Lee Hyun-woo returned home after an excited discussion with Woo Sang-won and Jang Yoo-chul.
“But this is getting busier and busier.”
He started to feel some regret.
It wasn’t because Lee Hyun-woo didn’t know about SNS or cloud services that he hadn’t implemented them.
Of course, the ecosystem of the internet and technology had to be integrated, but he thought it could be realized once the direction was set.
After all, the CEO of a platform company was more of a top manager than the best developer.
Particularly, if one had creativity and imagination, they could push through with anything.
The reason he didn’t rush things was because he believed that if tasks overlapped, the workload for employees would increase.
“Well, it’s not like I was the one who suggested it.”
He tried to make an excuse.
He couldn’t help but go along as the four developers were competing to create something.
“Still, shouldn’t we adjust the pace a bit?”
He thought about whether he might be turning everyone into workaholics.
It was possible.
Even though he emphasized work-life balance, his subordinates might feel pressured to show results.
Even Yoo Jin-young, who was temporarily acting as a secretary, was attending an English conversation class.
“Huh? This isn’t what I wanted. This won’t do. From tomorrow, I need to stress punctual work hours again.”
But a few days later, why were Oh Min-woo and Lee Jung-woo, along with Woo Sang-won and Jang Yoo-chul, at a pub again?
Somehow, Lee Hyun-woo found himself at the center of a business discussion at the pub again.
“Adding design to the blog and streaming music? That’s a brilliant idea.”
“Right? Right?”
“So, Yoo-chul hasn’t been just wasting time.”
“Hey, you think he did that? Team Leader Woo must have done it all.”
“No, actually, Team Leader Jang came up with all the ideas.”
“Team Leader Woo, don’t protect him so much. Yoo-chul won’t grow that way.”
“Ah, you guys! Did you eat something bad in America?”
Watching the noisy conversation among the four, Lee Hyun-woo almost gave up.
“It would be hard to bring these four into the work-life balance.”
They seemed to love work too much.
They came to drink, but instead of talking about their daily lives to relieve stress, they kept mentioning business.
“By the way, how about you two? Did the business collaboration with 【AltaVist】 go well?”
“Of course. Business collaboration is just about sharing our weapons, isn’t it?”
Listening to Woo Sang-won and Lee Hyun-woo’s conversation, Lee Hyun-woo nodded.
No matter how much IT companies valued openness, many didn’t want their data to be invaded by the other’s search engine.
In the past, 【Navy】 had also blocked 【Single】’s search engine because it kept scraping their knowledge service.
“Wow, if 【AltaVist】 opens everything up, both they and we can create the largest sea of information in the world.”
“Of course. 【AltaVist】’s database is undoubtedly the largest in the world.”
“Looking at this, it was a masterstroke for the CEO to send that email first.”
Finally, the direction of the conversation turned towards Lee Hyun-woo.
Since all eyes were on him, he took a sip of beer to wet his throat and began to speak.
“I don’t know about that, but the web documents disclosed by 【AltaVist】 are over 20 million. We’re sharing part of it now, and once this sharing is complete, 【Jungle USA】 will be born in America.”
“In that sense, cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Whatever.
They were all beyond national pride, indulging in ‘Jungle pride,’ and Lee Hyun-woo couldn’t help but join in the fun.
It was quite a chain of coincidences.
Somehow, he had sent an email to 【AltaVist】, and somehow, they had the largest database.
And as 【Jungle】 proved to have superior technology in finding web documents, the conditions for business collaboration fell perfectly into place.
“At this rate, we might grow into a company combining 【Single】 + 【Face Note】 + 【Amazoness】.”
It wasn’t intentional.
It just happened to go in that direction.
The next day.
Watching the developers who had no intention of leaving work, Lee Hyun-woo pondered for a long time.
“Should I go home or not?”
They had enthusiastically agreed to work together on upgrading the blog the day before.
He didn’t want to dampen their enthusiasm, so he left them alone.
Normally, Lee Hyun-woo wouldn’t have cared and just left work,
“But now I’m feeling self-conscious.”
Should he call it a role reversal?
He was lost in thought, unsure if this was normal.
If it weren’t for a call from Kim Ah-young, he would have continued floating in his stream of consciousness.
(Are you hungry? I’m bringing sushi.)
“Okay, that sounds delicious.”
Lee Hyun-woo answered absentmindedly.
These days, she constantly contacted him to share evenings together.
Lee Hyun-woo thought it was likely to progress to a dating stage,
“How can I push away someone so kind?”
His defenses crumbled whenever he took her calls.
It seemed to have started when all the team leaders of the development department went abroad.
With the absence of four mid-level managers, Lee Hyun-woo had to work late, and accepting her visits led them to this point.
“Somehow, it came to this. Whatever, I’ll just go with the flow.”
While waiting for her to arrive, he looked deeper into his heart.
He confirmed that he was gradually starting to like Kim Ah-young.
If it weren’t for the burdensome background of 【Guseong Group】, he would have already asked her to date him.
So now, he was just acting as his heart led him, and when Kim Ah-young arrived shortly after, he couldn’t help but smile broadly.
It was the same when he tasted the sushi she brought.
“Wow, this is delicious.”
It was so tasty that his mouth opened automatically.
“Isn’t it? Isn’t it? I asked someone who is really good at making this at our hotel to bring it.”
“How can I keep owing you like this?”
“Well… Next time, you’ll buy something even tastier.”
“I should. But I only know places like the bar we went to in Jongno last time.”
“Those places are fine too.”
Actually, Lee Hyun-woo cared.
That bar was a place he often went with his wife in his previous life.
Whether it was her or Kim Ah-young, he felt like he was doing something wrong to both.
Lee Hyun-woo cursed himself internally for applying strange logic and then made a different suggestion to Kim Ah-young.
“How about I buy something delicious overseas next time?”
“Overseas? Really?”
“Yeah, honestly, there are a lot of places I need to go now. Japan, the USA, Germany, and also Taiwan and Hong Kong.”
“Wait, you were supposed to go to a portal site in Japan next month, and the USA seemed in preparation, but what’s with Germany? Did the team leaders succeed in their tasks?”
“Yeah, it seems so. The patent usage for MP3 has reached an agreement. And yesterday, 【Deutsch Telekom】 contacted us. They want to offer 【Jungle Music】 in Germany.”
“Wow…”
Kim Ah-young expressed her amazement with her mouth wide open.
The growth speed of 【Jungle】 was incredibly fast.
The connected companies themselves were already huge.
【Software Bank】, 【AltaVist】, and now 【Deutsch Telekom】.
She was overwhelmed, and Lee Hyun-woo wanted her answer.
“So, how about going overseas together for some delicious food?”
“For me, that’s great.”
Kim Ah-young smiled shyly.
“Oh, right. I’m planning to visit 【Alpha Cast】 tomorrow.”
“Huh?”
“I’m going there to finalize the investment contract. You said the MP3 player will be released soon?”
This time, it was Lee Hyun-woo who let out the exclamation Kim Ah-young had earlier.
“Wow, she really knows how to invest.”
He thought to himself,
‘I found another way to repay her. I can subtly inform her of successful ventures like this.’
The MP3 player was a promising business for the future.
With a small investment, it would yield enormous profits, repaying the kindness Kim Ah-young had shown so far.
The next day, around quitting time, Jung Sung-woo, the CEO of 【Alpha Cast】, visited Lee Hyun-woo.
After sharing recent updates, he suddenly expressed his gratitude with a thankful look.
“Thank you for introducing Director Kim Ah-young from 【Seorabeol Hotel】.”
Lee Hyun-woo replied with a smile.
Then Jung Sung-woo spoke again.
“Director Kim has decided on a significant investment, so we can increase this year’s production significantly.”
“That’s really great news.”
“As always, I’m a bit anxious. Even though 【Jungle Music】 is doing well and new types of music are reaching the public, we have to set a high price.”
“Have you decided on the price?”
“Yes, we set it at 300,000 won during a recent meeting.”
Jung Sung-woo cautiously observed Lee Hyun-woo’s reaction.
He was curious about the response to the higher-than-expected price.
Of course, Lee Hyun-woo displayed a relaxed demeanor and nodded.
“That’s the price we discussed before.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
They had discussed the price quite a bit over several meetings.
In recent years, people’s wages had been rising continuously, and inflation rates were not bad, so even though 300,000 won was expensive, Lee Hyun-woo believed it was competitive.
“I hope you sell a lot and start exporting as well.”
“Director Kim mentioned that too.”
“Oh? Really?”
“She said it could do well in the USA and Japan. However, she thinks the price of 300,000 won might be steep.”
“That makes sense. Especially because of the exchange rate.”
Currently, the Korean won was about 850 won per US dollar.
This had risen since last year when the US adopted a strong dollar policy.
“The exchange rate is likely to go higher. Adjustments will make exports more favorable.”
“That would be nice, but…”
For export companies, a super-strong won is tough.
Not that he wished for a foreign exchange crisis, but he thought the won-dollar exchange rate needed to be realistic.
“Well, that won’t be long now.”
Currently, the ongoing hearings on 【Bohan Group】 were pulling in financial and political figures one after another.
This situation, spreading uncertainty to investors via TV, was causing the comprehensive stock index to fall and the exchange rate to rise steadily.
“If it rises moderately, exports will do well.”
It was quite fascinating.
Until recently, Lee Hyun-woo had worried about a foreign exchange crisis, but somehow he was now contemplating the appropriate level for the exchange rate.
There was a reason.
【Minsam Group】 was holding out longer than expected.
In his previous life, news of their bankruptcy should have already surfaced.
Should this also be considered a butterfly effect from Lee Hyun-woo’s appearance?
