Chapter 18: When Whales Fight, the Shrimp Wins

Heavy industry.

A national industry intertwined with South Korea’s defense sector, it’s been a cornerstone that’s sustained the country.

While China’s aggressive investments have clouded its future, it remains a robust pillar of Korean business.

If I can carve out a place in this industry, Ribbon Corporation will leave an indelible mark.

The problem is…

‘It’s not easy to break into.’

It’s a completely different beast from the milling industry.

The big corporations have devoured every slice of the pie, leaving barely any crumbs.

Blindly jumping into this business?

That’s just asking to die.

‘I need thorough preparation. A strategy far beyond what we used for this business.’

Which sector to target, how to approach it, and how to leverage the assets we already have.

Everything needs meticulous review and execution.

To survive.

To grow further.

“First, I need to secure plenty of ammunition.”

Ammunition for the battlefield—money—must be amassed.

That’s why the franchise business needs to succeed even more.

But…

Does life ever go smoothly as planned?

Riiing.

My phone blared loudly.

The sound felt like a warning siren.

Mr. Kang, how’ve you been?

“Doing alright. How about you, Ms. Han Yeri?”

Not so great. So let’s meet up.

The caller was bad enough, but the brief conversation was even more troubling.

Mr. Kang, before your business gets crushed.

***

Han Yeri suggested a meeting and sent me a location via navigation.

Honestly, it felt like walking into a tiger’s den—no, sticking my head into its mouth—but I couldn’t ignore her after hearing my business might get crushed.

“Sit there.”

“Do you usually hang out in places like this?”

The top floor of Ilgang Hotel, a subsidiary of Kangseong Group, transformed into a suite.

Han Yeri sat casually in a room big enough to fit two of my houses, chuckling.

“My place is nicer. Why would I sleep here?”

“You’re really flaunting your wealth.”

“It shows without me trying. Plus, this place has excellent soundproofing.”

“Does the conversation need to stay private?”

“It’s better for you if it does, Mr. Kang. Sit. I won’t ask a third time.”

At Han Yeri’s warning, I sat across from her.

She poured wine from a bottle on the table.

‘That’s probably a bottle worth over 3 million won.’

“Want a drink?”

“Sure.”

You drink when the opportunity arises.

Whether it’s poisoned or not can wait.

Han Yeri, personally filling my glass, opened the conversation.

“Isn’t Ribbon Corporation starting a bit too small?”

“You’ve already looked into us?”

“I’ve got my eye on you, Mr. Kang.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“If anyone’s going to take down our hotels and department stores, it’d be you, right?”

Her gaze was purely that of someone sizing up a competitor.

I hadn’t even thought that far.

“Not planning on that anytime soon.”

“Sounds like you might later.”

“If necessary, maybe. But I don’t see the need right now.”

“Good. I hope it stays that way. I’d rather not put a knife to your throat.”

With Kangseong Group’s power, she might actually be able to bury someone.

…A chill ran down my neck.

I rubbed it and got to the point.

“I’d like to hear about what you mentioned on the phone.”

“That’s valuable information. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

There’s a dangerous move in Han Yeri’s information network that I don’t know about.

I understand the value of this intel.

‘Which means…’

Even knowing it’s poisoned, I have to drink it.

Like the wine.

Han Yeri chuckled, clearly pleased with my attitude.

Taking a sip of wine, she continued.

“You know there’s a war going on in our family, right?”

“Roughly.”

Kangseong Group, involved in nearly every major industry in Korea.

Its chairman, Kang Ryuseong, was recently hospitalized.

This wasn’t a stunt to dodge prosecutors.

His life was genuinely nearing its end.

‘That’s why the news has been buzzing about who’ll be the next chairman.’

There was talk of primogeniture, but anyone who’s dealt with Kangseong Group knows.

The one who secures the most shares becomes the next chairman, and anything goes in that process.

As a result, every company in Korea is on edge, watching Kangseong Group’s every move.

I know because, before I was fired from Spectrum, this was the issue we were most focused on.

“My aunt runs Kangseong Foods. She’s very ambitious.”

That one sentence let me read Han Yeri’s intentions to an extent.

‘Her aunt, Han Kyungsook, probably holds 69% of Kangseong Foods’ shares.’

Someone like that is aiming for the chairmanship, just like the other heirs.

That means she’s planning to devour other subsidiaries within Kangseong Group.

And since Han Yeri brought this up, it means Han Kyungsook’s target is either the department stores or hotels.

‘If she’s chosen a target, she needs two things: cash and someone willing to sell shares.’

She likely already has someone to sell shares.

Plenty of people would side with the chairman’s daughter over his granddaughter, Han Yeri.

That leaves cash as the remaining piece.

But Kangseong Foods probably doesn’t have readily available cash.

They made big news about business expansion, driving up their stock price.

‘They’ll likely sell shares to secure cash. But selling blindly would be foolish. They’ve probably chosen a buyer.’

That buyer?

“SJ TopSugar, SAP, and Korea Milling are buying up shares.”

“You’re quick, Mr. Kang. I like that.”

“…Sigh.”

The big players in the milling industry are splitting Kangseong Foods’ shares.

In return?

They’ll probably tear our franchise apart.

‘The constant news was groundwork for this.’

The news wasn’t about absorbing mid-sized clients.

It was to make it look justified when they crush our business.

They laid the groundwork in advance.

“I didn’t expect big corporations to start targeting me already.”

“That’s a strange thing to say. Someone like you should be targeted. You might be a reliable ally, but as a competitor, you’re dangerous.”

“Not sure if I should be flattered or pissed.”

If Han Yeri hadn’t told me, I’d have been quietly crushed.

With One Direction, I might’ve avoided the worst-case scenario.

But recovery would’ve taken a long time.

Rubbing the goosebumps from that grim thought, Han Yeri calmly added,

“To be clear, I don’t know the detailed plan. Whether my aunt will tear Ribbon Corporation apart and distribute it or swallow it whole.”

“Either way, it’s bad news for me.”

I needed to quickly prepare countermeasures against Kangseong Foods’ schemes.

‘What can I mobilize right now…?’

As I kept crunching numbers, I felt Han Yeri’s gaze.

“Got more to say?”

“Just curious. How do you feel?”

“No idea what you mean.”

“Getting swallowed up. That’s what you did to grow Spectrum, right?”

Yeah, I did.

I’ve been the predator so far.

Now I’m the prey?

“Feels shitty.”

“Hehe, does it?”

“Yes. So I’m going to rip apart the mouth of the one trying to eat me. That’s what you want, right?”

“Hahaha!”

Han Yeri laughed, clearly delighted.

The reason she told me this?

She wants to crush her aunt’s plan to take her company.

Using me as her pawn.

Without getting a drop of blood on her hands.

“Exactly. I’d love for you to land a blow. Then I might be able to grab some shares in return.”

“Interesting…”

Correction.

It’s not just about crushing the plan.

Her goal is to flip it entirely and secure Kangseong Foods’ shares.

She’s a Kangseong Group member, after all.

“But it’ll be tough. My aunt has high hopes for this.”

“Not exactly welcome news.”

“Just hold on. If you do, I’ll take care of the rest.”

“How long do I need to hold?”

“Well, three months until the end of the year, right?”

Damn it.

Three months?

Against a corporate giant’s pressure?

When all incoming cash is going straight into reinvestment, that’s brutal.

I slowly sipped the wine in front of me.

Still, I have to do this.

If I don’t, I’m done for.

‘Then I need to think differently.’

A crisis is also an opportunity.

“Ms. Han Yeri, if this goes well, it’ll help you move forward, right?”

“Probably.”

“Then we need to rebalance the scales. One piece of intel doesn’t cut it.”

Han Yeri’s hand, about to sip her wine, froze.

She looked at me with cold eyes.

Until now, we’d been equals in this conversation, but not anymore.

Her gaze screamed, ‘How dare someone beneath me climb up?’

The look of someone at the top.

“Mr. Kang, I know you’re ambitious. I like men with big dreams and greed.”

“Then I must be your type.”

“But I don’t like people who don’t know their place.”

You’re just a mid-sized company president, and I’m the head of a conglomerate.

Know your place.

“Then I need to say this even more.”

“…What?”

“You’re planning to eat Kangseong Foods, and you’re even considering a scenario where I eat it, aren’t you?”

Han Yeri is afraid of me.

She believes that one day, the Kangseong Foods she worked so hard to secure…

‘Will be taken by me.’

She’s convinced I have that capability.

That’s why she’s pushing this unfair deal.

Keep me just alive enough to be useful.

“Eliminating a future threat is smart, but it’d be bad if this deal falls apart because of it.”

“Ha.”

“Ms. Han Yeri, right now, you and I are equals.”

This isn’t a contract where one side holds power.

“If Ribbon Corporation is torn apart and left in the streets, Kangseong Foods will feast on its corpse and move forward.”

If one of us dies, the other’s next.

If I’m torn apart, you’re next, Han Yeri.

“So the scales of this deal need to be balanced, don’t they?”

Han Yeri fell silent.

She merely swirled her wine glass, mulling over my words.

After a brief pause, she took a sip.

“Fine. What do you want?”

The opponent has sat at the negotiation table.

Now it’s my time.

What to offer, what to gain.

I’ve already prepared everything.

“You know I can’t fend off Kangseong Foods’ attack alone.”

“Starting a deal just to fail?”

“No, I’m just clarifying what needs to be addressed to make this deal work.”

“Alright. So what’s your plan?”

“Simple.”

I grinned.

“Ever heard the phrase, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’?”

Mark my words.

The biggest winner of this deal will be me.