Chapter 63: Guys, I’m Going on a Business Trip
“Huh. A game?”
I could feel the sharp stares piercing me from all directions, as if I had just dropped something utterly inappropriate for this setting.
Their expressions seemed to say, “What kind of place do you think this is, bringing up something as trivial as games?”
Only Sulayman Hyung-nim maintained a warm smile, gazing at me steadily.
“The older generation tends to view games negatively the moment they hear the word. But games aren’t drugs or something harmful—they’re just an escape, a brief respite from the grind of daily life.”
The middle-aged gentlemen in the room shifted uncomfortably, some clearing their throats awkwardly—as if struck by a nerve.
“The average age in the Middle East is one of the lowest in the world—under 25. In particular, the UAE has an internet penetration rate of over 90%, with a high percentage of foreign residents. Given these factors, the gaming industry has immense potential for growth. In fact, I understand there are already efforts underway to attract gaming companies and strengthen the industry’s infrastructure.”
Sulayman Hyung-nim nodded in agreement.
“That’s correct. Interest in gaming is indeed high.”
“And there’s another reason why the gaming industry holds a unique advantage in Islamic countries.”
“And what would that be?”
“The existence of Ramadan.”
Ramadan, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, requires Muslims to fast during daylight hours, abstaining not only from food but also from smoking and sexual relations.
“With few other forms of entertainment available, young people will naturally turn to mobile games. They’ll need something to focus on to pass the time.”
“Hmm… that does make sense.”
Sulayman Hyung-nim stroked his beard, nodding thoughtfully.
His reactions were always on point.
Of course, that applied only when I was the one speaking.
There was no need to drag this out any longer.
Now was the time to land the decisive blow.
“Vice President Sulayman-nim, you’ve already had the chance to play Studio SH’s latest game, Hunting Pig. What did you think of it?”
The trump card was on the table.
I had nearly pulled my hair out, trying to set this up to feel as natural as possible.
Fortunately, I hadn’t missed the detail that Sulayman Hyung-nim often found himself bored during long-haul flights.
That gave me the perfect excuse to install Hunting Pig on his smartphone.
The game could be played multiplayer, but it also had an offline solo mode—perfect for killing time without using data.
And his reaction?
“It was excellent. As a time-killer, it’s the best. Above all, I liked how simple it was. Games that require complex problem-solving can be exhausting. In that sense, Hunting Pig was incredibly enjoyable.”
Grinning widely, he gave a firm thumb-up.
His enthusiastic reaction left the other executives visibly taken aback.
‘That’s my Hyung-nim. I knew I could count on you.’
Now, I had to ride this momentum and wrap things up cleanly.
“The interest in gaming isn’t limited to the UAE. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, even Iran—they’re all showing strong enthusiasm for game development. I believe this is just the beginning. And…”
I squared my shoulders and met Sulayman Hyung-nim’s gaze squarely.
“As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said: ‘If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.’ I can’t think of a better phrase to encapsulate the spirit of startups. We must act decisively—because hesitation means falling behind. That concludes my presentation.”
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
Sulayman’s thunderous applause was so vigorous it made eardrums tingle, prompting the surrounding dignitaries to join in.
Grinning broadly, he addressed me in Arabic:
“I sensed it when we first met, but you truly have a deep interest in our culture, Ahu-nim1 (Brother).”
“Of course. Aren’t we brother nations?”
It was a bit of an improvised line, but a deliberate double entendre.
“Hahaha! ‘Brother Nations’—I like that expression. This trip to Korea was absolutely the right decision.”
“After today, you’ll be even more convinced of that.”
“Then I must ask for your guidance. Frankly, I don’t think there’s anyone in Korea I feel more comfortable with than you.”
“By all means. I’ve already prepared places I think you’ll enjoy.”
“Hahaha, now I’m looking forward to it.”
As we chatted warmly in Arabic, the others watched like sacks of grain left in the corner (like outsiders at their own meeting)— unsure of what to do.
With this, I had thrown in everything I had prepared.
Now, it was time to see if my grindstone had struck Goliath square between the eyes.
Sulayman Hyung-nim took the microphone.
“Having had the opportunity to engage in deep discussions with such esteemed representatives of Korea’s startup scene today, I feel my perspective has broadened considerably. It has been a truly meaningful and enlightening experience. If it were up to me, I would love to invite all of you to the UAE, but unfortunately, the circumstances don’t allow for it. As for selecting a partner for the EN Project, we will conduct internal discussions and relay our decision to the minister present here today. Thank you all for your hard work.”
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
With a final round of applause, the conference came to an end.
One by one, the attendees rose from their seats, shook hands with Sulayman-nim, and exited the conference room in an orderly fashion.
As my turn approached, Sulayman-nim’s face lit up, and he pulled me into a gentle embrace.
‘This Hyung-nim really loves his hugs.’
Winking subtly, Sulayman Hyung-nim leaned in and whispered in Arabic.
“I’ll contact you as soon as my official schedule is over.”
“I’ll be glued to my phone waiting for your call.”
“Hahaha. You did well today.”
His warmth was genuine, and it didn’t go unnoticed—several venture capital executives nearby were shooting me envious glances.
“Ah! Let me introduce you. This is Lee Jong-hoon, CEO of Buksan Ventures, the firm I belong to.”
At my introduction, Sulayman-nim let out a hearty laugh and extended his hand.
“A pleasure to meet you. You’ve got an outstanding and capable employee.”
Translating my own praise into Korean was excruciating, but it had to be done.
Lee Jong-hoon chuckled.
“Hahaha. I must be overflowing with luck this year. But if I’m honest, I envy you more, Sulayman-nim.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“Because you have an outstanding and capable younger brother. If I had to choose, I’d rather have someone like that than just a talented employee.”
“HAHAHAHAHA!”
At CEO Lee Jong-hoon’s words, Sulayman Hyung-nim burst into laughter, his booming voice reverberating through the conference room.
‘Yeah, never make a translation like this again.’
Meanwhile, I was burning with secondhand embarrassment.
“I must say, you got me there. That was a clever one. You said you were CEO Lee Jong-hoon of Buksan Ventures, correct? I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again soon.”
“I look forward to it. Thank you.”
Then, to everyone’s surprise, Sulayman retrieved a business card from his inner pocket and handed it to CEO Lee Jong-hoon.
A flicker of astonishment widened CEO Lee Jong-hoon’s eyes before he responded with a serene smile, offering his own card in return.
“When we meet again, let’s have a proper conversation.”
“Of course.”
At that moment, Choi Myung-goo from Osung Ventures, who had been standing awkwardly behind CEO Lee Jong-hoon, hurriedly extended his business card.
“Uh, excuse me, I-I’d like to give you my card as well.”
Then Sulayman-nim leaned in and whispered something to his interpreter.
“He says he only has one card on him right now, so unfortunately, he won’t be able to give you one.”
“Oh… I see. Hahaha… Well, that happens, I guess.”
As if anyone would actually believe that a businessman didn’t carry extra cards.
But what could he do?
The power dynamic was clear—Sulayman was the untouchable super client, and Choi Myung-goo was just another desperate bidder.
Choi Myung-goo’s ears flushed bright red as he all but fled the conference room.
Watching his retreating back, I happened to meet CEO Lee Jong-hoon’s gaze.
A subtle smirk was playing on his lips—one that mirrored my own.
Was this the kind of smile David must have worn after felling Goliath?
A few days later, at Oji Dak2 (a Korean-style chicken pub) near Hanyeong University.
After a long time, I had drinks with Ga-haeng, Yoo-jin, and Joo-hee.
“Long time no see, everyone! Cheers!”
“Cheers~!”
—Clink.
The crisp, clear sound of glasses meeting rang out, and the ice-cold draft beer slid down my throat in satisfying gulps.
“Damn, this is good! So, so good.”
“Ugh… Maybe it’s because I haven’t had a drink in ages, but I feel like my body is recharging with energy.”
Shivering slightly, Yoo-jin stared at her beer glass with a complicated expression—half love, half resentment.
Ga-haeng, watching her reaction, asked,
“Wait, so you really quit drinking just to study?”
“Obviously. When I commit, I commit. Don’t you know that by now?”
Yoo-jin had originally been preparing to work at a bank, but out of nowhere, she’d declared she was going to take the tax accountant exam instead.
“Is studying going okay?”
“Ha… Honestly, it’s hell. I swore after transferring universities that I’d never pull another long-term study marathon again… But what choice do I have? Gotta make a living, so I’m grinding through it.”
Typical Yoo-jin—always resilient when it counted.
“But you as a tax accountant? That just doesn’t suit you… I’d be more surprised if you didn’t end up brawling with a client at some point.”
“Want me to knock you out before I even get to a client?”
The moment Yoo-jin shot her a glare, Ga-haeng instantly backed down, quietly sipping her beer.
“What about you, Ga-haeng? What’ve you been up to lately?”
“Same old, same old. Studying for my English scores, attending aptitude test study groups… Ugh, job hunting as a humanities major is brutal. If I had known, I would’ve just gone into engineering.”
“Yeah, right. You can barely do basic addition and subtraction, and you think you could handle engineering?”
“Hey, I know the Galápagos Theorem, okay?”
“You mean Pythagoras, you idiot. Galápagos is the name of the islands from that documentary you watched yesterday.”
“Whoa. What the hell? Do you have CCTV in my room? How’d you know?”
“Sigh… Do you think he’ll even be able to function properly once he gets a job? I’m seriously worried.”
Even after all this time, the two of them were still at each other’s throats in the most ridiculous ways.
Watching their antics, I couldn’t help but laugh.
They really were the most entertaining pair.
“Joo-hee, how’s your internship going?”
Joo-hee had finally landed an internship at a major food company’s marketing team—the position she had wanted so badly.
She let out a deep sigh.
“Ugh. Now that I’m actually there, it’s nothing like I imagined. I thought being a marketer meant presenting creative ideas and getting applause like in the dramas… but all I do is slave away in Excel. The work-life balance is worse than I expected, too… Honestly, I’m starting to have doubts. Should I stick with this, or is it not too late to change paths…?”
After that heavy confession, Joo-hee grabbed her beer and downed it in one go.
Then, as if on cue, we all blurted out the same line in unison:
“School days really were the best…”
“Pfft.”
“Guess we’re all thinking the same thing.”
“Of course. Life was so much easier when all we had to worry about were exams and assignments.”
Ga-haeng shot Yoo-jin with a deadpan look.
“Oh, really? Weren’t you the one always whining about wanting to escape that miserable prison as soon as possible?”
“Sigh… You don’t realize it was spring until the flowers have already fallen, you idiot!”
“Oppa, how’s your internship going? Do your seniors boss you around a lot?”
At Joo-hee’s question, everyone turned to look at me.
“Boss me around? Not really. Everyone’s too busy with their own work. Besides, they’re all great people. There’s a lot to learn from them.”
“Wow… I’m honestly jealous.”
“What about your fellow interns? Are they doing well? And isn’t your company supposed to be the super elite?”
“Fellow interns…?”
A complicated expression crossed my face.
A few days ago, I went to a snack shop for lunch with two of them.
After we picked our meals, Alfredo shot his hand up and called out to the owner.
“Boss! Two rolls of kimbap, one rabokki (spicy rice cakes), and one nipple sushi, please!”
(TL Notes: It’s from a scene where someone misheard a real sushi name, it could be a mix-up with something like from 유부초밥 (yubu chobap), which means “fried tofu sushi” (inari sushi) to 유두초밥 (yudu chobap) literally means “nipple sushi”. This scene involves confusion or someone misreading a menu. Because shouting “nipple sushi” in a restaurant is hilarious. 😂)
The poor lady froze in shock, while the customers around us burst into muffled giggles.
At that moment, I genuinely wished the earth would swallow me whole.
“Uh… yeah, they’re nice…”
That was the only answer I could manage.
Because, well… he was a nice guy.
“But Oppa, don’t you get to go out on fieldwork a lot? That must be nice. The days must fly by.”
“Lately, I’ve been doing more office work, learning internal processes, so I’m at my desk most of the time.”
“Really? Ugh… I’d love to go on a business trip, even just once. I feel like I’m suffocating, stuck in the office all day.”
As soon as Joo-hee finished speaking, the chicken shop owner grabbed the remote and switched the TV channel.
And then—
[This is the 9 o’clock news. Our top news: President Park Chang-soo will make a state visit to the UAE from the 14th to the 21st, meeting with President Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss cooperation in nuclear energy, defense, and venture industries. Accompanying him is an economic delegation of over 50 companies—including, unusually for a venture capital firm, Buksan Ventures…]
“Guys, I’m going on a business trip.”
“Huh?”
“An overseas trip. To Dubai.”
Support my work by buying me Coffee! ☕️
