Kim Ah-young subtly broached the subject with Lee Hyun-woo when they met that day.
“My father wants to see you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, just as expected, my parents are starting to get things rolling.”
“Ah…”
Lee Hyun-woo recalled what Kim Ah-young had said around the time Kim Tae-hyun got married.
Now it was their turn.
He nodded, thinking that it was inevitable.
“Really? Then I should talk to my parents too.”
“Are you sure? I hope it’s not because of my family that you’re rushing.”
“No, actually I feel sorry for you.”
Kim Ah-young tilted her head in confusion.
“Sorry for me? Why?”
“Just… I should have talked to my parents before you mentioned it.”
“Oh, come on. Does it matter who goes first? I’m fine with it.”
From the beginning, Kim Ah-young had met Lee Hyun-woo while giving up her pride and playing a tug-of-war.
Otherwise, would she have become romantically involved with someone like Lee Hyun-woo, who seemed so uninterested in women?
The same went for marriage. If she didn’t take the initiative, the process would have dragged on endlessly.
While Lee Hyun-woo’s business drive is commendable, his relationship skills were honestly on par with a tortoise.
Even now, it was because Kim Ah-young took the lead that Lee Hyun-woo got the chance to talk to his parents.
‘It’s different from mom, but I need to push this quickly.’
While Jang Hee-jin was rushing due to the need for control, Kim Ah-young, fearing she might wait endlessly, actively took the initiative today.
Recently, yellow journalism kept reporting that there were issues between the two.
Friends who saw the reports even asked her:
- Are you two doing okay?
You could tell their intention by looking into their eyes rather than listening to their words.
Of course, she thought it was important to push the marriage forward to end these unnecessary rumors.
Fortunately, Lee Hyun-woo wasn’t interested in forming new relationships with anyone other than her.
That evening, he spoke to his parents and younger brother.
“I’ll be thirty next year, so I think it’s time to think about marriage.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“We were actually planning to ask you about it.”
“Wow, we’re finally getting a legal sister-in-law.”
The welcoming atmosphere felt good.
After all, isn’t marriage one of the most important events for a family?
Meeting and marrying without any discord or opposition in between was not easy.
Even if it seemed smooth in past lives, there were always small conflicts hidden within.
‘Okay, let’s not think about that.’
Bringing up past important events in a new life seemed unfair to Kim Ah-young.
Anyway, the barrage of questions from his parents and younger brother kept him from having unnecessary thoughts.
“So what does her family think about it?”
“I think it’ll be fine. Actually, Ah-young’s father suggested meeting once.”
“Why? Because of business?”
“I’m not sure about that, but Ah-young mentioned a formal meeting.”
“Wow, a formal meeting! Hyung, that’s when the families meet before the wedding, right?”
“Yeah, haha.”
“We’re fine with any time.”
“Honey, we shouldn’t seem too easy.”
“Oh, Mom, it’s their wedding, why are you saying weird things? Are you planning to make my sister-in-law’s life hard? Wow, our mom is changing.”
“That’s nonsense… It’s just that, since there is a slight difference in family status, I was worried they might look down on us.”
“I don’t think that’ll happen.”
As the conversation progressed and the thoughts seemed to get entangled, Lee Hyun-woo quickly stepped in to wrap things up.
“Whenever I go to their house, both her parents treat me with respect. So don’t worry and just be prepared.”
The next day, he visited Kim Ah-young’s house in person.
Feeling sorry for bringing up the formal meeting first, Lee Hyun-woo didn’t delay and conveyed his parents’ intentions during dinner.
“They said any date is fine.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, so let Ah-young know, and I’ll inform my parents.”
“That’s our Hyun-woo, so straightforward. Right, honey?”
Finally, Kim Tae-hyun chimed in.
Jang Hee-jin had called the couple for an important matter that day.
Of course, Kim Tae-hyun always wanted to talk business with Lee Hyun-woo.
So he tried to arrange a meeting with his father and Lee Hyun-woo.
“Just like in business, you make a clear decision in one go. We can have the formal meeting this month and get married around fall. Right, Mom?”
“Well, is it okay not to have an engagement?”
“We didn’t have one either. Both Hyun-woo and Ah-young are business people, so it’s good for them to get married quickly and focus on work.”
“Oppa, why do you always talk about work?”
“What?”
“Come on. They’re getting married out of love, but bringing up work makes it seem weird.”
These days, the youngest, Kim Na-yoon, was like a ticking time bomb.
Although it was annoying, because Lee Hyun-woo was present, he let it slide.
“That’s not what I meant, silly. Hyun-woo, you get what I mean, right?”
“Of course, hyung.”
“Anyway, it’s fastest if both sets of parents handle this. If a man gets involved, things won’t go smoothly. Hahaha.”
“Right, hahaha. And I don’t think we need an engagement ceremony.”
With laughter, Kim Tae-hyun and Lee Hyun-woo changed the mood.
Then Jang Hee-jin wrapped things up.
“So after the formal meeting, we can proceed with things while meeting the in-laws, right?”
“Yes, of course, mother-in-law.”
Although it was something he had learned in his previous life, Lee Hyun-woo was also known for his sociability.
Using friendly terms like father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law, he created an even more congenial atmosphere.
Of course, a bit later, it was time for business.
Not only Kim Tae-hyun but also Kim Sung-moo was eager to discuss business with Lee Hyun-woo.
First, Kim Tae-hyun talked business with Lee Hyun-woo to his heart’s content and then left. Afterward, Kim Sung-moo took the prospective son-in-law into his office.
While having tea, he casually broached the subject.
“Should I congratulate you first? 【Jungle Japan】 completed its IPO, right?”
“Yes, it seems so.”
It was a fresh piece of good news from that morning.
【Jungle Japan】, which had been described as having the highest ever IPO, started with a market capitalization of over 1 trillion yen, or 10 trillion won, and was hitting the upper limit.
However, whether it was humility or realism, Lee Hyun-woo described the current situation as follows.
“It seems a bit inflated.”
“Inflated? Do you really think so?”
“Yes, of course. While it’s true that the future of information technology is bright, it is being over-evaluated. The infrastructure isn’t even fully established yet.”
“Well…”
After taking a sip of tea and swallowing it, Kim Sung-moo slowly voiced his thoughts.
“For a jet to fly at twice the speed of sound, it’s not enough to just double the engine power. Materials science, basic physics, all materials and components need to change for it to fly at supersonic speed. The same goes for information technology. To make the internet work well, you need to lay the groundwork properly. Only then can companies like 【Jungle】 handle tasks easily and provide quality services.”
Lee Hyun-woo’s eyes slightly trembled as he heard words he had encountered in Kim Sung-moo’s autobiography and sayings in his previous life.
He couldn’t help but agree 100%.
Thus, he emphasized the bubble theory even more.
“You are absolutely right. That’s why I said the value of information companies is inflated.”
“Then does that mean the bubble will burst at some point?”
“It’ll probably last another year or two. During that time, companies with the dot-com name will pop up like mushrooms, and surplus investment funds will flock to them, creating an even bigger bubble.”
Kim Sung-moo, who had made a mark on the Korean economy, quickly grasped the essence when Lee Hyun-woo mentioned the bubble.
“Well, even if dot-com companies emerge, without perfect infrastructure, they won’t generate results. And if they use investor funds from the stock market but fail to make money… the end is obvious.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“On the other hand, by then, companies dealing with the infrastructure will catch people’s attention.”
“Of course. That’s 100% certain.”
Talking with Kim Sung-moo was fascinating.
He envisioned the future much better than expected.
‘I might have experienced a past life, but this man is truly extraordinary.’
So when asked the next meaningful question, Lee Hyun-woo hesitated a bit.
“If you were in my position, what would you do and how?”
“……”
“It’s okay. Just for reference…”
Seeing the stage set for him, Lee Hyun-woo recited the path 【Guseong】 had taken in his past life. Although he didn’t need to get involved, he wanted to speed up the process if they were going to follow that path anyway.
“The information society is a reality and the future. The bubble is concentrated on internet companies, or dot-coms, not on hardware technology companies like 【Guseong Electronics】. Of course, they won’t be completely unaffected. So, to prepare for that time, we should increase our cash reserves and make bold bets.”
“That’s somewhat vague. Increase cash reserves and make bets? For what?”
“To crush the competition.”
“Competition…”
“Look abroad, not domestically. Especially, the global semiconductor industry will soon face a decisive moment due to overproduction. To compete with them, we’ll need to take losses.”
“Take losses?”
“In other words, gain an edge in price competitiveness. If we have enough cash to sell at a loss without batting an eye, it won’t be a problem.”
This referred to the semiconductor chicken game that 【Guseong Electronics】 had played.
In this war, 【Guseong Electronics】 emerged victorious, bankrupting many semiconductor companies in the U.S. and Japan, solidifying its monopoly in the market, and growing into a colossal first-rate company.
“If I can be of help, I’m willing to contribute cash to that fight anytime.”
He boldly stated his intention to invest in his father-in-law’s company.
Kim Sung-moo smiled with satisfaction.
“Asked to imagine yourself in my position, you end up saying you’ll help our company. Haha.”
“Father-in-law, as I’ve said several times, I honestly want to be more devoted to my family than living as a workaholic. But if you imagine me in the busiest position at 【Guseong Electronics】, do you think that would really work out? Haha…”
Kim Sung-moo nodded but didn’t believe Lee Hyun-woo’s words.
‘He enjoys starting things more than anyone, yet wants to be devoted to his family?’
It was a perfect statement for his daughter.
But the world wouldn’t leave Lee Hyun-woo alone.
‘Well, if he at least thinks like that, maybe his workload will decrease. Otherwise, overworking leads to serious consequences.’
After all, Lee Hyun-woo had died from overwork.
So in this life, he repeatedly expressed his intentions.
“Later, if I retire early, I’d like to spend a comfortable and leisurely life with my in-laws, including my father-in-law and mother-in-law.”
