Daryl had a puzzled expression at my words.
“Mr. Kang doesn’t have the authority to make investment decisions, right?” Hyunjoo noona said.
“The decision-making authority belongs to Mr. Kang before me,” I replied.
Daryl seemed confused and asked, “Aren’t you the representative?”
I responded, “Because I am the CEO of OTK Company.”
“Oh!” Daryl was surprised, unable to close his mouth. He had always thought of me as an OTK Company employee. Did he ever imagine that a young man looking so inexperienced would be the CEO of a multi-million dollar company?
Sometimes even I can’t believe it myself.
I smiled. “I had no intention to deceive. I just wanted to avoid being recognized for now.”
Daryl nodded in understanding.
“I see. Then I will be the only one to know,” he said.
Until now, we had signed investment agreements and immediately paid the investment funds, but this time the situation was a bit different. We needed to negotiate the sale with Eunsung Motors rather than directly investing in CarOS.
“I’ll leave that task to noona,” I said.
Hyunjoo noona nodded. “I’ll try to negotiate for the best price.”
Daryl looked relieved. Avoiding the worst-case scenario of the company being broken up was a big relief for him. We discussed the details further.
His biggest concern was about management. Having experienced interference from Eunsung Motors before, he wouldn’t want a repeat of a similar situation.
Before being a CEO, Daryl was a developer.
If he had just wanted money, he would have joined another IT company a long time ago. However, he poured even his salary into the company and devoted himself to development.
When a startup creates great technology, Korean conglomerates imitate that technology, and American ones acquire that company.
Not long ago, Google acquired a startup researching voice recognition systems for $50 million. With only about five employees, they paid $10 million per employee.
If they were planning to copy the technology, just one-tenth of that amount would have been enough.
So, are American conglomerates being kind by doing this? Or is there just excess money floating around?
Businesses are groups that strictly pursue profit. Google’s decision to invest heavily in acquiring a company is deemed more profitable than simply copying the technology.
The core of a company lies not in patents or technology but in people.
Technology and products can be replicated, but the philosophy of the person creating them and the culture of the company cannot be copied.
“Even if OTK Company acquires us, there will be no interference in management. It’s okay if the results don’t come immediately. Just keep developing in the direction you have been thinking.”
My words delighted Daryl greatly.
“I will never disappoint you.”
Lastly, I asked him.
“What do you think CarOS is doing?”
Without any hesitation, Daryl replied.
“Make a better future.”
***
Additionally, all scheduled meetings that had been arranged were put on hold.
Hyunjoo identified four companies with scheduled meetings based on investment amount and industry and invested all the remaining amount except for the $100 million needed for the acquisition of CarOS.
At that point, I received two phone calls.
One was from Senior Sangyeop. The startup investment of K Company had been finalized. The $700 million in cash had decreased to $670 million.
I said I would stop by the office when I return to Seoul and then ended the call.
One of them was an interior design company that took on the construction of Dongtan house. It was a major renovation that involved waterproofing, insulation, and replacing old wiring and plumbing.
When I looked at the photos they sent, the interior of the old house, which had been built for over 20 years, had been completely transformed into a brand new home. The exterior remained unchanged, just cleaned up.
The next day, as usual, we gathered at a restaurant for breakfast.
“The work finished earlier than expected,” Taekgyu said to Hyunjoo.
“How about taking a break this time?” he suggested.
Hyunjoo shook her head. “I have a mountain of tasks waiting for me when I get back. I already booked a flight for tomorrow morning.”
“So soon?” It felt quick. I thought we would stay a few more days before heading back.
Ellie smiled and suggested, “Then let’s all go have fun today. We haven’t gone out together once during our stay here.”
Taekgyu nodded, agreeing with her observation. “You’re right. Noona has been cooped up in the hotel the whole time.”
Hyunjoo’s expression showed reluctance. “I have to work.”
I tried to persuade her, “Come on, let’s go together. When else will all four of us have fun together in Korea?”
The others chimed in similarly, and reluctantly, Hyunjoo nodded.
Ellie, looking pleased, asked, “Where should we go?”
“It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s not the Korean War Memorial,” I said.
At that, Ellie’s eyes sparkled as she said, “I know just the place.”
“Can I choose then? I have a place I really want to go to.”
“Sure.”
Again, as I’ve said before, anywhere but the Korean War Memorial.
**”
Taekgyu stopped at the front gate of the hotel.
I got in the front seat, while Ellie climbed into the back. However, as if her feet were frozen, Hyunjoo didn’t move.
“What’s wrong? Hurry up and get in, Noona.”
“You want me to get in this?”
After hesitating for a moment, Noona shook her head, unable to bring herself to get in.
“I’ll just take a taxi.”
But Ellie, who was already in the car, grabbed Hyunjoo and pulled her in.
“What’s the big deal? Come on, let’s ride together, Jessica.”
“Wait, Ellie.”
Click!
Ellie quickly shut the door.
“Let’s go.”
Taekgyu drove towards the destination.
With her head bowed deeply, Hyunjoo murmured.
“Ugh, I never thought I’d end up in this car.”
“…”
I felt embarrassed when I first got in the car. But now, I’ve somewhat adapted. It’s still a bit awkward.
The car quickly arrived at the destination.
Getting out of the car, I looked around at the vast circuit in front of me. This place was a driving center created by BMW.
“I didn’t know there was a place like this on Yeongjong Island.”
“I heard it’s the first of its kind in Asia.”
Even though Eunsung makes a lot of money in the Korean market, he doesn’t invest much in motorsports. But I never expected a German car company to create something like this in the capital region.
Before coming here, I had reserved a driving program to experience the circuit firsthand.
Ellie asked me, “Do you like driving?”
“Well, I mean…”
Just as I was about to say that I neither liked nor disliked it, Hyunjoo Noona interjected with her arms crossed, saying, “Jinhoo has liked driving since he was young.”
I asked in surprise, “Me?”
“Don’t you remember? You broke my car’s side mirror when you were practicing driving in middle school.”
“Oh…”
Ellie burst out laughing. “Wow, that really happened?”
Hyunjoo Noona nodded. “It was my first car. It was the first time I got mad at Jinhoo.”
“…”
I got scolded severely. I almost cried.
Thinking back on the past, I glared at Taekgyu. He avoided my gaze with a guilty expression.
It seemed like he felt guilty because he was the one who wrecked Hyunjoo Noona’s first car, not me. I took the blame since she said she would kill him if she found out it was him.
Tell the truth now, even at this late hour!
“Ah, it’s cold. Let’s go inside quickly.”
Taekgyu dashed into the building first.
Ellie grabbed my arm.
“Lucky. Don’t break the side mirror today.”
“······.”
Since we agreed to keep it a secret, I couldn’t say a word.
After receiving a brief training from the instructor, we headed to the circuit track. Hyunjoo, Ellie, and I chose M5, while Taekgyu opted for M6 and I went for M4.
Taekgyu had a confident expression on his face.
“Hehe, it’s time to show off my driving skills that I polished while watching anime.”
“······.”
Looks like the anime practice paid off.
Following the instructor’s guidance, we drove around the circuit for about 40 minutes. Surprisingly, Taekgyu drove quite well, earning praise from the instructor for having potential.
Is learning from anime really effective?
Buoyed by confidence, he loudly declared he would challenge drifting next time.
Inside the driving center, there was a car dealership and service center. The interior felt more like an exhibition or experience center than a sales outlet.
Most visitors seemed to come for sightseeing rather than to buy cars.
Hyunjoo and Ellie went upstairs to a restaurant for coffee, while Taekgyu and I decided to look at cars on the first floor.
“Look, they also have Minis here.”
In addition to BMWs, Minis and Rolls-Royces were on display. They all belonged to the same group of brands.
Seeing the cars in front of me, an urge to buy one arose. I should have bought one earlier, but I was too distracted to pay attention. A young male dealer in his early thirties approached us as I showed interest.
“Take your time to look around, and if you’re interested in any model, please let me know. You can even schedule a test drive.”
“I don’t even know when I’ll be able to buy it.”
I’m wearing jeans and a parka, while Taekgyu is in sweatpants and a hoodie. We probably look like typical college students or unemployed individuals.
But the dealer said with a smile, “Since you’re still young, you might become my customer someday, right?”
I like his mindset.
Pointing to the car in front, I asked, “How about this car?”
The dealer kindly explained, “The one you’re looking at is the 530i model, but usually people prefer the 520d model next to it. It’s much more economical. The 4 Series coupe or convertible over here is popular among younger people as well.”
I examined the appearance of the cars the dealer mentioned and sat in the driver’s seat. It’s nice, but something feels a bit lacking.
However, there was another car that caught my eye.
“What about this car?”
“This is the recently fully redesigned 7 Series. It’s our top-of-the-line luxury sedan and the flagship model of BMW.”
Sitting inside, I felt the interior was not just spacious but expansive.
Taekgyu, sitting beside me, asked, “Isn’t this too big?”
“It is, but…”
Driving a car like this at my age might make people mistake me for a chauffeur or driving my dad’s car.
Except for that aspect, I liked everything about the car. It’s big, has all the safety features, and includes all the options.
I asked the dealer, “How much is the car?”
“During the current promotion period, it is 139 million won.”
“It’s not as expensive as I thought.”
I thought to myself and was briefly surprised. With startups spending tens or hundreds of billions in the shopping industry, the amount of 100 million feels cheap.
“How long does it take from contract to delivery?”
BMWs are entirely produced in Germany, shipped by boat to Korea. Due to the longer time from contract to delivery, the selling company imports a certain quantity first and then sells them to customers.
If you opt for special colors or options (Individual Order), you may have to wait several months, but for standard models, there is likely to be stock available.
The dealer checked their inventory on a tablet.
“After checking, Black Sapphire and Spector Grey colors are available for immediate delivery.”
“Hmm.”
The car costs 139 million won. Various taxes and insurance will be added on top of this.
I sent a total of 1.3 million won to Korea.
However, after paying for renting my current place, buying a house in Dongtan, giving some to my mother, and paying various taxes, I almost spent it all. Currently, I have less than 100 million won left.
The rest of my billions are tied up in OTK Company, and all of that has been poured into investments. In short, I’m almost broke now.
But I shouldn’t worry. I have OTK Capital.
I said to Taekgyu, “Just lend me 15 million won to buy the car.”
To which he looked puzzled and asked, “What? Why are you borrowing money from me to buy a car?”
I brought up an old story, “Remember when you borrowed 200,000 won from me to buy a gaming console in high school?”
He looked astounded and said, “Are you saying 200,000 won is the same as 15 million won?”
“Of course, 200,000 won is much smaller. Back then, that was my entire fortune.”
“W-Well, that’s true, but…”
The absolute amount is a bit larger, so to him, 15 million won is nothing.
“Let’s just swipe your card for now.”
