Before they knew it, the first quarter of 1997 was already passing by.
Lee Hyun-woo was beginning to realize that this life was unfolding differently from his past life, especially after the grim news about the dissolution of 【Bohan Group】.
Although it was a premature prediction, there was no news indicating that other companies were struggling, apart from the signs of bankruptcy from 【Misham Group】.
‘Is it because I’ve been focusing too much on articles about our company?’
Despite this thought, Lee Hyun-woo’s eyes were glued to a section of a portal site.
『【Jungle】 to hold concerts in Taiwan and Hong Kong this summer!』
『Lee Hyun-woo dines with representatives from various agencies, a huge concert on the horizon?』
『Will 【Jungle Music】’s ambition to unite Asia through music come true?』
It seemed that entertainment news had a faster and stronger impact on the younger generation than economic news, which might be why such articles were being produced.
Lee Hyun-woo did not let his guard down and delved deeper into economic news.
But even here, the news was not bad.
『【Jungle】’s search engine to be installed on all public enterprise websites in the country!』
『The company most desired by university students for employment: 【Jungle】』
『【Jungle】 starts new business cloud services.』
『What is cloud computing? Lee Hyun-woo’s strategy?』
『【Jungle Shopping】 sees a 1,300% increase in sales compared to the previous quarter!』
『【Samjin Computers】 sells 10,000 computers in less than a month』
『Products sell out when partnered with 【Jungle】?』
Lee Hyun-woo shook his head.
‘Maybe it’s because I’m the CEO of our company, but it feels like every article is connected to 【Jungle】.’
It was clearly an optical illusion.
However, his fingers unconsciously clicked on another article.
He couldn’t help but click after seeing the last article’s title.
No wonder journalists are good at crafting headlines.
『【Jungle Shopping】 is setting an example in online distribution. …(omitted)… Not only the events with 【One Computer】 and 【Samjin Computers】, but also the cosmetics sold exclusively through a partnership with 【Aejeong Cosmetics】 are breaking sales records daily. 【Aejeong Cosmetics】, which prides itself on good quality at a low price, has grown rapidly thanks to 【Jungle】. A representative from 【Aejeong Cosmetics】 said, “【Jungle】 will continue to be an excellent business partner for our online sales, and we will do our best to support all of 【Jungle】’s initiatives.” They also mentioned, “We plan to sponsor the 【Jungle Music】 festival this summer.”…(omitted)…』
After reading the content, a smile naturally appeared on Lee Hyun-woo’s face.
Surely, there must be companies struggling with cash flow issues somewhere, but there were also places soaring high by partnering with 【Jungle】.
The mentioned companies were relatively solid, so it was understandable.
‘Our 21st-century venture companies are budding dreams.’
He dreamed of the day when they would grow from small innovative companies to medium-sized enterprises, and eventually to large corporations.
Meanwhile, Kim Ah-young, the eldest daughter of 【Guseong Group】 who had received significant help, now visited 【Jungle】everyday naturally unless there was a pressing issue.
Today was no exception.
She visited around Lee Hyun-woo’s off-hours.
Of course, she always called before coming, so she never interrupted his absence or business meetings with others.
“There was an article today.”
“Which article? There are so many.”
“The one about the economy.”
“Oh, the one saying that partnering with us will sell out products?”
“No, not that one. The news about your company’s listing.”
“Huh? Was there one like that?”
“Yeah, but judging by your expression, it seems not.”
“It’s news to me.”
“If the CEO doesn’t know, it must be the journalist’s imagination.”
Lee Hyun-woo nodded and smiled brightly.
“I have no plans to list yet.”
“Why? If you raise capital from the stock market, you can push forward the business you want faster.”
“Of course, there are such advantages. But I think it’s better to pursue business with balanced finances. Increasing shareholders might steer us away from my desired direction.”
“I see what you mean.”
Shareholders expect the company to always generate profits.
In doing so, it could restrict new challenges or investments in new businesses.
While shareholders might not physically block the company’s plans, their watchful eyes could reduce the company’s freedom of action.
“And our value isn’t at that level yet. I think it’s not too late to list when our value grows much more.”
“That’s true.”
Seeing Kim Ah-young agreeing with every word, Lee Hyun-woo smiled and asked.
“Oh, right. There’s something I wanted to tell you. Remember the delayed schedule? Japan.”
“Oh? Are we finally going?”
“Yes, next month. But you can’t always match my schedule. So I’m asking.”
“It should be fine. Just let me know when the schedule is confirmed.”
“Okay, will do.”
Not only does she agree, but now Kim Ah-young also tries to match her schedule to accompany Lee Hyun-woo on overseas trips.
‘Hyun-woo is mentioned in the papers so often these days, it’s becoming cautious in Korea.’
Kim Ah-young wanted to spend evenings with Lee Hyun-woo.
However, with the increasing recognition of Lee Hyun-woo, she was worried about potential articles.
She feared that such articles might make Lee Hyun-woo uncomfortable and distance himself.
So overseas trips seemed more convenient.
At that time, Kim Sung-moo was also looking at articles.
『【Guseong Electronics】 off to a great start in 1997!』
『Switching the computer production line to a server production line was a masterstroke』
『【GB Electronics】 starts producing routers along with servers!』
His perspective differed from Lee Hyun-woo’s, as he first noticed 【Guseong】 and then the news about the industry rival 【GB Electronics】.
‘Routers, huh…’
This was network equipment.
As high-speed internet continued to spread in Korea, the demand for related equipment and parts seemed to rise.
Routers, modems, LAN cables, etc.
While 【Guseong Electronics】 was first in the server market, it seemed 【GB Electronics】 was quick to move in the router market.
‘We should start this quickly too.’
It was said that when 【Guseong】 entered a market, 【GB】 followed, and vice versa.
So Kim Sung-moo thought he couldn’t just sit still this time either.
‘Korea’s industrial landscape is changing.’
He felt the industrial structure was changing based on high-speed internet.
Simultaneously, one person at the center of this change came to mind.
‘Lee Hyun-woo, that guy.’
Lee Hyun-woo’s rapid progress continued to catch Kim Sung-moo’s eye.
There was no need for separate investigations as newspapers were pouring out related articles.
When reading, something surprising stood out.
Multiple media outlets detailed it, but it seemed the other side was eagerly seeking business cooperation.
【Altavista】 was like that, and it was the same with Japan’s Son Jung-yi.
Eventually, due to their eagerness, 【Jungle Japan】 was planned, and with 【Altavista】, they confirmed sharing 【Jungle】’s search engine technology and utilizing the accumulated database of the other party.
Moreover, they were preparing for expansion into Taiwan and Hong Kong.
‘He’s quite active for a young man.’
However, the entry into the U.S. and Japan was confirmed for the first half of the year, and the latter was planned to be done within the year, which made him skeptical.
‘Is that possible?’
Kim Sung-moo focused his eyes.
With technology backing him, what couldn’t he do?
And with the high-speed internet environment drawing interest from various countries.
The biggest issue that came to Kim Sung-moo’s mind was capital.
Entering foreign markets required money.
Continuing to read, Kim Sung-moo was convinced that 【Jungle】 would hit a financial wall.
‘Then I can invest with the condition of getting shares when that happens.’
Looking at the current 【Jungle】 objectively, there was immense growth potential.
It was just not listed on the stock exchange to get evaluated, but if it were on KOSPI or KOSDAQ, it would have raised substantial capital.
Did he know?
Recently, there had been talks about 【Jungle】’s listing.
『【Jungle】 to list within the year?』
『Experts say if 【Jungle】 goes public?』
『【Jungle】 can raise hundreds of billions to over a trillion won!』
Kim Sung-moo immediately called in the chief secretary and handed over the newspaper.
Ensuring the title was visible.
“Is this true?”
“Well, 【Jungle】’s financial stability is quite good. Just last December, 【Jungle Music】 made a profit of 1 billion won, doubled in January, and doubled again in February.”
To the chairman of 【Guseong Group】, 1 billion, 2 billion, 4 billion won was pocket change.
But to 【Jungle】, that money had a different relative value.
‘That guy can do anything with that money.’
He was the one who brought in Son Jung-yi without spending a penny.
And that too by bringing in his son and daughter.
Soon they were launching a portal site in Japan, and looking closely,
‘He turned technology support, know-how, and usage fees into shares.’
Couldn’t he approach the U.S. and Taiwan similarly?
“What about existing businesses?”
“Products matching the speed of high-speed internet are leading to rapid sales growth. Of course, they are reinvesting or buying servers as they earn.”
“And yet they are not short on capital?”
“As far as I can see, yes. They don’t hold too much cash, nor are they short enough to cause liquidity issues. It’s a delicate balance.”
A mere twenty-eight-year-old?
The more he heard, the more he wanted him.
‘Is there a need to watch him further?’
It seemed like the right time to decide on him as Kim Ah-young’s match.
But the next day,
Kim Ah-young made a meaningful statement at the breakfast table.
“Dad, I’m going on a business trip to Japan next month.”
“A business trip to Japan?”
“Yes, after visiting 【Mido Hotel】 in Tokyo, I plan to visit the headquarters of 【Software Bank】.”
“You mean you’re going to meet Son Jung-yi in person?”
“Yes, of course with Hyun-woo. Since 【Jungle】’s portal site is launching, we decided to have a look together.”
Although he was keen on deciding on Kim Ah-young’s match yesterday, hearing this made him change his mind.
Men are all wolves, and thieves.
To Kim Sung-moo, Lee Hyun-woo was a beast trying to steal his daughter.
He quickly asked.
“What about Tae-hyun?”
“Huh? Oh, oppa is coming too.”
“Whew, okay then.”
He sighed in relief inwardly.
‘Men are all thieves. They can never be left alone together.’
