The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 474



Only Krnovel

474. Buy at the low point (4)

Japanese automakers continued their strategy of not knowing.

The strategy was to never take recall action because there were no quality issues.

“Mr. Chairman, even though the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Aviation Safety Agency have stepped in, Japanese automakers continue to refuse to recall. Instead, they are raising their voices, saying that there are no problems with quality or performance.”

“It’s a bit of a shame.”

“Still, we made a decent profit. Of course, if there had been a recall, we could have made a bigger profit, but we have already achieved our target profit.”

A satisfied vice president.

But I’m still not satisfied.

The ripple effect was not as great as I expected, and Taewoo Motors’ market share did not increase significantly.

“Please call the head of the parts research lab.”

“I will contact you right away.”

A vice president was fired and the head of the parts research lab was brought in.

It was Director Min Jeong-gi who personally obtained the data manipulation materials of the Japanese steel company through experiments.

“Did you see the news, sir?”

“I keep up with news related to Japanese steel companies. I check not only Korean newspapers, but also American, European, and Japanese newspapers.”

“Don’t you think that both the company that supplied the defective materials and the company that used the defective materials are coming forward too brazenly?”

“It’s not my place to judge, but I think this is a very passive response to a data manipulation incident that has been going on for decades.”

As the director of the institute said, it was an overly passive response.

The reaction was as if data manipulation was no big deal.

It felt like Taewoo Group and other organizations that took issue with this incident were actually acting excessively.

“Don’t you think we’re taking data manipulation incidents too naturally?”

“I feel that way too.”

“If they weren’t manipulating data not only in steel products but also in other areas, this kind of reaction wouldn’t have happened.”

“Do you suspect that data manipulation has occurred in other materials as well? The results of experiments conducted at the component research lab show that there has been no data manipulation beyond what has been revealed so far.”

The parts lab conducted experiments on even a single screw that goes into a car.

It didn’t stop there, and we even commissioned renowned overseas research institutes to secure more data.

Therefore, as the director of the research institute said, the possibility that data from other materials was manipulated was low.

“Materials aren’t the only field where data can be manipulated.”

“What part are you suspicious of?”

“We’re going to do every experiment we can. Join forces with Taewoo, Kai, and GM to investigate everything from crash tests, emissions, fuel economy, airbags, and engine performance.”

Materials alone were not enough to make Japanese automakers bow their heads.

The material is not made by a Japanese automobile company, so it can come out so confidently.

So, if a problem arises in an area where automobile companies are manufacturing and testing directly, they cannot use the ignorance strategy as they do now.

“Chairman, can I tell you something? I don’t mean to disobey your orders, but there is something I absolutely must tell you.”

“Please speak comfortably. If it’s your opinion, even a joke, I’ll be happy to listen.”

“The cost of material testing alone amounts to 2 billion won. However, for testing the overall performance of the car, rather than just the material, it could cost at least 10 times more. In particular, in order to conduct a crash test, a new car must be purchased.”

Crash tests could not be conducted solely through simulation.

Of course, real vehicles were needed, and money had to be spent on purchasing them to test all the new cars from Japanese companies.

“This experiment will provide valuable data. So don’t worry about the cost. The headquarters will invest 30 billion won for this experiment.”

“It seems excessive to spend 30 billion won simply to secure data on competitors, let alone the cost of developing a new car.”

“It may seem excessive to spend 30 billion won on data acquisition, but if we can get something out of the experiment, it will be worth more than 30 billion won.”

“You’re telling me to find something. My shoulders suddenly feel heavy. But I will definitely find it. I will check everything from start to finish, even if it means putting my position as the director of the research institute on the line.”

It was something that could have resulted in throwing 30 billion won on the ground.

But I also had a corner of my faith.

Although it wasn’t as widely reported as the steel company data manipulation incident.

I once saw a news report that a Toyota Group subsidiary’s vehicle had been manipulating its emissions and fuel efficiency.

Of course, it might not have been such a big deal.

Why hasn’t the emissions fuel economy manipulation been widely reported?

It had little to do with safety, and it happened at a small car company that was a subsidiary of Toyota, not a Toyota vehicle.

But I could create a situation.

If the incidents occur several years apart, the ripple effect is weak.

If incidents occurred one after another at the same time, a synergy effect could occur and the ripple effect could increase several times.

***

30 billion won in experimental costs were paid to the parts research institute.

So the experiment began, and it took at least a month to get the results.

I would have liked to have conducted the experiment myself.

The project being carried out at the financial tower level was also reaching a new phase.

“The government and the Financial Services Commission held a virtual currency task force meeting! Although it is said to be a meeting to ensure security and transparency, it is very likely that a meeting will be held for regulation.”

“How is the market reacting? Now that the government has stepped in, I guess there will be a reaction.”

“That is, there is no response at all. Rather, the price of Bitcoin is rising even faster.”

A task force was even formed to regulate it.

Then, of course, the price should fall, but instead, the price was rising.

“I guess everyone has gone mad.”

“It seems like a combination of madness and power. There are mad investors who keep trading Bitcoin, and the powers that be are encouraging it.”

It was the Bitcoin market that was throwing its last bomb.

A life-threatening investment was being made in the belief that it would not be the person who carried the bomb in the end.

And the powers that be were encouraging each other to continue exchanging bombs.

“We will only wake up to reality once the regulations are actually announced.”

“At the current pace, it is expected that the Financial Services Commission could announce regulatory proposals within a month.”

“The higher the price goes, the greater the benefit we see, so it’s not a bad situation, right?”

“But if we move after the regulations are announced, the powers that be may take advantage and escape. That’s why we need to start a power struggle with the powers that be from now on and hold them back.”

The financial tower had too many mouths.

To feed all the animals in their mouths, a few small snails wasn’t enough.

Only by eating large forces could they at least satisfy their hunger.

“If we move now, we can definitely hold back the forces.”

“It seems that the forces are also planning to end the operation at the end of the year. But if we move now, they might be taken aback.”

“Try to coax it gently so that it stays on the board.”

“I will continue to spray sweet fragrance. The moment you are fooled by the fragrance and remain on the board, you will realize that you have become a fly in a flytrap.”

One vice president alone was not enough.

If we properly carried out a diversionary operation in Myeongdong, we could deceive the forces.

Of course, in terms of scale alone, Myeongdong was very small compared to the financial institutions in the financial tower.

The forces could be reassured only if the money from Myeongdong, which is closely related to the dark world, moves.

***

Lee Young-han was called to Captain Kang’s restaurant.

I prepared a huge meal and fed him to his heart’s content for working so hard for me.

“It’s so delicious because we eat it in the annex. There are people who dream of eating in the annex.”

“We don’t open the doors to the annex to just anyone.”

“That’s why there’s even talk that you have to eat at the annex to be successful.”

“We will always open the doors of the annex to Chairman Lee.”

There was talk that Myeongdong’s power was not what it used to be.

This was because the size of private loan sharks’ funds shrank after the IMF.

However, the funds of Lee Young-han, the owner of Myeongdong, increased several times, and he had more cash than most banks.

Would it be a good idea to open the door to the annex to him?

Moreover, Lee Young-han was the one who did not hesitate to do difficult things for me.

“Are the Bitcoin forces doing well?”

“I am doing my best within the scope of my ability. In the case of the Korean forces, most of them have come over, and even the forces run by the Japanese Yakuza have come over to some extent.”

Japanese funds used to flow into Korea in large quantities.

Lee Young-han had a thorough understanding of the flow of funds from Japanese organizations, as there was a time when Japan tried to swallow up the entire Myeongdong area.

“It seems like you have a good relationship with the yakuza.”

“We have maintained a hostile symbiotic relationship for nearly 10 years. Sometimes, it feels like we are closer than allies.”

“Once the Bitcoin operation is over, relations may deteriorate.”

“It could even get better. As with any organization, there is bound to be a second in command who is trying to take the throne. The second in command needs outside help to get there.”

The work of the dark world was Lee Young-han’s job.

I had absolutely no reason to interfere, I just had to listen with one ear and let it go.

“You have a deeper connection with Japan than I thought.”

“The power of Myeongdong has become too great to operate only in Korea. Of course, I know that it is nothing compared to the financial tower or Taewoo Group.”

“Growing up is a good thing, but can I ask you one thing?”

“If it’s something you ask of me, Chairman, I’ll do my best to help you. If you tell me to die, I’ll even pretend to die.”

Lee Young-han’s voice was full of sincerity.

Myeongdong was expanding beyond Korea and into overseas markets.

He knew very well who he owed his ability to get to and maintain his current position.

“Have you seen the news about Japanese car companies lately?”

“But how could someone who handles money be careless about information? Are you talking about the story about the Japanese steel company data manipulation and the Japanese company recall?”

“I want to know something about that news. Can you help me find or persuade the person involved?”

A 30 billion won experiment was being conducted at the parts research lab.

To obtain data on vehicles from Japanese automobile companies, including crashes, engines, exhaust fumes, etc.

Although many researchers were working together, they could have achieved results more quickly if they had received help from insiders.

“If you were to ask me who is involved, who would I look for?”

“Anyone with even the slightest connection to new car testing, please contact me. Retired people are fine, but current employees are even better.”

“Just because you work for a big company, do you think you’ll always do the right thing? If you show even the slightest weakness, we’ll pick on you and bring you down on a skewer.”

It was Lee Young-han who said cruel words with a bright smile.

That’s why I could trust him even more.

Because he was a person who would produce results regardless of the means and methods.