An Investor Who Sees The Future

TS Company has begun construction of a factory in Indiana. It is expected to take a total of three years to complete, but partial operations are set to start within a year.

The research team from CarOS, located in Silicon Valley, visited Seosung Electronics to discuss collaboration strategies in software and hardware.

The reason for the swift progress is largely due to Chairman Im Jin-yong’s strong will.

Up until now, smartphones and semiconductors have been the backbone of the Seosung Group. However, the competition from Chinese companies in the smartphone market is fierce, and the global semiconductor boom will eventually come to an end.

As the saying goes, even the moon wanes after it is full; if we’ve reached our peak, the only thing left is to descend. Therefore, we needed new growth drivers in preparation for that time.

Chairman Im Jin-yong had been keeping an eye on the automotive electronics field for some time. This is why he made a significant investment to acquire Harman.

In this context, the collaboration with CarOS could be a good opportunity.

Seosung Electronics is the strongest in hardware, while CarOS possesses excellent software technology. Since both are still in the market entry phase, fair cooperation was possible.

Reactions from experts were mixed.

Some assessed that it would create tremendous synergy, while others believed it might just amount to a tempest in a teapot.

The biggest concern was certainly overproduction.

Over 80 million vehicles are produced annually in the global market. However, the growth in demand has already declined, and there are even signs of a downturn.

As a result, several automakers, including GM, are closing or selling unprofitable factories and restructuring their global strategies.

In contrast, we are moving forward by building new factories.

Whether this is a wise choice or not will become clear over time.

“By the way, I saw people talking badly about you on the internet.”

“Why on earth?”

“They said you’re getting cozy with the chaebols.”

“Huh?”

I read the comments that Taek-gyu showed me.

– Is it true that you’re mingling with Im Jin-yong?

– I thought things would be different after the earthquake, but I’m disappointed.

– Whether it’s chaebols or speculators.

– I recognized it from the time he supported Ronald. He’s just a conservative.

– Seeing his bad relationship with the president, he seems like a pro-North Korea leftist.

“…….”

Conservatives criticize conservatives, and progressives criticize progressives. If you fight against chaebols, you’re criticized, and if you cooperate with them, you’re criticized too.

How did my situation become so pitiful?

Taek-gyu patted my shoulder and said,

“It’s tough being a centrist. How about taking this chance to lean towards either conservative or progressive?”

“……I don’t want to.”

***

As the number of employees increased, the office building was filled with vitality.

I skimmed through reports in the CEO’s office.

Each month, I reviewed the financial statements and performance of the companies we invested in, and there was one company that stood out with a noticeable increase in profits.

That company was Faceit. They had already partnered with numerous pornographic companies to provide paid services.

Just how many people spend money on pornography?

…That thought was just a misconception. On the very first day, over a million paid members signed up, and due to the influx of users not only from the U.S. but around the world, the payment servers crashed for several hours.

Thanks to the successful monetization, money kept flowing in, and Faceit strengthened its collaboration with production companies in Europe and Japan.

Moreover, as initially discussed, they began to venture into creating their own content and VR content production.

As a result, Toby Strong and Gerard Bacon were already being called the Bill Gates of the porn industry or even a second Larry Flynt (founder of Hustler), and they were thriving.

The company’s value soared daily, with acquisition offers pouring in from various sources. (Even in the U.S., investing in pornographic companies isn’t viewed favorably, so offers were coming in as indirect investments where private equity funds would invest the money and then pursue acquisitions.)

Currently, Faceit’s corporate value is estimated to be at least $7 billion, with OTK Company being the largest shareholder holding 80% of it.

I was astonished.

“I thought it had business potential, but I didn’t expect it to grow this quickly.”

Taekkyu said, “There’s a famous quote from Larry Flynt: Americans can live without a car, but they can’t live without pornography.”

“…….”

Isn’t that the same for people from other countries?

In fact, Faceit was treated as a global company. The number of members outside the U.S. surpassed those within the U.S., and revenue also generated more from abroad.

Interestingly, Korean users accounted for a remarkable 8% of the total.

Pornography is illegal in South Korea. (Despite this, there is an overwhelming amount of porn available online.) Consequently, Faceit was designated as an harmful site, and access was blocked entirely.

“But even this was not enough to dampen the will of South Koreans who wanted to watch pornography that suited their tastes. They somehow found a way to bypass restrictions and access the service.

In a country where both the production and distribution of pornographic material are illegal, why are there so many people who want to watch it?

As work hours were coming to an end, I received a call from Ellie.

[Hi, Jin-hoo. What are you doing?]

“I’m working.”

[Do you have plans later?]

“No.”

[Then do you want to have dinner together after work?]

“Okay.”

***

“I took out the Panamera from the underground parking lot and moved to the adjacent building. Ellie, who was waiting by the main entrance, got into the passenger seat.

She looked as usual in her women’s business suit.

“What about Hyun-joo noona?”

“She’s still working. I think she’ll be here late again today.”

She sure is busy.

“What do you want to eat?”

“How about pizza? With some wine.”

“Sounds good. Is there anywhere you want to go?”

“There’s a place I went to with Jessica before.”

I drove to the hotel by the Han River, following Ellie’s directions. Luckily, since I left a bit earlier than rush hour, the traffic wasn’t too bad.

We settled by the window and ordered pizza and wine. It wasn’t long before the place started to fill up.

“Seems like this place is popular?”

“Of course. It’s famous for its pizza.”

We enjoyed our pizza and sipped wine. The people at a nearby table kept glancing our way.

It wasn’t because they noticed I was the CEO of OTK Company… it was because of Ellie.

With her tall stature and curvy figure, she could easily pass for a model. On top of that, her lively expression and the unique allure of her mixed heritage added to her charm.

No one would guess that this beauty is a Golden Gate lawyer.

As I was looking at her, I suddenly realized something important.

“Speaking of which…”

“What’s up?”

“It seems like your hair has grown a bit.”

“You just noticed?”

Ellie played with her short hair with her fingers.”

“I’m thinking of growing it out… What do you think, Jinhoo? Would it suit me?”

“I think it would.”

I added with a smirk, “Wouldn’t anything look good on you?”

Ellie laughed at my remark.

“Thank you. It feels great to get a compliment.”

I was just being honest.

Ellie kept fiddling with her hair and absentmindedly tangled her fingers in it. She seemed like she wanted to say something.

“What’s wrong?”

As we were finishing our meal, Ellie said carefully, “Actually, today is my birthday. I wanted to be congratulated by you.”

I was taken aback.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Everyone has been busy lately. I’ve been busy too.”

“Still, you should have said something. Happy birthday!”

Ellie smiled brightly.

“Thank you. It really feels nice to be congratulated.”

I’m not someone who usually remembers birthdays or anniversaries, but for some reason, I felt a bit guilty.

I put down my wine glass.

“Let’s stop drinking and get out.”

“Where are we going?”

“To buy a gift.”

***

We entered the luxury goods section of the department store.

On the first floor, there were well-known brands like Hermès, Chanel, Prada, and Louis Vuitton, alongside ultra-high-end brands that seemed less familiar by name.

“Pick out something you want as a gift. I’ll buy you anything.”

At my words, Ellie’s eyes sparkled.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Ellie jokingly asked, “What if I ask you to buy everything from here to there?”

She pointed to a display of dozens of bags arranged by color and size. Each one probably cost more than the monthly salary of an average corporate worker.

“……”

What was my card limit again?

Ellie laughed out loud.

“Hey, I was just kidding. I appreciate the thought.”

I shook my head.

“Even if it weren’t your birthday, I would have wanted to give you a gift. I’m not leaving until I buy something, so choose something expensive.”

“No backing out later, okay?”

“Of course.”

Ellie looked excited.

“It’s been a while since I went shopping.”

“Do you like shopping?”

“Absolutely. There’s no woman who doesn’t like shopping.”

“What about Hyun-joo noona?”

“I think she likes it. She just doesn’t have time. When we were in Hong Kong, we sometimes went shopping in Harbor City together.”

“Really?”

Well, even if I wore the same clothes every day, I felt like my accessories kept changing.

Ellie’s eyes froze on a display case of watches after she looked through bags and shoes. Inside, intricately crafted gold and silver watches were lined up.

“They’re beautiful.”

A female staff member approached Ellie and spoke kindly.

“Are you looking for something?”

“I can speak in Korean.”

The employee looked slightly surprised as the obviously foreign woman spoke fluent Korean.

“Oh, yes. Is there a specific product you’re looking for?”

Ellie glanced at me, her eyes seemingly asking if she could buy something.

“Choose whatever you want.”

“Got it.”

The staff member put on gloves and retrieved a watch from the display case.

Ellie tried a few on her wrist and asked me, “What do you think?”

“They all look great.”

“How can you say that? Which one do you think looks better, the one from earlier or this one?”

“…”

Aren’t they pretty much the same?

As I looked closer, I noticed this one had diamonds embedded in the watch face, unlike the earlier one. Her expression showed this one was her favorite.

“I’ll take this one.”

Then Ellie grabbed my hand.

“Wait, let me think about this for a moment.”

“Why?”

“Looks too expensive…”

When I saw the price tag, it had seven zeros attached.

It was indeed pricey, but not to the point where I couldn’t buy it. It’s not like it had eight zeros.

“It’s okay. It’s your birthday.”

I handed my card to the staff.

“Please process the payment.”

“How many months would you like for the installment plan?”

“Just a one-time payment, please.”

Whether it’s in installments or a one-time payment, it’s the same amount of money.

Ellie immediately put the watch on her wrist and kept smiling as she looked at it.

“Thank you, Jin-hoo. I’ll wear it all the time.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Opportunities to go shopping like this are rare. It’s not like I can drag Taek-gyu along for shopping.

Since we’re here, should we buy a couple more things?

“I’m thinking of buying gifts for my mom and Hyun-joo. Can you help me choose?”

Ellie nodded.

“Jin-hoo, you really are thoughtful.”

Her words made me a little shy.

“Well, if not now, I won’t get the chance.”

Ellie’s taste is certainly better than mine.

“I think Jessica would like a necklace or earrings, and what does your mom like?”

“Well, I guess a bag would be nice?”

I’ve already given my mom living expenses and even a credit card, but she doesn’t shop often. If I buy her a gift, she’d probably use it so she wouldn’t feel it was a waste.

After Ellie asked about my mom’s preferences, she carefully picked out the gifts. Hyun-joo got a matching necklace and earrings, while my mom received a bag and a wallet.

Ellie wore a worried expression.

“What if they don’t like it?”

“There’s no need to worry. I’m sure they’ll love it.”

Well, if they don’t like it, I can just buy them something else later.

I should take my mom to the department store next time. As the only son, I’ve been quite neglectful.

While processing the payment, I felt the staff’s gaze on me.

“Are you… Representative Kang Jin-hoo?”

“Excuse me?”

How did they recognize me? Do they follow the news regularly?

As I tried to deny it, I remembered that my name was on the card. They probably recognized me from the card name and my face.

I nodded helplessly.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The staff looked surprised and said,

“I’ll report this to the branch manager right away.”

“…….”

No, that’s really not necessary.