Episode 52. Investment (7)
For the second filming of In Future, Kang Dae-oh headed to the broadcasting station again today.
Kang Dae-oh realized how good it was to have a fixed filming location every time, something he hadn’t felt in a long time since Yora.
‘Back then, as Kwak PD said, I traveled hundreds of kilometers just to visit famous cafes all over the country.’
It wasn’t just during Yora.
Perhaps because Kang Dae-oh was a successful businessman in the cafe industry, many programs that cast him often had a common basic concept of visiting cafes.
As a result, Kang Dae-oh rarely continued filming in a fixed studio.
However, In Future was not that style, so going back and forth for filming was not as inconvenient as he thought.
This was because he only needed to commute between the broadcasting station and his company.
Today, Kang Dae-oh also arrived at the set earlier than other cast members.
He would arrive early, quickly skim the script, greet the incoming cast members, and have brief conversations with them.
Kang Dae-oh liked spending his time this way.
It even felt like the fun part of broadcast filming.
Exactly 10 minutes after Kang Dae-oh arrived.
Kang Yeyoung, who could be called the main cast member of In Future, appeared.
“Hello, Appa! You came early again today?”
“Uh. It’s always like that, you know. Didn’t you say you had a schedule before this, and would be a bit late today?”
Kang Yeyoung shook her head at her appa’s question.
“That, it got canceled.”
“Ah, really?”
“Yes. Well, it happens sometimes. I don’t worry too much about it.”
Kang Yeyoung was already busy anyway.
If one or two schedules were canceled, it meant she would have some time to take a break. So, Kang Yeyoung was actually taking it with a positive attitude.
While Kang Yeyoung was getting her makeup done.
Another person, who had a close relationship with Kang Dae-oh, clocked in at the waiting room.
“Good afternoon.”
“Hello, CEO Oh Myung-woon!”
“Welcome, Myung-woon.”
Kang Dae-oh, along with the staff, greeted him.
Oh Myung-woon looked at Kang Yeyoung, who was in the final stage of her makeup, and said.
“Our young lady, you look beautiful again today.”
Kang Yeyoung chuckled softly at Oh Myung-woon’s smooth comment.
Kang Yeyoung, who quickly finished her makeup, subtly took the seat next to her appa and whispered softly.
“Have you talked to Choi Bok-hyun eoreusin?”
“No, not yet.”
Since he arrived early at the set. Kang Yeyoung had thought her appa would have used the spare time to talk about the business idea with Choi Bok-hyun in advance.
However, Kang Dae-oh had not yet expressed his intention to invest in Choi Bok-hyun’s senior cafe business.
It wasn’t that the timing was off, so he couldn’t say it.
“I’m thinking of bringing it up subtly after it airs.”
“Wouldn’t that be too late? Investment companies that view Choi Bok-hyun eoreusin’s business idea favorably, like Appa, will contact him a lot.”
Those calls could come from all over the country.
Since Kang Dae-oh evaluated it as a ‘good item’. Even investment companies that had judged it ambiguous would likely trust Kang Dae-oh’s insight and first contact Choi Bok-hyun regarding a contract.
If that happened, Kang Dae-oh, who recognized Choi Bok-hyun’s potential early on, might not even get an opportunity.
He had already seized the opportunity to hear Choi Bok-hyun’s business idea first, before anyone else, before the broadcast.
Kang Yeyoung shook her head at the thought that he might lose this opportunity himself.
“I think it would be better to tell him in advance.”
Nevertheless, Kang Dae-oh still did not give in.
Kang Dae-oh also knew all of Kang Yeyoung’s concerns.
He was both a businessman and a broadcaster. There was no way he wouldn’t know the extent of broadcasting’s power.
Despite this, Kang Dae-oh didn’t seem to have any intention of monopolizing Choi Bok-hyun early on.
The reason was simple.
“If there’s an investment company that offers better terms than me, I don’t care if eoreusin signs a contract with them.”
Kang Dae-oh didn’t want to suppress Choi Bok-hyun because of his own greed.
This was because he also intended to compete with other investment companies.
If he were to do as Kang Yeyoung said.
“I would be taking away eoreusin’s freedom of choice. I think that’s not a good action, even for eoreusin’s sake.”
This was the biggest reason why Kang Dae-oh didn’t make an investment offer to Choi Bok-hyun in advance.
Oh Myung-woon clapped softly after hearing Kang Dae-oh’s words.
“Indeed. This is just like my friend.”
Kang Dae-oh had always had this kind of personality.
That’s why Oh Myung-woon found Kang Dae-oh’s actions understandable.
Kang Yeyoung also belatedly realized that her appa was this kind of person.
“I’m sorry, Appa. I made too much of a fuss.”
“Why would you need to be sorry? Yeyoung, from your perspective, you just said what was natural.”
If Kang Dae-oh had been in the same position as Kang Yeyoung, he would have given himself the same advice.
Because if one only considers profit, that would be the correct action.
But if one considers long-term trust relationships in the future.
Kang Dae-oh’s method might be more suitable than Kang Yeyoung’s.
And indeed, Kang Dae-oh had proven his success multiple times with his own methods.
Of course, Kang Yeyoung usually provided the opportunities.
Simply having information doesn’t guarantee success.
Success and failure are determined by how that information is utilized.
Kang Yeyoung’s appa was a capable person.
She reminded herself of this fact and decided to trust her appa and wait.
The second recording of In Future began.
Many competitors who were there, had now significantly decreased.
Following episode 1. In episode 2, they decided to explain their business ideas not just through words, but through videos and demonstrations.
The time was 5 minutes, more than double the time in episode 1.
Of course, 5 minutes was still short, but perhaps because they had already experienced the 2-minute time limit in episode 1, the participants felt that 5 minutes was very long.
And actually, it’s not easy to fill 5 minutes solely with one’s own explanation, without having a conversation with anyone.
Furthermore, it wasn’t just about rambling on. It was about changing the minds of the evaluators in front of them and persuading them, so it naturally felt more difficult.
Nevertheless, the participants showed more enthusiasm and worked harder in the second presentation than in the first recording.
The female participant with the mask pack, who received favorable reviews along with Choi Bok-hyun in episode 1, was also like that.
“This is the mask pack I told you about last time.”
“Oh, you brought the actual product?”
“Yes. Would you like to try it on?”
Everything was good about wearing the mask pack, but the problem was that it removed makeup.
Nevertheless, Oh Myung-woon immediately put the mask pack, which the woman said she made, on his face without any hesitation.
A slight coolness and moisture spread across his face.
Following Oh Myung-woon, Kang Dae-oh also proceeded to try the mask pack.
“How is it?”
In response to the female participant’s question, Kang Dae-oh and Oh Myung-woon presented the same opinion.
“It’s like the feeling of being in front of a fan after a shower, with your skin still slightly damp.”
“CEO Oh Myung-woon made a good analogy. I was feeling the same way.”
At the two men’s specific descriptions, the female participant smiled genuinely, indicating that her intention had succeeded.
As expected of a participant Oh Myung-woon had high expectations for since episode 1.
In the second filming, she also received favorable reviews from the evaluators and successfully secured her advancement to the next round.
After the turns of several participants ended.
Finally, it was Choi Bok-hyun’s turn, for whom Kang Dae-oh had high expectations.
However, Choi Bok-hyun’s expression did not seem as bright as it had been during the first recording.
Kang Dae-oh harbored many doubts internally about Choi Bok-hyun’s changed demeanor.
‘Did something bad happen to him?’
He couldn’t help but worry.
Was there perhaps a problem with the content?
For now, he decided to listen to his explanation.
“This is Choi Bok-hyun. I would like to provide more detailed explanations about the senior cafe I mentioned last time. In addition to what I said before, I have a few more ideas for additional features that I think would be good to adopt.”
Choi Bok-hyun explained the introduction of various devices that can be seen in a healing cafe concept, such as massage chairs and half-bath machines for the elderly.
He also said that they would install blood pressure monitors separately to provide the elderly with the opportunity to measure their own health status themselves.
The business proposal had become much more specific compared to episode 1.
There was nothing to criticize in terms of content.
The scores from the evaluators, including Kang Dae-oh, were also quite generous, just like in episode 1.
Yet, Choi Bok-hyun’s expression was still not bright.
What on earth was causing that?
Kang Dae-oh kept worrying about him.
After the filming ended.
Kang Dae-oh, just as he did in episode 1, first went to those who were eliminated and offered words of comfort.
He also told those who were regrettably eliminated that he could help them find investors.
Kang Dae-oh’s act of caring for each eliminated participant served to warmly embrace their painful wounds.
Afterwards, Kang Dae-oh went looking for participant Choi Bok-hyun.
“Do you happen to know where Choi Bok-hyun eoreusin is?”
Kang Yeyoung, as if she knew, pointed to the end of the hallway.
“I saw him over there earlier.”
“Really? Thanks.”
“I’ll go with you too, Appa!”
“You too?”
“Yes. Earlier during filming, eoreusin’s expression didn’t look good. It kept bothering me.”
At times like this, Kang Dae-oh definitely felt that Kang Yeyoung was indeed his daughter.
It was simply amazing how she could have the same thoughts as her appa.
Realizing once again the greatness of genetics, Kang Dae-oh took Kang Yeyoung and hurried towards where Choi Bok-hyun was.
‘He’s over there.’
Just as he was about to speak, Kang Dae-oh’s steps halted.
This was because Choi Bok-hyun was on a phone call with someone.
“Uh. How’s your body? Me? Well, I did fine. Don’t worry about me. Just worry about your own health. I’m okay.”
Listening to the phone conversation, Kang Dae-oh roughly deduced the situation.
‘It seems like a family member is very sick.’
If that was the case, it explained why Choi Bok-hyun’s expression hadn’t been good throughout the recording.
This was because Kang Dae-oh himself would worry all day and couldn’t concentrate properly on work if he heard that his daughters or wife were sick.
While empathizing, a sense of pity washed over him, even though it wasn’t his own problem.
