The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 268

268. Tokyo Blues (4)

Victoria Corporation’s official Tetris, released simultaneously for NES and PC, became a sensational hit.

Reporters and experts covering Black Friday were abuzz with excitement.

“Tetris will be the top product this Black Friday!”

“Can a computer game really be the top product?”

“The shock that hit the North American game market is over. Now, it’s spreading its wings of revival.”

“You’re saying the North American game market is positive?”

“Of course.”

Along with positive media reviews, Tetris also boasted excellent sales figures.

Before leaving for Japan, Jung Hyun-woo held a final executive meeting.

He reviewed the sales performance of Tetris and nodded, satisfied.

“Finally, our company has a killer title.”

John River had released a killer title, but he wasn’t entirely comfortable.

Tetris wasn’t his creation, nor that of the Victoria Games division; Jung Hyun-woo had brought it from the Soviet Union.

Of course, John River had been the one to introduce the Tetris project to Jung Hyun-woo. Therefore, it couldn’t be said that he and the game division had no contribution.

“It will be officially released in Japan and Europe soon.”

“Is it the Christmas season in Japan and Europe?”

“We plan to release it on December 3rd.”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled at the mention of December 3rd.

‘The marketing manager used a clever trick.’

December 3rd.

A number that people can easily remember: 1, 2, 3.

This was a marketing technique used by Sony when they first released the PlayStation.

Of course, this kind of date marketing wasn’t invented by Sony.

Several companies were already using this type of date marketing.

“Expectations for Tetris are high.”

Jung Hyun-woo concluded the meeting with words of encouragement to John River and the game division.

After the meeting, Sarah and Robert lingered.

The two of them always seemed to have something to discuss, continuing with a small meeting with Jung Hyun-woo after the executive meeting.

‘Robert might have something to say, but why is Sarah always with him?’

The two were as close as a married couple, so they could talk anytime.

‘Does Robert need her support to say something?’

But it was always Jung Hyun-woo who was Sarah’s primary focus.

‘It’s not quite a feeling of strictly separating public and private matters.’

Sarah was the first to speak again.

“Second-half sales are meeting consensus in all areas.”

Meeting consensus (expectations) was encouraging for a large corporation like Victoria Corporation.

“But the problem is that none of them significantly exceed consensus.”

This meant that none of the subsidiaries had an earnings surprise that exceeded expectations.

“Are you saying there hasn’t been a major breakout for three consecutive quarters?”

Sarah nodded in response.

“That’s right. Other than Victoria Fund, there’s been too little to show.”

Victoria Fund showed amazing performance every time, thanks to the strong yen and the Japanese bubble [the economic bubble in Japan from 1986 to 1991].

However, Wall Street investors linked Victoria Fund and Victoria Corporation but didn’t equate them.

“It may be urgent to find a new growth engine.”

This time, Robert spoke.

“It may be necessary to strengthen or readjust existing businesses.”

“Are you saying we should increase the efficiency of existing businesses?”

“Yes.”

Jung Hyun-woo showed excellent ability in finding new opportunities, but he had little experience in organizational management or restructuring.

“It would be troublesome if there was already a division operating inefficiently.”

Victoria Corporation was a regular feature on New York Stock Exchange news, but in reality, it was a company that was less than 10 years old. He thought that a company that was less than 10 years old shouldn’t fall into moral hazard [when someone increases their exposure to risk when they are insured].

“Still, we need to check it out once.”

Sarah and Robert seemed to think that there were definitely unnecessary wasteful areas.

“Okay. Then let’s recruit an expert in that field. That task is…….”

Jung Hyun-woo hadn’t been very active in recruiting talent in this area until now.

‘If you emphasize efficiency, layoffs will follow.’

The best thing was to reallocate manpower, but that often didn’t improve efficiency.

“I’ll take care of it.”

As Sarah stepped forward, Jung Hyun-woo nodded.

“Okay. Sarah, take care of it.”

Robert’s connections were good for development experts, but Sarah’s connections were better for management and financial management.

Robert said to Sarah.

“Sarah, a person who is too cold is troublesome.”

Sarah nodded and accepted his words.

“You’re worried about someone who emphasizes layoffs, right?”

“Many management experts don’t properly understand IT companies.”

“Charlie makes the final decision, so don’t worry too much.”

Jung Hyun-woo shrugged his shoulders at the mention of the final decision-maker.

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

Sarah said in a soft voice.

“Charlie will do well.”

You’ll do well.

You can do it.

Take care of it.

This kind of encouragement sometimes made a person’s shoulders heavier than any other words.

‘Does being in a high position come with that much responsibility?’

Someone could lose their job and fall into great difficulty because of his one word.

“If possible, it would be good to end with reorganizing the organization.”

The American economy was on a growth path.

‘It’s not time for layoffs yet.’

Until the bubble burst in the early 2000s, American IT companies showed a crazy run.

“Charlie, I heard you’re going on a business trip to Japan.”

Jung Hyun-woo acknowledged Robert’s words.

“I’ll finish it in less than a week.”

“Are you going for a week?”

“I have to take out funds from the Victoria Fund.”

Robert had heard from Sarah that the US government was wary of excessive investment in Japan.

“When will the news go out?”

“It’s set to go out in January.”

“January…….”

Jung Hyun-woo slightly raised the end of his words.

“Did you invest in a Japanese investment fund?”

Robert waved his right hand and replied.

“It’s not like that. It’s just that the point when new funds come in is January…….”

“Robert seems to be worried about tax issues.”

“If it comes in over December and January, can’t we cut it in half?”

He was talking about the tax issue on capital gains.

Jung Hyun-woo answered his question.

“The amount coming in this time isn’t that big anyway.”

“If it’s not big, how much is it?”

“I think it will be between 10 and 20%.”

Robert stroked his chin at his answer.

“Hmm, that amount is definitely ambiguous.”

“We will complete the withdrawal by 1989 at the latest.”

Robert asked him.

“Charlie, are you preparing the next chapter?”

He was asking about the investment destination after Japan.

“Wouldn’t it be China or California?”

“I understand China, but what’s going on in California?”

“Robert, doesn’t California have Silicon Valley?”

We will invest in IT companies.

Robert nodded at his opinion.

“It’s a safe choice.”

Jung Hyun-woo raised the end of his words and asked.

“Robert doesn’t seem to like investing in Silicon Valley?”

Robert replied in a low voice.

“Everyone is investing in IT. Doesn’t it feel like we’re just following other people’s investments?”

Jung Hyun-woo replied in a calm voice.

“The 20th century was the era of ideology, but the 21st century will be the era of technology.”

End of 1987.

Jung Hyun-woo was looking towards the 2000s.

‘There are less than 15 years left until the next century.’

And he had personally experienced the splendid technological development of the 2000s.

* * *

“Don’t skip meals.”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded at Sarah’s advice.

“Sarah, I’m not a child anymore.”

Sarah even wrapped a scarf around his neck.

“Call when you arrive.”

“It will be dawn.”

“It’s okay even if it’s dawn. I’ll sleep with the phone next to me.”

“I’ll call the company in the morning.”

Sarah still didn’t seem relieved and sighed briefly.

“Haa…….”

Jung Hyun-woo raised the end of his words at her sigh.

“Why are you like this when I go on a business trip every time?”

“I feel uneasy about this business trip for some reason.”

“Don’t worry. It won’t be a big business trip.”

Sarah pulled on his scarf, bringing the distance between them closer. She lightly kissed Jung Hyun-woo on the cheek and let go of the scarf.

“Have a good trip.”

Jung Hyun-woo’s face turned red for a moment.

“Sarah…….”

As he blankly stared at her, her face also turned red.

“Charlie, you’re too serious. It’s just a sister’s kiss.”

Jung Hyun-woo said with a bright smile.

“Someday, I want to receive a girlfriend’s kiss, not a sister’s.”

He turned around.

“I’ll be back.”

Sarah waved her hand from behind and raised her voice.

“Come back safely!”

As Jung Hyun-woo got into the car, his secretary, Luna, asked.

“Hasn’t the CEO proposed to Miss Hilton yet?”

Luna seemed to think that the two had already promised their future.

“Confession comes before proposal.”

At the same time as his answer, the car left the mansion.

24 hours later.

Kyoto, Japan.

The first place Jung Hyun-woo visited wasn’t Kajima Group in Tokyo, but Nintendo headquarters in Kyoto.

“Please come in. Everyone is waiting.”

The person who greeted him with a bright face was Gunpei Yokoi, a powerful figure at Nintendo.

Jung Hyun-woo, guided by him, who decorated a page in the history of game companies, entered the headquarters conference room.

‘Not the president’s office, but the conference room.’

Many Nintendo executives were stationed in the conference room. They seemed to think that Jung Hyun-woo had visited Nintendo again to talk about something big.

“Mr. Jung, welcome.”

The first to welcome him was Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi.

His hair seemed whiter than when he had seen him before.

‘Maybe half-white hair and sunglasses were his trademarks?’

It was still a bit short of being half-white.

“Hello.”

Jung Hyun-woo greeted him politely, and Hiroshi Yamauchi liked that he wasn’t like a typical American.

Of course, Jung Hyun-woo wasn’t an American, either legally or mentally.

As he sat down, his attendants also sat on either side.

“Thanks to Victoria Corporation’s cooperation, we were able to make great profits in the American market.”

Nintendo slightly praised Victoria Corporation.

“I think the North American game market was able to revive because of Nintendo.”

Jung Hyun-woo also returned the praise he received.

The meeting atmosphere was bright and cordial.

Nintendo talked about next year’s plans and predicted that the American market would grow even more.

Jung Hyun-woo also agreed with that opinion. He said that Nintendo would achieve considerable success not only in the United States but also in South America, and that Victoria Corporation would support it.

President Yamauchi and Nintendo executives were satisfied with his gentle attitude.

‘It doesn’t seem like he came to find fault.’

‘We conceded last time, so he won’t ask for more this time.’

Some executives thought that they couldn’t let their guard down even if the meeting atmosphere was good.

‘It doesn’t make sense for the CEO of the number one company in the US market capitalization to visit in person and only say a few good words.’

‘Maybe he’ll talk about developing the next-generation device together.’

Victoria Corporation was a software development company that competed for first and second place with Microsoft in the United States.

Nintendo executives thought they were aiming for the operating system of Nintendo’s next-generation game console.

“I heard that Nintendo is developing a next-generation game console.”

Several years had passed since the NES had established itself in the market.

It wasn’t strange for the story of next-generation game console development to come out.

President Yamauchi and Nintendo executives were slightly nervous.

“We are working hard on development.”

Jung Hyun-woo said in a soft voice.

“I hope the next-generation game console will also do well.”

He mentioned the next-generation game console but didn’t make any demands.

“Thank you for your kind words.”

President Yamauchi gently accepted his words. But he couldn’t let go of the tension until the end.

‘If I were Charlie Jung, I wouldn’t end it like this.’

As he expected, Jung Hyun-woo added a story about the next-generation game console.

“When the next-generation console game console is released, I hope the release dates in the United States and Japan will be narrowed.”

In order to quickly preempt the American market, it was good to advance the release date.

“How much do you think Mr. Jung should advance it?”

It was a question to find out Victoria Corporation’s demands.

“Wouldn’t that depend on Nintendo’s circumstances?”

He would demand to move up the date, but he meant that he wouldn’t specify the period.

“Hmm, then I’ll try to pull it forward as much as possible.”

President Yamauchi had no choice but to say this.

“It seems like the meeting is over, can we have a cup of tea lightly?”

Tea time.

Nintendo executives and President Yamauchi couldn’t help but be nervous for a moment.

‘This is the real thing.’

They expected that the reason why Jung Hyun-woo visited Nintendo headquarters would appear during tea time.

“Japanese tea has a good scent.”

President Yamauchi moved to the president’s office with Jung Hyun-woo.

Before entering the president’s office.

He instructed his attendants to stay outside.

He only took one interpreter with him inside.

“The atmosphere in the president’s office is the same as before.”

President Yamauchi knew that he wanted a one-on-one conversation and greeted him, excluding even talented people like Gunpei Yokoi.

“Because there was nothing special to change.”

Tak.

President Yamauchi’s secretary put down the tea.

Jung Hyun-woo picked up the teacup and took a sip.

‘Not bad.’

It was green tea with a strong scent.

“Actually, I have a request for the president.”

A request from the president of the number one company in the United States.

President Yamauchi was so nervous that he couldn’t feel the scent of the tea.

‘I hope he doesn’t ask to sell the shares.’

He thought that he couldn’t sell Nintendo’s shares under any circumstances.

“Let’s hear what kind of request it is.”

Jung Hyun-woo put down his teacup and said.

“I want to know the real estate prices in Japan quietly.”

I want to know the real estate prices in Japan.

President Yamauchi couldn’t help but pause.

‘The investment company that is investing the most in real estate is asking us about Japanese real estate prices?’

He tilted his head to the side and asked again.

“Victoria Fund is collaborating with Kajima Group, isn’t it?”

Kajima Group had Kajima Construction, so they could know the real estate prices in Japan much more accurately than Nintendo.

“I’m suspicious of Kajima Group’s movements.”

“Hmm, I see.”

President Yamauchi realized that the reason why Jung Hyun-woo visited Nintendo was because of Kajima Group, not them.

‘It seems like he wants to get information through us before negotiating with Kajima Group.’

He took a sip of tea and asked.

“Wouldn’t there be many companies that can investigate real estate prices even if it’s not our company?”

Most Japanese construction companies were also in the real estate business. If any company made a request, they could know the exact real estate prices in Japan.

Jung Hyun-woo answered his question.

“If we give a project to a construction company or consulting firm, Kajima Construction will notice.”

I want to investigate quietly without the other party realizing it.

“Hmm, the problem seems serious.”

“It’s not that the problem is serious, it’s because of my paranoia.”

President Yamauchi nodded.

“I understand. Cooperation in that area won’t be difficult.”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled brightly and said.

“Then I’ll leave an employee at Nintendo.”

He was saying to deliver the data through that employee.

“I’ll tell you that this is an employee for American business cooperation.”

“Thank you for the president’s cooperation.”

Jung Hyun-woo thought as he came out of President Yamauchi’s office.

‘If there was the Internet, I could know the real estate prices in Japan at a glance, but I shouldn’t expect that in the 1980s.’

He wanted to know accurate information through Nintendo.