In the basement of Captain Kang's traditional Korean restaurant was a private parking lot.
It was reserved for only a handful of VIPs—a space that, in a sense, I could call my own personal parking area.
"Chairman, you're here! The guests have already arrived and are waiting for you."
"You didn't conduct body searches or anything of that sort, did you?"
"I received a message from the Planning Director. He asked me to prepare for any unforeseen situations, so we activated the security system. If any bugging or recording devices are switched on, you'll be notified within ten seconds."
Captain Kang's security company spent billions of won every year just on purchasing the latest equipment.
The annex building, in particular, had a flawless bug-detection system installed.
"No one in their right mind would try something like that. Still, just in case, please continue real-time monitoring. You can reduce the number of security personnel, though."
"Understood. I'll escort you to the annex."
Guided by Captain Kang, I moved to the annex.
When the doors opened, familiar faces rose from their seats to greet me.
"Chairman Kim! It's been a long time. I heard you were in the U.S. for quite a while. I'm sorry you had to go through such an ordeal right after returning from an extended business trip."
"Not at all. I'm simply grateful you arranged this meeting to clear up the misunderstandings. Still, I would appreciate it if future questions could be handled in writing."
"Of course, of course. For now, please take your seat."
The Chief Presidential Secretary gestured to the seat across from him.
It was a subtle signal—an acknowledgment that I held power equal to his own, second only to the president within the Blue House hierarchy.
My first impression of him hadn't been great.
But after spending some time with him, I realized he wasn't such a bad person.
He was simply blunt and lacking in courtesy.
"On behalf of the party, I'd like to apologize. Our lawmakers were a bit too eager. I ask for your broad understanding."
"This isn't something the party leader needs to apologize for. And I've already forgotten about it."
The ruling party leader flashed a sly smile as he offered his apology.
At the same time, as if rehearsed, three members of the National Assembly bowed their heads deeply.
"We are truly sorry for what happened during the hearing."
"We never meant to antagonize Taewoo Group or insult you personally, Chairman."
"We honestly didn't expect the demand forecast from the previous administration to be so far off. We apologize."
I remained silent, simply listening to their words.
But the Chief Presidential Secretary spoke up before I did, reprimanding them.
"Come now, is that how you apologize? Do it properly."
The lawmakers rose from their seats.
Then they bowed at a full ninety degrees to me.
If I said nothing even now, the Chief Secretary looked ready to make them kneel.
I despised such theatrics.
So I broke my silence and accepted their apology—for the time being.
"How could this really be your fault, gentlemen? It was nothing more than a mishap caused by inaccurate forecasts from the demand agency. Please, have a seat."
"You mean… you'll accept our apology?"
"It's not even something that warrants an apology, but if it puts your minds at ease, then I'll accept it."
"Hahaha! Chairman Kim is indeed a man of bold character. What were we thinking, dragging a man like this into a hearing? Now then, let's all relax and have a drink."
The Chief Presidential Secretary personally poured my drink.
His friendliness toward me couldn't be just about the hearing. There had to be something else he wanted—something that made even the stiff-necked lawmakers bow their heads.
There was no need to use any special ability to look for details. The Secretary's forced, dark expression and the exhale he gave after taking a gulp said it all.
"Chief Secretary, you don't look well. Is something wrong?" I asked.
"The world is in an uproar over the new flu epidemic. It's not easy to get the only effective treatment, Tamiflu. We currently have only one million doses in reserve; we need to increase that to ten million to feel secure. I heard that Centurion, the company producing Tamiflu, is effectively owned by Taewoo Group. How could this not be urgent?"
I had expected he'd want something. It was also well within reason to guess that his target was Tamiflu. The drug was becoming scarce worldwide, and rumors were growing that the World Health Organization might soon declare the new flu a pandemic.
"Unfortunately, all the Tamiflu that has already been produced is tied up under existing contracts. For future production, however, we can offer you higher priority," I replied.
"Is that really all you can offer? The administration's approval ratings have dropped a lot. Shouldn't we help each other out?"
Tamiflu was indeed a card that could revive approval ratings. Since the administration could not restore its own standing by itself, it would have to lean on us.
"Although Taewoo Group can shoulder any contractual penalties, at the end of the day it's a matter of trust. If we give the government priority supply, it would break trust with other countries and companies," I said.
"Breaking trust with those countries and firms would only strengthen the ties between us and the Republic of Korea's government. If you help us this time, we will actively back Taewoo Group."
I kept up an expression of discomfort, but in truth there was nothing to be troubled about. Taewoo Group owned the majority of the Tamiflu already produced. Other nations and companies kept requesting contracts, but we had allocated only fifty percent to foreign sales and held the rest tightly.
We expected a scenario like today's. While monetary transactions with politicians would be criminal, providing a treatment would not land us in jail. Tamiflu was worth more than money in this moment. It was a perfect opportunity to extract a significant return from the government.
That was why we had spent so much to secure joint production rights for Tamiflu in the first place.
"May I ask one favor? Lately I've been very concerned about global warming. Since I run manufacturing subsidiaries, it's a topic I pay close attention to."
"Heh—very different from other chaebol heads. They're all clamoring to loosen environmental regulations, but Chairman Kim speaks the other way. So what exactly would you like the government to do? Be blunt."
He couldn't openly request favoritism for Taewoo Group. That would backfire once the administration changed, causing trouble. But if they drafted environmental legislation that indirectly benefited Taewoo Group, nobody could object.
"I've heard the U.S. and Europe are preparing laws that provide incentives for electric vehicles. Unlike internal-combustion cars, EVs don't emit CO₂, so they'd be a big help against global warming."
"Hmm. The opposition has brought that up, I've heard."
"Would the ruling party and the Blue House support it? I believe it's a law that could foster cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties."
The National Economic Party had already started moving on this, and even the progressive opposition was on board. The opposition was pushing the bill hard, precisely because it expected the Blue House and ruling party to resist.
"That won't be easy. Electric vehicles may not be fully commercialized yet, and without subsidies clearing the U.S. and Europe first, Korea can't move ahead alone."
"I'm not asking the government to rush. I'm speaking on the assumption that subsidy bills pass in the U.S. and Europe."
"If advanced countries do that, we can support EV subsidies and even part of charging-station costs. It's not easy for the government politically, but under a mutual-assistance premise, it's feasible."
It was a good deal. Selling Tamiflu overseas could fetch a premium, true. But the gains from EV subsidies and charging-station support could outweigh any extra profit from export premiums.
"Then we'll supply five million doses to the government this month, and the remaining four million doses no later than next month."
"Could you possibly supply Tamiflu to us at cost?" he asked.
Who was this—some kind of robber? Not only did he demand the drug without paying a premium, but he also wanted it at cost.
"That's not possible. The joint-production agreement prohibits unilateral price reductions. If we handed Tamiflu to the government at cost, Centurion's production rights would be revoked."
"Then there's nothing we can do about it. I'll report to the Blue House that nine million doses will be supplied by next month."
"I promise the schedule won't be disrupted. Also, starting next month, Tamiflu will become very difficult to obtain. Still, I guarantee that at least twenty percent of production will be reserved for the Republic of Korea."
The Chief Presidential Secretary wore a pleased smile.
Then he turned and addressed the lawmakers.
"Why were you so harsh to someone who cares about the country like this? Go on, apologize again."
[We're sorry!]
The lawmakers, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly took the blame. They slammed their heads onto the table with a thud.
Subway Line 9 and Tamiflu—now they finally realized whom they had crossed.
"This is already settled. Why drag it out? Now, relax and have a drink," he said.
"Should I? I'll let this pass for Chairman Kim's sake. Truth be told, I'd prefer if you resigned your seats, but I can't do that in front of Chairman Kim. Phew!"
The lawmakers bowed even deeper.
From now on, their hearts would race at the mere mention of Taewoo Group's name.
If someone suffers only minor setbacks they might plan revenge, but when they are trampled mercilessly, fear alone remains.
***
The next day.
President Han came to see me early in the morning.
"I waited in Captain Kang's office for quite a while yesterday."
"I drank too much to spare the time to stop by Captain Kang's office."
"Were you able to settle things properly yesterday?"
Normally, after negotiations with the government, I would drop by Captain Kang's office.
But since I hadn't done so yesterday, I instead explained everything that had happened to President Han in the chairman's office.
"You managed to secure subsidies for electric vehicles and even support for charging stations?"
"There's a condition attached—that the U.S. and Europe adopt such policies first."
"That won't be an issue. David is working hard on that front, and once the Apple Car is released, everything will fall into place! At first, I couldn't understand why you were so interested in Tamiflu, Chairman, but now I see. I never imagined it was for this reason!"
President Han's mouth fell open.
Since he had been skeptical about spending such a large sum to acquire Tamiflu's production rights, his reaction was even more dramatic.
"When you add up the subsidies and support, the amount roughly matches what we spent to secure Tamiflu's production rights."
"And on top of that, we'll be generating profit from Tamiflu itself. We'll not only break even, but also gain more besides. Once again, I'm convinced—I will never oppose anything you decide to do, Chairman!"
I was still listening to President Han's heartfelt flattery when a call came in from David.
[Boss! The WHO has declared the new flu a pandemic—the highest stage of epidemic classification. And the U.S. government is sending people to Korea to secure Tamiflu!]
At last, the pandemic had begun.
It was the moment when Tamiflu's price would multiply several times over.