The Chairman Who Wants to Play and Eat

Chapter 37. I think we have a lot in common.

It was a night in early October, a month later, when Im Du-won, the president of Seonghyeon Electronics, received an urgent summons to the chairman’s office.

This was not a common occurrence.

Without even questioning the reason, he rushed to the headquarters.

‘What could it be about?’

A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind.

Was it because of the power outage that had halted operations all day last week at the third line in Gumi, or perhaps it was the report about the defect rate of the newly launched surround color TVs, which had once exceeded 10%?

Of course, everything had been resolved.

But if there were to be any repercussions, he was prepared to take responsibility.

He arrived at the headquarters.

He hurriedly made his way to the chairman’s office.

In front of the office,

“President Im, you made it here on time. Please, come in.”

Director Joo Yong-hoon was waiting for him and guided him inside. As he followed, Im Du-won slowly steadied his breath.

He couldn’t help but smile slightly.

‘In moments like this, I feel like I’m back to being a rookie.’

He took a step forward.

A moment later,

The heavy door opened, revealing Chairman Hyun Byeong-geon already seated at the head of the table, sipping tea.

At least he didn’t look too angry. That eased his mind a bit.

“Is Im Du-won here?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Did I surprise you by calling you suddenly?”

“No, not at all.”

“Please, have a seat.”

Chairman Hyun gestured to the empty chair.

“Thank you.”

Although I had entered the chairman’s office several times, there was a teacup placed at my seat that I had never seen before.

The aroma wafted through my nose.

It was subtle.

“What are you doing?”

Chairman Hyun said as he lifted his cup.

“It’s there for you to drink. Go ahead. Once you catch your breath, we’ll start the conversation right away. It’s not a story that will end quickly, so you should sit next to me, Director Joo.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Thank you, Chairman!”

Director Joo’s soft voice and Im Du-won’s booming voice echoed simultaneously.

“What’s all this noise?”

“I’m sorry, Chairman.”

“Let’s stop the unnecessary chatter here. This isn’t the time for that. First, you should explain why I called you.”

As if he had been prepared, Director Joo immediately continued.

“By any chance, do you know Steven Jackson from Apple?”

Jackson?

The Steven Jackson who created Lisa?

Im Du-won’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected name.

You don’t know that name?

Surely, that can’t be true.

Last year alone, he recorded sales of 600 million dollars in personal computer sales, threatening the stronghold of IBM.

If you don’t know Apple’s CEO Steven Jackson, you might as well return your business card as the president of an electronics company to the chairman’s office right now.

“So you do know him.”

“Y-yes, of course, Chairman.”

Im Du-won tightened the tension that had momentarily eased with the delicate scent of the tea. I need to stay sharp.

Director Joo continued.

“Steven Jackson is reportedly visiting Korea on a private schedule.”

Im Du-won had a hunch about this.

It was during a recent meeting with Director Jo Young-dae. There had been a conversation that emerged while they were chatting. It was also about Steven Jackson.

Director Jo Young-dae’s question had been the starting point.

“Jackson is going to Japan to meet with Niso’s Chairman, Murata Kenji. Do you happen to know why, President Lim?”

“I do. They say he’s going to discuss the mass production of custom memory chips for the new Perscom lineup from Apel.”

“Then you must be aware that Niso is being passive in the negotiations.”

“Of course.”

“Why is that?”

“It can’t be helped.”

Lim Du-won took a moment to organize his thoughts.

“From Niso’s perspective, they must be struggling to keep up with their ever-growing internal demand. How many hit products do they have? Given that situation, wouldn’t it be odd for them to be proactive about expanding a new line for a difficult client, especially when the yield is likely to be low?”

At that,

Jo Young-dae lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.

“That’s why he’s coming to Korea this time.”

“Is that true?”

“I’m not certain. So, don’t speak carelessly about it elsewhere. Personally, I believe he will come.”

This conversation had taken place just a few days ago.

Yet, the topic came up again.

This time, in the chairman’s office.

At that moment,

“President Lim?”

Chairman Hyun’s heavy voice echoed in Lim Du-won’s ears.

“Oh, yes. Yes, Chairman.”

“Where did you learn the habit of zoning out in the middle of a conversation?”

“I apologize.”

It was a mistake. He lowered his head.

However, contrary to his words, Chairman Hyun didn’t seem particularly eager to make a big deal out of it.

Director Joo continued speaking.

“The secretariat has made preliminary contact with Apel. What they want is simple. They want to know how far we’ve come and how much further we can go. Regardless, I got the impression that they are not considering our Seonghyeon as a serious partner at this time.”

“That’s to be expected.”

A hint of worry flickered in Chairman Hyun’s eyes.

“And Steven Jackson himself wants to meet with you directly.”

“Isn’t Jackson the representative over there? If he comes, we should send a representative too. I am the representative of Seonghyeon, after all. It’s only natural. Just do what they want over there.”

Director Joo shook his head.

“Chairman.”

“Speak up.”

“I believe it would be better for you to decline this meeting, at least for now. It would be sufficient for President Im or Director Jo to handle it.”

“And why do you think that?”

“The friend named Jackson is a proud young man who became a sudden millionaire at the age of twenty-four. He may be capable, but he is sensitive and eccentric. There is a high possibility that something embarrassing might happen to you during the meeting.”

“Is that really the only reason?”

Chairman Hyun shouted in an angry voice.

“Setting aside personality issues, can we really say that Chairman Seohyun is qualified if he distances himself from a meeting with a representative just because of age? I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary.”

Im Doo-won opened his mouth.

“May I say something?”

Chairman Hyun and Director Joo turned to look at him simultaneously.

“So you’ve been silent all this time? What a foolish friend you are. Speak your mind quickly.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Leave out the apologies and just speak.”

“Yes.”

Im Doo-won swallowed once and began to speak.

“It would be inappropriate for either me or Director Jo to meet with Steven Jackson. It would be disrespectful, and the reins are in their hands.”

“And?”

“So, while you must hold the meeting, I believe that if one more person joins you, everything will proceed without any issues.”

Director Joo subtly raised the corners of his mouth without saying a word.

He had caught on to what was coming next.

“One more person? Who?”

Chairman Hyun asked.

In that moment, Im Doo-won felt like a puppet.

It was strange.

He had the illusion that the Chairman and Director Joo had deliberately set the stage for him to bring this up.

Regardless, the water had already been spilled.

Now that he had spoken, he had to follow through.

In the end,

“It’s Hyun Sang-yoon, sir.”

That name was spoken. An explanation followed.

“Since the semiconductor task force, he has been with us at Seonghyeon, and even now, he studies semiconductors in his spare time, so I believe his skills are at least at the level of a semi-professional. With someone like him, there should be no shortage in filling the position alongside the chairman, sir.”

After waiting for the words to finish, Chairman Hyun pressed on.

“Can you take responsibility for that statement?”

“I can take responsibility.”

That was all I could say. I had mounted a galloping horse.

“Then let’s proceed with that.”

The chairman’s easy approval was granted. Manager Joo chimed in.

“I do have some concerns, but I believe you will manage well.”

“Sir, you probably don’t need to worry. He has never once fallen short of expectations until now.”

At Im Du-won’s words, Manager Joo smiled faintly.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve misjudged. What I’m worried about isn’t Hyun Sang-yoon, but our chairman.”

What?

Suddenly?

On the contrary, Im Du-won’s insides shrank to the size of a bean.

‘No matter what, how could he say something like that?’

But,

that was a misguided thought.

At that moment,

“Ha ha ha ha!”

The cheerful, booming laughter of Chairman Hyun erupted. There was no hint of displeasure at all.

“Manager Joo, you’re right. Why should I worry about Sang-yoon? You should be worrying about me. Of course, ha ha ha.”

*

October arrived.

In the meantime, many things had happened.

First, the bar exam.

After a long, grueling second round that lasted four days, everyone was now waiting for the final results to be announced a month later.

Of course, since I hadn’t taken the exam, it had nothing to do with me.

So it shouldn’t matter, but,

It was not.

It was.

“I’ve brought the second set of questions as promised last time, so hurry up and write your answers. The sooner, the better.”

“Hyun Sang-yoon! Please spare some time. The president has specifically requested to see your answers. For my sake, at least, okay?”

It wasn’t just a matter of being present.

There was more.

It was extremely uncomfortable and cumbersome.

Every time I went to school, it became a task to avoid the professors. My already busy day became even busier.

Meanwhile,

There were things that simply wouldn’t come to an end.

“When are we going to talk about that leisurely movie discussion we were supposed to have?”

It had been nearly a month since I returned home, and my grandfather hadn’t said a word.

I began to wonder if that “leisurely” meant not just a few days, but months or even years.

The movie was about to be released first.

“The U.S. release is in December. I will coordinate with Mr. Lee to ensure the Korean release aligns with that timing.”

Worry took precedence.

But there was no sharp solution.

I couldn’t just waltz into the president’s office over such matters, so I had no choice but to wait.

It was during this time that I received a call.

“Young master, I’m sorry, but I need you to do one thing for me.”

I was suddenly contacted by Chief Joo Yong-hoon from the secretary’s office.

At first, I was taken aback.

“What’s this about all of a sudden?”

His words were as follows.

“CEO Steven Jackson of Appel is visiting Korea. He has expressed a desire to visit our headquarters in Seonghyeon as his first schedule. Our secretary’s office will be guiding Mr. Jackson and his party, and the president has instructed that you assist as well.”

It was a bit unexpected.

It wasn’t a difficult task. I decided to go along with it.

However, what I heard next was surprising.

“Once you arrive at the headquarters, there will be a meeting between the president and Mr. Steven Jackson. You are required to be present.”

From noble mtl dot com

“Me? Is there a reason for that?”

“Chairman said that when the young master steps into management later, this experience will be a great help.”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

Management, huh.

At that moment, Director Joo added one last thing for me.

“You just need to come to Gimpo Airport at the right time. I will relay the plans and schedule to Deputy Lee Beom-seok.”

The day had arrived.

“We’re almost there.”

I was on my way to Gimpo Airport to welcome Steven Jackson.

“The secretariat said they are all there, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Deputy Lee replied.

“Excluding the essential personnel from the secretariat, everyone under Director Joo, who is in charge of the welcoming party, is waiting at the airport.”

“What about the vehicles? What did we decide?”

“I’ll explain that as well.”

According to him, it went like this.

The rest of the accompanying personnel, excluding Steven Jackson, would split between Director Joo and the secretariat’s vehicles.

As a result, Jackson himself ended up in our car.

In that moment,

a thought crossed my mind.

“This might be an opportunity.”

Why, you ask?

Let me explain.

I was given the chance to have a few dozen minutes of one-on-one conversation with Steven Jackson in the car before we arrived at headquarters.

Could I use this opportunity to expedite my plans?

Of course, Jackson is a distinguished guest.

I mustn’t carelessly offend him or tarnish the image of our country or Seong-hyeon.

That would be crossing the line.

I need to think of a good approach.

“Think. You can do this, Hyun Sang-yoon. You can come up with something.”

It came to me right away.

“Shall we talk about movies?”

That sounds good.

Steven Jackson himself is not from a technical background, but he has worked with talented individuals who possess an engineering mindset.

He is strong in logic and numbers.

But he is likely weak in culture.

What if I bring up movies instead of computers in front of him? Isn’t there a high chance he wouldn’t like it?

“Jackson wouldn’t possibly think of investing a fortune in movies, nor would he believe in the potential of computer graphics technology. That’s nonsense.”

So it’s fine.

Let’s talk about that nonsense; that was my plan all along.

Finally, my heart felt at ease.

“I can’t wait to meet Steven Jackson.”

The assistant replied.

“Me too. Is it easy to become a figure of global attention at the age of twenty? To see someone like that… It’s all thanks to you, sir. I’m just as excited as you are.”

At the arrival hall,

“There he is.”

It wasn’t hard to spot him.

With long hair and a bushy beard, Steven Jackson emerged from the arrival gate with a few aides.

“Nice to meet you, Seong-hyun’s friends!”

He approached us.

It was an intense first encounter.

A moment later,

Steven Jackson and his party got into their respective vehicles and set off towards Seoul. Steven Jackson also got into our car as planned.

I cautiously broke the ice.

“By any chance, Steven, are you interested in movies?”

“Excuse me? Movies?”

“I was in the U.S. until a few months ago, investing in a film in Hollywood. It’s a sci-fi movie called Future Killer. Have you heard of it?”

Of course, he had. He was just pretending not to know.

He shook his head.

My explanation followed immediately.

It was bound to be boring, yet Jackson didn’t change his expression much. Perhaps he was determined not to fall for my provocation easily.

Good.

Then I’ll raise the stakes.

Eventually, my story about the film led to a discussion about the computer graphics and stop-motion techniques used to vividly portray the cyborg character.

All the while, I kept an eye on Jackson’s face.

It was expressionless.

Inside, he must be wondering why I’m talking about this.

Surely, he wouldn’t say something like this in front of the chairman, would he?

“On the way here, your son went on and on about how he invested two million dollars in a terrible movie. I thought there was nothing more to say about a company that pours money into a low-quality B-movie. I’ll take my leave now.”

“I’m sorry. We’ve made a grave mistake in hosting such a distinguished guest. Please forgive us for our lack of judgment. I was just about to scold my grandson for his foolish investment. Thank you for reminding me, as I had forgotten.”

Isn’t that a perfect plan?

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

At that moment,

“Oh, you’re making quite an interesting point!”

Unexpected words flowed from Jackson’s lips.

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve actually wanted to invest in a computer graphics studio at one point. Who knows? In the future, films might be made entirely with graphics instead of people. Most would just laugh at such a notion, though.”

His eyes were shining.

“Innovation is born from that absurdity. People don’t realize it. Mr. Hyun knows a thing or two.”

“Oh, yes. That’s right.”

“I think we have a lot in common. Haha.”

It was just a thought I had, but he continued.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect much coming to Korea. I assumed I’d just hear boring and predictable stories. But now it’s different. If there are people like Mr. Hyun here, I can’t help but think that Seonghyeon might be an interesting place too. What do you think? Am I right?”

Wait a minute,

Why is the conversation going this way?

This doesn’t make sense.

Everything was unfolding completely opposite to what I wanted.