"Who is Seo Min-young?"
"She's a fellow student in the same department."
"Is that all?"
My uncle, who chuckled and casually patted my shoulder, was a romance-starved, optimistic middle-aged man with no sense of propriety.
"If you're a university freshman, focus on getting a girlfriend. Remember what you just said? Beautiful, rich, smart - what's missing? Women will line up for you."
"What's the point of lining up when I don't have time to meet them?"
"Life is simple. Love and women are everything. Money? That's just a signboard for meeting women without love."
He only said what he wanted to say without listening to me.
"Uncle, with your profession involving handling money, is that really the best advice you can give?"
My uncle widened his eyes and wore a surprised expression.
"Oh, you still don't know?"
"What do you mean?"
"My job, my profession, is about legal gambling based on accurate data, not about making money. Well... it's become less fun because of you. Gambling with a 100% winning rate loses its excitement."
"Then, try giving me a gambler's prediction. Will Daehyun Group take over A-jin Motors?"
I subtly changed the topic. It was a suitable moment to avoid probing about Seo Min-young.
"Probably."
"Why?"
"Because all the elements are aligned. Plenty of chips, luck is on their side, and their hand is good."
I knew they had plenty of chips, with over two trillion won in reserves. But what about luck and the hand?
"Luck is the momentum of the gambling table. The moment when you've been losing continuously and it feels like you're about to win big is approaching. The fact that there's a substantial stake in A-jin is a sign that good luck is on its way."
"Why is having a good hand important?"
"A-jin Motors going bankrupt isn't a new story, given the consecutive bankruptcies of major corporations. Besides, when a bankrupt company is acquired quickly, it reduces the shock. And, remember how Daehyun failed to acquire Hando Steel last time? Even the government won't be able to criticize a favor here or there."
"You seem very confident about A-jin Motors' bankruptcy, Uncle."
"Daehyun Group designed it, didn't they? Banks prefer Daehyun over A-jin. Also, the politicians who jumped on the last train of this administration are hoping for some crumbs from Daehyun, right? Just wait and see."
He was an impressive person. How many people could be so sure about A-jin Motors' bankruptcy at this time?
The absurd fact was that even the banks had a stake in this.
If A-jin Motors goes bankrupt, it will be a significant blow for the banks as well, but there is a glimmer of hope because of their belief in one thing - the injection of public funds.
Public funds, I don't know who came up with such a ridiculous term, but to be precise, it's the use of taxpayers' money.
Taking a bit of the nation's money to rescue failing companies, but the owners of these revived companies are not the citizens. They become the property of certain individuals.
One of those individuals could be me. After all, isn't the first to seize an opportunity the owner? The enthusiastic young university student who plays with a burning sense of justice is a messenger.
"Uncle, in that case, should we go for A-jin Motors?"
"Huh? What?"
He seemed to think he heard it wrong.
"Our situation fits perfectly. We have plenty of chips stacked in the United States, and you know I have incredible luck. Plus, it's not just Daehyun Group that can have the upper hand; we can make it our own. What do you think?"
Oh Sehyun's expression suggests that he doesn't see me as a rational person.
Could a university freshman who once ranked second in the automotive industry and even reached fourth in the business world and is now at a slightly lower eighth rank be considered sane for saying that he'll take down the company?
"Isn't this plagiarism? Where can we sue for copyright infringement?"
Chairman Jin said it like a joke, but no one laughed.
A strategy named "report" created six years ago with tremendous effort and expense. Now, Daehyun Group's chairman is using the same strategy.
"Shall we put an end to this nonsense?"
The chairman's remark was not a joke, and Jo Dae-ho, the president of Sunyang Motors, had a stern expression.
"More importantly, we need to understand the chairman's intentions first. What is it? Industry restructuring, or bankruptcy?"
"The chairman doesn't want industry restructuring. He wants A-jin to go bankrupt."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because if it's government-led restructuring, the poison pill clause of a monopoly will be an obstacle. But if it's bankruptcy..."
Director Lee Hak-jae cautiously continued his words while watching Chairman Jin's reaction.
"If A-jin, at this scale, goes bankrupt, they'll need to recover quickly. They'll rush to choose a merger partner..."
"That's right! They can jump in ahead, so it's no wonder they've been preparing since I started showing interest in Hando Steel."
Even if the bondholders choose a merger partner, all we can do is watch from the sidelines. Sunyang Group doesn't have the money.
Chairman Jin couldn't shake off the feeling of defeat.
He clearly wanted Hando Steel desperately and got it. But even that seemed like a part of Chairman Daehyun's larger plan, making him tremble with fear.
The only relief was that Chairman Jin hadn't called to celebrate his victory in the Hando Steel acquisition battle, at least?
But Chairman Jin, an exceptional strategist, wasn't solely immersed in these emotions.
"All right, let's consider one more thing. If Daehyun acquires A-jin, what happens to us? What will become of us?"
"Our market share will plummet rapidly," President Jo Dae-ho said grimly.
The competitiveness of the automotive industry ultimately boils down to production volume, no matter what anyone says. When two companies merge, sharing the same parts and streamlining overlapping production lines, it becomes challenging to compete in terms of cost.
"Jo Dae-ho."
"Yes, Chairman."
"You have a good reason to put an end to this." Even though he said it as if it were someone else's business, Chairman Jin's intentions were clear. "Let's all hear President Jo's idea. President Jo."