A Lie Has Turned Into Reality

Taewoong Life Gangnam Tower, Chairman Kim Younghoon’s Office.

Ring ring.

The phone’s shrill tone broke the silence, and Chairman Kim Younghoon looked up from his desk.

Click.

He picked up the receiver.

“This is Kim Younghoon of Taewoong Group.”

-“Grandfather, it’s me, Kim Sungwoo.”

Thud.

For a moment, the chairman froze, stunned by the rare occurrence of his grandson calling him first.

He held his breath, waiting for Sungwoo’s next words.

-“I’ve caught wind of a major opportunity. Would you like to hear about it?”

“A major opportunity? What are you referring to?”

-“Are you aware of the charity auction held today at the Five Seasons Grand Party Room?”

Of course he was.

It was nothing more than a common playground for tax evasion and money laundering, orchestrated by Seoul Mayor Kang Minwook and his cronies.

But what could possibly be worth extracting from such minnows?

Chairman Kim tilted his head, puzzled.

“I’m aware of it. But is there really anything significant to gain from there?”

-“Oh, yes. There’s one particularly cunning individual. It might take some time to explain. Do you have a moment?”

Although it wasn’t exactly a warm and fuzzy grandfather-grandson conversation, Chairman Kim found the moment precious.

Most importantly, his grandson had personally sought him out with an opportunity.

His eyes gleamed with interest.

“I have all the time in the world.”

“So, what you’re saying is, if we bring down this Jang Dohyung fellow, everything else will fall like dominoes?”

-“Precisely.”

Unilabs.

The parent company behind Solar, the cryptocurrency everyone’s been buzzing about lately.

According to his grandson, they needed to destroy Unilabs before Jang Dohyung’s grand Ponzi scheme exploded. If Unilabs collapsed, it would naturally bring down Kang Minwook, along with all his associates.

“But there’s no justification. For Taewoong to get involved, there needs to be something worth our while.”

If Taewoong moved directly, it would invite countless complications.

Of course, there was no real reason for a giant like Taewoong to fear swallowing up minnows. However, to mobilize a giant, there must be commensurate rewards on the table.

-“Don’t worry. The justification will be more than sufficient.”

Ah, his sharp grandson had surely already thought it through.

With a hint of anticipation in his voice, Chairman Kim spoke.

“Well then, let’s hear about this plan of yours.”

-“Unilabs’ financial status is no better than a ticking time bomb. On the surface, it appears solid, but they’ve manipulated their financial statements extensively.”

“What do you mean?”

-“Cookie jar accounting. I also found multiple indications of earnings manipulation.”

“What…!”

Cookie Jar Accounting refers to a practice where companies stash away profits during good years to dip into during leaner years, much like saving cookies in a jar for a rainy day.

And earnings manipulation?

That meant they had intentionally inflated their financial standing.

“…The evidence is solid, I presume?”

-“I’ve compiled the evidence and will send it over in a report. Your role will be simple.”

“Let’s hear it.”

-“First, use Taewoong Investment Securities to draft a report based on the evidence I provide. Highlight the uncertain prospects and inherent risks of investing in Solar. If possible, criticize its volatility in stark terms. Then, use the media to spread the word far and wide. That’s where it begins.”

“Haha, and after that comes short selling?”

-“Exactly. I’ll fire the first shot. When I sell off the 10% stake I’ve secured, panic selling will ensue. A cascade of sell-offs will drive the price into a downward spiral, triggering a long squeeze.”

“They won’t just sit back and let it happen.”

Short selling involves borrowing shares to sell them at the current market price, betting the price will fall. Once it drops, the shares are repurchased at the lower price and returned, with the difference pocketed as profit.

It’s essentially betting on a decline.

Of course, the other side wouldn’t sit idly by. They’d likely borrow money to buy back shares, attempting to stabilize the price.

-“That’s when it turns into a war. And in a war, the side with more money wins.”

Smirk.

Chairman Kim couldn’t help but laugh.

“In this country, there’s no one with more money than Taewoong.”

-“I’ll take that as your agreement. I’ll leave it to you, then.”

A thrill ran through him, sending shivers down his spine.

I am not brimming with righteousness, nor do I intend to pass moral judgment on good and evil with my limited authority.

Why am I going this far?

‘What an insufferable bastard.’

The idea that he planned to use me as a pawn in his little game is beyond infuriating.

More than that, I couldn’t simply stand by after learning about his vicious financial terrorism scheme.

If Jang Dohyung’s ticking bomb detonated at full strength, the aftermath would be catastrophic.

While reconnecting with Chairman Kim Younghoon was less than ideal, we both gained something valuable from our arrangement, so I have no complaints.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I despise getting entangled in messy affairs.

I have no intention of running a business or making investments. All I want is to spend the rest of my life indulging in luxury and idling away my time.

But that doesn’t mean I’m cold-blooded enough to ignore the rivers of tears thousands would shed.

At least not now, when lies have become my reality. I’ve resolved to live without worrying about what others think.

[Title]

“Severe Accounting Fraud and False Advertising”: Taewoong Investment Securities Takes Action

[Body]

Taewoong Investment Securities, South Korea’s number one investment research firm, recently published a damning report on the company Unilabs, advising investors to reconsider their positions.

The report highlighted a sharp decline in Unilabs’ recent performance and noted its precarious financial state. Furthermore, allegations of illegal accounting practices were backed by concrete evidence, raising concerns about the risks associated with the company.

Due to these findings, Taewoong Investment Securities has taken a strong stance, urging investors to refrain from further investments in Unilabs.

Comments

Caught red-handed. What a bunch of criminals.

Weren’t the investors at fault from the start? Seriously, low IQ moves to fall for this. LOL.

Don’t trivialize it. The real problem is the scammers committing fraud, not the victims.

Sure, but investors are still responsible for their own decisions. LOL.

If Taewoong is stepping in like this, it’s game over. Taewoong just saved a ton of people, damn. Seriously, I’m selling all my shares immediately.

Isn’t this just a scheme to shake out retail investors? LOL, when there’s evidence of fraud, it’s hardly a shakeout. Go ahead, hold your shares forever, genius. LOL. Some people only learn after they lose everything. LOL.

This was a textbook Ponzi scheme. If it had gone unchecked, it could’ve been a disaster. This isn’t something to laugh off. It’s deadly serious. If it’s still standing despite all this, you know it’s filthy at its core.

It seems Chairman Kim Younghoon has started wielding his blade in earnest.

At 9 a.m., as the market opened, Unilabs’ stock price plummeted dramatically into the red.

Sorry, but I haven’t even started yet.

Now is the perfect time to launch the first salvo.

Smirk.

Let’s see how you like the taste of a 15-billion-won warhead.

Meanwhile…

“Jang Dohyung! What the hell are you doing?! How could you let things get this bad?!”

The furious yelling on the other end of the phone made me grimace.

“Maybe you should spend less time yelling at me and more time controlling the media. I trust you realize I won’t be the only one to go down if this collapses.”

My voice was cold and sharp.

“…We’ll talk later.”

Thud.

I slumped back into my chair, feeling utterly drained.

“Damn it… Where did it all go wrong?”

Why the hell did Taewoong Investment Securities suddenly decide to intervene?

More baffling was how they pinpointed the accounting fraud—something that should’ve been impossible to detect just from financial statements.

I had spent an enormous sum assembling a top-tier accounting team to ensure perfection.

Gripping my forehead against the throbbing headache, I muttered, “There’s still… time to salvage this.”

I could suppress the media, cooperate with investigations to buy time, and use that time to regroup.

Even if it meant accelerating my plans, I had no choice.

Most importantly, I still had Kim Sungwoo on my side. If anyone could navigate this chaos, it was him.

Yes, it’s too early to give up.

“Huh…?”

But then—

The stock, which had steadied at -7%, suddenly began to plummet again.

[100,000 shares sold.]

Sell orders for 100,000 shares started flooding in, triggering a massive panic sell-off.

Adding insult to injury, short sellers began piling on.

Despite every effort to stabilize the price, it was useless.

Unilabs’ stock plunged in freefall until it hit the lower limit.

“Hah… haha… hahahahaha!”

Overwhelmed by shock, I lost my grip on the phone, letting it crash to the floor.

Who was it? Who dragged Taewoong Group into this mess?

“…No way.”

A face flashed through my mind—a smirking face that had mocked me at the auction.

Kim Sungwoo. Could he have orchestrated all of this?

He had secured a massive stake through the auction, used Taewoong Investment Securities to stir the pot, and sold his shares in perfect sync with the short sellers swarming in.

“Hah… hahahahah!”

“…What a monster.”