The Next Day.
“CEO! Good morning!”
The female employee greeting cheerfully at the front desk as soon as Lee Hyun-woo arrived at work must have received his email the previous day.
Her tone was filled with more joy than ever.
The other employees who turned their heads upon hearing this voice were the same.
“CEO, good morning!”
“CEO, hello!”
“Good morning!”
Even as he rode the elevator up, the stares were overwhelming.
Everyone was expressing their gratitude through their eyes, saying, “Thank you for allowing us to work here.”
Yoo Jin-young, who had become completely accustomed to working in the secretarial office, also greeted him with the same expression.
“CEO, thank you.”
This time, she outright expressed her gratitude.
When Lee Hyun-woo responded with a smile, she spoke again.
“President Kim Yoon-soo came by just a moment ago.”
“What? This early?”
“He asked me to tell you that talks with the American company went well yesterday. But he smelled a bit like alcohol and his speech was slurred, so it seems he stayed up all night drinking.”
So he didn’t wake up early; he just came in now?
‘Since we are having a workshop in Jeju Island, it seems this brother had an all-night workshop at a bar.’
In any case, I hope this opportunity helps 【One Computer】 to distribute high-speed internet modems worldwide.
As he was thinking this, the team leaders started to appear one by one.
“CEO, I got an email. Is it true?”
“CEO! Are we really having a workshop in Jeju Island?”
“CEO, I thought it was a spam email.”
Their voices were mixed with excitement.
Even the usually composed Woo Sang-won spoke with a trembling voice after a while.
“CEO, I heard it as soon as I came in, and it wasn’t just a few people who received the email, but all employees.”
“That’s correct. So, I think we need to split into two groups. That way, we can go to Jeju Island in two groups.”
Everyone was stunned by Lee Hyun-woo’s words.
“Our company must be doing really well.”
“No matter how well, higher-ups in other companies are usually busy securing their own shares.”
“I’m so… thankful that I don’t know what to do.”
“Isn’t it a sign for us to work even harder?”
Finally, Oh Min-woo interpreted the meaning of the workshop.
Before Lee Hyun-woo could even step in, other team leaders clenched their fists.
“We can’t let this happen. This time, 【Jungle Music】 will set a record!”
“That’s right. We’ll prepare thoroughly and create another legend for 【Jungle】!”
Lee Hyun-woo responded with a chuckle as if he couldn’t control them.
“Record-breaking success is already booked. So don’t overdo it. And this Jeju Island workshop is happening regardless of 【Jungle Music】’s success or failure. Got it?”
“Yes, CEO!”
“Still, we’ll work hard!”
“Yes, we’ll definitely create a legend!”
“It’s a record! A record! We’ll surprise you with enormous sales!”
It seems workshops need to be held often.
To ignite the staff’s enthusiasm like this.
The day before 【Jungle Music】’s debut.
Woo Sang-won and Jang Yoo-cheol were unable to leave work, busy with final checks.
As they finished, they felt utterly drained, and Jang Yoo-cheol was the first to speak.
“We boasted to the CEO, but we shouldn’t get our hopes up, right?”
“Keep them as low as possible.”
“So, no one stays with our 【Jungle Music】 and they just pass by? That low?”
“That’s a bit too much.”
“It was a joke. By the way, I don’t think I can sleep.”
“I haven’t had a good night’s sleep recently. Even if I doze off a bit, I wake up with a chill down my spine.”
It meant the tension and pressure were no joke.
“Do you think our CEO is relaxed even at this moment?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“He might always act relaxed in front of us but actually be dealing with it alone.”
“Do you think so?”
“One thing is certain. He recognizes the hard work of both himself and his employees and occasionally gives gifts.”
“Ah, you’re talking about Jeju Island this time?”
“He’s amazing. How much do you think 【Seorabeol Hotel】 costs? He spends a huge amount without batting an eye.”
It was also proof that the company was doing well.
Rejecting multiple investment proposals coming in from all directions.
Next year looks even more promising.
There were more than one or two projects in the queue.
As if remembering this, Jang Yoo-cheol spoke up.
“It seems he has a plan to earn as much as he spends. I hear the project ‘Cloud,’ which Jung-woo and Min-woo completed, will start right at the beginning of next year. I wonder how successful it will be.”
“Maybe this Jeju Island workshop is for that business.”
“I got a similar feeling. But I can’t quite grasp how he will specifically proceed.”
“He must have some ideas.”
“Well, he’s a genius.”
Woo Sang-won quietly nodded at this.
No matter what anyone says, Lee Hyun-woo is a genius.
A genius who actually realizes his imagination.
‘If he couldn’t connect it to reality, he would just be a dreamer.’
There was so much to learn.
From never thinking something is impossible to using time efficiently.
The part he liked the most was his unique ‘composure.’
Although he mentioned earlier that it might only be in front of employees, even that wasn’t something just anyone could do.
Woo Sang-won himself couldn’t easily show such composure in front of his team members.
Today, he also asked them to stay late for a final check.
‘It better go well tomorrow.’
After a few sleepless nights for some, a new morning dawned.
Today, 【Jungle Music】 would debut on the ‘World Wide Web’ at 10 AM.
This was the time Lee Hyun-woo insisted on.
Last time, everyone stayed late to see the results on the portal site, so this time they decided to gather and watch together in the morning.
Soon, Woo Sang-won and Jang Yoo-cheol, who had spent the night almost sleepless, arrived early to do another simulation, followed by Lee Jung-woo and Oh Min-woo, who could come early because it was vacation.
As soon as they arrived, Oh Min-woo asked.
“Why does Team Leader Woo’s face look so haggard?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Is it because of 【Jungle Music】?”
“Hey, don’t act like you’re not in the same boat.”
Jang Yoo-cheol chimed in.
“What are you talking about?”
“You came early because of 【Jungle Music】 too, to see how bad it’s going to be.”
“Wow, what an accusation?”
“Accusation? Do you think I don’t know you and Jung-woo have other intentions?”
“Oh, come on, you’re saying weird things, right, Jung-woo?”
“Yeah, he has some sort of victim complex. We absolutely don’t wish for 【Jungle Music】 to fail. We just hope 【Jungle Cloud】 does even better.”
“That’s the same thing.”
“How is that the same? It’s different.”
In reality, the two were anxiously cheering for the success of 【Jungle Music】.
Oh Min-woo even looked at Lee Jung-woo with an aggrieved expression and said this.
“Jung-woo, we need to show proof.”
“Yeah. How many times have we announced through the knowledge service that 【Jungle Music】 starts at 10 AM on December 23rd?”
“Yeah, yeah. If you check our nicknames, you’ll see the proof. He’s ‘J’ and I’m ‘M’.”
They seemed to have used the initials of their names as their nicknames.
Incidentally, the knowledge service was also their creation.
One day, they got inspired during a conversation with Lee Hyun-woo and pushed it forward, and considering they made it ‘just like that,’ they were geniuses too.
Honestly, the recent success of the portal site 【Jungle】 was largely due to their knowledge service attracting more people.
“Okay, okay. Stop bickering, Team Leader Jang, we need to do the final simulation now.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
Still, the one who always kept the balance was Woo Sang-won.
Even now, he took the lead and guided Jang Yoo-cheol to the computer.
“The download speed is good.”
“Indeed. To think it only takes a few minutes, the world has really improved.”
“Ah, it would have been even better if this worked everywhere in Seoul.”
“Since the ADSL service will gradually increase, let’s look forward to that.”
“We should. By the way, seeing this speed reminds me of the CEO.”
“Yeah, me too. He gathered both domestic and foreign reporters to pressure 【Dae Han Power】 to release ADSL faster and directly negotiated with the high-ups of that company.”
“It caused a chain reaction. 【Dae Han Telecom】 also declared that they would switch from ISDN to ADSL.”
While they were finishing the simulation and having a brief, relaxed conversation, another piece of news came up on the portal.
The first to notice, out of habit, was Jang Yoo-cheol, who checked the news.
“Huh? Here, 【Samjin Computer】 is going to start a new type of high-speed internet service.”
“Really?”
“Yes, they’re going to use a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network. In other words, their goal is to provide broadband internet service through the HFC of cable TV.”
“Isn’t this what the CEO mentioned last time?”
“He did mention it briefly. That’s why he placed a large order with a Belgian company for modems.”
“Wow… it’s like he knows the future and plans the present.”
“Exactly my point.”
As the saying goes, ‘Speak of the devil and he shall appear,’ Lee Hyun-woo finally opened the door and entered.
The two and their team members stood up and bowed their heads.
“You’re here, CEO?”
“CEO, you’re here.”
“Sit down, sit down. I just came by out of curiosity. Are we all set?”
“Of course.”
“I’m a bit nervous. It feels like time is standing still. There’s still an hour left.”
Listening to Jang Yoo-cheol, Lee Hyun-woo showed his characteristic relaxed smile.
“Then how about we have some morning coffee and chat about what’s going on in the world? Time will fly by.”
“Oh no, I’d rather stay here and guard this spot until the end.”
“What about you, Team Leader Woo?”
“Same here. I’m too nervous, I don’t think I could focus on coffee or conversation.”
“Alright then. I’ll have a cup of coffee, watch some news, and come back.”
Watching Lee Hyun-woo leave as if nothing was wrong, the two looked exhausted.
“Does he really deal with the pressure ‘alone and lonely’? No matter how I think about it, he doesn’t seem that way.”
“Yeah, I take back what I said yesterday. His mental strength is top-notch. He seems to never lose his composure in any situation.”
At this moment, the two had the same thought.
They wanted to be like him.
That was it.
Later, in Woo Sang-won’s R&D office.
The people gathered here kept glancing at the clock anxiously.
Time flowed endlessly, unaware of their hearts.
10 minutes before, 5 minutes before, 1 minute before.
And 30 seconds, 10, 9, 8…, 2, 1…
Gulp!
With the sound of someone swallowing their saliva, 【Jungle Music】 finally opened.
300 won per song.
For those who preferred tangible items like tapes or CDs, it might seem expensive.
But compared to a CD that costs around 10,000 won, it was undeniably 70% cheaper.
“The first download started right at 10 o’clock. It’s Candy Boy’s ‘Sweet Like Candy’.”
“Oh? It’s continuing in a row.”
“Simultaneous downloads are at 40 songs. No, 50 songs… No, 100 songs! Ah, it’s hard to keep up.”
