An Investor Who Sees The Future

Side Story 2. The Chairman’s Game (1)

Seosung Electronics, which had been counted as a powerhouse in the semiconductor and smartphone markets, joined hands with CarOS to preoccupy the automotive electronic equipment market, growing into a company with a market cap exceeding 1 quadrillion won in no time.

Seosung Electronics did not stop there but decided to challenge a new industry. That is the gaming sector.

The VRMMORPG development led by OTK Games gained tremendous momentum.

This will truly be a game changer that will change the history of the gaming world.

Therefore, Seosung Electronics joined hands with OTK Games and embarked on the development of a console capable of running virtual reality games.

If successful, it was highly likely to become Seosung Electronics’ next cash cow following automotive electronic equipment.

***

Kim Hyun-ho had been unemployed for two years after graduating from a game department at a junior college in a provincial area.

His allowance had long been cut off, so he worked part-time at a convenience store at night, and mainly played games at home during other times.While logged into Lost Fantasy Online, he heard from his unemployed friends who played with him that Seosung Electronics had posted a special recruitment notice related to VRMMORPG console development.

[TearsIsMuscleLoss: Seosung Electronics is doing a special recruitment this time.]

[GUConvenienceStoreWorker: It would be fun to develop a console. Will a VRMMORPG really come out? But aren’t the qualifications tough?]

[Squat500Won: They say the recruitment criteria changed this time, so the minimum education is high school graduation or higher, and they pick solely based on skills without looking at educational background or certifications.]

[GUConvenienceStoreWorker: I heard large corporations are doing a lot of blind recruitment these days, I guess it’s like that.]

[TearsIsMuscleLoss: Since it’s console development personnel, wouldn’t it be advantageous to know a lot about games?]

[Squat500Won: Game addicts must be going crazy trying to submit applications right now.]

[HillArmorSquad: LOL that’s all a lie. They say it’s blind recruitment but they’ll just pick kids from prestigious universities~]

[Squat500Won: True. Still, nothing to lose, right?]

He wasn’t very interested up to this point. But his mind changed the moment he got smacked on the back by his mother.

Smack!

”Ouch! Why did you hit me?”

”You don’t get a job, just playing games at home! What are you going to become? Chul-oh next door got into SSK Telecom! I’m dying of shame whenever I see Chul-oh’s mom!”

”I’m going to get a job too! I’m getting job information right now. You don’t even know.”

”Where are you going to get a job?”

”Seosung Electronics.”

”What? Seosung Electronics? What kind of nonsense is that? Do you think that place is a neighborhood convenience store?”

”Don’t stop me. Your son will join Seosung Electronics soon.”

Mom looked dumbfounded, and his sister, who heard about it later, laughed holding her belly.

”Puhaha! If you get into Seosung Electronics, I’ll light my hand on fire.”

When everyone said it wouldn’t happen, a strange stubbornness arose.

He might not know about other things, but when it came to handling computers and playing games, he was more confident than anyone. He had played almost all MMORPGs released so far, and cleared all the Lost Fantasy series.

Kim Hyun-ho created an application attaching screenshots of the games he had played.

In fact, even while submitting the application, he didn’t think he would get in. But surprisingly, he passed the document screening, went up to the interview, and even got accepted!

What kind of company is Seosung Electronics?

It is indisputably Korea’s largest company and the world’s largest IT manufacturer.

There’s even a saying that if Korea fails, Seosung Electronics won’t fail, but if Seosung Electronics fails, Korea fails.

When her son got into Seosung Electronics, his mom excitedly spread the rumor all over the neighborhood and proudly boasted about her son in front of Chul-oh’s mom.

Of course, his sister didn’t light her hand on fire.

Kim Hyun-ho went to Daejeon for new employee training.

Since it was a special recruitment, there weren’t many people.

Still, as new employees selected from each affiliate gathered in one place, the number was close to 100.

Men and women of similar ages talked to each other and exchanged greetings.

”Which university did you graduate from?”

”I graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Yeonseong University.”

”Yeonseong University. I’m from the Korean Literature Department at Yeonseong University.”

”Oh! Really? What year?”

The new employees who saw each other for the first time grouped together based on school ties.

Even though they said they picked based on skills without looking at educational background and certifications, most were from universities whose names you would know just by hearing, or those who had studied abroad.

It’s natural because educational background and certifications indicate a person’s ability. Therefore, the better the educational background and the more certifications, the higher the possibility of having good skills.

Still, thanks to blind recruitment, there were those who joined despite lower educational backgrounds. Kim Hyun-ho was exactly such a case.

He realized while receiving training.

Right now, everyone is equally clumsy, but soon the gap will widen. It’s natural since while he was playing games, others were studying hard and getting certifications.

To not fall behind, he had to get his act together starting now.

He clenched his two fists and vowed.

’From now on, it’s only studying!’

***

After the new employee training ended.

Kim Hyun-ho entered the console development department. There, a development team that had previously made gaming laptops and monitors had already separated to form a team.

Office couples formed, and employees who became close drank and hung out together, but he spent his time on self-development by going to academies and listening to online lectures after work.

Three months passed like that.

Around the time he was getting used to the work, the team leader approached and said.

”Mr. Kim Hyun-ho.”

”Yes!”

”The President has called for you.”

”Excuse me? The President?”

Seosung Electronics’ business divisions are divided into a total of five: Semiconductor, IM, CE, Display, and Automotive Electronics.

Even looking at just one business division, it is larger than most chaebol groups. Also, Seosung Electronics has supply chains and sales networks not only in Korea but all over the world.

Since they do business targeting the whole world, the period the President stays in Korea is only a few months.

It is extremely rare for a new employee to have a private meeting with the President.

’What on earth is going on?’

He headed to the President’s office, extremely nervous. As he entered the President’s office guided by the secretary, he saw Cho Dong-jun, the President of the IM Division of Seosung Electronics.

He bowed and greeted him.

”Hello. I am Kim Hyun-ho, a new employee at Seosung Electronics.”

”Sit there for a moment.”

President Cho Dong-jun was focused on scanning some documents. When he glanced to see what it was, it was none other than his job application.

”I see here you have a history of winning prizes in game competitions.”

”Yes. When I was a university student, I participated in a StarCraft competition hosted by Bear TV and won 3rd place.”

At that time, he briefly dreamed of becoming a professional gamer. Although he quit immediately after being eliminated in the preliminaries of the next competition.

President Cho Dong-jun closed the document and said.

”What is your job?”

Kim Hyun-ho quickly stood at attention and answered.

”I am an employee of Seosung Electronics.”

”I was asking what your job is in Lost Fantasy Online.”

”Excuse me? Ah! I’m a White Mage.”

”What’s your level?”

”Max level.”

”Then can you use Arcane Thrower?”

”It is possible. Because that’s a magic you must learn if you exceed level 30.”

”What about Lightning Surge?”

”I can use it. But since it’s an area-of-effect skill, MP consumption is high, and once used, there is a problem of being completely defenseless for 3 minutes.”

”Do you have raid experience?”

”Yes.”

In fact, from Legend of War, WOF, Black Desert, to Lost Fantasy Online, he had literally joined every raid group there was.

Not only did he participate, but he also achieved the Raid Leader Triple Crown by serving as raid leader in all three major games.

”I’ll ask one last thing. Why did you choose White Mage as your job?”

”Because I’m confident in my control.”

Mages have to control the mouse and input commands when using magic. The damage output varies vastly depending on how accurately and quickly you input. That was the reason he chose White Mage.

President Cho Dong-jun stood up from his seat, smiled satisfactorily, and patted his shoulder.

”You pass. You are exactly the talent we were looking for.”

”...Excuse me?”

***

’Mother! Your son is being recognized like this at the company!’

But it’s still a mystery what he was recognized for.

”From now on, there is something you have to do.”

Kim Hyun-ho asked cautiously, gauging the mood.

”What work should I do?”

”Please take charge as the raid leader of the SS Raid Group from today.”

”...Excuse me?”

After work, Kim Hyun-ho headed to a cafe in Nonhyeon-dong with President Cho Dong-jun.

Six people were already gathered there. They were raid members of the SS Raid Group, all composed of Seosung Group executives and employees.

”Except for those who had work, only those nearby gathered.”

They welcomed Kim Hyun-ho gladly.

”Welcome. I am Joo Seong-mo, Executive Director of Seosung Life Insurance.”

”Nice to meet you. I am Choi Dong-wook, Director of Seosung Fire & Marine Insurance.”

The lowest rank among them was team leader level.

After the introductions, Kim Hyun-ho sat down. After everyone ordered coffee, President Cho Dong-jun brought up the main topic.

”Do you know that the Chairman plays Lost Fantasy Online?”

”Yes. I saw it in the media.”

Perhaps because of that, OTK Games and Seosung Electronics joined hands to hold events several times.

Kim Hyun-ho asked.

”Excuse me, but where did the person who was originally the raid leader go?”

”The former raid leader was Manager Seong Min-ho of Seosung SB.”

While playing Lost Fantasy Online diligently, he scolded a Paladin he was raiding with for being too bad. But it turned out that Paladin was the Chairman of the company he worked for.

It was a famous anecdote that Chairman Im Jin-yong visited him in person and ate with him. He knew they had been playing games together since then...

’Don’t tell me he got fired because of that time??’

While he was thinking that, President Cho Dong-jun said.

”A while ago, he was promoted and went to the Frankfurt branch. Since he has to receive training for a year, it’s too much for him to take on the role of raid leader for the time being.”

”I, I see.”

’Fortunately, he wasn’t fired and was promoted safely.’

”Currently, our raid group is preparing for the Karak’tula raid.”

Karak’tula is one of the representative boss mobs in Lost Fantasy Online, and you can receive various items if you defeat it.

Among them, the core is...

”The Chairman needs the Polaris Sword, which can be obtained by defeating Karak’tula. Since this is a bound item, it can only be obtained through a raid.”

Lost Fantasy Online is a subscription-based service and did not sell any items related to the game. However, it did not block item trading between users. Therefore, money and items earned in the game were actively traded between users.

There was also an official site for brokering and auctioning this.

However, since bound items are bound to the account, trading was impossible unless the character was sold entirely.

”Can’t he just buy a similar sword? Even if the Polaris Sword can’t be traded, the Galaxy Sword can be traded. The damage output is better, and it even has an area buff skill.”

In fact, the Polaris Sword wasn’t that great of an item.

If he used real money, he could easily buy it for about 5 million won. If someone who didn’t know heard this, they would be horrified asking why spend that much money on a game item, but compared to items asking for tens of millions of won, this is nothing.

A while ago, a Red Stream successfully enhanced to +7 was traded for over 100 million won at an auction.

President Cho Dong-jun asked Kim Hyun-ho.

”Do you know what rank the Chairman is among the richest people in Korea?”

It was an out-of-the-blue question, but he answered calmly.

”Isn’t he 4th?”

There was a time when the Seosung Group owner family came to mind when thinking of the richest people in Korea. Although their domestic ranking was pushed back due to the OTK Company trio, their world ranking actually rose by dozens of steps.

As Kim Hyun-ho seemed not to understand, President Cho Dong-jun added a word.

”Why would the Chairman play the game if he was going to use real money?”

”Ah...”

The reason games are fun is that rewards are given in proportion to the time and effort spent. If you can easily get what you want through real money, there is no need to play the game.

”The Chairman’s principle is no real money trading.”

That is why the raid must succeed.

Karak’tula is a representative boss mob of Lost Fantasy Online.

Although there are many things to gain if the raid succeeds, it is notoriously difficult to clear. Even if skilled raid groups go in, about two-thirds fail.

”Have you ever tried to clear it before?”

President Cho Dong-jun nodded.

”We challenged it twice but failed. We somehow managed to enter phase 3, but then we were wiped out.”

Depending on the boss mob, some transform as the battle progresses. The strategy changes each time.

Kim Hyun-ho watched the video of the failed raid on his smartphone. And he coolly analyzed the power of the SS Raid Group.

”The 15-person raid composition itself is not bad. It would be better if one dealer was removed and one more healer was added, but the current composition is okay. The important thing is tactics. A boss mob raid isn’t done by just rushing in and gang-banging... no, group attacking. You have to devise group tactics tailored to the type of boss mob.”

At his words, the expressions of the President, Executive Director, Director, etc., brightened.

”Hoho! This friend is extraordinary.”

”To think such a talent was in Seosung Electronics.”

”I look forward to future raids.”

Kim Hyun-ho, receiving everyone’s expectations, said flusteredly.

”But I lack in many ways to be a raid leader.”

The position of a raid leader is one with heavy responsibilities and duties, more so than a group project leader. You have to lead the entire raid while doing your share. And you also have to act as a mediator to prevent disputes between raid members.

’Because the game world is wide and trolls are many.’

It is common for raids to fail or for raid groups to disband due to unqualified raid leaders.

”I haven’t even properly adjusted to my work yet, so I’m not sure if I should take on such an important position.”

President Cho Dong-jun put his hand on his shoulder and said.

”Games are also an extension of work.”

”...Excuse me?”

”When mobile phones first came out, no one imagined that everyone in the world would carry one. The Chairman thinks the VRMMORPG console will be the same. That’s why he is playing the game himself and agonizing over the development direction.”

”Ah! Such a deep meaning! That’s why you are also diligently playing Lost Fantasy Online, President!”

At Kim Hyun-ho’s exclamation, President Cho Dong-jun nodded.

”That’s exactly it.”

In truth, he was just doing it because it was fun.

***

Notes:

”Light my hand on fire” (손에 장을 지지다) is a Korean idiom meaning one is absolutely certain something won’t happen, similar to ”I’ll eat my hat.”