Chapter 38

CEO Kim. In a capitalist society, success meant making a lot of money. Business, technology, sports, culture. Succeed in any field, earn financial rewards, and be the envy of others. Although in my case, it is different in that I started by earning money. “How is this office?” “It’s fine. But I don’t like the view very much.” I toured the offices in Sangam-dong with the staff of Jeongyeon Real Estate. The area where broadcasting stations and entertainment companies gather. Compared to Gangnam, Sangam has cheaper monthly rent and many spacious offices. When I checked several places and found the production company’s office, Jung Beom-tae joined. He seemed quite surprised to hear that he was using the 5th, 6th, and 7th floors of a new building close to the subway. “CEO Kim. Do you write such a good office from the beginning?” “Kuhm.” Representative Kim. Although he made a lot of money, it was the first time he had ever been in a position of responsibility. I couldn’t help but smile spontaneously. “Yes. I want my employees to work in a good office.” Working in a clean, spacious office has long been a dream since my middle and high school days. It may cost a little more to run a business, but I could save money by not enjoying the hobby of buying an expensive yacht. I don’t know if it’s a proper calculation, but if you don’t spend this much money, you won’t be able to do anything. “Then I will hire the staff.” “Yes. Let’s get started right away.” Employees to work in the office were selected through document screening and interviews. In the past, I didn’t know because I was in a position to get a job, but the employees who were looking for a job had a high level of education, and their resumes were packed. A good academic background and English are basic, as well as a study abroad experience and various social activities. Jeong Beom-tae emphasized that I should hire a secretary who could help me. “A secretary?” “Yes. The size of the company is there, and it will be able to help the representative who does not know much about this industry. You can collect data or be in charge of contact.” The secretary interviewed quite a few people and made the decision herself. Yoo Seon-ah Although it was based on academic background and ability, it did not fall out in terms of appearance. “I hope to go along well.” “Please take good care of me, CEO.” After establishing such a minimal company framework, we created a place to meet terrestrial and cable broadcasting entertainment PDs and writers. “I will give you a higher salary than the broadcasting station I work for now. And incentives are given additionally according to viewer ratings or program sales.” Jeong Beom-tae and I negotiated with them directly. I met PDs and writers I usually like and proposed contracts. Based on good treatment, he promised a reward system that matched his ability and performance. Because of the limitations of being a new production company, PDs were unlikely to come, so it was not a burden for those with the ability to pay three or four times the annual salary. Because the salary of a terrestrial broadcasting station was not that high compared to the work you do. If the incentives for the success of the work are included, the compensation is incomparable. “We intend to make you feel like a partner while working for the company. He will give you full control over your team.” If you want to get a person with ability, shouldn’t you give them that much salary and authority? Despite this, no one was willing to sign a contract even if they were offered a contract. ‘Nothing is easy. Because each person’s life is at stake.’ Nonetheless, several well-known PDs showed considerable interest. “You can give me your salary like other PDs. However, I would like you to promise me support for production costs and incentives.” “Yes. Of course, those conditions will be written in the contract.” “I wish I could have the best actors and staff.” “It is also what I want. We will make it possible for you to create any program you want.” We decided to gather outstanding talent and support them so that they could do anything. Even if the directors were hired, it would take a lot of time to prepare and produce the program, so it was not something that could be done right away. Jeong Beom-tae made investments in movies that fit his main job. “We are currently analyzing scenarios for films that are in the pre-production stage.” “Yes. Proceed.” I felt the joy of being alive, doing something new. 〈China, a series of pneumonia cases of unknown cause in Wuhan〉 〈Wuhan City, Unidentified Pneumonia Spreads, SARS Fear Spreads〉 〈Rapid spread of pneumonia in China, sanitary authorities cannot be determined’〉 〈Hong Kong, Wuhan pneumonia cases increase to 15〉 ＜A 36-year-old Chinese woman with symptoms of pneumonia of unknown cause＞ 〈WHO reveals possibility of new virus of pneumonia of unknown cause in China〉 Even while the production company was preparing, the infectious disease that occurred in China had not calmed down. At the time of the outbreak of MERS, the result of the second-largest infected person in the world due to the failure of the initial response and the concealment of information. The Korean media and public took great interest in infectious diseases. ―Kim Shin: Is it as dangerous as MERS? ―Lee Ho-yeon: We need to investigate, but the death rate is not high so far. The mortality rate of MERS was 38%, and that of SARS was close to 10%. ―Lee Ho-yeon: It seems dangerous to spread among people. And the pneumonia that occurred in China seems to be a new coronavirus. -Kim Shin: That’s right. While exchanging text messages with Lee Ho-yeon, he did not take the unknown pneumonia seriously. About 8,000 people were infected with SARS worldwide. MERS was much smaller than that, with only about 1,300 cases. However, with the emergence of this infectious disease, the stock prices of pharmaceutical companies were soaring. ―Lee Ho-yeon: As soon as we obtain the sample, we will try to analyze it. ―Lee Ho-yeon: That would require enormous computer resources. ―Kim Shin: At times like this, we should test artificial intelligence. The use of artificial intelligence requires a lot of computer resources. In the past, you would have to set up a server room, but now there is another way. ―Kim Shin: Myungwoo. -Oh Myeong-woo: Yes. ―Kim Shin: I want to sign a contract for Amazon cloud computing service, but what should I do? We signed a contract with Amazon to support high-performance computers through Myung-Woo Oh. All that remains is to wait and see how successful it will be. 〈Korea’s 18 richest man, Shin Kim. $2.3 billion in total assets It was Forbes, which likes to rank in many fields. The ranking of rich people is occupied by the owners of conglomerates and the second generation of chaebols. A few years ago, various types of rich people came up as representatives of game and pharmaceutical companies, internet companies, and private equity funds. This time, my story was published in Forbes. A rising rich man in Korea who hit the jackpot with virtual currency. Kim Shin became a wealthy salesperson of over 2 trillion won as a salesperson at a pharmaceutical company. “I like to travel, and I live by investing here and there.”] He is also interested in investing in American start-ups and is the majority shareholder of Nikola, which develops hydrogen electric trucks. An explanation followed that he also had a stake in Netflix. Because it was an interview posted on the Internet, a picture was hung along with it. I was sitting in a chair, legs crossed, talking to reporter Pamela. I didn’t know it at the time of the interview, but Pamela was sitting exceptionally close and smiling friendly. “Wow. This sounds like a complete success.” The photos came out retrospectively. Few Koreans read the Forbes article, but the news quickly spread through articles in the domestic media. 〈Birth of a young rich man at the age of 32〉 〈How a Pharmaceutical Employee Became a Billionaire〉 〈Midas’ Hand?〉 〈Coin, NASDAQ, and even startup investment〉 Articles from Internet newspapers as well as major media outlets were competitively posted. Its popularity was so great that it ranked in the ranks of the most-read articles on large portals. Normally, it wouldn’t be this popular, but the coin and age stimulated people’s interest. ―Ahn Myeong-guk: I thought I earned a lot, but I’m envious. In society, the person with the most money is the older brother. Now, from now on, you are my brother. ―Lee Jong-yeop: Loyalty. Call me anytime if you have any business. The sushi last time was really good. -Kim Sang-ki: Please don’t forget me. If you have something to invest in, let me in, too. I don’t even want huge amounts of information. There are trivial things that you can just throw away. Throw me one of those things! People who worked at Arkor sent text messages close to a joke. Sales Team, Support Team, Technical Team. Even the forgotten secretary Lee Min-young. -Kim Dong-gil: He is my uncle. I was surprised to see the article. I couldn’t even care after Jungwoo left like that. I think Jungwoo would be proud of you. A text from my uncle also came. I didn’t get along with my father because I often fought, but he bought me a computer the day I entered middle school. ‘My younger brother is drowning in gambling, so I can only curse at him from the older brother’s point of view.’ They took pity on me and gave me pocket money for several tens of thousands of won. Saying never give it to my father. The scene at my father’s funeral hall, when my uncle was weeping and emptying two bottles of soju, remained in my memory until now. ―Kim Shin: I’m sorry I haven’t been able to contact you for a while. See you later. ―Kim Dong-gil: Feel free to come anytime. And I have been contacted by many people. Elementary, middle, and high school alumni.University classmates. Military line, successors. ―Ju Gwang-man: He is a senior in the military. Do you remember how much I cared for you? You took away all the troublesome things. It’s because I’m having a hard time these days… …. There is also a request to borrow money without hesitation. ―Hyungseop Koo: I am the director of Bright Vision Hospital. Is it Kim’s assistant who appeared in the article? Are you the manager, Kim? Calls and texts poured in from doctors who hadn’t deleted my contact information yet. ‘I thought I didn’t have many connections in Korea. Was it this much?’ Contacts poured in even to people who had never met again or who were so old that they could not even remember. ‘I’ll have to change my phone number.’ I’ve been using the same phone number all along, but I think I need to get a new one. Most of all, it was related to business. Content producer, Dream Art Rainbow. Entertainment PDs have been transferring, and inquiries about investment in dramas and movies have been pouring in. ‘After all, it’s easy to do business when you have a reputation.’ The second and third generation chaebols in Korea felt a sense of relative deprivation. “It is a traditional industry that is often ignored. In reality, we create jobs and pay taxes.” “A tech company? Most of them are Internet companies, and their sales and net profit are not much.” “Now, even game companies are coming up in the rankings of the business world. this is so… … .” To the conglomerates, the news of Kim Shin was nothing more than how a lucky guy made a fortune, but in the case of one person, it was different. “This person must have been Kim Shin.” Jin Yoo-gyeong, executive director of Mirae Motors, saw the article. A person who preoccupied Silicon Valley’s vehicle-related startups ahead of the great transition of mobility, such as autonomous driving and electric vehicles. I tried to find it in the United States, but it was not there, and it was a person who did not appear in the Korean business world. “He was the one I even talked to.” Advertising and equity investment. He was a person who took on important matters and became a partner for his sensitive words. “It has become very cool.” Jin Yoo-gyeong stared blankly at the picture of Kim Shin posted on the internet. I liked it 2 years ago. He was a member of a conglomerate family, and he thought of his opponent as an ordinary person with a little money. Maybe it’s the common people who accumulated mileage hard and rode first class. However, after two years, I was in a position where I had to contact him because of business. Future Auto was more actively pursuing acquisitions of promising startups. “This person and I… … .” Jin Yu-kyung thought for a moment. No matter how you look at it, it came to one conclusion. “Phew. This must be an irresistible fate.”