CH80

Upon receiving the report from NIS Director Yoon Se-won, President Park Si-hyeong was shocked.

All he had asked was to investigate K Company, but he was caught off guard by the unexpected term "OTK Company."

"Is that really true?"

Several photos were laid out on the desk. Among them, the top photo was a chubby, 20-something man with short hair and glasses.

"When considering various circumstances, it appears that Oh Taek-gyu is the CEO of OTK Company and the key figure in everything."

Park Si-hyeong still wore an expression of disbelief.

In the past two years, OTK Company's actions had been sufficient to shock the global financial world. They predicted the L6 explosion and made billions in the Korean market, invested in venture capital acquiring stakes in reputable startups. During the Brexit crisis, they made astronomical profits in the UK and Japan's foreign exchange markets.

Could a 26-year-old high school graduate, who didn't even attend college, have orchestrated all of this, even surpassing highly skilled financial experts?

Yoon Se-won spoke seriously, "Oh Taek-gyu may surprisingly be a genius."

"What?"

"His sister Oh Hyun-joo is an outstanding financial elite, appointed as the Korea branch manager of Golden Gate at a young age. If his sister can achieve that, wouldn't it be possible for him to be exceptional too?"

"True…"

Talent doesn't go unnoticed.

Park Si-hyeong nodded and said, "Has he been hiding his genius all this time? And that's why he didn't go to college?"

"Seems he didn't see the need to learn anything, so he didn't attend. I found out he didn't even submit an application to college."

Though the individual in question would have been bewildered if present, the only two individuals in the room left no room for clarification amidst the misunderstandings in the discussion.

Park Si-hyeong pointed to another young man's photo.

"And what about this person?"

"His name is Kang Jin-hoo, currently studying business at Korea University. He has been friends with Oh Taek-gyu since middle school. It seems he is not directly involved in investments but mainly stays in contact with Park Sang-yeop and Oh Hyun-joo upon Oh Taek-gyu's orders."

"Is he considered a close aide then?"

"Yes. Currently, they are living together and conducting business with Oh Taekgyu, and they also traveled to the United States together this time. It seems that Oh Taekgyu is also taking good care of Jin-hoo. He got him a job at K Company and transferred 1.3 billion won twice separately. Last year, he bought a car at a BMW store on Yeongjong Island using his own card, and a few months ago, he bought a Porsche under the name of K Company.

Are they getting along well and doing favors for each other?

"He seems like a very lucky guy."

Yoon Se-won continued to explain while pointing to the picture.

Kang Jin-hoo introduced Park Sang-yeop, a senior to Oh Taekgyu, and with Park Sang-yeop's support, Oh Taekgyu established K Company by receiving 70 billion won.

After that, OTK Company and K Company worked together. When OTK Company invested in foreign startups, K Company invested in domestic startups. During the Brexit crisis, while OTK Company targeted the foreign exchange market, K Company targeted the derivatives market.

In return, Park Sang-yeop received a 2% stake in K Company.

Currently, OTK Company's assets are estimated to be between 40 trillion and 50 trillion won. This would put them in the top 10 chaebols in terms of market capitalization alone.

Could such a huge company be run by just a few people? Obviously not.

Is there someone behind them?

"It is impossible to confirm the ownership structure of OTK Company."

"As of now, that's correct."

To verify that, one would need to examine the registration records of the company in Dela Island, but it was impossible without a court order from the United States.

While in Korea, the National Intelligence Service can obtain illegal information as much as they want, it's impossible in foreign countries.

Moreover, Dela Island is under U.S. jurisdiction. If caught doing something unnecessary, it could lead to diplomatic issues.

"OTK Company…".

OTK Company, in collaboration with the Republican candidate Ronald, is actively entering the automotive industry through its subsidiary called CarOS.

This fact bothered Park Si-hyeong. Though unknown to the public, he was deeply involved in the automotive industry, making him sensitive to any changes."

At the end of the report, Yoon Se-won finished and left. Park Si-hyeong leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

"I should probably have a chat with Chairman Han Mingoo."

He opened the drawer and took out his cell phone.

***

[During the acquisition negotiations of CarOS Chrysler]

[Estimated acquisition amount of around 6 billion dollars]

[Restructuring of the Big 3 in the U.S. automotive industry]

[Announcement of CarOS' plan to relocate its headquarters to Detroit]

[Daryl, the CEO, vowed to usher in the era of autonomous vehicles within the next year]

[What does OTK Company envision for the future of the U.S. automotive industry?]

Negotiations for the acquisition between OTK Company and FCA Group were progressing steadily. While a few procedures remained, it seemed Chrysler would soon be under CarOS' wing without much issue.

This mega-deal had the global automotive companies on edge, including Eunsung Motors.

In reality, Chrysler itself didn't seem notable. It lacked exceptional technology and ranked at the bottom among the U.S. Big 3 in terms of quality.

Having previously merged and separated from Daimler Group and then merged with FCA Group, one might wonder if it would be sold off again this time.

The real focus, however, was on CarOS.

"It seems we missed the chance to acquire CarOS."

Standing before Han Mingoo was a man in his mid-30s with glasses. His name was Han Chanyoung, Han Mingoo's eldest son and the Vice Chairman of Eunsung Motors Group.

"Originally, we didn't plan to sell CarOS."

When they first sold it to OTK Company, they thought they had rid themselves of a useless asset. They even generously rewarded the negotiating team. But what now?

Not even a year had passed, and CarOS had rapidly grown. Their automotive AI was perfected, and their autonomous driving technology surpassed what Eunsung Motors Group possessed.

The development team verifying CarOS' technological level couldn't hide their shock.

Kang Mincheol, the President of Eunsung MBS, shook his head and said, "They are more than three years ahead of us in technology. They arguably have the most superior technology among all companies developing autonomous driving."

Trading such a company at a bargain, for less than half of the investment cost!

Late regrets were of no use now; the bus had already left.

Upon this revelation, shareholders' protests poured in. Why sell a company with such future value?

While the complaints of small shareholders could be disregarded, it was impossible to ignore the objections from hedge funds and sovereign wealth funds holding more than 5% of the shares.

In the end, Chairman Han Mingoo personally stepped in to increase share buybacks and dividends, urging shareholders to reassess shareholder value. Regardless, he has to do something before CarOS starts growing.

If this were a South Korean company, things would have been easier. They could have reduced staff, stolen technology, or been tied up by regulations. There were plenty of cards to play.

However, CarOS was an American company, with its headquarters in the United States. This meant that the previous methods no longer applied.

So, they reluctantly proposed a stake exchange. They planned to secure about 20-30% of CarOS's stake by transferring some of Eunsung's stake.

For CarOS, the partnership with Eunsung, which sold over 8 million units annually, was a tempting proposition.

Initially, even CEO Daryl responded positively. Negotiations seemed imminent, but the situation changed when the holding company, OTK Company, intervened.

With excess funds, they no longer needed to cling to Eunsung by giving away stakes, so they directly moved towards acquiring the car company.

The synergy between CarOS' software technology and Chrysler was envisioned to potentially create the first autonomous vehicle.

Recent disruptions in the automotive industry have been mainly due to electric vehicles. Unknown companies like Tesla and BID have emerged, threatening traditional car manufacturers.

However, compared to the changes brought by autonomous vehicles, electric cars were just a power source replacement. Autonomous vehicles will revolutionize everything related to human life.

Han Chang-young said, "Even if the technology is perfected, commercialization won't be easy."

For autonomous vehicles to be commercialized, there are many obstacles to overcome, with legal amendments being the most crucial.

Under current laws, autonomous driving not controlled by humans is illegal. Drivers were required to keep their hands on the wheel and monitor the road ahead.

"OTK Company has partnered with Ronald. If they win, they will likely receive tremendous support."

Ronald has been critical of South Korean and Japanese car manufacturers in his speeches. Eunsung was a frequent appearance in his rants.

Therefore, Eunsung actively supported Diane's election campaign through its U.S. subsidiary. They were determined to prevent Ronald's election at all costs.

"The chances of that happening are slim. You know that."

The presidential election was now less than a month away, yet Diane still maintained a significant lead. There was no need to be overly concerned about that. Han Chanyoung made disparaging remarks about CarOS, saying, "Even if they dominate a bit in the American market, penetrating the domestic market will be difficult anyway."

Han Mingoo nodded and said, "Let's keep a close eye on the movements of OTK Company and CarOS."

"Got it," Han Chanyoung said, bowing his head before leaving the boardroom.

He didn't think it was a big deal, but couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy. It was inevitable for their created company to grow and become a competitor.

"It's like a servant becoming a nobleman and standing up against the master, isn't it?" he thought with a wry smile, when suddenly his phone rang, displaying 'VIP' as the caller.

Politely, Han Mingoo answered the call.

[This is Park Si-hyeong.]

"Yes, Mr. President."

Park Si-hyeong, the current president, had a background in business and was very friendly towards conglomerates and large companies. He had promised to create a good business environment to stimulate economic growth and increase employment, a promise he faithfully fulfilled after being elected.

Although Han Mingoo wasn't sure if the economy had truly grown or jobs had increased, it was evident that large corporations had thrived in a favorable business environment.

Park Si-hyeong was close with various conglomerates and large companies, especially maintaining a very close relationship with Eunsung.

Thanks to this, the Eunsung Group flourished under the full support of the government, increasing its market share and exports.

Through job concentration and legal tax avoidance, they reduced inheritance taxes and even managed to receive a not-guilty verdict for embezzlement and malpractice in court.

The recent issue of sudden acceleration accidents concluded that the manufacturer was not at fault, successfully avoiding various recalls.

[I heard that you put a lot of effort into establishing the PAS Mexico factory this time.]

Han Mingoo smiled and said, "Haha, what have I done? It's natural to support a cooperative that possesses excellent technology."

[I look forward to working with you in the future.]

"Of course. I will do my best to ensure the growth of Eunsung and PAS. I also ask for Your Excellency's continued support."

"Of course. The progress of Eunsung is synonymous with the progress of the country, isn't it?"

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Park Si-hyeong brought up the main topic.

[By the way, have you heard the rumor that the CEO of OTK Company is a Korean youth in his twenties?]

Suddenly, the conversation became intriguing.

"I've heard about it, but…"

The first mention of this was in American politics. Claims of seeing Asian youths in their twenties in CarOS followed.

However, it was not certain if the person was truly the CEO of OTK Company.

[I have some information about OTK Company to share.]

Park Si-hyeong summarized the facts he had learned through the National Intelligence Service. Han Mingoo was surprised to hear the news.

"Is that really true? The CEO of OTK Company is Korean."

[I feel the same way. It seems we can't leave things as they are. We should come up with a plan on our end, shouldn't we?]

As a businessperson and politician, Park Si-hyeong is meticulous and careful. From his tone, it seemed he had already devised a plan.

Han Mingoo's eyes sparkled as he asked, "Do you have a good idea?"