WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Arsène
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Conglomerate Heir Just Wants to Fail ◈
Chapter 24
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The massive war between Daeseung and Hanseong over Daeseung Life thus came to an end.
And the next day, when the course and outcome of that war were revealed to the world, South Korea was turned upside down.
Every morning paper had its front page plastered with headlines reading, “Daeseung's Great Victory! Hanseong Humiliated!” and morning news programs covered nothing but the subject all day.
The details of the negotiations between the two companies remained top secret, but Daeseung had clearly achieved a complete victory, and the stock market saw Daeseung and Hanseong affiliates move in opposite directions.
Meanwhile, when it became known that the Financial Services Commission had played a role of its own in the negotiations, senior government officials could not hide their satisfaction.
The sale of Hanseong Securities' investment banking and asset management divisions, along with its Yeouido headquarters building, would naturally come to light with time. Whenever those facts were revealed, people would connect them to what had happened today.
On the other hand, no media outlet mentioned that Daeseung had been selected as the third internet-only bank operator.
Naturally, it was something that could not become known before the announcement. Even after it was announced, the fact that it had resulted from that day's negotiations had to vanish into the darkness.
.
The corporate landscape was also shifting.
Hanseong had previously been the nation's seventh-largest conglomerate, while Daeseung had ranked in the low teens.
However, only a few months after Vice Chairman Kang Daeun took office, the prevailing prediction was that Daeseung would break into the top nine, driven by rapid growth in construction and finance.
“It's the effect of Kang Daeun's leadership. A conglomerate head in his twenties is bringing a new wind to the business world.”
On a current-affairs discussion program on an economic channel, a middle-aged economic commentator wearing glasses was raising their voice with a grave expression.
“Under Chairman Kang Sinsu, Daeseung was a company that valued fiscal soundness and cash reserves almost stubbornly. It was stable, of course, but it was also called a typical dinosaur corporation, unable to adapt to the rapidly changing global economy.”
Another panelist seated across from them picked up the thread.
“That's right. Under Chairman Kang Sinsu's philosophy, Daeseung Group has been extremely wary of excessive debt and reckless investments. Thanks to that, the group's financial structure was the strongest in the country, but it is also true that it has faced criticism for lacking growth drivers.”
When they finished speaking, the host pointed at the screen.
The logos of Daeseung Group's major affiliates were displayed there.
“As you can see, Daeseung's core businesses are mostly so-called smokestack industries, such as Daeseung Heavy Industries, Daeseung Chemicals, and Daeseung Construction. They have all established solid positions in their respective fields, but they are traditional manufacturing-based businesses where explosive growth is difficult to expect.”
At that moment, the first commentator cut in again, unable to contain their excitement.
“That's exactly it! That is where we need to see the terrifying side of Vice Chairman Kang Daeun! The very thing everyone considered Daeseung's weakness, its enormous cash reserves built up almost excessively, is being used by Vice Chairman Kang Daeun as his most powerful weapon! The grandson is firing off the ammunition his grandfather amassed over a lifetime without holding anything back!”
The other commentator agreed, but said the Daeseung Life incident had shown that he had surpassed his grandfather.
“If we look only at what he showed during the construction PF crisis, then as you said, we could say the grandson used the weapon his grandfather prepared well. But this Daeseung Life incident is different. Starting with the rise in ESG ratings, if every development up until now was part of Vice Chairman Kang Daeun's design, then he must be evaluated as a truly genius and meticulous strategist.”
The host cautiously asked from a neutral position.
“A design... Could it not have been a coincidence?”
“It couldn't have been.”
“Isn't it far too much of a coincidence?”
When both experts shook their heads, the host naturally moved on to the next part of the script as if it had merely been a passing suggestion.
“Then do you believe all of this... was part of Vice Chairman Kang Daeun's grand plan from the beginning?”
“One or two times could be called coincidence. Recent events have been so shocking that everyone has forgotten, but the first decision Vice Chairman Kang Daeun made when he stepped into management was to declare that Daeseung would abandon its acquisition of Hwasu Heavy Industries.”
“Ah, that's right.”
The host looked impressed at those words.
“This is not the kind of decision a manager in their twenties can make. Knowing when to stop is harder than pressing forward, but he already possesses both experience and sharp instincts. Meanwhile, the game of chicken he fought in the retail industry also appears to be ending in Daeseung's favor.”
“I agree. Retail, construction, and finance. In just a few months after taking office, Vice Chairman Kang has completely transformed the group's makeup.”
The host continued with the next question.
“Then what do you think Vice Chairman Kang Daeun's next target will be?”
“Most likely heavy industries and chemicals, which form the foundation of the group.”
“I also believe that is likely, but I think there is a considerable possibility that Vice Chairman Kang Daeun will declare his entry into an entirely new field.”
The other expert nodded as though they considered it highly likely as well.
“Interesting. What new DNA will Vice Chairman Kang Daeun inject into Daeseung? The entire Korean business world is holding its breath and watching.”
.
“DNA... No matter how much I scrape together, it's never enough.”
I glared at the screen of the latest smartphone.
What I was looking at was Code: Evolution, a typical collectible smartphone gacha game.
Known online as Code or Code Ball, the game's defining feature was its then-innovative approach of evolving beautiful cyborg girl characters and strengthening one's own deck in a bloody, hopeless post-apocalyptic world.
It had more than earned its adults-only rating through both its violence and sexual content, but the game itself was free as long as one had a smartphone. Back when I had left my grandfather's home and had no money, it had been one of my few hobbies.
Then, not long ago, Code Ball unexpectedly announced a surprise collaboration with the famous K-pop girl group Pink Eyes.
[Who exactly asked for a collab with real humans nobody cares about?]
[What were they thinking, putting active female idols in an adults-only game?]
As was always the case with this sort of subculture game, criticism of the Pink Eyes collaboration poured in from both existing players and Pink Eyes fans. However, it coincidentally became known that three of Pink Eyes' five members were whale users of the game, and the criticism quieted down somewhat.
The problem was that the limited character released through that collaboration had absolutely insane performance.
[If those Code Ball bastards release limited characters like this, are they saying they don't plan to get any new players from now on?]
[Instead of saying that crap, pull already and enjoy the benefits.]
I stared at my smartphone screen.
Along with the flashy effect signaling the final pull of a ten-pull summon, a rainbow flash burst forth.
It was the guaranteed animation for an SSR, the highest rank.
My heart pounded.
“Please!”
But when the light faded, what appeared was not one of the Pink Eyes characters featured in the event banner, but a standard character I already had five copies of sitting in storage.
“Another off-banner pull... My remaining DNA...”
In Code Ball, DNA was the in-game currency needed for character gacha, and the resources I had accumulated for free had finally run dry just moments ago.
'Daeun. Do you know what your name means?'
'Yes. Dae means great, and un means fortune. It means great luck will follow me.'
I recalled one of my few fond memories with my grandfather from when I was very young.
'Grandfather... You were wrong...'
How could every single pull end in complete disaster?
This game's pity system was at 200 pulls.
And my current pull count was...
'199.'
One pull.
If I made just one more pull, I was guaranteed to get Pink Eyes' leader from the pickup!
The problem was that only one hour remained until midnight, when the event banner period ended, and I had long since squeezed dry every event that could provide DNA.
“All that's left is spending real money...”
I had never spent real money on this game even once.
The biggest reason was that I truly had no money to spend on something like a game. It was an adults-only game, after all, so I had started playing it during the period when I had run away from home and was broke.
Now that I had financial breathing room, I could spend as much as I wanted. But I took pride in having an account I had never spent money on, so using money now somehow felt like losing...
“This isn't the time to worry about that!”
I quickly opened my wallet and pulled out the unlimited black card Lee Jinju had put in there.
The real diamond embedded in the center of the card glittered beneath the penthouse lights.
Lee Jinju had said I could buy a building with this card, but I did not need a building right now.
Just one pull.
One bundle of DNA worth 1,500 won would be enough.
Taking a solemn breath, I pressed the DNA recharge button in the upper-right corner of the game screen.
'The cheapest 1,500-won bundle...'
The moment I pressed the payment button, what blocked my way was not a payment confirmation window.
[To ensure secure payment, installation of the ‘Hansung-SafePay’ program is required.]
“Hanseooooong!!”
Swallowing my curse, I pressed the install button.
After several flickers of the screen and an incomprehensible loading bar, the payment window finally appeared.
I picked up the card again and entered its sixteen-digit number and expiration date.
Then came the final hurdle: the CVC number on the back of the card and the first two digits of its password...
“Password?”
Lee Jinju, Chief of Staff, had simply brought this for me to use...
Did it have a password?
I tried combinations of the bank passwords I had used, my birthday, and my birth year, but every attempt failed.
[Password entry error: 4/5. One more error will restrict online payments.]
The smartphone screen glowed coldly, as if mocking my despair.
One more failure, and it was over.
I checked the clock.
11:30 PM.
Thirty minutes until the banner ended.
Could I contact Chief Lee Jinju at this hour?
'Vice Chairman, what is it?'
'Ah, well... I need the card password...'
'Pardon? The card password? What are you trying to use it for?'
'No, it's not that. I was trying to spend some money on a game...'
The embarrassing conversation passed through my mind just from imagining it.
Calling my secretary in the middle of the night to buy a game item worth a mere 1,500 won?
It would be better to go kneel before my grandfather and beg.
But my finger was already pressing Lee Jinju's name in my recent call list.
The instincts of a gacha addict standing before pity were stronger than the voice of reason.
The long, drawn-out ringing tone cut through the penthouse's silence.
Please, please pick up.
[The customer is unable to take your call...]
As the automated voice said it would transfer me to voicemail, I nearly threw my smartphone.
I was doomed.
But at that moment, the darkened screen lit up again, displaying the name “Chief Lee Jinju.”
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