It was still too early for Jung Sung-woo and Jung Ji-hoon to be surprised.
Lee Hyun-woo hadn’t even stepped in directly yet.
Observing the expressions of the two, Lee Hyun-woo gradually began to get to the main point.
“I would prefer if you didn’t think based on CDs. Although Director Jang explained it using CDs for convenience, what I’m ultimately thinking of is not CDs.”
“If not CDs, then where should we put this track?”
“That’s what you need to think about from now on. If I had already thought of it, there would be no need to discuss it with 【Alpha Cast】. I would just set up a separate manufacturer. Don’t you think?”
That made sense.
It’s only natural that manufacturing and selling the device would generate more profit.
However, Lee Hyun-woo had no intention of doing that.
He hoped to create an ecosystem where other manufacturers could grow within it.
‘And this is much more fun and aligns with my goals.’
Lee Hyun-woo’s goal was to make conglomerates larger as conglomerates and IT companies larger as IT companies.
This was all for the sake of his amusement, specifically, to ‘minimize the damage from the financial crisis.’
By chance, he had grown 【One Computer】, and now 【Alpha Cast】 was next.
Of course, if he taught them step by step, they would grow more easily and quickly.
However, if that happened, 【Alpha Cast】 would lose its meaning of existence.
‘They would only become dependent. They must not lose their ability to be self-sufficient.’
Moreover, he expected them to create even more advanced devices like the current MP3 file.
They were experts more skilled than himself, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to hope for that, would it?
He thought he should at least provide them with one convenience.
“I hope that both of you will discuss with our development directors and come up with a device that will surprise the world soon.”
This meant that they were welcome to visit 【Jungle】 anytime to consult with Jang Yoo-chul or Woo Sang-won.
But at this point, the two seemed even more perplexed than before.
Lee Hyun-woo instantly realized what they were worried about.
It was, of course, money.
“Our company is much larger than you think. So, please first outline specifically what you plan to do. Show us a kind of business plan. Then we’ll look at that and discuss investment with both of you.”
Now, hope and expectation appeared in the expressions of the two.
Even their farewell words showed determination.
“It won’t take long.”
“Yes, we’ll come up with ideas and plans soon.”
Could their bold words be trusted?
Was this a sign that Lee Hyun-woo’s wish was being properly realized?
After the two people from 【Alpha Cast】 left, Jang Yoo-chul began to share his idea.
“CEO, you know USB, right?”
“Of course.”
“I suddenly thought it might be a good idea to store and play tracks on it.”
The reason for this thought was that USBs were sometimes used by Jungle’s developers who couldn’t carry around computers.
Lee Hyun-woo also knew that the USBs that came out this year were almost the initial models.
Additionally, he knew that they should utilize similar forms and storage devices to create an MP3 player.
“That’s a good idea. Discuss it later when those two people come over.”
“But like you, I’m wondering if we should really tell them this. If so, we might as well set up our own factory and manufacture it ourselves.”
“That’s not the case.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Right, let’s avoid manufacturing ourselves. There will be too many things to worry about.”
Outsourcing is an essential path for enhancing corporate efficiency.
There were negative cases of outsourcing, but it depended on how the manager handled it.
Lee Hyun-woo, who knew how to make it a win-win situation for both sides, could manage it.
There was already evidence of this in his current life.
Even 【One Computer】 had successfully exploded during a demand surge, hadn’t it?
Understanding Lee Hyun-woo’s determination, Jang Yoo-chul nodded.
“Indeed… Then, if those two ask later, do we tell them about this?”
“That’s up to Director Jang.”
“You always do that. Especially these days, you never tell until someone asks.”
Did he want to emulate him?
Lee Hyun-woo smirked inwardly and passed the decision-making power to Jang Yoo-chul.
“Nothing is more cherished than an idea one came up with themselves.”
“That’s true.”
“Is this enough of an answer?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Seeing Jang Yoo-chul respond energetically, Lee Hyun-woo smiled.
But he also realized one clear answer through today’s series of events.
‘If there is demand, a product will emerge.’
The need for an MP3 player to play the developed MP3 files indicated a high possibility of demand.
The biggest customer was 【Jungle】, but ultimately, the target market for 【Jungle】 was the general public who enjoyed music.
Of course, the current demand was almost artificially created by Lee Hyun-woo.
In other words, it was more accurate to say that he had simply accelerated the inevitable success.
‘Will he tell those two about it?’
Lee Hyun-woo did not interfere with the process after that day.
He was afraid he might meddle unnecessarily.
But within two days, seeing Jung Sung-woo come with a blueprint, he felt sure that things were progressing.
“Could you take a look at this?”
Using Photoshop, the printed drawing resembled a rectangular MP3 player.
Lee Hyun-woo nodded with a smile.
“Not bad.”
“Then should we proceed with making a prototype?”
“Let’s do that. Oh, how much investment do you think will be needed?”
In other words, how much money would be required.
As the awaited topic came up, Jung Sung-woo’s pupils began to tremble.
He stammered as he opened his mouth.
“Well… how much?”
“We need to evaluate the value of your company, 【Alpha Cast】.”
“That’s true.”
“I’m looking at future value rather than current value. By future, I mean the value of next year.”
Gulp. How much would it be?
Seeing this question mark in Jung Sung-woo’s eyes, Lee Hyun-woo smiled.
“The value I have in mind is 10 billion won. I want to take a 10% stake, so 1 billion won. How does that sound?”
The pupils that had question marks just now enlarged significantly.
Jung Sung-woo nodded his head.
Lee Hyun-woo then revealed the approximate investment timeline.
“Then I’ll invest 300 million won this month, another 300 million won next month, and 200 million won each in January and February next year. Please create a new product.”
“Th… That much…”
“Does that make you uncomfortable?”
“No, we’ll do it. We’ll definitely do it!”
Seeing Jung Sung-woo’s loud voice and excited expression, Lee Hyun-woo smiled.
By next year, the value would be 10 billion won, but in the following years, it could reach hundreds of billions, and within five years, it could be worth trillions.
‘I hope you’ll receive a lot of domestic and international investments during that time.’
Then, who knows how much the 1 billion won investment now would grow?
If they even go public, the numbers could become astonishing.
No, this might just be a numbers game, but how much it grows depends on the speed of ecosystem development.
So, Lee Hyun-woo’s role would be to grow the MP3 ecosystem faster and wider.
Now, when Lee Hyun-woo steps in directly, it’s not to carry out small business.
Seeing the ambition to achieve something through MP3, Woo Sang-won and Jang Yoo-chul began to push harder.
Watching this, Lee Hyun-woo smiled contentedly.
‘Will a better MP3 come out?’
The fun of advancing something that came out in his previous life was undeniable.
ADSL was already in trial testing, and employees were amazed at its tremendous speed.
Perhaps South Korea in this life would look different from in his previous life.
‘It was already an IT powerhouse when I died, but how much different will it be?’
That was uncertain, but history was continually changing with Lee Hyun-woo’s involvement.
It started small, but now, not knowing his name in the industry was almost espionage-level ignorance.
Because of this, even Son Jung-yi from 【Software Bank】 had announced that he would visit 【Jungle】 and meet Lee Hyun-woo in person.
“I’ve scheduled the meeting for three days from now.”
The person handling the arrangement on behalf of Lee Hyun-woo was Kang Dong-ho.
Of course, he must have spoken with Son Jung-yi’s secretary.
“Is he still in the U.S.?”
“Son Jung-yi? No, he has returned to Japan. Judging by how he plans to come to Korea after just one day of rest, he seems to be in quite a hurry.”
“I see.”
“By the way, should we arrange for an interpreter?”
“I don’t think it will be necessary on our end.”
“Oh, you trust me, but my Japanese isn’t perfect.”
Kang Dong-ho, who was usually confident, sounded deflated.
Lee Hyun-woo responded casually and calmly.
“We can both make an effort. I understand some Japanese, so don’t worry too much.”
“What? Can you speak Japanese too, CEO?”
“I said, just a bit.”
Kang Dong-ho already had deep-rooted trust in Lee Hyun-woo.
So, when Lee Hyun-woo said there was no need for an interpreter, he immediately nodded.
“Understood. Then we won’t arrange for an interpreter.”
Three days later.
Son Jung-yi appeared at 【Jungle】.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Oh? You can speak Japanese?”
“Not very well. But I think we can manage without an interpreter.”
A glint appeared in Son Jung-yi’s eyes.
Though Lee Hyun-woo said he couldn’t speak well, his fluent Japanese indicated otherwise.
“I’m envious. Although I have Korean blood, I can’t communicate in Korean.”
“I heard you can understand it to some extent.”
“Not perfectly.”
“Then shall we proceed without an interpreter?”
“Without an interpreter?”
“That might be more convenient for both of us.”
Son Jung-yi could infer several implications from Lee Hyun-woo’s words.
Proceeding without an interpreter meant they wanted to keep it confidential.
That confidentiality likely pertained to business, possibly involving large sums of money.
Lastly, if any information leaked, Son Jung-yi would be one of the prime suspects.
“Let’s do that.”
Son Jung-yi smiled, accepting all the implications.
Without an interpreter, the conversation could indeed go deeper.
“As you may have noticed, I have recently highly evaluated Korean internet-related businesses and find 【Jungle】 particularly attractive.”
“Thank you. I also believe that 【Software Bank】 will lead the information and communication industry.”
They exchanged compliments.
Then, they gradually began to get to the main point.
