The Conglomerate Family Became A Villain [EN]: Chapter 85

85. The Hand That Moves the World (1)

When Sarah returned, Robert was finishing his meal and pouring coffee.

As she sat down, he asked,

“Sarah, did you agree with Charlie’s story?”

Sarah, looking refreshed, reached for the bread in the middle of the table.

“What happened while I was gone?”

“I’m talking about the investment story.”

“Ah, you mean the investment in Apple? I agree.”

Robert looked back and forth between the two of them and said,

“Investing in another company at this time, aren’t you being too relaxed?”

Sarah didn’t think Jung Hyun-woo’s investment was wrong. If she had thought so even a little, she would have stopped him.

“Robert, shouldn’t we broaden our horizons, especially at times like these?”

“Are you saying that sticking only to JP Morgan will lead to mistakes?”

“Wouldn’t it?”

Robert sighed deeply.

“Hoo… Sarah, Charlie. You shouldn’t underestimate your enemies too much.”

He was worried that Jung Hyun-woo and Sarah might be taking JP Morgan’s experience too lightly.

At that, Jung Hyun-woo put his hands together and said to him,

“Robert, if we had underestimated JP Morgan, we would have already signed a contract with Bank of America.”

It meant that they knew JP Morgan’s strength and were proceeding cautiously.

Sarah took a bite of bread and asked Jung Hyun-woo,

“Charlie, now that I’m back, tell me your brilliant plan.”

Jung Hyun-woo unfolded his hands at her request. Then, he spread his hands to the left and right.

“JP Morgan is a giant of the era. Everyone agrees with this, right?”

Sarah and Robert nodded lightly.

“Of course.”

“Charlie, if they aren’t a giant, then who is?”

After receiving their agreement, Jung Hyun-woo told them the brilliant plan he had been thinking about all morning.

“I don’t think we can deal with the giant called JP Morgan with just one method.”

“If not one method, then?”

“Should I say it’s a complex prescription?”

Robert tilted his head to the left.

“Charlie, I think you need to explain more.”

“Rather than explaining, I’ll tell you the method right away.”

Sarah pulled the coffee pot next to Robert.

“It sounds like you’re going to use both carrots and sticks at the same time?”

Jung Hyun-woo did not deny her words.

“I’m thinking of mobilizing everything we can, including carrots, sticks, fake wolves, and sheepdogs.”

“Hoo, Charlie has made a proper decision.”

The three were originally scheduled to meet in a few hours, but they started the meeting since they had gathered.

“Robert.”

At Jung Hyun-woo’s call, Robert put down his coffee cup.

“Yes, please speak.”

He changed his tone because he thought Jung Hyun-woo was about to say something important.

“I would like to ask you to negotiate with JP Morgan.”

Robert raised his eyebrows and asked.

“What kind of negotiation are you talking about?”

“Tell JP Morgan that I was furious when I found out you tried to scout John River.”

Robert frowned at his answer.

“Charlie, isn’t that just a simple threat?”

Jung Hyun-woo didn’t think so.

“Robert, we can only pretend not to know about their attack once. If we pretend not to know even about the scout of John River, they will use the same method repeatedly. To protect the company, we need to block the opponent’s attacks.”

Robert unfolded his frowned brow.

“My role is the stick, then.”

“It would be nice if Robert could get angry with me.”

Robert raised his voice at Jung Hyun-woo’s order.

“What do you mean by getting angry together?”

Jung Hyun-woo replied in a calm voice.

“I had persuaded Mr. Jung, but you guys ruined it. Now it’s beyond repair. What are you going to do about this? I’m even in danger of losing my authority because of you. Say something like this and hold JP Morgan responsible for this.”

“You’re saying to push JP Morgan to the limit.”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded and said,

“You can never win by just defending.”

Robert accepted the role of the stick without complaint.

“I understand. I will go to JP Morgan and protest this matter splendidly.”

Jung Hyun-woo turned his gaze to Sarah.

“Sarah.”

Sarah briefly accepted his words as if she had been preparing.

“Just tell me what to do.”

She was always ready to follow his words.

“Sarah, please negotiate with Bank of America.”

“Hmm, it doesn’t seem like a carrot this time, but are you telling me to bring in a fake wolf?”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded and replied.

“That’s right. I’m thinking of creating a rumor that Bank of America strongly wants us.”

“What if Bank of America asks to keep this deal a secret?”

“Then we’ll have to give up.”

Sarah said as she poured coffee.

“You’re giving up right away? That’s surprisingly bland?”

“Because Bank of America is not our enemy.”

Jung Hyun-woo had no intention of strongly pressuring Bank of America.

‘If we turn Bank of America into an enemy as well, we’ll be in a desperate situation.’

He was classifying Bank of America as a potential ally.

“What are you going to do, Charlie? Are you going back to Boston and joining the development team?”

“I’m thinking of doing that for now.”

Sarah raised her eyebrows at his calm answer.

“Isn’t it bland for saying you’re going to use all means?”

“We have to prevent the company from stopping.”

More important than fighting JP Morgan was the operation of Victoria Corporation.

“You mean someone has to keep the company running?”

“That’s right.”

“Still, it seems like what you told us isn’t everything?”

Jung Hyun-woo thought that a woman’s intuition was scary.

‘I can’t even lie easily in front of Sarah.’

He was returning to Boston with his own thoughts.

“I have a few things to take care of in Boston.”

“Is it a secret from me too?”

“It’s not a secret, but it’s not certain yet. I’ll tell you when things are settled to some extent.”

Sarah raised her right index finger.

“Don’t forget, you have to tell me for sure.”

Jung Hyun-woo calmly accepted her words.

“It’s a pretty important story, so I’ll definitely tell Sarah.”

He turned his gaze back to Robert.

“Robert, please take over Commodore after returning from New York.”

Robert took a sip of coffee and raised his voice.

“Commodore, are you talking about collaboration?”

He had heard from Sarah that there was a meeting with Commodore.

“We’ve decided to create a package product like we did with IBM. I spoke directly with the CEO of Commodore, so unlike IBM, it will be easy.”

Jung Hyun-woo thought that collaborating with Commodore was more important than dealing with JP Morgan.

‘We can’t take this lightly either.’

If the collaboration with Commodore went well, JP Service could receive more than twice as many subscribers.

Robert also positively evaluated the collaboration with Commodore.

“Considering Commodore’s sales volume, this collaboration will be significant.”

As he smiled brightly, Jung Hyun-woo said coldly.

“Commodore’s sales volume this year will be sluggish.”

Robert couldn’t help but pause at his cold words.

“Charlie, if sales volume will be sluggish this year, then why are you collaborating with them?”

He thought that if Commodore’s future was bleak, they should find a better manufacturer.

Jung Hyun-woo answered his question immediately without hesitation.

“Because there are tens of millions of Commodore computers already sold throughout the United States.”

“Are you saying…….”

“JP Service will run on Commodore’s old computers as well.”

The development of package products to be sold with Plus 4 was just a process to increase compatibility with Commodore.

“To make JP Service run on old computers…….”

Jung Hyun-woo cut off his words and said,

“We will redesign JP Service to run on BASIC.”

Robert, like Jung Hyun-woo, was a developer before he was a manager. Therefore, he also knew how difficult it was to redesign a program made in a high-level language into a lower-level language.

“Charlie, it’s impossible.”

Jung Hyun-woo asked him.

“Robert, are you going to give up tens of millions of customers who own Commodore just because it’s difficult?”

If Commodore owners could be attracted as JP Service customers, the value of Victoria Corporation would increase dramatically.

“Charlie, you’re going to push through to the end even if I stop you.”

“That’s why I’m going back to Boston.”

As soon as he returned to Boston, Jung Hyun-woo was going to redesign JP Service so that it could run on Commodore’s old computers.

Robert lowered his head and said,

“I understand. I will also take charge of the negotiations with Commodore.”

As the two men’s conversation came to an end, Sarah asked Jung Hyun-woo.

“Am I done with Bank of America?”

“While you’re in New York, meet Peter.”

“Peter?”

“We need to know how much our work with JP Morgan has become known to the public.”

Sarah nodded as she listened to his words.

“You mean you want to know the reactions of companies other than us and JP Morgan?”

“That’s not all. There may be a third company that wants to benefit from this.”

“Hmm, a third company that wants to benefit from our fight with JP Morgan. I understand. Leave Peter to me too.”

Jung Hyun-woo’s request did not end here.

“Sarah.”

“Why? Do you have more to say?”

“Meet John too.”

Sarah nodded as if she understood.

“You’re saying to express gratitude for this matter?”

Jung Hyun-woo replied in a soft voice.

“I know Sarah doesn’t like John. But thanks to his choice, we were able to overcome the crisis.”

If John River had accepted JP Morgan’s offer and tried to take away the staff from the New York office, Victoria Corporation would have been in chaos.

“I understand. I’ll soothe John and come back. Trust this older sister.”

As Sarah raised her right arm, Jung Hyun-woo gave a faint smile.

“Sarah, I have one more thing to say.”

She tilted her head at the word ‘last’.

“Hehehe, it’s suspicious to emphasize the word ‘last’?”

“Ask Peter to objectively assess the value of our company.”

“The value of our company?”

Jung Hyun-woo nodded and replied.

“I want to hear the opinion of a professional investor about Victoria Corporation.”

He wanted to hear a cold evaluation from a professional investor, not a company with vested interests like JP Morgan or Bank of America.

“It doesn’t seem like it’ll be free.”

“Won’t it work even though we’re a VIP customer?”

Victoria Corporation was one of Magellan Fund’s VIP customers.

“Let’s exchange it for a plane ticket.”

Jung Hyun-woo and Sarah had decided to receive first-class plane tickets to Japan when they signed up for the Magellan Fund. But they haven’t received it yet because they haven’t had time to enjoy their vacation.

“Sarah, please persuade Peter appropriately.”

“Okay, leave Peter to this older sister too.”

Robert thought that Jung Hyun-woo and Sarah were as close as real siblings.

‘If you’re going to be partners, you have to be like them.’

He founded Activision with colleagues he had worked with at Atari, but suffered the humiliation of being laid off.

Robert thought that the reason for this was that the relationship between his colleagues was not as harmonious as those two.

“It seems like the 10 o’clock meeting won’t be necessary.”

Robert nodded at Sarah’s words.

“Since everything is settled, it would be good to leave as soon as we’re ready.”

He was the last to enter the restaurant, but he was the first to get up.

“I’ll go first.”

Jung Hyun-woo raised his right hand and sent him off.

“Robert, I’m counting on you.”

Robert pushed his chair and nodded lightly.

“Leave it to me.”

He was going to wield the whip against JP Morgan.

* * *

Jung Hyun-woo returned to Boston.

The place he went after leaving home was not Victoria Corporation.

Tak.

On the old table, there was a wooden woodpecker doll.

Tak.

The woodpecker doll repeatedly pecked at the desk as if there was a spring inside.

“You’re coming to see me, what’s going on?”

The person sitting across from Jung Hyun-woo was Professor Mark Delin of the MIT Education Committee.

“I need MIT’s help.”

Professor Delin wanted to grow Jung Hyun-woo and Victoria Corporation like Microsoft.

In short, he was an ally to Jung Hyun-woo.

“If you need our help… it must be quite difficult.”

“The situation is not easy.”

“Is it complicated?”

Jung Hyun-woo replied in a low voice.

“A dispute has arisen with JP Morgan.”

Professor Delin knew that Victoria Corporation’s main product was JP Service.

“Hmm, the opponent is JP Morgan?”

MIT’s connections and influence extended to the American political and business world.

But MIT’s power alone could not pressure JP Morgan.

‘Because JP Morgan is a giant of Wall Street.’

Jung Hyun-woo slightly tightened his neck.

“I’m not asking you to come forward and solve it.”

Professor Delin knew that Jung Hyun-woo was a smart young man.

“You’re saying to introduce someone who can exert influence on JP Morgan.”

“I think it’s possible with MIT’s connections.”

Jung Hyun-woo’s request for connections from MIT was to pressure JP Morgan.

‘Robert alone is not enough to deal with JP Morgan.’

He wanted to indirectly support Robert through MIT’s connections.

Professor Delin picked up a pen and said,

“Charlie, you’re lucky.”

He knew the right person.

“Are you writing a letter of introduction yourself, Professor?”

Professor Delin raised his pen high and asked.

“With this pen?”

Jung Hyun-woo tilted his head.

“Isn’t it?”

“No.”

“Then that pen is…….”

“I was going to sign the documents I was looking at before you came.”

Professor Delin thought that Jung Hyun-woo’s problem was as good as solved.

‘That person can handle JP Morgan well enough.’

He said as he signed the document.

“I’ll tell him about your situation here. But persuading him is up to you.”

Jung Hyun-woo accepted his words in a firm voice.

“If you connect me, Professor, I will definitely persuade him.”

Professor Delin asked.

“Do you know who he is?”

“Isn’t he the person who can solve this problem?”

Professor Delin smiled.

“That’s right.”

He finished signing and handed Jung Hyun-woo a business card. And the business card read:

[Justin Balmer, Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System]

One of the seven governors who make up the Federal Reserve Board.

Jung Hyun-woo exclaimed inwardly.

‘Wow, the Federal Reserve Board.’

They were the hands that moved America, no, the world.