Chapter 112: Indirect Experience

“I have no intention of letting Grandfather take control of the company.”

This is my rice bowl.

“We need to run the company. That’s why I brought in Mr. Shim, a management expert, here.”

Whether it turns out to be porridge or rice, I’ll handle it myself!

I’ll take what’s mine!

“Young Master, you’re only eight years old now.”

“Are you worried that putting an eight-year-old on the frontlines of management will put Taesung under the harsh spotlight of public opinion?”

“Yes. People will start to doubt Taesung’s management capabilities.”

“They’ll say, ‘Just how short on talent are they that they’d put a snot-nosed kid on the board?’”

“Normally, people assume eight-year-olds are just learning to read.”

Preconceptions are not to be ignored.

“On top of that, as a chaebol’s reckless personnel move, all sorts of suspicions and malicious rumors will inevitably follow. Have you ever heard of relative deprivation?”

“You mean, if I wear an executive badge at eight just because I was born with a silver spoon, the employees who busted their backs to graduate university will foam at the mouth with rage?”

President Shim sighed.

“When news broke that a one-year-old child owned a ten-billion-won building and earned a hundred million won a year in rental income, people pointed fingers and cursed at someone they didn’t even know.”

I know.

“But if you step forward as Taesung’s executive, all the fingers will be pointed directly at you.”

I know that too, okay?

“The only thing even the Blue House keeps an eye on is public sentiment and opinion. Taesung must not only avoid public scrutiny, but it’s unthinkable to become a scapegoat for the Blue House.”

“I understand. As things stand, I can’t step to the forefront of Taesung Group’s management.”

“I’m relieved to hear that you’re aware of this…”

“But that’s not a reason to give up control. That’s why I prepared in advance.”

“…Excuse me?”

President Shim blinked.

“Ah! You mean the private tutors?”

“No, not that.”

I wagged my index finger side to side.

“The investment company.”

“Oh…!”

As expected of President Shim!

It’s so convenient when someone gets it without you having to spell everything out!

“That investment company you set up for money laundering, could it possibly…?”

“If you can launder money, you can launder identities too, right?”

That’s why I prepared it!

“Why do you think I bothered to set up a corporation in America and a subsidiary in Korea?”

I poked my chest with my finger.

“Our investment company’s major shareholder is ‘James.’ On paper, I bet it’s listed as a Korean-American.”

“Young Master, do you even have a U.S. green card?”

“Of course not! Like I said—money laundering, identity laundering.”

I rubbed my fingers together.

“There’s nothing money can’t buy, right? People are the same everywhere.”

“I thought it was just a paper company for money laundering, but you even cooked up a Korean-American identity for yourself!”

A faint chuckle escaped from President Shim.

“Honestly, every time I look away, you come up with something new.”

I grinned back at President Shim.

“The more countries you go through, the easier it is to launder money and identities. Don’t you agree?”

“So that’s why you had me look into an office in Hong Kong?”

President Shim’s laughter grew deeper.

“I thought you set up the company to avoid state oversight and regulation, but… Just how far ahead are you planning?”

“That was the best way for someone like me—an eight-year-old—to expand my sphere of activity and influence.”

I tapped the stock fluctuation chart of the 41 subsidiaries of Woo Kwang.

“I plan to use the investment company to directly manage my share of the subsidiaries.”

President Shim is the investment company’s front man, I’m the major shareholder.

I make the investment and management decisions from behind the scenes, but I’m not showing myself on the management frontlines.

“That’s why I prepared for this.”

“Sorry? Is there something else?”

“Even if I’m lacking in age, I can’t be lacking in ability. This is my chance to get real, hands-on experience through my tutors.”

President Shim blinked again.

“What do your tutors have to do with hands-on management experience?”

“I want to build up indirect experience.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I plan to share the experience of twenty elite professionals, learning and growing together as we guide each other.”

When I added, ‘Everyone has a first time, don’t they?’ President Shim’s eyes widened in surprise.

He looked like he’d never heard anything like it.

“To run a company, you have to understand how even the lowest-level jobs work, inside and out.”

“Yes, uh, that’s true.”

“I’ve more or less grasped how the company operates, the system and workflows. But I’ve never actually experienced it myself.”

Maybe because I’ve always been cursed, and every connection I made turned out to be a bad one.

Every person I got involved with stabbed me in the back like it was nothing. So how was I supposed to run a company like that?

A company isn’t something you can grow just because you’re clever on your own.

‘My specialty is making money through investments, thanks to the insight I learned from my master.’

As the scale and type of investments grew, I became a giant in Korea’s underground finance world, known as a corporate specialist investor.

I’d scout out suitable companies, buy them for cheap by any means necessary.

‘They didn’t call me the Sillim-dong Ant Hell for nothing.’

Setting traps to swallow up companies, blackmail, lobbying—those were just the basics.

If push came to shove, I’d start a PR war, even an all-out war, or blow money like crazy until I toppled them, then gobble them up without hesitation.

Cut them up, fatten them up, sell, and discard.

I’d fix them up just enough, then slice them up and sell them for a high price.

‘I could have sold Woo Kwang’s subsidiaries for a tidy profit the same way. But at the end of the day, what would I have left besides money?’

Money? Sure, I like it!

You can solve almost anything in this world with money.

That’s how great people’s desire for money is.

But money alone isn’t everything.

‘Now that I’m part of a chaebol family, I want to try growing a company this time. If running it doesn’t work out, I can always split it up and sell it off later.’

I’m an expert in that field, so there’s no need to worry about losses, right?

So what if I mess up a little?

That’s how you learn.

Besides, I have President Shim, a genius of management, by my side!

“I just want to put Mr. Shim’s advice—to carve lessons into my bones through hardship—into practice. Why, does that bother you?”

“No, not at all.”

President Shim smiled warmly.

“With such enthusiasm and initiative, you should be welcomed with open arms. Taesung’s future looks very bright.”

President Shim beamed with satisfaction.

“I used to think it would take at least a few years in the field. This is a truly brilliant method. It’s the kind of idea ordinary employees would never dare suggest—absurdly bold! Hahaha!”

He seemed genuinely pleased.

“Somehow, I feel like you’ll pull it off with ease, Young Master. I suppose you’re not the kind of talent I’m qualified to judge.”

President Shim nodded.

“Very well! I’ll follow wherever you lead, Young Master!”

A note of excitement crept into President Shim’s voice.

“If you’re going to get your hands dirty anyway, it’s best to do it alongside twenty brilliant elites. Watching and correcting each other’s mistakes, you’ll gain a wealth of experience in a short time.”

The more he spoke, the broader President Shim’s grin became.

“I thought it’d take you at least fifteen years to rise from entry-level employee to rapid-fire promotions, even if you started as soon as possible…”

“That’s too slow. Even if I joined at twenty, fifteen years would put me at thirty-five.”

“True. In fact, making executive by thirty-five is already incredibly fast, but that’s just by ordinary standards. It wouldn’t be right to hold you to that yardstick.”

President Shim stroked his chin, deep in thought.

“A six-year contract with your tutors. That should be enough to fully graduate from grassroots experience…”

“Even so, I’ll still fall short of being an executive at Taesung. That’s why I need you, President Shim.”

“Me?”

“I’ve got a reliable ally and a skilled professional manager right here.”

“Haha, so I was part of your grand plan from the start?”

“You’ll help me, won’t you?”

“Of course! Pursue your ambitions as you wish, Young Master. I’ll cover your back!”

I grinned.

“I’ll be counting on you. I’ll watch, listen, and learn by your side.”

I pressed my hands together at my navel and bowed deeply.

But suddenly, President Shim looked rather regretful.

“But what should I do? The truth is, my current work isn’t really something I can take you along for, Young Master…”

“Why not?”

“Hmm, would you care to see this?”

President Shim pulled a notebook from his inner suit pocket.

It was packed with a tightly written schedule.

“Tonight, I’m meeting the president of Jangsu Bank. Tomorrow morning, I have the president of Sammoo Savings Bank. Lunch tomorrow is with the credit union chief, afternoon with the president of Nonghyup Bank, and drinks in the evening with the head of Suhyup Bank.”

Wait, why are all your appointments drinking sessions?

Even day-drinking?

“My schedule is packed like this for a month. That’s why it’s a bit difficult to take you along, Young Master.”

“Why so many drinking appointments?”

“It’s all to run the company properly. When it comes to clinching business, nothing beats wining and dining.”

Our company is tiny right now.

It was set up for a specific purpose and I only had my own people running it.

“Do we really have that much business to chase for our investment company?”

“You have to go out and find work. You think a company just runs itself if you sit around?”

“Enough work to justify all those non-stop drinking and dining sessions?”

“Why? You think since it’s a company set up for money laundering, we can just run it half-heartedly?”

President Shim shook his head firmly.

“I have to secure business, circulate investment proposals, coordinate feedback, and persuade people. I can’t entrust important matters to others—I have to handle them myself.”

Is this how you grow a ten-billion-won company into three hundred billion in seven years?

“I’m only this busy because I’m handling everything on my own. Hosting drinking parties is the fastest way to get things done. You have to use every connection—school, hometown, even blood relations.”

So that’s why you overloaded yourself with drinking appointments?

“And taking back Taesung Chemical is just a bonus.”

President Shim rubbed his face, looking utterly exhausted.

“I can handle my liquor pretty well, but lately, it’s been brutal. Excuse me for a moment.”

President Shim took out a breath freshener from his suit pocket and sprayed it.

Now that I think about it, I could faintly smell liquor on his sighs.

“Did you really need to manage a company set up for money laundering so seriously?”

“Should I just neglect it? If you take on a job, you do your best. If you’re entrusted with a company, you grow it with all your might.”

Such a sense of duty.

“For you, Young Master, I’ll grow the company to double, no, twenty times its current size! Just trust me!”

President Shim thumped his chest.

“That’s how I climbed up to the presidency of Taesung, with that very spirit. That’s my pride!”

I like you, President Shim!

Now that I’ve received this much expectation, I can’t help but live up to it, can I?

“Alright. I’ll take care of that issue for you.”

“Pardon?”

Since I intended to keep the investment company small, I hadn’t hired any executive-level elites.

So President Shim had been fighting alone.

“Young Master will cover for me…? How?”

“If the problem is you’re short-handed, then I just have to get you some capable aides, right?”

“Heh, if you mean sticking some greenhorns on me, I’ll have to pass. No matter how smart they are, raising them up to executive level is just more hardship for me.”

President Shim grumbled with clear displeasure.

“Just look at the Taesung Group security guards you assigned me. They’re nowhere near qualified to be useful aides.”

“That’s why I’m saying I’ll assign you top-level management personnel who can actively assist you.”

“Huh?”

I grinned.

“Don’t we have a surplus of elite talent? I’ll take responsibility for recruiting them.”

“Heh, Young Master, you must not understand. Do you think executive-caliber talent grows on trees?”

President Shim snorted with resignation.

I smirked.

“Who says there isn’t? There are former executives from Taesung Construction who just became unemployed.”