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CH101 | DI
🕑 Added 2025-05-06 13:44:51 +0000 UTC“You’re good at this.”
I expected it, but racism is truly top-tier in terms of incendiary power.
After White Shark exposed that “Epicura sold Harbor Lobster, which has many Black customers who aren’t profitable,” the internet became a sea of flames.
– Running a business based on skin color? What is this, 1814 or something…?
– They even analyzed profitability before making a decision lol. Isn’t this full-on racial profiling?
— They got rid of Harbor Lobster, saying family restaurants aren’t profitable, but revived Toscana Garden instead.
– Wow, they’re absolute garbage lmao. And the CEO is Black, yet they still threw Black people under the bus and clung to White customers.
White Shark didn’t explicitly confirm the authenticity of the report.
So, technically, the accusations weren’t proven true…
But just the possibility was enough to ignite public outrage.
Of course, not everyone saw Epicura as a trashy, racist company.
There were voices insisting on maintaining a neutral stance.
“This is just a negative smear campaign ahead of the election…”
– Throwing baseless accusations like this is way too irresponsible.
– Shouldn’t we listen to both sides before making a judgment on such a sensitive issue?
However.
– Then say something.
– Epicura isn’t even trying to explain themselves. Isn’t that answer enough?
– These lunatics sold an entire brand just because they didn’t want Black customers?
– We must oppose this White supremacist company!
– Everyone, stop spending money on this garbage corporation!
– Here’s a list of brands owned by Epicura.
It quickly died down.
Understandably so, since Epicura’s response was a complete disaster.
In crises like this, the initial response is the most crucial—but Epicura totally botched it.
In this situation, they should have immediately held a press conference to refute White Shark’s claims point by point and assert their innocence.
Instead, they skipped all that and simply responded to journalists’ calls with a single phrase: “This is groundless.”
As a result, the stigma of being a racist company solidified, and boycotts against Epicura were emerging everywhere.
But there was something even more important.
– Epicura, don’t blame Black people for your own incompetent management. #LobsterGate #BLM
– Harbor Lobster was a nostalgic restaurant, but now it’s a symbol of discrimination. #Epicura_Racism_OUT #BLM
– Even Black people discriminate against Black people in this world… #BlackLivesMatter
– I strongly oppose this blatant racism. #BLM
– This is a prime example of the deep-seated racial bias in corporate C-suites. The only way to teach these companies a lesson is through money. We must unite and resist. #CorporateRacismNeedsToEnd #BLM #BoycottEpicura
The issue had captured the attention of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
2014 was the period when BLM was gaining momentum.
Just last year, the movement erupted in massive protests, and though the flames had begun to die down, this controversy reignited them.
As a result, we quickly became a national hot topic.
Well.
It’s not great to be in the spotlight for negative reasons, but that was the intention anyway, so it didn’t matter.
All that mattered was flipping the narrative at the right moment.
“Is there anything else?”
A dry voice interrupted my thoughts, and when I looked up, Whitmer was staring at me with a pale face.
Since the incident broke out, his excessive worry had aged him at least ten years.
I smiled at him.
“It’s fine. And don’t worry. We have an ace up our sleeve.”
This was all part of a meticulously calculated plan.
I reminded him of that, but his response was skeptical.
“But… there’s no guarantee it will work.”
His face was full of regret.
When he first heard about this plan, he had nodded enthusiastically, but now that things had escalated, he seemed to have lost confidence.
Well, that was understandable.
As the CEO, he was the one bearing the brunt of the criticism and insults firsthand.
“I told you, this will completely eliminate any repercussions. And if the plan succeeds, it will achieve far more than just winning an election.”
That was the justification I had used to persuade Whitmer.
If this plan succeeded, he wouldn’t just keep his CEO position—he would reach the peak of his career and make a spectacular comeback.
Moreover, this was a golden opportunity to make Epicura the true industry leader.
For Whitmer, Epicura wasn’t just a job.
It was his greatest masterpiece, something he had dedicated 20 years of his life to—his child.
Hearing that I could elevate his “child” to the top had convinced him at the time…
But now, he looked terrified.
Well, at this point, there was no use showing hesitation.
The die had already been cast.
“Let’s not waste time and pick one. We need to wrap this up today.”
Across from Whitmer, Pierce also looked unwell.
He hadn’t objected to the plan itself, but for the past few days, he had been looking at me like I was some kind of monster.
The others in the room didn’t look great either.
In short, I was the only one having fun.
Anyway, now wasn’t the time for distractions.
A significant decision was ahead.
I put down my smartphone, which I had been using to monitor public opinion, and started flipping through the stack of documents on the desk.
They were all interview requests from media outlets, forwarded by Epicura’s PR team.
It had been three days since Epicura last released an official statement.
Until now, our only response to journalists had been the short phrase “groundless accusations.”
But now, the time was approaching to shift the narrative.
That meant we had to choose the right stage to make our debut statement.
Since this controversy was such a hot topic, every media outlet was scrambling to cover it.
We had to decide which one to appear on.
“It would be best if the program had a well-known host… Hmm, this one’s tempo is too slow, so we should rule it out.”
As I filtered out the options one by one, I felt like I was speaking too authoritatively, so I apologized to Pierce.
“I’m sorry. But since I’ll be the one appearing, I thought it would be better to choose a program that matches my pace.”
The corners of my lips lifted unconsciously.
I had decided to represent Epicura in explaining this crisis.
Some might think, “A rookie in this kind of position?” but there was a reason for it.
Still, I shouldn’t look too excited, so I glanced at Whitmer.
“If you want to appear in person, sir, you still can. It’s not too late.”
If he was uncomfortable with me appearing, he, as the CEO, could step forward himself.
However, he shook his head heavily at my suggestion.
‘Well, of course, he’s not going to appear himself.’
Whitmer wasn’t eloquent enough for this.
More importantly, the entire nation was branding him a racist, just waiting for a chance to pounce on any slip-up.
If he made even one wrong remark on air, it would be an irreversible disaster.
That’s why Goldman had to step in instead.
Even if I misspoke, Epicura could easily distance itself by saying, “That was Goldman’s mistake, not our official stance.”
I then turned my gaze to the other Goldman members seated at the table.
“Of course, someone else can go instead of me.”
Pierce, Jeff, Chris, Dobby.
None of them volunteered.
They were likely afraid of facing the raging public backlash, but there was a bigger issue.
They were all White.
‘That would be tough.’
A White person going on air to say, “We didn’t discriminate against Black people”?
That alone would cause massive backlash.
That’s why Pierce wasn’t even considering stepping forward.
But I was different.
‘Because I’m Asian.’
I could empathize with the struggles of racial minorities while also maintaining an objective perspective.
Regardless of anything else, my words would sound more credible than those of a White person.
Everyone had agreed that I was the best choice for this crucial role.
If it wasn’t me, it would have to be either Pierce or Whitmer.
But as seen, neither of them wanted that, so the answer was obvious.
‘Finally, my debut stage.’
This was the moment I had been waiting for.
I had to flip the narrative here and land a decisive blow against White Shark.
And I had to use White Shark’s reputation as a stepping stone to elevate my own name.
Which platform would be best for this…?
As I sifted through the proposals, one unexpected title caught my eye.
[CNBC Capital Insight Proposal: Shark Capital vs. Epicura Live 1-on-1 Debate]
A live 1-on-1 truth battle against White Shark?
This was it.
***
The program chosen by Ha Si-heon, ‘Capital Insight’, wasn’t particularly well-known.
However, it had gained recognition during this controversy because it was the very show where Dex Slater first exposed the racial discrimination allegations.
It carried some symbolic weight.
That’s why the show’s host, Lawson, proposed the idea of “Shark Capital vs. Epicura.”
“This kind of dramatic incident doesn’t happen often on Wall Street! This could be… the second Ackman-Icahn showdown!”
The ‘Ackman-Icahn showdown’ he mentioned referred to the legendary debate from last year.
Two Wall Street titans, Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn, had engaged in a heated battle on air.
At the time, Ackman claimed that *Herbalife* was a pyramid scheme and launched a massive short-selling campaign.
But upon hearing this, Icahn bought up a large stake in ‘Herbalife’ and declared war.
The two had a long-standing grudge, even taking each other to court over a past investment dispute.
Icahn had lost that case and was forced to pay Ackman damages, so he had been waiting for an opportunity to get back at him—for seven long years.
That broadcast was absolutely thrilling.
Icahn openly called Ackman a “liar” on air and mocked him as a “whiny little schoolyard brat.”
Ackman fired back, saying Icahn was “a man who treats promises like scraps of paper and has no integrity.”
‘The Epicura controversy is just as dramatic as that!’
With such a precedent in mind, and thanks to Lawson’s strong push, the proposal was approved.
Shark Capital even responded positively.
However, there was one major issue—Epicura’s CEO had not agreed to appear.
Then, unexpectedly, they announced their willingness to participate.
[However, CEO Whitmer will not be appearing directly. Instead, a member of Goldman’s M&A department, who handled the sale and acquisition, will represent us.]
Lawson briefly looked disappointed, but he quickly saw through Epicura’s strategy.
‘They’re leaving themselves an escape route.’
A face-off between CEO Whitmer and White Shark would have been the ultimate spectacle.
That was no longer an option, but…
Having something was still better than nothing.
[Understood. So, who will be appearing?]
[An analyst who was directly involved in the brand sale and acquisition will be appearing.]
[An analyst? You mean… someone from Goldman’s M&A department?]
[That’s correct.]
Lawson was momentarily stunned.
As a financial journalist, he knew that M&A “analysts” were usually just low-level employees.
So he couldn’t understand it.
‘They’re sending a junior analyst for this?’
[If you don’t like it, there’s nothing we can do…]
[Ah, no! Let me discuss it with the producer.]
Lawson quickly consulted the producer.
The ideal match-up had been Whitmer vs. White Shark.
If that wasn’t possible, a senior executive-level representative would have been the next best thing.
However—
“Let’s go with it.”
The producer agreed without hesitation.
“Epicura has remained completely silent so far, right? We’ll be the first to air their statement, so there’s no reason to refuse. The only issue is whether White Shark will agree…”
He had a point.
Since the setup had changed, they needed to renegotiate with Shark Capital.
Lawson immediately contacted White Shark.
As expected, White Shark scoffed.
[You want me to debate an analyst?]
Lawson quickly responded.
[Of course not. If you prefer, Shark Capital can send an analyst of the same level.]
That would turn it into a junior vs. junior debate.
Not the grand showdown they had envisioned, but as long as Epicura could present its side, it would work.
Then, unexpectedly, White Shark gave an unexpected response.
[No, I’ll appear personally.]
[What?]
[If you don’t like it, I don’t have to.]
[No, no! We’d be absolutely delighted!]
White Shark had decided to appear.
Against nothing more than a junior analyst from Goldman.
Lawson made his final call to Goldman.
[Tomorrow at 8 PM, live broadcast. Please be at the studio an hour early.]
