“CEO, here you are.”
Na Min-ho of Silhub approached Jinhyuk Park alongside someone. Na Min-ho looked back and forth between Jinhyuk and Hisoo Hyun before speaking.
“I hope I am not interrupting?”
“Not at all. How was the ground-breaking ceremony? Was it to your liking?”
“I am satisfied with how quickly things are moving. We could not stay in a leased space forever. That is why we were planning to build our own data center, so I am beyond happy that you solved that problem for us, CEO.”
“You can proceed with the technical details by consulting with the center director.”
“Yes. In fact, my expectations are high since they said they would meet the security levels we desire.”
“The security levels Silhub requires are the highest in the industry, are they not? If we proceed according to those standards, it will help in persuading other companies.”
“It is all thanks to you, CEO.”
“If you think about it, am I not just helping my own company? Think of it comfortably.”
Na Min-ho laughed at Jinhyuk’s words. As he said, if one looked at the ownership of Silhub, it belonged to Jinhyuk Park, so his words were not wrong.
“By the way, who are the people beside you?”
Jinhyuk looked back at the foreigners standing next to Na Min-ho, who were watching him with interest. They had visited the DS Telecom ground-breaking ceremony dressed comfortably in jeans and sneakers.
At a glance, they seemed to be of the same breed as Na Min-ho, and they appeared to be filled with anticipation toward Jinhyuk.
“They are friends I made in the United States. These friends heard about you, CEO, and asked if they could meet you. I ended up bringing them without even asking you first.”
Jinhyuk nodded. He could tell at a glance why they wanted to see him. Jinhyuk called for Junwoo Kim, who was waiting nearby.
“Chief Kim. CEO Kwak should be around here somewhere; go bring him.”
Seeing Jinhyuk looking for Seokgi Kwak of JH Asset, Hisoo Hyun finally realized why the foreigners had come to see him. Realizing it was time for him to step back, he greeted Jinhyuk and prepared to withdraw.
However, Jinhyuk stopped the departing Hisoo Hyun by saying they should talk more in a little while.
“CEO, did you call for me?”
Seokgi Kwak arrived and greeted Jinhyuk and Hisoo Hyun.
“Yes. One moment.”
Jinhyuk pulled the greeting Seokgi Kwak closer and whispered in a small voice.
“Invest in the blonde-haired man on the right, no matter how much he asks for. However, no matter what the man on the left wearing the checked shirt says, you must not invest in him.”
After hearing Jinhyuk’s words, Seokgi Kwak nodded and committed the blonde man and the man in the checked shirt to memory. He understood exactly what was expected of him.
Jinhyuk patted the CEO’s shoulder and turned back to face Na Min-ho and the people he had brought.
“What kind of work do you do?”
Na Min-ho began to actively introduce his friends to Jinhyuk. Both of them were people who had started similar types of businesses around the same time Na Min-ho had founded Silhub. Unlike Silhub, they seemed to be in a state where they had not yet gained momentum.
Furthermore, they were stuck on the most important part of running a business: funding.
As with all startups, it was difficult to receive investment while only in the idea stage. Whatever the case, investment could usually be secured only after a prototype was developed and market reaction was confirmed. In a situation like theirs, where they lacked the money to even build a prototype, it was normal not to receive investment.
In that situation, they had heard about Jinhyuk from Na Min-ho. In the case of Silhub, one could think they received investment because the business was already underway and the number of subscribers was growing. However, the scale of the investment had defied common sense.
Of course, because of that, the majority shareholder of Silhub had changed, but since it was a successful investment and management rights were guaranteed, the fact that he could grow the company as he wished remained unchanged. This story had spread through Silicon Valley like a fairy tale as Silhub grew rapidly.
Among many acquaintances who had come to Na Min-ho hoping for an investment from Jinhyuk, he had brought the two he considered decent with him on the flight to Korea.
However, in Jinhyuk’s eyes, only one of them was useful.
Jinhyuk cut off those who were about to appeal to him in earnest following Na Min-ho’s introduction.
“You should discuss the details with CEO Seokgi Kwak here. Decisions regarding investment will be made by JH Asset.”
The decision on the investment had already been made and relayed to Seokgi Kwak. However, he could not reveal that in front of them. This was because the basis for Jinhyuk’s judgment differed from what an ordinary person would think.
Rather than listening to their stories after already making the decision, Jinhyuk was more concerned with other matters.
He handed Na Min-ho and his group over to Seokgi Kwak and tried to resume his conversation with Hisoo Hyun. However, people would not leave him alone for even a moment.
As soon as Na Min-ho’s group departed, the governor and the mayor, who had attended the ceremony, approached to speak with Jinhyuk. Then came the government officials.
It became impossible to speak with Hisoo Hyun at the ceremony site.
Watching Hisoo Hyun wait his turn by Jinhyuk’s side for a long time, Jinhyuk eventually sent him away, saying they should talk the next time he went up to Seoul. He did not feel that he would be able to have a conversation with Hisoo Hyun even as more time passed.
After one hour had passed, he finally had a moment to breathe, and Jinhyuk tried to pull his exhausted body away from the event.
“It is hectic. Let us go since things are mostly wrapped up. I cannot handle meeting more people today.”
Jinhyuk spoke to Junwoo Kim and prepared to leave. He felt he had met everyone he needed to meet and had spoken to everyone worth talking to.
As he was quietly trying to leave the empty lot where the ceremony had taken place, one last person came looking for him.
“Greetings, CEO Park.”
Jinhyuk looked at Junwoo Kim with an expression that said he did not want to meet anyone else today. Reading that expression, Junwoo Kim stepped forward to block the approaching man.
“I am sorry. The CEO has an urgent schedule and must leave. Please speak with him another time.”
“Wait a moment. I am not here to have a conversation. I came because I was told to escort CEO Park.”
Jinhyuk, who had been looking away, turned his gaze toward the man at his words. Knowing where this was and who he was, the fact that there was someone calling for him—and someone to carry out that task—piqued Jinhyuk’s interest.
“Who are you? Who is this person who says they are escorting our CEO?”
Junwoo Kim’s expression turned fierce, as he could not think of anyone other than Junman Park who would summon Jinhyuk. Sensing the atmosphere, the assistants following behind moved closer to where Jinhyuk stood.
Even while facing Junwoo Kim and the assistants, the man’s complexion did not change as he continued speaking to Jinhyuk.
“My apologies. I should have introduced myself first… I am Kim Dong-hyeon from the Chairman’s Office at Cheongwoo. The Chairman would like to see you, CEO.”
Junwoo Kim could not answer the man and turned his head to look at Jinhyuk. This was because the person summoning Jinhyuk was someone he could not easily argue with.
Jinhyuk silently observed the man introducing himself as Kim Dong-hyeon. He seemed to think it was a given that Jinhyuk would go to meet President Han, the Chairman of Cheongwoo. Seeing him so certain, Jinhyuk felt a sense of curiosity.
A smile formed on Jinhyuk’s face.
“Very well. Let us go. I will take my own car.”
“Yes. Then I will contact the headquarters immediately.”
“No. I would prefer to go quietly. It is not as if the Chairman invited me officially, is it?”
“Ah — “
Kim Dong-hyeon nodded as if he had realized something at Jinhyuk’s words.
“My apologies. I nearly committed a discourtesy.”
“Is there any need to call it a discourtesy? I simply wish to visit quietly.”
“Yes. I understand what you mean.”
Officially, it was inconvenient for both parties for the CEO of DS Telecom to visit Cheongwoo. Especially since Jinhyuk had been involved in a matter with Han Ji-yeon of Cheongwoo, his visit could easily lead to strange misunderstandings.
Kim Dong-hyeon bowed to Jinhyuk and left for Cheongwoo first. Jinhyuk got into his car, took a moment to catch his breath, and then set off toward the Cheongwoo headquarters.
***
Despite driving diligently from the data center site, the sky had already turned dark by the time they arrived at Yeoksam Station, where the Cheongwoo headquarters was located.
Jinhyuk got out of the car and entered the headquarters naturally. As discussed beforehand, Kim Dong-hyeon, whom he had met earlier, was the only one there to greet him.
“You have arrived?”
“Yes. Fortunately, it seems everyone has already left for the day.”
“Yes.”
It was not as if he had come to a place he shouldn’t be, but Jinhyuk still felt uncomfortable. Thinking that meeting at an external location might have been easier, he headed toward the Chairman’s office located within the headquarters.
Security guards who identified Kim Dong-hyeon ran out to greet Jinhyuk’s group, but Kim Dong-hyeon stopped them with a wave of his hand. Even if the lobby was deserted with most employees gone, there were still eyes watching. He did not want to let them know that Jinhyuk had come to Cheongwoo.
Quietly guided by Kim Dong-hyeon, Jinhyuk went up to the Chairman’s office, located on the top floor of the forty-two-story building, accompanied only by Junwoo Kim.
When the elevator arrived, the secretaries of the Chairman’s office finally came out to greet Jinhyuk. In this area, there was no need to worry about the gaze of others.
“CEO, greetings. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am…”
“Yes, hello. Is the Chairman inside?”
Feeling there was no need to exchange names with the secretaries, Jinhyuk brushed past those trying to introduce themselves and strode inside. Even though he was at another company, Jinhyuk did not show a single trace of being intimidated.
Even though there was no one to hold the door open for him, Jinhyuk pushed his way inside. A man whose face he had seen once before at Sanghyuk Park’s engagement ceremony was there to welcome him.
“Welcome. I am sorry for making you come all this way when you had an important event today. You are not upset that I called for you, are you?”
It was President Han, speaking informally without hesitation. It was a downward tone delivered so naturally that the listener did not feel particularly offended.
However, Jinhyuk, who knew how important the first words of a first meeting were in business and work, could instantly catch the reason behind President Han’s informal speech. He could feel the intent to seize the upper hand in the meeting.
If it had been an inexperienced Jinhyuk, he might have been flustered by President Han’s treatment. However, the person in front of him was not some common novice.
“You are right. Today has been a bit of an exhausting day. I am tired enough that I want to go home, wash up, and lie down. Even so, there is only one reason I came here. I came because I thought you might tell me an interesting story, Chairman. May I look forward to it?”
As he spoke, Jinhyuk went and sat on the reception sofa without being invited. At a glance, it was an action that could even seem rude.
However, he could not be blamed for it. This was because it was President Han who had first spoken familiarly and informally.
President Han silently watched Jinhyuk, who sat in a relaxed posture across from him. The two appeared informal, as if they were people who had known each other for a long time.
After watching each other in silence for a while, President Han was the first to break the silence.
“I have been watching you closely.”
“Thank you. It does not feel bad to know I have caught your interest, President Han.”
“I have looked at all the fellows in your age group with interest, so it is nothing special.”
“Still, I will consider myself special.”
“If you say it like that, won’t others think I favor you quite a bit?”
“That would be good. If I am someone who caught the interest of Cheongwoo’s President Han, wouldn’t that be something worth talking about elsewhere?”
“My. I have said something unnecessary.”
“It is not unnecessary. With those words, it seems we have become a little closer.”
President Han’s eyes sparkled at Jinhyuk’s words. A slyness unbefitting his age oozed from Jinhyuk’s being.
Like Jinhyuk, President Han leaned back comfortably against the sofa, crossed his legs, and spoke.
“Indeed. If it feels like we have become a little closer, then I suppose I was right to call you here. I was worried you might be intimidated by coming to this place.”
“I am the CEO of a respectable company in my own right; how could I do business if I were intimidated just by visiting another company? Especially since the money poured into today’s ground-breaking ceremony alone is in the trillions.”
“I suppose so. Hearing about the business you are doing, you seem to have a grand bold streak. Usually, one tends to seek stability once they reach that level.”
“One seeks stability once they reach your age, Chairman. I am still too young to run a company conservatively.”
Jinhyuk’s inner self was well over forty, but since his body had become younger, it felt as though his fear had vanished. Instead, he looked like a proper blend of experience and youth.
Moreover, he had eyes that others did not possess. For that reason, he could boldly invest even in businesses that seemed reckless to others.
“You probably did not call me here just to praise me, so let us get straight to the point. If we are not careful, I might miss dinner.”
“Hahaha. Is that so? Then shall we talk while having a meal?”
As if he had been waiting for those words, President Han instructed the secretary’s office to bring in food.