The next day.
Lee Hyun-woo met Son Jung-yi again.
Specifically, he visited just before the opening of 【Jungle Japan】 to fully experience the atmosphere.
But perhaps it should be said that there is a difference between someone who has lived once and someone who hasn’t?
Son Jung-yi, who greeted Lee Hyun-woo, was completely different from the previous day.
“Phew, I’m nervous.”
In a word, he had lost his composure.
On the other hand, Lee Hyun-woo was relaxed.
“It will go well. Don’t worry.”
“No matter how much I think about it, the internet environments of Japan and Korea are different.”
“The environments are different, but the internet as a tool is the same for everyone in the world. It’s hard to think that what Koreans enjoy on the internet won’t be enjoyed by the Japanese.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course.”
Son Jung-yi looked at Lee Hyun-woo with a slightly calmer expression.
Then he started to speak negatively again.
“What’s really unfortunate is that companies, rather than the public, still don’t feel the necessity of the internet, specifically the necessity of internet speed. If only that were the case, we could promote more and build better infrastructure.”
“Instead, this challenge will change Japan. And it will develop into a hub connecting Korea and Japan.”
The core of what Lee Hyun-woo wanted to convey was the network hub.
This is an abstract concept rather than a visible device or facility.
Surprisingly, Son Jung-yi understood exactly what he meant.
“Come to think of it, through a portal site hub, the public will get to know Korea in more detail soon. A new world where an information revolution takes place.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, we will also encounter 【Jungle Music】.”
Yesterday, he was talking about online shopping, and today he brings up a music site.
It seemed like Son Jung-yi had a lot he wanted to do.
“Someday, we’ll be able to download songs from that site, right?”
“I guarantee that we can make more money faster in Japan than in Korea.”
At this point, we must acknowledge this.
Aside from the 2.5 times population difference, Japan is a better market for selling music in terms of the existing music ecosystem and copyright awareness.
Would Son Jung-yi understand even this?
“Then, can we bring in 【Jungle Music】 to our 【Software Bank】 once again?”
He was making another groundbreaking proposal.
“Instead, we will take 49% of the shares. The remaining 51% will be divided among you. 【Jungle】, 【Guseong】, or 【Seorabeol Hotel】.”
Lee Hyun-woo, unable to resist pulling in even Kim Ah-young, who had been quietly listening, smiled lightly.
“We will sign the contract after the portal site is established.”
Lee Hyun-woo’s words were an expression of his confidence.
What makes him so confident?
Son Jung-yi looked at Lee Hyun-woo with curious eyes.
But soon enough, the proof of what Lee Hyun-woo had said began to unfold.
“It’s lagging as soon as we opened it.”
“There are too many people accessing it!”
“I thought we had secured enough servers.”
“Oh, look at this buffering.”
Son Jung-yi, who had been speaking negatively until just now, looked at Lee Hyun-woo in a panic.
Lee Hyun-woo, still with a relaxed expression, seemed to have the answer.
“It’s as expected.”
“What?”
“When I saw it yesterday, I thought the servers were a bit lacking.”
“……”
This time, Son Jung-yi looked at Lee Hyun-woo with a resentful gaze.
Seeing this, Lee Hyun-woo smiled slightly.
“Don’t worry too much. Everyone’s nature is the same. No one will sit still and keep trying to access a site that doesn’t load well.”
“That’s obvious…”
“Due to the surge in access, the server will go through stable and unstable phases. We have experienced this as well.”
“Hmm, we need to expand the servers.”
“I recommend the servers from 【Guseong】 this time. They are compact, have large capacity, and are fast in processing, making them very cost-effective.”
“I need to check that out right away. Ah, when Director Kim was here yesterday, I should have asked…”
This time, his voice was full of resentment.
It had a nuance of why he didn’t give advice yesterday and just watched from the other side of the river.
But Lee Hyun-woo ignored Son Jung-yi’s gaze and looked elsewhere with his hands behind his back.
‘Whether it’s good or bad, humans can only develop through trial and error based on experience.’
The more intense the trial and error based on experience, the higher the value of 【Jungle】 that goes through it.
‘I will negotiate 【Jungle Shopping】 and 【Jungle Music】 under my initiative later, so just wait a little longer.’
That evening.
Lee Hyun-woo enjoyed a date walking through the streets of Tokyo with Kim Ah-young.
“You were playing with Son Jung-yi?”
“Me? Come on, that’s a misunderstanding. How could I play with someone who’s making headlines as the representative of Japan’s 21st century?”
“Well, let’s say so. Did you expect to succeed in Japan?”
“Isn’t it too early to say it’s a success? You can’t know until you open the lid.”
“Son Jung-yi must have prepared the server capacity in advance. But the traffic exceeded that, didn’t it? If that’s not a success, what is? And when we were about to leave, he asked with an urgent expression if he could start preparing for the IPO right away.”
What Kim Ah-young said was true.
Whether the promotion was done properly, the number of Japanese netizens trying to access 【Jungle Japan】 was more than expected.
The number of accesses leads to media reporting which acts as free advertisement, and though it may be a bubble, it will drive the momentum for the IPO.
Perhaps buoyed by that outcome, Son Jung-yi waited for Lee Hyun-woo’s answer with a look as if he would go public immediately.
Since he wanted it, there was no need to stop him.
Lee Hyun-woo agreed readily, and Kim Ah-young also nodded.
When they called Kim Tae-hyun on the spot, he also gave an okay sign.
“It’s still in the distant future. Going public isn’t easy, and it will take at least a year. Besides, as I keep saying, the initial success might just be a fluke. We must not be complacent.”
“Then why do you have that expression?”
“My expression? What’s wrong with it?”
“You’re saying it might not succeed, yet your face is saying it will definitely succeed.”
“Oh? Even that shows on my face?”
“Of course. Your face always says something. Well, I did inform Dad about this matter earlier.”
“Really? What did you tell him?”
“I told him to increase server production and prepare to export to Japan, and to hurry up with the network equipment we’re preparing now. It seems that Japan will also have a high-speed internet infrastructure within a few months.”
“You did well.”
“See? My words were right, weren’t they? Your face shows exactly that. That it will definitely succeed.”
“Haha…”
As they walked side by side, Kim Ah-young kept glancing at his face, making Lee Hyun-woo inwardly flustered.
‘I feel excited for no reason.’
I thought the emotions that disappeared after living past middle age in my previous life wouldn’t come back.
‘If we get a little closer, I might even confess.’
But it seemed that little bit wouldn’t take too long.
While walking, Kim Ah-young’s hand, which had been brushing against his, was eventually held by Lee Hyun-woo.
At that moment,
“……”
“……”
the conversation between the two stopped,
“……!”
“……!”
and exclamation marks appeared in the eyes of Park Min-sook and the bodyguards who were following them.
Were they trying not to be conscious of it?
Lee Hyun-woo and Kim Ah-young walked without looking back.
For a while, without speaking.
Maybe they were savoring the emotions flowing from their hearts.
But the moment to let go of the hand came when their stomachs signaled, and Lee Hyun-woo was the first to suggest a meal in front of a restaurant.
“Katsudon?”
Now thinking with her heart rather than her head, Kim Ah-young thought,
‘I can hold it in. Do I really have to eat now?’
But she smiled and nodded despite her inner thoughts.
“Sounds good.”
Instead, during the meal, she kept thinking with wandering eyes.
‘Should I hold his hand again after eating?’
Then she suddenly noticed Park Min-sook near the entrance.
Park Min-sook and the bodyguards couldn’t just starve either.
They were also eating.
‘Oh, right. Secretary Park told me not to seem too easy, didn’t she?’
Seeing Park Min-sook reminded her of the advice she had once received.
If she allowed things too easily one by one, Lee Hyun-woo would take her lightly and eventually get bored.
Kim Ah-young wanted to be with Lee Hyun-woo for a long time.
At this stage, it was a ridiculous thought, but she wanted to be with him for life.
So she barely managed to collect herself and made a resolution.
‘I won’t easily give my hand after eating.’
Of course, even while thinking this, she didn’t neglect her conversation with Lee Hyun-woo.
Whenever a business topic, which they always used as a theme, came up in a question, she answered and then countered.
“Network equipment, servers, semiconductors, mobile phones, etc. There will be so many things that will become the mainstay of 【Guseong Electronics】. If you expand your business beyond 【Seorabeol Hotel】 to duty-free shops and so on, you’ll be busy too, right?”
“Probably. But you’ll be busier. The portal site and online shopping have definitely taken root, and now you’re pioneering the market with music services and cloud services are about to explode. Going beyond Japan, you’ll expand to the U.S., Taiwan, and Hong Kong… Wow, just listing the businesses makes me breathless.”
“As I said, I will enjoy my life while doing that.”
“Me too.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Of course.”
Kim Ah-young’s thoughts had changed a lot.
She still wanted to show her management skills by competing with her brother, but she also wanted to maintain a balance between business and life while matching Lee Hyun-woo’s ‘work-life balance.’
Lee Hyun-woo smiled broadly, seemingly pleased with her answer.
Was she too captivated by him?
His smile was so pleasant to see.
From then on, they talked non-stop, and a while later, when they finished eating and went out, Kim Ah-young couldn’t refuse when Lee Hyun-woo held her hand.
‘Oh, whatever.’
At this moment,
there was no choice.
She decided to follow her feelings.
The pounding heartbeat from earlier.
She felt happy.
Seeing this scene, a smile spread across Park Min-sook’s lips.
‘This is really great.’
She had watched Kim Ah-young since she was young.
Sometimes she felt like a niece, sometimes like a daughter, and sometimes like a younger sister.
Why did the process of her learning about love feel so amazing?
But the sentiment ended there.
‘I’ve been reporting to the chairman every day…’
Should she tell him about this?
‘If you don’t say it, is it counted as a lie?’
Suddenly, her thoughts became complicated.
But she couldn’t avoid making the call today.
Since coming to Japan, it had been her duty to report the day’s events as soon as the two returned.
Reluctantly, she picked up the receiver after returning to the hotel a while later.
Hoping no one would answer, she let the phone ring.
But when it was answered after just two rings, it was clear the other side had been waiting for this call.
“Chairman, it’s me.”
(Yes, did you just arrive?)
“Yes, we just arrived.”
Looking at the clock, it was just before nine.
(You came back early today.)
“Yes, it seems they were tired.”
(They’ve been out every night, it’s no wonder they’re tired.)
On the first day, they went out around nine.
The second day, they went to Akihabara, where electronic stores are concentrated, and came back late after asking merchants various questions.
They said it was some kind of market research for MP3 players.
Just as the chairman had said, they could be tired from that,
(You must be tired too. Get some rest.)
“…Yes, Chairman.”
Should she be thankful?
He didn’t ask for more detailed information about today.
Maybe he was secretly pleased that they had come back to the hotel early today.
‘Then I haven’t lied. I just didn’t mention that they walked around holding hands.’
She had just not said it.
