The Chairman Who Wants to Play and Eat

Chapter 34. Let’s just make it one dollar.

As Hyun Seung-jae, the president of Seonghyeon Corporation, entered the headquarters, a tune escaped from his nose.

He did it.

He had caught the weakness of his detested nephew, Hyun Sang-yoon.

It was his son, Hyun Tae-yoon’s doing.

‘An affair with an actress, a wild Hollywood party—what a stroke of luck this is.’

How much of a thorn in his side had Sang-yoon been all this time?

Whatever tricks he had up his sleeve, that kid had completely captured the heart of his father, Chairman Hyun.

He could no longer sit idly by.

If things went too far, it would be irreversible.

If his older brother, Vice Chairman Hyun Deok-jae, were to inherit the chairman’s position, the chances of his own son, Hyun Tae-yoon, fully taking over the group would drop to zero.

It wasn’t too late even now.

He needed to make a mark.

What he held in his hand was the very key to that. He gripped it tightly.

“Director Joo, it’s been a while.”

Upon arriving in front of the chairman’s office, Secretary Joo Yong-hoon greeted him politely.

“The chairman is waiting for you.”

“Alright. Oh, I will report this document directly to the chairman myself.”

He didn’t even ask.

“Please do.”

With a nonchalant reply, Director Joo opened the door.

Seated behind an imposing large desk, Chairman Hyun Byeong-geon stared at him without a hint of movement.

“Have you come?”

In that moment, I felt as if my body had frozen.

“Yes.”

“Come closer.”

“Yes.”

There was no invitation to sit.

Hyun Seung-jae approached the desk without showing any signs and stood facing Chairman Hyun.

Imagining the expression of the chairman I would see soon made my heart race with anticipation once again.

‘He must be furious, feeling betrayed by the nephew he trusted.’

I wanted to see that expression.

Quickly.

“What is it?”

As he placed the envelope on the desk, Chairman Hyun asked.

“I think sending it to America was a rather hasty decision. It seems like a child who cannot fully meet the chairman’s expectations…”

“So who are you talking about?!”

“Oh, did I not mention that? My apologies. I’m talking about Sang-yoon.”

Chairman Hyun did not respond.

Seeing that, Hyun Seung-jae felt even more emboldened.

“It’s a joy for me as an uncle that my nephew Sang-yoon is having a good time in America, so it would be proper to keep it hidden unless it’s a major flaw, but I thought it was something the chairman should know, so I brought this.”

A photo emerged from the envelope.

It was a picture of Sang-yoon standing blankly with blonde actresses against what appeared to be a bar background.

“…Is this all?”

“Yes, that’s the answer. Isn’t it sufficient?”

“He doesn’t look very happy. It doesn’t seem like he’s having a wild time like someone else.”

Chairman Hyun muttered.

Hyun Seung-jae flinched. It felt like he was talking about his own son.

‘No. It’s just something he said.’

He steadied his mind.

“W-well, that’s not the important part, is it? This photo shows that Sang-yoon is just goofing off in America instead of diligently attending to his work…”

“Is that certain? Or is it just your assumption?”

“Right here, this photo is the evidence······.”

Hyun Seung-jae stammered.

“If you need more evidence, I’ll find it soon.”

“There’s no need for that. I already have it.”

Chairman Hyun pointed to a document on his desk. It was a report from the United States.

Report regarding the investment in the film ‘The Future Killer’ by SeongHyun Electronics’ US subsidiary ‘SeongHyun Electronics AMERICA

‘Damn, it’s all in Chinese characters or English, isn’t it?’

He thought to himself.

But he didn’t show it and asked Hyun Seung-jae.

“What is that?”

“It’s from Sang-yoon in America. This photo, I mean, it’s about the movie investment and the actor auditions, and I already know all of this.”

“Excuse me? What does that mean·····?”

Hyun Seung-jae, who had no idea of the situation, was taken aback.

‘What’s an audition? What’s a movie investment?’

It was the first he had heard of it.

He had just believed his son’s words and thought that Hyun Sang-yoon was merely fooling around with women.

Chairman Hyun glared at him disdainfully and emphasized once more.

“Should I say it again? It’s all things I’ve permitted. So you better keep your mouth shut. Do you understand?”

“B-but······.”

“More importantly, Seung-jae.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“You came all the way here to gossip about my nephew during this busy time and waste my time! Do you have so much time to spare?!”

He was taken aback.

“No, that’s not it, Father.”

“Shut up!”

Chairman Hyun’s roar echoed through the office.

“Even if, as you say, this is really a photo of him fooling around with actresses, there must be a reason for it. That’s how much I trust Sang-yoon. Say one more word, and I’ll make sure you can’t set foot in our SeongHyun again.”

In the end, he was thoroughly scolded.

Tears and snot had all drained away.

After a while,

As Hyun Seung-jae turned to leave, there was no humming tune escaping his nose like when he had entered.

The chairman’s office fell silent.

Knock, knock,

Just from the sound of the knock, Chairman Hyun recognized who it was.

“It’s Director Joo.”

“Come in.”

As Director Joo stepped inside, he caught sight of Chairman Hyun.

It was the same strong face as always.

But in his eyes, which had shared decades with him, one could see the burdens and worries that weighed on Chairman Hyun’s shoulders.

“Are you alright?”

“What do you mean?”

It was a question both the person and the one answering knew all too well.

“Can I speak frankly?”

“Have you ever not?”

“I didn’t think you would make such a decision. I thought you would say it was impossible.”

“Oh, you mean Sang-yoon’s investment?”

He picked up the report his son, Hyun Seung-jae, had just reviewed and looked it over again.

“Why would I say it’s impossible?”

He began to speak, regardless of who was listening.

“Two million dollars is a lot of money. Wouldn’t I feel it’s a waste? Of course, it’s a waste. Especially since that investment destination is so absurd!”

“Then how could you…”

“Have you ever looked into that kid’s eyes?”

It wasn’t a question expecting an answer.

Director Joo silently waited for Chairman Hyun’s next words.

“Sang-yoon’s the first to make an investment based on what he’s seen with his own eyes.”

Chairman Hyun continued.

“This is the first opportunity to truly verify whether he sees gold or just stones. Does two million dollars matter? If he can discern that, I could spend twenty million without hesitation. It’s not a large sum, especially compared to the money wasted on lifting up someone who’s not worth it.”

Before long,

The sunset was painting the sky outside.

Yet, even as he spoke, a sense of unease lingered in a corner of Chairman Hyun’s heart.

‘What if not?’

He shook his head.

He brushed it off.

He repeated to himself several times, It’s not like he was that kind of person from the start; Sang-yoon must have his reasons for acting this way.

It had to be that way.

Only then could he avoid disappointment.

He smiled bitterly.

‘Looks like you don’t want to be disappointed anymore. Even at this age.’

For some reason, he felt like he wouldn’t be disappointed. He couldn’t explain why, but he believed it with unwavering certainty.

*

The vacation passed quickly.

Before he knew it, the last day in America had arrived.

A lot had happened.

First, he kept his promise with Director Cho Young-dae of the Semiconductor Research Institute.

He took advantage of Stanford’s summer session system to complete two courses: Mechatronics and VLSI Process Design, both of which were majors in semiconductor engineering.

‘It’s not as big of a deal as I thought, right?’

Honestly, it was easy.

Perhaps because it wasn’t a regular course.

He received an A+ in both.

Secondly, he also kept his promise with Director Seo Jung-gil of KIDC.

The request was as follows.

‘While it’s important to develop a domestic operating system, I think it would be wise to also include a compatible existing OS as an option to ensure global competitiveness.’

He fulfilled that wish.

He contacted several companies.

Among them, the most positive response came from Bill Gates of Microsoft.

He met with him to discuss the licensing terms for X-DOS, an improved version of the open-source clone OS.

‘You just need to pay $50,000 per unit.’

‘What?’

He couldn’t understand.

It was too cheap, far too cheap.

However, Bill Gates’ response was a masterpiece.

“I’ve already signed a contract with Washington Company, the copyright holder of the source code, and I can only sell it under those terms. You can either take it for $50,000 or choose not to contract at all. It’s up to you.”

There was nothing more to say about promises.

So I did just that.

Surprisingly, it was a full license that allowed everything from modification and distribution to resale.

Thanks to that, Seo was overjoyed and danced around.

“I had expectations, but this is an incredible achievement that far surpasses them. Thank you. Thank you, young master.”

It was nothing special.

There was no difficulty.

These were things anyone could do.

How could I betray my grandfather’s trust by failing at something like this?

Not at all.

If I were to name the most significant opportunity, it would undoubtedly be meeting the unknown film director Cameron Smith.

“This was a moment that made me understand why America is called the land of opportunity.”

I bet a fortune of $2 million on him.

Adding everything up, the production cost was about $5.5 million, so the money that Seong-hyeon invested was the largest.

I watched the filming as well.

And that wasn’t all.

I even saw them creating special effects with some program called Adobe or something.

It was a fascinating sight I had never seen before.

Watching a silver-shining cyborg character move realistically on screen and shoot a gun made me feel like I was truly in a future war.

It was shocking.

Honestly, it was cool.

“Is it possible that this movie might just succeed?”

I was worried to that extent.

And so,

In the two sweltering months of summer, the grueling film shoot ended like a flash.

Next was the editing.

– This is where the real struggle begins.

Cameron said this over the phone, chuckling.

He called me to the sandwich shop in Hollywood where we first met. There was something I needed to discuss one last time.

From noble mtl dot com

I was with Deputy Lee Beom-seok.

“It’s been a while.”

We high-fived. We had grown closer in the meantime.

“You look better. Time seems to only go backward for Yoon.”

“Haha, coming from you, it sounds like you’re on the brink of death.”

“It’s been like a war.”

“Not just like it, it was a full-blown war. A war of the future, right?”

“Haha, true. Can’t argue with that.”

As he spoke, he turned his head toward Deputy Lee. It was a question of who he was.

“Let me introduce you. This is our company’s employee, Deputy Lee Beom-seok. Deputy Lee, meet Cameron Smith.”

The two shook hands.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Beom-seok Lee.”

“I’m Cameron Smith. Nice to meet you, Mr. Lee. I hear you’ll be the liaison between Yoon’s company and our film? Let’s get to know each other quickly.”

That was the plan.

Tomorrow, I would return to Korea.

As it had been until now, the post-production process was not a stage I would be involved in.

However,

I thought it would be right for us to take charge of at least the Asian, if not the Korean, distribution.

After all, it’s better to have certainty in anything.

So I said it.

Fortunately, everyone with decision-making power respected my wishes.

Cameron felt the same way.

“I insisted that this matter should be decided between Yoon and me. Not just because he’s my biggest investor, handing me two million dollars, but because he’s the one who saved my life and my story from being buried.”

No, it was more than just respect.

It felt a bit burdensome.

“…Alright, I understand.”

“So, have you thought about how much you’ll charge?”

Of course, I had.

“There are regulations on film import costs in our country. It can’t exceed four hundred thousand dollars. So I’ve prepared the maximum I can offer, which is four hundred thousand dollars.”

Cameron shook his head at those words.

“That can’t be.”

It was a firm statement.

“Receiving another $400,000 from a benefactor? My pride as Cameron Smith, who will soon be sitting on a pile of money, won’t allow it.”

“Then?”

“Let’s just make it $1. Symbolically.”

“What?”

That’s something I can’t accept.

But,

“Do as I say. If you refuse this too, I might have to return the $2 million investment.”

“Is that really possible?”

“······Not exactly, but it means my resolve is firm.”

Looking at his expression, it didn’t seem easy to sway Cameron’s mind. The assistant chimed in with a smile.

“I think it would be best to go with Mr. Smith’s suggestion.”

Oh dear, my head.

But there’s no helping it. I can’t let a big opportunity slip away over something like this.

I have no choice but to concede this much.

“It can’t be helped. Let’s do it that way.”

I surrendered.

“Just as I thought, it’s Yoon. Not only smart but also generous. In that spirit, today’s on me. Eat as much as you want.”

Cameron, feeling good, laughed heartily.

“Thank you, Mr. Smith. I look forward to working with you.”

“I think I’ll have more requests in the future, Mr. Lee.”

The two of them chatted away.

And so, the last night in America deepened.

But,

Something felt off.

For some reason, I felt like I had been played.

*

The next day,

On the plane returning home,

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

I was lost in various thoughts, gazing out the window at the vast sea of clouds spread over the Pacific.

“I’m not thinking about anything.”

“Are you feeling sad? That you have to go back to Korea.”

“I’m fine.”

I said.

“Anyway, this assistant will continue to travel back and forth between Korea and the United States, taking care of the unfinished business for me. I trust him.”

Hearing my words, the assistant smiled sadly.

Perhaps it reminded him of work.

“By the way, is what I asked for ready?”

I changed the subject.

“Of course.”

“Please hand it over.”

He took a bundle of papers from his bag and laid it out on the desk.

[ 198X Judicial Examination First Round Questions (Copy) ]

It was the still-warm exam questions from a few months ago. The assistant asked cautiously.

“By the way, why this all of a sudden…?”

“Why do you think? I plan to solve it.”

It was simple.

“The flight is long, right? I thought I’d pass the time solving this.”

“…Yes?”

“Is there a problem?”

He hesitated before answering.

“There’s no problem, but it’s an exam that covers six mandatory subjects and two electives, totaling eight subjects to be taken all day. I was just a bit surprised that you, sir, would say you’d solve all of that here. I apologize.”

“No, that can’t be.”

He was mistaken.

“Then…”

“Who said I would solve exactly eight subjects?”

I explained step by step to clear up his misunderstanding.

“There are six required subjects and a total of thirteen elective subjects, right? So, we’re choosing two from the electives.”

“That’s correct.”

“Then it’s not eight subjects, but nineteen. Because six plus thirteen equals nineteen. The flight time alone is over ten hours, and how am I supposed to fill that long time with just eight subjects?”

Isn’t that obvious?

His mouth fell open.

“You won’t even sleep?”

“I can solve everything and then sleep.”

“Oh, right.”