InkBound
patreon
CH128 | DI
🕑 Added 2025-06-03 02:29:50 +0000 UTCSaturday noon.
Kissinger headed to the Metropolitan Club, the agreed meeting place.
There was a clear intention behind his choice of this location.
This space, which exuded authority just by its name, was an exclusive haven for the elite and boasted impenetrable security.
That meant that no words exchanged here would ever leak outside.
“This way, please.”
At the soft yet formal voice of the staff, Kissinger nodded and walked inside.
He had reserved a private room for today.
Even within this fortress-like club, it was the most discreet and secure space.
As the heavy door opened, a tall young East Asian man sprang to his feet.
“You’re here.”
It was Ha Si-heon.
Kissinger gave a short nod in acknowledgment of his greeting.
Then, as soon as he settled into his chair, he spoke.
“There’s a special course I always enjoy when I come here. Shall we go with that today?”
“Of course.”
At Ha Si-heon’s immediate agreement, Kissinger turned his gaze to the waiting waiter.
The seasoned waiter, trained through years of experience, bowed gracefully and withdrew without needing further explanation.
With the sound of the door closing, only the two of them remained in the room.
A brief silence passed.
Kissinger stared sharply at Ha Si-heon and got straight to the point.
“There’s something unusual going on between you and Elizabeth.”
The anxiety and nervousness in Holmes’s voice over the past week flashed through his mind.
— Can’t you see his intentions? Why else would he pour ten million dollars into a dinner with you? He’s trying to slander me, bring me down, and take over Theranos.
Holmes’s desperate voice echoed vividly in his ears.
Her concern seemed excessive at first glance, but Kissinger tried to understand her unease.
The bitter memory of nearly being forcibly removed from the CEO position in the past must have planted the seeds of her paranoia.
Moreover, the recent series of events had only fueled her anxiety.
— There was that issue with Connor, and lately, things feel off.
Connor was a new employee at Theranos and the grandson of former Secretary of State Schultz.
He had a history of raising concerns about “problems with Theranos’s technology.”
His claims were mere pebbles, but the ripples they created were anything but small.
In the end, the situation was settled through Schultz’s mediation.
Though the official conclusion was that it was a misunderstanding caused by a rookie employee’s lack of understanding, the incident seemed to have acted as a catalyst, amplifying Holmes’s deep-seated fears.
— Someone was clearly using Connor. They were trying to undermine my credibility.
Holmes remained on edge, convinced that some hidden force was behind Connor.
— And then there’s that journalist.
It was also true that a ‘Wall Street Times’ journalist had been hovering around Holmes.
Rumors had reached his ears about the journalist questioning the accuracy of their technology.
But Kissinger didn’t take it seriously.
He believed that skepticism always followed revolutionary technology.
Think back to when airplanes were first introduced to the world.
Concerns over safety and doubts about the technology spread like urban legends.
Early airplanes certainly had flaws, but that didn’t mean they were inventions that shouldn’t exist.
This was simply a rite of passage in the early stages of innovation.
However, Holmes was too young to bear such doubts and suspicions alone.
He understood her feeling burdened by it.
He even considered her excessive paranoia as nothing more than a side effect of that burden.
But Holmes’s suspicion of Ha Si-heon was different.
It was much more intense.
— Ha Si-heon is working with them. He even suggested that this technology might not exist at all.
At those words, Kissinger had let out a small chuckle.
The technology might have flaws, but to claim it didn’t exist at all?
That was an argument beyond common sense.
— You don’t think I’d believe such nonsense, do you?
— But he will insist on it.
— Then he’d be nothing more than a fool who’s lost all sense.
Kissinger never once considered the possibility that the technology was a fabrication.
He was a highly pragmatic and rational man.
If the technology didn’t exist, it would inevitably be exposed.
Holmes, as intelligent as she was, would never tell such a ridiculous lie.
Still, something felt off.
The way Holmes fixated on such an absurd claim and remained wary of Ha Si-heon piqued his curiosity.
There was clearly an unseen thread connecting the two, something Kissinger was unaware of.
He had planned to probe Ha Si-heon’s reaction, but unexpectedly, he admitted it without hesitation.
“I seem to be disliked.”
Ha Si-heon’s tone carried the nuance that Holmes’s feelings were one-sided.
Yet, he did not blame her.
“It’s probably my fault. My blunt way of speaking often causes misunderstandings. I never had the chance to learn a softer way of speaking since I was young…”
The phrase “since I was young” stirred Kissinger’s memory.
Behind the bitter smile on Ha Si-heon’s face, a faint trace of the pain of a young man who lost his parents early in life emerged.
A sense of sympathy welled up in the ninety-year-old’s heart.
A historical shadow cast over the young man’s life.
Kissinger recalled hearing before that Ha Si-heon’s father had fallen ill as a result of the war initiated by the United States.
He even felt a slight sense of responsibility.
“You’re both exceptional talents. If you work together, you could accomplish something incredible.”
But the moment Kissinger said that,
He noticed an oddly troubled expression flash across Ha Si-heon’s face.
“Why? Do you think collaboration would be difficult?”
“Well… there are some complicated circumstances.”
There was hesitation in Ha Si-heon’s voice.
His gaze wavered, and he seemed to be lost in thought, as if debating something internally.
After a brief silence, he finally spoke.
“To be honest, until recently, I was doing my best to cooperate. But in the past few days, my thoughts have changed… no, they’ve changed a lot.”
Kissinger’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
“Are you saying you no longer wish to collaborate?”
“Rather than that…”
Ha Si-heon took a deep breath, filling the room with the sound of his exhale.
As if he was about to reveal a long-held secret, he slowly continued speaking.
“For the future of Theranos, I believe new leadership is necessary.”
Kissinger’s eyes gleamed sharply.
Just as Holmes had feared, Ha Si-heon was indeed trying to oust her.
Under normal circumstances, he would have ended the conversation here.
But this time was different.
His concern for Holmes, whom he regarded like a granddaughter, and his peculiar fondness for Ha Si-heon compelled him to speak.
“What led you to that conclusion?”
Kissinger’s question was sharp, but it carried a willingness to understand.
His seasoned eyes scrutinized Ha Si-heon.
This young man did not appear to be acting out of mere personal emotions.
Kissinger instinctively knew that Ha Si-heon wouldn’t say such things just because Holmes was hostile toward him.
Looking directly at Kissinger, Ha Si-heon declared,
“There are suspicions of mismanagement.”
Kissinger’s eyebrows lifted slightly at the unexpected response.
This was… entirely different from the technological issues Holmes had been so anxious about.
“Are you saying Holmes is unfit to be a leader?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I see.”
Kissinger accepted the statement rather quickly.
He was well aware of Holmes’s inexperience.
However, a flicker of curiosity sparked in his gaze.
“In what specific ways?”
As Holmes’s mentor, it was also his role to identify and help her improve her weaknesses.
It would be useful to understand Holmes’s flaws from an outsider’s perspective.
But once again, Ha Si-heon’s response was unexpected.
“Apologies, but I cannot disclose that. It would be a violation of my NDA.”
“Haha, don’t worry. I am a board member.”
“The NDA I signed includes a clause stating that I cannot directly share information with the board.”
“What?”
A hint of astonishment crept into Kissinger’s voice.
This was news to him.
“All information must be relayed exclusively through the CEO. That is one of the reasons I advocate for a leadership change.”
Kissinger’s brows furrowed.
Could this be true?
If it was, then why had Holmes been so adamant about silencing Ha Si-heon?
Was she trying to conceal something unfavorable?
Questions swirled in his mind, but he still wanted to defend Holmes.
She was someone he had cherished like a granddaughter for a long time.
Moreover, knowing how anxious she was due to the upcoming product launch, Kissinger tried to frame this within that context.
“Perhaps she’s become overly sensitive due to past experiences of having her ideas stolen. Try to understand her. More importantly, speak freely—what exactly is the problem?”
A bitter smile appeared on Ha Si-heon’s lips.
A deep contemplation was evident in his eyes.
“Apologies, but due to the risk of litigation, I cannot disclose specific details. And that is precisely the problem. Theranos suffers from a severe lack of transparency.”
Deep wrinkles formed on Kissinger’s forehead.
Opaque management.
This issue had been raised before, yet it still seemed unresolved.
Breaking the silence, Ha Si-heon spoke carefully.
“Do you truly believe Holmes is the best leader for Theranos?”
A deep thoughtfulness settled in Kissinger’s gaze.
After a brief pause, he slowly nodded and replied.
“I wouldn’t say she’s the best. But there is a clear reason for having a founder lead instead of a professional executive. A founder has a long-term vision and the deepest understanding of corporate culture and brand identity. They also possess the willingness to take bold risks when necessary. After all, they built the company themselves, so they have a passionate commitment to its success.”
His words carried profound insight.
In terms of sheer managerial competence, a professional executive might indeed be superior.
But they often treated startups as nothing more than a numbers game, devoid of emotion.
For a startup that required belief in its vision and bold, reckless challenges, such a cold approach could often prove toxic.
“A startup leader must be someone who inspires with vision and passion. It’s important for people to follow that vision.”
“In other words, you’re saying the corporate culture shaped by the founder is crucial.”
“You could put it that way.”
Ha Si-heon’s bitter smile deepened.
His eyes flickered with complexity.
“And that is precisely the biggest problem. I cannot agree with the corporate culture Holmes has created.”
Kissinger’s gaze wavered.
This was something he had not anticipated.
Holmes had an infectious passion that captivated everyone she met.
Her unwavering determination to change the world was something universally acknowledged.
And yet… her corporate culture was the problem?
“I hesitated to show you this, but…”
Ha Si-heon cautiously handed over his smartphone.
The headline on the screen immediately seized Kissinger’s attention.
[The Dark Side of Innovation: The Autocratic Culture of Silicon Valley Startup]
The article vividly exposed the shocking treatment of employees at an anonymous startup.
— This place is no different from a dictatorship. To survive, you must become a ‘yes-man.’”
— The level of secrecy is extreme. There’s a policy barring outsiders from entering… One employee was fired because her boyfriend briefly stepped inside the building to help carry her luggage on the day of her business trip.
— They prefer hiring foreign employees. Since their visa status makes them powerless to resist, any disagreement is met with the unspoken threat of deportation.
The article contained firsthand testimonies from former employees.
While NDAs were still effective regarding company technology and operations, corporate culture and working conditions were not covered by confidentiality agreements, allowing them to speak freely.
— Employees who raise doubts simply disappear. No farewells, no traces—just gone.
— I visited a former colleague who suddenly resigned, but he was pale and trembling, saying he couldn’t talk due to the NDA. What shocked me more was that the next day, the company interrogated me about why I had met him. They were monitoring our every move.
— Afraid of being followed, I hid at a friend’s house. But then a legal notice arrived there. Not even my family knew where I was… How did the company find out?”
A wave of shock swept across Kissinger’s face.
He slowly lifted his gaze to Ha Si-heon.
“No way…”
“Yes. That article is about Theranos.”
Ha Si-heon’s voice was heavy.
“This goes beyond a mere lack of transparency. It is a near-dictatorial rule, trampling on even the basic human rights of employees.”
“……”
As Kissinger remained silent, Ha Si-heon spoke again.
“But a much bigger storm is coming. According to the information I obtained, the dismissed employees are preparing a class-action lawsuit, claiming wrongful termination.”
This meant the scandal would soon shed its veil of anonymity and erupt into the public eye.
“RP Solutions, as a shareholder, intends to formally propose Holmes’s resignation to the board. A CEO who fosters such a toxic corporate culture is nothing but a liability to the company. This is a clear case of mismanagement.”
“……”
Kissinger parted his lips, then pressed them shut again.
A part of him still wanted to defend Holmes.
But… the contents of the article left no room for a dismissive excuse like “an inexperienced mistake.”
This was not a mere lapse in judgment or administrative failure.
It was deliberate, malicious conduct.
The gap between the passionate young innovator he knew and the reality before him was staggering.
As Kissinger sat in contemplation, Ha Si-heon spoke again, this time with a knowing smile far beyond his years.
“We have a saying: ‘People don’t change.’”
His finger pointed to the bottom of the screen.
The phrase written there struck Kissinger like a dagger.
— She is no different from Hitler.
Ha Si-heon then asked solemnly,
“Do you really think Hitler can be rehabilitated?”
