CH120 | VOC

“Welcome, sir!”

Shenzhen Airport buzzed with the arrival of dozens of heihaizi, including Li Yang, all greeting me in unison.

Basking in the attention, I smiled and said,

“Li Yang, how have you been?”

Li Yang, who had once taken a knife for me and nearly died, was the most trusted member of my loyal heihaizi.

He was in charge of my business in China while I was away, and as befitting his position, he stood at the forefront, bowing his head respectfully.

“I’ve been well, sir. It’s been a while.”

I had been busy in Korea and hadn’t visited China for a long time.

I patted his shoulder. “I wouldn’t be able to leave if I didn’t trust you, Li Yang.”

A faint smile appeared on his lips. “Thank you, sir.”

“How’s the department store doing?” I asked him in the car on the way to the hotel.

“It’s doing very well, sir. Business is booming, and we’re expanding the department store as you instructed.”

The secondhand electronic components department store business was thriving.

Tens of thousands of people visited the department store daily from all over China, and the estimated daily transaction volume was 10 billion won.

“So, what’s the deal with that guy?” I asked quietly.

“He’s the son of a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.”

That was why I had rushed back to China.

The department store was a massive component market with a monthly transaction volume of 3 trillion won.

Our profit margin was less than 10% since we only handled distribution, but it was still a significant amount.

And the fact that a Korean, not a Chinese citizen, controlled this market didn’t sit well with some people.

We had been operating smoothly thanks to Chairman Zhao Yang of Xinhua Investment, but this new pressure was beyond his reach.

I clicked my tongue. “That punk. What does he want?”

“The same as Chen Fei. He wants shares.”

“What if we refuse?”

“…There will be repercussions.”

“Damn it.”

A member of the Central Committee was equivalent to a National Assembly member in Korea.

It was like a politician’s son openly demanding shares from a foreign company and threatening retaliation, something unthinkable in Korea.

“It’s the Central Committee member’s intention, not his son’s, right?”

“Chairman Zhao Yang suspects the same.”

I would have gladly paid a bribe, regardless of the amount, but I wasn’t willing to share my ownership.

“Shouldn’t a Central Committee member be focusing on politics instead of meddling in business? That bastard.”

The problem was that there was no easy solution.

I had built connections with influential figures in Shenzhen, but a Central Committee member was a national-level figure, on a different scale.

He might be just one of hundreds of members, and there were powerless members among them, but to a foreign company like Chunha Trading, they were all terrifying figures.

“This is a headache. What are his demands?”

“30%.”

“30%?!”

I had internally valued the department store at 2 trillion won, but that was a conservative estimate.

It was generating nearly 200 billion won in monthly net profit and had the potential to grow much larger. It was easily worth double that amount.

And I wasn’t selling.

“Is that Central Committee member crazy? 30%? Does he think he can retire after this one score?”

Even in China, it wasn’t easy to seize a private company with political power.

Image and power, although intangible, were depleted with use.

Although China was a one-party state ruled by the Communist Party, there were factions within the party, and such blatant extortion would give his rivals ammunition.

“Did you try bribing him?”

Li Yang shook his head. “He refused everything.”

“What did Chairman Zhao Yang say?”

“He suggested contacting the Central Committee member’s rival faction for help, but he doesn’t have the connections.”

I clutched my head. “This is a mess.”

I had met with all the influential figures in Shenzhen, but they were all hesitant to get involved.

Some even suggested I give up the shares and make the Central Committee member my backer.

“Are they crazy? Why would I share my company with that bastard?”

He might be using his son as a proxy, but it was just a pretense.

“Damn it, I want to crush them all.”

Li Yang said cautiously, “What do you mean by ‘crush them’?”

“It’s just an expression.”

But Li Yang’s expression turned serious.

He frowned, deep in thought, and then said with a determined expression,

“If that’s what you wish, I can find someone.”

“Find someone? Find who?”

He made a throat-cutting gesture with his hand. “You said you wanted to crush them, didn’t you?”

Despite his education and efforts to improve himself, Li Yang was still a heihaizi at heart.

I said in alarm, “The Central Committee member’s son?”

“Yes, if that’s what you wish, I’ll take responsibility…”

I waved my hands, stopping him. “Don’t be ridiculous! I’m a businessman, not a gangster!”

“I’m willing to do anything for you, sir. Just give me the order.”

His loyalty was admirable but also terrifying.

“I appreciate your loyalty, but don’t even think about it. Do you think the Central Committee member will just sit back and watch if something happens to his son?”

Li Yang bowed his head. “I apologize. I was just trying to alleviate your worries…”

“I appreciate your loyalty, Li Yang, but don’t ever think about that again. Taking responsibility? I would never abandon my people. And if you do anything reckless, I’ll be held accountable too. Remember that. Think of yourself as Park Sol when making decisions. And don’t ever mention taking responsibility again.”

He said with a touched expression, “I’m sorry, sir. I overstepped my boundaries. I’ll be more careful.”

“Tell the other employees the same. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

After reassuring Li Yang, my thoughts returned to the Central Committee member’s son.

“When is the deadline?”

“He gave us two weeks.”

“Ugh.”

Could I find a solution within two weeks?

How could I, a foreigner, challenge a powerful figure in China?

And even if I managed to overcome this, could I be sure it wouldn’t happen again?

It was a hopeless situation.

“This is a problem. The first time is always the hardest.”

If I gave in to the pressure and gave up the shares, it would set a precedent, and other Central Committee members might try the same tactic.

Then a thought occurred to me.

“If I have to be extorted, it’s better to be extorted by someone higher up.”

The Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, comprised of seven members, including the President.

They were the top seven most powerful figures in China. If I could offer them shares and secure their protection, I wouldn’t have to worry about being targeted by other officials.

I might even gain their support.

“The problem is, they won’t even meet with me.”

Countless people were lining up to meet with them.

I stood up abruptly.

“I have to try something. A Central Committee member? Screw him. Do you think I would have come this far by following others’ orders? If I have to be extorted, I’ll be extorted by the best!”

A week passed quickly.

And my expression hardened.

“There’s no way.”

My attempts to contact the Politburo Standing Committee members had failed, as expected.

“I’m not even aiming for President Jiang Zemin, the top-ranking member. But even Hu Jintao, the seventh-ranking member, is unreachable.”

I had spent a lot of money without any results.

“This is frustrating.”

As I was racking my brains for a solution, Li Yang rushed in with his phone.

“Sir! Someone wants to meet with you!”

“It’s not like I don’t have other appointments.”

But Li Yang said urgently, “It’s Haixin Group’s secretary’s office!”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “What? Haixin Group?”

Haixin Group was a massive Chinese conglomerate, one of the two dominant players in the Chinese electronics market.

If the factories we were dealing with were minor league, Haixin Group was major league.

“Why would Haixin Group want to meet with me?”

“I don’t know, sir. It’s just that…” He stammered. “Their chairman wants to meet with you.”

“The chairman?!”

I couldn’t fathom why the chairman of Haixin Group would want to meet with me.

The secondhand electronic components we distributed were used for manufacturing low-end products, not the cutting-edge electronics produced by Haixin Group.

“Why would… No, wait. That’s not important.”

My eyes gleamed. “I don’t know what he wants, but this is an opportunity. He must have connections with the Politburo Standing Committee.”

The chairman of one of China’s top five conglomerates wanted to meet with me.

This was an opportunity.

I took the phone from Li Yang. “Hello, this is Park Sol.”

[This is Haixin Group’s secretary’s office. Is this CEO Park Sol?]

“Yes, this is Park Sol.”

[Our chairman would like to meet with you.]

“Why would Chairman Haixin want to meet with me…?”

[We’re not sure either. Would you be available?]

I nodded vigorously. “Of course! I’m available anytime.”

I scheduled a meeting with his secretary and then shouted at Li Yang,

“Investigate everything related to Haixin Group! Anything! Our meeting is in two days, so hurry!”

Li Yang left, and I started speculating about the chairman’s motives.

“What could it be? He wouldn’t need secondhand electronic components.”

Haixin Group, a global company, competed with established players like Samsung and LG, not with small-time factories that used our components.

There was no other connection between us and Haixin Group.

“Could they be targeting our department store?”

I considered the possibility but dismissed it as unlikely.

Their main business was different, and there was no overlap with our current operations.

I couldn’t understand his motives, but I smiled. “My intuition is telling me this is a good thing.”