The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 248

248. Moscow (2)

Jeong Hyun-woo felt the mansion was excessively large.

‘Wouldn’t a cozy two-story house in a high-end residential area have been sufficient?’

Its sheer size meant he encountered Sarah less frequently.

They lived under the same roof, but now it was rare to see each other outside of mealtimes.

As he descended the stairs, Sarah emerged from the kitchen into the living room, her voice raised.

“Charlie, are you joining me for dinner?”

Jeong Hyun-woo paused, considering, before replying.

“Um, sure. Why not?”

“Okay. I’ll get it ready right away.”

Since moving into the mansion, Sarah had been cooking more often.

“Are you sure you’re up to it?”

Jeong Hyun-woo asked, concerned, knowing how much work she’d handled that day.

“I’m fine.”

Sarah seemed to be in high spirits.

‘What’s going on?’

That afternoon, they’d had a minor disagreement at the office regarding Anne.

Sarah hadn’t appreciated Jeong Hyun-woo seemingly giving Anne preferential treatment.

‘We’ve known each other for a long time; shouldn’t I be able to do that much?’

Of course, with the U.S. government promoting this economic delegation, increasing the number of participants for personal reasons wasn’t appropriate.

‘Sarah was right, leaving me no room to argue.’

Ultimately, Jeong Hyun-woo had apologized to Sarah for Anne’s potential visit to Moscow.

“Should I watch TV?”

He picked up the remote, switched on the television, and President Reagan’s face appeared.

‘The U.S. must have had presidents appearing on TV frequently back then.’

Reagan was delivering a speech with conviction.

The speech focused on the economic development of the United States and the anticipated improvements in the lives of the American people.

“Hmm, it’s quite an expensive TV, but the screen is small.”

In the 2020s, TVs often exceeded 80 inches. By comparison, TVs of this era rarely exceeded 30 inches.

The TV in the mansion’s living room was a mere 29 inches.

“Charlie! It’s ready!”

Hearing Sarah’s call, Jeong Hyun-woo turned off the TV and went to the kitchen.

“Wow, this is……”

A lavish spread adorned the expansive dining table.

“I put some effort into it.”

“I thought Sarah only knew how to bake frozen pizzas.”

Sarah raised her right hand, her voice rising slightly.

“Ahem! What are you talking about? When I was at home, I often helped my sister prepare meals!”

She removed her apron and sat across from him.

Jeong Hyun-woo picked up a fork and said.

“I’m sorry about today.”

Sarah waved her hand dismissively.

“No, I’m more sorry. I pushed you too hard, Charlie.”

In truth, tonight’s dinner was intended as an apology.

“I was the one who bent the rules, after all.”

Sarah picked up her fork and asked.

“So, what are your plans for this year’s CES [Consumer Electronics Show]?”

Sarah was originally scheduled to attend this year’s CES. However, with the Moscow trip on the horizon, Anne would be going instead.

In other words, if Anne went to Moscow, no one would be available for CES.

This was precisely why Sarah had been reluctant to visit Moscow.

“I’ve decided to leave it to Andrei.”

Sarah raised her eyebrows slightly at the mention of Andrei.

“You’re saying you’ll leave it to the god of Basic [referring to Andrei’s programming expertise]?”

“I thought it might be beneficial to have an engineer present the information for a change.”

“Won’t it be too dry?”

“If it’s too dry and the reception isn’t good, we’ll have to find someone else next year.”

Jeong Hyun-woo’s decision to use Andrei for this CES stemmed from the fact that there was little new to showcase compared to previous years.

‘No new services are launching, and there are no killer titles coming out in the game sector.’

If he had secured the rights to Tetris, he could have announced its official release, but it wasn’t the right time yet.

“Charlie’s interest is entirely focused on Moscow, isn’t it?”

Jeong Hyun-woo nodded.

“I really want to acquire Tetris.”

“Robert seemed a little skeptical, though?”

“Robert doesn’t particularly care for puzzle games.”

Sarah cut into her steak and said.

“Charlie wasn’t that fond of them either, was he?”

She had always thought Jeong Hyun-woo preferred action games.

“I’m more open-minded in this regard.”

“Oh, you mean you enjoy everything equally?”

“That’s right.”

“If you acquire Tetris, how many copies do you think you’ll sell?”

Sarah was curious about the projected sales figures for Tetris.

“Wouldn’t we sell around 10 million copies?”

Sarah’s hand, which was cutting the meat, paused momentarily.

“10 million copies?”

“Not in a single year, of course.”

“Still.”

Victoria Corporation had never had a title that exceeded 1 million copies sold, except during the Atari bubble [a period of rapid growth and subsequent crash in the video game industry in the early 1980s].

It was no surprise that Sarah reacted with disbelief.

“We’ll sell at least 1 million copies annually.”

“I didn’t realize there was such a remarkable game in the Soviet Union.”

“People there have different perspectives than us, so I think they create different things.”

Sarah poured wine into her glass and asked.

“Tetris aside, how did things go in Japan?”

Jeong Hyun-woo spread butter on his bread and replied.

“It wasn’t entirely smooth.”

“Really?”

“Nintendo was quite concerned.”

Sarah showed a surprised expression.

“They’re worried even though you’re selling their products for them?”

“Because the other party is the Soviet Union. Unlike us, Japan has strict regulations regarding travel to and from the Soviet Union.”

“Is that so?”

“They’re closely monitoring the Japanese government’s actions.”

Sarah took a sip of wine and asked.

“So, how did you resolve it?”

“I resolved it with a phone call to the Chief Cabinet Secretary [a high-ranking official in the Japanese government].”

“The Chief Cabinet Secretary is……”

“It’s similar to the U.S. Secretary of State.”

Sarah realized that he had contacted a high-ranking Japanese official to address the issue.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Oh, and I made another investment.”

Sarah thought, ‘Here we go again.’

‘There’s no way Charlie would return only having worked for Nintendo.’

She raised her voice slightly.

“So, what kind of investment is it?”

“I invested in NTT.”

“I’ve never heard of that company. Is it a construction company?”

Jeong Hyun-woo often invested in Japanese real estate and construction companies, so she assumed he had done so again.

But NTT was far from a construction company.

“NTT is Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation.”

“You mean a telecommunications company.”

“It’s like AT&T. They’re planning to go public soon.”

Sarah nodded, acknowledging his words.

“Hmm, I didn’t realize such a company hadn’t gone public yet.”

“According to Mr. Tanaka, the stock price is likely to increase after the listing.”

“Because the Japanese economy is booming. Probably so.”

Sarah readily accepted Jeong Hyun-woo’s words.

Jeong Hyun-woo was relieved that her mood seemed to have improved.

“Can I give you a Ferrari as a gift now?”

Sarah chuckled.

“You have to buy me something to make me feel better?”

“Because I promised.”

If Jeong Hyun-woo was the wealthiest man in the United States, Sarah was the wealthiest woman.

Supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis held little significance for her.

Nevertheless, Jeong Hyun-woo insisted on fulfilling his past promise.

“Ferraris aside, aren’t you considering getting a driver’s license, Charlie?”

“I want to get a license, but my schedule is packed.”

Jeong Hyun-woo’s life was a constant race against deadlines.

“Come to think of it, how was the jet lag?”

The time difference between Japan and Boston was considerable.

“I’m feeling a bit dazed.”

“Then you should go to bed early tonight. You need to adjust to the time difference.”

“It’s pointless to adjust to the time difference today. I have to fly to Moscow in two days.”

Moscow also had a significant time difference from Boston.

Ting.

Sarah flicked her finger against the glass, producing a clear sound.

“Charlie, how long do we have to live like this?”

Jeong Hyun-woo paused, considering her question.

“Does Sarah think it’s too much now?”

“I’ve thought it was too much for quite some time.”

Jeong Hyun-woo wondered if Sarah was experiencing burnout.

‘Sarah hasn’t had a proper rest since she founded Victoria Corporation.’

To keep pace with him, Sarah had always lived a demanding life.

It was the same today.

She hadn’t left work on time, yet she spent over an hour cooking.

‘She’s going beyond being a sister to playing the role of a mother.’

He considered it a mother’s role, but her life was more akin to that of his wife than his mother.

“I have nothing to say now.”

It had been two years since he’d said, “Let’s just bear it for one year.”

“Charlie, are you going to continue living like this?”

“We have to stop at some point, right?”

Sarah nodded.

“Let’s just focus on Tetris.”

Jeong Hyun-woo widened his eyes and asked.

“Are you already retiring?”

Sarah raised both hands and replied.

“I’m not saying retire.”

“Then what?”

“I’m saying let’s stop living this hectic life.”

Jeong Hyun-woo nodded at her words.

“You mean we should increase the number of executives at Victoria Corporation and delegate the work to them.”

Sarah agreed.

“You entrusted Andrei with CES this time. I think we can entrust other tasks to multiple people as well.”

She implied that Jeong Hyun-woo shouldn’t shoulder too much of the burden alone. But Jeong Hyun-woo knew the future. His involvement significantly increased the chances of success for any project.

‘Does that mean I can’t make every project a success in the future?’

Reducing workload was akin to curbing ambition.

‘Hmm, it’s not easy to give up.’

He raised his voice.

“Sarah, can’t we just do it until the end of this year?”

Sarah sighed briefly.

“Hoo……. Charlie, have you had a health checkup?”

Jeong Hyun-woo lowered his gaze at her question.

“Do I need to get a health checkup when I’m this young?”

“You’re running around like crazy, so much so that the time difference is meaningless. You shouldn’t neglect your health just because you’re young.”

Jeong Hyun-woo nodded and said.

“Okay. I’ll get a health checkup.”

Sarah sighed again.

“Ha……. Charlie, you’ve reached number one in the world. Can’t you let go a little now?”

She believed Jeong Hyun-woo’s goal was to achieve the highest market capitalization in the world.

“Still, isn’t after Tetris too early?”

“Then when is a good time? All of this year is too long, I think.”

Jeong Hyun-woo picked up his fork and said.

“We need time to increase the number of executives and hand over the work to them. Just wait until the first half of the year.”

Sarah nodded, accepting his words.

“Okay. Then I’ll start increasing the number of executives from February.”

She predicted that Jeong Hyun-woo wouldn’t be able to sustain this lifestyle for much longer.

‘Charlie is working as if he’s burning himself out.’

When everything is burned, only ashes remain.

She didn’t want Jeong Hyun-woo after he was completely burned out.

* * *

Inside the plane carrying the economic delegation, there was a conference room capable of accommodating twenty people simultaneously.

Jeong Hyun-woo sat face to face with familiar figures.

“Charlie, it’s been a while.”

Jeong Hyun-woo smiled at the greeting from Bill Garner, the CFO of Chevron.

“It’s been a while.”

Sitting across from him was John Wood, who had been promoted from Vice Chairman to Chairman of IBM.

“I never thought we’d be overtaken by you.”

IBM had briefly surpassed Victoria Corporation at the beginning of the year but had since relinquished the top spot and fallen to second place.

“Considering how long IBM held the top spot, our company is merely borrowing the seat for a moment.”

“Hahaha, you’re still cheerful.”

To the left of the two men sat Jimmy Collins of Coca-Cola.

“We’ll be the first to enter the Soviet Union.”

John Wood of IBM waved his right hand dismissively.

“We’ll have to see about that.”

He said they would have to see, but everyone gathered there knew the truth.

That no company would enter the Soviet Union faster than Coca-Cola.

Jimmy Collins said with unwavering confidence.

“You’ll be able to drink Coca-Cola in Moscow before summer is over.”

Chairman John Wood clicked his tongue at his bold statement.

“Huh, is that possible so quickly?”

“We’re fully prepared.”

Jimmy Collins was certain that Coca-Cola was the highlight of this visit.

‘The other companies are just supporting actors.’

It was while he was smiling that Jeong Hyun-woo raised both hands and said.

“I surrender.”

As he raised both hands, Chairman John Wood of IBM stuck out his tongue in jest.

“Charlie, how can you surrender already?”

Chairman John Wood seemed to have anticipated Jeong Hyun-woo’s competitive spirit.

“I don’t think we can beat Coca-Cola.”

Jimmy Collins of Coca-Cola turned to Jeong Hyun-woo and said.

“Charlie, this visit must be annoying for you.”

Chairman John Wood asked Jimmy Collins.

“Annoying, you say?”

Jimmy Collins answered his question.

“It can’t be helped. Isn’t Charlie’s Victoria Corporation specialized in banking and financial services? But isn’t the Soviet Union communist?”

In a country that rejects capitalism, a network-based financial service was essentially useless.

Chairman John Wood nodded, as if the thought hadn’t occurred to him.

“Hmm, now that you mention it, that’s true.”

The two assumed that Jeong Hyun-woo had boarded the plane to serve as a figurehead for the U.S. government.

‘Becoming the wealthiest man isn’t always advantageous.’

‘It means the U.S. government is leveraging Charlie Jeong’s influence.’

Jeong Hyun-woo said to them.

“The Soviet Union won’t remain like this forever.”

Chairman John Wood asked.

“Charlie, even if the Soviet Union opens up, wouldn’t it take a long time for financial liberalization?”

Jeong Hyun-woo knew that the Soviet Union’s communism would eventually collapse. But he couldn’t reveal that in this setting.

“I’m young, so I can wait until then.”

Chairman John Wood laughed heartily, as if he had been struck by a realization.

“Hahaha! That’s right. Charlie can afford to wait.”

Jeong Hyun-woo was more than twenty years younger than Jimmy Collins of Coca-Cola.

Even in terms of generations, there was a difference of more than one generation.

Bill Garner of Chevron nodded emphatically and said.

“It means that time isn’t a significant concern for Charlie.”

Bill Garner and Chairman John Wood were in their senior years, so they envied Jeong Hyun-woo’s youth more than anything.

“Does Charlie mean he’s content with making an impression?”

Jeong Hyun-woo answered Bill Garner’s question.

“That’s not the case. We’re going to sell things to the Soviet Union too.”

Bill Garner tilted his head, puzzled by his answer.

“Victoria Corporation is selling things to the Soviet Union?”

Jeong Hyun-woo nodded emphatically.

“That’s right.”

“Does your company have anything to sell to the Soviet Union?”

“We don’t just provide financial services.”

Jimmy Collins of Coca-Cola, who had been listening to the conversation, raised his voice.

“Charlie, are you perhaps trying to sell computers?”

He knew that Victoria Corporation held a substantial stake in Dell Computer.

“It’s not computers.”

“It’s not?”

Chairman John Wood of IBM asked again, his curiosity piqued.

“In this setting, wouldn’t it be acceptable to tell us what you intend to sell to the Soviet Union?”

Jeong Hyun-woo smiled and replied.

“I’m thinking of selling console game consoles.”

Selling game consoles instead of computers.

Chairman John Wood thought it was a clever idea.

‘Hmm, he’s planning to sell games that use intuitive graphics rather than computers that require complex computer languages.’

He raised his voice slightly.

“Selling console game consoles isn’t a bad idea. But you see, your company doesn’t manufacture console game consoles, does it?”

Unless they were developing a new one, Victoria Corporation had no game consoles to sell.

“We’ve secured the distribution rights for Nintendo.”

With that one sentence, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

“Charlie, you weren’t a supporting actor after all.”

“I didn’t expect Victoria Corporation to move this quickly.”

“As expected, it’s Victoria Corporation. If we’re not careful, we’ll be hit hard.”

Jeong Hyun-woo was moving so swiftly that even those who dominated the American economy were taken by surprise.