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CH118 | DI
🕑 Added 2025-05-24 12:25:02 +0000 UTCMeanwhile, Holmes’s mind was swirling with complex thoughts.
Theranos was on the verge of securing a massive investment.
If they could secure this funding…
They could fix Newton’s numerous flaws and cross the threshold to success.
The only thing they needed was money.
Everything had gone smoothly so far.
Holmes had skillfully avoided the rigorous financial audits that institutional investors typically demanded.
Instead of going through investment banks, she had spread discreet rumors by leveraging existing investors and board members’ networks.
‘As if they were being invited into an exclusive secret club…?’
Secret clubs usually had intricate rules.
Those who questioned these rules would inevitably find the doors closed to them.
As a result, investors, afraid of missing out, hesitated to request due diligence documents…
Thanks to that, the investment funds snowballed without major issues.
The strategy seemed flawless.
Until Ha Si-heon appeared.
Ha Si-heon.
The first person to question Theranos’s technology and the key figure behind the Epicura scandal that shook the entire country.
His reappearance was an ominous sign.
Someone who had never trusted Theranos’s technology couldn’t have come with pure investment intentions.
‘Could he be planning to expose the lack of technology?’
Judging by his actions, it seemed likely.
That would explain his eagerness for due diligence.
However, Ha Si-heon’s ‘words’ still carried little weight.
Even though he had gained some fame through the Epicura scandal and TV appearances, he was, after all, just an analyst.
That alone wasn’t enough.
In a world where vast sums of money were at stake, investors wouldn’t move based solely on the words of a mere analyst.
For Ha Si-heon’s claims to be convincing, he needed ‘evidence.’
He aimed to find that evidence during the due diligence…
‘But that’s impossible.’
Securing evidence that way was extremely difficult.
Any suspicions about the technology were hidden behind walls of proprietary technology, trade secrets, and NDAs.
‘Given that he’s only been picking at minor flaws so far, it’s clear he hasn’t found anything…’
Holmes replayed Ha Si-heon’s actions at the cocktail reception in her mind.
At first, he tried to expose Theranos’s weak management by pointing out the absence of the CFO and CMO, but Holmes had personally intervened to shut that down.
Then, he focused on making statements that fueled doubts about the technology…
There were many irritating remarks, but none were backed by evidence.
Which meant that, on their own, they changed nothing.
Tap, tap.
Under the table, Holmes tapped her thigh, piecing together her thoughts.
Ha Si-heon’s sudden appearance.
He would undoubtedly try the same tactic with the board members.
Just as he had done moments ago—poking at flaws in Theranos’s technology and agitating the surrounding investors.
‘As if he knows nothing.’
A cynical smile played on Holmes’s lips.
Without common connections, Ha Si-heon was just another moth desperately trying to approach the flames of high society.
And the elite rarely even exchanged proper greetings with such people.
‘They won’t even listen to him.’
Thus, in this setting, Ha Si-heon posed no real threat.
That was Holmes’s conclusion.
But just as she reached that thought—
An unexpected announcement struck her ears.
“And next… A dinner with the legendary diplomat, Henry Kissinger!”
One of the board’s key figures had been put up for auction.
Holmes’s eyes widened in shock as she turned toward Kissinger.
“Did you enter the auction?”
“They insisted so earnestly that I couldn’t refuse.”
Holmes’s smiling face stiffened.
What if… Ha Si-heon won this auction?
Then he would secure a long, private conversation with Kissinger.
And Holmes wouldn’t be there.
Anxiety crept up her spine, but she forced the emotion down.
‘…There’s no way he has that kind of money.’
Coming from Goldman, his salary was probably higher than the average rookie analyst’s…
But still—Bill Clinton’s dinner auction had gone for around $250,000.
Kissinger’s should be in a similar range.
That was far beyond what Ha Si-heon could afford.
“And now! The bidding starts at $5,000!”
The auctioneer’s booming voice filled the banquet hall.
Holmes watched Ha Si-heon’s table with tense eyes.
“$7,000!”
“$8,000!”
“$9,000!”
The bidding war escalated instantly.
Even before the auctioneer finished speaking, countless hands shot up toward the ceiling.
The bidders’ eyes weren’t filled with admiration for Kissinger’s wisdom—
But with greed, eager to establish connections with someone at the top of society.
The ones raising their hands were all similar types.
Middle-aged businessmen.
All with considerable financial power.
“$212,000! $213,000!”
The bidding quickly surpassed $210,000.
Before long, many had dropped out, leaving only four bidders locked in fierce competition.
The rest didn’t dare to challenge them.
Of course, a rookie analyst like Ha Si-heon was no exception.
He hadn’t raised his hand even once.
‘As expected.’
He clearly didn’t have the money.
And yet…
Holmes’s unease refused to disappear.
‘He’s too calm…’
Ha Si-heon’s face remained utterly composed.
That was what unsettled Holmes every time she faced him.
She didn’t like the way he looked at things.
As if he were watching the world from a high vantage point…
Could a mere rookie analyst possess such eyes?
“$300,000! Any bids for $301,000?”
The auction was reaching its climax.
Holmes kept watching cautiously, but Ha Si-heon remained completely motionless.
“$307,000! Any bids for $307,000? If not…”
The auctioneer was about to announce the end..
The finish line was in sight.
Just as Holmes turned to congratulate Kissinger—
“$500,000.”
A young man’s voice cut through the banquet hall.
Holmes’s face went pale.
‘No way.’
She turned her head in a hurry, and sure enough, there he was—Ha Si-heon.
His left hand raised, his gaze locked onto Holmes.
Murmurs spread through the banquet hall.
Ha Si-heon was already a well-known figure.
It was shocking enough that he had entered the bid, but raising it by $200,000 in a competition with no other contenders left everyone in disbelief.
“$500,100? If not, the auction will end. Going once, going twice….”
At this rate, Ha Si-heon would win.
That dangerous man would have Kissinger all to himself.
Without time to think, Holmes raised her hand.
“Yes! $500,100! Do I hear $500,200?”
All eyes turned to Ha Si-heon.
With his signature relaxed smile, he elegantly raised his hand.
“$500,300! $500,400? Yes, $500,400! Next, $500,500! $500,600!”
What followed was a fierce bidding war between Holmes and Ha Si-heon.
Every time Holmes raised her bid, Ha Si-heon countered immediately.
The more this continued, the more confusion clouded Holmes’s mind.
‘Where is he getting this kind of money?’
Half a million dollars was no small amount.
In the U.S., millionaires were commonly seen as the symbol of wealth—
And $500,000 was already half of that.
‘Should I have done a background check sooner…?’
At their first meeting, she had dismissed him as a mere nuisance of an employee.
She had only requested an investigation after his reappearance, but she had yet to see the results.
But now was not the time for regrets.
Ha Si-heon was a threat.
She could not allow him to be alone with Kissinger.
And the only way to stop him now was money.
‘All I have to do is outbid that analyst…’
Holmes was a rising star, the CEO of a promising startup.
There was no way she would lose to a mere Goldman analyst in terms of financial power.
Now was the time to end this decisively.
“$1,000,000.”
Holmes doubled the bid in one go.
The banquet hall erupted into murmurs.
One million dollars.
It was likely a record-breaking bid for a private dinner with a politician.
“Yes! One million! Do I hear one million one hundred thousand?”
All eyes, including the auctioneer’s, were now locked onto Ha Si-heon.
He paused momentarily, then smiled meaningfully.
“If you don’t bid now, the auction will close. Going once, going twice….”
Victory was within reach.
‘Please, let it end here….’
But then—
“$10,000,000.”
Ha Si-heon spoke.
A sharp silence fell over the banquet hall.
No one could believe what they had just heard.
Typically, celebrity dinners went for a few hundred thousand dollars.
Even Warren Buffett’s record-breaking auction had capped at $3.5 million last year.
And yet…
‘Ten million dollars?’
As everyone struggled to process the amount, the auctioneer, who recovered faster than most, stammered out a response.
“$10,000,000! Do I hear ten million one hundred thousand?”
Holmes hesitated.
Theranos was valued at a billion dollars, and her shares were worth five hundred million.
But stock was not cash.
She couldn’t liquidate her shares just to stop Ha Si-heon.
As she froze—
“Sold! To the distinguished gentleman over there!”
The verdict was rendered.
Ha Si-heon had won.
***
Next up was the highlight of the evening—a private concert by a world-famous musician.
“Ladies and gentlemen, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Elton John’s private concert! The legend himself, performing exclusively for you! This dream can be yours for just $3.1 million…”
Despite the auctioneer’s passionate call, the room had already lost its excitement.
Compared to the $10 million bid just moments ago, the new auction price seemed trivial.
Seeing this, Kissinger gave a sheepish smile.
“It seems I’ve unexpectedly become the main event of the night.”
Holmes quickly forced a wry smile.
“I just regret that I couldn’t win it for you. I would have loved to set a new record in your honor…”
She subtly reframed her actions—
As if the bidding war had been for Kissinger’s sake all along.
“You don’t need an auction to have a conversation with me.”
“But it’s all for a good cause in the end, isn’t it?”
Her warm response earned a grandfatherly smile from Kissinger.
Then, his gaze shifted toward Raymond.
“By the way, is that young man the one from the Epicura incident…?”
Holmes’s heart sank.
This was not a good sign.
“Is he someone famous?”
Holmes asked innocently.
“You don’t know him?”
“He’s just a Goldman analyst here for our due diligence… Did something happen?”
“No matter how busy you are, you should still keep up with current events.”
“My apologies. I’ve been too buried in work…”
“Well, working hard is a good thing, but…”
Schulz, sitting beside them, smiled warmly and gave a brief explanation of the Epicura incident.
Holmes listened with a naive expression, then posed a question.
“But how could an analyst have that much money…? Even I would struggle to afford that sum.”
She intended to plant doubt about Ha Si-heon, but Raymond stepped in to clarify.
“He manages other investors’ assets. I mentioned it once before, during the Genesis case.”
“Ah, so he was that guy. Didn’t he claim to have a special algorithm?”
“An algorithm?”
“They say he can pick healthcare stocks with an 80% accuracy rate.”
Holmes frowned.
“That sounds far-fetched.”
“It’s hard to believe, but my son is one of those investors. He started with $26 million and has already surpassed $500 million.”
Suspicious.
But Holmes couldn’t completely dismiss Ha Si-heon’s abilities.
His willingness to bid $10 million had already proven his financial strength.
“He’s an interesting young man. I’d like to meet him.”
Eventually, the words Holmes had feared most came from Kissinger himself.
“The man who set a record for me—shouldn’t I at least greet him?”
“Yes, I’ll bring him over later.”
Holmes clenched her fist.
It was customary for the auction winner to meet Kissinger, so she couldn’t cancel the meeting entirely.
What she needed now was a plan.
Holmes’s sharp mind quickly formulated a strategy.
Ha Si-heon would undoubtedly try to sow doubts about Theranos’s technology among the board members.
She had to cut off those doubts before they could take root.
“An 80% accuracy rate… And someone like that is considering investing in Theranos? How intriguing.”
There was a hint of pride in Schulz’s voice.
Holmes seized the moment, putting on a bitter expression.
“He’s probably placing Theranos in the 20% that misses the mark.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s been pointing out nothing but flaws in our technology throughout the due diligence.”
A shadow fell over Holmes’s voice.
“And he’s not entirely wrong. Our product is far from perfect.”
All this time, Holmes had been open with the board about Newton’s flaws, even seeking their advice.
However, while she acknowledged the issues, she always downplayed their severity.
She framed problems like unstable Wi-Fi connections requiring recalibration and errors caused by contaminated blood samples as minor, fixable inconveniences.
“Maybe it’s too early to launch…”
Holmes deliberately shrank back as if losing confidence.
Schulz quickly offered words of reassurance.
“The first model of any groundbreaking technology always has flaws. Even the first iPhone didn’t have 3G.”
The board members at the table nodded in agreement.
“Turning theory into reality is the hardest step. Now that you’ve overcome that, the rest is just a matter of refining it over time.”
Holmes’s actions had a calculated purpose.
Now, if anyone mentioned “flaws,” the board would recall the minor issues she had already acknowledged—dismissing them as old news.
If someone wanted to dig deeper, they would need solid evidence.
And how could they obtain evidence when everything was hidden behind NDAs and trade secrets?
This strategy had worked so far.
But… would it work against Ha Si-heon?
She was about to find out.
By then, the auction had ended, and the live performance had begun.
“Well then, I’ll be back.”
Raymond rose from his seat and soon returned with a young man.
It was Ha Si-heon.
“Henry Kissinger.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Ha Si-heon. You can call me Sean.”
Holmes swallowed dryly.
Now, the real battle was about to begin.
