章 320: Chapter 320: The Explosive Situation
Ah, I'm really full. Korean food is the best. You just can't find this flavor in American Korean restaurants. I guess I really am a Korean at heart."
Finishing his meal, Han Gyeong-yeong set down his spoon and happily took a sip of the nurungji that the ajumma had brought.
"Wasn't Jin-tae supposed to be starting university soon? Right, Auntie?"
"Yes, that's correct."
The ajumma was the oldest among the housekeepers working at the Pyeongchang-dong mansion.
Having worked here since the time of the grandfather, she was a reliable person who kept her mouth shut. She was, of course, well-acquainted with both Han Gyeong-yeong and me.
"Time flies! So it's Korea University, right? And in the business department, too. Jin-tae's quite the devoted son, isn't he?"
Han Gyeong-yeong's praise for the youngest son brought a smile to the ajumma's face.
"That's impressive; I should get him a present to commemorate his enrollment!"
"Oh no, Boss has taken care of everything! He not only covered the tuition but also found a house near the school for him."
"Ah, that was Mu-hyeok's doing! I can't just let it slide after being treated to your meals so often, Auntie. I should at least give a gift. What would be good?"
I chimed in, helping to tease Han Gyeong-yeong.
"How about getting him a car?"
"Come on, Boss! A car?"
"Oh, a car sounds great!"
"I'll just accept the thought behind it."
"It's because he really loves the meals you make, Auntie! Just accept it, close your eyes and take the gift."
"Exactly, Auntie! Jin-tae even called me his role model, so how could I let this go? I'll meet him separately and pass it on, so you can just feign ignorance, okay?"
"Still…"
Such things happened quite often.
Though she now understood it was just a small gesture of kindness similar to sending kimchi to someone she knew, the ajumma still showed signs of feeling burdened.
"Do you need anything else?"
"I'm fine. I should be getting up soon. Just four cups of coffee, please. I'll be in the study."
As I stood up, Han Gyeong-yeong and Eva followed suit.
"Director, please join us. We need to organize what we have to do this year."
"Sure, Boss."
All three of my close aides gathered in the study.
Lifting my coffee cup, I spoke quietly.
"This year is crucial for me."
"Because of the presidential election?"
Han Gyeong-yeong quickly picked up on it. I nodded slightly.
"I need a landslide victory in this presidential election to gain the momentum required to push for a parliamentary system."
"A parliamentary system, huh? Do we really need that? I think the presidential system works just fine. There's still quite a bit of negativity about switching to a parliamentary system, you know."
Recently, a poll showed over 70% support for constitutional amendments; however, those in favor of a parliamentary system barely crossed a majority.
Conversely, the demand for a four-year term system, similar to the U.S., was very high.
This was the result of some public relations efforts, as people didn't fully trust the lawmakers they elected.
"The presidential system concentrates too much power in one person's hands. The fact that someone can pressure me is never a good thing from any angle."
"Couldn't we just keep making that one president out of four?"
While it sounded reasonable at first, I couldn't put my trust in politicians.
When power becomes concentrated in one person, it never ends well. Even if I find a trustworthy person to put in power, they too will inevitably change once they gain authority.
"Controlling the legislators is much easier. Just look at President Kim Hak-gwon; he faced a similar situation. The moment any weakness appeared, they'd pounce on him like wild dogs. There's no end to human greed after all. The more power a person holds, the more insatiable they become."
Getting stabbed in the back by Kim Hak-gwon was more than enough.
"The challenge is how to change public opinion."
"First, I need to win by a landslide. That way, I'll be able to amend the constitution. Otherwise, it might be better to wait for the next opportunity. A national vote can be a double-edged sword."
"Well, just looking at Europe, we haven't seen good outcomes from national votes, except in Switzerland. In any case, what should we do?"
That was always how Han Gyeong-yeong operated.
He wouldn't automatically agree with my opinions but would raise counterarguments instead to ensure there were no gaps.
However, he didn't do it to manipulate me.
Whether his grounds were valid or not, if my conviction remained unchanged, he would stop pushing back and would just proceed with the work quietly.
Aside from Myeong-su and Hyeon-seong, who'd known me since childhood, he was one of the few who could speak openly and candidly to me.
"You're the same. You're actively growing your influence in the U.S. and Europe. Hasn't Dream High attracted an audit for the companies they own?"
"Wow, don't even get me started. If you hadn't told me to prepare in advance, we would have been in big trouble. I never imagined Arthur Anderson would be involved. Didn't I tell you it was a bad idea for me to sign that deal? Did you know?"
Arthur Henderson was known as a legend among American accountants. He was the one who established modern accounting principles in the U.S. while emphasizing the moral responsibility and integrity of accountants.
The accounting firm named after Arthur Henderson continued to safeguard America's pride, even after his death, as one of the Big Five multinational accounting firms.
However, issues began to arise upon their entry into accounting consulting. Accounting advisory and auditing simply couldn't coexist.
They realized that consulting was much more profitable. This led to the downfall of Arthur Henderson's reputation.
They were repeatedly fined for turning a blind eye to accounting irregularities at client companies.
Nonetheless, those companies were stable. But Enron was different. Enron's bankruptcy filing sent shockwaves through the U.S.
"It's just that everything that had to burst finally did."
"That's true…"
Han Gyeong-yeong shook his head slowly.
"Even the Dow and S&P 500, which didn't plummet during the dot-com bubble, are crashing now due to the terrorist attacks and this accounting scandal."
Those two stock indices, showing solid companies and market capitalization, didn't experience the drastic falls that Nasdaq did during the bubble.
"If the dot-com bubble was created by human greed, this scandal was spurred by the moral hazard of accounting firms and Wall Street. It won't end with just Enron."
"There are numerous companies tied to Arthur Anderson, so it won't just end with Enron. The real issue is that the collateral damage has touched us as well. George Bush, that son of a bitch! How could he hit our company right after the accounting fraud broke, with me having done so much for him? I was baffled and kept calling the White House, but all they could say was that there was nothing they could do. Dick Cheney didn't even respond to my calls, saying he was busy. Those bastards have no conscience."
"See, you can't trust politicians."
Han Gyeong-yeong nodded in agreement.
"Didn't we already undergo an audit last year? So, what's the chance they're coming back after just a year? This time, they're saying they'll audit not just us but all businesses connected with us. This isn't right! Just because the president changes doesn't mean they should keep doing the same thing."
"Well, they probably want to tame us. There's likely a warning coming from Wall Street. A multitude of complex circumstances converged here. But really, what's there to uncover about us?"
Considering the extent of our preparations, there was no need to worry at all.
"We might get caught for minor infractions, but nothing major will come of it. You emphasized this point before: Never get snagged on tax issues. That can become a weakness that slowly tightens its grip around your neck. At first, I wondered why it was necessary, but now I understand."
"Taxation is the greatest weapon to suppress a corporation. Especially in a country like the U.S. If you slip up on taxes, you'll end up committing larger crimes in an attempt to cover it up. That becomes your Achilles' heel."
The more rigorously a democratic system is enforced, the fewer means the state has to pressure corporations.
If you want to suppress businesses in the forefront of a free-market economy like America, who would trust and invest in the country?
So America generally refrained from meddling with companies. In fact, it couldn't.
Just look at the recent accounting scandal in the Jungwoo Group. Our government threw public funds into the mix, shouting about saving it from collapse, while America simply tossed Enron to the hands of the market.
"For now, it's best to step back and observe. Enron will inevitably declare bankruptcy, and Arthur Henderson will collapse completely. Contact capable accountants affiliated with Arthur Henderson for recruitment proposals. We need to establish a reliable accounting firm with them."
"Can we even trust those guys who played a trick on us?"
"They're capable individuals. They're the talents we need. If superior orders are given, lower ranks have no choice but to comply. If handled properly, they could be our greatest assets."
Han Gyeong-yeong nodded in understanding.
"But do you really think they'll push Enron all the way to bankruptcy? That would be quite a political burden for the president."
"Competitors won't show any intention of acquisition. Well, to be precise, they'd want to, but there are no investment banks available to lend them money or join in an acquisition. So they'll have to back off."
"What about us?"
"Not at all. To be honest, while we're an energy company, we have enough firms in Russia alone."
Enron wasn't an attractive asset. Even if it was a stable company, its massive debt made it far from worthwhile to take unnecessary risks for acquisition.
"Then I'll mobilize the staff to meet with their people."
"Sure, I don't think the pressure from the U.S. government will continue here. They wouldn't want to start a conflict with us now that Black Bear is active in the Afghanistan war. It wouldn't benefit them at all to make enemies with us."
The Afghanistan war seemed like an endless quagmire.
With the U.S.'s declaration of victory, the Taliban regime crumbled, and the Northern Alliance, allied with America, took over.
Yet, some remaining factions had hidden in the southern mountainous regions and continued their guerrilla warfare. The main forces of the Taliban had crossed the border into Pakistan.
I issued a directive to Black Bear to ensure that the life of Ahmad Shah Masoud, the supreme commander of the Northern Alliance, was protected at all costs.
Originally, he was supposed to meet his end before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but perhaps due to Al-Qaeda's earlier-than-expected strike, he was still alive.
"You've secured the leader of the Northern Alliance, right?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"What about the suicide bomber?"
Having received U.S. assistance to seize power, the Northern Alliance was seen as a thorn in the side of Al-Qaeda, which had allied itself with the Taliban.
If he had already died, there wouldn't have been an issue, but with Black Bear in Afghanistan, it was a foregone conclusion that the decision would fall into place.
"That could be partly blamed on the foolishness of U.S. Intelligence."
"Neither the CIA nor the Black Bear intelligence team had anticipated this. Who would have guessed that one of the American journalists was actually an Al-Qaeda operative? Surely the CIA must have investigated everyone present."
Among the journalists who had come to interview Masoud was an Al-Qaeda member.
At that time, CIA agents were present alongside high-ranking officials from the U.S. government.
If they hadn't spotted him, everyone there could have been killed instantly.
However, thanks to Black Bear's thorough searches and verification of the journalists who came to interview Masoud, we managed to capture the terrorist before he could act.
"I heard even the deputy director of the CIA was there. Anyway, that crazy Kim Mu-hyeok of yours—he might a well have been Nostradamus in a past life."
I might not have been in a previous life, but I sure felt reincarnated.
I could only chuckle.
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