Chapter 301:

Words : 1363 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

Chapter 301: Chapter 301 That night, Yoo-hyun had a drink with Shin Kyung Wook, the senior manager, at the hotel bar. He felt different from when he met him a year ago. Shin Kyung Wook’s eyes were full of trust for Yoo-hyun. They continued their conversation about Apple from yesterday. “Apple will be...” Shin Kyung Wook predicted the future with his usual insight. With him making his own judgments, Yoo-hyun could also improve. “Yes, you’re right. And...” “That’s right. Then...” Yoo-hyun and Shin Kyung Wook exchanged words without pause. They looked more like equal colleagues than a boss and a subordinate. After talking for a while, Shin Kyung Wook held out his glass. “You and Kim have worked really hard. Thank you.” “Senior manager, you also worked hard.” “Yes, I know. I’m sorry for making you struggle so much.” Yoo-hyun clinked his glass with Shin Kyung Wook’s and said, “Many people are looking after you, senior manager.” “...” Shin Kyung Wook quietly emptied his glass. Then he looked into Yoo-hyun’s eyes. He opened his mouth as if he was probing his inner thoughts. “I know. That’s why I’m not going to avoid it anymore.” “You made a good decision.” It was the only conclusion that Shin Kyung Wook, who had a strong sense of responsibility, could make. Once he was determined, Yoo-hyun had no hesitation either. Glug glug. Yoo-hyun filled his glass and advised him. “Senior manager, do you remember what I told you before?” “The word ‘poison’, right?” “Did I say that?” “It must be exactly the same.” Shin Kyung Wook answered with a smile to Yoo-hyun’s question. His words were light, but he understood Yoo-hyun’s intention precisely. He proved it by giving the answer that Yoo-hyun wanted. “I realized it clearly through this incident. I need to make my own allies.” “Yes, you’re right. You can’t do it alone, senior manager.” “So I’m going to persuade Im, the vice president, one by one.” “That’s a good choice.” Yoo-hyun nodded his head as he saw Shin Kyung Wook taking the initiative. The reason why Shin Kyung Wook was pushed back in the past was clear. It was because of his moderate personality that did not bother to make his own side. It was impossible to compete with Han Kyung Hwee, who had built a solid line without any organization. But now it was different from the past. There was still time, and Shin Kyung Wook had made up his mind. All that was left was to prepare step by step. Glug glug. Yoo-hyun looked at Shin Kyung Wook who filled his glass. His eyes were full of determination and very reliable. But he didn’t need to relax too much now. A boiling pot cools down quickly. With that in mind, Yoo-hyun advised him. “Senior manager, you don’t have to rush your decision.” “Are you saying that because I might become a target?” “That’s one of the reasons.” “One of the reasons?” “Yes. If you want to achieve what you want, you have to prepare a lot behind the scenes. I hope you do that first.” The success of the Apple negotiation had already created a favorable situation for him. The LCD business unit could feel his influence from afar. But that was not enough. He needed to expand his influence not only in other business units but also in various group affiliates. To do that, he had to move a lot of people behind the scenes. He should come forward only after convincing them. Shin Kyung Wook, who read Yoo-hyun’s thoughts, asked in surprise, “What are you really?” “What do you mean?” “How do you know all that?” To an obvious question, Yoo-hyun answered clearly, “As you can see, I’m someone who can read even Steve Jobs’ mind.” “So I should be grateful that someone like you is on my side?” “Of course. You’re lucky, senior manager.” A few moments later, a white sports car stopped in front of Yoo-hyun on the roadside. When Yoo-hyun was wondering if it was possible, the man who got out of the car politely said, “Hello. Are you Han Yoo-hyun?” “Yes, I am.” “This is the car that Richard Shin sent you. Please take the key and...” The man handed over the car to Yoo-hyun as if it was natural and disappeared. Yoo-hyun took the key and snorted. “A sports car doesn’t suit me very well.” Shin Kyung Wook, the senior manager, seemed to have a prejudice against young people. Of course, that didn’t mean he was not grateful for his care. How much did he worry about choosing this car? He smiled as he imagined that. Yoo-hyun got into the car with a good mood. Vroom. The car slid on the road as he stepped on the accelerator. The wind that blew in was quite cool. Yoo-hyun headed to a small building in San Francisco. There was an Airbnb office in a space without a sign yet. He parked his car in the parking lot and entered the office on the third floor. Creak. As soon as the door opened, “Yes. Who are... Oh? Steve.” Joe Gebbia ran over and reached out his hand. His kind eyes under his horn-rimmed glasses were still the same. Yoo-hyun grabbed his friend’s hand whom he hadn’t seen for a long time. “Long time no see.” “You should have contacted me. Then I would have cleaned up a bit.” Joe Gebbia looked around the office with an embarrassed expression. As he turned his head, he saw papers and work tools flying everywhere. It looked more like a factory inspection site after working for several nights than a normal office. Yoo-hyun chuckled and asked, “Brian said I could come anytime, right?” “That guy doesn’t even clean up.” Joe Gebbia was about to clean up when Brian Chesky came in through the front door and was surprised to see Yoo-hyun. “Steve. You finally came.” “Haha. How have you been?” “Of course. I’m doing very well thanks to you.” Brian Chesky showed his unique swagger as he saw Yoo-hyun. His words were like that, but the situation didn’t look so good. The office was still an office. It was small but had partitions and a sofa to sit and rest on. Yoo-hyun sat on the sofa and waited for Brian Chesky’s coffee. Joe Gebbia had been cleaning up around him since then. He felt awkward sitting still, so Yoo-hyun stopped him. “Joe, it’s okay. Sit down.” “No. I can’t show you such a messy place.” Thud. Joe Gebbia put a pile of papers on the table and started cleaning again. Yoo-hyun reached out and flipped through the papers he had piled up. On top of them was feedback from an investment company. The red letters were eye-catching: -Reason for investment disqualification: No investment value due to absurd idea Swish As he turned the page, he saw feedback from other investment companies as well They all had similar opinions and all failed to attract investment Yoo-hyun remembered the message Brian Chesky sent him a while ago and gave a bitter smile -Steve, I’ll have some great news by the time you come He could tell how hard they had worked just by looking at the stacked papers But the reality was harder than they thought Yoo-hyun flipped through their business plans one by one He saw many flaws At that moment Brian Chesky, who came back with coffee in both hands, was startled “Steve, you can’t look at that yet. Joe, what happened?” “Sorry, Steve. I accidentally showed you some unnecessary documents while cleaning up.” Both of them tried not to show their shortcomings to Yoo-hyun. He appreciated their consideration, but he was not a stranger to them anymore. Yoo-hyun looked at his two friends and said, “Brian, Joe, sit down for a moment.” “Uh, okay.” The two nodded their heads at Yoo-hyun’s sudden seriousness.

Chapter 301:

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