thenovelthief Chapter 150
Chapter 150
Translator: Dreamscribe“I think this is excellent.”
President Aiden nodded after reviewing the lengthy documents.
“Wasn’t nurturing the semiconductor industry your top priority? If the CHIPS Act is proposed, we’ll be able to grow the semiconductor industry even more than now. And with the U.S. at the center of it all.”
“Right. It absolutely has to be that way. Whatever happens, we can’t fall behind China.”
The bill that Aiden was pushing as a top priority was precisely related to semiconductors.
Currently, the semiconductor market was entirely dependent on Asia.
That’s why he was trying to build semiconductor factories in the U.S. to create a new semiconductor market that did not rely on other countries.
“But Mr. President, there’s one more thing I need to report.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about FaceWeb. It seems Kwangwoon really is trying to take over FaceWeb.”
In fact, he had already heard that story.
"But didn't you say there was no possibility? That there was no way that Marcus guy would give up his shares?"
“Yes. But the situation is turning strange. Suddenly, the EU unanimously passed a bill targeting FaceWeb, and FaceWeb’s revenue from Europe has been completely cut off. As a result, its market capitalization, which had barely held at 250 billion dollars, has now dropped below 100 billion dollars in an instant.”
Aiden frowned.
“Why is the EU attacking FaceWeb?”
“Right after the EU proposed that bill very swiftly, Kwangwoon reportedly supplied them with natural gas, nickel, and even wheat at cost.”
“So the EU made a deal with Kwangwoon?”
“Yes. In exchange for attacking FaceWeb, Kwangwoon handed over its resources at a cheap price. Wasn’t the EU already in a serious crisis with the absurd price tag of natural gas being 11 times higher than usual? They likely had no choice either.”
Aiden was both dumbfounded and, in a way, understanding of the EU.
Currently, natural gas prices were skyrocketing at an unprecedented pace.
On top of that, the price of nickel had surged by 500%, effectively threatening the entire European industrial market.
“If Europe had proceeded with production at those prices, not only Europe but the global price levels would have been shaken.”
“So they don’t care if FaceWeb collapses.”
“Yes. If they could stabilize the European economy by sacrificing FaceWeb, then passing such a bill was probably no big deal to them.”
In other words, the EU had bowed down to Kwangwoon.
He’d heard that the EU had been very wary of Kwangwoon and was even preparing to keep them in check, but they had been beaten to the punch by Kwangwoon.
“Then is FaceWeb really going to fall?”
“Now everything depends on Marcus’s decision. Will he watch the company’s stock price crash to rock bottom and go bankrupt, or will he surrender quietly?”
But would he really have the means to hold out until the end?
“And today, former President Trump even posted a new message. He said the outdated FaceWeb should disappear and be replaced by a new SNS that can truly excite people.”
"Why is that guy making a fuss again?"
“Don’t you remember? Marcus forcibly suspended former President Trump’s FaceWeb account. He also harshly criticized Trump, saying his ideas were wrong.”
In short, Marcus had been a passionate supporter of President Aiden.
“......Could it be that Marcus is waiting for our help?”
“He’s probably subtly hoping for it.”
“Is there any way we can help?”
“Not really. Revenue from the EU has been blocked, and with the recent massive update from Apple over data privacy, FaceWeb’s advertising revenue has also been cut off. Honestly, if it weren’t for the data breach incident, we might’ve been able to help somehow, but......”
“There’s no justification?”
“Yes. And even if we did have a way to help, I think it’d be better not to.”
Even if there was a way to help, he was saying they shouldn’t?
“Rather, we should guide Kwangwoon to take over FaceWeb. We should apply pressure on FaceWeb from our side as well.”
"Are you telling me to act as Kwangwoon's lackey right now?"
“That’s not it. If PicPic swallows up FaceWeb too, then we can attack Kwangwoon for monopolizing the market.”
“......!”
It was an absolutely brilliant idea.
“What does everyone think?”
“I think it’s an excellent plan.”
“With this, we’ll definitely have grounds to go after Kwangwoon.”
Forcing FaceWeb into a monopoly and then attacking them for it...
There could be no better idea than this.
“Even without this, the power of SNS had been growing excessively strong, so there was a need to rein it in at some point.”
“If we go after them on grounds of monopoly, we could tear apart the companies under Kwangwoon’s control. Not just SNS, but all the companies currently operated by Kwangwoon will become targets.”
President Aiden gave a slight smile.
At last, he had a real chance to strike a blow at those Kwangwoon bastards.
What’s more, it might finally be possible to regulate and control the always-problematic SNS sector.
This was an opportunity he absolutely could not miss.
“Then let’s move on our side too. We need to make Marcus give up the company one way or another.”
***
FaceWeb.
It was the representative SNS of the world and the very force that triggered the SNS boom.
That company, which had once soared to a valuation of 1 trillion dollars, was now dropping below 100 billion dollars in real-time.
“.......”
The EU's regulatory bill had indeed delivered the final blow.
But somehow...
It was ultimately my own will that had made FaceWeb end up like this, which gave me a strange feeling.
Though it was competition, the fact that we had brought down such a massive company and were rising to the number one spot wasn’t entirely satisfying.
“But it seems the U.S. government is also trying to side with you, sir.”
“That’s unexpected. I thought they’d do everything they could to protect FaceWeb.”
“Yes. But on the contrary, they’re now legally pressing FaceWeb, putting massive pressure on Marcus’s side.”
This truly was unexpected.
Wasn’t FaceWeb an American company?
So I thought they would at least prevent PicPic from absorbing the company.
But the U.S. government was supporting us in a way that went against our assumptions, applying all-out pressure on FaceWeb.
“If it goes on like this, Marcus’s side is nearing their limit. If the U.S. government, determined as they are, starts digging into legal issues, this could even lead to prison time. He’ll try to avoid that at all costs.”
“But why is America helping us?”
“Probably... it has to do with the semiconductor-related project that President Aiden is preparing.”
The large-scale project the Aiden administration was currently preparing.
It was all about semiconductors.
“Kwangwoon and Kangseong are both powerhouses in the semiconductor industry. There are other competing companies, of course, but honestly, even those competitors can’t survive without the products we supply.”
That’s why the U.S. was trying to significantly reduce its dependence on Asia by building a large number of factories domestically.
“This project is so crucial for President Aiden that his political career depends on it. If it ends in failure, he won’t just lose support, he won’t be able to get unemployment under control either.”
President Aiden’s goal was to increase America’s market dominance and, at the same time, boost employment. That made it a project that simply could not fail.
“So in exchange for handing over FaceWeb, they want us to fully support their project?”
“Yes. That’s how we’re interpreting it. Otherwise, there would be no reason for them to suddenly put pressure on FaceWeb.”
They say in politics, when you receive something, you give something in return.
The same goes for business.
“Then what can we do to help?”
“There’s no official announcement yet on how the project will be carried out. But a few things can be predicted, they’ll definitely be pouring in a lot of money, and they’ll aim to build as many factories as possible within the U.S.”
“Then we should start buying land in advance.”
“Yes. But the thing is, we still don’t know exactly which sites the U.S. will select to build the factories. It’s all confidential until the announcement.”
That was the same in any country.
If the land locations were revealed before the project was decided, the land prices in those areas would skyrocket.
So I thought I’d wait patiently until the Aiden administration made the announcement, then take action, but-
“......?”
A sharp intuition spread throughout my entire body.
“.......”
Just in case, I pulled up the map of the United States.
Then, when I placed my hand over a certain spot, a second wave of tingling spread through my fingertips.
“Arizona?”
“Yes?”
“Ah, um... could you look into acquiring some land in this area? Specifically, where a factory might be built if it were to happen here.”
“But the U.S. hasn’t made any announcements yet.”
“Well, maybe they’ll allow free selection of sites. Contact the headquarters and tell them to purchase any suitable properties if available.”
“Ah, yes.”
Seeing as my intuition reacted only to this region, it seemed this was the optimal location to build a factory.
“And sir, we’ve also received contact from China.”
“From China?”
“Yes. They’ve locked down the cities tightly, but the backlash from citizens is so intense that not even the military can control it anymore. So they’re considering easing the lockdown measures and are actively trying to attract foreign investment to revive their collapsing economy.”
The Chinese government was also feeling the pressure from Aiden’s continuous rollout of new bills aimed at China.
So they, too, were trying to respond.
“But the risk in China is too high. There have already been several cases where companies were stabbed in the back.”
“Then should we just politely decline?”
“Yes. I believe it’s best to avoid entering China for the time being. But rather than flatly rejecting them from the start, how about pretending to consider and letting it pass more smoothly?”
I stayed silent for a moment.
Soon, intuition flashed through my mind.
"Let's do that. Please have the company prepare things so we can pass it over gently without conflict."
“Yes. We’ll prepare personnel to dispatch to China and also look into how to handle the government officials who might come to us.”
All the preparations were complete.
Now only one thing remained.
Marcus’s decision, he held the key to FaceWeb.
“What price are you considering? For Marcus’s shares.”
The price...
This was a company once worth 1 trillion dollars.
Even though it had dropped below 100 billion dollars, to get Marcus to agree, we’d have to account for the latent value within.
“The price will probably be...”
I slowly began to write down the number on a piece of paper.
***
Even the EU had bowed to Kwangwoon and started pressuring FaceWeb, causing the stock price to completely nosedive.
Yet Marcus kept holding onto his shares and enduring.
That was because he had one thing he was relying on.
And that was the head of the current government, President Aiden.
Marcus and FaceWeb had actively supported Aiden while continuing their criticism of former President Trump.
As a reward, they had been able to smoothly overcome not just the lawsuits tied to FaceWeb but also the Cambridge incident.
“...What did you say?”
But now, even the Aiden administration was turning its back on Marcus?
"They, they told me to hand over the company?"
“Yes. Otherwise, the judiciary will step in. Also, they say a shareholder derivative suit is about to be filed by FaceWeb’s shareholders.”
Even the U.S., whom Marcus had trusted, had abandoned him.
And the poison was even sharper now.
“I will never hand over this company!”
But it wasn’t just America that betrayed him.
“You need to back down now. If not, we’ll forcibly remove you from your position.”
“...!?”
“We plan to lead the shareholder derivative suit ourselves. It’s because you, as the ultimate decision-maker, failed to protect the company properly.”
“Y-You bastards...! Even so, if I drag out the lawsuit, this company will be ruined before it ends!”
“We’re aware. Then you’ll have to step down without receiving a single cent. And you’ll be bombarded with astronomical lawsuits from those who suffered damages. Lawsuits that your assets won’t be enough to cover.”
At the executives’ words, Marcus flinched.
“That’s why you need to sell your shares now. Before the company truly collapses!”
Marcus quietly looked around the meeting room.
Among all these people, there wasn’t a single one on his side.
From the looks of it, they weren’t going to let Marcus leave the conference room until he handed over the company.
“...How much did Kwangwoon offer?”
“30 billion dollars.”
“What? Just 30 billion dollars!? This company was once worth over a trillion dollars, and they want me to hand over all my shares for a mere 30 billion!?”
“We understand. Considering the previous valuation, it’s an extremely low price. But you have to accept it. FaceWeb can no longer maintain its former status, and 30 billion dollars is more than enough for retirement, isn’t it? You could live comfortably for the rest of your life, and if you wanted, you could even start a new business.”
But even so, 30 billion dollars was a seriously lowball offer.
“You need to be rational. If you don’t sell the company now, the U.S. government will send you to prison and force you to pay massive compensation. This is your last chance.”
“......!”
The executives pushed the contract from Kwangwoon toward him.
“.......”
Marcus stared at the paper for a long time before finally grabbing the pen with trembling hands.
***
“Congratulations, Mr. President.”
“Now we really can go after Kwangwoon.”
“It’s still too early to pop the champagne. First, let’s focus on our own project.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll also begin developing a strategy for how best to deal with Kwangwoon.”
“Good. Everyone, great job. That damn reptilian finally surrendered. Haha.”
After a light joke, Aiden wrapped up the meeting in a cheerful atmosphere.
His steps were especially light today.
Kwangwoon had grabbed hold of the U.S. government’s helping hand, not realizing it might be poison.
Now all that remained was to carefully craft the strategy that would bring them down.
“But why do you look like you swallowed something foul?”
Yet the Chief Secretary’s expression was grim.
“Well… Mr. President.”
John’s face, pale to begin with, had gone even whiter.
“What’s going on?”
“I think... we’ve been outplayed by Kwangwoon.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
Outplayed by Kwangwoon?
“Kwangwoon just made a massive investment to purchase land.”
“Land?”
“Yes. Specifically, land in Arizona.”
“And that’s supposed to mean...? Wait.”
Arizona, wasn’t that the central region of the upcoming semiconductor project?
“You don’t mean the locations we selected?”
“Yes. They’ve bought up the entire area.”
“Did we ever make our land plans public?”
“No. We kept everything strictly confidential.”
“Then how the hell did those bastards find out...!”
“There’s been a leak from inside.”
That hit him like a second wave of shock.
This project, especially the site selection process, had been carried out in complete secrecy.
Only a handful of key aides had access to that information.
“Then among those aides... don’t tell me...”
“It means some of them are working for Kwangwoon.”
“But didn’t you say the aides chosen this time were clean?”
“I’m sorry. We thoroughly vetted them and found no links whatsoever, which is why we assigned them to core roles...”
The Chief Secretary was filled with shame.
These aides had been selected through a rigorous process specifically to avoid Kwangwoon’s hidden agents.
And yet, they had still been tainted by Kwangwoon.
“That’s not all. Kwangwoon is currently in close discussions with the Chinese government. China has sent representatives directly, and Kwangwoon has sent people as well.”
"......It's a clear message."
Aiden realized the meaning behind Kwangwoon’s blatant land purchases in Arizona and their open exchanges with China.
“They’re letting us know they’ve already planted people on our side. And by showing they’re talking with China too, they’re warning us, if we attack Kwangwoon under the pretext of monopoly, they’ll hand over the entire semiconductor market to China.”
“!?”
If the entire semiconductor market were to shift to China, Aiden’s first major project would be dead in the water.
On top of the project’s failure, he would face tremendous criticism for handing the pie over to China. It would effectively spell the end of his political career.
“That’s why we absolutely must not attack Kwangwoon, Mr. President. They’re showing us, by buying up land in Arizona, that they’re fully prepared for any situation.”
“.......”
The EU and FaceWeb,
They weren’t the only ones who had danced in the palm of Kwangwoon’s hand.
America had already been in the palm of Kwangwoon's hand before they even realized it.