The Genius Grandson Of The Cash King Becomes A Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 143

#143

The smell of money tickled his nose, bringing a wide smile to his face.

“Grandma, what’s this key for?”

“Hmm, that’s Grandma’s little test. To see if you can figure out what it opens. Consider it part of developing your abilities. So, put your thinking cap on.”

“Yes?” He was taken aback.

How many locks could this key possibly fit?

Jeong-hoon didn’t even want to contemplate the possibilities.

He pondered the quickest way to solve this puzzle.

A brilliant idea struck him.

The key had a rather unique shape and was quite large.

Surely, Mr. Man-ho would recognize it.

“Grandma, are there any restrictions on this test?”

“Of course not.” Grandma’s expression seemed to say, ‘Suffer a little,’ with the corners of her mouth subtly turned up.

Her smug face radiated confidence that he wouldn’t solve it easily.

It was the face of someone who believed great wealth required great effort.

But Jeong-hoon was a master of leveraging his wits.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Mr. Man-ho’s number.

“Jeong-hoon here, calling from Mirae Financial Group.”

“Young Master, what can I do for you?”

Grandma’s raised lips trembled slightly.

“I found a key in Grandma’s room… It’s about the size of my fist, quite large. I was wondering what it opens…” He pretended to be talking to himself, hoping to prompt a response.

He knew the usually serious, know-it-all Mr. Man-ho wouldn’t be able to resist.

“Oh, that’s Madam’s underground vault key…”

“Grandma has an underground vault? I didn’t know that. Where is it?”

“It’s in the basement of the group headquarters, Young Master. Weren’t you aware?”

“Ah, I see.”

Deep wrinkles etched themselves onto Grandma’s brow.

Blue veins pulsed on her forehead.

Her face flushed red and blotchy.

And her roar echoed through the room.

“Hey! Why are you blabbing about things I didn’t even ask you to say!”

Grandma snatched the phone and ranted for three solid minutes, but the call had already ended.

Once Grandma’s anger subsided, Jeong-hoon spoke.

“Hahaha, Grandma, I used a little trick.”

“…No, you did well. If you work together with the people around you, you’ll be able to overcome any difficulty. Haa.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Thinking about his grandma, who was clearly in a foul mood, Jeong-hoon decided to keep a low profile.

“Check the balances in the overseas accounts and take a look at the treasure vault. If there’s anything you need, buy it with that money.”

“I already have more than enough money.”

“That’s all money within Korea. The politicians in this country are as fickle as boiling water. In the worst-case scenario, the money could be frozen, or even seized by the government. So, always have a Plan B.”

It was advice born from decades of hard-won experience.

“Yes, Grandma. I already have several Plan Bs in motion because of that. I’ve diversified a lot into overseas accounts as well.”

He already knew what the future held.

His actions had created a butterfly effect, but global events were still unfolding as predicted.

He was making a considerable profit by leveraging his memories to invest in exchange rates and overseas stocks.

Grandma’s eyes sparkled at Jeong-hoon’s words.

She was curious about just how much he had earned.

‘It’s a secret.’

He decided to just give her a hint.

“At least 20 trillion won [approximately $15 billion USD].”

Hyeon Jeong-ok nodded with a satisfied expression.

It was a pleasure to see the person she was entrusting her entire fortune to increasing her wealth with such outstanding abilities.

Now, Hyeon Jeong-ok’s remaining joys were watching the growth of the students at Sinhwa High School and the rise of her grandson, Yoon Jeong-hoon – that was all.

***

The messenger created by Harvard students as a joke in 2004 would shake the world in less than five years.

Facebook was experiencing explosive growth in the United States, but it hadn’t yet captured widespread attention.

It was a community primarily used by university students.

Jeong-hoon checked the amount in the piggy bank that Grandma had given him.

It was a staggering 10 trillion won [approximately $7.5 billion USD].

When he tried to transfer that money to HSBC in Hong Kong, the bank manager practically begged him not to.

Reluctantly, he left 1 trillion won [approximately $750 million USD] behind and transferred the rest.

Now, he would use this money to acquire promising companies in earnest.

The first target was Facebook.

Lim Cheol-soo was already in Harvard, handling the negotiations.

From the looks of it, they were in dire financial straits.

The number of users was increasing, but they were struggling to cover server costs.

It was the perfect time to invest.

Jeong-hoon called Lim Cheol-soo.

“How’s it going?”

“It’s going well. These kids are pathetic. They’ve lost hundreds of millions on a service that doesn’t even make any money.”

It didn’t make money *now*, but what about next year? Or the year after?

They would make astronomical amounts of money.

Even if it cost trillions, he would acquire it unconditionally.

“Do they seem willing to sell?”

“Of course. If it weren’t for us, these guys would all be drowning in debt. I can buy it at a very low price. But Jeong-hoon?”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“Is it really necessary to acquire such a service that doesn’t generate any revenue, and a closed platform that only American college students use? I’ll never understand your investment strategies.”

“What are the results?”

Always hundreds of times the return on investment.

The reason it wasn’t understood was obvious.

How could you understand it if you couldn’t see the future?

You could predict companies that would give you a 10x return.

But you couldn’t predict companies that would give you a 100x return.

Companies that suddenly exploded in popularity.

Companies that suddenly burst onto the world stage and dominated in an instant.

Who would have imagined that Amazon, which was currently struggling, and his own Tesla and Apple, which were incurring losses, would generate thousands of times the profit in the future?

No one could predict it.

That’s what the future was like.

“The results are always great, though.”

Lim Cheol-soo backed down.

“If the amount isn’t too high, Uncle, you decide. Well, I have a meeting, so I’ll hang up.”

“Okay.”

‘This kid, it would be easier to judge if he just set the amount.’

Lim Cheol-soo’s head throbbed at the thought of negotiating with these young men sitting in front of him, their eyes sparkling.

Full of the arrogance typical of Americans.

First, he had to break their spirit.

“I’ve looked into it, and you have a lot of debt, no income, and your investment has been cut off.”

Wrinkles appeared on Zuckerberg’s brow.

“But the number of users is constantly increasing. You specialize in venture investment, so you know what that means, right?”

The site and service were only alive as long as the number of users continued to grow.

That was the company’s only advantage.

But.

“That’s all you have. User growth. There are no other advantages. It costs a lot of money, and there’s no revenue model at all.”

Lim Cheol-soo shook his head.

Then, he organized the documents and put them in his bag.

“Tell me the amount. I can’t give that much money to a service for college students.”

Disappointment was evident in the eyes of the once-confident young man.

But he quickly regained his composure and looked around.

His comrades, who had been with him until now, were looking at him with deep trust.

A deep trust that they would support him no matter what he did.

Zuckerberg made a decision.

His life’s biggest bluff was about to begin.

He swallowed the saliva that filled his mouth and slowly opened his mouth.

“10 billion dollars, that’s the minimum amount we want.”

He said the minimum, but it was the maximum amount he hoped for.

10 billion dollars. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to get it all, but he would still aim for the highest possible valuation.

Zuckerberg glanced at his colleagues.

Everyone nodded.

They were still young and had plenty of opportunities.

“What? These mi…” A curse word almost escaped Lim Cheol-soo’s mouth.

“10 million dollars? That’s too much.”

When Lim Cheol-soo shook his head, Zuckerberg also shook his head.

“Billion dollars!”

‘Are they treating me like a pushover… Tsk.’

That amount meant they were looking down on him.

About 1 trillion won [approximately $750 million USD] in Korean currency.

Buying a college student’s playful service for 1 trillion won was something only a fool would do.

How dare these guys?

He was Lim Cheol-soo, the president of Legend Company!

“Young friends, your jokes are going too far.”

Lim Cheol-soo thought about the method Jeong-hoon had taught him.

He had to lower their expectations.

“Million dollars.”

‘What? Is that old man crazy? Last year, the company’s value was 1 million dollars, one million dollars.’

He wanted to receive at least 10 million dollars.

Zuckerberg began to explain.

Don’t dismiss it just because it’s a service for college students.

He emphasized that he could create a revenue model.

And he revised the amount for the last time.

Before Zuckerberg could say the amount, Lim Cheol-soo raised his hand and stopped him.

“This is my last offer. If you spout nonsense again, I’ll leave right away.”

The young man’s pupils trembled.

Seeing that, Lim Cheol-soo thought that his threat had worked.

“Yes… 50 million dollars. That’s the last one.”

Anyway, these bastards didn’t know the value of money.

Lim Cheol-soo bit his lip.

And he picked up the old brown leather bag next to him.

He was about to get up from his seat, but just in case, he took out his phone.

“Jeong-hoon, they’re saying 50 million dollars…”

“Put him on.”

Jeong-hoon said to Zuckerberg.

“Let me be blunt. I won’t go any higher than 100 million dollars.”

Zuckerberg was about to lose his mind because of the amount.

He took a gamble with a heart that said, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’

50 million dollars was already a lot, but 100 million dollars?

He clenched his fist.

Otherwise, he thought his fingertips would be shaking.

But his next words shocked him even more.

“I’m not giving it to you because it’s a playful service for students. I’m giving it to you because of the potential you have.”

“A playful service for students? We are a service that can unite American college students. Furthermore, we can unite students all over the world…”

Jeong-hoon cut him off.

“Tsk, think about a service that will unite the people of the world.”

Zuckerberg closed his mouth at his low, resonant voice.

‘Unite the people of the world?’

His scale of thought, no, his dimension was completely different.

His heart beat faster at the depth of his vision, which was so different from his own.

A service that connects the people of the world.

He wanted to sell the company for even 1 cent, not 100 million dollars.

He wanted to connect the world with a man who had such dreamlike ambitions.

“Okay. I accept. But I’ll manage it.”

It was Zuckerberg’s last bet.

“I’ll have 50% + 1 share. I’ll own it, and Zuckerberg, you can manage it as you please.”

Jeong-hoon’s final offer.

“Call.”

“Call.”

The two hung up after uttering their last words briefly.

***

“Hoo, I got it cheap.”

Jeong-hoon let out a long sigh.

Imagining the future value of the company, even 1 billion dollars wouldn’t have been a waste.

He threw 100 million dollars at them with the thought that it was okay even if it failed, but they readily accepted it like baby birds.

Were they short-sighted because they were young?

Anyway, it was fun.

“Boss, are you really going to do this?”

Jeong-hoon raised his head and looked at Cheon Jin-hyeok, who had a bewildered expression.

And he said in an obvious voice.

“Of course. Why else would I have acquired KP Telecom? Future? New telecommunications market? That’s all good. But wiping out those bastards from Cheonji Association is more important. The Cheonji Association guys can’t *not* use cell phones, can they?”

“That’s true, but this seems a little too illegal.”

“Illegal?”

Jeong-hoon smiled as he looked at Cheon Jin-hyeok.

Cheon Jin-hyeok smiled, following Jeong-hoon’s lead.

‘That’s a relief. Ethics are still embedded in his head. He wasn’t the same psychopath as Cheon Jin-hyeok from the old days.’

‘But I still need to practice a little more.’

It was a very natural smile, but it was still a little disappointing.

“It’s an order from me. I’m the one who does the illegal things, and I’m the one who takes responsibility. There is no illegality in catching bad guys. *Not* catching them is illegal and a crime.”

“I understand.”

Cheon Jin-hyeok decided to lend his strength to Jeong-hoon’s firm will.

“If that’s what the boss wants, I’ll show you my abilities properly. Basically, I can intercept all the phone calls. And…”

Cheon Jin-hyeok hesitated.

“Keep going. I’ll take all the responsibility.”

“If you want, I can also eavesdrop on voice and video using their cell phones.”

“Is that also possible?”

“Yes, you can remotely activate the recorder and camera on their phones.”

“It’s good to have a talented person.”

“Just tell me what you need. I’ll prepare everything I can.”

“I really like that you can do anything. I’ll say it again, all of this was led by me, Yoon Jeong-hoon. Cheon Jin-hyeok doesn’t know anything about it. If there’s a problem later, say you were threatened. Okay?”

Cheon Jin-hyeok bowed his head.

“Thank you.”

He felt touched by Jeong-hoon’s consideration for him.

He wasn’t someone who had been with him from the beginning.

He was even his enemy.

But he was being so considerate of him.

He had no choice but to pledge his loyalty.

After Cheon Jin-hyeok left, Jeong-hoon leaned back on the sofa.

‘Do I have to do this kind of thing?’

But he knew.

It was something only he could do.

Only he in this land could do it.

Only Sinhwa Group could destroy Cheonji Association.

Jeong-hoon clenched his fist and vowed to crush the monstrous giant.

“Chairman, Mr. Musk is here.”

“What? Suddenly?”

“I wrote it on the schedule on the table today…”

“Ah, let him in.”

Musk, who had a large build, came inside and plopped down on the sofa.

‘These foreigners have no manners. Sitting down without permission…’

“Musk, what’s going on?”

“It’s because of self-driving.”

“Proceed slowly.”

“I haven’t even started yet.”

It was Musk’s embarrassing answer.

‘What have you been doing until now, you bastard?’

A blood vessel popped out on Jeong-hoon’s forehead.

Suppressing his rising anger, he asked.

“What’s the reason?”

“Video processing is too slow. You need a good graphics card to do that…”

“And?”

“I have to collaborate with companies like Nvidia or Mobileye…”

‘Why is this bastard stalling like this? Spit it out all at once. Don’t be so frustrating.’

“You have to…?”

“Tesla is a new brand, and Sinhwa Motors is a low-priced car company. They say there’s no value in negotiating with them.”

“What?”

Fire lit up in Jeong-hoon’s eyes.

This was definitely an act of ignoring Sinhwa Group and him, Yoon Jeong-hoon.

“Ha, those things… Is it Nvidia and Mobileye?”

“Yes.”

“Pick one of the two.”

“If I had to pick one, wouldn’t Nvidia be a little better?”

“That’s good. Then let’s buy it.”

“What do you mean?”

Musk thought he had misheard.

But he hadn’t.

“How much could that cost… Let’s buy it this time and monopolize self-driving technology.”

“Ah…”

Buy one of the two?

Musk had to doubt his ears.

“Buy… buy Nvidia?”

“Would Mobileye be better?”

A difficult choice was presented to him.

The Genius Grandson of the Cash King Becomes a Tycoon.