The following morning, Gawin went straight to the Chairman's office. The faint, lingering scent of Oolong tea drifted lazily through the air. Li Ming set his teacup down slowly as the Thai director approached. Seeing the file in Gawin's hand, the Chairman offered an uncharacteristically warm, paternal smile.
"Mr. Gawin... is there something so urgent you had to see me in person?" Li Ming greeted, though his eyes remained sharp, dissecting Gawin's every movement.
Gawin bowed politely and placed the file on the mahogany desk. "Chairman, this is a critical proposal that requires your direct authorization before the merger proceedings accelerate in the coming days."
He locked eyes with the Chairman, his voice resonant and steady. "Our Due Diligence team discovered that KCC's land and energy infrastructure are being written off as depreciated junk. In reality, they are an invaluable goldmine of cost-savings for our Green Hydrogen project."
Li Ming raised an eyebrow. "You want to strip the land and power grid before KCC is swallowed by CLS?"
"Precisely," Gawin replied instantly. "I need that site for our electrolyzer base. If we wait until after the merger, the legal bureaucracy and the CFO's oversight will create a quagmire that could delay us by a year. Every month of delay is a month our enemies can claim this project is a financial sinkhole."
Li Ming flipped through the file, his expression unreadable. "But gutting a primary asset could lower the merger valuation. The board and VCC might use that as an excuse to come after me."
Gawin didn't flinch. He opened a tablet, displaying a meticulously detailed comparison graph. "Building a new grid from scratch costs $50 million and takes a year for permits. Cannibalizing KCC's bones costs almost nothing and saves us $45 million instantly. Delivering profits a year early is a language the board understands perfectly."
Li Ming studied the data, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. "But... what if the project fails to meet its targets within twelve months? Won't this land become a stranded, useless asset? The board will certainly ask me that."
"I've already drafted Plan B," Gawin answered with a confident smile. "Should an error occur—which I am closing every loop to prevent—we will immediately pivot the site into an Alternative Energy R&D Center. We preserve the talent and the intellectual property at minimal cost. The land will never sit idle; its value will only grow."
Li Ming nodded slowly, his smile widening. "I see... you've looked through every move. Impressive." He sat up straight. "Very well. I will expedite the review of your plan immediately."
Gawin bowed. "Thank you, Chairman." He turned and exited the room, his footsteps silent on the plush carpet.
However... the moment the door clicked shut, the gentle smile on Li Ming's face evaporated. His eyes turned as dark and fathomless as the deep ocean. He picked up his private line and dialed a mysterious contact.
"Regarding the proposal you gave me the other day... I've made my decision," his voice had turned to ice. He glanced toward the door Gawin had just walked through. "Let's begin the plan as you laid it out. It's time to exterminate the parasites once and for all."
The Old Dragon's lips curled into a wicked smirk. His eyes were fixed on the next pawn he was about to move on this lethal chessboard.