Chapter 371 Scandal and Mastery
"What director?" Wen Zaiyin smiled. "President Li, just call me Lawyer Wen."
Although he currently holds many positions in Busan, such as vice chairman of the Busan Democratic Struggle Memorial Association, or chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Busan Local Bar Association.
It’s a long title, but Wen Zaiyin doesn’t like it. He still likes his identity as a lawyer.
"Are Lawyer Moon and Councilman Roh from Seoul good friends?"
“Councilman Roh,” Wen Zaiyin nodded slightly, “It was Councilman Roh, a lawyer, who led me down this path.”
"President Li knows Councillor Lu?"
"I don't know him," Li You shook his head, "I've only heard of his name."
"When The Crucible was released, Councillor Lu was very vocal in supporting the film."
Moon Jae-yoon chuckled. "'The Crucible' is a good work. It is also an art that can bring about changes on the Korean Peninsula. Given his personality, he will definitely do this."
Li You remembered some of the deeds of Wen Zaiyin in another world. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Wen Zaiyin, "I have something I want to ask Lawyer Wen."
Wen Zaiyin smiled cheerfully, "President Li, please feel free to speak up. I will tell you everything I know."
"Which regiment did Lawyer Wen serve in when he was in the army?"
"." Wen Zaiyin didn't want to say it, but after thinking for a while, he finally blurted it out, "Army Special Forces."
"That's an elite," Li You said with a smile on his face, "The commander of the special forces brigade at that time was..."
"If Chairman Li wants me to speak, you can just ask directly," Moon Jae-yoon gave a wry smile, "It's President Jeon for sure."
Wen Zaiyin from the Army Special Operations Corps was even among the top three in training and was awarded the medal of "Best Special Operations Soldier".
"President Li, don't let your imagination run wild," Wen Zaiyin also understood what Li You was thinking, "I was discharged from the army in 1978. I didn't go to the Gwangju Incident."
In April 1980, a wave of demonstrations broke out on the Korean Peninsula, reaching its peak in Gwangju in May.
The then commander-in-chief Chun Doo-hwan issued a martial law order, announcing the cancellation of all political activities and banning rallies and marches.
However, the wave of public demonstrations continued to expand, so the air transport troops under the Army Special Warfare Command went to suppress it on the orders of Chun Doo-hwan.
The line 'My name is Chun Doo-hwan, I beat people until they scream' refers to the Gwangju Incident, also known as the Gwangju Unlimited Fighting Tournament.
"Lawyer Wen, you're overthinking it," Li You said with a smile, but how could Wen Zaiyin not see the sarcasm in his words?
"At that time, I was really determined to prove myself," Wen Zaiyin said with some emotion.
Li You didn't know that after he retired, he was also a member of the Seoul demonstration in 1980 and was even arrested.
It was this arrest that influenced his later career as a prosecutor and judge.
In fact, Moon Jae-yoon had no opinion about Chun Doo-hwan. Although he didn't like his political aspects, he was still an okay person. At least he was paid a lot of money in the special forces at that time.
Wen Zaiyun was not rich at that time. When he was commended, it was Chun Doo-hwan who personally awarded him the medal and a large bonus.
Of course he couldn't say these things out loud, he just had a subtle smile on his face.
“I hope to meet Lawyer Moon in Seoul.”
"In Seoul?" Wen Zaiyin was inexplicably surprised when he thought of his confidant, Councillor Roh's request. "Then there really is some chance."
The two did not have a deep conversation, they just mentioned it briefly and checked each other's situation, and soon Wen Zaiyin politely said goodbye and left.
Li You looked at his back, his eyes narrowed slightly.
After saying so much, only the last sentence is what Li You wants to say.
Judging from the situation, Moon Jae-yoon is going to accept Roh Moo-hyun's invitation.
Under normal circumstances, Moon Jae-yoon would serve as chairman of Roh Moo-hyun's election strategy committee in Busan.
To put it bluntly, he helped Roh Moo-hyun run for president, and he was successful.
But now that Kinmen and Li You have risen, Councillor Lu still chose to participate in this election.
It is now the year 2001 and the presidential election will begin next year.
In the following days, Moon Jae-yoon and other Busan officials began to take action.
The first thing they did was to stigmatize Zhao Rongbing and Zhao Taiyu. In fact, it cannot be said that this was to discredit the two of them, after all, they just exposed what they had done.
In front of the Zhao Group's headquarters building, the small square in front of the building was filled with reporters from the Korean Peninsula.
Not only that, even the underground parking lot was crowded with reporters.
In the past, this headquarters building of the Zhao Group represented power and wealth in Busan, but now it is the center of a public opinion storm.
After the sudden deaths of Zhao Rongbing and Zhao Taiwu, the Zhao Group seemed particularly deserted for a few days.
Because of their murder, the operation of Zhaoshi Group began to fall into unprecedented chaos.
Not to mention the initial power struggle, even the subsequent sharp drop in stock prices was enough to make the management pay.
In the past two days, the scandals of Zhao Rongbing and Zhao Taiwen were like bombs, exploding one after another within the already turbulent Zhao Group.
The first thing to be exposed was the hidden rules incident between Zhao Rongbing and Zhao Taiyu. What's more, it was discovered that both of them had "dated" someone one after another.
The two men's violent acts within the group, as well as their beatings and contempt for civilians, were exposed.
Including some employees who had previously resigned from the Zhao Group, they also came out to testify that the two were like tyrants in the group, and they would beat up nearby employees as long as they were not satisfied.
Later, Zhao Taiyu's drug scandal was exposed, which caused even more criticism.
Liu Taishun, who was humiliated by Zhao Taiyu at the time, appeared directly in front of the camera and accepted interviews from the media.
"You mean he's a drug addict?"
"Yes," Liu Taishun nodded, "even if things go wrong, he will force the people around him to join him."
"What else do you know?"
"Yes," Liu Taishun nodded, pretending to be sneaky in front of the camera, "I heard that the first assassination attempt on Chairman Li of the Kinmen Group was made by Zhao Taiyu."
"Do you know the reason?" The reporter's eyes lit up, this was big news.
"It has nothing to do with Chairman Li," Liu Taishun said, "It was just that when Chairman Li visited the Zhao Group that day, Zhao Taiwu became jealous."
"Can jealousy alone kill someone?" The reporter expressed his doubt with a smile.
"Don't disbelieve it," Liu Taishun said anxiously, "He..."
Seeing the encouraging look in the reporter's eyes, Liu Taishun licked his lips and said, "He had a car accident before and killed someone."
"There have even been cases of illegal demolitions, which have resulted in people being forced to death."
"This is a matter of life and death," the reporter looked at him, "why didn't you report it to the police?"
"Why do you think that is?" Liu Taishun shook his head. "The Zhao Group is so powerful."
Hidden rules, drugs, violence, and even crimes involving life are all horrifying when reported.
The Zhao Group's high-rise buildings in Busan's skyline were once the pride of the city.
Today, the glass curtain walls of high-rise buildings appear cold and alienated in the light of dusk, carrying a heavy burden of abuse.
The employees inside did not take a holiday, but sat in the office in a daze.
They looked at each other, panic spreading in the air.
The reception hall that was once packed with guests was now silent, but the sound of telephone ringing could be heard.
The employees were afraid to answer the phone because they were all abusive calls from citizens.
There was even a car with subtitles sent by citizens downstairs, which simply read "Xiba Zhao Group".
The former glory of the Zhao Group has now become a topic of conversation among citizens after dinner.
Those former glories can now only be seen vaguely on the wall of the president's office.
After wiping out the glory of the Zhao family, Zhao Rongbing's political schemes and Zhao Taiwen's so-called lack of ideas.
Their ambitions can now only be traced back through cold newspaper clippings and computer screens.
Zhao Rongbing's face, which always had a smile on it, turned into a serious news scene on TV.
Zhao Taiwu's handsome appearance cannot hide the ugly truth.
Many storefronts of the Zhao Group in Busan were smashed to pieces.
Outside the building, reporters held microphones, eager to capture any news clues immediately.
In order to find clues, they even eat and live nearby.
When Li You arrived at the Zhao Group headquarters by car that day, the Zhao Group had almost reached a compromise. He came here today to take over the Busan branch of the Zhao Group or Kinmen Real Estate with full legitimacy.
Otherwise, with such bad public opinion and the stock price continuing to fall, the people on the board of directors will go crazy.
Starting from the roadside, the reporters almost chased Li You's vehicle forward.
When Jeon Jae-joon and Choi Doo-il brought people over and cleared a path for the reporters, Li Youcai got out of the car calmly. He straightened his clothes and walked towards the door of the building through the crowd of people on both sides.
The reporters' attention was focused on Li You. As the chairman of the Kinmen Group, the reporters were of course curious about why he came to the Zhao Group at this time.
His arrival undoubtedly dropped a bombshell in this chaotic situation. No one knew what Li You's thoughts and attitude were.
It is possible that he came to seek revenge. After all, it was mentioned in that interview that Zhao Taiyu was the criminal who planned the assassination of Li You.
Li You walked slowly towards the building, wearing a neat suit and with a calm expression.
Li You didn't stop until he reached a slightly higher place. Then he turned around. His height advantage and the slightly higher place he was standing at allowed him to see most of the reporters.
He glanced deeply at the group of reporters in front of him, and Yoon Ji-woo, who was accompanying him, stopped to his left.
Choi Doo-il and Jeon Jae-jun guarded in front and behind Li You. Their eyes were alert, ready to deal with any emergencies that might arise at any time.
It was obvious that he was going to accept interviews from reporters.
Reporters pushed and jostle, hoping to grab the best interview position.
The cameras and recording equipment in their hands were running, trying to capture every word and every movement of Li You.
Then although Li You stopped, he did not make a statement immediately. He just remained silent and looked around.
The reporters were in a commotion, then slowly calmed down, until the scene was quiet with only the sound of machines running. Only then did Li You smile with satisfaction.
At this moment, reporters throughout the square were waiting for Li You's next move.
"I know you all have doubts in your hearts," Li You said helplessly, spreading his hands, "There are some questions that I cannot answer for you journalist friends."
"But there are some things I can reveal to you."
Li You smiled and said, "I know that the recent incident between Zhao Rongbing and Zhao Taiyu has attracted a lot of attention."
"I also learned from the prosecutor that the first assassination attempt on me was indeed planned and paid for by Zhao Taiyu."
"It's unfortunate. I came to Busan to cooperate with Zhao Group and build a better Busan together."
"But I didn't expect there to be so many ugly things in the Zhao Group."
The reporters below were all silent. This was because it was not yet Li You's turn to ask questions, and also because most of the reporters from these media outlets stationed in Busan were locals.
"I am here today to announce with regret that the cooperation between Kinmen Real Estate, a subsidiary of Kinmen Group, and Zhao Group in Busan will not be established."
Li You said something that had never been accomplished, his expression normal.
Just when the reporters were confused and heavy-hearted, Li You smiled and said, "But there is good news."
He took a notice from Yoon Ji-woo and showed it to the reporters below.
"Because Zhao Rongbing, the chairman of Zhao Group, passed away unexpectedly, Zhao Taiyu should inherit Zhao Group."
"But Zhao Taiwu also died in an accident, and the position of chairman of Zhao Group is vacant."
"According to the Zhao Group, or the law, the board of directors will vote to elect the next chairman. He can only become the next chairman after he fully acquires Zhao Rongbing's shares."
"Having said this, I believe many of my journalist friends have understood what I am going to say."
Li You's face was solemn. "After a vote by the board of directors, the Zhao Group elected a new chairman, but he has no funds to inject into the Zhao Group."
"The Zhao Group's board of directors has decided to transfer the purchase rights of all shares to the Kinmen Group."
The reporters below couldn't hold back any longer, "Chairman Li, do you mean that the Zhao Group will be part of the Kinmen Group in the future?"
"We still need to sign a formal contract," Li You nodded, "After Kinmen Group injects capital into Zhao Group, the ownership and management rights of Zhao Group will all be in the hands of Kinmen Group."
The reporter "Chairman Li" opened his mouth, but then felt that this was not the question-and-answer session, and closed it as he felt a little offended.
"This is..." Li You looked at his name tag, "a reporter from Seoul JoongAng Ilbo stationed in Busan. Please continue asking questions."
"Thank you, President Nim, for giving me the opportunity to ask questions," the reporter nodded and stood on tiptoe. "President Nim, do you think that the Zhao Group is currently caught up in a public opinion storm, and its stock price is also continuing to fall. Is this really a good opportunity to inject capital?"
Li You laughed. "Zhao Rongbing and Zhao Taiwu did do a lot of bad things, but that doesn't mean that the ordinary and hardworking employees of Zhao Group are also bad people."
"Just like in those interview videos, the employees were also deeply affected."
"But the employees of Kinmen Group will not be treated like this," Li You said, looking into the camera. "The Zhao Group has developed to this point thanks to the efforts of these employees. Please don't blame these employees."
"Also, I want to correct one thing to everyone," Li You pointed at the camera, "from now on, the Zhao Group will no longer exist in Busan."
"The core industry of the Zhao Group is the real estate company, and the rest are various small industries. They will all be separated out and merged into the Kinmen Group."
"From now on, there will only be the Kinmen Group in Busan."
Li You smiled and said, "After the company is reorganized, the shares of the Zhao Group will be converted into shares of the Kinmen Group in proportion."
"Shareholders should know how valuable the shares of the Golden Gate Group are?"
"You can start now."
These words made the reporters below open their eyes wide.
As a business miracle on the Korean Peninsula in recent years, the share price of Kinmen Group has been rising steadily and is now the best quality stock on the Korean Peninsula.
Even though Li You was escorted into the building, his arrival quickly shifted the focus from the scandal surrounding the Zhao father and son to this business turmoil.
The first thing many journalists do is not to write articles, but to check whether they have any savings and buy some stocks first.
Inside the Zhao Group building, many employees were exchanging puzzled looks with each other.
They did not hear the interviews outside, but they vaguely heard rumors that the Zhao Group would cease to exist. They did not want to lose their jobs, but there was nothing they could do in the face of this sudden change.
But Li You's arrival made them start to speculate what will happen in the future.
After all, every decision made by big shots may affect the fate of ordinary people like them.
Inside the top floor of the Zhao Group, the luxurious and magnificent decorations have lost their former glory.
The walls that were once covered with certificates of honor have now been cleared away.
Li You even specifically requested to use the previous office as the president's office.
He is not afraid of any dead ghosts.
In the meeting room next to the office, the atmosphere was so solemn that it was almost suffocating.
The former directors of the Zhao Group can now only sit around the table, trying to find a direction for the group to move forward.
But in their eyes, there was nothing but frustration and confusion, not a trace of their former arrogance.
When Li Youmai walked into the meeting room and looked at their expressions, he couldn't help but sneer.
The laughter caught their attention, and they quickly stood up, bowed their heads and saluted, "President nim!"
(End of this chapter)
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