IWSF – Ch 286

Kang Jin-hoo was practically a legend at Korea University.

Unless he was born with a silver spoon, he went from an ordinary student after military service to the world’s richest man. The time it took to get there was four years.

In just four short years, he made a name for himself as a world-renowned investor. And now, he is on the verge of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Kang Jin-hoo’s name, along with Professor Kim Ho-min’s, was displayed at the school’s main gate.

The Department of Business Administration was in a completely festive mood. Some students who had gone to school with Kang Jin-hoo bragged to their juniors.

“Brexit happened while we were in the same class.”

“We had a bet in the department back then, and while everyone bet on remaining, Jin-hoo sunbae confidently bet on leaving.”

“The money-stacking game at the bar was legendary.”

Just having eaten together and taken the same classes was enough of a bragging point.

“I even ate with Jin-hoo sunbae.”

Those who hadn’t seen Kang Jin-hoo’s face were very disappointed.

“Isn’t he going to return to school?”

“Come on, why would he bother with college now?”

“With that much money, he could just establish a university himself.”

It was then that Professor Kim Myoung-jun told the department students,

“Kang Jin-hoo will be here on Monday to give a lecture, so those who are available that day should stay.”

The students were taken aback by his words.

Unlike other investors who enthusiastically talked about their investment performance methods, Kang Jin-hoo hardly engaged in external activities compared to his reputation.

In particular, giving a lecture was unprecedented.

The news of Kang Jin-hoo’s arrival caused a stir throughout the entire school, and applications poured in from everywhere. When students from other schools also showed interest, the school limited eligibility to Korea University students. And priority was given to students in the Department of Business Administration. Although only individuals could apply and transfers were prohibited, the spots filled up instantly, and scalped tickets were circulating among students.

Chun Yun-hwa, the president of Korea University, was filled with unwarranted expectations.

‘Could Kang Jin-hoo donate a large sum of money to the school?’

Isn’t it a very beautiful and commendable thing for a successful businessman to support his alma mater?

Local politicians were sniffing around Korea University, just to show their faces.

I met Professor Kim Myoung-jun in the department head’s office after a long time.

“Are you busy?”

“Same as always.”

Professor Kim Myoung-jun said with a smile.

“The Department of Business Administration is incredibly popular these days because of you. You know the cut-off scores have skyrocketed, even higher than most medical schools?”

Because job prospects are incredibly good. Large corporations are said to be practically fighting to recruit them as soon as they graduate.

I toured the Department of Business Administration’s student lounge with Professor Kim Myoung-jun and greeted the juniors.

“Hello, sunbae-nim!”

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

Seeing the fresh-faced freshmen made me feel somehow old.

There were a few familiar faces. Most of the female students had graduated, but the male students who had served in the military in the meantime were still enrolled.

Shin Yuri also graduated last semester. I had talked to her once on the phone after graduation. Unfortunately, I was busy with other things and couldn’t meet up.

I drank coffee and chatted with the department juniors.

When asked what was the most difficult thing about attending school, most of them cited money problems. Students from well-off families might be okay, but most other students were working one or two part-time jobs.

The reason was tuition fees of several million won per semester.

Tuition fees in Korea are very expensive compared to other countries. Even for Korea University, which is a national university, there are many private universities where annual tuition exceeds 10 million won.

When this issue became a topic of discussion in the past, the President gave us his gem of wisdom, saying, ‘From my experience in university, if you study hard and get scholarships, it’s fine.’

It wasn’t wrong, but the number of scholarships available is limited anyway. Even if you compete fiercely, someone will inevitably be eliminated.

Not to brag, but I never got a scholarship even once.

Students whose families are in Seoul are in a slightly better situation. However, students who came up from the provinces have to bear the enormous living costs of Seoul as well.

Some students were living in semi-basements, or even worse, in goshiwons or one-room residences.

“Didn’t they build a dormitory before?”

Professor Kim Myoung-jun shook his head.

“They did, but the studio apartment owners around here protested.”

The studio apartment owners flocked to the city hall and district office to protest, and the district office, conscious of votes, delayed permission by citing environmental assessments and whatnot.

In the end, the originally planned construction scale was reduced to less than half, and they barely passed approval. Naturally, it was woefully inadequate to accommodate students who came up from the provinces.

It’s unbelievable.

That they can’t build a dormitory because studio apartment owners are opposed – does that even make sense?

I moved to the auditorium with Professor Kim Myoung-jun.

The inside was already packed with people. I don’t think this many people gathered even for entrance ceremonies or events.

I stepped onto the stage, receiving everyone’s attention.

“Hello, I am Kang Jin-hoo.”

Tremendous applause and cheers erupted.

I grabbed the microphone and said,

“First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to come to this event.”

To be honest, I don’t really have anything to say even when I stand in a place like this. I can’t exactly say I invested because oracle showed me the future. That’s why I don’t do lectures or speeches.

I was thinking about asking Team Leader Jung Gi-hong in Public Relations to create a PPT and give a presentation on new industries or changes in the automotive industry, but it’s all the same old story anyway.

What’s the point of repeating what everyone already knows? So, I changed my plan a bit.

“What you probably want to hear most is about money. No one in the world dislikes money. I’m the same.”

The students burst into laughter at my words.

“You all know how I invested and how I made money. There’s no point in repeating that again. So, I’ve invited someone far more outstanding and famous than me to have a conversation about money and life. He has graciously made time to be here, so please give him a big round of applause.”

As I finished speaking, a foreign old man came up onto the stage.

His hair was completely white, he wore thick glasses, and he was dressed in a suit and suspenders. On the surface, he just looked like an ordinary white grandfather.

People were surprised by the sudden situation and murmured among themselves.

“Wait, that grandpa…?”

“Could it be… him?”

“Is this for real?”

I introduced him.

“Chairman Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway.”

The insurance company owned by Berkshire Hathaway is actively developing insurance products suitable for autonomous and driverless cars. Warren Buffett was briefly visiting Korea for cooperation and equity investment with Seosung Group affiliates, Seosung Life Insurance and Seosung Fire & Marine Insurance, and I invited him to Korea University. Fortunately, he readily accepted my proposal.

Professor Kim Myoung-jun and other professors in the front row were astonished, and people simultaneously stood up from their seats and applauded with cheers.

Clap clap clap!

“Wooooo!”

Warren Buffett, taking the microphone, said to me in a warm voice,

“So, what should we start talking about?”

My surprise dialogue with Warren Buffett at Korea University’s auditorium decorated the evening news that day. Foreign news outlets like CNN and BBC also covered our conversation in detail.

Unfortunately, Warren Buffett had another schedule and left for Vietnam immediately afterward.

On the way back from seeing him off at the airport, we received a call and rushed straight to Seosung Hospital.

Ellie, who had arrived earlier, greeted us outside the delivery room.

“You’re here.”

“How is it going?”

“It’s been a while since she went in, but not yet.”

Henry was also there. He looked anxious.

“I just hope everything is okay.”

“Don’t worry too much.”

After a while, Taek-gyu’s parents also arrived.

“Hello.”

“Ah! Jin-hoo, you’re here too.”

How much time had passed?

The delivery room door opened, and a nurse came out.

“Both the mother and child are healthy.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at those words, and Henry, looking like he had come back from the dead, thanked God.

“Husband, please come in first.”

“Yes.”

Henry quickly went inside.

Taek-gyu looked at me with a completely bewildered expression.

“I’m an uncle! I don’t even know how to feed a baby formula yet.”

“……Why are you worrying about that?”

“No, I mean, my sister might ask me to do it.”

A little more time passed, and then we were also allowed to go inside. My sister was holding a baby wrapped in a swaddle in her arms.

Hyun-joo noona looked pale and tired, but had a proud smile.

“It’s a boy.”

The baby wrapped in the swaddle was much smaller than I had imagined.

“What’s the baby’s name?”

At Ellie’s question, Hyun-joo noona answered.

“Logan. Logan Goldman.”

“It’s a beautiful name.”

Born to an American father and a Korean mother, this child is naturally a dual citizen.

Taek-gyu asked,

“Then what’s the Korean name?”

“We’re going to call him Geon.”

If we follow Hyun-joo noona’s surname, it becomes Oh Geon, I guess?

Hyun-joo noona, holding the baby in her arms, looked more beautiful and happier than ever. Henry, holding Hyun-joo noona’s hand, gazed at his loved ones calmly.

Suddenly, this thought came to mind. Perhaps creating a life is more difficult than earning tens of trillions of won?

As the news spread that Hyun-joo noona had safely given birth, congratulatory messages poured in from all directions. Chairman Im Jin-yong and President Im Soo-mi visited the hospital, and Henry’s parents and James flew to Korea on a private jet to see the baby.

Hyun-joo noona stayed in the hospital for a few more days before being discharged. Instead of going to a postpartum care center, she decided to rest and receive care at home.

She had applied for childcare leave until next year, and the headquarters dispatched a professional manager. She had already finished all the important work before giving birth and distributed tasks, so there were no major problems.

And I received an envelope that Henry handed me. It was none other than his resignation letter.

“Reason for resignation?”

“Childcare.”

“It’s no use trying to hold you back, right?”

“Are you going to hold me back?”

“No.”

Letting go of an employee who is leaving cleanly is also a virtue of a manager, right?

Henry is the heir to Golden Gate. It’s time for him to return to his original position. He will return to Golden Gate after taking some rest.

I extended my hand, and Henry firmly grasped my hand.

“It’s been a pleasure working with you.”

“It was an honor working with you. I learned so much.”

Come to think of it, he was OTK Company’s first employee. As such, my feelings were profound.

Taek-gyu, who was watching the scene from the side, said,

“It’s not like we’re never going to see each other again.”

“……”

Well, we live in the same neighborhood, so we’ll probably see each other often in the future.

Good news kept coming one after another. Professor Kim Ho-min and I were selected as Nobel Peace Prize and Nobel Chemistry Prize laureates, respectively.

My mother had an expression as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Oh my gosh! My son, a Nobel laureate! What on earth is happening? Is it definitely decided? They’re not going to change their minds later, are they?”

“Of course not.”

Just in case that might happen, the White House quickly released a statement.

There have been several American presidents who have received the Nobel Peace Prize so far. However, they were all from the Democratic Party, and this is the first time for a Republican president. Perhaps that’s why the Republican Party was very excited.

President Heo Chang-min, who was on a tour of Europe, sent a congratulatory message.

“I sincerely congratulate CEO Kang Jin-hoo and Director Kim Ho-min on winning the Nobel Prize. This is a joy for all of our citizens.”

The Liberal National Party also subtly changed its stance, seemingly conscious of public opinion.

As a result, the ‘Pan-National Action Committee to Block Kang Jin-hoo’s Nobel Prize Award,’ which was formed mainly by conservative groups, slyly changed its name to ‘Promotional Committee for President Ronald’s Sole Nobel Peace Prize Award.’

They did the same thing.

“President Ronald’s achievements alone successfully prepared for Big One and saved countless lives! Therefore, the Nobel Peace Prize must be awarded to President Ronald alone!”

…they raised their voices, but the atmosphere was that no one was paying attention.

I spoke to Professor Mohan on the phone.

[The Nobel Prize is something anyone in academia dreams of at least once. But I never imagined I’d receive the Peace Prize, not for academic achievements.]

I laughed and said,

“Isn’t that an academic achievement?”

If he hadn’t researched Big One, people wouldn’t have been saved.

Caltech has produced more than 30 Nobel laureates so far. Considering the number of students and professors, this is an unbelievable ratio.

For reference, the country with the most Nobel laureates per capita is also the United States.

It’s not that Americans are inherently smarter and more excellent than citizens of other countries, but it’s true that the United States has invested enormously more than other countries.

In times of industrial change like now, more talent is needed, and to do that, Korea also needs to invest as much.