A Wall Street Genius's Final Investment Playbook-Chapter 298: Side Story, The Marquis (4)

“I told you… not to get close to that guy!”

Gerard almost raised his voice higher but clamped his mouth shut. Unspoken words piled up at the bottom of his throat like a mountain. The nagging he’d repeated hundreds of times.

Ha Si-heon is dangerous. Choose your friends carefully. Who you keep by your side can change your life.

And yet, none of those words had ever reached Rachel. In the end, this disaster had happened.

‘Rachel… resorting to threats!’

Rachel, who had always been purer than anyone else. But Ha Si-heon was slowly staining even her soul. Gerard bit down hard on his lip. What was needed now was not nagging or preaching. Especially at a time like this, he had to guide Rachel to open her own eyes. Gerard took a deep breath and spoke as gently as he could.

“Think about it. Forcing someone like this… that’s not like you at all. This is the very tactic he always uses.”

“Don’t tell me… you mean Sean again?”

Of course him! Who else could it be? He wanted to snap back, but instead, Gerard cleared his throat and spoke carefully.

“Sure, I’ll admit it—he does have talent. He has many remarkable qualities. But… that doesn’t mean he has no flaws. What worries me is that you’re so blinded by Ha Si-heon’s strengths that you’re beginning to copy his dangerous weaknesses. Especially this kind of intimidation… that’s something you should never learn.”

“Intimidation? Sean?”

Rachel tilted her head as if Gerard was mistaken, then smiled softly.

“That’s a misunderstanding. Yes, Sean can be bold and push forward sometimes, but intimidation… no.”

Gerard felt like he was going insane. Did she have any idea what kind of person Ha Si-heon was? Not only intimidation, but if anyone stood in his way, he would utterly destroy them—no matter who they were. He was nothing less than a walking natural disaster. And yet Rachel could say, “Sean would never threaten anyone”?

It was no different than a dog owner laughing while saying, “My dog doesn’t bite,” even as the beast bared its fangs. Gerard let out a deep sigh only in his heart, then spoke calmly.

“Regardless, he’s dangerous. Wasn’t toppling China and Greece enough? He even sparked an AI war that drove the U.S. and China into head-on collision.”

This was a man who treated overthrowing nations like a hobby. Surely even Rachel had to admit how dangerous he was. This time Rachel hesitated for a moment, then replied.

“That situation escalated way beyond what he intended. But it really did start with good intentions. Sean… he’s good at heart.”

Gerard’s face twisted uncontrollably. Good at heart? Ha Si-heon?

“Sure, his methods are rough and invite misunderstanding, but in the end, everything Sean does is for the weak.”

No wonder Gerard was about to burst. What on earth had Ha Si-heon done to make Rachel believe him without a shred of doubt? And to say all his actions were for the weak? Who in their right mind could glorify a man like Ha Si-heon in such a way? Gerard simply couldn’t understand. Normally she was sharp, so why did she become so blind whenever it involved him?

The answer revealed itself easily enough. Rachel lowered her gaze and gave a bitter smile.

“You don’t know because you’ve never seen it. If you’d watched Sean treat patients with such warmth, not even once could you doubt his sincerity.”

That was it. The reason Rachel trusted Ha Si-heon so blindly. Because she had seen him dedicate himself to the Castleman Foundation. But by now, he no longer had to keep up such an act.

At first, Gerard thought Ha Si-heon only approached Rachel for her wealth or connections. He figured working at the Castleman Foundation was just an excuse to get close to her. But that wasn’t it. Ha Si-heon still sincerely helped with the foundation’s work. Even now, when he already possessed wealth, fame, and everything else.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was inherently a good person. Which left only one conclusion. He had feelings for Rachel.

It made sense. Rachel was flawless, a perfect sister. Her only fault was being too kind and too pure. It wasn’t surprising that even someone like Ha Si-heon would be drawn to her. But still… A man without a shred of conscience? A man so dark inside that even a devil would recoil? And he dared to desire Rachel? It was like pouring mud into crystal-clear spring water.

But there was no doubt. Why else would he still dedicate himself to the foundation? He was simply putting on the act of a perfect saint to win Rachel’s heart. And Rachel was so innocent she had been completely fooled by that third-rate performance.

“And as for me acting on Sean’s advice—that’s a total misunderstanding. Sean doesn’t know anything about my gallery. He doesn’t even know what the Art Nest platform is.”

“That can’t be…”

“It’s true.”

Gerard studied her lips carefully. Whenever Rachel lied, she had the unconscious habit of biting the inside of her mouth, leaving a small dimple in her cheek. But this time, there was no sign of it. She was telling the truth. She really hadn’t told Ha Si-heon about this matter.

“Why not?”

“Because Sean is so busy… and this time I wanted to try handling it with my own strength. Of course, if I had consulted him, Sean probably would have suggested a better way.”

“A… better way?”

Gerard’s mind went blank. Ha Si-heon had once overturned the entire nation of China just to hand Gerard a CEO position. And that was simply because he wanted to impress Rachel. So what if Rachel herself asked him directly this time? How far would he go? Would mere destruction be enough? In the worst case, Marquis itself might be completely obliterated.

All because they refused to approve one guest list for a charity event!

‘No, calm down. That’s overreacting. As reckless as he is, surely not even he would go that far… right?’

No. Thinking back, if it was Ha Si-heon, he absolutely would.

“…Uncles won’t even take me seriously. I just want you to bring it up on my behalf. But if it’s too much trouble, you don’t have to force yourself. I can try finding another way…”

Another way? Gerard’s mind flashed back to Rachel’s earlier words.

—Of course, if I had consulted him, Sean probably would have suggested a better way…

“Wait—hold on!”

A sound close to a scream escaped from him. When Rachel flinched, Gerard plastered on a forced smile and hurriedly steadied his step.

“What I mean is, well… ahem! Of course I’ll help my sister. I think I can find some way.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I already have a plan forming. So…”

Desperation shone in Gerard’s eyes.

“Never, never! Don’t you dare ask that guy for help.”

After Rachel left, Gerard paced the room for a while, sorting his thoughts.

‘Before that man moved, I must resolve this first…!’

He couldn’t allow Ha Si-heon to get involved in this matter. If that happened… Gerard might end up as the Marquise family’s ‘last’ CEO! At least he’d secured a promise from Rachel that she wouldn’t tell Ha Si-heon anything. But he couldn’t let his guard down. It was natural to casually check up on the woman one cared for. What if Ha Si-heon noticed this problem someday? And what if he found out Rachel had been suffering alone…?

Such an outcome had to be prevented at all costs! All problems had to be neatly solved beforehand. In other words, the issue Rachel faced — getting the uncles to willingly welcome commoners into the guest list for a charity event — had to be fixed.

Of course, it wasn’t that there were no options at all. There was the method Rachel had suggested. The tactic Ha Si-heon liked to use. That is, “intimidation.”

“If you don’t approve now, we’ll brand the Marquise family as a closed aristocratic clique,” pressuring the uncles.

That was a critical threat. From a cost-benefit perspective, it could very well convince the family council. But something didn’t sit right. Would that really work? At first he thought of it as Ha Si-heon’s signature-style threat… but now it felt off. It resembled the man’s method yet was missing something crucial. This was just a typical threat: “If you don’t follow my demand, there will be consequences.”

However, strictly speaking, Ha Si-heon’s approach was different. His real trademark lay elsewhere.

—Threats? Me? How could you say such a thing… I’m hurt.

First, he often added a sickeningly wounded performance to it. He’d corner someone and then act indignant—claiming he never intended harm and that his intentions were being misunderstood. But Rachel’s “threat” lacked that particular Ha Si-heon–style insincerity. Second, and more importantly, he never only wielded the stick—he always offered the carrot too.

That was Ha Si-heon’s method. That way there’d be no backlash. Even if the threatened party later complained, the situation could be neatly summarized: “So? You benefited too, didn’t you?” Once that happened, nobody would listen to the victim’s voice anymore.

The man was meticulous. No matter how you thought about it—he was dangerous. Rachel had to be kept at a distance. She mustn’t learn this behavior.

Still, another voice kept whispering insistently in Gerard’s head.

Maybe once… borrowing the tactic wouldn’t be so bad? It’s undeniably effective.

That was an extremely dangerous thought. It meant being tainted by Ha Si-heon’s method. But Gerard wasn’t like Rachel. He already knew, painfully well, how dangerous Ha Si-heon was. If he only kept his vigilance… Could he briefly borrow the man’s useful strategies while remaining untainted? If he simulated the man’s method for a moment…

He needed to refine Rachel’s first crude threat more elegantly. As it stood, it only wielded the stick. He absolutely had to add the carrot. He must bundle “the disgrace if you refuse my demand” with “the benefits you’ll receive if you comply.”

But no suitable carrot came to mind. No wonder — the uncles were the heads of the Marquise family. They already had money, honor, and power. What they truly desired above all was the right to designate Marquise’s successor. There was no other lure that could tempt them. No matter how he wracked his brains, he saw no breakthrough.

Would that man—Ha Si-heon—have seen some other solution?

His thoughts slid naturally toward, What would Ha Si-heon do? but Gerard caught himself and shook his head vigorously.

‘Get a grip! Never become like him! Only borrow his method, never let your entire mindset be corrupted by him!’

Just as he clung to himself against that dizzying temptation, the secretary entered.

“Director, the center director has arrived.”

“And… Chairman Rupert has also come.”

The meeting that followed was to showcase the ‘new product’ Gerard had instructed the R&D director to develop.

“Is the prototype ready?”

“Here it is.”

The items on the table were all inventive. Balloons that turned into smoke when popped, glowing candies made with vitamin ingredients, and so on. Magical candies using molecular gastronomy techniques. Gerard examined them with considerable satisfaction when…

“This is child’s play.”

A blatantly dissatisfied voice popped out. It was Great-Uncle Rupert. Since Gerard had moved independently despite being initially named puppet heir, Rupert had been desperately trying to regain control. His method was to attend meetings and nitpick everything. Like now.

Arms crossed, scoffing, he sneered, “Thinking anything creative will sell? Tsk tsk, you haven’t even looked at past cases.”

He was mocking the Marquise family’s previous “creative attempts.” Once, Marquise had launched mint-flavored candies, glittery chocolate bars aimed at women, even wasabi N&N—odd new products. But the results had been disastrous. After a string of failures, Marquise had shifted thoroughly to a classic-products-focused strategy. And now Gerard was experimenting with something unusual again. Rupert’s jibe aimed at exactly that.

Gerard confidently retorted.

“Those products relied solely on ‘being unusual’ and were judged subjectively on ‘taste.’ I am different. This new product is focused on visual spectacle. In this era, it’s a content-driven strategy tied to SNS virality. In other words, consumers will no longer treat candy as merely food but as an entertainment experience.”

“So… you’re going to push it through at all costs?”

“At the very least, we should try. And I’m not diving in blindly without data. We will conduct thorough market research and concept validation.”

Gerard’s calm words made Rupert’s face flush. In fact, Rupert himself had been the one responsible for many of those past failed product launches. Back then, he’d moved without any verification at all.

“Are you talking to me right now…?”

Gerard deliberately widened his eyes and, smiling, pointed at himself.

“Me? No, I was just speaking generally.”

Until this morning, the uncles had seemed like an impenetrable barrier to his management rights. But when real calamity like Ha Si-heon struck, Rupert’s persistence looked trivial.

“If you intend to oppose my strategy, subjective arguments like ‘that’s how it was before’ or ‘I have a bad feeling’ won’t be persuasive. If you wish to rebut, please present rational counterarguments based on data. Also…”

He let out a small sigh and added,

“Please don’t act unilaterally without prior consultation with me. Not like during the last presidential election.”

At Gerard’s words, his uncle’s face reddened further. The ‘presidential election incident’ referred to when they had decided which candidate to back ahead of the U.S. presidential election. For Marquise, choosing which candidate to support was a highly important issue. This time Gerard had to represent Marquise and make that decision. Back then, he had pushed for Trenton on Ha Si-heon’s advice.

It had been madness. Most predictions and the press leaned toward Helena Clayton’s victory, so Gerard’s stance carried great risk. But he lacked the courage to oppose Ha Si-heon and closed his eyes, betting everything. He nearly got fired over it. Both great-uncle and uncle had scolded him mercilessly for poor judgement. Great-uncle had even secretly backed Helena in case she won.

Yet the election result…

“In the end, wasn’t I right?”

Against everyone’s expectations, Trenton won. Gerard let out an involuntary snort of laughter. He vividly recalled his two uncles’ aghast faces. But he quickly let the smile fade, shook his head, and sighed lightly.

“That almost caused a huge problem recently.”

Gerard had consistently supported Trenton from the start. But because of his great-uncle’s unilateral actions, Marquise ended up looking waffling between the two candidates, which was embarrassing.

“I had to make all sorts of excuses to clean that up.”

“Th-that…!”

Great-uncle’s face had become like a red brick. Gerard’s excuse had been somewhat eccentric.

— My uncle is getting on in years……his memory isn’t what it used to be, and he sometimes acts strangely without consultation…

In short, he buried that episode as “our senile great-uncle caused trouble,” leaving an image of Rupert as a doddering elder with the Trenton side. As a result, whenever they met officially, Trenton would put on special politeness—asking after Rupert’s health and such. At those times, great-uncle had to play the part of the senile old man with tears in his eyes. He would deliberately slow his speech and answer awkwardly.

“Please, this once, do not act unilaterally without consulting me. You might gain an unfortunate image if you step out again.”

This time even great-uncle couldn’t sneer. In matters directly tied to the president, no one had contested Gerard’s view. It was natural. Even the most venerable old-money families bowed before the president. That was true of other old-money families as well.

It was at that moment a lightning-flash thought struck somewhere in his head.

‘Wait…!?’

A problem that had offered no clue despite all his pondering just a moment ago now snapped into place. The carrot that would tempt even the uncles had connected into a clear form in an instant. His heart pounded and his mind lit up.

Yes, this is it! He found it. A perfect bait that everyone would covet.