President Han personally led his team and headed to the United States.
For the time being, Vice Chairman Park Mandeuk would take charge of Taewoo Securities, while President Han focused on devising plans with the Quantum Fund to prepare for the European financial crisis.
There was a faint sense of emptiness.
Just as I began to feel the void left by President Han's absence, Team Leader Chun Minjeong came to headquarters to meet me after a long time.
"Your face looks much thinner. You must still be feeling the strain from the match-fixing incident."
"I've gotten over it mostly. Now that the players involved in the match-fixing are gradually being arrested, it's actually easier to find closure."
Her face was indeed thinner, but her eyes seemed clear.
And there was no time for her to dwell on sadness—her projects alone kept her too busy for that.
"I'm glad to hear you've found some peace. But what brings you here today? An idea meeting, perhaps?"
"I came to talk about Bitcoin. As its price rises, transaction volumes are increasing, and mining activity is growing as well."
"That's to be expected. Is that a problem?"
"To maintain our influence, we need to hold a certain amount of Bitcoin. But with so much external mining, the market could easily fluctuate. Of course, we could buy Bitcoin that's already in circulation to balance our holdings, but relying on that method forever seems impractical."
One of the Bitcoin developers was Chun Minjeong.
From her perspective, there seemed to be an inherent problem with Bitcoin's current structure.
"So, what do you suggest?"
"The best approach appears to be mining a certain amount of Bitcoin ourselves to balance our holdings. But it's a project that's difficult to carry out at the Taewoo Group level, which is why I came to discuss it with you."
The moment Taewoo Group started mining Bitcoin, several issues would arise—image concerns, electricity usage, and so on.
Even if they set up a paper company to mine Bitcoin, the excessive power consumption would inevitably raise suspicion.
"If that's the problem, I'll take care of it."
"You have a solution?"
"To mine Bitcoin, you need computers. And where in Korea do you think computers are used the most?"
"Are you referring to PC bangs?"
"The top spot in Korea's PC bang industry will soon change hands. So don't worry about that issue. Do you have any other reports?"
Chun Minjeong took out her notebook.
From ongoing projects to ideas she had been keeping to herself.
It was only after more than eight hours of discussion with her that I was finally able to leave work.
***
That evening.
Exhausted after my conversation with Chun Minjeong, I made my way to Captain Kang's office.
"Chairman, are you all right? Should I prepare a late-night snack?"
"Let's just make some ramen. More importantly, how's business going these days?"
I poured hot water into a cup of instant ramen and spoke to Captain Kang.
He opened the fridge, took out some kimchi and pickled radish, and replied cheerfully,
"Thanks to you, Chairman, all our businesses are doing well. The shared mobility project is finally stable, and both the taxi and rental businesses are now turning a profit."
"At this rate, Captain Kang might become the CEO of Korea's top transportation company."
"I'm still far from that. I'm just working hard on whatever you ask of me, Chairman."
"Then let's start one more new business this time."
"I'll give my best to any venture. But is this another transportation-related business?"
I tapped my chopsticks against the cup of ramen and continued, pretending to type on a keyboard with my fingers.
"Do you have any interest in PC bangs?"
"I've never been that into games, so not really."
"Then it's time to take an interest. You're going to become the head of Korea's largest PC bang franchise."
"You mean me?"
"Yes. We'll open massive PC bang chain stores in every major city—Seoul, Gyeonggi, Busan, Gwangju—everywhere nationwide."
Captain Kang froze for a moment, like a statue.
He still couldn't tell whether I was joking or serious.
"I'm not joking."
"Is there a particular reason you suddenly want to enter the PC bang business? Honestly, it doesn't seem like a profitable venture. But of course, if you ask, I'll do it!"
"Profit isn't the goal here. In fact, the less money we make, the better. We plan to mine Bitcoin using computers that customers aren't using."
There was no better place to use computers than a PC bang, and no one would suspect that they were running 24 hours a day.
"I don't know much about Bitcoin mining, but you mean we're using the PC bangs as a cover?"
"It will run at a huge loss. We won't charge customers, but the computers will run 24 hours, so the electricity bill will be enormous."
"That kind of loss can easily be covered by the profits from our existing transportation business."
"If it's still not enough, we'll provide discreet support. Don't worry—just go ahead and build Korea's largest PC bang franchise."
Slurp!
With our conversation over, we started eating the cup ramen. After finishing the broth, Captain Kang poured a cup of barley tea and brought up Governor Choi Jaeseok.
"Before the local elections officially begin, Governor Choi wants to meet with you once."
"The local elections are really just around the corner. You must be getting busy too, Captain."
"I've already been gathering political news constantly, especially sharing a lot of information with Myeongdong."
Myeongdong in the shadows, and Taewoo Group in the light.
These two places were the richest sources of information in Korea. And since I could control both, I had access to more information than any government agency.
"We'll be using that information soon, so be prepared."
"As soon as you give the signal, we're ready to act."
"First, we need to meet with Governor Choi and adjust the timing. Schedule it as soon as possible."
"I'll arrange a quiet meeting near Gyeonggi Province within this week."
This local election was a turning point.
If the People's Economy Party succeeded in gaining strength, Governor Choi could nurture his presidential ambitions.
If that happened, the Korean political scene would no longer dare to challenge Taewoo Group.
***
A factory construction site in southern Gyeonggi Province.
Since this was where Taewoo Group's semiconductor plant was being built, it was a facility I could control as I wished.
That was why construction had been paused today, allowing me to hold a quiet, one-on-one meeting with Governor Choi Jaeseok.
"The semiconductor plant is already this far along. Thanks to your support, Governor, the construction has proceeded smoothly."
"I should be the one thanking you. Facilities like this have allowed me and the People's Economy Party to firmly establish a base here in Gyeonggi Province."
As the factory neared completion, the People's Economy Party's approval ratings rose.
It made sense. Once the factory opened, outside workers would come in to work, and most of them were loyal to the People's Economy Party, which had provided them with employment.
It didn't stop there.
Local businesses also saw increased sales thanks to the party, so naturally, support for them grew.
"You'll need to win in northern Gyeonggi Province as well in this election."
"According to the current polls, that's entirely possible. In fact, we're performing so well that we could even win some district offices in parts of Seoul."
Governor Choi Jaeseok smiled with satisfaction.
But I wasn't impressed. I spoke with a slightly colder tone.
"Winning across all of Gyeonggi isn't enough. We need to expand into Seoul, Gyeongnam, and Chungcheong Province to make this election truly meaningful."
"Chungcheong Province as well?"
"That's the minimum if we want to compete with the two major parties. We can't remain a third party forever. You're being too relaxed, Governor. The People's Economy Party doesn't have much time left."
A political party could only be recognized if it fielded a presidential candidate.
Voters might trust and wait for now, but with limited time, the party needed to expand its influence as much as possible in this election.
"Do you really think the People's Economy Party can win more seats than the two major parties? According to experts, that's nearly impossible."
"All the preparations for the People's Economy Party have already been made. Soon, scandals will erupt within the two major parties. While they're busy attacking each other, the People's Economy Party only needs to keep moving forward."
Governor Choi Jaeseok slightly furrowed his brow.
He was so upright that it seemed he was worried I might be engaging in illegal activity.
"Taewoo Group is merely acting as a secret megaphone. Nowadays, social media, portals, and video platforms spread information more effectively than traditional news outlets."
"Are you perhaps intending to spread false scandals?"
"Fact-checking isn't our responsibility. The party that first disseminates the information should take responsibility, shouldn't it?"
That was why I couldn't disclose everything to Governor Choi.
Even after spending so many years in politics, he still insisted on wearing white, a symbol of his integrity.
"The two major parties will just be tearing each other apart. Since the People's Economy Party has risen as the third party, we will certainly face checks as well."
"Don't worry about that. We'll act as a megaphone for the major parties, but we'll suppress information coming from the People's Economy Party. Of course, any valuable information will be amplified."
"If you go too far, it will raise suspicion."
"There won't be anything suspicious. We'll use algorithms to ensure we don't cross the line. Also, we've planned to build a few more factories in Chungcheong and Gyeongnam regions. That will be quite helpful for this election."
There's no better campaign promise than creating local jobs.
Moreover, the People's Economy Party had already succeeded in creating jobs in Gyeonggi, making the effect twice as strong.
"I feel sorry for taking so much of your help."
"Our relationship hasn't changed at all. As before, I don't expect much from the People's Economy Party. Just make sure the political world can't attack Taewoo Group. Of course, if it's a policy for Korea's development, we'll proceed by mutual agreement."
The People's Economy Party had once been nothing more than a protective barrier for Taewoo Group.
Now, it was time to go beyond defense, handling deregulation and various policies.
"If it's a policy for Korea's development, not just for Taewoo Group, we can provide full support."
"You can refuse any requests that hinder Korea's development. But I don't think there's been a single request like that so far."
"That's why I trust you, Chairman Kim. And I intend to continue trusting you."
The reward for trust was victory.
I planned to ensure that the People's Economy Party would surpass the two major parties in this local election.