"Are you aware the prosecution is currently investigating DN Card's bad debt?"

"How could I not? It's giving me a splitting headache."

Hwajeong Trust's representative pressed his temple as he spoke.

"Of the bad debt DN Group concealed, our share alone exceeds 150 billion won."

"We've got close to 100 billion tied up in it as well."

Dongeun Trust's representative spoke as though it were the same for them.

And such complaints continued for some time.

From talk of what would happen if they never got their money back to suggestions that DN Group had done this precisely in order to avoid repaying, grievances against DN Group poured out.

Feeling the trust firms' resentment run exactly as Seong-ho had described, Chung-seop Jo put his question.

"Do you all intend to simply sit still?"

"And if we don't sit still?"

Hwajeong's representative turned to Dongeun's beside him.

Confirming that Dongeun's man wore an equally blank expression, he spoke.

"Do you have some good method for recovering the money tied up in DN Group?"

"You know as well as I do, Representative, that no such method exists."

"Of course I know. DN Group admitted the insolvency and the prosecution is investigating, so the bonds have turned to wastepaper. Is there anyone in this room who doesn't know that?"

Hwajeong's representative looked around at the other trust representatives.

Having sought their agreement that he was right, he spoke again.

"And yet Representative Jo of Silla Future Asset asks whether we intend to sit still, so I asked in turn. We may not know, but perhaps Silla Future Asset has some clever trick up its sleeve."

There were thorns in the words.

Unlike Hwajeong and Dongeun, which had held their places as market participants for many years, Silla Future Asset was less than ten years old — a novice barely worth calling a newcomer.

And yet, by whatever sorcery, it had grown to contest the industry's top position with Ilhyeon.

Indeed, given Ilhyeon's heavy losses after President Jeong-eun Lee took over, against Silla Future Asset's unbroken ascent, its recent momentum was strong enough that…