A Wall Street Genius's Final Investment Playbook-Chapter 169

Recognizing Icahn wasn’t too difficult.

Although I had never met him in person, his face was one I had seen often through various media.

However.

‘He feels different from how he looked on TV.’

His features were the same, but cameras could never fully capture a person’s aura.

Icahn was 78 years old this year.

Yet, rather than declining with age, time had only added to his grandeur, like an ancient tree standing firm.

His face carried an overwhelming presence that made him instantly recognizable, even from a distance.

“…No way…”

Gerard’s eyes widened as he followed my gaze.

He recognized Icahn as well.

With his expression betraying his surprise, Gerard spoke.

“The person you wanted to be introduced to is…”

“Yes, it’s Icahn. You know him, don’t you?”

If Rachel knew Icahn, then there was no way Gerard wouldn’t.

However, from the moment Gerard recognized Icahn, he showed reluctance to make the introduction.

‘Well, it’s understandable. He’s not an easy person to deal with.’

Icahn’s nickname was none other than “Wall Street’s Predator.”

It was a name he earned in the 1970s due to his relentless and aggressive hostile takeovers.

He would acquire undervalued companies using debt, implement ruthless restructuring and cost-cutting measures, sell off key assets for profit, and then resell the company.

In other words, Icahn had always been an aggressive and formidable figure.

Recently, he had shifted towards activist investing, earning a somewhat more moderate reputation, but his deeply ingrained nature as a corporate raider could never truly change.

Arranging a meeting with such a person must have felt like a heavy burden to Gerard as well.

I needed to help him make a quick decision.

“If it’s too much, I can ask Rachel instead…”

As I reminded him that Rachel was an alternative, Gerard finally spoke.

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

If someone from the family had to step forward, he must have decided that he was a better choice than Rachel.

Still, his eyes remained filled with doubt.

“But first, let me ask you one thing—what exactly do you plan to do when you meet Icahn?”

“What else? I just want to have a conversation.”

“It’s the nature of that conversation that concerns me. If you intend to provoke or pick a fight, I can’t introduce you knowing that.”

“Provoke? Pick a fight…?”

I made a slightly aggrieved expression.

“You’re misunderstanding me. It’s not like I go around picking fights all the time…”

At my protest, Gerard’s eyes grew even more suspicious.

I met his gaze and added with a serious expression.

“I intend to propose an alliance.”

This was the absolute truth.

Gerard still seemed skeptical, but when I started to turn toward Rachel again, he finally nodded as if making up his mind.

***

“It’s been a while.”

“Ah, from the Marquis family…”

“Gerard Mosley.”

Icahn immediately recognized Gerard.

He also seemed to have already deduced the purpose of Gerard’s visit.

His sharp gaze turned directly to me, standing beside Gerard.

“And this is from Pareto Innovations…”

“I know. Ha Si-heon, wasn’t it?”

Before Gerard could even finish the introduction, Icahn firmly cut him off.

A faint smile played on his lips, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all.

Then, turning back to Gerard, Icahn said something unexpected.

“From here on, I’ll handle this myself. You may leave.”

“…What?”

A clear dismissal.

As Gerard hesitated in surprise, Icahn offered a gentle smile.

“I’m not one to waste time on idle chatter. Consider your ‘introduction’ done, and you’re free to go now.”

His tone was kind, but his intent was unmistakable.

Gerard hesitated for a moment before finally murmuring, “Then, I’ll see you next time…” and left.

‘This… is quite interesting.’

Icahn was a living legend on Wall Street.

Naturally, every action he took was carefully calculated.

Even dismissing Gerard just now had a deliberate purpose.

‘A move to seize control.’

All negotiations begin with securing the upper hand.

Icahn, with his reputation alone, already held a dominant position, but by sending Gerard away, he reinforced his control even further.

He created an unexpected situation to catch me off guard.

Surprise leads to emotion.

And those who let emotions take hold will inevitably lose their balance and be led by the opponent.

It was a strategy I often used myself, but—

‘Dismissing the person who introduced us…! I didn’t see that coming.’

I’d have to use that trick myself in the future.

“So…”

Now, it was just Icahn and me.

As soon as Gerard left, the atmosphere turned frigid.

True to his legendary status, the pressure he exuded was so intense that it felt like it was physically pressing down on me.

“What is your reason for wanting to meet with me?”

Now, it was my turn.

First, I had to reclaim the lost initiative.

Wearing a calm smile, I spoke.

“They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I’ve come to formally propose an alliance.”

Icahn’s greatest rival was Ackman.

Essentially, I was suggesting an alliance to oppose Ackman together.

However, Icahn’s expression remained completely unchanged.

I had already voiced my support for Icahn over Ackman in multiple media appearances.

So he must have anticipated this proposal and likely had a response ready.

As expected, he immediately gave a dismissive reply.

“An alliance only works between equals.”

A likely rejection—but not an outright refusal.

“Besides, I’m already fighting fiercely on the battlefield. In a war where I hold the advantage, I see no reason to let an unqualified third party tag along under the guise of ‘alliance.’ Frankly, you seem more like a passenger trying to hitch a ride on my victory.”

In other words, he was accusing me of trying to jump on his bandwagon.

I boldly countered.

“You claim to have the upper hand, but isn’t Herbalife currently at a standstill?”

Icahn had successfully blocked Ackman’s short-selling attempts against Herbalife.

However, the company’s stock price had remained in a deadlock, neither soaring nor plummeting.

If it surged, Icahn would win; if it crashed, Ackman would win.

Yet, for now, the battle had turned into a prolonged stalemate.

Preventing Ackman’s plans wasn’t enough to declare victory.

“If things continue as they are, this situation could drag on for years.”

More precisely, the deadlock would persist for another four years.

“Winning the war is important, but so is the cost of war. The longer it lasts, the greater the expense. However, if you join hands with me, you could achieve victory within the year.”

Icahn chuckled at my argument, then glanced down at his wrist.

A rather luxurious watch adorned it.

Just as I was about to identify the brand and model, he spoke again.

“So, you’re suggesting a diversion tactic… interesting. Since you’re introduced by the Marquis family, I’ll give you one minute. Convince me.”

I stifled a smirk.

‘A time attack… how old-fashioned.’

He was trying to pressure me into speaking quickly to regain control.

But persuading Icahn in just one minute was impossible.

He would definitely interrupt me, and I’d end up scrambling to finish my argument, giving him the upper hand.

To flip the situation, I didn’t need to rush my explanation.

I had to change the game itself.

“Fifty-five seconds left.”

When I remained silent, Icahn urged me.

I took my time, then leisurely spoke.

“I propose pooling shares of Allergan into a joint fund. If we each invest 5%, we’ll secure a total of 10%. With that influence, I want to enter the boardroom. Naturally, I’ll take the board seat.”

Icahn’s face briefly showed astonishment.

I was proposing a partnership where he would contribute capital, but I would hold the authority.

“You do realize there’s no way I’d ever agree to that, don’t you?”

"Of course, you have a reason to accept. I just don’t have enough time to explain everything."

As I said that, I turned my gaze to the masterpiece adorning my own wrist this time.

"Ten seconds left. Give me your answer. Will you form an alliance with me?"

"……"

Icahn looked at me with a dumbfounded expression before finally speaking.

"You expect me to decide based on just this?"

"I wasn’t the one who chose to make a judgment based on only a minute of information."

I erased the faint smile I had been wearing.

Then, fixing him with a calm and serious gaze, I spoke in a warning tone.

"This offer is a one-time deal. If you reject it, I’ll simply find another partner and make the same proposal. I prioritized you, but that doesn’t mean you’re the only possible candidate for this alliance." ƒгeewёbnovel.com

The only reason I had chosen Icahn was because of his long-standing rivalry with Ackman.

This alliance could just as easily be formed with another powerful figure.

"So, tell me. Is it a yes or a no?"

Now, the game had completely flipped.

The one pressured by time to make a decision was now Icahn.

‘Of course, there’s a risk he might get angry and walk away.'

But I was fairly confident.

Someone like Icahn could have just exchanged brief pleasantries and left, even if Gerard had asked him to meet me.

Yet, he had deliberately set a one-minute time limit to test me.

That meant—

He also intended to use me.

More importantly—

‘He must be curious.'

The older and more powerful one becomes, the less patience they have.

An unanswered riddle would gnaw at him.

In this situation, the choice Icahn would make was obvious.

"I can’t make a decision with so little information."

A natural smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

As expected, he was asking for more information.

Now, I wasn’t persuading him—he was requesting information from me.

But I couldn't give it away too easily.

Nor should I be too stingy with it, or it would only frustrate him.

At times like this, it was best to drop the perfect bait.

"Ackman is involved in a fraud scheme."

"…!"

At the word "fraud," Icahn’s gaze sharpened instantly.

He briefly showed a flicker of excitement but soon composed himself and spoke calmly.

"That’s impossible. I’ve thoroughly investigated my ‘enemy,’ but I found no such thing."

"It’s not something you’d find easily. You have to know exactly where to look."

"You mean to tell me you found something I couldn’t?"

"You may not know, but I have a certain expertise in exposing fraud."

Anyone living in the U.S. would be familiar with the Theranos scandal.

And I was the one who had exposed that fraud.

If anything could give my words credibility, it was this.

"With this much value on the table, isn’t it time to stop worrying about ‘differences in weight class' and accept this alliance?"

"……"

In terms of reputation, I was no match for Icahn.

But when it came to uncovering fraud, I was second to none in both influence and credibility.

With this, our alliance was more than persuasive.

If I provided evidence of the fraud and Icahn used his reputation to back it up, bringing down Ackman would be effortless.

I checked the time again.

"This is a sudden proposal, so I understand you may need time to think. I’ll give you two days. If I don’t hear from you by then, I’ll take this offer to someone else."

Leaving him with that final ultimatum, I left.

***

Two days later.

I was waiting for Icahn’s response.

But while I waited, an unexpected visitor arrived at my office.

It was none other than Gerard.

"I had something to ask you about this…"

He pulled out a document—one of the reports I had sent him.

It was an analysis of promising veterinary hospital businesses and their investment potential.

‘I thought this might happen, but for him to actually come…'

Knowing his personality, it wouldn't have been easy for him to seek my advice.

This meant that this investment was more important to him than I had expected.

"Veterinary hospitals and pet healthcare services will see explosive growth in the coming years. As pets are increasingly considered family, the trend is shifting from euthanasia to treatment-focused spending. Moreover, the cost of diagnostic equipment like CT and MRI is decreasing, leading to the launch of pet-specific medical devices. With rising demand and rapid improvements in medical infrastructure, growth is inevitable."

"That may be true… but considering VCH as an acquisition target is…"

"Now is the perfect time. Right now, most veterinary hospitals operate independently, but soon they will consolidate to achieve economies of scale. In this landscape, the first to achieve that scale will be the winner."

I spoke with confidence.

"Success is guaranteed."

Of course, it would be.

In my past life, Gerard had already succeeded in this business.

"Naturally, it may be hard to believe right now. In fact, it might seem impossible to you."

"That’s… not entirely true."

Gerard’s expression was conflicted.

He must have already been considering entering the veterinary hospital industry.

He was just hesitating due to opposition from those around him.

‘This would make him feel a sense of camaraderie.'

If no one else believed in him, but I was the one supporting his choice?

That would inevitably make him favorably inclined toward me.

Of course, Gerard was too proud to admit that so easily.

With a neutral expression, he folded the report and said,

"If you ever need an ‘introduction’ like this again, contact me instead of Rachel."

There was a reason he said that.

He wanted to keep me away from Rachel while securing access to my reports under the guise of introduction fees.

Well, I didn’t mind.

If I could establish Gerard as the clear heir of the Marquis family, he would become a useful connection.

"I’ll do my best to accommodate that."

"‘Do your best’?"

"I don’t make promises I can’t keep."

I couldn’t completely cut Rachel out.

Once she opened her gallery, she would provide me with a different network than Gerard.

"Besides, if I suddenly stopped contacting her, Rachel might get the wrong idea."

After the gallery event, Rachel had been persistently messaging me, asking if Gerard had done anything strange to me.

If I suddenly stopped seeing Rachel and started meeting only Gerard instead?

Her ‘conspiracy theory’ about Gerard’s behavior would become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Gerard listened, then gave a slow nod before cautiously speaking again.

"So, what happened with Icahn?"

It seemed he was curious about the outcome of my conversation with Icahn.

He had probably been holding back his curiosity, but now he was casually bringing it up as if he had just remembered.

I smiled and replied.

"Who knows?"

In truth, I hadn’t completely convinced Icahn.

I had merely thrown out bait.

Only when Icahn took that bait would the real game—the casting—begin.

But…

‘There’s no way he’ll ignore this.'

The bait I had thrown was fraud.

That was a topic that always captured public attention.

In storytelling terms, it was a surefire blockbuster keyword.

And if a legendary actor saw a guaranteed hit script, would he really turn it down just because the co-star was a newcomer?

‘No way.'

Veteran actors could recognize a great script just by reading it.

Icahn would have sensed it, too.

I had given him a two-day deadline.

Right about now, he should be taking the bait.

Just as I was thinking that, the door to the CEO’s office opened, and my secretary peeked in.

"Sean, Mr. Icahn wants to know if you’re available this evening."

He had taken the bait.