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CH108 | Heir
🕑 Added 2025-04-13 03:05:55 +0000 UTCAfter finishing my schedule in the U.S., I returned to Korea.
It had been only a short 2-night, 3-day trip, yet I had over ten meetings and met well over a hundred people—a grueling schedule.
My eyelids felt heavy from exhaustion.
But even after returning to Korea, there was no time to rest. As soon as I arrived at the company, I summoned the president of Taewoo Telecom to the planning office.
“Is Taewoo Telecom’s market share still stagnant?”
“This month, we barely managed to secure the top spot. But the gap is so narrow that it could be overturned at any time.”
There were less than ten days left in 1998.
Even if we were lucky enough to maintain our position as the No. 1 telecom company this year, there was no guarantee we could hold onto it next year.
“Taewoo Telecom should also sign sponsorship deals with the sports industry to strengthen its brand image.”
“Taewoo Construction has already signed a sponsorship deal with a soccer team. Are you considering baseball?”
“Baseball doesn’t align well with Taewoo Telecom’s image. Instead, I’m planning to secure a sponsorship deal in eSports.”
“eSports? Is that even a thing?”
When people thought of sponsorships, they typically imagined ball sports.
Even if it wasn’t a ball sport, sponsorships were usually reserved for disciplines recognized as official Olympic events.
“You’re aware that internet cafés are increasing exponentially these days, right?”
“Of course. We’ve been hosting numerous events to encourage PC cafés to use Taewoo Telecom’s services.”
“If you’re so interested in PC cafés, then you must know which game holds the highest market share there.”
“...I’m sorry. I haven’t looked into that in detail.”
“A game called StarCraft, developed by Blizzard, is taking the market by storm. Taewoo Telecom should establish and operate its own StarCraft team.”
President Lee Joo-young of Taewoo Telecom fell silent for a moment.
Sponsoring a traditional sports team was one thing, but supporting a gaming team was a concept he struggled to accept.
But the outcome had already been decided.
The moment he chose to follow me, my directives took priority over his personal opinions.
“I’ll draft a sponsorship plan before the year ends and launch full-scale support starting next year.”
“I’ll also provide you with a list of players to recruit as a priority. First and foremost, secure Lim Hyo-han at all costs. KS Telecom and Korea Telecom will likely form their own gaming teams soon. We need to secure top players before they do.”
“KS Telecom is planning to form a team as well? Then we need to act even faster!”
More than any explanation, the mere mention of "KS Telecom" was enough to light a fire under him.
The moment he heard that name, his eyes changed.
The telecom rivalry.
This would become one of the fiercest competitions in eSports.
And if Taewoo Telecom could establish dominance over KS Telecom in this new field, it would greatly enhance the company’s image.
“Offer the best salaries and the best facilities to the players. That’s the only way Taewoo Telecom can truly benefit from this. Half-hearted support will only leave a bad impression on the fans.”
“Do eSports players even have fans?”
“There’s no such thing as a sport without fans. And StarCraft’s fandom will soon become bigger than that of any sport in Korea.”
It wouldn’t be long before an eSports player had a larger fanbase than even an idol.
And the player who would build the biggest fandom was none other than Lim Hyo-han. We had to recruit him before he became a household name.
“I will establish a team with the best facilities, equipment, and salaries.”
“Also, broadcasting stations will soon start airing game tournaments. Secure the official sponsorship rights. If funding is an issue, Taewoo Electronics can be the main sponsor instead. But no matter what, make sure the tournament’s name starts with ‘Taewoo.’”
For telecom companies, securing the eSports market was crucial.
The primary users of the internet were young people—the same demographic that watched eSports.
“Additionally, Blizzard’s game will soon be available on our gaming platform. Whether at home or in PC cafés, players will have to use our platform to access StarCraft.”
“Our promotion, where new Taewoo Telecom subscribers receive platform coupons that function like cash, has been a huge success. If StarCraft becomes available on the platform, our new subscriber numbers will surge even more.”
That was exactly why I had gone all the way to the U.S. to acquire Blizzard’s shares.
And I even had to give up golden IT stocks in exchange.
Well, in just a year, those stocks would go from gold to dead weight anyway.
I worked late into the night in the planning office.
Even though my business trip had only lasted three days, I was involved in so many projects that an overwhelming amount of work had piled up.
I barely managed to get everything done, and all I wanted to do was collapse into bed.
But I was too curious about what was happening in Myeong-dong.
Instead of going home, I headed to Captain Kang’s office.
“Did Dimon completely move his office here?”
“For security reasons, Captain Kang suggested it would be better for him to work from here. This is a business that operates in the shadows, so we must be careful.”
“That was a good decision. Captain Kang, increase the number of security personnel. You can also hire new people if needed.”
“We already have more than enough personnel. Over 200 people are on standby, ready to mobilize at any time.”
I had set up a security company for Captain Kang.
Since his company handled most of Taewoo Group’s security operations, it didn’t require much additional support.
“If Dimon ever has to go outside, make sure he wears a stab-resistant vest.”
“Given the current climate, that seems like a wise precaution. But honestly, Lee Young-han is in even greater danger than I am.”
“What did he do this time?”
“He set up his office directly across from Team Leader Park’s loan business. Some borrowers have even taken out loans from Lee Young-han just to pay off their debts to Team Leader Park.”
Lee Young-han was even more aggressive than I had anticipated.
He was offering loans at rates lower than Team Leader Park’s and actively promoting them by hiring people to spread the word. He had even put up large banners all over Myeong-dong.
“Team Leader Park must be seething with anger.”
“For now, he’s keeping up appearances. But Lee Joon-soo (Executive Lee) is the one who’s completely lost it. He’s stormed into Lee Young-han’s office multiple times.”
“You mean he actually led people to attack Lee Young-han?”
“They brought people with them, but no actual fight broke out. They just threw around some veiled threats before leaving.”
It was no surprise that Executive Director Lee Joon-soo was losing his temper.
He was the one handling the Yakuza’s funds, and if things went south, he was also the one in the most danger.
Soon, he would begin to realize just how much protection he had been enjoying.
Now that the "Gwanghwamun Bear," his once-reliable shield, was gone, he would have to fend for his own survival.
“So, he doesn’t have the guts to resort to direct violence just yet?”
“We’ve been spotting members of the Busan Ohseong gang and Yakuza in Myeong-dong more frequently. A direct attack is highly likely in the near future.”
“Assign security personnel to protect Lee Young-han as well. But don’t get involved in the fight itself. Only intervene enough to ensure his survival.”
“I’ve already deployed security for him. I’ll send additional personnel to closely monitor the situation in Myeong-dong.”
Captain Kang had everything well prepared.
CCTV cameras had been installed throughout Myeong-dong for surveillance, and a large number of personnel had been deployed to prepare for any emergency.
***
Team Leader Park's Office
Once again, Lee Joon-soo was fuming, his voice booming through the office.
“I’m telling you, Lee Young-han isn’t acting alone! That bastard Kim Min-jae must be backing him. Otherwise, where the hell would he get all that money to throw around?”
“We can’t be certain yet. Even if Director Kim Min-jae is involved, it’s unlikely that he can pour more money into Myeong-dong than the Japanese investors.”
“Of course! But the problem is, now we have to spend even more money to take over Myeong-dong!”
Both Team Leader Park and Lee Joon-soo looked exhausted.
They had already spent more money than they should have, trying to counter Lee Young-han’s aggressive tactics.
And to make matters worse, the situation in Myeong-dong wasn’t working in their favor.
Somehow, rumors had spread that Japanese funds were flowing into Team Leader Park’s office. Upon hearing this, local loan sharks had started siding with Lee Young-han instead.
“Lee Young-han’s funds must be running low by now. No one knows the chairman’s assets better than I do. Considering the size of the inheritance he received, he shouldn’t have much left.”
“What if Kim Min-jae is supporting him? That means he can hold out longer!”
“Taewoo Group can’t openly help him. If word got out that a major conglomerate was involved in loan sharking, their reputation would take a massive hit.”
“You really think Kim Min-jae is that easy to deal with? He’ll definitely find a way to help him under the table.”
“So, what do you suggest?”
Team Leader Park’s voice turned sharp.
He was getting fed up with Lee Joon-soo showing up at his office every day to whine.
“Why are we making this so complicated? Let’s just handle it the easy way.”
“And what’s the easy way?”
“Swish—!”
Lee Joon-soo ran his thumb across his neck in a cutting motion.
Having spent years in the underbelly of Myeong-dong, Team Leader Park immediately understood what that gesture meant.
“You’re talking about killing them?”
“This is already a life-or-death fight, isn’t it? Why waste money trying to crush them financially when we can just get rid of them for good?”
“Who exactly are you suggesting we kill?”
“Lee Young-han and Kim Min-jae. Honestly, taking out just one of them would be enough to solve our problem. But if we can get rid of both, even better.”
“Director Kim Min-jae has Taewoo Group backing him. If we make a wrong move, it could turn into a massive disaster.”
Taewoo Group had an unshakable position in South Korea.
No matter how much money flowed through Myeong-dong, they didn’t have the power to eliminate the successor of the country’s second-largest conglomerate.
“Do you really think Kim Min-jae doesn’t have enemies? As long as it can’t be traced back to us, there’s no problem.”
“It’s still too risky.”
“Then let’s start with Lee Young-han. If that doesn’t work, we’ll move on to Kim Min-jae.”
“If anything happens to Director Kim Min-jae, Chairman Kim Tae-jung won’t sit still. He’ll use every resource at his disposal to move the government itself.”
“That’s exactly why we should target Lee Young-han first. If we get rid of him, Kim Min-jae will be too scared to make a move.”
Team Leader Park fell into deep thought.
If he could just secure his position as the rightful successor of the Gwanghwamun Bear, taking control of Myeong-dong would be easy.
But for that to happen, Chairman Lee’s grandson, Lee Young-han, had to be removed from the picture.
“Our own men would have a hard time handling this. Their faces are already too well known, making it difficult to get close.”
“Then let’s ask the Yakuza for help. They specialize in professional hitmen, don’t they? You just need to act as the middleman, Team Leader Park.”
“…Alright. I’ll set up an opportunity to take care of Lee Young-han.”
In the end, Team Leader Park had crossed the line.
But that was inevitable.
The moment he joined hands with Lee Joon-soo, he had already abandoned his humanity.
