The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 136

136. Hoist the Sails High (3)

“So, you’re saying there’s a rumor going around that Hyun-woo has achieved great success in America?”

“It’s a rumor spreading among Korean students studying in the United States.”

Jung In-hae’s children were studying in the United States, so they could easily hear rumors about Victoria Corporation.

“Isn’t it just an urban legend from Japan or something?”

Vice President Jung Min-seok didn’t get easily excited or angry. He wanted to approach the rumors with a cool head.

This calmness was his unique advantage, something that even Jung Hyun-woo and Jung Min-young didn’t possess.

“It’s spreading too widely to be just a rumor.”

“Is it just rumors?”

Jung In-hae took out a small notebook from her bag.

“What’s this?”

“Our youngest daughter made it. It’s a scrapbook.”

It was a notebook filled with newspaper articles about Victoria Corporation.

“You mean Jin-ye collected articles related to Hyun-woo?”

Han Jin-ye was Jung In-hae’s second daughter. This notebook was something she had made while studying in the United States.

“I didn’t believe it at first either.”

Vice President Jung Min-seok opened the notebook. The notebook contained the dates, article titles, and names of the newspapers where the articles were published.

‘Meticulous.’

It was of such high quality that it seemed like it was made by a considerable fan of Jung Hyun-woo, unless someone was paid to organize it.

“He started with JP Morgan. But is this Charlie Jung here definitely Hyun-woo?”

Jung In-hae shrugged lightly.

“I can’t know for sure. I didn’t hire a detective separately, but I was able to check through the secretary’s office.”

“The secretary’s office, you mean…”

“Our company’s secretary’s office. Hyun-woo’s English name is Charlie Jung, they said.”

Vice President Jung Min-seok gave a faint smile.

“If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry.”

“Don’t have to worry? You already knew this?”

“It was already revealed to be a person with the same name, and the secretary’s office released a press release to each media outlet.”

Jung In-hae widened her eyes as if she didn’t know.

“There was such a thing?”

“It happened at the beginning of the year.”

If it was the beginning of the year, it was like a year ago.

“Then there’s nothing to worry about.”

“It’ll end with the story of a Korean student who succeeded in the United States.”

Jung In-hae crossed her legs and raised her voice slightly at the end of her sentence.

“But you know, why is the Korean media so quiet when so many articles are coming out like this?”

“That’s…”

If a Korean citizen succeeded in the United States, it was common for the news to report it every day, saying that they were a proud Korean.

“Even if the other party didn’t want to be interviewed, at least a brief update should be reported.”

Jung In-hae was right.

In 1984, the South Korean government was creating TV programs to introduce successful businessmen to promote economic growth, and was broadcasting stories that could enhance Korea’s status on TV every day in preparation for the Asian Games.

In this situation, the story of a Korean citizen who has achieved great success in the United States is not reported?

It was impossible not to think this was strange.

“I need to look into it a little bit.”

Jung In-hae was satisfied that her daughter’s scrapbook had not become useless.

“Right?”

“I’ll also issue instructions to the Daewoon Corporation’s US branch.”

Jung In-hae thought that if Vice President Jung Min-seok stepped up, it wouldn’t be too difficult to reveal Charlie Jung’s identity.

‘It’s not like I’m digging up secret stories; it’s a person who’s already in the newspaper.’

She stretched out her legs and asked.

“But what if it’s really Hyun-woo?”

If Jung Hyun-woo had achieved great success in the United States, then the Daewoon Group’s succession structure could change.

“If that’s really the case, we have to make Hyun-woo our ally.”

“Make Hyun-woo our ally?”

“Do you think it’s difficult?”

Jung In-hae nodded.

“I know Hyun-woo is connected to Director Hong.”

It was not strange that Jung Hyun-woo was connected to Director Hong Won-ik.

It was Director Hong Won-ik who helped him study in the United States.

“The two aren’t related by blood, are they?”

Since they are not related by blood, there is room to break in.

“Is it possible?”

“It’s not a matter of possible or impossible. If Hyun-woo is the Charlie Jung in the article, we have to do it no matter what.”

Vice President Jung Min-seok’s voice was heavy and subdued. He looked at the scrapped articles and thought.

‘A billionaire with over $1 billion? If Hyun-woo has accumulated such wealth, it’s not just a problem for the Daewoon Group.’

As of 1984, Shin Byung-chul of the Samjung Group and Chairman Park Jun-young of the Daehyun Group, known as the two pillars of South Korea, did not have $1 billion in assets.

‘Hyun-woo is the richest man in Korea? How can such a dreamlike thing happen?’

Vice President Jung Min-seok thought that the possibility was less than a decimal point.

But even a possibility below the decimal point was not zero.

So he decided to investigate the young man named Charlie Jung.

* * *

Vice President Jung Min-seok frowned at the report he received from the Daewoon Corporation’s US branch.

“Is that really true?”

“I’m not 100% sure, but I think there’s a 90% chance.”

“90%?”

“Maybe it’s 99%.”

This phone call was a direct report from Kim Tae-hoon, the head of the Daewoon Corporation’s US branch.

“Tell me the reason you think so.”

Kim Tae-hoon slowly began to speak at Vice President Jung Min-seok’s instruction.

“The first thing I suspected was the location.”

“Hmm, the location.”

“Young Master Hyun-woo studied in Boston. And Victoria Corporation’s address is also in Boston.”

A Korean young man with the same name as Jung Hyun-woo creates a company in the same place where Jung Hyun-woo is studying?

It was an unbelievable coincidence.

‘But he wouldn’t have said 99% with just this.’

He shook his right hand and said.

“Continue.”

Kim Tae-hoon bowed his head even though Vice President Jung Min-seok was not in front of him, and continued his explanation.

“In addition, according to the article, Charlie Jung, who founded Victoria Corporation, is from MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology].”

Vice President Jung Min-seok had heard that Jung Hyun-woo had been accepted to MIT.

“The same school as Hyun-woo, the same name as Hyun-woo, and he created a company in the same neighborhood?”

“That’s right.”

There were too many overlapping parts to call it a coincidence.

“And the age is the same.”

Even the ages of the two were the same.

Then it was like covering the sky with the palm of your hand [a Korean idiom for trying to hide the obvious].

‘How can this happen?’

Vice President Jung Min-seok couldn’t believe what he was hearing from the receiver.

“Is there anything else?”

“I have secured a photo.”

“Send it by fax.”

“I already sent it.”

Vice President Jung Min-seok pressed the intercom button to call his secretary without hanging up the phone.

“Did you call?”

“Bring me the fax that came for me.”

The secretary quickly bowed her head because Vice President Jung Min-seok’s face and voice were flushed.

“I understand.”

After she went out, Vice President Jung Min-seok picked up the receiver again.

“How was the picture?”

He could have waited for the secretary to bring the fax, but he thought that even that time was a waste.

“It’s more than 90% identical to Young Master Hyun-woo.”

A young man whose name, age, school, appearance, and origin all matched.

The possibility that the two were different was less than 1%.

‘Hyun-woo really achieved great success in the United States?’

Vice President Jung Min-seok even pinched his thigh.

‘Damn it… It’s not a dream.’

It seemed like a childish act, but it was such a shocking truth that he couldn’t help but do it.

“Is there anything else?”

Kim Tae-hoon replied.

“I have checked MIT’s student information.”

“Can you do that?”

“I spent a little money.”

He meant that he had hired a detective or someone similar.

In the United States, it was common to hire a detective to investigate someone.

“The result?”

“It was as expected.”

“As expected?”

“There was no student named Charlie Jung at MIT other than Young Master Hyun-woo.”

Vice President Jung Min-seok groaned lowly.

“Ugh, thank you for your hard work.”

“Do you have any other instructions?”

“Investigate how successful Hyun-woo is and report back.”

Kim Tae-hoon, the head of the Daewoon Corporation’s US branch, had already completed that investigation.

“I’ve already investigated that as well.”

“Already?”

“He’s a public figure who has appeared in newspapers several times, so it wasn’t particularly difficult.”

A public figure who was not difficult to investigate.

Why hasn’t he appeared in the Korean media at all?

‘There’s something going on.’

Vice President Jung Min-seok frowned and asked.

“So, what’s the result?”

“It was unbelievable.”

If Kim Tae-hoon, who was in charge of the investigation in the United States, said this, it was impossible to even guess the size of the wealth.

“I won’t blame you. Tell me what you investigated as it is.”

“Based on the estimated data from the US media, I think it’s at least over $10 billion.”

10 billion dollars.

South Korea’s annual budget was slightly over $10 billion.

‘One person has wealth equivalent to a national budget?’

This was uncommon even in the United States.

“Forbes predicts that if the IPO [Initial Public Offering] is successful this year, he could be in the top 50 richest people in the United States.”

If he was in the top 50 richest people in the United States, he would easily be in the top 100 in the world.

‘Hyun-woo has become one of the top 100 richest people in the world?’

A businessman from South Korea, a developing country, has become one of the top 100 richest people in the world.

It was shocking news that would be on the evening news as well as news flashes.

‘But none of the domestic media is reporting about Hyun-woo.’

He clicked his tongue and asked.

“Tell me if you’ve investigated anything else.”

Branch Manager Kim Tae-hoon realized that Vice President Jung Min-seok’s voice was cracking.

‘You can’t help but be surprised to hear this story.’

He was also very surprised to learn that Jung Hyun-woo was Charlie Jung.

“As I mentioned briefly earlier, Victoria Corporation is preparing for an IPO this year. According to the investigation, the securities company working with them is JP Morgan, so success is almost certain.”

Vice President Jung Min-seok slowly nodded.

“An IPO in the United States. That’s a great thing.”

Branch Manager Kim Tae-hoon straightened his posture and asked.

“Vice President, I don’t know if we should keep this a secret.”

Even if it wasn’t known in Korea, it was already public information in the United States.

“Keep it a secret.”

Vice President Jung Min-seok thought that it was something that Daewoon Group employees should not know yet.

“I understand.”

Tak.

Vice President Jung Min-seok hung up the phone and sighed deeply.

“Hoo…”

He tilted his head back and covered his eyes with his right hand.

‘What kind of thunderbolt is this?’

The situation was already overwhelming with Jung Min-young, who was rising based on his father-in-law’s power.

‘Can I even keep Hyun-woo in check?’

If the two of them join hands…

He didn’t even want to think about that situation.

* * *

December 11, 1984.

Victoria Corporation’s ambitious work, Lambda, was released as a PC game.

Since there was no internet, it was not easy to check the reaction in real time on the first day of release.

But from the next day, it was possible to check Lambda’s reaction through rumors and word-of-mouth.

Victoria Corporation monitored the reactions of gamers who went back and forth between these word-of-mouth reports and game shops.

And three days later.

Jung Hyun-woo gathered key personnel from the game business division and held a meeting.

“How’s the reaction?”

The key figures in the game business division had been paying close attention to the reaction since the release of Lambda.

Corey, the head of the marketing department, answered Jung Hyun-woo’s question.

“According to the marketing department, the reaction doesn’t seem bad.”

“How is it not bad?”

“The survey received 7.4 points out of 10, and the word-of-mouth is located between Good and Great.”

It wasn’t an overwhelming masterpiece.

Jung Hyun-woo nodded at Corey’s report.

“The initial reaction isn’t bad.”

John River sighed inwardly at the lower-than-expected reaction.

‘Hoo… Even though I did my best, I couldn’t get over 8 points?’

He felt a slight sense of frustration.

“How are the sales?”

“50% of the initial release volume has been sold.”

Victoria Corporation had set the initial release volume generously, so selling 50% was by no means small.

But considering the cost of marketing so far, it wasn’t at a level where they could smile brightly.

“That means so-so.”

“You could see it that way.”

Jung Hyun-woo turned his gaze to John River.

“John, how’s the bug patch going?”

John River hesitated and answered his question.

“We are compiling a list of bugs with the help of hardcore users and each magazine.”

“You mean you haven’t started the improvement work yet.”

“I don’t think there are any critical bugs.”

John River thought that there were no critical bugs because he had conducted sufficient beta testing.

‘But there’s always a chance.’

Jung Hyun-woo put his hands together and said.

“John, there may be bugs that we don’t know about. Never let your guard down.”

His tone was stricter than usual.

John River bowed his head again.

“I understand.”

Next, Hendricks from the distribution department received Jung Hyun-woo’s question.

“50% of the initial volume has been sold; when will the next volume be shipped?”

“Next Wednesday.”

“If it’s shipped on Wednesday, when will it be available nationwide?”

“If you think about places like Alaska, it will take about a week.”

Jung Hyun-woo sighed briefly.

“Hoo… A week.”

It was a schedule that was neither short nor long.

“Hendricks, pay a little more attention.”

At his words, Hendricks also bowed his head deeply.

“I understand.”

Jung Hyun-woo’s appearance leading the meeting about Lambda was that of a CEO himself.

John River thought that Jung Hyun-woo paid more attention because his foundation was in games.

‘JP Service is making a lot of money, but Charlie won’t let go of the game business.’

Jung Hyun-woo wanted to further expand the game business and re-enter the console market with Nintendo next year.

“Let’s stop here with Lambda and move on to the next.”

John River raised his eyebrows and trailed off.

“Next, you mean…”

Jung Hyun-woo cut him off and asked.

“I’m talking about the collaboration with Nintendo.”

John River put his legs together that he had spread apart at his words.

“We are coordinating to meet the schedule as much as possible.”

He had visited Japan with his team to sign a contract with Nintendo.

“So, when is Nintendo launching?”

The 1984 launch was already out of the question.

Jung Hyun-woo wanted to know the exact launch date of Nintendo.

“The second half of next year is likely.”

“Is it really the second half of next year?”

“I know that they have started producing prototypes for export to the United States.”

Jung Hyun-woo listened to John River’s answer and slowly nodded.

“Nintendo is coming out next year.”

With the advent of Nintendo, the North American game market will be revived.

‘Our Victoria Corporation will be with that revival.’

Jung Hyun-woo had no doubt that the game business division would be Victoria Corporation’s second sword.