Genius Grandson of the Loan Shark King

The chairman is the leader

A restaurant in Euljiro.

"What the······. Have you ever seen such a bad guy!"

After work, office workers gathered in small groups, drinking and swearing at the chief of security about the leak of confidential information.

"The country is doing well. It's because we're hanging out with those communist bastards. I don't like being on friendly terms with those North Koreans!"

The sallow-faced man grumbled as he emptied his glass.

The man sitting across from me said, filling my empty glass.

"You know that too. It's all fabrication, fabrication. It's not the first or second time that the NIS has done this, and they believe it all."

"Hey, you bastard! How could the president, unless he were crazy, fabricate the accusation that his chief of national security was a spy? That's your problem."

The two people with opposite political views began to bicker over the same issue.

As if there were two people at a table, the conversation about the security chief continued throughout the restaurant.

In this way, hostility toward China was slowly seeping into the people.

"Anyway, the Chinese are the problem. Those bastards never change."

"What a coincidence. The Japanese and the Chinese are all the same scum."

The South Korean government summoned the Chinese ambassador and lodged a strong protest.

However, the Chinese government denied this and even summoned the Korean ambassador to protest.

As a result, diplomatic relations between the two countries reached extremes.

President Yoon Chang-ho began an audit of all secretaries and staff at the Blue House, and more secretaries and staff who were selling information to China and Japan were discovered.

The Blue House disclosed the fact openly, and the opposition party fiercely criticized it as a personnel disaster for the Yoon Chang-ho government.

The ruling party also expressed regret over this incident.

Until this point, people had no idea where this incident would lead.

* * *

"Welcome, Chairman Murdoch."

"Haha, long time no see, Charlie."

Murdoch entered Korea.

"I'm sorry to call you all the way here. I called you because I'm not in a position to go right now."

"It's okay. Since I'm already here, I've decided to meet with Korean journalists separately, so don't worry about it."

I nodded and guided him to his seat.

"Is this Charlie's office?"

"Isn't it small?"

The Myeongdong office might have seemed shabby at first glance to Murdoch.

As expected, Murdoch nodded.

"It's a bit shabby compared to Charlie's abilities."

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"Other people are telling me to go to a better place, but I can't bring myself to move because it's a comfortable and familiar place. You don't plan on nagging me, Chairman, do you?"

"No way. Sometimes, familiarity is better. I have a small private office in England."

While drinking tea, small talk ensued.

As the mood eased, Murdoch was the first to bring up the topic of China.

"I heard that there is pressure from all sides on the Chinese companies that Dream High Investment invested in."

"You already know. It is probably a counterattack to the attack on Premier Li Peng through the Chairman."

"The damage will be significant."

"There is no damage yet. But the Chinese government will not stop here. That is why I called Chairman Murdoch."

Starting with Alibaba, pressure was being put on the companies I had invested in, including Tencent.

"It seems like you intend to go all the way. This isn't a matter of dealing with one company, Charlie. Of course, I know better than anyone that Charlie's ability is so great that he can shake up the Japanese economy, but I can't help but be worried."

The story of how the Japanese economy was held hostage and the Japanese government surrendered passed by in a flash.

Murdoch's face looked quite serious when he brought that up.

"Yes, that's right. But China is a bit different. It's not a normal country. It has an open policy, but it's a one-party dictatorship. It's a half-capitalist country."

I also agreed with Murdoch's story. But China is not a country that can be judged by common sense.

A typical example is the way China blocked attacks on Hong Kong during the Asian financial crisis, a move that no other country would ever have taken.

At that time, we made huge profits, but Wall Street and other global investors suffered huge losses.

China was a country where the state controlled the economy.

"No matter what, they are people who prioritize their country's pride over the economy. Pressure like Japan's won't work······."

That was true. It would be difficult to defeat China with fair play.

It was clear that it would take a lot of money and time.

"You can't beat the Chinese government in the normal way. So I'm trying to do it in a different way. Chairman Murdoch's role is important."

"I'm always on Charlie's side, so don't worry about that. Just listen to his plan."

I handed over a black bag next to me to Chairman Murdoch.

Murdoch, who had accepted the bag absentmindedly, asked curiously.

"Charlie, what is this?"

"These are files that document corruption among China's top brass."

"oh!"

Murdoch's eyes sparkled. He looked down at his bag, exclaiming with interest.

"Unfortunately, there is no information from the highest levels. However, the corruption of the three major figures of the Shanghai faction, the Crown Prince Party, and the Communist Youth League is written down. Please slowly publish them one by one."

The Chinese media is controlled by the Communist Party. No article can be published about corruption among high-ranking officials without the Party's permission.

But Murdoch's media was strong enough not to yield to their pressure.

"This time, send it out through a proper newspaper, not just The Sun. Share the information with newspapers like the New York Times and the Washington Post, not just the newspapers you own."

Yellow journalism was great for generating interest, but it ultimately had its limits.

"Oh my. I have to share this great source."

Murdoch looked very regretful, but he did not object.

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"Okay, I'll meet with my major news outlets and share the information."

"Thank you. If you release it all at once, the ripple effect will be small. Please release it slowly over time. If possible, in a series."

"Let me beg you," Murdoch said with a mischievous grin.

"Don't worry, that's our specialty. But, the Chinese government won't even blink at this."

"That's right. But it will look different in the eyes of international capitalists. Don't you know? Those guys who would sell their country for money hate the most a government they can't trust."

"That's right. That's also why there were few investors willing to invest in China. But the atmosphere changed when Dream High started making large investments."

"With such articles pouring in, what do you think would happen if Dream High were to withdraw from China?"

Murdoch exclaimed in admiration. Only then did he seem to notice my plan and looked at me with wide eyes.

"It must be unsettling. Dream High, which boasts a 100% success rate on Wall Street, is recovering its investment funds in China. On top of that, if news articles about corruption suspicions among high-ranking Chinese government officials continue to spread······."

"There will definitely be investors who follow us and withdraw. If so, the Chinese government will not be able to ignore it."

Murdoch nodded his head with a serious expression in agreement.

If only Dream High had withdrawn, the Chinese government would likely not even blink an eye.

Because there are already many investors who want to invest in China.

"Charlie's public opinion war is truly scary. He's going to use the power of the group······."

"We can't destroy the Chinese economy, but we can slow its growth. The more investors who follow us out, the more damage we'll do."

"But even if all the other investors leave, the Chinese won't."

Until then, there was nothing I could do about it. I shrugged and accepted Murdoch's words.

"There's nothing we can do about it. But they're not enough. If there had been no foreign capital investment, China would not have been able to continue to create special economic zones and attract money from around the world."

China's economic growth was centered on the sea. China was developing coastal cities based on foreign capital to drive its economy.

"This incident is also a power struggle to reduce Hu Jintao's influence. Jiang Zemin has already handed over all his official posts to Hu Jintao, but he still exerts enormous influence. Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao are also on good terms with me. If Hu Jintao continues to drive high economic growth, all of Jiang Zemin's people will step down in the next general election."

It was a conclusion based on information from a past life.

Hu Jintao, who had been dragged around by Jiang Zemin, eventually used the high economic growth rate as a weapon to oust most of Jiang Zemin's standing committee members and replace them with others.

China's economy is now growing faster than ever before.

"Jiang Zemin must have thought that if not now, there would be no other chance. You know very well how greedy he is for power, don't you, Chairman?"

"Who knows him better than I do? I've published dozens of special articles. He's the embodiment of lust for power."

"That's right. So if you can't shake it from the outside, you have to shake it from the inside."

Hu Jintao hoped to use me to attack Jiang Zemin.

But I had no intention of playing on the board he had laid out.

I raised a corner of my mouth as I looked at the bag in Murdoch's hand.

To achieve something, you have to be prepared to get blood on your hands.

"North Korea will be the first to start."

"North Korea?"

Murdoch tilted his head at my words. Well, North Korea and China are inseparable, so it's understandable.

"Did you know that China used aid going into North Korea as a weapon to threaten North Korea?"

"I heard the news. But isn't that just a formal threat?"

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"Yes, but if North Korea refuses Chinese aid, it won't end with threats."

"If the North Korean government doesn't go crazy······. Oh, is that Charlie's idea too?"

I nodded. Murdoch exclaimed again, his face showing that he was now tired of being surprised.

"Jang Song-taek is definitely pro-China."

"That was the case in the past. But after taking power, my thinking changed. I realized that if North Korea is dragged around by China, there is no future for it."

"Things are taking an interesting turn."

"South Korea and North Korea will join hands to stand against China. And Russia will join forces."

"This is getting too big. But it's fun for me to just watch."

A mischievous smile appeared on Murdoch's face.

"Not yet, but it will start after Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi visits North Korea. Only then will China realize something is wrong."

North Korea and Japan establish diplomatic relations and reject aid from China.

The cut-off aid was received through Japan and Russia, and the development of Sinuiju, which had been agreed upon with China, was halted.

Jiang Zemin probably didn't expect that North Korea would take such a hardline stance.

"Please continue to publish negative articles about China, especially about economic uncertainty. The chairman is the leader."

"I'm glad. I get to be the leader of this fun event! It's an honor. I got to do something fun in my later years. Hahaha."

Instead of being scared, Murdoch was genuinely amused. With such a hot-tempered man, the media empire can only get stronger.

"If we're going to do this right, we really need to buy the Wall Street Journal."

"The Wall Street Journal?"

What year did Murdoch buy the Wall Street Journal?

It must have been acquired in the late 2000s. While I was pondering for a moment, Murdoch continued.

"There's already talk going around. The acquisition price is the problem, though······."

"Chairman Murdoch, don't worry about the amount and just take over. Dream High will invest the remaining amount."

"That would be great for us. People now call me Murdoch the king of yellow journalism, but if I buy the Wall Street Journal, they won't say that anymore."

The Wall Street Journal was a subsidiary of Dow Johnson & Johnson, which created the Dow Johnson Industrial Average, one of the three major stock indexes in the United States.

Along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, it is a representative American opinion journal, and in the field of economics in particular, it is considered a leader along with the Financial Times of the UK.

"Is Dow Johnson & Johnson up for sale?"

"It's not for sale. I heard the Bancroft family is short on money these days due to failed investments."

"The Bancroft family is short of money······."

"Dream High was also deeply involved in their investment failure. They bet on the opposite formation to Dream High."

So that's why the timing was brought forward.

Having resolved my doubts, I nodded slightly.

"It's a good thing for us."

"Yes. So, I have a favor to ask."

"I will invest as much money as I need."

"No, money is secondary. Are you aware of the local broadcast station ownership restrictions currently being proposed by the U.S. Congress?"

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As I shook my head, Murdoch sighed deeply and explained.

"This is a bill that prohibits a broadcaster from owning more than 35% of a local broadcaster. If it continues like this, there is a high chance that it will pass."

"Is that so?"

It was clearly a bill aimed at Murdoch.

"Our News Corporation subsidiary, Fox TV, owns shares in several local stations. That means it owns more than 35%. So we want to block this."

"Aren't the lobbyists on the move?"

"That's right. But, isn't Charlie's ability more outstanding than any lobbyist? Please, Charlie."

Before I could say anything, Murdoch bowed his head.

< The Chairman is the leader > End