“What the hell is this supposed to an!”
The furious roar of Chairman Seo Yonggeon echoed through the office of Ilseong Group’s chairman.
Secretary Chief Lee Seokmin, who had received the brunt of that anger, answered while wiping cold sweat.
“I only reported exactly what Vice Chairman Seo Jaehoon told .”
Chairman Seo Yonggeon’s face flushed red as he chewed over the report he had just received. His voice trembled faintly from how agitated he was.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“I do not know the details. The negotiations were nearly settled, but suddenly the Japanese governnt issued orders to negotiate with Joongwoo Group instead.”
“Joongwoo! Joongwoo, you bastard Kim Muhyuk!”
Chairman Seo Yonggeon slamd the table with a loud bang and shouted. All Lee Seokmin could do was bow his head in silence.
Grinding his teeth and venting his fury on the helpless table for a long while, Chairman Seo finally let out a deep sigh.
Barely regaining his composure, he spoke to Lee Seokmin.
“Get Jaehoon on the phone.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lee Seokmin pulled out his phone and made a call.
After a few rings, a familiar voice ca over the line.
“Yes, Vice Chairman. The Chairman wishes to speak with you.”
― Please put him through.
Taking the phone from Lee Seokmin, Seo Yonggeon spoke in a stiff voice.
“What happened? Tell everything in detail.”
― Yes, Chairman. With soone’s help, the negotiations went nearly to conclusion. But yesterday, NEC suddenly inford us they were unilaterally breaking off talks. There had been no such atmosphere before then.
Vice Chairman Seo Jaehoon’s voice was subdued as he explained. Clicking his tongue, Seo Yonggeon frowned deeply.
“······Can you reach President Ino of Nihon Electric?”
― No contact at all. He was always easy to reach, especially since he and you were close, but since yesterday he has avoided all my calls.
Since his student days in Japan, Chairman Seo had maintained a special friendship with Ino of NEC, Nihon Electric. It was on Ino’s strong recomndation that he first leapt into the semiconductor business.
Such a man would never cut off contact or cancel negotiations without a reason.
“Why on earth? Did he just say negotiations were broken off without a word of explanation? Would they collapse simply because Joongwoo stepped in midway?”
― The person helping said it was at the firm insistence of the Japanese cabinet.
“······You said the ones helping you were Yakuza, didn’t you?”
― Yes, Chairman.
Seo Yonggeon had not liked hearing Jaehoon’s talk about relying on Yakuza for faster progress, but after seeing their intervention drive matters forward swiftly, he had changed his mind.
If he could use them, if it benefited Ilseong’s future, there was no reason not to borrow their strength.
Dragging a dry hand down his face, Seo asked again.
“What do they say?”
― For now, they are investigating further. Since the acquisition was not finalized, they said they will use any ans necessary to put the matter back on the negotiating table.
Letting out a low hum, Seo fell into thought.
The Yakuza he knew were tenacious and cared only for profit. They would not dive into this without reason.
“What do you think they want? Why are they helping us as if this were their own affair?”
― They said they clashed heavily with Kim Muhyuk in Korea before. Because of that they had no choice but to withdraw from Korea. To reenter, they said they need Ilseong’s cooperation.
Thanks to his long years of study in Japan, Seo understood the Yakuza fairly well.
Unlike Korean gangs, Yakuza influence stretched back to the Edo period. Now they were entrenched across politics and business alike.
That was why he thought everything would proceed easily with their help. Facing this unexpected result, Seo let out a quiet sigh.
“Tell them if this deal is secured, Ilseong will take the lead in their return to Korea.”
― Understood, Chairman.
“Do not get too close to them just because they are helping. Never forget, they could beco your weakness at any ti. And check the movents of Eva Zhu, CEO of Future Investnt. She is in Japan, and she is definitely up to sothing.”
After his final warning, Seo ended the call. As his excitent ebbed, a heavy wave of fatigue washed over him.
He handed the phone back to Lee Seokmin and leaned against the sofa.
“To think I would suffer such humiliation······.”
His lanting voice echoed emptily through the chairman’s office.
* * *
A call ca through to Eva in Japan.
― Boss!
Her lively voice carried over the receiver. I felt a twinge of guilt for not supporting her more as she struggled, but it seed she was enjoying what she was doing in Japan.
I smiled naturally and said,
“Eva, you sound bright. I guess you have good news?”
― Yes. I am negotiating with NEC. It looks like I can secure it at a good price.
“What about the other semiconductor companies?”
― The Japanese governnt seems unwilling to hand everything to Korea. Dostic opinion makes it too burdenso. They said the others are absolutely off-limits.
Only securing Nihon Electric felt sowhat insufficient. Qualcomm would soon fall into place, but still.
Rubbing my chin slowly, I asked,
“Are they sending them to Taiwan?”
― Probably? If not Taiwan, then the U.S. Anyway, I got a firm promise that Ilseong will never get them.
As long as they did not go to Ilseong, I did not care where the other semiconductor firms went.
“When do you think you can sign?”
― Within this month. We are ironing out so disagreents now.
“Good. Hang in there a little longer. What about Seo Jaehoon?”
― He did not leave the hotel all day yesterday. For now, I left surveillance in place and I am just tracking his movents.
If Ilseong learned the negotiations had collapsed and that Joongwoo was behind it, they would never stand idly by.
“Hmm······. They are not the kind to sit still. If you have to move, stay with the bodyguards.”
I had already dispatched plenty of manpower for her protection. I had even pulled a Black Bear rcenary team from the U.S. and stationed them in Japan.
Yet Seo Jaehoon’s sinister smirk kept surfacing in my mind.
Sensing my unease, Eva spoke with conviction.
― Do not worry, Boss. The {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} close guards handle the near periter, and the rcenary team covers the outer periter thoroughly. With the security team you assigned, what could happen?
“······Then that is a relief.”
Her cheerful reassurance eased my worries, and I continued.
“Can you co back next month? Han Kyungyeong wanted to return to Korea but it looks difficult for now. You should co back and prepare for the upcoming shareholders’ eting.”
― Got it, Boss. I should be able to return before then.
The court had granted permission for convening the shareholders’ eting, and all the schedules were set. Now it was Eva’s turn to co to Korea and handle matters.
“All right. When this is over, let’s take a break.”
― Okay, Boss!
With her spirited answer, the call ended.
I put away the warm phone and pressed the bell to summon Manager Ma.
“Bring in Chairman Kim Byungwoo.”
Ma bowed and left the study. Alone, I had ti to sort out my thoughts.
‘Once Qualcomm and NEC acquisitions are secured, it will not be hard to dominate the semiconductor market.’
The tangled knots that had built up for so long were unraveling one by one.
Imagining Chairman Seo Yonggeon fuming like a dog chasing chickens brought a smile to my face.
Not long after, Manager Ma returned.
“Boss, Chairman Kim Byungwoo has arrived.”
I opened my eyes from contemplation, stood up, and said,
“Show him in.”
I walked over to the sofa and took the top seat.
A mont later, Joongwoo Group’s Chairman Kim Byungwoo entered, bowing deeply.
“Sir, you called for ?”
“Yes, please co and sit.”
Lifting his head, Kim Byungwoo walked slowly and sat where I indicated. A trace of puzzlent lingered on his face, likely because of the sudden summons.
“The reason I called today is the NEC acquisition negotiations. I want you to go to Japan yourself and carry out the work with Eva.”
“······What?”
Clearly caught off guard, Kim Byungwoo hesitated a beat before speaking.
“Did I not tell you before? I said there would be good news. The acquisition is virtually confird; they are only adjusting details. So go to Japan imdiately with your staff.”
Even after my words, he still looked bewildered.
No wonder—what he had thought impossible was happening. Watching his dazed face, I gave a faint smile.
“Yes, yes. I will depart for Japan tomorrow. NEC, of all things······.”
Kim Byungwoo’s voice trembled with awe.
“Do you like it that much?”
“They were once the leader in semiconductors. Even though they collapsed under U.S. pressure, their scale and technology still rival Ilseong. For a latecor like us to acquire such a company is beyond imagination.”
The Japan–U.S. Semiconductor Agreent had forced Japan’s industry downward, but they still held number one market share.
Yet a decade was enough for latecors to narrow the gap.
“And negotiations with Qualcomm are starting too. That is not certain yet and will take more ti, though.”
“······.”
Kim Byungwoo’s jaw dropped. Shocked, he could not close it for so ti.
“If that is confird, you will need to go to the U.S. as well.”
“······As expected, sir, your capabilities are astonishing.”
“I did very little. It is only thanks to my people working hard.”
Kim Byungwoo shook his head firmly.
“In business, placing the right people in the right place is the hardest thing. Even if you did nothing yourself, the fact that such people work under you is ability in itself.”
I only smiled in response, reminding him of his duty.
“Even with just NEC, Joongwoo Electronics can erge the victor in the semiconductor industry’s chicken ga.”
That chicken ga was simple in chanism.
The leading companies, with superior technology and capital, produced the best chips.
Latecors, lacking technology, had to compete with lower prices.
But the leaders, with deep reserves, could lower their prices even further, crushing latecors until they withdrew.
Yet Joongwoo Electronics was different.
With my support, they had no shortage of capital.
Their technological lag behind Ilseong could be closed by acquiring NEC.
And if they used the small information I provided to develop the next-generation chip first and succeed in comrcialization, the winner would be Joongwoo Electronics.
“Frankly, without your support, I would have long since withdrawn from semiconductors. That is how absurd the situation is. We are recording losses exceeding 50% of production cost.”
The market was a grotesque structure where the more chips you sold, the more you lost. Yet whoever seized dominance would possess a golden goose.
“It is fine. Even if we record losses of 80% like in the 1980s, what matters is securing the market. The deeper Ilseong Electronics falls into deficit, the more favorable it is to us.”
In the 1980s chicken ga, Japan’s semiconductor firms had triumphed.
But in the new chicken ga of the 21st century, the victors would be and Joongwoo Electronics. History would record it.
“For Japan, handing over NEC—the IBM of Japan—to a Korean company will itself be humiliation.”
The NEC–Hitachi rger had not produced the expected synergy.
Their coexistence broke, and NEC decided to withdraw from semiconductors.
All of this had stemd from the East Asian financial crisis and my small strike against Japan. A true butterfly effect.
“The non-mory field is a four-way structure now, correct?”
“Yes. Ilseong Electronics, Joongwoo Electronics, Arica’s Micron, and the NEC–Hitachi alliance. Now it will shrink to three.”
“We will fight until Ilseong falls, leaving only Micron and Joongwoo standing.”
“Understood, sir.”
After a brief eting, I sent Chairman Kim Byungwoo off.
If one butterfly could not stir a storm, then thousands, millions would be unleashed.
Ti passed swiftly, and a week was gone.
Han Kyungyeong contacted , arranging a schedule to et Bush.
Since I would be in the U.S., I decided to handle a few matters there. Departing a few days earlier than planned, I headed to Gimpo Airport.
After completing departure procedures and boarding the private jet, I received a call from the security team in Japan.
― CEO Eva has been attacked.
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