The Kim Sung-moo family is also closely watching the continued good news from Jungle.
Especially since the eldest son, Kim Tae-hyun, got married, they need to start pushing for Kim Ah-young’s marriage, so Lee Hyun-woo’s movements were always on their radar.
Among them, Kim Ah-young’s mother, Jang Hee-jin, was the most concerned.
On this day, she also visited the main branch of New World Department Store for the first time in a while.
Then she went up to the chairman’s office and subtly asked her sister-in-law, Kim Sung-hee.
“Is Gape Korea doing well here?”
Kim Sung-hee knew well why Jang Hee-jin was asking such a question.
So she first answered objectively.
“Except for luxury brands, it’s in the top sales ranks.”
“Really?”
“Yes, both Ah-young and my two nieces bought clothes and posted about it on their blogs, and many celebrities also bought them in relay. Even without that, it’s not bad for the price, so it’s been in the top sales ranks since it opened.”
“Oh…”
“It’s also selling very well in other branches, not just the main store. I’ve heard it’s doing well in other department stores too.”
“Really?”
“Sister, but can a well-performing clothing store even compare to Guseong, let alone New World Group? It’s just about having the assortment. The important thing is CEO Lee Hyun-woo, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true, but I really don’t know much about that side.”
“I didn’t know at first either, but I’ve been studying a lot on purpose these days. So, I can tell you one thing for sure. If a few years pass as it is, Jungle can grow as much as Guseong, or even more.”
“What? Is that really true?”
“Of course. This is what my son told me. And even if you don’t know much about information technology, he praised CEO Lee Hyun-woo’s business sense as being incredible. Recently, there was talk about Jungle Japan going public in Japan, right?”
Jang Hee-jin had also heard about that.
She had read articles about it being the largest and highest ever, but there were no detailed reports. She thought she might find out more here.
That’s why she listened carefully to Kim Sung-hee’s words.
“The market capitalization will definitely surpass 10 trillion won, so Jungle’s stock valuation alone will be enormous.”
“Really?”
It seemed like conversations between her husband and children were coming to mind.
They said they had invested in a company in Japan, and it did well, so Kim Tae-hyun and Kim Ah-young made a huge profit.
The important thing was that Lee Hyun-woo had bridged the investment into that company.
She wondered if the company Kim Sung-hee was talking about was that one.
When Jang Hee-jin returned home, she tried to bring up the topic during dinner, but Kim Sung-moo was still not home due to work, and Kim Ah-young didn’t have dinner with them lately, possibly because she had a date.
Even college freshman Kim Na-yoon was late every day.
Kim Tae-hyun was already living independently, so only Kim Ah-jin was there.
Still, thinking she knew better, she asked her.
“Isn’t that person from Sonjoong going public in Japan?”
“Oh, that’s right. Oppa is very happy because of it. Oppa’s stock valuation alone is over 500 billion won.”
“Re… really?”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard. Sister’s is about half of that.”
Jang Hee-jin’s eyes widened.
She hadn’t realized that the content she had overlooked was such a big deal.
“But did CEO Lee really bridge that deal?”
“More than just bridging. Look at the name, it’s Jungle Japan. It’s practically a joint venture between Brother-in-law and Sonjoong.”
“Then, CEO Lee must have a significant share.”
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s more than combined shares of Oppa and Sister. For more accurate information, you should ask Sister when she comes home later.”
From the earlier conversation, combining the two shares would be 750 billion won.
No matter how prestigious the Guseong family was in South Korea, that was an astronomical amount.
Moreover…
“But this is just the beginning.”
“Beginning?”
“Yes, Jungle USA’s public offering is still ahead, and it’s expected to be at least twice as large as Jungle Japan.”
“Can they go public in so many countries?”
“Yes, it looks like the same company, but it’s actually a joint venture with local companies or capital. So, it’s practically independent. Conversely, in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, Brother-in-law’s company directly entered, so it’s almost like the headquarters and foreign subsidiaries.”
“Then, does Brother-in-law also have a significant share in the American company?”
“Yes, he secured a substantial share through the initial negotiations for technology and trademarks. At the time, it wasn’t a big company, so Brother-in-law negotiated very well. No one expected it to grow this much, so everyone says it was an unprecedented negotiation.”
Even to an outsider like Jang Hee-jin, it sounded extraordinary, so how highly would experts evaluate Lee Hyun-woo’s capabilities?
Only now did she fully realize Lee Hyun-woo’s value.
No, she had known he was competent, but today’s revelation was shocking.
She understood why such a prestigious family wanted Lee Hyun-woo as a son-in-law.
‘Thank goodness their family isn’t more impressive than ours.’
If they were a similar level of chaebol family, her side might have had to approach them humbly.
She sighed in relief without realizing it.
“Whew…”
“Why, Mom?”
“No, I just think we should start preparing for your sister’s marriage soon. But hearing about CEO Lee, it seems like the right time…”
“I’m not sure if it’s the right time, but it’s true that Brother-in-law is amazing. Even in our fashion industry, Brother-in-law is highly regarded.”
“Fashion? Why?”
“He integrated an online fashion mall, and their family business, Two Woo Fashion, is rapidly growing and threatening existing clothing companies.”
“Is it really that significant?”
“Actually, in terms of immediate sales, it’s not on par with top clothing companies. But as I mentioned, its growth rate during this recession has attracted a lot of attention. The concept of Gape Korea emphasizes fast trends and is changing to a mass sales structure.”
As the conversation shifted to fashion, Kim Ah-jin began to explain in detail as if a motor was attached to her mouth.
“Moreover, Two Woo Fashion is combined with Jungle Shopping, and online sales are skyrocketing every month. The industry predicts that it will stand shoulder to shoulder with existing clothing companies next year.”
“…….”
Jang Hee-jin was momentarily speechless.
‘We can’t waste time.’
In fact, Kim Ah-young’s value was not unrelated to the Guseong background.
So if you combined Lee Hyun-woo and his family, it equaled an equivalent relationship, she had calculated in her mind. But as time went on, it seemed a less than sign would be drawn on one side.
As soon as Kim Sung-moo came in, she subtly brought up the topic.
“I heard everything CEO Lee Hyun-woo touches turns out well?”
“It’s true. That guy has a unique ability to create something out of nothing.”
A few years ago, Lee Hyun-woo was no different from an ordinary young professional.
But now, he was shaking the world and presenting a vision.
“I heard that even the business of the prospective in-laws grew because of CEO Lee.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.”
“I’m worried we might miss the timing. The media regularly talks about Ah-young and CEO Lee, and the world thinks they are getting married…”
Just from this conversation, Kim Sung-moo could tell what his wife was trying to say.
Jang Hee-jin wanted to take control and push forward the process to marriage.
Honestly, Kim Sung-moo wasn’t keen on getting involved to that extent.
There were too many things to worry about.
“Then you take care of it.”
“Yes, I was going to, but it’s not proper etiquette to just contact their family out of nowhere. These things should be initiated by the man’s side… Can we invite CEO Lee again?”
“Sure, that’s not a bad idea.”
This was also welcome.
The Lee Hyun-woo he met the first time and the Lee Hyun-woo now were considerably different.
Even then, Lee Hyun-woo had inspired him, but now he dreamed of bold challenges with just an idea.
Kim Sung-moo had always made bold decisions.
‘What will he talk about this time?’
He felt a strange excitement, even at the age where he might soon become a grandfather.
So the next morning, he spoke to Kim Ah-young at the breakfast table.
“Ah-young, is Hyun-woo busy these days?”
“Yes, it seems so. But why…”
“It seems like it’s time to see him again.”
“Is there something going on?”
At that moment, Jang Hee-jin, as if frustrated, stepped in.
“Shouldn’t we formally greet Hyun-woo’s parents soon?”
At this, a knowing expression appeared on Kim Ah-young’s face.
She had already anticipated this and nodded her head.
“Okay, I’ll ask Hyun-woo.”
“Yes, since it’s come to this, I hope it happens soon. The longer the dating period, the more people will gossip.”
Kim Ah-young tilted her head at Jang Hee-jin’s repeated words.
It was because she sensed a slight urgency in her tone.
She later learned the reason from her sister, Kim Ah-jin.
“Mom might want to meet their family before they grow too big. That way, she can keep her pride.”
“Ugh, Mom always does that. She always thinks we have to deal with others from a higher position.”
Kim Na-yoon was also present.
Now that she was in the economics department, her perspective had broadened significantly.
“But soon, Jungle will go public and have so much good news that catching up with Guseong is just a matter of time.”
“Really? Who said that?”
“The professors. They say if Jungle becomes comparable to Guseong, Brother-in-law will be the second Billy Keits. They say his share will exceed 50%.”
“That’s right. We don’t even need to wait until they become comparable. They say Jungle is worth 10 trillion won now, so isn’t Brother-in-law’s share over 5 trillion won? Plus, he has shares in the joint ventures in the US and Japan… He might soon be similar to our father.”
“Stop it. Why are you always calculating these things?”
Seemingly displeased with her sisters’ conversation, Kim Ah-young stood up.
But inside, she was amazed.
‘Hyun-woo could really become the second Billy Keits.’
With the arrival of the information age, Billy Gates had become the world’s richest man.
The recently announced amount was about 60 trillion won in Korean currency.
With such an amount, it could be considered an inexhaustible source of wealth.
‘But Hyun-woo is just starting.’
Filled with ‘boyfriend pride,’ she believed Lee Hyun-woo had a high probability of catching up with Billy Keits soon.
‘No, I have to make that happen.’
Although Lee Hyun-woo was not a fool, she decided to support him like Princess Pyeong-gang and help him become the world’s wealthiest person.
