The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 103

Noon Sun (4)

Sarah had never really liked John River. She didn’t care for his paranoid personality or his lack of social skills.

However, after John River said he would stay with Victoria Corporation, resisting the temptation of JP Morgan, she somewhat let go of her antipathy towards him.

She believed that everyone has flaws as well as strengths.

“I was planning to visit Charlie sometime today.”

Jun Hyunu, Sarah, and John River were talking at a restaurant in Boston.

“John, it seems you have something to propose.”

John River nodded and said,

“Yes, there are conflicting opinions within the business division, so I think Charlie’s advice is needed.”

Owner Jun Hyunu’s advice was needed.

‘If John can’t decide on his own, it might be related to money.’

Sarah put her hands together and asked,

“Surely there isn’t a heated debate in the game division, is there?”

John River gave an awkward smile and replied,

“There wasn’t a heated debate, but I think there was some disagreement.”

Some disagreement.

It meant that there was a verbal battle without swearing.

Jun Hyunu sighed briefly and asked,

“So, what’s the matter?”

“It’s about the direction of the first game to be produced by the game division.”

Jun Hyunu thought it was a topic worth discussing.

“By direction, do you mean platform? Or genre?”

John River shook his head and replied,

“It’s about whether to create a new IP [intellectual property] or utilize the game IP we have secured.”

Previously, Robert had secured 17 game IPs from Atari under Jun Hyunu’s direction.

Among them were eight games that sold over 1 million cartridges.

People in the field, like Robert, wanted to make games using the IP of hit games.

In other words, they wanted to produce sequels to successful works.

‘Conversely, people like John River would want to create new IPs.’

Completely new games with their souls in them.

Most game developers preferred this.

“John, which side are you on?”

Jun Hyunu asked, as if to confirm, even though he had some idea of John River’s position.

“I think we should create a new game.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s the first game released under the name of Victoria Corporation.”

Jun Hyunu nodded at his answer.

“Hmm, you mean a game with symbolism.”

“Yes.”

Sarah also sided with John River this time.

“Charlie, if our first game is a sequel to an Atari game, it might be a bit of a problem.”

If the production cost was tight or the pressure of failure was high, it would be better to release a sequel to a successful work. However, the game division accounted for a very small part of Victoria Corporation.

In fact, the money budgeted for the game division’s annual budget was only $1 million.

In the case of JP Services or American Services, the cost per month, not per year, was millions of dollars.

Sarah calculated that even if the game division’s first game failed, it would not have a significant impact on the company.

Jun Hyunu did not decide immediately and asked for the other side’s opinion.

“What is the opinion of those who want to utilize existing IPs?”

John River answered the owner’s question honestly.

“There are those who think that we shouldn’t fail because it’s the first game.”

“Shouldn’t fail?”

“The argument is that if the original game fails, the game division may be reduced, and if the game division is reduced, the game IPs purchased for millions of dollars will all be useless.”

It wasn’t an unreasonable argument.

‘If the first game fails, the business division may shrink, and if the business division shrinks, the prior investment will be in vain. That’s somewhat true.’

Jun Hyunu listened to both sides and took a moment to organize his thoughts. Then he raised his right hand slightly and said,

“Let’s do this.”

“How so?”

“Let’s go with the original for the first game.”

The first game was Victoria Corporation’s original IP.

In short, he sided with John River.

“Then you mean we’ll use Atari’s IP from the second game onwards?”

“Yes, but the third game will also be a game using Atari’s IP.”

The strategy was to open with an original game and then expand the market with sequels to hit games that were somewhat guaranteed to be successful.

John River agreed to Jun Hyunu’s compromise.

“I understand. Then we will proceed that way.”

Sarah couldn’t help but admire Jun Hyunu’s skillful handling of the situation.

‘Charlie solved a difficult problem easily without leaning to either side. How can he do this?’

It was a way of handling things that was hard to believe for an 18-year-old.

Jun Hyunu was showing excellent performance not only in development but also in management and negotiation.

This meant that his multifaceted talents were being expressed in a positive way.

* * *

In July, MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] graduates flooded into Victoria Corporation.

The number was a whopping thirty.

The company already had many MIT graduates, but this brought the proportion of MIT graduates to over 30% of the total workforce.

“It’s good that many talented people have joined the company, but I’m afraid a cartel will form.”

It was Robert who sighed.

Jun Hyunu shrugged.

“It couldn’t be helped. Given our relationship with MIT, and the fact that not many people from Harvard or other universities want to join our company.”

Robert frowned and said,

“That’s exactly the problem.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Outside, our company is known as an MIT company.”

“You mean it’s not good for a company to lean too much to one side.”

Robert nodded.

“Yes.”

Sarah also thought it was not good to lean to one side. But for the time being, it was inevitable.

“Robert, but we owe MIT a lot for solving the past issues. And many of our company’s founders and early members are also from MIT. Compared to the beginning, the proportion of MIT graduates may have actually decreased.”

When Victoria Corporation was first founded, there were only three members of the company.

Of these, two, excluding Sarah, were from MIT.

In other words, MIT’s share was 66% at the time of founding.

“Sarah, comparing it to then is a bit…”

“You’re asking me to ignore it?”

Robert nodded silently.

Jun Hyunu released his clasped hands and said,

“Robert, let’s wait and see a little longer.”

As Sarah said, he was going to maintain the current trend for the time being.

Robert knew his intentions and stepped back.

“I understand.”

“Now, let’s move on to the next agenda item.”

Robert had flown in from Oklahoma this morning for the weekly meeting. He took out a document from his bag and said,

“The acquisition of the game shops is proceeding smoothly. Yesterday, we signed acquisition agreements for seven game shops in Oklahoma.”

Jun Hyunu asked him,

“What happens to the acquired game shops?”

“We haven’t signed a chain agreement yet.”

“So they are operated as individual shops?”

“That’s how it will be for the time being.”

Jun Hyunu thought it was necessary to tightly bind the game shops.

“I think we need a department to manage the game shops.”

Sarah went a step further from Jun Hyunu’s opinion.

“We should create a business division for this as well.”

She meant to create a business division like the game division.

Robert rested his chin on his right hand.

“Do we have to go that far?”

“Robert can’t operate everything alone.”

“That’s true, but…”

Robert did not welcome the increasing number of business divisions.

‘If we grow too quickly, side effects are bound to occur.’

He was a man who had seen with his own eyes how Atari collapsed.

“Robert, don’t worry too much.”

Sarah also knew what Robert was worried about. But she knew that Victoria Corporation was growing at an alarming rate.

‘If we maintain the old organization, the core will be severely overloaded.’

There was a limit to how much Jun Hyunu, Sarah, and Robert could work while reducing their sleep.

Jun Hyunu said as if to reassure him,

“We won’t grow the business division excessively. And even if we create a business division, it will be under Robert’s command.”

He wanted to entrust the game shop side to Robert.

‘Because there are few people who know this area as well as he does.’

Robert sighed deeply as the two took turns persuading him, as if he couldn’t help it.

“Hoo… I understand. I will follow your opinions this time.”

As the second agenda item was processed, Sarah took out the third agenda item.

“The third agenda item for today’s meeting is PC’s Limited.”

Robert raised his eyebrows because it was the first time he had heard of it.

“What is PC’s Limited?”

Sarah answered as if explaining,

“PC’s Limited is a computer company that sells by taking orders over the phone without going through offline stores.”

“They sell by taking orders only over the phone without operating stores?”

“Yes.”

PC’s Limited was a completely new concept of computer company.

“But what does that company have to do with our company?”

“Charlie is trying to acquire PC’s Limited.”

Robert turned his gaze to Jun Hyunu.

“Acquire PC’s Limited?”

“PC’s Limited is a very promising company.”

“Don’t we have too many businesses going on right now?”

Robert expressed his opposition to the acquisition of PC’s Limited.

“Are you saying that because we have our hands full, we can’t pick up the jewels that have fallen to the ground?”

“PC’s Limited is a new concept company, but I wouldn’t call it a jewel.”

Robert could say this because he didn’t know the future of Dell Computer.

‘This side is different.’

Jun Hyunu knew the success story of Dell Computer well.

‘If IBM and Commodore are the setting sun, Dell Computer and Apple are the rising sun.’

He had no intention of giving up PC’s Limited.

‘Unless Michael Dell opposes it. There’s no reason to give up on this side.’

Jun Hyunu took a short breath and then said,

“Robert, this side is confident in the success of PC’s Limited.”

“Charlie.”

“The possibility of success for PC’s Limited is much higher than Commodore.”

Robert was conservative. For that reason, when he encountered groundbreaking ideas, he tended to underestimate them to some extent.

“Commodore may have failed a bit, but I don’t think it’s a company to be disparaged like that. Didn’t Charlie acknowledge Commodore’s power and make a deal with them?”

He argued that Commodore was much better than PC’s Limited.

“What if PC’s Limited could completely change the computer market?”

“PC’s Limited completely changes the computer market?”

“Yes.”

Robert narrowed his eyebrows.

“Computers are expensive electronic devices. It’s hard to find something as expensive as a computer, except for cars. You’re saying people order something like that over the phone without actually seeing it? That’s impossible.”

Jun Hyunu put his hands together and took his words.

“But that’s actually what happened. As a result of our investigation, PC’s Limited’s wholesale orders are increasing explosively. This is evidence that the number of computer orders that PC’s Limited is selling is increasing explosively.”

PC’s Limited did not order each part from the manufacturer like IBM, but bought it from wholesalers and assembled it. Thanks to that, Jun Hyunu and Sarah could easily check their order quantity.

“You’re saying a phone order company is growing explosively? What is this…”

Robert didn’t seem to understand the situation.

“Because the price is cheap.”

“The price is cheap?”

“The computers that PC’s Limited sells are about half the price of IBM computers that can be purchased at offline stores.”

Computers at half price.

Robert frowned and said,

“If the price is half, the performance will be poor.”

“The performance is actually better on the PC’s Limited side.”

In an instant, the blood drained from Robert’s face.

“Th, that kind of thing…”

A computer that provides better performance at half the price.

It was a slightly exaggerated expression, but in some product groups, better performance was being provided at half the price of IBM, as Jun Hyunu said.

“Robert, we won’t be able to invest if it’s not now.”

If PC’s Limited grew, it could refuse the acquisition or investment itself.

Robert’s voice lowered.

“I can’t believe it.”

Jun Hyunu, on the other hand, put strength in his voice.

“I think PC’s Limited is one of the new waves, just like our JP Services.”

Robert shook his head.

“I don’t know well.”

He declared abstention on this agenda item.

Jun Hyunu turned his gaze to Sarah.

“It looks like we’ll have to handle this.”

Sarah nodded and took his words.

“We can’t entrust this work to Robert as well.”

“I’ll take care of this.”

“Charlie will?”

“Sarah has to deal with JP Morgan and Bank of America.”

The New York branch manager of American Services was Joel Crawford, but Sarah was the one who had major discussions with Bank of America.

“Hoo… It’s not easy.”

“The busier you are, the more you’ll achieve.”

That day’s meeting broke up after discussing two more agenda items.

After the meeting.

Robert came to Jun Hyunu.

“Charlie.”

“Robert, is it because of PC’s Limited?”

“It’s not that, the company is growing too fast.”

Jun Hyunu turned his chair around and said,

“I know that Microsoft is also growing as fast as our company.”

Robert narrowed his eyebrows.

“That side is only focusing on the computer sector.”

“This side is the same.”

As he said, all the fields that Victoria Corporation had entered were related to computers.

“Still, I’m worried.”

“You think our company might collapse like a sandcastle.”

“Because I saw a golden castle collapse.”

Jun Hyunu knew that the Atari shock had a big impact on his life.

‘The worst situation came the moment I thought everything was going well.’

But the Atari shock was not a phenomenon that appeared in one moment.

He had encountered numerous premonitory symptoms.

“This side is also trying to maintain balance.”

“Charlie, isn’t this just after the work with JP Morgan has been resolved?”

Robert thought it would be okay to take a break. But Jun Hyunu shook his head.

“Now is not the time to rest.”

He knew that the IT industry was developing so fast that he couldn’t even imagine it.

‘At least until the IT bubble bursts in 2000, it will continue to grow explosively.’

Besides, the Plaza Accord [agreement among industrialized nations to depreciate the U.S. dollar] and the collapse of Japan’s bubble were just around the corner.

‘Reducing working hours is one thing. Stopping the company’s growth doesn’t make sense.’

He had seen with his own eyes how much profit the person who preempted the market took.

“Every morning, I’m afraid that everything will disappear like a mirage.”

Jun Hyunu couldn’t help but pause.

‘Robert’s mentality is shaking.’

Robert was a man with a stronger mentality than anyone else. Even he was starting to crack under the continued heavy workload.

“Robert, that won’t happen. If that happens, I’ll take responsibility.”

“Charlie?”

“Even if the company collapses, the $500 million in my account won’t disappear.”

I will guarantee your future.

Jun Hyunu was saying this.

“I just hope we don’t become Icarus.”

Icarus, who flew towards the sun.

Jun Hyunu knew well what he was wary of.

‘To those who don’t know the future, I may look like Icarus.’

But he was not Icarus.