33. Opening the Gate

+++

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yoo-eun, with the help of Seo-hyun and the [Imperial Palace Secretariat], began acquiring shares of the Hyeseong Group.

Most of it was through coercion, but there were also people who willingly offered their shares without even being asked.

 

 

Of course, this movement was known in Korea as well, and no matter how much of a harem palace it was, they couldn’t easily hand over the Hyeseong Group, which led the country’s core industries. So, based on various clauses, they began to interfere, and it was quite effective.

 

 

 

“Unexpected. I thought President Ajusshi would just hand it over.”

“Hyeseong Group has major industries such as shipbuilding and automobiles, which greatly affect Korea’s defense.”

“Defense?”

 

 

Yoo-eun’s eyes widened at Seo-hyun’s answer.

She knew that Hyeseong Group was one of the top 5 groups in Korea, but she didn’t know that it was also connected to the defense industry.

 

 

“It’s the company that built the Korean-style aircraft carrier ‘KCVZ’ series and the Korean-style arsenal ship ‘KASX’ series.”

“Wow. I didn’t know that. If they can build an aircraft carrier, that’s a huge company, isn’t it? Why didn’t I know that?”

“….”

 

 

It’s because you’re ignorant, that’s why.

 

 

Seo-hyun swallowed the answer back and whispered in his ear.

 

 

“And they’re planning to build a battleship in secret.”

“Huh?”

 

Even if he’s ignorant, Yoo-eun knows that battleships are meaningless in the modern era.

 

 

Even if they put a ridiculously large cannon on it, they can’t expect it to be more effective than a missile, so battleships are literally obsolete weapons.

 

 

“That’s meaningless, isn’t it?”

“Well, that would be the case with ordinary cannons, but the cannon they’re putting on this time is a ‘railgun’.”

“A railgun? Isn’t that the thing that flicks coins?”

“No, it’s not…”

 

 

She shook her head from side to side and began to explain.

 

 

“Well, building a large ship isn’t something you can hide, but they’re distorting information through various routes, and they’re pretending to be building the second Korean-style aircraft carrier to the outside world. I don’t know how long they’ll be able to fool people, but anyway, it’s a modern battleship equipped with 12 railguns and 256 missile vertical launch cells, with a full load displacement of 200,000 tonsㅡ,”

“Wait a minute.”

“Yes?”

“Even if I’m an idiot, I know that our country doesn’t have the national power to build something like that. What the hell are they doing? 200,000 tons?”

“Well, we have defense technology cooperation with the Imperial Palace. We can do that much.”

“Is that so?”

“We even have a dimension-crossing space battleship.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Yoo-eun was convinced.

 

“But in that case, wouldn’t it be better to just hand over Hyeseong Group to us cleanly and receive more technology cooperation? They could just set up a state-owned enterprise instead.”

“Or they could commission another shipbuilding company.”

“That’s right. There are many shipbuilding companies, aren’t there? Tell Hyeseong Group to give us a little bit. And strictly speaking, Se-hee is taking it, not me, right?”

“That’s the same thing, but yeah, that’s right.”

“I’ll pay taxes faithfully, too. So tell them to give up one group cleanly.”

 

 

 

Yoo-eun was saying ridiculous things so easily.

The aftermath was delivered to Korea in less than a day.

 

 

Anyone with a little bit of knowledge could see that Hyeseong Group was being transferred to Harem Group (more precisely, to Kang Se-hee, the granddaughter of the chairman of Hyeseong Group and Yoo-eun’s maid), so the group’s stock price began to skyrocket as soon as the market opened. In particular, the stock prices of affiliates in fields that Harem Group didn’t have were even more severe.

 

 

Just thinking about it simply, if Bojinia, the country born from Im Seo-hyun’s atrocities, started using Hyeseong Group’s products, sales and net profit would increase by tens of thousands of percent.

Moreover, Bojinia is not just a country with a large population, but it’s filled with people who have absolute loyalty to Yoo-eun, so they can change their favorite companies as much as they want with just one word from Yoo-eun.

 

One word, ‘Let’s use Hyeseong Group products from today,’ means that a market worth 1 billion would be transferred to Hyeseong Group entirely.

 

 

And as Kang Se-hee, Yoo-eun’s maid, gradually took over the management rights of Hyeseong Group, the possibility of that happening was increasing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

+++

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Long time no see?”

 

 

Dignified gesture.

Sharp eyes.

 

Her actual age was already over 50, but through constant management, beauty items, and stats, her appearance only looked like she was in her mid-30s.

In addition, her figure seen beyond the semi-formal attire was also very excellent, so if someone found out her age, they would be frozen in shock.

 

 

Kang Se-hee’s mother and a vice president-level figure who owns affiliates such as Hyeseong Textile, Hyeseong Beauty, and Hyeseong Trading.

She was her biological mother, but the eyes looking at Kang Se-hee were not those of a mother looking at her own daughter at all.

 

“Looks like you’re doing well? Seeing you trying to take over the company as if it’s yours.”

 

She glared at Kang Se-hee and raised her glass.

 

 

A restaurant she personally owns.

It was quite famous in this area, so its daily sales were quite high, but she stopped business to meet her daughter and invited Kang Se-hee.

 

 

Kang Se-hee, who is currently making very aggressive purchases with the Harem Palace behind her, is literally a fish in water. Whether she threatened or persuaded them, properties were pouring out from all directions, and Kang Se-hee was sweeping up most of them.

And finally, her, Shin Soo-ah’s, company was reached.

 

 

“At first, I sympathized with that old man’s decision, but I didn’t need to.”

“Sympathy? Since when have you cared about me so much, Mother?”

“I’m saying I don’t now. Can’t you understand?”

“….”

“I was really surprised when the old man said he was sending you as a concubine to that thing. I thought he had finally come to his senses when the guy who had been protecting you so much suddenly sold you off.”

 

Nasty eyes that looked more like a rival or competitor than a daughter.

Her bitter smile was just right for getting on her nerves.

 

 

“Well, seeing what you’re doing now, it’s turned out to be a good thing for you, so I guess you can still say he’s protecting you.”

“A good thing?”

 

 

When Se-hee made a dumbfounded expression, the woman smiled coldly.

 

 

“Why? What’s so absurd?”

“Being sold off to someone else overnight and working as a slave is a good thing?”

“You have to think about what you get out of it. Someone with vulgar power and authority. Even now, I doubt there’s anyone who can stand up to him. Shouldn’t you be grateful that you were sold off to such a place?”

“Ha…”

 

 

I still had a little hesitation.

Kang Se-hee felt that even the very little affection she had for her mother at the bottom of her heart had fallen off and scoffed.

 

Let’s say that her grandfather sold her off because Yoo-eun did something strange.

But what about the rest of the family? Was there even one person who opposed it, saying, ‘You shouldn’t do that’?

 

 

Even the human being in front of her, her biological mother, was laughing at it with pleasure.

 

“Then shall I make a proposal to our successful Se-hee?”

 

Not caring about Se-hee’s feelings, Soo-ah handed over a stack of documents she had taken out of her bag.

 

 

“You know my shares, but I brought them just in case.”

“…?”

“Anyway, it seems difficult to protect mine with those vicious things behind you… So shouldn’t I get at least a good price?”

“You’re going to sell it willingly?”

“Well, you could say it’s a sale by coercion.”

 

 

Se-hee frowned and rummaged through the documents.

Sure enough, information about the shares related to Hyeseong Group that Soo-ah has is densely written.

 

“Anyway, there’s no need for you to clash, right? Let’s go nicely. This mother needs to rest soon.”

“….”

 

 

 

 

 

+++

 

 

 

 

 

 

While Se-hee was meeting with her mother, Soo-ah, Yoo-eun happened to arrive at the entrance of the restaurant.

 

 

“This is the place.”

“Oho.”

Usually, a huge ceremonial procession would have followed, but Yoo-eun left them behind.

Just the two of them, along with Seo-hyun, visited.

 

 

“This building is nice? Is it all Se-hee’s mom’s?”

“Yes. It will be Master-nim’s soon.”

They were using the 12th to 17th floors and the rooftop of the 17-story building as a restaurant, and although it wasn’t open for business, the lights were on.

 

 

“Let’s go in.”

 

 

Seo-hyun picked the lock as if it were her own building and guided Yoo-eun.

People who seemed to be guards came out and blocked them in the middle, but they couldn’t stop Seo-hyun and Yoo-eun.

In the end, they were taken down before they could even contact the upper floors.

 

 

“The restaurant is from the 12th floor, but where are we meeting?”

“We’re meeting on the 17th floor.”

“Let’s go.”

 

As soon as they got off the elevator on the 17th floor, the entrance was visible.

 

“…We’re not open for business todayㅡ,”

“It’s okay. I didn’t come to eat food. To be exact, I came to eat people.”

“Yes?”

 

A cute employee tilted her head, not knowing what he meant, but soon remembered the faces of Yoo-eun and Seo-hyun that she had seen on TV and the internet and froze.

 

“S-S-Seo…hyun…?”

 

She recognized Seo-hyun before Yoo-eun.

 

 

“Shh.”

 

 

When Seo-hyun put her index finger to her lips with a cold face, the employee nodded with tears in her eyes.

 

 

“What the hell did you do to make people so scared of you when they see you for the first time?”

“….”

 

 

He ordered it all himself and says this.

Seo-hyun was dumbfounded again, but she was faithful to her mission.

 

 

“There are two people inside, right?”

“Y-Yes, yes….”

“I’m going to close this building from now on, so everyone, including the chef, waiters, and security guards, get out. If you don’t want to die.”

 

With just a simple (?) threat, the employee turned pale and left with the other employees.