Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend

Chapter 102

Translator: DreamscribeThe British pharmaceutical industry was currently facing the challenge of a generational shift.

Of course, the pharmaceutical industry still had a strong industrial foundation in each country.

However, as the patents of products known as blockbuster drugs approached expiration, generic drugs began to be produced here and there.

“But GSK and AstraZenon are large enough to compete for the number 1 and 2 spots among British pharmaceutical companies, so they are pouring enormous amounts of money into this generational transition. And no matter how much the pharmaceutical companies below try to climb up, they lose in scale.”

GSK, the largest pharmaceutical company in the UK, and AstraZenon.

Both are merged companies created by consolidating several firms.

Because of that, both companies exerted influence on all fronts, enough to consistently rank within the top 4 even in Europe.

In other words, they had become so massive that it was practically impossible for them to collapse now.

“But this time, AstraZenon did indeed take a hit.”

If Korea’s Kangseong was controlled through a governance structure centered around Chairman Kang Sung-ho, AstraZenon was a publicly traded company with dispersed ownership.

Simply put, unlike Chairman Kang Sung-ho, where a single person wielded control, AstraZenon’s shares were spread among countless investors around the world, and professional managers were running the company.

In particular, its largest shareholder held only about 8 percent, and even that was Whiterock, the world’s largest asset management firm.

“When the British economy experienced a massive crash this time, funds and institutions dumped their shares first, and then individual investors, who were late to grasp the situation, also dumped their shares, didn’t they?”

As a result, the British stock market kept triggering circuit breakers, and eventually, an unprecedented event occurred where the market was completely shut down.

“And because of that, AstraZenon’s stock price also fell along with it.”

“But even if the stock price falls, it’s still difficult to acquire the company, right?”

“Yes. AstraZenon is one of the representative pharmaceutical companies of the UK. Even though the UK was hit with a shocking financial crisis, AstraZenon managed to hold up relatively well. It’s a company that performs well not only in the UK but also in Europe, so everyone judged that it would be fine.”

I carefully examined the report on AstraZenon.

As I was looking into which sectors in the UK were worth paying attention to, my intuition strangely reacted to this pharmaceutical sector.

Among them, AstraZenon was emitting the strongest light.

Out of curiosity, I brought my hand toward the company name, which had been glowing ever since I opened the report.

“!?”

Then suddenly, a powerful image was engraved in my mind.

A horrifying scene of a red virus spreading across the entire Earth.

“.......”

I quickly pulled my hand away.

It was such a terrifying vision that I never wanted to see it again, to the point my breath was caught in my throat.

‘What was that just now......?’

It's not like some zombie virus from a movie.

A scene of the entire Earth being dyed red.

“CEO-nim. Are you all right?”

"Ah, yes. I'm fine."

I took a short deep breath.

What did it mean for my intuition to show me such a vision?

It meant that an enormous event was about to occur on this Earth.

“So in conclusion, you’re saying that acquiring AstraZenon would be difficult, right?”

“Yes. Its market capitalization is large, and no particular group holds a controlling stake, so I think it would be difficult. But there is exactly one way AstraZenon could take a major hit.”

I felt like I knew what that was.

“A no-deal Brexit?”

“Yes. After the Prime Minister stepped down, the Prime Minister’s office is currently vacant. Although an interim Prime Minister has come forward, it will take several months before a new Prime Minister is elected.”

And the EU, watching the collapse of the British economy, was trying to push for a no-deal Brexit.

“The interim Prime Minister has declared that no matter what happens, he will prevent a no-deal Brexit. He is even issuing threats to EU countries.”

It was Britain whose feet were in the fire, yet they were trying to threaten European countries with that, which was quite a ridiculous situation.

“So a no-deal Brexit is off the table?”

“I think the worst-case scenario will probably be avoided. Especially companies like AstraZenon, which have high dependency on European countries, would try even harder to stop a no-deal Brexit. Rumor has it that such large corporations are spreading money across Europe to lobby.”

So there would be no no-deal Brexit.

But in the previous vision I saw, Britain ultimately passed Brexit.

Did that mean it would be resolved smoothly?

I lightly placed my finger on the British flag drawn in the report.

“......!”

Another vision seized my eyes.

It wasn’t the Earth groaning as it was dyed red like earlier.

‘This is.......’

It was the British people cheering, welcoming a no-deal Brexit.

***

“These crazy bastards actually went through with it.......”

An event that shook the global financial market had erupted.

The EU had officially approved a no-deal Brexit.

“Isn’t this declaration practically saying that Europe will cut all ties related to the UK?”

Should this be seen as an emotional decision?

Or was it a calculation that if they remained connected to the UK, the aftermath of the financial crisis would sweep across Europe and cause them to suffer together?

Whatever it was, the conclusion from this was one.

“Britain is fucked now.”

“Yes. The interim Prime Minister had firmly stated there would absolutely not be a no-deal Brexit and stabilized the market, but now.......”

The results were already showing in the financial markets.

The British market was experiencing another massive crash, and the impact was spreading to other countries as well.

There were even extreme rumors circulating that Britain and Europe might go to war.

Of course, a war would never actually happen, but the anxiety was real, and that anxiety was showing directly in the financial markets.

"Kwangwoon's one investment has snowballed like this."

Kwangwoon had targeted the weaknesses of the financial market, executed massive Short Selling, and collapsed the system.

Normally, someone who hit a jackpot that big would hide quietly until things calmed down.

Even George Soros, after triggering Black Wednesday, hid quietly so he wouldn’t get caught and killed like a rat in the dark.

But Kwangwoon did no such thing.

On the contrary, they openly exposed themselves.

“Why did Kwangwoon acquire those companies? Did you find a common point?”

“Yes. I found exactly one similarity.”

Kwangwoon had made several billion euros at once.

After achieving such a legendary feat, they did not withdraw from the UK market and instead began aggressively acquiring companies.

“First of all, most of them were companies on the verge of bankruptcy. They probably found it difficult to grow because GSK and AstraZenon dominated the market.”

“That’s the common point?”

“No. The real common point is that they specialize in vaccines.”

“Vaccines?”

“Yes. It’s what they call the mRNA platform, one of the next-generation vaccine development technologies being researched in the biotechnology field. Our body’s genetic information is stored in DNA, and in the process of making proteins based on that DNA, this plays an intermediary role.......”

“Enough. I don’t need TMI. So Kwangwoon acquired companies that specialize in researching this technology?”

“Yes. All five companies they bought for dirt cheap were focusing intensely on this research.”

A group the size of Kwangwoon made it easy to detect which companies they were acquiring.

If they had operated through a paper company to hide their identity, maybe things would have been different.

But this time, they were openly acquiring companies, trying to create a new group within the UK. Because of that, even without looking closely, it was clear what Kwangwoon was doing.

“After wrecking the British economy like this, all they’re doing is acquiring pharmaceutical companies?”

Reynold didn’t think Kwangwoon had simply targeted the system’s weakness.

Looking at the actions Kwangwoon had shown so far, they clearly had a larger purpose.

No one knew what their ultimate goal was, but he instinctively felt that their attack on the British market this time was definitely driven by a specific purpose.

Wasn’t it truly a terrifying corporation?

To bring down a massive country like the UK for their own goals.

But that goal was actually to acquire those small pharmaceutical companies?

“They’re not only acquiring small companies. Among the firms I mentioned earlier that were leading mRNA technology research, there is one at the very top.”

“Where is that?”

“AstraZenon.”

“Wait. Don’t tell me.......”

“Kwangwoon has already contacted us. They asked us, Gold Reagan, to trade the 3.5 percent stake we hold in AstraZenon to them.”

With that, it was no longer mere suspicion but certainty.

Kwangwoon was now trying to unite British pharmaceutical companies and form a massive pharmaceutical group.

“But...... isn’t AstraZenon the biggest victim of this no-deal Brexit?”

“Yes. Even before this, the European Medicines Agency moved from London to France, causing patent regulations to change. There were issues with generational shifts, and new side effects of drugs had also surfaced. Since their dependence on Europe is extremely high, they are the ones most damaged by a no-deal Brexit.”

Because of this, it was impossible to figure out what Kwangwoon was thinking.

It was true that AstraZenon was a large company in the UK.

But with the British financial crisis, new drug side effects, patent expiration, and now the no-deal Brexit finally erupting, AstraZenon was undergoing the greatest crisis in its history.

“Even if they acquire it, there’s no structure that would allow profits, right?”

“Yes. It would be an act of self-destruction. If only the no-deal Brexit hadn’t happened, the company might have had a chance to recover somehow, but like this.......”

So there was no hope.

The second-largest pharmaceutical company in the UK, collapsing like this.

And ironically, the one that had driven AstraZenon to this state was Kwangwoon itself.

If Kwangwoon hadn’t made such madness-driven investments, AstraZenon would never have plunged like this.

“So you’re saying this whole incident was orchestrated entirely for Kwangwoon to acquire the giant pharmaceutical company AstraZenon? Does that conclusion even make sense?”

Destroy the UK just to swallow one pharmaceutical company?

“That technology you mentioned earlier. If it reaches maximum development, what would it be good for?”

“It’s focused on genetic diseases and cancer treatment, but it’s said to be most suitable for vaccine development.”

“Vaccines? Has some virus spread? Like that old MERS outbreak.”

“From what I’ve checked, no such large-scale epidemic has been reported yet.”

Then is Kwangwoon trying to develop a cancer treatment rather than a vaccine for a specific virus? If they truly develop a treatment in that field, it would indeed be a game changer.

“Isn’t something like that at least ten years out?”

“Yes. It takes at least five to ten years for a new drug to be developed.”

Investing with such a long-term perspective.

That Kwangwoon?

No matter how he thought about it, it was strange.

“What about the price? Is it reasonable at that level?”

“Yes. Even if Kwangwoon acquires the company, there’s no chance of recovery for the time being.”

“.......”

Meaning if they held it, it might turn into worthless scrap paper.

Then selling it quickly would be the right action for a financial person, but-.

“Don’t sell it. Keep holding.”

“What? Th, this might be the highest point.”

“It’s not anyone else, it’s Kwangwoon acquiring that company. I’ll place my bet on that. No, if possible, try to secure even more shares.”

3.5 percent.

It's not that large a stake.

And since the stock price continued declining, it really might become worthless.

But if it was Kwangwoon,

Kwangwoon, who was trying to acquire this company even after destroying the UK to that extent,

A strange certainty arose that this stake would later become gold bars that one couldn’t get even if they wanted to.

***

A massive pharmaceutical company with a market capitalization of 70 billion dollars, AstraZenon.

That company, once called one of the largest pharmaceutical firms in the UK, had fallen to 30 billion dollars.

“This is what you could call the fatal weakness of a dispersed-ownership corporation. Once it takes a hit like this, everyone starts dumping their shares.”

If someone had firmly controlled the company, even if the stock price fell, they would never have sold off all their shares and handed over management rights.

But because this company had no controlling force, once the averaging-down panic began, the tower collapsed in an instant.

“If we wait a bit longer, the stock price will probably fall further. Making a purchase then would.......”

I had planned on that as well.

But my intuition kept signaling me.

It told me that I had to seize control of this company as soon as possible.

“Secure a controlling stake as fast as possible.”

“You don’t mind the price?”

“No. As fast as possible. Only then can we intervene in the company’s management.”

My team members looked as if they had no idea why I was suddenly clinging to a pharmaceutical company.

I didn’t even have any expertise in that field.

But I vaguely understood.

I knew why my intuition was pushing me so urgently to secure a controlling stake and participate in management.

It must be related to that vision I had seen earlier.

That horrific scene of a red virus-like thing spreading across the globe.

Was it telling me that we must begin researching it as soon as possible?

“We will secure the stake as quickly as you wish, CEO-nim.”

“Yes. Please put in the effort.”

“Yes. Ah, and there’s also an update regarding our brokerage line in Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong.

A country I envy.

Because Hong Kong is Asia’s representative global financial hub.

A global financial hub representing Asia.

Every securities professional probably wishes that title belonged to our country rather than Hong Kong.

“There’s an update?”

“Yes. The Hong Kong government plans to overhaul several laws. Some of them involve finance. The Vice President believed it was something you needed to see, so he sent over the documents.”

I checked the document the Vice President had sent.

'Extradition Bill?'

Hong Kong was creating a new regulation called the Extradition Bill, and in the process, it was touching on securities-related areas as well.

The problem was that the Chinese government’s influence was strongly involved.

'But why suddenly in the financial sector.......'

I muttered as I tried to flip to the next page.

“!?”

A vivid vision unfolded before me: countless people bleeding in the streets of downtown Hong Kong, being trampled by the military.

*****

TL Note: Check out the new novels I've picked up!

https://woopread.com/series/the-idol-who-hides-her-military-service

https://woopread.com/series/i-got-an-omnipotent-brain

*****

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