. Serving someone like you, sir, is the greatest fortune of my life."
"Whether it's fortune or misfortune—only time will tell."
"Even if I lose my life, I won't consider it misfortune. With you, sir, I know my family will be taken care of."
Is it because he's a former soldier?
Captain Kang was brimming with loyalty.
Well, considering he had lost his connections at the Defense Security Command and was now ignored by both his peers and juniors, it made sense.
"Get evidence of the affair between the factory manager and the accountants as soon as possible. The faster we secure it, the sooner we can extract internal information."
"I'll have my team in Changwon by tonight and put them under 24-hour surveillance."
"Purchase the latest equipment as well. And get a car for your team to use."
"Understood."
"Just remember one thing—if something can be solved with money, then solve it with money. That's my way."
"I'll keep that in mind."
At the next station, Captain Kang got off immediately.
Now that the investigation was in his hands, all I had to do was wait for the evidence to surface before moving to the next step.
I closed my eyes for a brief rest on the train.
After handling lunch onboard, I finally arrived at Seoul Station.
"Boss! I've been waiting for you."
"Why did you come all the way to the station? You could've just waited at the hotel, and I would've come to you."
It was Team Leader Han, the one managing SAVE Investment Firm.
I had called him back to Korea from his busy schedule in the U.S.
Lately, he had been handling business with Japan, so it was easier to bring him in without much trouble.
"I was too eager to report on the contract details with the Japanese company you requested. I couldn't just sit still."
"Judging by how impatient you are, I assume the deal went well?"
"I'll just say it was a success for now. I'll provide the detailed report at the hotel with all the documents."
With smiles on our faces, we left Seoul Station.
As soon as we stepped outside, the first thing that caught my eye was a towering building—
The Square Building, home to Taewoo Group's headquarters, blocked my view.
Unconsciously, I stopped in my tracks and stared at it.
"What's wrong? Are you hesitating because you're already thinking about becoming the owner of that building?"
"More than that… I'm feeling the weight of what it'll take to protect it."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's nothing. Just rambling. Let's head to the hotel."
***
The suite at a hotel near Seoul Station—
That was where Team Leader Han had set up temporary lodging.
He opened the safe in the room and pulled out a large stack of documents, spreading them across the desk.
"These are all derivative contracts. To be honest, while the contracts have been finalized, I can't help but feel a bit uneasy. These financial products heavily favor the Japanese companies."
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you've already forgotten—do you remember how we made our first big money?"
"We made money thanks to Japan's bubble, but now their economy has stabilized. To profit from these derivatives, the Japanese stock market would have to crash by at least 10%."
On Wall Street, investors and bankers were known for creating all sorts of derivative products.
Another word for derivatives? Gambling.
And the derivatives I had structured with Japanese corporations were directly tied to a crash in the Japanese stock market.
The contracts were overwhelmingly favorable to Japanese companies.
As long as the market either rose or remained stable, they would rake in massive profits.
Even if the market declined, the contracts were designed in a way that Japanese firms could still make money.
So how would I make a profit?
The Japanese stock market would need to drop by at least 15% within a year.
Most economic experts predicted that Japan's economy had entered a period of stability and would fluctuate within a narrow range.
"The bubble has already burst—there's no rule saying it can't happen again."
"Of course, I trust your foresight, Boss, but according to analysts, the Japanese market has already hit rock bottom. Without some earth-shattering event, they say another crash is unlikely."
"We'll see. But isn't that exactly why the deal went through so easily? Because of those so-called expert opinions?"
"Not just the companies you pointed out—even other corporations and banks, after catching wind of it, rushed to sign similar derivative contracts. It's been absolute chaos."
Who would turn down a bet they were guaranteed to win?
And the stakes weren't small—
A staggering $10 billion was on the line.
That amount accounted for the entirety of SAVE Investment Firm's available capital.
SAVE consistently generated an annual return of 20–50%, placing it among the top ten firms on Wall Street.
From an initial capital of $15 billion, we had now grown to $36 billion in assets.
The secret behind this success? Quantum Fund.
By carefully maneuvering between hedge funds and Quantum Fund strategies, we had achieved exceptional returns.
"If other Japanese corporations want to sign contracts, go ahead and finalize them."
"Are you sure? In the worst-case scenario, we could lose all $10 billion."
"Have you ever seen me take on a losing bet?"
"Never. That's why I went ahead and closed the deals, trusting you completely."
"Then just keep doing that. If we lose, we lose $10 billion—but if we win, we'll make several times that amount."
"Understood. I'll proceed with contracts for every Japanese corporation and bank that reaches out."
There wasn't a trace of hesitation or fear in Team Leader Han's voice.
After all, he had survived the ruthless battlefield of Wall Street for years.
And more than anything—he believed in me.
"And since we're in Korea, let's accept more fund subscriptions while we're at it."
"Our investors are highly satisfied with the fund."
"Of course, they are. Every year, they accumulate entirely legal returns—it's a no-brainer. Especially for underpaid government employees, there's no better investment product than ours."
For the past three years, we had been offering fund subscriptions specifically for government officials.
Since it wasn't a slush fund but a profit-sharing investment, there was no legal risk involved.
With high satisfaction among existing investors, it was only natural that more people wanted to join.
Joining the fund also meant aligning with my network.
These officials were discreetly supporting one another, strengthening the group enough to ensure they wouldn't fall victim to power struggles from other factions.
"I'll coordinate with the Korea branch to handle this."
"Go ahead. Since new subscriptions require a referral from an existing member, we don't need to put in as much effort as before."
I had already established a Korean branch of SAVE Investment Firm.
Officially, it was an investment office.
But in reality, its primary role was managing my network and serving as a financial reserve—one I could access whenever needed.
"By the way, how is the Taewoo Group situation coming along? Honestly, I still don't fully understand what you're planning."
"I'm restructuring the company. And for that, I'll have to swing the blade—hard."
Team Leader Han referred to me as "Young Master", not "Boss".
That was because, in this matter, I wasn't acting as the head of SAVE Investment—I was the grandson of Taewoo Group's chairman.
"A lot of people who underestimate you are about to be wiped out."
"They might start calling me a butcher—or even a tyrant."
"I disagree. When a butcher or a killer wields a blade, it's a weapon. But in your hands, it's a surgeon's scalpel. A surgeon's blade isn't a weapon—it's an instrument of healing."
"Whether it feels like surgery or butchery depends on who's on the receiving end. Alright, let's get to work."
I wanted to spend more time catching up with Team Leader Han.
But as always, time was short.
With the financial crisis looming, every day mattered.
Coming to Seoul wasn't just about meeting Han.
I could have handled his report over the phone.
But there was another, far more important meeting waiting for me.
***
A five-star hotel banquet hall in Seoul.
The venue itself cost tens of millions of won just to rent.
It was large enough to accommodate 500 people, yet fewer than 50 were invited.
[Young Entrepreneurs' Economic Forum]
The name of today's banquet.
A grand title, but in reality, it was nothing more than a polished gathering of second- and third-generation chaebol heirs.
The attendees ranged from third-generation heirs in their 20s and 30s to second-generation executives in their early 40s—all from top-ranking business conglomerates.
"Oh! The star of the evening has finally arrived. Introducing the long-rumored successor of Taewoo Group—Kim Min-jae!"
Someone raised their voice as they looked my way.
Embarrassingly enough, I was the guest of honor tonight.
This was my official debut as the heir to Taewoo Group, the third-largest conglomerate in the country.
"Good evening, everyone. I'm Kim Min-jae. I should have introduced myself much sooner, and I sincerely apologize for the delay."
Standing at the podium, I bowed slightly in greeting.
Most of the attendees here already knew each other well.
In my previous life, I had built relationships with them since high school and attended this annual event without fail.
But this time was different.
I had earned my high school diploma through the GED, then studied abroad in the U.S., leaving no opportunity to attend these gatherings.
To be honest, they had never been particularly beneficial to me anyway.
So why did I choose to attend this time?
Because tonight, the banquet was filled with tempting prey.