Jo So-deok could not hide his deep satisfaction as he looked at the newly renovated department store.
The three floors had been neatly set up for pop-up stores.
Could it have been done any better than this?
'Even if I were asked to do it again, I couldn't make it this good.'
That wasn't the only thing he was pleased about.
The space that perfectly suited Jo So-deok's taste was the men's wear zone on the fifth floor.
Normally, various brands would be haphazardly mixed together.
But!
Thanks to the CEO's bold decision, only three distinctive stores filled the spacious area comfortably.
First, Ralph Warren.
'Wow!'
You can't talk about men's clothing without mentioning these guys.
They exclusively launched the new Double L.R. (LLR) line, which maximized the Western frontier spirit, right here in London.
The quality went without saying.
The modern interpretation of Western style was truly an art form.
Perhaps that's why.
Even before the grand opening, Jo So-deok had spent a whopping 10 million won.
Thanks to that, his wardrobe became well-stocked… but his wallet became significantly thinner.
If Jo So-deok, known for being stingy, spent that kind of money, Double L.R.'s success was guaranteed.
If Ralph Warren took up half of the fifth floor, the other half was split between John Green, the pinnacle of handmade shoes, and Lord Lewis's tailor shop, which had once provided uniforms for a royal school.
This was a secret…
But perhaps because they allowed Lord Lewis to open a Queensman store in a shop-in-shop concept…
CEO Park Ji-hoon decided to reward them generously, promising never to collect rent from them.
It might look like a loss if only the money was considered.
But bringing in an artisan chosen by the royal family undoubtedly had symbolic significance.
'Anyway, our Boss always thinks far ahead.'
His foresight was almost on the level of a space telescope, which sometimes caused trouble for his subordinates, but where could you find someone more reliable than Boss Park Ji-hoon?
In any case.
With Ralph Warren, John Green, and even Lord Lewis.
Now, the fifth floor of London's department store would become a sanctuary for British gentlemen.
As Jo So-deok was smiling to himself in satisfaction…
"Sir."
The awkward title greeted his ears once again.
"CEO Park Ji-hoon is waiting for your call."
Jo So-deok rushed back to the office in a hurry.
Without even catching his breath, he grabbed the receiver.
"B… Boss, did you arrive safely?"
(Of course. Thanks to you.)
The voice was pleasant.
Had the talk with the chairman gone well?
Then, an unexpected answer came.
(I've decided to acquire the Ferrari team.)
"Pardon? Fe… Ferrari?"
He didn't ask whether that was possible.
If it was the CEO, there must be a brilliant idea behind it.
(We need to win with the Hyungang engine before I graduate high school.)
"You're going to be busy for a while."
Jo So-deok waited, thinking there would be some instructions.
However, Park Ji-hoon's response was remarkably simple.
(I just wanted to tell you.)
"Sorry?"
(Because you've been with me from the beginning. I thought I should let you know.)
Honestly, this part got him a bit choked up.
He knew there are plenty of good words in the world.
Things like "I trust you," "I'll put you in a valued position," or "You've worked hard, so you deserve a worthy reward."
But why was it…
That one honest phrase, casually thrown out as if it were nothing.
That sincerity of saying, "Aren't you the person who's been with me from the beginning?"
It stirred the loyalty of Jo So-deok, the human being, to the extreme.
'Boss! I don't know how long I will live, but until the moment I close my eyes, I will give you my unwavering loyalty!'
Jo So-deok asked, trying hard to calm his excitement.
"Once this project is finished, will you finally gain your freedom?"
(I hope so. I'll be spending at least a trillion won… If my grandfather has any conscience…)
Gulp!
At the word 'trillion,' he almost choked.
(Still, well, Grandpa will fulfill his dream, and I'll become a free man. Spending a trillion for that… seems like something I can live with.)
"Boss, I will also do my best… to be of help."
(It's okay.)
"I will somehow boost the department store's sales…"
(The department store's money should go back into the department store, right?)
"...!"
'I had forgotten. Our Boss was known for his ethical management, after all.'
"Well, in any case, I will make sure I'm of help…"
(Just talking to you from time to time is more than enough help, you know?)
Sniff!
The loyalty that was supposed to last until the day he closed his eyes…
'I swear, even in my next life, I will serve only you, Boss!'
Extended, unbelievably, to the next life (!) in that moment.
***
In Park Ji-hoon's room.
'It would've been great if the professor could stay in Korea too.'
Swallowing a sense of regret, I laid down on the bed.
It's only one person.
But even so, I was really grateful to have someone I could completely open up to.
Just wait till I turn twenty.
I'll definitely throw a wine party with Professor!
Anyway.
"..."
I laid down to sleep, but for some reason, my eyes were wide open.
Maybe it's because I'm sleeping in a different place.
Or maybe it's because I have something on my mind.
'Ferrari, huh.'
It's going to cost quite a bit of money.
I have plenty of steady income, so I do have the mighty weapon of installment payments, but…
'I can't exactly talk about installment plans to people who are refusing to sell.'
That means I might have to pay both the acquisition fee and a year's operating expenses in a lump sum, possibly amounting to a trillion won.
Ji-hoon, couldn't you just retire and live comfortably with that money?
Tsk.
My best cash cows are Capsulemon and Mad Bull.
But still.
If I recklessly churn out Capsulemon products just because I need money…
'The quality will drop, people will get tired of the characters, and the IP's value will plummet.'
On the other hand, what about Red Bull?
It has a structure where mass production isn't an issue, and the more sales increase, the easier distribution becomes.
Besides, no matter how much it sells, there's no risk of its image being worn out.
'I guess I should focus on Red Bull for the time being.'
Planning to earn a trillion won by selling drinks.
I must admit, I'm pretty amazing.
Scratch, scratch.
But isn't it strange?
Instead of feeling burdened, I actually feel excited.
Honestly, I might even be enjoying this situation.
Come to think of it…
Even though I pretend otherwise, like Tennessee, who loves games,
Maybe, just maybe, I find a little bit of fun in management too?
Ah, whatever.
'What nonsense am I spouting!'
Enough of that—let's just get some sleep.
I closed my eyes.
"..."
For a long time, I lay there, waiting for sleep that wouldn't come.
***
The next morning.
As soon as I woke up, I took a shower, put on my workout clothes, and stepped outside.
'How long has it been since I exercised in Korea?'
Unlike the gloomy skies of London, the morning in Seoul was still clear and blue.
Grin.
'Shall we give it a run?'
It was such a quiet and serene neighborhood that all I could hear were the birds chirping.
Thanks to that…
"Hoo. Hoo-oo."
I could focus entirely on my breathing.
The great thing about running is that it completely clears your mind.
After running non-stop for about 30 minutes…
Huff. Huff-huff.
Catching my breath, I slowly lifted my head.
'It's been a while since I've been to the office.'
Before studying abroad, I used to come here every day.
Anyway.
Although it was still quite early before work hours, the lights were already on.
I went up to the third floor where the lights were on, intending to say hello.
Through the glass door, I saw a familiar face.
It was Martin.
An outstanding talent who graduated top of his class from MIT!
A genius who initially wanted to work in art appraisal but later transitioned into game development!
"Oh? Boss!"
"How have you been?"
"Good, thanks to you. I've made a lot of money and lived comfortably."
Living comfortably, huh…
That face, clearly showing he hadn't gone home and had spent another night at the office!
Did he notice my expression?
"I stayed because I wanted to. Besides, the game is about to launch soon…"
"Is it your project, Martin?"
"Well, it's a bit embarrassing to call it a project. Haha."
Judging by his face, he looked like someone who had gone through so much that he planned to take a good break once this was finished.
"Actually, the testing was completed a while ago. I've just been holding onto it out of caution. I'll double-check for a day or two more, and if there are no issues, I'll release it."
"Is it a PC game?"
"Yes, the military one I showed you back then…"
"Ah."
The one Jack had harshly given feedback on!
Still, it's a relief that it's finally completed. Heh-heh.
After that, we caught up on the conversations we had missed.
Martin said he had been following my news through international channels.
Hearing that he learned about me through the news felt a bit strange.
Anyway.
Since we had started a conversation, I decided to carefully bring up a work-related topic.
"By any chance, can you introduce me to some engineers from your MIT alumni network?"
"There are many kinds of engineers…"
"Automotive engineers."
The salary offer was up to 2 million dollars after taxes.
The candidate needed to hold a Ph.D. from MIT and be flexible enough to work in various locations like Korea and Italy.
Naturally, housing, a vehicle, basic living expenses, and even a personal interpreter would be provided.
"That means you're looking for someone who's essentially a top-tier talent, right?"
"Yes, ideally someone whom any company would line up to hire."
"What exactly will they be working on?"
"Developing engines for F1."
"F1?"
For a moment, Martin's expression completely changed.
"So… you're looking for people to join in developing F1 engines?"
Nod, nod.
"If you don't mind…"
"...?"
"Could I… apply as well?"
A completely unexpected answer.
"I don't need a salary."
"...?"
"F1, robots, rockets. It's the kind of thing any scientist dreams of working on. If you give me the chance, I'll dedicate myself to it."
I appreciated his offer to help, but…
Could Martin, a physicist, really work on engine development, which is considered the pinnacle of mechanical engineering?
"I'll have to study, of course. I don't expect to be put on the front lines right away."
"Ah… sorry, but we don't have much time. We need results within two years and six months…"
"I'll master the basics in three months."
"Pardon?"
"Give me six months, and I'm confident people will call me an expert."
Where does that confidence even come from?
Well, Martin was known as a genius even at MIT, a place full of prodigies.
More importantly…
He wasn't the kind of person to make exaggerated claims out of greed.
"I'm truly confident."
Fine, there's no point in overthinking it.
I was just about to make a decision when…
"But, Boss."
"...?"
"There are several teams in F1. Can you tell me which team you plan to join?"
"It's still in the planning stage, nothing's been finalized yet."
"But don't all of your plans come true, Boss?"
Martin, joking around like that… He must really want to do this.
"For now, I'm keeping an eye on Ferrari."
At those words…
Grin.
Martin's lips curled into a big smile.
'I hadn't expected Martin to join us.'
With that unexpected success, I was just stepping out of the office when…
Bustle.
I heard loud chatter coming from the building entrance.
It was my brother, Yoo-geon's, voice.
It wasn't surprising that he had come to the office in the morning, but…
'Huh?'
He wasn't alone?
Everyone was dressed neatly.
At a glance, they looked like a group of model students.
Except for one person, who was holding a pair of nunchucks.
Wait, that face… looks familiar.
Where have I seen him before?
"Ji-hoon!"
"Oh, hey, brother."
"Say hi. This is my brother."
Normally, if they were my brother's friends, they would casually speak to me in informal language.
Most high school students would, after all.
"Ah… Y-you're the one we've only heard about…"
"You seem much more mature in person."
Judging by their expressions, they must have heard plenty about me.
They seemed more intimidated, thinking of me as the company's CEO or the person they had seen on the news, rather than simply Yoo-geon's younger brother.
But there was one person—yes, the guy with the nunchucks—who greeted me with a bright smile.
"So, you're Ji-hoon?"
I didn't expect to be so happy to hear someone speak so casually to me.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Park Ji-hoon."
At that, the man tucked the nunchucks under his arm and reached out for a handshake.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yoon Tae-jun."
Ah… Now I remember where I saw you… You're TJ, aren't you?