Chapter 64
Chapter 64
Translation: Godtl
The moment the contract was signed and the paid-in capital increase was approved, Enflix received a $3 billion infusion and was able to push forward with their business plans without hesitation.
Truth be told, Enflix had been fully prepared all along.
They simply lacked the fuel for their rocket.
And once that fuel was provided, there was nothing left to fear.
At breakneck speed, they launched their streaming service in 130 countries.
However, CEO Rod had one lingering concern.
It was the fact that, according to Chairman Jeong Jin-ho's directive, they had to go all-in solely on Mysterious Story.
But wasn't he the very benefactor who had generously provided $3 billion without batting an eye?
Of course, while handing over $3 billion, he had also acquired shares under unprecedented terms that no other industry had ever seen.
In any case, as per the contract, Enflix had no choice but to follow his lofty decree.
Thus, they poured all their marketing efforts into Mysterious Story.
They sent actors to famous talk shows, plastered ads across online communities, and TV commercials were a given.
They flooded every corner where people's eyes might land with Mysterious Story, spending enormous sums to ensure its visibility.
"It's almost excessive, if you ask me."
"But didn't our savior explicitly tell us not to hold back on marketing costs?"
"Well, that's true."
At Enflix headquarters, Chairman Jeong Jin-ho had earned himself a special nickname.
The Savior.
After all, he had miraculously rescued Enflix from the brink of bankruptcy like a divine intervention.
Still, it was impossible not to feel uneasy about going all-in on just one drama.
And so, Enflix waited anxiously.
Even with the $3 billion infusion, if their global expansion didn't pan out, they'd be back to square one.
"It—it's a hit."
The wait didn't last long.
At first, it seemed like progress was sluggish, but then—
The number of subscribers began multiplying exponentially.
"What the—how is this even possible? How can it be doing this well?"
Mysterious Story's success was nothing short of explosive.
People were flooding in just to watch that one show, and online communities worldwide were buzzing about nothing but Mysterious Story.
On top of that, the drama topped search rankings on every major review site, earning the highest ratings and receiving rave reviews from countless critics.
"Well, we did get positive feedback internally, but..."
"No one could've predicted it would be this successful."
"Right. Not the director, not the actors—hell, not even our own executives could've imagined this level of success."
"Except for one person."
Everyone present knew exactly who that one person was.
"How on earth did our Savior know Mysterious Story would do this well?"
That was the real mystery.
Chairman Jeong Jin-ho had never even watched the show.
Not a single episode—not even the trailer.
And yet, he had staked $3 billion on it, making an all-in bet on this drama a contractual condition.
It was utterly incomprehensible.
"Unless... he did some secret research beforehand?"
"But how could he know it'd be a hit without even watching it? He didn't see the actual show."
"Well, you know there are actors like that, right? The kind who can just glance at a synopsis or script and immediately know whether it'll be a hit or not."
Some actors have an uncanny knack for picking hit after hit.
Sure, their acting plays a part, but in the end, a hit comes down to the story.
They have an instinct for knowing exactly what kind of material will resonate with the masses, allowing them to cherry-pick only the hits.
"So you're saying he has that kind of ability?"
"How else could he make such an investment? Who in their right mind would drop $3 billion and go all-in on a single show?"
A discerning eye for content, they called it.
An outsider with zero connections to the drama industry had been the only one to foresee Mysterious Story's meteoric success.
And thanks to Chairman Jeong Jin-ho's laser-focused marketing push, that success had undoubtedly accelerated.
In that case...
"Bring me everything slated for release this year or next. Even the ones currently in production."
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"Projected revenue is a staggering $12 billion. And that's just for this year alone. We don't even have a full year left, and $12 billion in revenue is just... mind-blowing, Chairman."
Enflix's growth was nothing short of insane.
"Focusing all marketing on one title not only cut costs but also played a decisive role in its success. At this rate, $12 billion in profit isn't just a dream—it's within reach."
"Vice Chairman. I heard you pulled an all-nighter watching it. Must've been really good, huh?"
Last time, Vice President Kang Ji-hwan had come to work with dark circles under his eyes, so I'd asked if he was feeling unwell. But he said he'd pulled an all-nighter watching Mysterious Story, which Enflix had sent him before its official release.
"Y-you mean you still haven't watched it yet, Chairman?"
"I don't particularly enjoy dramas."
People like me who love games would understand.
Even when watching a drama, the urge to boot up a game is stronger.
I thought I was the only one like that, but it turned out my older brother was the same.
Then something suddenly piqued my curiosity.
"Do you play games by any chance, Vice President?"
Outwardly, he didn't seem like the type to touch games at all.
"I do play. The national folk game, you could say."
There's only one game that fits that description.
"StarCraft?"
"Yes. Occasionally. I don't dislike gaming, but work keeps me busy, and I don't have anyone to play with."
Ah-ha.
So that's how it is.
I should casually bring this up with my brother later.
"······?"
Vice President Kang Ji-hwan flinched slightly when he saw the sudden sparkle in my eyes.
"Also, this is the document Enflix sent to headquarters. I thought you should review this personally, so I brought it with me."
It seemed this document was the real reason the Vice President had come all the way here today.
"These are the projects Enflix plans to release this year or next. Some are still in production. The Enflix team specifically requested that you review this list and advise them on which projects to prioritize."
As I skimmed through the document, I saw brief descriptions and synopses for each project.
"Thanks to you pinpointing Mysterious Story and pushing all-in on that project, Enflix has achieved tremendous success, hasn't it?"
In short, they wanted me to pick which project would be the next hit.
But even so, how could I possibly know just by looking at this...?
'—Ah.'
At first glance, there were no particular signals.
But after quickly scanning the synopses, tendrils began branching out in all directions from my thumb.
Some projects glowed a deep red.
Others a faint red.
I crossed out every project that showed any shade of red.
After that, a few blue ones appeared, but my gaze ultimately stopped at one particular project.
"······."
Just like with Mysterious Story, this was the only project among many that shimmered with a golden light. I circled it multiple times.
"Please relay this as is."
The Vice President, his eyes brimming with curiosity, immediately checked the list.
"······Paper Tower?"
Then he tilted his head in confusion.
Paper Tower.
A heist action genre about robbing a major bank.
"And it's a Spanish drama, no less?"
On top of that, Paper Tower wasn't an English drama—it was Spanish.
Naturally, since people are more accustomed to English, other languages can instinctively evoke resistance.
In other words, unless it was exceptionally entertaining compared to English dramas, success would be extremely difficult.
And yet, my intuition bathed that drama in a golden glow.
But a heist movie... in Spanish.
Would this really work?
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"Chairman. TSNC has announced they're cutting all ties with us this time."
"What? Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? The Yonghae Alliance must've snatched them away. Plus, they probably don't like how closely Gwangun is aligned with Kangsung Group."
President Kim Du-yeong was getting a headache.
Currently, Gwangun Shipping has grown into the world's largest shipping company.
But the bigger the company gets, the more inevitable the pushback becomes.
And at the center of it all was China.
"The port business somehow managed to work out, but now they want to take over the shipping industry too? And what the hell is the Yonghae Alliance anyway?"
Breaking it down, it meant the Alliance of the Dragon's Sea.
Chinese companies, unable to stand by as Gwangun Shipping absorbed their shipping contracts, had formed a coalition.
In a way, it was only natural.
Who would just sit back and watch one company monopolize everything?
Similar alliances had already formed in Europe and elsewhere, but none had exerted any real influence.
But the Yonghae Alliance was different.
Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, they had ample opportunities to secure contracts from the Chinese government, and crude oil prices had spiked dramatically before gradually stabilizing again.
Above all, Chinese conglomerates had deep pockets and government backing, so they seemed focused on reducing Gwangun Shipping's influence even if it meant taking short-term losses.
"On top of that, the Chinese government is steadily increasing pressure... At this rate, we're going to lose a massive number of clients."
TSNC in Taiwan had already completely severed ties with Gwangun.
It was because they were on friendly terms with Kangsung, which threatened their foundry business, and all related companies had also cut off Gwangun and begun leaning toward the Yonghae Alliance.
The biggest problem was that those bastards were targeting Gwangun's facilities at Tianjin Port.
"Chairman. It seems... you might need to go seek some advice on this one."
"Ugh. Anyone got any ideas?"
"We've racked our brains too, but we can't see a way out."
"Sigh. I'm about to bother someone who's already busy enough as it is."
He didn't want to blame the executives.
Kim Du-yeong couldn't see a clear solution either.
Only now did he understand the sentiment of those old Shu Han officials who would scurry off to Zhuge Liang whenever trouble arose.
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"I hear that Enflix business of yours hit the jackpot this time? Hah. Golden hands indeed, golden hands."
Chairman Kim Du-yeong was laughing heartily as he refilled my glass, but his face was practically weeping.
"Chairman, is something wrong?"
"..."
The chairman downed his drink in silence, one after another.
"I know Chairman Jeong is swamped. I'm well aware I'm being shameless every time, but... please, save me this once. We desperately need Chairman Jeong's advice again."
He even went as far as lamenting what was happening to Gwangun Shipping, his frustration boiling over.
"So... you're saying this Yonghae Alliance is threatening your business?"
"Exactly! These bastards are even using the police to dig up every flimsy excuse to investigate us daily, slapping us with every charge imaginable! The chaebols in the Yonghae Alliance must be dumping insane amounts of money into the government. They're practically begging them to screw us over."
It was an expected countermove.
The problem was the sheer intensity of it.
They were absorbing all of our major clients in Taiwan, including TSNC, and even snatching away related clients from other countries.
"I've even heard whispers that they're conspiring to frame me with all sorts of charges so the Chinese government can take me down."
Of course, as a South Korean citizen, he'd be protected—but this was China, not just any other country. The unexpected could very well happen.
"What do they actually want?"
"Tianjin Port. They're making this huge fuss to force us to hand it over now. But I can't give it up. Do you know what kind of hell we went through to build and acquire those facilities?!"
Right then—
KWA-BOOM—!!
"?!"
A deafening explosion, loud enough to rupture eardrums, shook both my ears.
Startled, I wondered if there had been a blast somewhere—but...
"Chairman Jeong? Wh-what's wrong? What happened?"
"You didn't hear that just now?"
"Huh? Hear what?"
Luckily, it wasn't an explosion in this restaurant.
Judging by the chairman's reaction, it seemed only I had heard it.
"..."
I downed my drink, trying to steady my rattled mind.
What the hell was that just now?
"They wouldn't just... take Tianjin Port by force, would they?"
"Well, they're saying they'll pay a 'reasonable price' for us to hand it over and scram. But no matter how high they price it, Tianjin Port is a core facility in our China line. Giving it up means they're planning to swallow the entire line. Our losses would be catastrophic."
Then, something struck me again—so hard it felt like my body was being torn apart.
That's when I realized.
My instincts were warning me about Tianjin Port.
But I had no idea why.
Was it because if we didn't give it up, it could seriously impact our business?
"That's why I came to you for advice. We can't just abandon Tianjin Port like this, right?"
"...Chairman."
"Yeah. Just say it. I'll do whatever Chairman Jeong tells me."
"Just... give them all the Tianjin Port facilities."
"...What?"
Chairman Kim Du-yeong asked again, as if doubting his own ears.
"Give up Tianjin Port?"
"Yes. They said they'd buy it at a fair price, didn't they?"
"B-but if you consider its future value, there's no way we can sell it at that price."
"Give it to them anyway. You know what they say—you don't avoid shit because you're scared of it, but because it's disgusting."
"Don't tell me... Chairman Jeong. Are you doing this to protect me?"
Chairman Kim Du-yeong's face twisted as if he might burst into tears at the slightest touch.
His hand holding the glass was trembling violently.
"Think of how much we've squeezed out of the Chinese government, from shipping to port operations. Just consider this one as a service fee."
"B-but... Chairman Jeong, you worked so hard to get that. It's all because I'm incompetent...! Just hand me over to the Chinese government instead, Chairman Jeong! I'll take the fall!"
"I told you, it's fine."
"No! What kind of person would I be if I let you protect me?"
"Director, how crucial are you to our group? What does some measly facility matter compared to that?"
"P-President Jeong!!"
Director Kim Du-yeong's face was already drenched in tears.