Using the Quantum Fund's na to create a consortium—
At the mont, there was no better plan.
With Dimon by my side, I pulled out my phone to call George.
"You're calling George right now?"
"Why waste ti? This conversation won't take more than five minutes."
"Wow… Even on Wall Street, there aren't many people who can call George directly. Let alone anyone in Korea."
"We've been working together for years. This is nothing."
The influence of Quantum Fund and George was growing by the day.
A single word from him could move stock prices and currency exchange rates, so getting him on the phone wasn't easy.
But I had been doing business with Quantum Fund long before they reached this level, so I could contact him whenever I needed.
"George! Sorry for calling so early. Do you have a mont to talk?"
[Of course! If it's Kim calling, I'd wake up from the dead to take this call. You're one of the few people who actually make money.]
"This ti, it's not exactly a money-making deal. I wanted to borrow the Quantum Fund's na and a little investnt."
[Borrow the na, fine… But since when do you need investnt? Isn't SAVE Investnt sitting on a mountain of cash?]
SAVE Investnt had made quite a na for itself on Wall Street.
But only a handful of people had a rough idea of the actual amount of capital it controlled—George was one of them.
"I'm forming a consortium to help Korea. But since I can't step forward directly, I need Quantum Fund's assistance."
[So, you just need enough capital to put Quantum Fund's na in the consortium?]
"Just an investnt equivalent to a 7% stake in the project's construction costs. If you want, SAVE Investnt can even pay you back later."
[Now, now, I can't have that. If it's a business you're leading, it's guaranteed to be a jackpot. Of course, I'll invest. But only 7%? Can't you give more?]
I had made it clear—this was an investnt in Korea's infrastructure.
A country on the brink of financial collapse. Just hearing that should have been enough to scare most investors away.
Yet George wanted to invest even more.
"Honestly, it would be difficult. I hope you understand."
[Ah… Because you're Korean, right? You'd squeeze every last di from any other country, but when it cos to Korea, you hold back. Fine, I won't make things difficult for you. I'll join under your conditions.]
"Can we na the consortium Quantum Consortium?"
[Hahahahaha!]
George burst into laughter.
He laughed for a long ti before finally speaking again.
[So, you want Quantum Fund to take all the heat for this?]
"You'll likely get quite a bit of backlash from the Korean governnt and the public."
[Doesn't bother . I'm already getting cursed at by people all over the world. A few more angry Koreans won't even make a dent.]
I expected nothing less.
He wasn't the kind of man who feared making enemies.
If anything, he enjoyed it—he was a Wall Street investor through and through.
"Then I'll officially announce the consortium within the month."
[Do whatever you want. Even if you run it illegally, I don't care. Just handle it as you see fit. Anyway, I've already gotten all the entertainnt I could from this currency crisis. I'm wondering where to strike next.]
The financial crisis that George had orchestrated had reached its peak.
From the UK to xico, Southeast Asia, and now Korea—
But he hadn't yet decided on his next move.
As part of this deal, I planned to offer him a small piece of advice.
"I'll be visiting you soon with a very interesting business opportunity. I guarantee it's sothing you'll want to hear."
[Now you've really got curious. I'll be waiting for you in the U.S., counting the days.]
Click.
I ended the call with George.
Dimon, who had been quietly listening beside , raised both thumbs.
"I've never seen anyone move Quantum Fund with just a single phone call."
"It's not a big deal. This Korean infrastructure project is only worth $1 billion, right? Compared to the ventures Quantum Fund has taken on, this is small-scale."
One billion dollars—at the current exchange rate, that was approximately 1.7 trillion Korean won.
Of course, it was by no ans a small amount, but from the perspective of a Wall Street investnt firm, it wasn't exactly massive either.
"True. Even by SAVE Investnt's standards, $1 billion isn't a significant amount. In that case, I'll start forming the Quantum Consortium today and begin negotiations with the governnt."
"If necessary, you can bring David to Korea. He'll be helpful in persuading key figures."
"If David is involved, things will definitely go more smoothly. There will be a lot of drinking involved in forming the consortium, and if he can handle that part, my job will be much easier."
Dimon recognized David's skills.
His face brightened at the thought of bringing David to Korea.
"If David can sway governnt officials, the Blue House will likely announce the private investnt project even sooner."
"Then I'll play the negotiation ga strategically and ensure we secure every private investnt project."
In just one day, more than half of the plan had been executed.
My role was nearly complete—I just had to wait for the mont when the Quantum Consortium officially announced Taewoo Construction as the chosen contractor for the infrastructure project.
Two days later, David arrived in Korea.
He wasted no ti and imdiately started networking, drinking with IMF officials stationed in Korea as well as economic ministry staff.
And within just a few days—
The Ministry of Construction and Transportation officially announced the private investnt project.
As expected, no dostic conglorates stepped forward, leaving the Quantum Consortium as the sole bidder.
Dimon and David spent several days negotiating with the governnt.
And finally, today, they returned to the office with signed contracts in hand.
"Great job. Negotiating with a governnt isn't easy, is it?"
"It wasn't that difficult, actually. In fact, we had the upper hand, so we were able to lead the negotiations comfortably."
Dimon looked pleased—clearly, the outco had been favorable.
But David, who should have been with him, was nowhere to be seen.
"Is David handling another matter?"
"To celebrate the contract signing, David went out for a dinner party with officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. He's making sure to take care of everything until the end."
"Well, that is David's job. Now, let's take a look at the results."
Dimon pulled out several contracts.
He began reporting on the projects, starting with the one that had the highest construction cost.
"We've secured the investnt for Subway Line 9. The total construction cost is 3.5 trillion won, of which we will cover 900 billion, while the rest will be split between the governnt and the Seoul tropolitan Governnt."
"The governnt is contributing more than I expected. We were willing to fund the entire 3.5 trillion won ourselves, but this saves us so money."
"We saved money, but we still secured all the key benefits. For the next 30 years, we have a minimum revenue guarantee (MRG) and full control over fare decisions and operations."
"We're also in charge of selecting the construction contractors, right?"
"That part is a bit tricky, but ensuring that Taewoo Construction is chosen as the main contractor won't be difficult. However, due to the scale of the project, we'll need to distribute so of the work to other construction companies."
Taewoo Construction couldn't handle the entire project alone.
As long as they secured the largest and most critical parts, their ranking in the industry would rise. The smaller portions could be handed off to other companies without issue.
"That's fine. But there's sothing bothering ."
"The negotiations were perfect. This contract is overwhelmingly in our favor—what's the issue?"
"The design of Subway Line 9 itself is problematic. The demand forecast is inaccurate, and many sections are planned to run with only two-car trains."
Before my regression, I had frequently used the subway.
I couldn't afford a car, nor did I have the money for taxis, so taking the subway was my only option.
That's why I knew very well about the problems with Subway Line 9.
It was infamous as a "hell train," the most overcrowded line in Seoul.
Even though this project was primarily for the benefit of SAVE Investnt and Taewoo Construction, I didn't want to leave behind another congested, dysfunctional subway.
"Tell the consortium we'll invest more funds to expand the subway. Revise the contract accordingly."
"Under those conditions, we might not be able to fully recover our construction costs."
"Thirty years is more than enough ti to make a profit. The actual passenger numbers will be far higher than the governnt's projections."
"If that's what you want, we'll do it. The Korean governnt has no reason to refuse. If the consortium is offering to put in more money, they won't complain."
This was also about maximizing profit.
The more passengers there were, the greater our revenue.
If I hadn't been sure about increased profitability, I would have simply left Subway Line 9 to remain a hell train.
"Alright, let's move on to the next contract."
"This one isn't finalized yet, but there's a 90% chance it will be awarded to us. It's the Geoga Bridge project—a massive underwater tunnel and bridge connecting Geoje Island to Gadeok Island in Busan."
"An underwater tunnel? That must require a hefty construction budget."
"It's a 1.9 trillion won project with a three-year construction period."
I had used the Geoga Bridge once before.
It was a crucial route connecting Busan to Geoje Island.
I still rembered the breathtaking view of the ocean from the bridge.
And just as vividly, I rembered the exorbitant toll fees.
"That's definitely a large-scale project."
"That's why the governnt hasn't given a definitive answer yet. They're skeptical about the necessity of the bridge and reluctant to share the construction costs."
"Then tell them SAVE Investnt will cover the full construction cost. In return, extend the operational rights to 40 years."
"That's a very attractive offer, but I'm not sure if they'll agree to an MRG."
"We don't need an MRG. Just secure the 40-year operational rights. If we charge 20,000 won per toll, we'll recoup the investnt within ten years. After that, we'll have 30 years of pure profit."
Dimon tilted his head, skeptical.
"Do you really think we can recover 2 trillion won in construction costs within ten years?"
"Of course. If we operate it for 40 years, we could even make 10 trillion won from Geoga Bridge."
"Do you really think people will pay a 20,000 won toll?"
"20,000 won is actually a bargain. If they avoid the Geoga Bridge, their travel ti doubles, and they'll end up spending at least 20,000 won more just on fuel. They have no choice but to use the bridge."
Supply and demand applied everywhere.
Even if the toll for Geoga Bridge was high, as long as it was still cheaper than other alternatives, people would inevitably use it.
"Alright, I'll start negotiations tomorrow. No—actually, I should head over to David's dinner party right now and bring it up."
"That'd be great for . So, are Subway Line 9 and Geoga Bridge the only projects for now?"
"There are about five more projects under discussion, but they'll take more ti."
"Take your ti. Subway Line 9 and Geoga Bridge alone are more than enough for now."
These projects were enough to back up the promises I had made in the executive eting.
And more importantly, they would serve as the perfect stepping stone for Taewoo Construction to surpass Hyunjae Construction and claim the top spot in the industry.
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