#77 Let's Make Everything the Best. My month-long stay in Busan became a new source of vitality for me. People said it didn't suit me, but in front of Grandma, I was a grandson like a puppy.
Of course, just because I was in Busan didn't mean I could do nothing. The matter related to the shell companies established in tax havens was particularly urgent. It was a big job that had taken over a year.
If I had done it simply, it could have been handled quickly, but I had to twist it as messily as possible so that no matter who dug into it, my and Han Gyeong-yeong's existence could not be confirmed. I went through several accounting firms. The fees alone exceeded tens of millions of dollars.
Only now were the fruits of that labor emerging.—Should I bring the documents to Korea? The documents, which detailed the entire spiderweb-like route of which corporation to go through and which to enter, were in Han Gyeong-yeong's hands.
“Bring them to Busan for a few days.”
Those documents absolutely had to be in my hands.—Okay. I'll fly over on the fastest plane possible. It's been a while since I've been to Korea.
“Yeah, see you when you get here.”
Starting next year, Han Gyeong-yeong's role would become important. I needed to explain it to him properly once.
“I hear Han Gyeong-yeong is coming soon. Were there any other reports from America?”
“No, sir. He is said to be focusing only on routine stock investments. His investment firm has also become quite well-known in America, so he is meeting people frequently.”
It was Han Gyeong-yeong, properly carrying out the tasks I had told him.
“From now on is the most important period. Report to me only when there are unusual matters, and for trivial things, Section Chief Ma, you can just organize them.”
“Understood.”
“When is Eric coming in?”
“He arrives tomorrow morning. I've booked a hotel for him in Haeundae. Shall I call him here?”
“No. I'll go see him myself.”
“Yes, I will prepare for that.”
While I was talking with Section Chief Ma, I heard Grandma's voice from outside the room.
“Mu-hyeok! Come and eat!”
“Okay, I'm coming! Section Chief, let's eat first and talk again.”
“Yes.”
Section Chief Ma was staying in a spare room at the house. After finishing the meal, to aid digestion, I went for a walk with Grandma at a nearby park, we talked, and then returned home.
“Section Chief, are your men nearby?”
“Yes.”
“What about the vehicle you reported last time?”
A while ago, there was a report that a car's movements kept overlapping with mine. I had told him to look into it, as it was being spotted too often to be dismissed as a coincidence.
“When we tried to track it, it disappeared immediately.”
“Any other movements since then?”
“Nothing special yet.”
I didn't show it in case Grandma noticed, but in truth, I had felt a strange gaze on me while walking in the park. It was a bit too unsettling to be called an overreaction.
“Please take a good look around the area. Something feels off.”
“Understood.”
I hoped it was just my needless anxiety. Because if someone were to crawl into my only sanctuary, I would not be able to forgive them, no matter who it was. The next day.
I met Eric Clark for the first time at a hotel in Haeundae. He was a middle-aged gentleman, completely different from the image I had imagined. I expected him to be rugged, being a former Navy SEAL and mercenary.
“A pleasure to meet you. I'm Charlie.”
“Oh! A young boss? My name is Eric.”
He seemed like a cheerful person. For a quiet conversation, we entered the hotel room Eric was staying in and began to discuss the establishment of the PMC in earnest.
“First, I'm recruiting former Navy SEALs who were under me back in the unit. They are talented individuals with abundant real-world experience, so you will be satisfied.”
Eric seemed to have great pride in his subordinates.
“What kind of company does the Boss envision?”
“The company I want... People who can protect those who need protecting, no matter the opponent, that would be enough.”
“If that's the case, is there a reason to establish a PMC? A simple security firm would suffice for that. I'd appreciate it if you could be more specific. The scale of the company will be determined by the direction you desire.”
Perhaps because he had served in the military for a long time and was used to taking orders from above, he seemed to have properly recognized me as his superior.
“I want it to be the strongest, the most famous, and the largest in the world.”
“Oh! That's quite something.”
Eric smiled and brought up specific details.
“Then we must recruit someone influential, a former general.”
“A general.”
“Yes, the American military is more closed off than you might think. I know the field agents well, but the military doesn't run on field agents alone. If you plan to have the headquarters in America, it will be necessary.”
I understood and nodded my head. In quite a few countries, including the US and the EU, lobbying was legal and held significant influence.
“Do you have a suitable person in mind?”
“I know about two people. They have a strong voice in Washington politics... but it will take a large sum of money to move them.”
“Don't worry about the money.”
“You're as straightforward as Black said. If money isn't an issue, I'll recruit both of them.”
“Black?”
“Ah, it was Mr. Ma's nickname.”
“Hoh.”
I turned to look at Section Chief Ma with a renewed sense of interest. Even though he was the subject of conversation, his expression didn't change at all. Really, what an uninteresting person.
Besides that, Eric explained the salaries and working conditions for the field agents and went into detail about the academy for training.
“The most important thing is the latest equipment. No matter how hard you train, it's meaningless if the equipment is outdated.”
Eric emphasized the importance of equipment several times.
“The cost of purchasing weapons must be substantial.”
“That's right. There are two ways.”
Eric held up his fingers and explained.
“The first is for the company to purchase everything and distribute it to the agents in the field.”
“And the other way?”
“The second is to have the agents going into the field purchase their own weapons. Letting them own their personal firearms.”
“Is that possible?”
“Yes.”
Then again, the agents themselves might know the routes better.
“In your opinion, Eric, which is better?”
“They both have their pros and cons, but I personally think it's better for the company to provide proper weapons, even if it means lowering salaries.”
“I think so too. Then let's proceed with providing them.”
Eric added, looking a bit cautious.
“It will cost a lot of money to establish. But the more money we invest, the higher the employees' loyalty will be. They know better than anyone that good weapons increase the survival rate of field agents.”
I showed him a smile.
“Don't worry about the money. The best equipment, the best personnel. Let's make everything the best.”
“I don't understand why you want to establish a PMC. Mercenaries are ultimately about money. They work for money. It's a business that works solely for profit, rather than for a cause or justification...”
“I know. I have enough money. And I will earn more. If it's established properly, you're confident you can generate sufficient profit, right?”
“Of course. That's why I accepted Black's offer and came all the way to Korea. But with such an astronomical amount of money being invested, you haven't said anything about how you plan to profit later.”
“I'll leave that part to you, Eric. That's why I looked for a trustworthy person. I invest, and I need mercenaries I can use when necessary. Other than that, you can handle it as you see fit, Eric. Of course, this is all under the premise that you will follow my orders, no matter what they are.”
As I spoke with a smile, Eric nodded as if he understood.
“Soldiers are simple. The object of their loyalty just changes from the country to the company. The company's owner is ultimately everyone's boss.”
“Okay. Then discuss the details with Section Chief Ma. As for the establishment costs... um... I'll connect you with a friend in America. He'll be in Korea soon, so please wait and do some sightseeing.”
“Understood, Boss.”
Once he fully understood the instructions, Eric no longer had any questions. He seemed like a trustworthy person. As long as he was compensated sufficiently, he wouldn't betray me.
“He's more of a gentleman than I thought. I was worried because he's from the special forces.”
“Not all special forces veterans or mercenaries are rough people. The muscles built from training are completely different from those gained from weightlifting, so on the outside, there are probably more people who look like sturdy, ordinary individuals. Modern warfare involves a lot of combat with small arms and equipment, so most tend to maintain a body weight of around 80kg.”
“I see, Black.”
I was trying to tease him, but since there was no reaction, it wasn't fun.
“Then let's trust him and leave it to him.”
“He will be trustworthy. As long as there is compensation, he won't have any other thoughts.”
At Section Chief Ma's words, I decided not to think about it further. It seemed I could appoint the influential general as the CEO, to serve as a figurehead, and leave the practical work to Eric. A few days passed after my meeting with Eric.
I received a phone call from Han Gyeong-yeong, who had arrived at the airport. After sending him to the hotel where Eric was staying, I headed there myself.
“Mu-hyeok!”
Seeing Han Gyeong-yeong, who had booked a suite, made me feel a sense of novelty. Our first meeting was in a shabby inn.
“Brother, it's been a while. It's been a year, right? This is the first time since I saw you last year.”
“I know, right.”
As soon as he sat down, Han Gyeong-yeong took a heavy envelope from his briefcase and handed it to me.
“It's the original, no copies.”
The heavy documents contained complicated company names and account numbers. The shareholding relationships were so complex that just skimming through it made my head ache, so I stopped looking.
“Even knowing what it is, my vision blurs just looking at it.”
“Right? I gave up trying to figure it all out too.”
If these documents were to fall into the hands of the US government, Han Gyeong-yeong, sitting in front of me, would have to live in an American prison for the rest of his life. I smiled as I looked at Han Gyeong-yeong, whose expression was slightly dark.
“This data will only exist as paper documents. It must never be transferred to a device like a computer. Even if it's a bit inconvenient.”
“I know.”
“I'll give you a copy when you're in Korea. Don't leave one in America.”
If even a few pages of these important documents were to burn, there's no telling how long it would take to trace the flow of money again. A total of six representative shell companies. Crown Water in the Cayman Islands was structured so that a total of 12 companies invested in it and divided the shares.
Including that one, I had established representative investment firms in a total of six tax havens. With a capital of 5 billion dollars each, for a total of 30 billion dollars. Finally, my secret account in the Bahamas held 10 billion dollars.
I was shocked to hear how many accounting and law firms were involved in this work. What they did wasn't illegal, but they probably wouldn't be able to figure out the identity of this final destination company.
“You'll be much busier starting next year. Keep an eye on the Wall Street trends. They'll probably start their attack with Southeast Asia.”
“They made a lot of money in Mexico and Japan, so the atmosphere does seem like they're looking for another target.”
When the hedge funds and investment banks of America's Wall Street joined forces to attack, there were few nations that could withstand it. It was so bad that even Britain had to throw in the towel. Developing countries found it even harder to endure.
To them, who were like hyenas, the Southeast Asian countries were good prey. Though the one who would be picking the fruit would be me, hiding behind them.
“Operate the American corporation as cleanly as possible within the bounds of the law. You've set it up so it can run even without you, right?”
“Yeah. I've recruited A-listers. Since we're offering the best treatment on Wall Street, I was able to get good employees. Money is definitely great.”
“If they're A-listers, aren't their own opinions too strong?”
“They are. But they're guys who have suffered big losses before, so they can't say a word in front of my track record. I've set up a system so they only listen to my orders. It's an era where everything can be done with the internet and a phone.”
“Next winter, you'll come to Korea. There's going to be an interesting event in Korea. You just need to appear as Korea's white knight then. The time will soon come when powerful people will wait for days just to meet you.”
For now, he was just the head of a common hedge fund on Wall Street, but after the Southeast Asian foreign exchange crisis, Han Gyeong-yeong would become a Wall Street legend. Even after Korea reaches out to the IMF and receives humiliating demands, they will delay their support and drag their feet.
That's when Han Gyeong-yeong will appear like a comet. If he enters Korea with a lot of dollars, he will be treated like a state guest and gain great power. But Han Gyeong-yeong was just smiling in front of me, whether he knew that or not.
“Let's just eat. There's someone I want to introduce you to. You'll have to pay the money he demands from the American corporation, so meet him and talk.”
“Who is it?”
“A soldier.”
With a puzzled expression as if he didn't understand my words, I took Han Gyeong-yeong down to the restaurant. Eric was already waiting at the restaurant.
“This is James, who runs a hedge fund in America. This is Eric, formerly of the Navy SEALs.”
“How do you do. I'm James Han.”
“Eric Clark.”
It was the first meeting of two people who would become the closest of friends.
< Let's Make Everything the Best. > End