As the end of the workday approached, Lee Hyun-woo put on his coat and headed out.
As he started his car in the parking lot and began to drive out, he saw Kim Yun-su walking towards the company entrance.
He quickly rolled down the window and looked at him.
“Hyung!”
“Oh? Mr. Lee? Where are you going?”
“Yes, I have some errands to run.”
“Ah, that’s too bad. I should have called first.”
“What’s the matter?”
“We finally completed the line today. The day to start modem production is imminent, so I came to report to you.”
“Wow, already? Then I’ll definitely have to stop by later. I’m curious about it.”
“Sure, drive safely.”
Kim Yun-su said his farewell with a slightly disappointed look on his face.
Lee Hyun-woo rolled up the window again and gently pressed the accelerator.
‘Thank goodness. Things seem to be going well over there too.’
In fact, 【One Computer】 was one of the companies that was on the fast track to success, thanks to knowing Lee Hyun-woo aside from 【Jungle】.
Soon, when the mass production of modems begins, orders from domestic companies dealing with high-speed internet will pour in, and 【One Computer】 will achieve tremendous success.
‘Not just there, but 【Alpha Cast】 and 【Samjin Computer】 should see results soon too, right?’
The former was on the verge of MP3 player production, and the latter was about to start testing high-speed internet.
Achieving this business overnight was impossible, but both companies were seasoned and experienced.
【Alpha Cast】 was well-versed in related technologies through car stereos, and 【Samjin Computer】 had discussed extensively with cable TV before pausing.
‘At this rate, Korea’s IT ecosystem might surpass the U.S.’
Nothing is impossible.
Then the foreign investment that Lee Hyun-woo hoped for would become more active domestically.
The capital that flowed out like an ebb tide during the past foreign exchange crisis could come rushing in like a flood this time around.
Thinking about it again, it’s like fighting a bubble with a bubble.
‘Well, not everything goes as I wish.’
Like 【Bohan Group】, and the soon-to-be bankrupt 【Misam Group】.
There will be quite a few companies that will fall and collapse.
But if newborn IT groups can firmly fill those voids and existing conglomerates become stronger?
‘We might not need to summon the IMF?’
Personally, Lee Hyun-woo didn’t think it was necessary to rely on the IMF just because a foreign exchange crisis occurred.
Because the IMF demanded too harsh a price.
Just like the Singapore or Malaysia model, the labor and management can coexist and overcome the crisis.
‘This would be both fun and rewarding.’
A mission that would have been impossible to achieve in his past life.
This time, he intends to try.
Though he might do it just for fun if it doesn’t work out, Lee Hyun-woo always tackled things seriously in his past life and always reached the goal of success.
Considering the steps, today was the time to shake the chairman of 【Guseong Group】.
‘I must win over Kim Sung-moo’s heart!’
Having read his autobiography dozens of times and practically memorized it, Lee Hyun-woo was confident.
Realizing this, he noticed he was gripping the steering wheel tightly without realizing it.
After avoiding the traffic, he arrived at Chairman Kim Sung-moo’s residence shortly thereafter, took a deep breath, and got out of the car.
A little later, Lee Hyun-woo entered a house that was large enough to be called a palace.
“Welcome. Ah, this is our father.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“And this is our mother.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“These are my siblings. You know Ah-young, and this is Kim Ah-jin. She’s studying abroad but came to Korea for a break. And this is Kim Na-yoon, a high school senior.”
As he was introduced to Kim Tae-hyun’s sisters, Lee Hyun-woo smiled and nodded lightly.
Then,
“Shall we have a meal first?”
At Kim Sung-moo’s words, everyone turned in the direction he indicated.
‘It seems the dining table is over there.’
This house is so big that one needs to remember where everything is.
If you go to the bathroom, you might get lost trying to find your way back to your seat.
With that thought, as he approached the dining table, Kim Tae-hyun kindly guided him to a seat.
“Very few people have had a meal with our entire family at this table. You should feel honored.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Oh, don’t be so formal. It’s not like we’ve dined with some great people.”
Kim Sung-moo’s wife, Jang Hee-jin, smiled and spoke to Kim Tae-hyun.
Looking at this, it seemed more like an ordinary family rather than a typical chaebol household.
‘Maybe they put on a bit of a show because of me?’
Or perhaps the house atmosphere was bright because the daughters were not yet married.
Indeed, during the meal, the daughters showed various interests.
“You’re quite impressive, aren’t you? You started a company last year and rose to dominate the market, and you’re even partnering with foreign companies for overseas expansion?”
“I don’t know about other things, but 【Jungle Music】 is really popular among my classmates. Many of them use it more because of the event where they get 300 coins for a 10,000 won recharge.”
“Na-yoon, I can’t eat. Stop it.”
Fortunately, Kim Tae-hyun intervened and stopped them.
Then Kim Ah-young quickly interjected to manage the situation.
“Guys, there will be time after we talk with Dad. You can ask then.”
In any situation, Lee Hyun-woo only smiled without opening his mouth.
Why?
Chairman Kim Sung-moo didn’t like people who talked a lot on the first meeting.
That’s what it said in his autobiography, and that’s what Kim Ah-young had told him.
‘I should trust the autobiography and Ah-young.’
Instead, he responded clearly to the questions asked.
“Do you think our country will see the same kind of rapid growth as before?”
“It’s difficult. The government-led growth strategy has long reached its limit.”
“But didn’t the winds of democratization in the political sphere promote economic liberalization and openness? You could say a new market has opened.”
“Of course. But if the thoughts of economic agents differ, I think our market could be taken away.”
“That’s right. The voices of labor unions and civic groups have strengthened in government policies and issues, and conflicts have arisen in the interests of the government and companies.”
“Therefore, leadership that can guide the diversified economic agents is necessary. I’ve always thought of you, Chairman, as someone who can resolve those conflicts and reconcile interests.”
“Hahaha, I don’t like stepping forward much. And in this day and age, it seems wise to be cautious. If you stand out unnecessarily, you hear things like collusion between politics and business.”
Lee Hyun-woo skillfully avoided sensitive topics or refrained from mentioning them.
This time was no different.
He subtly nodded but didn’t fully express agreement with Chairman Kim Sung-moo’s words.
The reason for pointing out Chairman Kim Sung-moo as the person to resolve conflicts and reconcile interests was something only Lee Hyun-woo knew at this moment.
‘If you step forward and relinquish many things, the conflicts will disappear.’
But without showing it, he continued the conversation until they finished the meal.
At some point, only Chairman Kim Sung-moo and Lee Hyun-woo were talking, so in the end, Jang Hee-jin shook her head and said,
“I couldn’t tell if the food was going into my nose or ears. Such heavy topics should be discussed after finishing the meal.”
However, the conversation after the meal continued in Chairman Kim Sung-moo’s office.
Just the two of them, without anyone else interrupting.
“Recently, I came across a blog by chance. It’s called Nostradamus… You know about it, right?”
“Yes, I’m aware. An anonymous user who pretends to be smart and deceives people.”
“Hahaha, deceives people.”
Did Lee Hyun-woo’s words please him?
Kim Sung-moo chuckled and sipped his tea.
“Alright, good. As you said, I’m not sure if it deceives people, but as times have changed, people have learned more and want to share what they know. Moreover, now they have a platform to speak up. It’s the internet.”
“Exactly.”
“In that space, people can thoroughly hide their identities. For example, I could post something pretending not to be myself.”
“That’s called anonymity.”
“Right. But isn’t it quite strange? One of the characteristics of the internet is openness. Yet within it, there’s this closed nature of anonymity.”
Through this conversation, Lee Hyun-woo subtly understood what the chairman wanted.
‘He wants to know the identity of Nostradamus.’
Lee Hyun-woo smiled and looked at Kim Sung-moo.
“Exactly. Anonymity and openness coexist strangely. Sometimes, even I get confused about whether I’m running the portal site in the right direction.”
“Hmm…”
“So, there are times when I want to tell someone about the identity of the deceptive Nostradamus.”
At that moment, Kim Sung-moo’s sharp eyes focused on Lee Hyun-woo’s face.
“You mean you know.”
“Of course. And I’ve known for a long time.”
“A long time…”
“Yes, I knew even before the blog was running.”
“……”
This time, his eyes narrowed slightly.
“It seems you know Nostradamus well.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“And someone you need to protect.”
“Not necessarily.”
“No need to protect?”
“He hasn’t committed any crimes, has he? He just finds it very bothersome to be known to the world.”
Since Lee Hyun-woo himself was Nostradamus, he was expressing it accurately.
In truth, if this got out, he would receive too much public attention.
“However, I can tell you, Chairman, specially.”
“……”
Kim Sung-moo, who was cautious in human relationships, didn’t easily reveal his true feelings, but now he was very curious.
Then,
“What do you want?”
Instead of asking who he wanted to know, he asked what Lee Hyun-woo wanted.
He thought Lee Hyun-woo would demand something significant, given that he was willing to reveal the identity to him without any compensation.
But Lee Hyun-woo still had a relaxed smile and said,
“I mentioned it during the meal. At this point, where conflicts and clashes arise among economic agents, I’d like you to lead the country’s economy well.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell you what to do from my position, but I’ve expressed what I hope for, so now I’ll reveal it. The identity of Nostradamus.”
“……”
The cozy and comfortable office, designed for his health, was now tense.
Naturally, Chairman Kim Sung-moo’s curiosity had reached its peak.
In a way, Lee Hyun-woo’s skillful handling of the giant of the business world was truly impressive.
He also chose the right ‘timing’ to stop speaking,
“In fact, Ah-young is Nostradamus.”
“……!”
For a man who rarely lost his composure, Chairman Kim Sung-moo’s eyes showed a shock as if an earthquake had struck.
