Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 19

19. 6th. California Dreamin’ (1)

After easing the atmosphere with a casual beer gathering, I dedicated the next few days to thoroughly reviewing the investment materials.

With preparations complete, Park Tae-jin, Seon Hae-cheol, and I boarded an early morning flight, landing at San Francisco International Airport.

“The East Coast and West Coast are worlds apart.”

“Being here, you feel invigorated. It’s not just the weather; the very air feels different.”

San Francisco boasts a delightful climate, with average lows of 8 degrees Celsius in January and average highs of 20 degrees Celsius in July. This makes the summers much cooler and the winters considerably warmer compared to Seoul.

Unlike my past life, where work consumed me even during visits here, this time I arrived with the intention of savoring the experience. I finally understood the sentiment behind The Mamas and the Papas’ song, ‘California Dreamin’.’

“That’s what fostered Silicon Valley, right, Hyung [older brother or senior]?”

“That must be it. Beautiful flowers flourish in bright environments.”

It was an unexpected response from Park Tae-jin, who usually seemed devoid of sentiment and only offered pragmatic observations. But as he pointed out, the environment was indeed conducive to growth.

With fertile grounds like UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Stanford well-established, it was inevitable that tech companies, the ‘flowers,’ would thrive.

By now, one particular ‘flower’ I had my eye on should be preparing to bloom at Stanford.

This investment trip wasn’t solely for Pixar, which I had discussed in New York. It also aimed to explore investments in future companies, perhaps even one I might co-found.

“That’s surprising. I didn’t expect you to say something like that, Hyung.”

Park Tae-jin, who had been serious for a moment, offered a faint smile at my jest.

“I’m human too, Doryeonnim [young master]. Flowers evoke positive feelings in everyone, haha.”

After a brief chuckle, Park Tae-jin’s laughter subsided, and he turned his attention to the map. His expression clouded over as he looked away from it.

“But why does Jobs want to meet in Emeryville? We could easily meet in San Francisco.”

Seon Hae-cheol grumbled, echoing the displeasure.

“His pride must be acting up again. What else could it be but a tactic to gain an advantage in negotiations, even though he’s broke?”

We had proposed a meeting to Jobs, but he insisted on Emeryville, the location of Pixar’s headquarters, rather than San Francisco. It seemed Park Tae-jin shared the negative sentiment.

“Even a stray dog gets a decent meal in its own territory, Hyungnim [respected older brother].”

“That’s right, hehe.”

Listening to their disparaging remarks about Jobs, a politician came to mind. He had even run for president but never won in the metropolitan area. In the last election, he lost by a significant margin to a junior far less experienced.

In my eyes, Jobs and that candidate were essentially the same.

“Anyway, we’ll have to assess Pixar, but Next’s program development team is supposedly quite skilled. Let’s head over the Bay Bridge as soon as we drop off our luggage at the hotel.”

“Yes, Hyungnim.”

Both seemed to harbor considerable dissatisfaction, even if they didn’t explicitly show it.

Investing in Pixar at this point was like driving a fire truck with a full tank of water to a house already engulfed in flames. But the homeowner was treating us poorly, so how could they not be upset? Fortunately, they held a favorable view of Next.

“He squandered the money he made when he left his company… I can’t believe it.”

As I watched them sigh, I chuckled inwardly, though I kept it hidden. Wasn’t Jobs’ crisis an opportunity for me?

“It’s better this way. Being pressured from all sides, he won’t be able to refuse easily.”

I knew Jobs well, and I was targeting this very situation. With the money supply tight, if I extended a hand, he wouldn’t be able to refuse—he absolutely wouldn’t.

***

After dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we crossed the Bay Bridge and arrived at a cafe in Emeryville, our designated meeting place.

“What? He’s not here yet?”

Seon Hae-cheol’s brow furrowed as he scanned the cafe.

“Typical Jobs.”

I smiled involuntarily, prompting Seon Hae-cheol to look at me quizzically.

“What do you mean, Seong-min?”

“What?”

“What do you mean by ‘typical Jobs’?”

Oops!

I had forgotten. I had never met Jobs before, yet I spoke as if I knew him intimately. It seemed strange, and I had no explanation.

“Doryeonnim, do you perhaps know about Jobs?”

Even Park Tae-jin chimed in, and a bead of sweat formed on my forehead. Damn it.

I quickly gathered my thoughts, narrowed my eyes, and asked them.

“Uncle, you know Jobs created Apple, right?”

“I know. Why?”

It was a sudden question, but since Seon Hae-cheol responded, I seized the initiative.

“I don’t know about now, but if someone created such a massive company, how immense would their pride be?”

Apple might be struggling now, but before Jobs’ departure, Apple alone was a company that made most Korean chaebols [large family-owned conglomerates] envious. Seon Hae-cheol nodded, acknowledging the fact.

“I suppose so. Then… you deduced it based on that?”

“You can see it just by observing the elders in the business world. They’re all proud individuals, so how much more so would Jobs be?”

I attempted to gloss over the situation with common sense, and Seon Hae-cheol and Park Tae-jin nodded in agreement.

“Now that I think about it, that’s true. Shall we sit down and have some coffee?”

“I think we should inform the owner first. What would you like to drink?”

“Let’s just go with Americano. We didn’t come here for the coffee.”

“Let’s do that, Hyung.”

“Okay.”

Park Tae-jin ordered three coffees, asked the owner to notify us if Jobs arrived, and then returned to the table.

A few minutes later, Seon Hae-cheol, sipping his coffee, turned to me and asked.

“But Seong-min, are you really going to invest in Jobs?”

Why was he suddenly acting this way when he had been supportive in New York?

“Yes. You were on my side during the initial meeting, Uncle, right?”

“That’s because you’re the owner, and if even I opposed you, the others would lose respect for you. Jobs is a guy who even betrayed his friends. What if he deceives you too?”

Seon Hae-cheol’s face was etched with worry, but it was unnecessary.

This time, I was being generous, but if he tried to take advantage of me, I would bring Steve Jobs down.

There was nothing I couldn’t do, so I replied with composure.

“Uncle, money comes and goes. Why worry when we can earn more in the future?”

Unlike my enthusiasm, Seon Hae-cheol regarded me with a calm gaze. Even Park Tae-jin’s face was shadowed with disappointment.

“Doryeonnim, that seed money wouldn’t exist without Chairman [the head of the company], Hyungnim, Hyung-sunim [honorific titles for family members], and the people who dedicated themselves to the group. I hope you would speak carefully, even for their sake.”

“Tae-jin is right, Seong-min. Chairman said that you should never let your guard down until you have something tangible in your hands. He also said that you should gain something, whether you succeed or fail. Do you understand what that means?”

I couldn’t get angry or dismiss what my two trusted companions were saying. I was being arrogant, acting as if something was already mine when it wasn’t yet secured… I deserved an interview with Lucifer himself, the king of arrogance.

I couldn’t guarantee 100 percent success, but this kind of mistake shouldn’t happen again. Until I made all the Jang family members wealthy and had them begging before me, arrogance was forbidden.

“…Yes, Uncle. I won’t make that mistake again in the future.”

“I know. But, is there a surefire way to manage Jobs?”

Seon Hae-cheol was back to his initial concern, but I couldn’t reveal my plans.

“I’ll demonstrate with actions rather than words.”

With those words, Seon Hae-cheol stared intently into my eyes.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Uncle. Even if the investment fails, I’ll definitely learn something.”

“Okay. Even if this deal falls through, our nephew will be studying business, so I’ll leave it to you.”

Looking at Seon Hae-cheol’s face, it seemed he secretly hoped the negotiation would fail.

Considering the current situation, wasn’t Pixar a broken straight flush [a losing hand in poker]? Only I knew about the hidden card called Toy Story.

***

After a long wait, filled with pancakes and lunch, we finally met Jobs.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Seon. I’m Steve Jobs.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Jobs.”

Despite making us wait for two hours, Jobs smiled and extended his hand. Seon Hae-cheol reciprocated with a smile.

I stared intently at Jobs and addressed Seon Hae-cheol.

“Uncle, we’ve seen his face, so let’s leave.”

“Huh?”

“Doryeonnim?”

Seon Hae-cheol and Park Tae-jin looked at me with surprise, but I maintained a stern expression.

“What kind of manners are these in any country, making us wait for two hours when we came to help someone who’s broke? I also dislike that the meeting place is in his territory.”

The drive from San Francisco to Emeryville takes about an hour.

Yet Jobs insisted on meeting in Emeryville, where Pixar was located. He was the one in a desperate situation, yet he was acting this way.

I understood.

Jobs would be humbled by this period, which felt like a forced march, but his stubborn nature would never disappear. No matter how difficult the situation, Jobs would always try to seize the initiative.

But even Jobs could never defeat me.

I would surpass him in every way.

Whether it was money or business, everything.

“What’s going on, Mr. Seon? Wasn’t Triumph Capital supposed to make the investment today?”

Jobs couldn’t conceal his embarrassment at my sharp words, and Seon Hae-cheol responded with a firm tone.

“I’m sorry, but this friend was going to make the investment today, not Triumph. For your information, we dropped off our luggage and came straight here as soon as we got off the plane, Jobs.”

Disappointment flashed across Jobs’ face, but Seon Hae-cheol was politely pointing out his rudeness.

“I’m sorry, Seon. Lately…”

The great Jobs was attempting to make excuses with a troubled expression… It seemed this period was even more challenging than I remembered.

“I’m sure you were trying to gain the upper hand in the negotiations, so you don’t need to explain, Mr. Jobs. Are you going to accept the investment or not?”

Jobs’ eyebrows twitched as I looked at him impudently. Was the impromptu performance I had prepared 30 minutes ago a success?

###

After confirming that we had been waiting for Jobs for over an hour and a half, I turned to Seon Hae-cheol.

“Uncle, let’s put on a show when Jobs arrives?”

“A show?”

“I’m upset that I’m being treated this way by someone desperate for money. I need to show him who’s in control.”

Jobs had exposed a significant weakness by not keeping the appointment time. He knew I was eager to invest, yet he was acting arrogant.

Seon Hae-cheol smiled after a moment’s thought.

“It wouldn’t be bad to break his spirit from the start. That’s not all, is it?”

“Of course. I have to hold his leash tightly until he suffocates and then loosen it little by little, hehe.”

You should never yield to someone like Jobs. Like dealing with the Japanese, you have to overwhelm him with strength or momentum so that he doesn’t even consider betraying you.

As I smiled sinisterly and chuckled softly, Park Tae-jin looked at me as if I were a different person.

“I didn’t know Doryeonnim had this side to him.”

“I became like this as I lived. There’s no one to trust except my family. Ah, Uncle, Seung-ju Baekbu-nim [a respectful term for an uncle], and the group representatives are also my family, hehe.”

Seon Hae-cheol looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

“Anyone would think you’ve lived your whole life.”

I’ve lived my whole life, and I’m going to live it again, Uncle.

I won’t be deceived by the world anymore; I’ll deceive the world.

###

Jobs, who had been glaring at me, composed himself and asked.

“What’s your name?”

“John Davidson Lee. Call me Johnny.”

After revealing my name, I noticed wrinkles forming on Jobs’ forehead.

“That name is the same as the oil tycoon. If it’s a name you use for convenience, I’d suggest a different one.”

He was being sarcastic and openly provoking me. I’ll return the favor with sarcasm and ridicule, Jobs.

“That old man earned money like a dog but spent it like a king, right? He also lowered the oil price from 30 cents per gallon to 6 cents throughout his monopoly of the market. It’s much better than someone who only wastes money, huhu.”

I savored Jobs’ distorted face and laughed heartily, then gradually reduced my laughter. Simultaneously, I slowly adopted a blank expression and stared intently at him.

“And this name was created using my deceased father’s name and my Catholic baptismal name. My father was David, and I’m John.”

Jobs looked at me with an expression that said, ‘Don’t talk nonsense,’ but Seon Hae-cheol reinforced my words.

“I guarantee it in the name of Triumph, Jobs. This friend’s father was my best friend. If what this friend is saying now is a lie, I’ll invest in Pixar in the name of Triumph.”

“Mr. Seon…”

I had considered it when I inquired about the investment in Korea Mobile Telecom, but it seemed Triumph’s reputation was formidable. After hearing Seon Hae-cheol’s words, Jobs immediately apologized with a sincere expression.

“I’m sorry, Johnny.”

I was being apologized to by Jobs, so it was worth reliving my life. Shall we slowly conclude Act 1?

“Okay. I’ll invest 25 million dollars. Call or die [a Korean expression meaning ‘make a deal or face the consequences’]?”

Jobs opened his mouth wide, but what could I do? I had only just finished Act 1.