Chaebol

After the event ended.

I got into the same car as my grandfather at his suggestion.

It was a time when the afterglow of the banquet hadn't completely faded.

I joined him in the back seat to keep him company during the ride.

But to my surprise…

Vrooom!

The car was heading in the opposite direction of our house.

'What's going on at this hour?'

Before I could even ask, Grandfather turned to look at me.

I thought he might ask how it felt to stand in front of all those people.

But Grandfather always exceeded my expectations.

"How did you know Chairman Jung was preparing for the presidential election?"

"Excuse me?"

"That's not information you could've heard from Jo Soo-deok. Am I wrong?"

"Oh, that…"

At times like this, pretending to be completely clueless wouldn't help at all.

"I didn't have any specific information. It was just a feeling."

"A feeling?"

"He's always been so bold. He's not satisfied with just making parts. He's only content when he can make finished products with a big 'Daebo' mark on them. So I thought he'd want to make Korea itself a finished product, so to speak."

It wasn't an entirely convincing answer.

But perhaps because he found it worth pondering over, Grandfather fell into a brief silence.

"It's difficult to compete with finished products on the global stage without national competitiveness… So you plan to first gain recognition for technological prowess in the parts market, and then enter the finished product market…"

Alarmingly(?), Grandfather slowly repeated my words.

Hmm.

It seemed my ominous prediction was coming true.

"Not just anyone can be a major shareholder in semiconductors."

"..."

Even if I wanted to make an excuse.

Whoosh.

Grandfather turned his gaze toward the window, cutting off further conversation.

And so silence settled in.

Thanks to that, the Maybach displayed its characteristic tranquility, gliding along the road for a long time.

***

To my surprise, the place we arrived after riding in Grandfather's car was Hyungang's headquarters.

"Have you been here before?"

"No, this is my first time."

"A major shareholder should visit the company at least once, shouldn't he?"

Without any particular expression, Grandfather moved forward.

Although it was well past quitting time, many people were gathered in the lobby.

"Greet them. These are our executives."

As I bowed my head, Grandfather turned to the executives and spoke.

"You all know who this is, right? The major shareholder in semiconductors, Park Ji-hoon."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Director Yoon Il-jung from Electronics."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Senior Manager Kim Jin-ho from Electronics."

"It's no use trying to cozy up to me. He's the one holding all the semiconductor shares, isn't he?"

At Grandfather's joke, the executives burst into laughter, matching the atmosphere.

Soon, as Grandfather moved, the senior manager hurriedly ran ahead to press the elevator button.

Grandfather went in first.

I followed behind him.

Thump thump.

The executives lined up and bowed.

They remained bowed until the doors closed.

Even getting into an elevator is no easy task.

Ding!

Maybe because it was the chairman's exclusive elevator, the lift headed straight for the top floor without needing any buttons pressed.

Soon, the office came into view.

The first thing that caught my eye was the nameplate that read, "Chairman Park Yong-hak."

The antique oriental painting and elegant orchid next to it added a subtle charm to the space.

After removing his coat, Grandfather led me to a corner of the office.

A panoramic view was visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Tall buildings and cars shining their headlights as they sped along.

And the wide expanse of the Han River beside it.

Being on the top floor of Hyungang meant having Seoul's nightscape at your feet.

"How do you feel?"

"It's a little scary."

"Why?"

"It's so high up."

"You're inside a building, so what's there to be afraid of?"

Instead of answering, I kept my gaze fixed on the view outside.

Why did Grandfather bring me here?

Was he trying to tell me that if I accepted his proposal, he'd give me all of this?

'A sort of coronation?'

Introducing me to the guests earlier today.

Bringing me to his office specifically.

Maybe all of it was for the same reason.

While I maintained my silence.

"Have you thought about it?"

Grandfather stood next to me and asked.

"Didn't I say I'd ask for your opinion around the time you start middle school?"

"Oh, that."

Grandfather looked into my eyes.

Was my answer written in my pupils or something?

Before I could even speak, Grandfather curled his lips into a slight smile.

"Are you saying you don't want all of this?"

"I told you, didn't I? It's scary."

He snickered.

"Have you prepared something?"

"Yes."

"Are you confident you can persuade me?"

"It's about my future, so I have to try."

"Alright, let's hear it."

As if expecting a long conversation, Grandfather headed to his executive chair.

I stood opposite him, keeping my back straight.

I had prepared for this moment for two years.

Looking at the nightscape behind Grandfather.

Hooo.

I took a small breath and carefully began.

"There's only one reason I won't participate in management. It's because that would be more beneficial to Hyungang."

"Do you even know how much your assets are worth?"

"Probably around 300 billion won. But if Hyungang follows the vision I have in mind, it will grow into a company with a market capitalization of 1,000 trillion won."

A market cap of 1,000 trillion won.

In this era, it might sound like a far-fetched story.

However, Hyungang will grow into a top-tier company with a market cap of 600 trillion won in the future.

It's already a thriving company and with the added advantage of my knowledge of the future?

Doubling its growth wouldn't be impossible.

Grandfather seemed to read the confidence in my eyes.

As if telling me to continue, he nodded slightly.

I continued speaking slowly.

"There's a saying in economics: 'Don't fall in love with your stock.' It probably means that emotions shouldn't interfere with cold, rational investments."

This statement held a remarkable hint.

"If you turn that around, it gives entrepreneurs an ideal goal."

"An ideal goal?"

"Yes. 'Make the public fall in love with our stock.' That way, they'll invest without asking too many questions, won't they?"

"That's an interesting thought."

But only for a moment, Grandfather raised a question.

"If it were that easy, wouldn't everyone do it?"

"It's difficult. But there is definitely a way."

"...?"

"We can take cues from the classics, the legacy of humanity."

Throughout history, the human figure most adored by humanity is undoubtedly the hero.

From the 'Greek and Roman myths' to the 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey.'

For ages, humanity has been fascinated by heroic tales.

In the 21st century, we even have 'Avengers,' a massive ensemble of heroes.

Regardless of the era, people have always fallen in love with heroes.

Grandfather asked for further explanation.

"What kind of hero are you talking about?"

"A person who never succumbs to the world, someone who tries to change it in any way they can."

"So you're saying we should appoint such a person as the company's CEO?"

"Yes."

The best example of this would be Steve Jobs of Apple.

Jobs brought about a monumental transformation through the smartphone.

The so-called "Apple vibe" isn't just about design.

It's the feeling of participating in the revolution Jobs initiated.

The essence that the iPhone brings is undoubtedly tied to Jobs himself.

After Jobs, another heroic CEO emerged.

Tesla's early CEO, Elon Musk.

He has openly declared his intention to change the world.

From self-driving electric cars…

To Starlink, aimed at providing global internet access and eliminating the information divide…

To SpaceX, which seeks to move beyond Earth and head to Mars.

In the early days, Musk was seen as a 21st-century hero.

The difference between Jobs and Musk…

While the one who left us early never makes mistakes anymore, the one still alive continues to stir up controversies.

Anyway.

'It would be perfect to cite these two as examples.'

But in 1980s Korea, these would be outrageous stories.

I needed to bring up a topic Grandfather could relate to.

"Earlier, I mentioned there's a clue in the classics, didn't I?"

"That's right."

"There's also a remarkable hero narrative in Asia. It's 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.'"

Perhaps because I had experience serializing the Three Kingdoms, Grandfather showed interest in my words.

"A survey was conducted targeting Chinese people, asking them who their most beloved general was. An overwhelming number chose Guan Yu."

"..."

"Was there really no greater general than Guan Yu in all of China's long history?"

Of course not.

There must have been plenty who contributed to the unification of China.

What's so special about a mere general from the Shu Kingdom?

"Why, then, are people so captivated by Guan Yu? The reason is simple. It's because of 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms.' Thanks to Luo Guanzhong centering the story around Liu Bei, Guan Yu could become a symbol of bravery and loyalty."

Some people say that real history differs from 'Romance.'

I want to ask, "So what?"

Without 'Romance,' who would have cared about China's old wars?

What captivated people was the 'story' Luo Guanzhong told.

What the real Guan Yu was like in history isn't that important.

After I finished my explanation, Grandfather adjusted his posture.

Unlike earlier, when he was leaning back, he was now leaning toward me.

"Let's see, the public loves heroes, and heroes are born through stories. So, what we need is a storyteller who can create heroes, right?"

"Exactly."

"Where do we find a storyteller like Luo Guanzhong?"

"That would be me. All of this is a story that came from my head."

"So who's Guan Yu?"

"It's obviously my brother."

"You're the director, and Yoo-geon is the actor, is that it?"

"More like my brother is the manager, and I'm his image consultant."

At that moment, Grandfather stood up.

As the chair rolled back, Grandfather spoke.

"So you're saying that instead of you participating in management, it would be more beneficial for Hyungang if you stayed behind the scenes crafting the story?"

"That's right."

At this point, Grandfather's expression subtly changed.

"Wouldn't it be better for you to write the story and play the lead role yourself?"

"Taking on too many roles dilutes expertise. The key is to choose and concentrate…"

"What kind of story would you give Yoo-geon?"

"Nothing is set in stone."

"What do you mean by that? Are you just spouting fancy words without a plan?"

"That's not it. If the story is pre-written, my brother would have to live exactly as I've laid out. That would turn him into nothing more than a puppet. That's something I can never allow."

"..."

"If my brother decides the direction he wants to go, then I will create a story that aligns with that. One that makes many people love him. And eventually, they'll also come to love Hyungang, which he leads."

For a long while, Grandfather remained silent.

His head tilted slightly as he seemed to be deep in thought.

How much time had passed?

"You're saying you came up with this whole story, Ji-hoon?"

"Yes."

"And yet you think people will come to love Yoo-geon?"

"People don't remember Luo Guanzhong. They only love the Guan Yu he highlighted."

I believed it was a convincing argument.

After all, I'd spent two years mulling over this topic.

However.

Grandfather seemed to think differently.

"No matter how I look at it, it seems to me that the world is going to love you. Am I wrong?"

TL/n -

The title "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" can be a bit misleading if you're expecting romantic love stories. In this context, "romance" refers more to the grand, epic nature of the tale, filled with heroic deeds, dramatic battles, and complex relationships.