Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 193

193. 54th. Preparing for the Post-Millennium – The U.S. (3)

After completing the historic Google investment, I returned to New York and headed to the office.

“One hundred million dollars?”

Claire exclaimed, looking at me, astonished that I had bet $100 million on a startup called Google as our first investment.

“Wah! Wah!”

The commotion caused Claire’s children, who were in the crib in the office, to wake up and cry. Seon Hae-cheol reflexively jumped up and went to the crib to soothe them.

“Eobubu! Peek-a-boo!”

While Seon Hae-cheol was soothing the children, I smiled at Claire.

“Uncle has changed a lot, hehe.”

“I know, right? Who would have thought that someone who always wanted to live like the wind would turn out like that? Hehe.”

Even though we were talking about him, Seon Hae-cheol kept making “eobubu” sounds while looking at the children.

‘I’ll probably be like that when I become a dad, hehe.’

Thinking about how I would look in a few months made me smile.

“I got sidetracked because of them, but why did you invest $100 million in that company? No, it’s even stranger that you’re going to help with management, right?”

Until now, when we invested in IT venture companies, we only supported accounting and legal issues. But Claire was curious about the fact that I was even finding a manager and creating a revenue model.

“Those guys are the ones who will lead the IT world after the upcoming bubble. Right, Hyung [older brother/male friend]?”

“What Director Lee says is correct. I searched the search engine a few times, and the accuracy was very high. When I searched for the history of the Haedong Group…”

Park Tae-jin told her that the English website’s history page of the Haedong Group came up immediately, and Claire exclaimed, her mouth forming a surprised ‘O’.

“If it’s that good, it’s quite useful, isn’t it?”

“So I bet a little strong. I’ll take responsibility for finding a professional manager and the revenue model until next year, so leave it to me, haha.”

I laughed and drank my tea, then asked about the other seed investment.

“How’s Amazon.com doing?”

“Number one in book sales in the U.S. Everyone’s saying that bookstores will close down within 10 years.”

“I see. But if they only sell books, they won’t make enough money…”

The current Amazon is only at the caterpillar level.

During the winter that will come after the IT bubble, they have to prepare to become butterflies in the cocoon and fly higher and higher.

I trailed off and said what I had prepared.

“We need to find out about Jeff Wilke.”

“Jeff Wilke?”

“He’s the vice president of the Pharmaceutical/Precision Chemicals division at Allied Signal, and I heard he’s a logistics expert. We need to attach him to Amazon and extract the know-how he accumulates there to the logistics and distribution division of Haedong Corporation.”

Claire readily nodded at my order.

“Okay. If that happens, we can raise Amazon’s stock price even more… and get more money from JP Morgan, right? Hehe.”

“That’s exactly it. We can buy back some of the IT stocks we’ll throw at JP Morgan at the market price after the merger with Chase Manhattan. We need to get the board of directors to set up a meeting, hehe.”

If Amazon starts a fulfillment business, the stock price will be higher than in my previous life, and they can get more loans. Just thinking about it gives me a thrilling butterfly effect.

***

A few days later.

Seon Hae-cheol, Park Tae-jin, and I met Jeff Wilke in Standard Capital’s private room at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

“Amazon.com?”

I gave a gentle smile to Jeff Wilke, who was taken aback by the sudden job offer.

“Yes. Our Standard can appoint you as the vice president of that company as the largest shareholder of Amazon.com. Aren’t logistics experts like you the most needed people at Amazon.com? We don’t want Amazon.com to settle for just selling books.”

Before recruiting Jeff Wilke, Amazon.com repeatedly went through trial and error, such as following Walmart’s logistics system, which was not suitable for online distribution. Jeff Wilke’s lips curled up as he listened to me.

“If that’s the case, we’ll have to increase the number of items, so we’ll have to reorganize the logistics system… Are you thinking of turning Amazon.com into an online shopping mall?”

“The expression ‘open market’ would be more appropriate. Anyone can register a product and sell it. The future of the distribution market…”

After talking about how it would move to online and overwhelm offline, Jeff Wilke nodded.

“Joining hands with Standard Capital to create the future… Just thinking about it is exciting. I accept the offer.”

To accept the job offer I made in just one meeting… I could feel that Standard’s name value had increased.

“You won’t regret it. I promise.”

Jeff Wilke and I shook hands firmly and smiled.

###

After persuading Jeff Wilke, we flew with him to Amazon.com headquarters in Seattle. After a brief greeting with Jeff Bezos, we went to the reception room and sat on the sofa.

“Open market?”

“That’s right, Mr. Bezos. It’s a waste to leave Amazon as just a place to sell books when the platform is so good. According to our sources, Lehman Brothers will soon release a report saying that Amazon.com will fail if it settles for its current business structure.”

It was the future that only I knew, but now it was a place to negotiate with Jeff Bezos across a table. I had to get our way by any means, so Seon Hae-cheol and Park Tae-jin also nodded, and Jeff Bezos’s face was terribly distorted.

“Wall Street is always like that. It’s a neighborhood that’s focused on whether the stock price will rise or fall rather than a long-term vision.”

“But Jeff, you also know that it’s difficult to grow the business by just selling books like you do now.”

I calmly answered Jeff Bezos, who expressed his displeasure with Wall Street, and took out a document from my bag.

“What is this?”

“If you recruit Jeff Wilke and reorganize it into an online shopping mall, we’ll invest $3 billion in exchange for 20 percent of the shares.”

“Three billion dollars?”

Looking at Jeff Bezos, whose eyes widened, I said calmly.

“I understand your surprise. If you issue 20 percent of new shares, Jeff, your stake will decrease. So we will exercise the voting rights of the new shares jointly with you.”

Jeff Bezos’s Adam’s apple bobbed and his eyes flashed when I said that I would give him a huge investment and even joint voting rights. I read the greed in Jeff Bezos’s eyes and revealed another condition.

“Instead, when Amazon.com accumulates open market logistics processing know-how, it will be shared with Haedong Group in Korea.”

“Haedong… Group?”

“Half of the $3 billion we will invest is money entrusted by Haedong Group. Haedong Group has a close relationship with our Standard, but neither we nor Haedong Group have any intention of acquiring Amazon.com. It’s also stated in the investment proposal.”

Jeff Bezos quickly opened the file and looked through the documents. Only after confirming the contents did Jeff Bezos let out a sigh of relief.

“Then that’s a relief.”

“But there are two more conditions, Jeff.”

Jeff frowned as he looked at me holding out my index finger.

“What conditions are they?”

“One is that the semiconductor company that our Standard will later become the majority shareholder will buy half of the semiconductors that Amazon.com needs. I promise to supply them cheaper than other companies.”

Amazon.com builds large-scale data centers due to the traffic surge during the Black Friday period, and expands its business to cloud computing as an opportunity. Amazon.com also needs to be secured as a customer in order to quickly revive Taehyun Electronics, which will be acquired later. More than anything…

‘Amazon.com is more vicious than Google. They’re the ones who can suck blood to save Korean companies.’

Amazon.com is also a company with a lot of black company [exploitative labor practices] tendencies.

Isn’t the headquarters like a jungle where employees attack each other personally, and the working environment of logistics center workers is even more miserable than that?

I told Jeff Bezos, who had a stiff face, the remaining conditions.

“One more thing. Take care of the welfare of your employees.”

“Welfare?”

“It’s not a grand thing. Make sure that field workers don’t have to urinate in plastic bottles because of a lack of rest time and toilets, and that people don’t die of heart attacks because the defibrillator doesn’t work. Refrain from personal attacks between headquarters employees as well.”

“M-Mr. Lee?”

Jeff Bezos’s mouth dropped open at the explicit order, but this was the future that would become Amazon.com’s reality. I looked at Jeff Bezos with a stern expression and said.

“How is it? If you don’t accept the offer, we will gather other shareholders and oust Jeff Bezos and appoint Jeff Wilke as CEO.”

Amazon.com’s future can be led by me instead, with Jeff Wilke at the forefront. Jeff Bezos sighed as if the ground was sinking, realizing my murderous intent.

“I understand. I’ll do that.”

“Good thinking, Jeff. Even if you make money while being criticized, you need to take care of your employees so that people will protect you. Now! Let’s sign the documents first.”

I handed Jeff Bezos the fountain pen I took out of my pocket, and Jeff Bezos signed the documents with a drained face. He’s going to sit on a pile of money later, but he’s pretending to be upset!

***

After finishing all the schedules in the United States, I left Seon Hae-cheol in New York and returned to Korea with Park Tae-jin. The two of us went to Samcheong-dong and greeted my grandfather first.

“I’m back, Grandpa.”

“I’m back, Chairman.”

My grandfather, who was sitting on the sofa in the study, smiled contentedly as he looked at the two of us who bowed deeply and got up.

“Okay. You’ve worked hard. Come and sit down and have some tea.”

Sitting on the sofa, we told my grandfather about what happened in the United States, from betting on the U.S. stock market crash to Claire’s childbirth. My grandfather exclaimed or laughed heartily each time.

“Hahaha! Our eldest grandson’s멱살잡이 [Myeoksaljabi – grabbing someone by the collar] skills are superb!”

“Just by looking at him, I could tell that his head was bald and he was full of greed. If a company like that makes money, shouldn’t we suck some blood? Haha.”

Park Tae-jin added to my laughter.

“What Director Lee says is correct, Chairman. I didn’t like the look of that Jeff Bezos person at all. He’s definitely going to cause a lot of trouble later.”

There are problems with corporate management, but Jeff Bezos is also a person who has an affair while leaving his wife behind. My grandfather listened to us and nodded.

“Anyway, you did well. It’s right to make sure that we maintain at least the minimum level of morality, whether it’s a company we manage or a company we invest in. But you didn’t just whip him, you also gave him a carrot, so that Jeff Bezos guy couldn’t refuse, hehe.”

Like my grandfather said, who was chuckling, you have to use carrots and sticks appropriately for animals with black hair like humans. My grandfather, who smiled in agreement, said to us.

“Come to think of it, you decided to leave Hae-cheol in New York?”

“Yes, Grandpa. I can’t let the children not know what their father looks like, hehe.”

My grandfather smiled contentedly as he looked at me smiling.

“Good job. Both parents need to be by their children’s side when they grow up so that they can grow up properly. Just like you, ehehe.”

My grandfather, who was laughing heartily, took a sip of tea and asked me.

“Then what will happen to Standard Capital Korea?”

“Superficially, it will be in the form of receiving approval from the U.S. headquarters, but in reality, I will be in charge.”

As soon as my answer was finished, my grandfather snorted.

“Look at this guy? You didn’t leave Hae-cheol in New York for his own good, did you? Hehe.”

‘Your sense is top-notch.’

The corners of my mouth went up at the sight of my grandfather chuckling. The reason for leaving Seon Hae-cheol behind was not only because I wanted to come to the fore, but there was another reason, but I decided to match my grandfather’s tune appropriately.

“That’s right, Grandpa. Preparations for the post-millennium must be made not only in the United States but also in Korea and China. To do that, I had to raise my level a little more and come to the fore, so I made that decision.”

“That means that the last year of the upcoming 20th century and the first year of the new millennium will not be smooth.”

My grandfather gave a dark answer, and I and Park Tae-jin nodded.

“Yes. But this time, GK Group must also be left unattended.”

“That’s what you have to do. Unlike our family, your maternal family has so many descendants that information will leak out from somewhere.”

My grandfather respected my opinion even though he showed a sign of regret, and there was a reason for that.

My maternal family, GK Group, is a large family of over 100 people, including people from the Oh and Hae families. Some of them were troublemakers who didn’t listen to the words of their maternal elders, so it was impossible to keep their mouths shut.

“If the maternal family members lose their personal property, we can compensate them with something else later.”

My grandfather smiled at my words.

“If the compensation you’re thinking of is the same as what I’m thinking of, your maternal uncles will welcome it with open arms. But you shouldn’t make more enemies than necessary. Do you understand?”

“Of course, Grandpa. Our family’s enemies are enough with my in-laws, the Chosun Ilbo [major Korean newspaper known for its conservative stance], and Mujin Law Firm. Right, Hyung?”

At my call, Park Tae-jin put down the tea he was drinking and opened his mouth.

“Are you talking about that? Isn’t it the law that a wise leader expands the periphery and surrounds the enemy? Haha.”

It was an accurate answer. My enemies are enough with those guys.

***

During the transition from 1998 to 1999, many things happened.

Starting in early October, the U.S. stock market, which had been sluggish, had recovered to its original state and began to rise sharply.

Naturally, other stock markets also rose together, and funds that imitated Taehyun Securities’ Buy Korea Fund were rampant, and Haedong Securities also opened a public offering fund and raised an appropriate amount of funds to invest in the stock market.

Of course.

In line with the government’s policy of encouraging venture startups, Haedong Venture Investment was established, and venture investment was also carried out in parallel.

Among them, we invested in one portal site famous for its email service, one portal site separated from Shinseong SDS, and two game companies that would tie countless adults and children to computers. Standard Capital jointly invested 30 billion won [approximately $25 million USD] in each of the four companies, occupying 35 percent of the shares.

Meanwhile.

Standard Capital acquired Daeju Heavy Industries in partnership with Triumph Capital, and then acquired commercial banks one by one, led by private equity funds. There were so many rotten and festering places, but under the principle of ‘restructuring without layoffs’, restructuring was carried out through reorganization of the salary system and rotational leave.

At the same time, outside of Korea, we opened a branch in Hong Kong and contacted the Chinese government to open a branch in Shanghai. Lobbying was inevitable, but knowing the future of the Chinese stock market, I thought it was a commission and had Chinese government officials give watches and antiques as gifts.

In a few months, when the Shanghai corporation is established, we will move to Shanghai. Preparations for the post-millennium must be made in China as well.