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CH97 | Heir
🕑 Added 2025-04-10 02:34:05 +0000 UTCUsing the Quantum Fund’s name to create a consortium—
At the moment, 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 time? 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 moment 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 me money.]
"This time, it’s not exactly a money-making deal. I wanted to borrow the Quantum Fund’s name and a little investment."
[Borrow the name, fine… But since when do you need investment? Isn’t SAVE Investment sitting on a mountain of cash?]
SAVE Investment had made quite a name 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 name in the consortium?]
"Just an investment equivalent to a 7% stake in the project’s construction costs. If you want, SAVE Investment 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 me more?]
I had made it clear—this was an investment 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 dime from any other country, but when it comes to Korea, you hold back. Fine, I won’t make things difficult for you. I’ll join under your conditions.]
"Can we name the consortium Quantum Consortium?"
[Hahahahaha!]
George burst into laughter.
He laughed for a long time 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 government and the public."
[Doesn’t bother me. 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 entertainment 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 Mexico, 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 something you’ll want to hear."
[Now you’ve really got me 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 me, 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 means a small amount, but from the perspective of a Wall Street investment firm, it wasn’t exactly massive either.
"True. Even by SAVE Investment’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 government."
"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 government officials, the Blue House will likely announce the private investment project even sooner."
"Then I’ll play the negotiation game strategically and ensure we secure every private investment 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 moment 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 time and immediately 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 investment project.
As expected, no domestic conglomerates stepped forward, leaving the Quantum Consortium as the sole bidder.
Dimon and David spent several days negotiating with the government.
And finally, today, they returned to the office with signed contracts in hand.
"Great job. Negotiating with a government 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 outcome 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 investment 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 government and the Seoul Metropolitan Government."
"The government is contributing more than I expected. We were willing to fund the entire 3.5 trillion won ourselves, but this saves us some 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 some 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 something bothering me."
"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 Investment 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 time to make a profit. The actual passenger numbers will be far higher than the government’s projections."
"If that’s what you want, we’ll do it. The Korean government 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 remembered the breathtaking view of the ocean from the bridge.
And just as vividly, I remembered the exorbitant toll fees.
"That’s definitely a large-scale project."
"That’s why the government 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 Investment 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 investment 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 time 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 me. 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 time."
"Take your time. 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 meeting.
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.
