“Calvin Pharmaceuticals is quite an interesting place.”
Chairman Wang smiled and took a sip of his tea. It was no wonder, as the information coming from a faraway country was as intriguing as any drama.
Who would have thought that the fate of a pharmaceutical company developing a new anti-cancer virus drug would rest in Kang Hyun’s hands?
“Mr. Son, if you were Hyun, whose side would you take?”
“Of course, the side that makes a profit. Hyun is more perceptive about such matters than anyone else.”
“Then, are you saying he will join hands with Vice President Gerard?”
Chairman Yoo asked, and Chairman Wang nodded in agreement.
If one were to consider immediate profits, Gerard Calvin was a better choice than John Calvin, the illegitimate son, because Gerard had a more substantial inheritance.
Chairman Wang then slowly began to speak.
“Old man, do you know what surprised me the most when I talked to Hyun?”
When Chairman Yoo leaned in closer, Chairman Wang continued with a fascinating expression.
“It was before the foreign exchange crisis. South Korea was in a calm before the storm, but no one predicted that Daehan Steel would collapse so easily. However, Hyun was adamant. He said Daehan Steel would be the first, and then he listed the names of other companies that would fall one by one. It was a parade of major corporations. Anyone who heard it would have thought he was mad.”
But Kang Hyun’s predictions came true as if by magic.
“Just look at the IT-based companies Hyun is investing in. Most of them are still unnamed and have yet to bloom. But Hyun doesn’t hesitate to invest in them boldly. If any of them go bankrupt, VH Company, which invested in them, would suffer massive losses.”
Isn’t it said, ‘High risk, high return’?
It was a seemingly reckless investment strategy, investing heavily in anonymous venture companies. That’s why Director Kim Sang-guk thought it was voluntary work.
“But what makes Hyun terrifying is that he understands the true meaning of value investing. He doesn’t buy the present; he buys the future.”
Chairman Wang laughed heartily. Chairman Yoo did the same. It was an unbelievable story, wasn’t it?
How could a young man, barely in his twenties, completely grasp the essence of value investing? Even those who had spent their lives in management hadn’t fully realized it.
But the reason the two old men were astonished was simple. Kang Hyun had been moving as if he could see the future.
For investors, nothing is more thrilling than seeing stock prices rise. In that sense, Calvin Pharmaceuticals was like a treasure trove.
The stock price was soaring day after day.
The shareholders of Calvin Pharmaceuticals must have felt like they were walking on clouds every day.
“CEO, we will soon arrive at the shareholders’ meeting venue.”
Director Kim Sang-guk seemed curious about my intentions. It was no wonder, as the emergency shareholders’ meeting was just around the corner.
It was a meeting to appoint the CEO who would lead Calvin Pharmaceuticals.
With the two vice presidents in stark opposition, VH Company was the third-largest shareholder, so it was no exaggeration to say that the fate of the company was in my hands.
“Director, have you attended many shareholders’ meetings?”
“Not a few, but not many either. As you know, when I was at Jeil Group, it was a principle for the strategic planning team members not to show their faces outside.”
“Shareholders’ meetings have a unique atmosphere for each company. The more poorly managed the company, the more exaggerated the hospitality.”
Reflecting on my past experiences, that was the case.
There were many instances of chaos caused by shareholders at these meetings, but most of them disappeared if you gave them some hush money. The actual atmosphere of the company was controlled by the executives leading the meeting.
Empty vessels make the most noise, and the more poorly managed the company, the more exaggerated they were.
“Is that so?”
Director Kim Sang-guk still seemed puzzled. Well, the shareholders’ meetings he attended in the 1990s were quite different from those I remembered.
It was a lawless zone where poor management and fraudulent accounting were rampant. There was no way proper questions could have been exchanged.
“I have no intention of selling my shares in Calvin Pharmaceuticals yet.”
“Don’t you think it’s the peak?”
“Pharmaceutical companies are different from the IT industry. From the perspective of growth stocks and value investing, there’s nothing like pharmaceutical companies. As long as their performance is proven, that is. In that sense, Calvin Pharmaceuticals is indispensable.”
They developed a groundbreaking anti-cancer virus drug. Given the nature of patents that shouldn’t be tarnished, Calvin Pharmaceuticals will likely lead this field for the next thirty years. However,
“Like any company, the leadership of the CEO is crucial. The company is influenced by what kind of person the CEO is.”
“Depending on the CEO?”
“There are many companies in Korea that clearly show such cases, aren’t there?”
After the foreign exchange crisis, many companies collapsed like sandcastles. Behind it were the poor management of the owner families and rampant fraudulent accounting.
Would it be different abroad? I now understand why I couldn’t remember Calvin Pharmaceuticals’ name from my past life.
If it weren’t for VH Company, Calvin would have naturally fallen into Vice President Gerard’s hands.
At that moment, the car arrived at the emergency shareholders’ meeting venue.
“Maestro?”
Maya asked with a puzzled look when she saw the maestro’s face. Her face was unusually happy.
Her gaze was directed toward the garden. There, Kang Hyun and Son Yooha were holding hands and taking a walk.
“Maya, it’s such a beautiful sight.”
Maya felt an indescribable gratitude towards Kang Hyun and Son Yooha. The maestro had gone through so much hardship over the years. But thanks to Kang Hyun, he received musical healing, and thanks to Son Yooha, he overcame his loneliness.
People say that Kang Hyun is chosen by the god of music, but Maya thought differently.
“Maestro, he is indeed a mysterious young man.”
“That’s right. I’m still amazed by Hyun. I taught him the same way my teacher taught me. An ordinary person would have given up long ago. The methods were so absurd and reckless that they could be called foolish. But Hyun practiced and practiced as if what I said was the correct answer.”
At first, she thought he was just a child with enormous talent. But as time passed, she realized Kang Hyun’s true nature.
It was a culmination of perseverance and effort. If he didn’t understand something, he would practice even if it meant sacrificing his sleep.
Even when the doctor advised him not to overwork his body, he did the same. Imagine how he was on regular days.
“Now I understand why London and Berlin want Hyun so much. If I had continued conducting, I would have wanted Hyun as my successor too. But his abilities are too valuable to be confined to one place.”
It was an unbelievable story for those who didn’t know.
After all, London and Berlin are places where musicians strive and aim for all their lives.
It wasn’t easy to join the London and Berlin Philharmonic as a regular member, known as the best orchestras in the world.
But the maestro evaluated Kang Hyun as too valuable to remain in London and Berlin alone.
“In many ways, he is a perfect young man. Moreover, look at that bright and cheerful expression.”
“He looks genuinely happy.”
“That’s right. He always seemed mature beyond his years, but when he’s with Yooha, he seems to return to his age.”
The maestro looked at Kang Hyun and Son Yooha and said quietly.
“He is more than qualified to be a romanticist of the century.”
Chirp Chirp Chirp―!
The last day of summer was approaching.
During the summer vacation, I stayed in Austria and learned a lot. I discovered a completely different method of conducting from what I had known.
There was a significant difference between the me before coming to Austria and the me now.
“CEO, John Calvin, the president of Calvin Pharmaceuticals, wants to express his gratitude. What should we do?”
The person I supported in the emergency shareholders’ meeting was none other than John Calvin.
Of course, I did not choose him because he was 100% satisfactory. John Calvin, with his researcher personality, was a better choice than the empty vessel that was Gerard. This would certainly change the future.
“Tell him to repay his gratitude with the stock price. For investors, nothing is a better reward than a rising stock price.”
Director Kim Sang-guk smiled faintly, as if he expected that answer. It was then.
“Hyun, do you have a moment?”
The maestro had come to see me. Director Kim Sang-guk tactfully stepped aside. The maestro hesitated for a moment and then spoke to me.
“I have a place I want to show you.”
“A place?”
“Yes, a place I’ve never shown to anyone else.”
The maestro led the way, and I followed. As we walked down the corridor, the place became more familiar.
The place the maestro finally arrived at was in front of room 0703. She opened the door with her wrinkled hand.
Gulp.
Inside room 0703, which I thought might be haunted, was a cute and pink-filled place.
It was a typical girl’s room. The pink bedspread and the Barbie dolls in dresses showed that.
There was even a small piano and a children’s violin.
“This was my daughter Anna’s room. I couldn’t bring myself to clean it up for years because I couldn’t forget Anna. I used to come here at dawn to meet Anna. It must have been a hallucination, though.”
The room had been maintained for seventeen years. The maestro touched Anna’s belongings one by one with her dry lips.
“I think it’s time to let Anna go. Anna in heaven wouldn’t want her mother to keep being sad. I plan to return to music as well.”
“Really, maestro?”
“It’s all thanks to you, Hyun. Conducting with you made me realize that music still lives in my heart.”
It was music to my ears.
It was a story that would undoubtedly make the hearts of classical music fans around the world race.
The legendary maestro, who had been reclusive for so long, was making a comeback.
“Maestro, please stay healthy.”
How much time had passed? The sun was beginning to set, and it was time to leave for the airport.
As soon as I finished speaking, Son Yooha hugged the maestro tightly. The maestro patted Yooha’s back with her wrinkled hand. It was like a grandmother and granddaughter.
“I’ll come back to Austria to visit!”
Son Yooha said, wiping her tears cheerfully. The maestro stroked her head, thanking her.
I got into the car and looked at the scenery of the mansion fading away. The mansion in Austria, bathed in the setting sun, shone like a golden castle.
It was then.
Huh?
Someone was waving from the mansion window. I thought it might be a maid, but the figure was too small. And that room wasn’t supposed to be occupied.
A chill ran down my spine as the face in the window zoomed in as if magnified.
Even though the girl’s face was far away, it seemed like she was saying thank you to me.
