Chapter 40: Can I Ask You One Humble Request?
Thud!
“What a cheeky brat! You dare challenge me to a game of Janggi? Just like they say, a pup doesn’t fear a tiger. Tsk, tsk.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan, sitting on the sofa in his office, let out a loud, hearty laugh.
Across from him, Secretary Chief Lee Bong-gu was organizing the Janggi pieces on the board.
“Who was that on the phone, Chairman-nim? You seem to be in a good mood.”
It was unusual for Chairman Lee Seung-hwan to smile while on a personal call, which naturally piqued Secretary Chief Lee Bong-gu’s curiosity.
“You know that oddball, don’t you? The one whose true intentions are impossible to figure out.”
“Ah, are you talking about Song Dae-woon?”
Ever since their meal together after the auction, Song Dae-woon and Chairman Lee Seung-hwan had grown close, often enjoying a drink together during the day.
“Yeah, that sly rascal. Out of nowhere, he calls me up and suggests we meet for some traditional drinks and a game of Janggi. He even mentioned sharing an interesting conversation.”
“By ‘traditional drinks’… you mean…”
“You know, that traditional liquor he likes. Hah, that boy sure has a good eye for quality.”
“You seem genuinely pleased.”
“Hehehe, isn’t it amusing to have such an odd fellow pop up at my age? Just watching what he does makes me chuckle.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan had first become curious about Song Dae-woon after hearing at a family dinner that his granddaughter, Lee Ji-won, had become friendly with him.
He started probing for more details about Song Dae-woon and when he heard the story of how Song Dae-woon had won the grand prize at the Korea University Hackathon in dramatic fashion, he burst out laughing.
It was highly unusual for Chairman Lee Seung-hwan, who typically placed great importance on proper table manners, to be so entertained during a meal.
His family had even started asking Lee Ji-won who Song Dae-woon really was.
“An interesting conversation, huh… I’m already curious what kind of trouble he’s planning to stir up this time. Chief Lee, make sure to prepare plenty of that liquor he likes.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“By the way, that guy Dae-woon-ie—does he think he’s confident in Janggi? Surely, I won’t lose to him, right?”
“Of course not, Chairman-nim. Your Janggi skills are renowned among the Federation of Korean Industries’ chairmen. Even Director Park Sang-gyu from the Korean Janggi Association has acknowledged your skill. He once said that with your skills, you’d easily be ranked at 4th player.”
“That’s right. I did wonder, since he brought up Janggi first. But after living as long as I have, there’s no way I’ll lose to a young pup like him.”
Seeing Chairman Lee Seung-hwan reignite his competitive spirit after such a long time, Secretary Chief Lee Bong-gu smiled with satisfaction.
“That’s exactly right, chairman-nim.”
“Still, just in case, get in touch with Teacher Cha. I haven’t had a match in a while, so I could use a little warm-up.”
Teacher Cha was Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s personal Janggi instructor.
“I’ll contact him right away.”
“Hehehehe. I’ll show that cocky brat just how terrifying an old man’s experience can be.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s wrinkled eyes twinkled with excitement.
Thud!
“Check.”
I confidently placed the Janggi piece down on the board with a decisive click.
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s expression grew even more serious.
He stared intensely at the Janggi board, before returning the piece he had picked up back to its original position.
“Hmm…”
Watching the sweat bead on his brow, I couldn’t help but smile meaningfully.
‘When it comes to Janggi, I’m not outmatched by anyone.’
Life at sea might have been hectic, but there were definitely moments of respite.
When a typhoon was approaching and we had to seek shelter, or when the ship needed repairs, the crew had limited things to do.
That’s when I first learned how to play Janggi.
To be honest, I wasn’t particularly interested in Janggi at first.
My primary motivation was to strengthen my relationship with the captain.
From that point on, I stuck to the captain, constantly pestering him to teach me Janggi and he gladly passed on his expertise.
The captain of the ship was, simply put, a Janggi master.
I heard that he originally dreamed of becoming a professional Janggi player but had to give up due to financial difficulties, which led him to a life at sea.
Despite the harsh realities of being a sailor, the captain never gave up Janggi.
Whenever he found time, he’d continue studying and sharpening his skills.
Learning from such a captain, as if receiving private lessons, naturally made my Janggi abilities improve day by day.
‘When playing Janggi, you need to go against your opponent’s intentions. If you follow their flow without thinking, you’ll inevitably fall into their trap. The key is figuring out how to thwart them—finding the shortcut to victory.’
Following the captain’s teachings, I had long since figured out Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s strategy and laid a trap.
“Hm… I just can’t seem to find a way out of this.”
“It was a great match, Chairman-nim.”
“Ha! Are you teasing an old man now? Haha. I completely let my guard down. I can’t believe I fell to a mere ‘Jol’ (pawn).”
In truth, this outcome was precisely what I had planned.
I had set a strategy specifically to make him say those very words.
“Everyone knows how to handle the big pieces like the ‘Cha’ (rook) or ‘Pao’ (cannon), whether they’re a novice or an expert. But the real difference in skill comes from…”
I picked up a ‘Jol’ piece from the board and locked eyes with Chairman Lee Seng-hwan.
“…how do you use this ‘Jol’. Using the ‘Cha’ or ‘Pao’ for a big attack always carries considerable risk.”
“It seems like this has something to do with why you wanted to meet me today.”
In just one sentence, he had completely seen through my intentions.
He truly was a frightening old man.
Without letting my expression change, I maintained my smile and continued.
“They say the thirsty one digs the well. These days, even large corporations are digging into the oasis of startups through various means. And Buksan is no exception.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan nodded with interest, his expression intrigued.
“Go on, then.”
“Companies like Oseong Venture Investments and Waver Springcamp have gained visible results by investing in multiple startups through their CVCs 1(Corporate Venture Capitals). However, Buksan Ventures has yet to see any significant success. It’s a place capable of making moves beyond the ‘chariot’ and ‘cannon’, yet it hasn’t capitalized on that potential.”
“Beyond the ‘rook’ and ‘cannon’, huh? Enough with the preamble, get to the point.”
“I have a startup that I seeded and accelerated. Invest in it through Buksan Ventures. This is the clever move that will allow the ‘Jol’ (pawn) to checkmate the king.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s white eyebrows twitched at the assertiveness of my tone.
I wasn’t asking for an investment—I was saying he ‘had’ to invest.
“So, the ‘Jol’, fine. But where exactly is this ‘king’ you’re referring to?”
“Oseong.”
“Oseong, you say…”
Oseong was the top conglomerate in the country and had overlapping business areas with Buksan, making their relationship tense at best.
“I’ve heard that Oseong has been making significant investments in AI.”
It was common knowledge, often reported in the news, and Chairman Lee Seung-hwan nodded slowly, acknowledging the fact.
“Haha… Chairman Choi from Oseong has an uncanny nose for sniffing out money.”
“Both companies are aggressively pursuing mergers, acquisitions, and R&D investments in AI. What do you think Buksan needs the most to close the gap with Oseong in this AI race?”
“Hmm…”
Up until now, the investment sizes were comparable, and the level of technology development didn’t show any significant disparities.
When Chairman Lee Seung-hwan hesitated to speak, I gave him the answer.
“Data.”
“Data, you say?”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan repeated the word, as if savoring its significance.
“That’s why I mentioned investing in ‘Beslo’ earlier. Their service, ‘Thumbs Up’, is a social networking platform.”
Sensing the intent behind my words, Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s gaze grew heavier with thought.
“As time goes on, our society’s dependence on digital platforms will only increase. That’s why Buksan is investing in AI, isn’t it?”
Chairman Lee nodded silently in agreement.
“The potential synergy between SNS (social network services) and Buksan is limitless. The service data generated by SNS can be used for the development and enhancement of AI technologies targeting both business and consumer markets.”
“Hmm… It’s not an entirely baseless idea.”
“Just look at Eron Musk’s acquisition of ‘Twister’. Musk himself said that the most critical thing needed to create ‘Tesli Bots’ is none other than ‘data.’ And where can you get the most reliable and abundant data? Social media.”
I nearly gave myself a headache trying to build up to that point naturally.
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan’s sharp, reddish-brown eyes bore into me.
I suddenly felt like I was being completely stripped bare.
“As of now, no domestic company runs a proper SNS. The most popular ones, like ‘Stargram’ or ‘Spacebook’, are all operated by foreign companies.”
“So, to summarize your point—you’re saying that to win the AI battle against Oseong, securing reliable data is key. And to do that, you’re suggesting we invest in this startup you mentioned.”
“Exactly. With the startup as our ‘pawn,’ we can take Oseong’s ‘king’.”
“Hehehe… Your argument sounds convincing, but isn’t it just a bit too much like a dream without any real substance?”
“Isn’t it true that the ‘future’ always begins with a dream? By continuously challenging ourselves and seizing opportunities, we can stay ahead of our rivals.”
“Hahahahahaha!”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan suddenly burst into loud laughter, its so unexpectedly that I almost covered my ears.
“You came here for an interesting conversation and you’ve really brought something really interesting.”
I quietly observed Chairman Lee Seung-hwan as he laughed.
I had laid out all my cards. Now, all I could do was wait for the chairman’s decision.
As he leaned on the sofa, tapping the table with his fingers, he suddenly shouted.
“Chief Lee, get in here!”
A few moments later.
Knock, knock
“You called for me, Chairman-nim?”
“Who’s currently in charge at Buksan Ventures?”
“That would be Director Lee Jong-hoon.”
Lee Bong-gu answered without hesitation, as he had the entire roster of group executives memorized.
“Jong-hoon-ie is there, huh? Ah, right. I remember now. He wanted that position himself.”
Lee Jong-hoon was Chairman Lee’s youngest son and also Lee Ji-won’s father.
He wasn’t particularly interested in becoming the heir to the group and from a young age, he had always been the type to pursue whatever he set his mind to.
So, when he volunteered to head the relatively insignificant Buksan Ventures, no one found it strange.
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan picked up his phone and made a call.
“Jong-hoon-ah? It’s your father. Yes, I’ll be sending someone over. Take a look at the materials they give you and proceed with the investment. Yes, do it under your best judgment and make sure to secure favorable terms. This guy will explain the details. Show your face sometime—I’m starting to forget what you look like. Alright, I’m hanging up.”
Chairman Lee Seung-hwan, having hung up the phone with a casual air, turned to me and said.
“Since I’ve given the heads up, go ahead and do as you please. Show me what you’re capable of.”
“Thank you, Chairman-nim.”
“Hehehe. If what you say is true and this investment benefits Buksan, then I should be thanking you, shouldn’t I?”
It was at that moment that I seized the opportunity.
With the intensity of a predator eyeing its prey, I threw out a request.
“If you think that, then… May I make a humble request?”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“I hear the Buksan Group’s legal team is quite formidable. Could I possibly get just one chance to utilize their expertise?”
I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by without making a move.
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