Chapter 164
Hwang Gyeongryong’s group was surprisingly unlisted?on the stock market! For ordinary companies, it was only natural to put their name on the stock market and sell stocks to attract external capital. What type of company only grew big on its own? External investments were almost essential for growth.
However, Hwang Gyeongryong chose to make money by killing more monsters and taking more cores instead. As a result, his group became one of the largest in the world despite remaining unlisted. Without a listing, it was difficult to get investments, but there were also advantages.
For one, the chairman’s power was absolute. Public companies had to look at shareholders and were subjected to various audits when running their companies. However, a privately held company could do whatever the chairman wanted. It was as if there were no shareholders.
In fact, the shares of Hwang Gyeongryong’s group were mostly held by Hwang Gyeongryong. What Hwang Gyeongryong gifted to Choi Yeonseung were shares in Dragon Artifact.
The company’s shares represented rights in the company itself. Even if he only had a few percent, he could participate in the management of the company. If he exceeded 30-40%, then he could control the management of the company. Dismissing a CEO or director and hiring new ones, splitting off or merging companies, starting a new business, etc.
Strictly speaking, Choi Yeonseung was close to a salaryman hired as the CEO of Dragon Artifact. However, Dragon Artifact literally became Choi Yeonseung’s company since he received the shares. Only Hwang Gyeongryong was above him, but he wouldn’t interfere with what Choi Yeonseung was doing. That showed his intention to leave it to Choi Yeonseung so he would be pushing him even more firmly!
-No. Is it okay to give this to me? Won’t the people in the group feel deprived when they see this?
-Nobody will know if you don’t spread the word that you received shares. Honestly, it doesn’t matter even if they know. Nobody in my company will feel deprived because of this.
People didn’t just give away shares. After all, they were the life of the company. They could give rewards with money. Why hand over shares that were like blood? However, Hwang Gyeongryong thought differently.
‘If you want the employee to have a sense of ownership, then shouldn’t they just really become the owner?’
He had surprisingly given shares to those who had achieved results over and over again.
… Of course, Choi Yeonseung got a different amount of shares. No company owner in the world would hand over more than a few tenths of a percent at a time. Hwang Gyeongryong didn’t even hand over shares to his own children like that!
“... Um. I’ve already received the promised shares.”
“!!”
Morales was shocked. He had received it?
“That’s... Really?”
“I don’t see any reason why I should lie about this.”
“Amazing... I didn’t know a company that would really give it actually existed…”
A-grade hunters were terrifying, but the greed of corporations was even worse. Those who ran them would willingly risk a few lives for profit!
“Jacob, the president of Parker Energy, promised me shares and is trying to appease me with a few hundred million dollars.”
“... Uh, I see.”
The astronomical amount of money Morales suddenly mentioned baffled Choi Yeonseung. Choi Yeonseung used to earn millions of won thirty years ago. After spending more than ten thousand years in the Abyss, his sense of currency was completely paralyzed. Borrowing Hwang Gyeongryong’s bankbook as if it was his own didn’t help either.
‘Isn’t a few hundred million dollars enough?’
Of course, Choi Yeonseung didn’t express this.
Morales seemed quite angry. “I was planning to fight hand in hand with Hunter Choi Yeonseung, but since you are being treated properly... I think I misjudged. Although Dragon Hwang always says a lot, he truly does show faith.”
“I... see?” Choi Yeonseung was puzzled, but he seemed to know why Morales came. It was clear that he wanted to join forces with Choi Yeonseung to rip off shares from their respective companies. Due to their strength, A-grade hunters were like strategic weapons. If they joined forces, their power would be nearly similar to natural disasters. “Morales. I don’t have to?overthrow Dragon?Industry with your help, but there is no reason we can’t cooperate.”
“......!” Morales’ eyes lit up. Choi Yeonseung gave a much more favorable response than expected.
“So... ”
“There are many other reasons in the world for us to join forces.”
“I think I get what you’re saying.”
Morales nodded.
They both spoke at the same time.
“Let’s work together in a raid...”
“You want to divide the shares that I will get from Parker Energy in half?”
“...... ”
“...... ”
***
Morales was flustered.
“Go ahead.”
“Uh... I was going to suggest working together to protect humanity,” Choi Yeonseung said with a shaky expression.
A-grade hunters were very cautious despite their abilities. Even if they were asked to do a raid together, it was obvious that they would say things like, ‘Why me?’?Moreover, raiding the Abyss gate was absurd. In return for helping, Choi Yeonseung planned to ask Morales to fight with him...
Morales looked dumbfounded. He had always been blunt, but he was very expressive today.
“That’s... As a hunter, isn't that what we should do?"
“What? Is that so? I thought few people would enter a dungeon even if it opened right in front of them if they had nothing to gain from it.”
Morales was momentarily ashamed. He was definitely right. After rising in status, they started to go back and forth over various factors before entering a dungeon. How profitable it was, what they could get from the government, what companies wanted, etc. However, the hunter in front of him didn’t care about such things at all. Rather, he truly just wanted to protect humanity.
Protect humanity. It was so obvious that hunters didn’t even bother to say it. Or perhaps it was because the hunters themselves knew that they entered dungeons not to protect humanity but to satisfy their own greed.
[Wes Morales is giving you his respect. The power of your existence has risen!]
“?”
Choi Yeonseung was puzzled by the sudden reaction. Why all of a sudden?
“What do you mean by splitting the shares of Parker Energy in half?”
“Parker Energy is a very attractive company, so I thought you would be interested if you could own half of it.”
“Hmm. Okay. I see no reason to refuse.”
Money and power were good things to have. Moreover, the shares in question were Parker Energy’s.
“How do you plan to get shares that they refuse to give? I doubt you’re planning to sue.”
It would be difficult to win in court unless they?threatened?the judge with a knife against the judge’s throat. America was a paradise for big businesses. The Parker family could get away with murder, let alone get away with the promise of giving shares.
“Ah. Will you threaten them?”
“... I won’t.”
Morales was once again taken aback.
“No? I thought that method would be effective.”
Many hunters would bring trouble to other hunters through any means, but surprisingly, they were good at controlling their anger in front of the strong. Hence, it was hard to find hunters who would go against the Parker family.
“It isn’t easy to kidnap them, and they will never back down.”
“Why? They would usually give you what you want if you stuck a knife to their throats.”
“Jacob is the president of Parker Energy. He is the eldest son of the Parker family. Nevertheless, if he gets captured, his father, Alex Parker, would be the one to decide on what to do with him.”
“Ah. The one with a dirty personality.”
“......”
Morales was stunned. It was hard to find anyone who would outright insult the chairman of the Parker family, even among the A-grades.
“You think he will abandon his own son if his son gets kidnapped?”
“Yes…”
“If so, then the one we should kidnap is... No. That would be difficult. There is a lot of security there.”
Morales wanted to ask, ‘How do you know the security is tight?’ but he held back.
“I can make a deal with him.”
Choi Yeonseung nodded with satisfaction when Morales pulled out an analog map even though they were in this modern era that was filled with state-of-the-art technology.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Keep going.”
“Do you know what this is?”
“Is it a dungeon?”
“Yes. A white one.”
A white dungeon.
Red dungeons were dungeons that had killed multiple raid parties. On the other hand, white dungeons were safe and had no time limit. Without any time limit, it was virtually unable to explode. Back when humanity still had no experience, they attacked these dungeons mercilessly. However, as time passed, people realized something.
-If it doesn't explode, can’t we just leave it alone and farm its monsters for materials?
Monster cores couldn’t be produced from mining or digging. They had to keep looking for dungeons and monsters. On the other hand, they could farm cores from untouched dungeons. That shift in perception was almost revolutionary in the raid industry.
‘No matter how many times I hear about it, I still find it crazy.’
As a hunter from an older generation, Choi Yeonseung was a bit reluctant to leave even white dungeons alone to use them as a core mine. It had no time limit, but there was nothing more foolish than believing in things from the Abyss. The Abyss could stab them in the back at any moment. What if the dungeon suddenly exploded?
“Surprisingly, the gate of this white dungeon is over a closet. If we move the closet...”
“Will the gate move?”
Morales nodded. Choi Yeonseung was amazed. Dungeon gates’ spawn locations were completely random, so this happened from time to time. It could open on top of animals and plants or on movable objects.
“This dungeon?is ranked?B-grade.”
“A spring that rarely dries up, huh.”
The B-grade cores alone made it worthy of keeping open. The world inside it produced tens of millions of dollars at a time. They couldn’t kill the boss monster since it would clear the dungeon, but the benefits of killing all the other monsters were enormous.
“Parker Energy has secured this dungeon and has expanded its factory facilities accordingly. They won’t give up on this.”
Parker Energy had high hopes for this white dungeon. They called in Morales, an A-grade hunter, to fully explore the dungeon. Moreover, they have also increased their number of facilities to deal with the cores they would produce from it.
“The plan is very detailed... Considering you can’t do it alone, is a hunter guarding it?”
“Yes. An A-grade.”
Choi Yeonseung nodded. It would’ve certainly been funny if they left such a dungeon alone. Tight security aside, it should be guarded by a powerful hunter.
“How many?”
“Just one.”
“This would be easy, then.”
One of them would stop the A-grade hunter, and the other would subdue the surrounding troops. It wouldn’t even take long—a few minutes should be enough. They could even escape before reinforcements could come from the nearby areas.
Choi Yeonseung’s confidence made Morales smile with satisfaction. “I heard that martial artists are specialists in single combat. I’m looking forward to seeing your fight.”
“It isn’t to that extent, but let’s try our best. By the way, who is the other A-grade hunter?”
“She’s a Korean hunter, so you probably know her. Hunter Han Seha?”
“......”
Choi Yeonseung’s expression turned serious.
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