Chapter 23. Have You Crossed the River Jordan?
Beep-beep-beep-beep— beep-beep-beep-beep— beep-beep-beep-beep—
The Strategic Investnt Planning Office was in chaos from the early morning as phones kept ringing non-stop.
“Sorry, but the investnt project you ntioned is not handled by our office.”
“Sunmyung Hi-Tech? That stock… was not managed by our Planning Office…”
“The stocks you’ve ntioned…”
“You want to be connected to the person in charge of that investnt? But that’s not…”
This was because rumours about the 440% net profit that Shin-woo had generated recently began spreading outside.
The problem was that only the Planning Office had its phone line connected for external client acquisition and managent.
anwhile, the Operations and Audit offices were so closed off that their phone lines only allowed outgoing calls. Even if people knew the number, they couldn’t call in.
Naturally, complaints among the staff increased, but at the sa ti, exclamations of admiration were heard here and there.
“Where does Director Baek Shin-woo get such information?”
“A 440% return, including the principal… That’s a total of 4.4 billion won? So, he made 3.4 billion? Wouldn’t it be better for him to just beco a stock trader?”
“He handled such a project all by himself without any help from other employees, didn’t he?”
“They say he was a soldier… but he’s actually a genius?”
Amidst the market-like noise of phone calls, many whispers could be heard.
“Hey! Assistant Manager Kim! Shh! Shh!”
“The Director is looking at us. Everyone, focus on your work!”
So employees hurriedly turned their heads after making eye contact with Myung Un-seok, who was in his private office within the Strategic Investnt Planning Office.
Inside, Myung Un-seok couldn’t help but overhear his employees’ conversations.
“What’s so special about that guy…”
At that mont, Team Leader Na Jung-hyun of the Strategic Investnt Planning Office’s Team 1 knocked and entered.
“Director. We’ve been receiving continuous investnt inquiries, and it’s becoming difficult to handle…”
It wasn’t sothing that Myung Un-seok was unaware of.
But since the Operations Office had a policy of maintaining closed input channels, it was hard for him to justify opening the lines.
He had tried to appease the corporate and private clients who had called in, but all of them only sought Baek Shin-woo, the Director of the Strategic Investnt Operations Office.
“If it’s difficult, does that an you don’t want to work?”
“Pardon? No, that’s not what I ant…”
Na Jung-hyun had gathered the opinions of other team leaders and mbers with great difficulty due to projects they weren’t even responsible for.
Moreover, they were already busy with their original investnt planning work. With custor complaints piling up on top of that, it was driving them crazy.
Finally, after so contemplation, Myung Un-seok spoke up with a decision.
“Let’s proceed with the Livio Soft project.”
For a mont, Na Jung-hyun’s face hardened.
“…Excuse ? But while that company has high potential for growth in terms of technology patents, it carries significant risks. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding it as well.”
The ‘Livio Soft’ that Myung Un-seok ntioned was a company established in Silicon Valley, USA, and was preparing for an IPO.
However, Livio Soft’s core technology was a mind-mapping program that had a niche focus. Recently, there were even rumours about issues related to patent infringent.
“It’s a company with great growth potential. And as for the patent issues, we can investigate them thoroughly and offer our support if necessary.”
“What scale of investnt are you considering?”
“At the very least, we need to consider more than 20 billion won as a standalone investnt, along with a condition of acquiring at least 5% of its unlisted shares.”
Of course, if Livio Soft were on track for an IPO without any issues, acquiring more than 5% of its shares with the minimum budget would be impossible.
But if the patent infringent issue turned out to be true, just resolving that problem cleanly could make an option contract feasible.
Moreover, if Livio Soft successfully completed its IPO, MH Group’s profit would multiply several tis over.
Na Jung-hyun fully understood this, but he couldn’t help but worry.
“I’ll begin the investigation imdiately.”
“Also, schedule a eting. It would be best if they could visit our headquarters first.”
“How will you handle upper managent approval?”
“We don’t have much ti. We need to get it approved within three days at the latest, so prepare the PPT presentation by tomorrow morning. The the should highlight Livio Soft’s high potential for success.”
At this, Na Jung-hyun was startled.
“By tomorrow morning?”
There were no materials secured other than the basic project proposal. Even if they worked urgently, it would take at least a week to gather and analyze the necessary data to support the investnt.
“Why? Is it not possible? You know we don’t have ti to hesitate once we understand Livio Soft’s situation.”
“Yes, but…”
“Then, please make it happen. I’ll get preliminary approval and then contact Livio Soft.”
With a dejected expression, Na Jung-hyun returned to his seat. When he inford his team mbers about the all-nighter for PPT preparation, the office was filled with desperate sighs.
***
Rattle— Rattle—
Shin-woo watched the training at KITE while rolling two eight-sided dice in his hand.
One person was currently engaging in MAT (Multi-Person Assault Training), dealing with three attackers at once.
Thud— Thud— Thud— Thud—
Each person utilized their specialty to fend off multiple opponents, but as they beca more accustod to the coordinated attacks, it beca increasingly difficult to handle them.
Eventually, it beca hard for them to handle even two opponents, and they ended up rolling on the ground.
Many people watched from the sidelines, waiting for their turn.
“Sigh! This is really too much.”
As Shin-woo murmured, Executive Director Yu Hyung-jin stepped forward.
“Didn’t I say the training was too intense? No one is able to keep up, and if this continues, it could even interfere with the security operations.”
It was practically a grumble.
Due to the intense emotions built up, the training sessions had beco more severe than usual, leaving the guards with nothing but bruises all over their bodies.
Moreover, with strained relationships among colleagues, just as Yu Hyung-jin said, it was hard to dismiss the possibility of problems arising.
“You didn’t fully master the thod according to the program.”
“Is there anyone who can even complete this training right now?”
In response to Yu Hyung-jin’s emotional retort, Shin-woo shook his head slowly.
“With moderate training, you can only reach a moderate level.”
“But there’s a limit! How can you crush their morale when they already lack confidence?”
“Just wait and see.”
Shin-woo entered the training area, took off his jacket, laid it aside, and rolled up his sleeves as he approached.
The guards who were in the midst of intense training abruptly stopped at his presence.
“It seems like none of you are able to follow the training well. Let show you personally. But instead of three, you, you, and you—attack together.”
“…What?”
“Are you saying six of us?”
Everyone stared at Shin-woo in surprise.
“Why? Are you scared? To be honest, you didn’t like , did you? Complaining that soone much younger than you has co in as CEO and is pushing you too hard.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
The rumours circulating within KITE were obvious.
Of course, Shin-woo had occasionally overheard such chatter in hallways and break rooms.
“What are you waiting for? Would you ever have the chance to throw a punch at otherwise? Or are you scared you’ll get beaten by just one person? Don’t worry, I won’t sue or treat you unfairly for hitting . Co on.”
The guards, who were montarily angered, glanced at each other and exchanged looks. It seed they had made up their minds as they adjusted their gloves and slowly approached, surrounding Shin-woo.
“You promised.”
“It’s too late to regret now.”
Shin-woo chuckled at their words and picked up a finger glove that had been lying outside the sparring ring, putting it on.
“Don’t co crying later asking why I didn’t go easy on you.”
All of them were at least black belts and had practical combat experience. Provoked by Shin-woo’s words, the guards frowned and exchanged looks like before.
“…Let’s go.”
In the middle of the group stood Park Dae-sung, who had previously been defeated by Shin-woo.
“Do KITE’s guards even give warnings before engaging an enemy?”
“Grgh—!”
Park Dae-sung lunged first. The others followed, moving to encircle Shin-woo so that he couldn’t escape.
In an instant, Shin-woo moved to his right, catching the punch aid at his face, twisting it, and pulling it.
Crack— Thud—
It wasn’t just a joint lock. In a flash, he struck the ribs and jaw with his knee and elbow.
“Ugh—!”
The man scread in pain, his balance disrupted, and he was pulled by Shin-woo toward the man on the right.
anwhile, Park Dae-sung and the man to his right moved to flank Shin-woo.
However, Shin-woo pushed off the fallen man, flipped over, and kicked the man who was trying to move behind him before landing back on the ground.
“What’s with the clumsy movents? I thought you had been practicing ambush tactics for a while, but it seems you’ve only been practicing punching.”
The first man was completely subdued and couldn’t get back up.
Seeing this, Park Dae-sung and the four remaining guards swallowed nervously.
“I haven’t even started properly yet. Are you already scared?”
Shin-woo beckoned them with a finger that extended out of his glove.
Their pride shattered, the guards closed in on Shin-woo even more tightly than before.
First, they tried a tackle from the front, while the left and right sides waited for Shin-woo to retreat.
“If you’re going to gang up, make it tighter!”
With that shout, Shin-woo lowered his body even more than the man charging at him.
Swish—
“Damn—!”
Shin-woo collided with the man and grabbed his left leg, attempting to twist his knee joint.
Just as the man, who was about to tackle, tried to escape…
Whack—
“Argh!”
Instead of twisting his joint, Shin-woo kicked the man’s chin with his heel and rolled backward.
Now, only four remained.
“Do they think this is so kind of sports match? Trying to do jiu-jitsu or wrestling with ?”
“Don’t hold back! Go all out!”
Even without Park Dae-sung shouting, everyone was already seething with rage.
“Were you holding back all this ti? I thought you were just playing along because you noticed holding back.”
“Grr—!!”
There were no more tackles.
Together with Park Dae-sung, the three others aid at Shin-woo’s head and vital spots, attacking relentlessly.
Shin-woo clenched his glove tightly and pretended to deflect Park Dae-sung’s punch while trying to grab him.
At that mont, Park Dae-sung seed to recall the pattern from their last encounter and quickly withdrew his arm.
But that was exactly what Shin-woo had anticipated.
“No progress at all.”
This ti, what Shin-woo aid for wasn’t his arm but his collar. Pulling him by his clothes, Shin-woo drove his knee straight into Park Dae-sung’s abdon.
“Ugh―!”
The others around him didn’t stay idle. Seeing an opening, they imdiately swung their fists at Shin-woo.
But with his heightened senses due to regression and the combat habits he had revived up until recently, Shin-woo dodged their densely-packed punches and kicks.
“…Huh?”
“…How…?”
The attack, which should have inevitably landed on Shin-woo who was entangled with Park Dae-sung, only cut through empty air.
While everyone was still in shock, Shin-woo flashed a sly grin.
“Listen up, everyone! Up until now, that was an example of how not to handle a situation when facing multiple opponents! So watch closely from now on!”
Shouting out, Shin-woo leaned back slightly to dodge a fist flying towards him, grabbed the assailant by the collar, and struck his left waist, right chest, and neck in quick succession with his elbow.
“Gah!”
A brief cry escaped the man’s lips as he tried to grab Shin-woo.
But Shin-woo anticipated it, grabbed the man’s arm instead, lowered his centre of gravity, and threw him toward another man.
Whoosh― Thud!
The man, thrown along with his ally, tried to get up quickly, but Shin-woo was already standing beside his head.
“If an enemy breaks through your line, you should imdiately adjust your position. Are you planning to just stand in line for an orderly beatdown?”
Smack― Thud!
Shin-woo finished off by kicking the man’s chin and then stomped on the abdon of the other man he had thrown earlier, effectively ending the match.
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