My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 25

“Besides, you can tell by Jiwoonsoft’s CEO’s actions.”

“Actions?”

“Yes. Jiwoonsoft’s CEO is very active externally right now. He’s giving lectures and meeting with investors and developers. It’s hard to imagine someone like that retiring early.”

In fact, Jiwoonsoft’s CEO is in his 50s, an age when he should be socially active.

“He doesn’t need to give lectures because he’s short on money. His goal is probably to increase his social influence.”

Would someone like that really retire? It’s unlikely.

“But isn’t Jiwoonsoft’s sale different from what you’re thinking?”

“That’s the problem. He wants to maintain social influence but realistically avoid risks. That’s probably his mindset.”

“Risks?”

“In any industry, the people who know it best are those *in* the industry. Jiwoonsoft’s CEO knows that the end of gambling-type probability items [loot boxes, gacha mechanics] is approaching.”

Although Korea is still turning a blind eye due to massive lobbying, global regulations on probability-based gambling items are becoming increasingly strict. In Europe, all countries except the UK have recognized them as gambling and are starting regulations and investigations, and the same is true in the United States.

Korea has also maintained its position through lobbying, but the government seems to be stepping in due to increasingly excessive probability manipulation.

In a newly launched game, the company spent 160 million won [approximately $120,000 USD] on gacha to promote it, but no legendary items appeared.

In other words, they put in 160 million won and got nothing.

This is beyond the pale, even for gambling.

“In the long term, regulations on probability items will become stricter.”

Of course, companies like Jiwoonsoft that make gambling games will know that.

“So, his plan is to sell at the highest price now and, instead, secure management rights to increase his influence in the industry.”

Bae Deok-gi frowned at Park Do-joon’s words. Judging from the financial statements and past performance alone, Jiwoonsoft was clearly a valuable company.

‘I remember that Hyunsung Group guaranteed management rights….’

But that was the cause of their failure. The CEO continued to make only gambling games, and the result was failure.

“Besides, the IP [intellectual property] value of the game is honestly non-existent.”

“No value? But according to the report, the IP value is incredibly high?”

Park Do-joon shook his head. “No. This isn’t a matter of profiling but of common sense. You just don’t know because you don’t play games.”

Jiwoonsoft has several game IPs, so they calculate that each one is worth hundreds of billions [of Korean won].

“But those games are all online-based gambling content.”

However, what Hyunsung Group wants to do is not gambling games but single-player-focused games.

“Even if you make it into a game, it’s a disadvantage in a market focused on single-player games.”

The IP already has an image of being a gambling den.

“What you see in the documents isn’t everything, Chairman.”

Bae Deok-gi pondered Park Do-joon’s words. No matter how he thought about it, it was clearly a world he didn’t know. Most of the executives didn’t know either.

‘Hyunsung Games was the same.’

They said they were placing trustworthy people, but what happened in the end was match-fixing. [A scandal where employees manipulated game results for personal gain.]

If they hadn’t exposed it early, and if they had gotten involved, the company’s losses would have been enormous.

“Then, in your opinion, where would be a good place [to invest]?”

“Well, I’m not very good at games either.”

Because of the nature of his work, he gets various information, but that doesn’t mean he’s good at games. Park Do-joon doesn’t even play mobile games.

“But I want to tell you that Jiwoonsoft isn’t the answer. I don’t know how much they’re asking for.”

“They’re currently asking for 1.7 trillion won [approximately $1.3 billion USD].”

‘They must be trying to cash out big and leave.’

1. 7 trillion won? Jiwoonsoft is destined to fail eventually. How many people went to the Han River [a euphemism for suicide due to financial ruin] when the stock price plummeted?

“I recommend starting a new company or acquiring small and medium-sized enterprises instead.”

“Hmm. If you say so.”

Bae Deok-gi pondered. In fact, the reason he called Park Do-joon was to gauge Jiwoonsoft’s CEO’s intentions and buy the company cheaply.

But after listening, it’s a piece of crap. A considerable piece of crap.

‘Stupid bastards. Why didn’t they tell me this?’

The directors and executives didn’t say anything like this. Instead, they were full of hype about the company’s current value and its future.

‘There’s no way they didn’t know below.’

According to Park Do-joon, everyone who plays games knows this, so there’s no way they didn’t know. Probably, even if concerns were raised from below, they were all cut off in the middle.

“There’s no one I can trust….”

The biggest problem is this. The people around him are old. So, no matter who he puts in charge, they’ll end up going through a similar process.

“I know someone….”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Isn’t there Bae Chang-in?”

“Chang-in? You want me to bring that bastard in here?”

Bae Deok-gi frowned. From his perspective, Bae Chang-in is trash.

Bae Chang-in is Bae Deok-gi’s third grandson, but he’s not a very trustworthy grandson.

While everyone else is actively preparing for succession by focusing on management, Bae Chang-in is almost a *hikikomori* [a Japanese term for a recluse] by nature.

He has no interest in self-management, spends his time playing games, and doesn’t try to meet with other *chaebol* [family-owned conglomerate] families.

As the second grandson of the second son, he’s inevitably lower in the succession rankings, but it’s hard to see his lack of motivation and future, just clinging to games, in a positive light.

“He’s not trash; his interests are just different.”

“Different interests?”

“Humans are quite contradictory.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“The criteria for judgment aren’t the same. Just look at the job market.”

Since the introduction of the non-regular employment system in Korea, the qualitative decline of the job market has been endless.

When young people say they can’t get a job, they’re told they’re spoiled, or that they should lower their standards and get a job.

But they would never allow their own children to take non-regular jobs in small and medium-sized enterprises.

“It’s the same with apartments.”

The media constantly complains that they can’t control apartment prices, but if apartment prices were to fall, they would cry that the country is ruined and the economy is ruined the next day.

But if they try to freeze prices through a soft landing, they make a fuss that the economy has stopped.

“Isn’t it the same with you, Chairman?”

You want to make money with games. You want to push games as a new business, but you unhesitatingly consider your own grandson trash for playing games.

“Not everyone can be a chairman, Chairman.”

“What?”

“It’s right for the most talented person to become chairman through competition. But have you thought about the future of the losers after that endless competition?”

Bae Deok-gi’s face hardened. In fact, he knows that the aftermath won’t be good, but he still thought it was necessary for the company’s future because it was competition.

“You may think of them as losers because they ran away from that fight, but they’re not losers. They chose a different path.”

“Isn’t there also the saying ‘survival of the fittest’?”

“We’re not animals, are we? There is a way. You’re just ignoring it, Chairman.”

In fact, the end of Hyunsung Group wasn’t very good. They fought fiercely, and in the end, Hyunsung Group was divided into three groups.

And they bared their teeth and fought each other, all collapsing and being eaten by other companies.

“Choosing only one between the position of a parent and the position of a chairman isn’t the right way in life.”

Bae Deok-gi felt strange. It was only the first time they had met. Only the second time until today. Nevertheless, he was clearly addressing the parts that Bae Deok-gi was usually worried about.

“But Chang-in has no talent in management….”

“Hahahaha, that’s why you should support him.”

“What?”

“If management interferes with games, it’s a shortcut to failure. The beginning of famous game companies is usually from engineers.”

Their minds are focused not on how to make the game fun, not on how to make money.

And if that succeeds, they become a global game company, and management begins when they start selling it off.

“Right now, you’re telling a child who hasn’t even crawled to prepare for a marathon.”

“Was that so.”

“Games are half people.”

The business that is guaranteed to be a loss until you have a successful IP is games.

“So, there’s no need to rely on acquiring a successful company. 1.7 trillion won? How many talented programmers could you bring in if you started a game company with that money?”

Even if you spend only a third of that, the best programmers in Korea will come running.

‘And it’s an opportunity for me too.’

Park Do-joon didn’t support Bae Chang-in without any thought.

In fact, Bae Chang-in attempts suicide not long after. He attempts suicide after being treated as a loser in his family and barely survives.

And later, he takes only his inheritance, leaves home, creates his own game company, and makes it a great success.

After Hyunsung disappeared, he was the only one who survived as a wealthy man.

His family, who had ignored him all his life, eventually had to continue their lives with his consideration.

‘He’s a good person.’

It’s not just that he’s kind. He knows better than anyone what kind of games gamers will like.

That doesn’t mean he’s a programmer. Strictly speaking, he’s in charge of game planning.

Nevertheless, the games he makes are successful one after another.

Also, his mercenary skills are excellent.

Unlike other companies that only drove programmers to create gambling games, he knew how to use people in the right places and controlled disputes within the company.

The reason he supported his family, who had condemned him, wasn’t just because he was kind but because he knew better than anyone where to use people.

Even if it’s a failed company, the connections of the former head of a large corporation don’t disappear.

In fact, the company he created not only made games but also supplied operating programs to numerous large corporations, generating huge profits of hundreds of billions of won every year.

‘He’s not a chairman of a large corporation, but he’s someone who can become the head of a decent company.’

Imperial studies through fear are not suitable for someone who rules his subordinates with virtue rather than fear.

“Then he will be able to create a good company.”

Park Do-joon said confidently.