Let's Move Quickly
Kang Do-young, the heir to KQ Group, sat in an old-looking office, his face full of dissatisfaction.
This place was neither the KQ Distribution head office he normally used nor the LifeStar Entertainnt office he ran until recently.
Instead, it was the division director's office at the KQ Fabric subsidiary, where he had been assigned just a few days earlier.
"What on earth am I supposed to do in a place like this?"
His muttering was filled with annoyance.
Ahn Min-gi, the secretary, watched him from the sofa and spoke up cautiously.
"As you heard at the ti of your reassignnt, starting next month, there will be a military uniform supply bid in the defense business for the first half of next year. Our KQ Fabric will move forward with contracts by forming a joint venture with companies likely to win those bids."
But Kang Do-young only adopted an even more uninterested expression.
"How much could supplying a bunch of uniforms be worth...?"
"The annual budget allocated for clothing production is about 2.5 trillion won. Split between the first and second half of the year, that's 1.25 trillion won each period. The raw fabric supply scale is about 0.5 to 0.8%. If we sign the contract, KQ Fabric's sales will be in the range of around 600 million to 1 billion won."
It was a fairly detailed explanation, but it only worsened Kang Do-young's mood.
"Only 600 million to 1 billion? Is that the kind of thing my father asked to do?"
"The percentage can change partially depending on the material, technology, and purpose of the fabric. There can be an increase up to as much as 2 to 5%."
"When does that happen?"
"For special clothing. Kevlar, aramid, dyneema, carbon, ceramic, silica, and so on—they're used in special environnts and have high raw material prices. In those cases, sales could reach at least several billion."
At that, Kang Do-young stared intently at Ahn Min-gi.
"How do you know all this so well?"
"I read the relevant materials after hearing I'd be coming here. That way, I can assist you with certainty, division director."
"Manager Ahn! Turns out you're more of a hard worker than I thought."
"... I just did what was expected of ."
But then a question occurred to him.
"You ntioned likely bidders, right? So is there already a company favored to win?"
"Since the bid scale is substantial, it won't go to just one or two companies. But considering mass supply and production capabilities, a company called RSK has the best chance."
"RSK? Then there must be a company that used to supply their raw fabric?"
Kang Do-young was no fool.
He had graduated from a reputable four-year university and had even run KQ Mulsan as executive vice president as well as a company called LifeEnter.
Naturally, with just a brief outline, he could deduce the context of the situation.
"Texcellence, located in Cheongju, Chungbuk, has the largest share of deliveries. They've been trading for about six years. Unless we deal with them, it will be difficult for us to get in."
"Really? Then we'll have to co up with a plan. Send the related docunts."
Kang Do-young had no intention of staying at KQ Fabric for long.
He quickly collected himself and began to slowly review the materials Ahn Min-gi handed over.
* * *
In-hyuk was at work at the TF division of Taeshin Trading.
The internal staff numbered about 20 people, with employees brought in from both the head office and Taeshin Asset Managent in a 60:40 ratio, moving according to In-hyuk's orders.
Just then, Noh Dongjun entered In-hyuk's office.
"I've sorted the Taeshin Spintech research, production, and supply contracts and uploaded them to the cloud. Also, these are the materials you requested from the group's audit division, now organized."
"That got processed faster than I thought. And could you decide between formal and informal speech?"
"We are at work, after all. It's not like our old company. How would it look if we talked informally in the main office?"
He was mindful of how others saw them.
"You didn't seem to mind at the airport."
In-hyuk checked the docunts from the audit division.
They outlined various issues—at least superficially—among group affiliates and subsidiaries, including Taeshin Group's predecessor, Mulsan.
"... This is pretty serious."
"I skimd through it, but it didn't seem that bad. Even the subsidiaries' balance sheets don't have high error rates."
Now that informal speech had been allowed, Noh Dongjun relaxed imdiately.
In-hyuk sighed.
"There's a big difference from what I figured out."
"You an the companies forged their balance sheets?"
"That's part of it. And the audit division deliberately didn't check so things."
Noh Dongjun's expression hardened.
"You're saying the audit division itself is the problem?"
In-hyuk knew the cause well. In his past life, he even knew who led all this.
"There's no need to request any more data from the audit division."
"Then what do we do? Don't we need them to assess the condition of affiliates and subsidiaries?"
"We need to verify everything ourselves."
"... What? All of it?"
Taeshin Group had nine major affiliates including Mulsan and about 20 subsidiaries under them.
"I have full authority from the chairman, so there shouldn't be any issues."
In that mont, Noh Dongjun was so shocked he almost shouted, but quickly lowered his voice.
"Do you know how many people are in the TF division now?"
"Twenty-three, not including ?"
"Who asked you to guess? Full authority or not, the problem is manpower! How are we supposed to reassess every affiliate and subsidiary with just that staff?"
In-hyuk nodded as if understanding.
"If there aren't enough, we'll get more."
"Get more? Don't tell you're thinking of hiring part-tirs?"
This wasn't just any task, it was a full group re-audit.
Such an important matter couldn't be entrusted to regular employees, so Noh Dongjun was even more frustrated.
"We have the audit division, don't we?"
"What do you an?"
"No need to worry—just start with what you can manage with the current staff. I'll get you people from the audit division as soon as possible. Oh, manager Baek, please co in for a mont."
In-hyuk pressed the internal call button.
Baek Si-hwan, who'd been working at an outside desk, imdiately ca in, wondering what was needed.
"You called for ?"
"There are a lot of issues with the data we received from the audit division. Looks like we'll need to do a full re-audit, so please support that task, manager Baek."
"... A re-audit?"
"We're short-handed right now."
Baek Si-hwan's expression beca subtle.
"Leaving aside manpower, did the head office approve a full re-audit?"
"No, I'm proceeding with the authority I was given. If there's any pushback, I'll handle it. Just follow Manager Noh's instructions."
Noh Dongjun, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked in alarm.
"You an I'm supposed to head up the re-audit? Then what about you?"
"The chairman has assigned another task. I'll get you more people as fast as I can."
"How?"
"I have my ways, so don't worry."
With that, In-hyuk, who had turned his attention to docunts, looked up at the two n standing dumbstruck.
"If you've said everything you need to, shouldn't you get back to work? Manager Noh, manager Baek."
The two exchanged looks, then slowly walked out.
.
.
.
A few hours later.
A middle-aged man burst into the TF division, and threw open the division director's door without even knocking.
In-hyuk, who was focused on work, turned his attention to the man.
"What brings Director Han Gi-seok of the audit division here?"
The man, his face full of agitation, seed startled.
"You know ?"
He had never t In-hyuk face to face before.
"You're Director Han Gi-seok from the audit division, aren't you?"
He was of course referring to the "audit division" they had just discussed in the office.
Han Gi-seok's expression soured even further.
"You know , and you pull these tricks?"
"Tricks? I'm just doing my job."
"If you're the TF division, just do TF division work! I handed over the requested docunts with no grumbling because you said it was the chairman's order... and now you're doing a re-audit?"
The matter and their preparations in the TF division had spread even there.
In essence, the TF division was encroaching on the audit division's territory.
Even if he did have full authority, it was an act that could disrupt group discipline and stir up controversy.
Still, In-hyuk maintained a calm deanor.
"There were problems in the materials from your division, so I'm conducting a re-audit."
"Problems? What kind of problems?!"
Han Gi-seok's raised voice drew attention as TF division staff outside began to stand up and watch.
With the door left wide open, everything happening was visible to all.
"I was tasked by the chairman to lead the TF division, and any required due diligence is within my authority."
"I doubt that ans tearing apart departnts that are running just fine?"
In-hyuk stared piercingly at the shouting Han Gi-seok.
"Departnts that are running fine? Can you put your job as division director on the line for what you just said?"
"... What?"
In-hyuk walked closer and lowered his voice.
"Director Han Gi-seok, who has been loyal to the chairman all his life, looking after affiliates and taking backdoor money? How did it co to this?"
"W-what?!"
Han Gi-seok, startled, tried to step back, but In-hyuk imdiately gripped his shoulder.
"Taiwan HSBC Bank under a borrowed na. If you don't want to testify to the prosecutor about who was greasing that account and how much, you might want to stay quiet. If not the prosecutor, the tax office could be next."
At In-hyuk's quiet muttering, Han's face went pale.
"H-how did you..."
"Don't ask how I know. I hear it so often these days it makes my ears ache. Anyway, you do understand what I an, right?"
"..."
As Han fell silent, In-hyuk pressed his lips into a thin smile.
"If you've understood, start by nodding your head."
"...!"
Han's head moved slowly up and down.
"I was hoping to borrow so audit division staff anyway. You ca at just the right ti. Since we need to do a re-audit, select and send so appropriate personnel. Just rember if you try anything funny, expect a call from the prosecutor about that account the next day. Oh, and don't move the funds to the Julius Bank account in Switzerland under your wife's cousin's na, either."
With this, Han's face went from white to blue.
"How—how do you know even that?"
The account In-hyuk ntioned had nothing to do with company affairs, and unless it was connected to an Interpol investigation, only Han himself could know of its existence.
He couldn't figure out how anyone else—especially In-hyuk—could know.
"That's not important right now, so let's move quickly."
Troubled, Han Gi-seok remained frozen in place.
"...."
Smack―!
In-hyuk clapped his hands together, snapping Han out of his thoughts.
"Aren't you moving?"
"R-right."
Deflated, Han Gi-seok shuffled outside.
In-hyuk then exchanged glances with staff outside his office.
"All right, everyone—don't pay attention to anything unnecessary. Focus on your work!"
People glanced at each other before returning to their desks and resuming their work.
At that mont, Noh Dongjun ca up to In-hyuk.
"What on earth did you say that made the group HQ audit division director tuck his tail and walk away like that?"
"I just gave him a little advice."
Han's slush funds, like other chronic issues in Taeshin, were sothing In-hyuk had uncovered.
Of course, his reason for investigating was to help put Tae Seok-ho, the forr number two in the succession line, in the chairman's seat.
"Give him advice one more ti and he might faint."
"Enough. You get back to work too. I have to head out soon."
"Where to? Another external eting?"
It was well-known from In-hyuk's days at Taeshin Asset Managent that he left the office most afternoons.
Naturally, Noh Dongjun was aware.
"Why? Do I look like I go out to play?"
"You never know."
"Whatever. Just manage the re-audit. The audit division will be sending more people, too."
At the sa ti, Noh Dongjun was clearly surprised.
"They really agreed to send more people?"
Leaving Noh's noisy question behind, In-hyuk exited the office accompanied by Hong Yu-geon and Van Hester.
Once in the elevator and seeing no one else around, Hong Yu-geon asked a question.
"How did you know Han Gi-seok from the audit division was hiding slush funds?"
Han hadn't been among those In-hyuk had asked about in previous background checks.
"You don't think you're my only source, do you?"
"That's exactly why I'm asking. You're with us almost all day."
"Don't be nosy. You might get hurt."
"Tch―! So, are you off for personal business today too?"
He was asking about In-hyuk's schedule.
"No. Today let's go to Cheonan."
"Cheonan?"
"We have to check on the place we're in charge of."
Hong Yu-geon nodded as if he understood instantly.
"Aha~!"
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