Soon after, Jang Yu-chul, who had gone to order extensions and tools, arrived.
From this point on, Lee Hyun-woo began discussing the placement with Jang Yu-chul, with Kim Yoon-soo occasionally chiming in.
“We’re going to need more people than I thought. I didn’t account for people to check the parts and the finished products.”
“I feel the same way. I don’t know how this hyung knows this process so well without even being able to assemble a computer.”
Lee Hyun-woo found it rather absurd.
This was a fundamental process that any manufacturing industry should follow:
Check the parts, divide the work, assemble, test the finished product, and then ship!
“Now that the design is complete, we need to recruit people.”
“How many are coming from your side?”
“About ten people, including current and former students who are on leave.”
“The labor costs are going to be quite high.”
“You should aim to make more than that. That’s why speed is crucial. We need to move at a super speed that makes you wonder if it’s even humanly possible.”
“What if we end up with a lot of defective products?”
“That’s why we have a testing process, isn’t it?”
Kim Yoon-soo’s nodding slowed down considerably.
Now that the work had begun, he seemed to realize it wasn’t going to be easy.
His eyes were practically begging for help with managing and supervising once the factory started.
‘I can’t stay here all day. I’m a busy person too.’
Just as Lee Hyun-woo was thinking this, Kim Yoon-soo made an unexpected proposal.
“Why don’t you get an office nearby?”
“Sorry?”
“I’ll get it for you. You’re working from home right now, right? You can’t keep doing that forever. You need a decent office.”
“…”
It was clear that Kim Yoon-soo was suggesting this so that Lee Hyun-woo could be close by and visit often.
But just how much of an inheritance did he receive in advance to be spending money like this so freely?
Lee Hyun-woo wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t the type to be miserly.
“Then we’ll take care of getting the office, but let’s borrow the deposit. We’ll pay it back as soon as we have the money.”
“Hey, the deposit will come back to me eventually, so don’t worry about it. The rent won’t be that expensive anyway.”
“No, I’ll take care of the rent as well. But in return, I’ll take a share in the company later on at a lower price for helping with the design.”
“A share? Haha. Talking about shares makes it feel like we’re really doing something grand.”
“Once we catch up with Juhyun Computers, you’ll need to set new goals, won’t you?”
“Hmm?”
“Above Juhyun Computers, there’s Samjin Computers, and above that, there are the big domestic companies. We need to catch up step by step. Isn’t that right?”
Kim Yoon-soo’s eyes shook violently at Lee Hyun-woo’s words.
His heart swelled with excitement.
If that really happened, he could gain recognition from his father, just like his brother, who had been good at stock market investments.
People who are constantly compared to others have a strong need for acknowledgment.
“Listening to you, it feels like we could become the number one in the country and even go global someday.”
“There’s nothing we can’t do.”
“Alright, listening to all this talk has made me hungry. Let’s go eat. We’ll finish discussing over a meal and decide on how much share to give.”
“I’m hungry too.”
“Me too.”
The three of them went to a nearby restaurant to eat.
Even while eating, they kept talking about business.
Lee Hyun-woo, who had lived another life, mainly talked about success strategies.
“I don’t think there’s a shortcut. Hard work is the best method, isn’t it? But if you add a certain level of personal assets as leverage, it can accelerate things, like with you, boss.”
“That’s not always the case. In the end, it’s about sales skills. Watching you, I realize that. Recently, CEO Wang Jong-chul came by. He said he knew you. The guy who put the returned electronics up for auction at 【Jungle】.”
Lee Hyun-woo nodded immediately, as it was clear he was talking about the man with the frog-like eyes from 【Sangil Industries】.
“Oh? He really came by.”
“He did. He talked about you. Listening to him, I thought that not everyone can do sales.”
“…”
“At the same time, I felt a sense of trust in you. That’s also why I didn’t hesitate much when you suggested entering the assembled PC market.”
“No way, even if it wasn’t me, you would have been easily persuaded.”
“I can’t deny that, but I would have been a bit cautious. But your words swayed me more. Maybe it’s because I’m seeing 【Jungle】 succeed.”
“The number of users is skyrocketing right now.”
Jang Yu-chul, who had been eating silently, chimed in on the conversation between Lee Hyun-woo and Kim Yoon-soo.
“But this hyung isn’t satisfied yet.”
“Really? From what I see, new items are listed every day, and the bidding is becoming more active, so you’re making quite a bit just from the 2.5% commission?”
“Moreover, it’s been less than two months since the business started, but he keeps saying there’s still a long way to go, making Jung-woo and me feel like we’ve done something wrong.”
Was it really that much?
Lee Hyun-woo looked at Jang Yu-chul with slightly guilty eyes.
He quickly explained.
“I’m satisfied with our company’s growth rate, but dissatisfied with the speed at which the website is gaining recognition. That’s why I suggested to CEO Kim to enter the assembled PC market. Once affordable computers start being distributed, won’t people naturally want to improve their communication environment? It creates an ecosystem.”
“What? Are you using me in your grand scheme?”
“We’re aiming for a win-win situation. If we jointly create an information and communication ecosystem, it all translates into money.”
“Listening to you makes me eager to bring that era closer.”
“We can do it. I’m confident.”
“Alright, in that sense, how much of a discount do you want on the shares?”
“It’s too early to discuss that now. I’ll take it step by step, like a success fee, as we succeed.”
“A success fee?”
“Yes, I’ll prepare a contract for that. It’ll be simple. I’ll get the shares if we succeed, and if we don’t—which won’t happen—I won’t take any.”
“Do you really need to go that far…?”
“It’s better to be certain about everything.”
Lee Hyun-woo felt that having this kind of motivation would make him work harder.
He looked at Kim Yoon-soo, who was nodding in agreement.
‘Entering the IT field with a partner like this wouldn’t be bad.’
He was somewhat easily swayed, but that made him more appealing.
Kim Yoon-soo’s 【One Computer】, which would become the world’s best computer manufacturer, surpassing HB, IBN, and Dell Computers, was already taking shape in Lee Hyun-woo’s mind.
There’s a saying:
The beginning may be humble, but the end will be grand.
A gentle smile hung on Lee Hyun-woo’s lips.
Lee Hyun-woo wasn’t the type to be reckless, but he didn’t waste time on things that didn’t require hesitation.
After parting ways with Kim Yoon-soo and arriving home, he waited until dinner to tell his parents that he would be moving the office.
They were surprised and said,
“I’m worried. Jung-woo keeps bragging about how well things are going, but I don’t know if I should believe him.”
“Mom, why don’t you trust me? Besides, this time it’s not me, it’s hyung who’s pushing for it.”
The nuance was that since the competent older brother was doing it, it should naturally be trusted.
But Lee Hyun-woo felt a pang of sympathy for his brother upon hearing this.
In their previous lives and even now, it meant their parents trusted Lee Hyun-woo more than his brother.
‘I need to treat him well. Including the things I couldn’t do in my past life.’
Maybe that’s why?
On the day they moved to the much-anticipated office,
Lee Hyun-woo gathered his brother Lee Jung-woo and Jang Yu-chul in one place and said,
“It’s time for us to start sorting things out.”
“What? Hyung, you’re not planning to fire me, are you?”
“I don’t think we’ve done anything wrong.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? How could I fire you two after all the help you’ve given me? It’s the opposite.”
“The opposite?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m proposing something. Regarding shares going forward.”
“Shares?”
“Oh, are you talking about doing with us what you discussed with CEO Kim recently?”
As expected, Jang Yu-chul, who had overheard, understood first and spoke up, making Lee Hyun-woo nod immediately.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s almost the same, but there’s a difference. Just like my shares increase with each success of CEO Kim’s business, I’ll give you shares with each success as well. It’s like a stock option.”
“Stock option?”
“What’s that?”
“It means giving part of your salary in shares. Anyway, the details will be discussed separately. Another point is that our initial capital was invested by our father.”
“I knew that.”
“So, we, who handle management and technology, will take 70% of the shares, and our father will get 30%. What do you think?”
“Wow, if the business succeeds, Dad will become a wealthy man.”
“Not exactly. We plan to return the investment within this year. But we’ll give him the option then.”
“To reinvest?”
“No, more like taking back 20% and leaving 10%.”
Lee Hyun-woo was confident in the business’s success.
So even 10% would become a substantial amount later on.
He intended to propose this as a form of retirement fund for his parents, but whether they would accept it was another matter.
Lee Jung-woo immediately calculated upon hearing his brother’s words.
“So you mean returning two-thirds of the investment. Dad invested 4 million won, so about 1.33 million won will remain?”
“You’re quick to calculate, as expected of an engineer. But as I said before, it’s not 1.33 million won, it’s 10%. Which means, as the company grows, that share will become Dad’s portion.”
“Oh? So you mean giving Dad 20% of the company shares at the end of this year instead of two-thirds of the investment amount, around 2.67 million won?”
“With some flexibility, we’ll give him 20% of the total profits.”
“Wow… If I had money, I’d want to do the same. It’s like making money with money.”
“Me too.”
The reason the two were so amazed was simple.
In the meantime, the situation had changed again, and 【Jungle】 had evolved into an even more attractive site.
This part came out through the mouth of his brother.
“Anyway, I have no reason to refuse. The company’s outlook is so bright. Just look at these days, the electronic stores in Yongsan are rushing to post items on the auction site, so the commission business is quite lucrative.”
Despite the delivery conditions, the fact that this was happening indicated that the number of users on the 【Jungle】 site was increasing.
Naturally, the 2.5% commission was coming in, and the profit made in just one week was nearly 2 million won.
Although this figure was not satisfactory for Lee Hyun-woo, who was looking far ahead, it seemed to place his brother and Jang Yu-chul in a dreamlike state between dream and reality.
“I’m all in! I’ll live my life with you, hyung.”
“Me too.”
It was now impossible to imagine 【Jungle】 without these two.
Hearing their enthusiastic responses, a broad smile spread across Lee Hyun-woo’s face.
