The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 290

290. Epilogue

1998.

Samsung Electronics Headquarters, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.

“Are we going with Daewoon Electronics for this NX-900 model again?”

President Shin Jin-soo tilted his head at Executive Director Lee Jang-hyuk’s question.

“Is there any reason why we shouldn’t?”

“Well… there’s a company offering better terms than Daewoon Electronics.”

“Better terms, you say?”

“The LCD quality is comparable, but the price is lower.”

President Shin Jin-soo sighed briefly and raised his right hand.

“Then let’s just go with Daewoon Electronics.”

“Mr. President, lowering mobile phone costs is crucial for securing international competitiveness.”

President Shin Jin-soo clasped his hands together and said.

“Are you unaware of our relationship with Daewoon Electronics?”

“I know the two companies have a close cooperative relationship, but sometimes it’s good to make changes…….”

President Shin Jin-soo interrupted Executive Director Lee Jang-hyuk, raising his voice.

“Are you saying it’s okay if I fall out of favor with the Chairman because of cost reduction?”

Executive Director Lee Jang-hyuk was focused on the new model’s success, but President Shin Jin-soo had broader concerns. He had to consider the balance of the entire group and his own position.

“D-Did the Chairman make the decision directly?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know that the Chairman [referring to the Chairman of Samsung Group] is on special terms with Chairman Jung Hyun-woo of Victoria Corporation?”

“I know they’re close, but business is business…….”

Bang!

President Shin Jin-soo slammed the desk hard.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Jung Hyun-woo was the owner of Victoria Corporation and Daewoon Electronics.

If Samsung Electronics distanced itself from Daewoon Electronics, Jung Hyun-woo would interpret it as a sign of Chairman Shin Young-jin’s displeasure.

‘And I would have to take all the responsibility.’

It was absurd for the succession of the Samsung Group to be jeopardized because of one executive’s desire to lower the cost of a new product.

“Executive Director Lee.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Try to broaden your perspective. You can’t last long as an executive with a narrow view.”

Executive Director Lee Jang-hyuk bowed deeply.

“I apologize.”

As he was about to leave, President Shin Jin-soo added one more thing.

“Handle this matter without Daewoon Electronics finding out.”

He was instructing him to keep the fact that Samsung Electronics had considered other suppliers a secret from Daewoon Electronics.

“Understood.”

After he left, President Shin Jin-soo sighed deeply.

“Hoo… it seems they’ve all forgotten the help we received from Chairman Jung during the IMF crisis [International Monetary Fund crisis, a major financial crisis in Asia in the late 1990s].”

Beep. Beep.

Just then, the phone rang, and President Shin Jin-soo reached out and picked up the receiver.

“This is Shin Jin-soo.”

“President Shin, how are you?”

President Shin Jin-soo nodded at the familiar voice.

“President Choi, what brings you to call me directly?”

The person who called him was Choi Kyung-min, the president of Daewoon Electronics.

“The Chairman would like to have a meal with you. Would that be alright?”

An invitation from the chairman of Daewoon Group.

“If it’s an invitation from Chairman Jung, I’m always happy to accept.”

Choi Kyung-min cleared his throat and said.

“Not Chairman Jung Min-young, but Chairman Jung Hyun-woo.”

An invitation from Jung Hyun-woo, CEO of Victoria Corporation.

President Shin Jin-soo had no choice but to sit up straight.

“Has Chairman Jung entered the country?”

“He’ll be arriving tomorrow.”

“I’m available anytime for Chairman Jung.”

After hanging up, President Shin Jin-soo contacted the secretary’s office and canceled all schedules for the day of the meeting.

* * *

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Namsan, Seoul.

Jung Hyun-woo sat facing President Shin Jin-soo of Samsung Electronics on the hotel terrace.

Jung Hyun-woo had reserved all the other tables on the hotel terrace, ensuring their privacy.

“The view is excellent.”

The Grand Hyatt Hotel offered a panoramic view of Seoul’s towering skyscrapers.

“Still, it can’t compare to the night view of New York, can it?”

Seoul’s skyline was somewhat lacking compared to other major cities in the world.

“This is where we first met.”

President Shin Jin-soo was older than Jung Hyun-woo, but he made an effort to be polite.

‘Why would the world’s number one billionaire, who has held that title for ten years, want to meet with me?’

He was concerned about the earlier incident with Executive Director Lee Jang-hyuk.

“Is this where you first met your wife?”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled.

“Of course not. I first met her in Boston.”

His wife was Sarah Jung, one of the most prominent women in America.

“Ah, I see. Then the person you first met here was…….”

He wondered if he had met his first girlfriend here.

“It was Chairman Shin Byung-chul.”

Shin Byung-chul, the founder of Samsung Group.

President Shin Jin-soo nodded at Jung Hyun-woo’s words.

“You met Chairman Shin here.”

Jung Hyun-woo said in a soft voice.

“Since then, we have maintained a good relationship with the Samsung Group.”

President Shin Jin-soo felt a sense of obligation, so he addressed the earlier issue directly.

“The recent discussion within our company stems from the ambition of some younger employees. I don’t believe it’s something Chairman Jung needs to be concerned about.”

Jung Hyun-woo raised his voice slightly.

“Is that so?”

“Young people don’t remember the company’s history very well.”

“You’re saying you’re different.”

“Of course.”

Jung Hyun-woo hadn’t called Shin Jin-soo to reprimand him about this matter.

“There is a significant opportunity in front of Samsung Electronics. Are you aware of it?”

President Shin Jin-soo paused and asked in response.

“A significant opportunity, you say?”

Jung Hyun-woo turned his gaze to the cityscape and replied.

“Sony and Nintendo see console game consoles as the future. But I don’t think so.”

President Shin Jin-soo couldn’t help but be surprised inside when he heard his words.

‘Isn’t Victoria Corporation the strongest player in the gaming industry, collaborating with both Sony and Nintendo?’

The leading figure in the gaming industry was suggesting that games were not the future.

He felt he needed to understand the reasoning.

“Is the future in PC games instead of consoles?”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled at his question.

“The future is not in games, but in this.”

He pointed to the latest model of flip phone released by Motorola.

“Are you saying the future is in mobile phones?”

Jung Hyun-woo said in a calm tone.

“Daewoon Electronics and Victoria Corporation will support Samsung Electronics in creating the best mobile phones. So, I hope Samsung Electronics will also commit fully to mobile phones.”

President Shin Jin-soo clenched his fist slightly and replied.

“Chairman, we are doing our best.”

Jung Hyun-woo shook his head.

“That’s not true. Considering Samsung Electronics’ recent defect rate and missed deadlines, it cannot be described as the best. You need to pay closer attention.”

President Shin Jin-soo swallowed hard at Jung Hyun-woo’s criticism.

‘He sees right through our company’s problems…….’

He bowed deeply.

“I will keep Chairman Jung’s advice in mind.”

As Jung Hyun-woo got up, Choi Kyung-min, the president of Daewoon Electronics, came out onto the terrace to see him off.

In South Korea, no one could surpass Jung Hyun-woo’s influence.

Some even said that it wasn’t the President of South Korea who truly held power, but Jung Hyun-woo.

President Shin Jin-soo thought as he watched Jung Hyun-woo’s back.

‘I don’t know why Charlie Jung still hasn’t changed his nationality.’

Jung Hyun-woo was the CEO of Victoria Corporation, the world’s leading company, yet he remained a South Korean citizen.

Americans were largely unaware of this, but many South Korean businessmen found it peculiar.

* * *

Caribbean Sea.

The owner of the luxurious yacht, over 130 meters long, was John Pierre, a Wall Street legend.

But it wasn’t John Pierre or his family aboard this luxury yacht.

“The sun is too hot.”

A blonde beauty emerged with a hand fan.

A young man with black hair asked her.

“Sarah, what about the kids?”

“I think they’re tired from playing in the water. They’re all asleep.”

The beauty in a blue swimsuit and white cardigan was Sarah. And the young man with black hair sitting in front of her was Jung Hyun-woo, who had held the title of the world’s number one billionaire for ten years.

The two had married seven years ago and had two children.

“Charlie, Robert said he was coming today, right?”

“Yeah, he said he’d be here around 12. He’ll be here soon.”

“Coming soon?”

“It’s about time…….”

Doo-doo-doo.

Just then, a helicopter appeared with a loud noise.

Sarah frowned at the helicopter.

“I just managed to get the kids to sleep…….”

She frowned at Robert’s helicopter.

Soon, the helicopter landed on the yacht’s helipad.

“Sarah! Charlie! Why the long faces?”

Jung Hyun-woo shrugged at Robert’s question.

“We’re worried the helicopter noise might wake the kids.”

Robert scratched his head and replied.

“I made another mistake.”

Sarah said to him with a slightly annoyed expression.

“Robert always lacks attention to detail.”

Robert looked apologetic and went downstairs with the two of them.

“By the way, when did you buy this yacht? It’s the first time I’ve seen it.”

Jung Hyun-woo sat down and replied.

“I didn’t buy it, I rented it.”

“Huh? Rented?”

Robert narrowed his eyes and asked.

“Aren’t you being too frugal?”

With Jung Hyun-woo’s wealth, he could buy dozens of luxury yachts.

“Why would I need to buy a yacht worth tens of millions of dollars when I might use it once a year?”

“Hmm, is that how it is?”

“I think efficiency is important in everything.”

Robert sighed briefly at his words.

“Hoo… I can’t beat Charlie.”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled and asked.

“So, what brings you here in such a hurry?”

“I have a message from Bill.”

Bill Gates.

He had been stuck in second place on the world’s billionaire list for six years because of Jung Hyun-woo.

“A message from Bill. That’s ominous.”

Robert lowered his voice and said.

“Bill wants to make a new console game console.”

Jung Hyun-woo knew what kind of game console Bill Gates wanted to make.

‘Is the Xbox project starting?’

He feigned surprise and asked.

“Bill is making a console game console?”

“I think he’s serious this time.”

Jung Hyun-woo turned his gaze to Sarah and asked.

“What do you think, Sarah?”

Sarah crossed her arms and replied.

“It won’t be easy.”

“It’s hard to surpass Nintendo and Sony’s dominance?”

“If we’re not careful, we might not even reach Sega.”

Sega had been holding onto the number two spot in console games since the mid-1990s.

“So, let’s not help?”

“That’s not it.”

Sarah had a long-standing relationship with Microsoft, so she wanted to help them.

Jung Hyun-woo turned his gaze back to Robert.

“What do you think, Robert?”

Robert answered his question.

“If Bill steps in, it will be a different story. I think we should collaborate with them.”

Jung Hyun-woo replied in a calm voice.

“I also agree with collaborating with Microsoft. But I think there’s room to consider the extent of our cooperation.”

As of 1998, Victoria Corporation had more than a dozen large game studios, including Activision. The games they produced wielded tremendous influence in the game market.

“I think it would be good to actively produce exclusive titles.”

Jung Hyun-woo raised his voice slightly.

“Is that the opinion of the game division?”

“It’s my opinion.”

“What does John think?”

John River was leading the Victoria Corporation game division with Robert.

“John is all for it.”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded and said.

“It seems he likes the Windows-based development tools.”

Robert paused at his words.

“Did you know that Bill’s new console game console is Windows-based?”

Jung Hyun-woo shrugged at his question.

“If it’s a game console that Bill is making, isn’t it naturally Windows-based?”

In 1998, Microsoft released Windows 98 and dominated the computer operating system market.

Victoria Corporation also released a large number of programs that supported Windows 98 in line with this.

“Charlie sees everything.”

Jung Hyun-woo said calmly.

“That’s a misunderstanding. I just inferred it. If the two of you agree, proceed as planned. However, this should not worsen our relationship with Sony or Nintendo.”

He knew that Xbox would achieve moderate success.

‘It will do well in the North American market, but it didn’t surpass Sony in other markets.’

The early titles of Xbox were focused on shooting and action, which didn’t appeal to regions that preferred other genres.

Robert cautiously suggested.

“Charlie, how about three exclusive titles?”

He wanted to prepare exclusive titles for Microsoft.

Jung Hyun-woo lowered his voice slightly.

“Robert, it would be problematic if all three titles were masterpieces.”

As he mentioned earlier, he felt it was important to maintain a balance with Sony and Nintendo.

“That’s harsh.”

“Didn’t I say? We have to think about Sony and Nintendo too.”

Robert nodded and replied.

“Okay. Then we’ll go with one masterpiece title and three casual games.”

He was suggesting supporting five titles to coincide with the Xbox launch.

Considering that Xbox was a new console, this was a significant level of support.

“Robert.”

“Charlie?”

“Take responsibility if it fails.”

Robert’s face clouded over for a moment.

“T-That’s…….”

Sarah playfully hit him on the shoulder and said.

“It’s a joke. Robert, don’t you know Charlie yet?”

Jung Hyun-woo smiled and said.

“Bill is leading the project himself, so it won’t fail. And let’s make the genre of the masterpiece game for the new console shooting.”

Robert nodded at his instruction.

“The main genre is shooting…….”

He began to write down what Jung Hyun-woo said in a notebook.

“Robert, why don’t you buy a PDA [Personal Digital Assistant, an early type of handheld computer] while you’re at it?”

Robert stopped writing and raised his voice.

“Isn’t it a little early for a PDA?”

Besides, PDAs were relatively inconvenient at the time.

“The future will be shaped by devices like PDAs and mobile phones, not desktop computers or consoles. It’s good to get used to them in advance.”

Robert was skeptical of his words.

“Charlie, will that really happen?”

“Considering the speed of technological development, that kind of world will emerge within 10 years.”

Jung Hyun-woo knew when Apple’s iPhone would be released.

‘At the current rate of technological development, it could appear even sooner.’

He could have created a smartphone faster than Apple, but he had no intention of doing so.

‘It’s not wise to alter history too drastically.’

The fact that he was the world’s number one billionaire was already a significant deviation from the original timeline.

He believed that any further intervention would be excessive.

“Then I’ll head back.”

As Robert got up, Jung Hyun-woo spread out his hands and said.

“Robert, why don’t you have a meal before you go? We have a chef from the Intercontinental Hotel as our head chef.”

“Well…… it’s because I need to respond to something urgently.”

The fact that Robert arrived by helicopter indicated the urgency of the matter.

“That’s a shame.”

“I also wanted to enjoy the blue sea of the Caribbean and the gourmet cuisine.”

10 minutes later.

The helicopter carrying Robert took off.

And at the same time, Sarah rushed inside.

“Charlie, the kids are awake!”

Jung Hyun-woo followed her with a smile.

‘I wonder when I’ll be able to enjoy a quiet vacation.’

(End of Epilogue)