The Red Carpet Premiere
Fantasy Universe gamers were lost in World of Warcraft, while movie enthusiasts counted the days until the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Fresh news kept pouring in. Only about ten days had passed since the open beta began, yet reports already spoke of players reaching the level-60 cap and the first twenty-man dungeon being cleared—developments far beyond anyone’s expectations. Naturally, it was Korea that achieved the first clear. With a content-consumption speed unmatched anywhere else, Korea boasted the largest number of max-level players, who had already formed organized raid groups and were systematically taking down bosses. Originally, the level cap had been expected around a month after the open beta launch, but the pace was three times faster. This sparked concerns that there would be nothing left to enjoy after the official release. However, the developers had prepared extensive endgame content and had not opened every region during the beta. With player-driven content such as faction wars also ready, there would be plenty to keep players engaged even after launch.
While gamers immersed themselves in World of Warcraft, another wave of hot issues swept through the media. ID Group was not the only one preparing for Thanksgiving. Yet once again, the news that set the Thanksgiving season ablaze centered on Yoo Jae-won. This time, however, the story carried far more controversy than before.
—BREAKING: Chairman Yoo Jae-won under consideration for honorary citizenship for his role in the 9/11 response.
The scoop broke a week before Thanksgiving. Debate over the honorary citizenship erupted uncontrollably. The White House had anticipated the backlash and had tried to keep the matter confidential, but the proposal leaked during internal discussions with fellow Democratic lawmakers.
—Only two living individuals have ever received honorary citizenship!
—Does Chairman Yoo Jae-won’s achievement surpass those of Winston Churchill and Mother Teresa?
Opposition spread like wildfire. Headlines listing past recipients and questioning whether Yoo Jae-won belonged in their company were the mildest reactions. Tabloid outlets even claimed he was trying to buy the honor with money. The controversy grew so fierce that President Al Gore himself stepped forward.
—President Al Gore: “I fully understand the concerns and the debate.”
—However, there are many details about Chairman Yoo Jae-won’s contributions that cannot yet be disclosed. Once the information is declassified, the public will understand.
—We will fully respect the judgment of Congress.
The matter moved to Congress, and the outcome was predictable. Even Democratic lawmakers had not all been convinced, and when the vote was called, opposition votes overwhelmed the support. While more Democrats voted in favor than expected, every Republican voted against, and the measure failed.
“So the 9/11 contribution alone wasn’t enough,” Yoo Jae-won muttered as he watched the breaking news on television. It left a bitter taste. Securing honorary citizenship through the 9/11 incident had been part of his master plan. He had invested considerable effort in drone development for that very purpose, only to confirm that it still fell short. He now understood clearly that something far greater would be required to win approval from American lawmakers.
The bitterness did not linger long. Permanent residency was sufficient for running ID Group, and if he ever needed a larger foothold in the United States, he could always consider formal naturalization. Even without tying himself to America, his current activities posed no real problem. Still, as a human being, he felt a twinge of disappointment. When the White House had first contacted him, he had allowed himself a flicker of hope.
“In that case, I should focus on the new-drug development project instead.”
Yoo Jae-won decided to revisit the honorary-citizenship plan with greater caution. Just then, his Android Phone chimed. Messages of comfort arrived from Tiffany and others who had seen the news. Remington, Allen, and even Yeong-sik wrote in. Countless others reached out as well. Some messages felt like empty gestures, but most conveyed genuine concern and regard for him.
“Still, I need to own a broadcast network.”
The internet had become a new arena for communication, yet the role of television networks remained unchanged—past, present, and future. Even when social-media influencers boasted hundreds of thousands or millions of followers and shaped public opinion, they could never replace the press. No medium matched a broadcast network’s ability to produce high-quality programming and distribute it rapidly. Moreover, no channel was better suited to deliver the vast library of content stored in Yoo Jae-won’s mind than over-the-air television. Timeflex held immense potential, but it would still need another decade before its explosive power could be fully realized.
“Come to think of it, wasn’t there a major network on the market around this time?”
Yoo Jae-won stepped into his Memory Palace for the first time in a while. He searched the news archives of the early 2000s and found a flood of articles stamped with the name NBC—the merger between Universal Studios and NBC.
NBC was one of America’s six major broadcast networks. Owner of the legendary RCA, it had launched in October 1919. By 1986 its parent company, RCA, had been acquired by General Electric, and its current standing was far from strong. Although the hit drama Friends gave the appearance of peak popularity, NBC’s fundamentals were shaky. In reality, it would later merge with Vivendi Universal in May 2004, and GE would eventually sell off its stake in NBC. Without Friends, the network would likely have been put up for sale by the late 1990s.
“What if I acquire NBC?”
Buying NBC had never been part of the original plan, yet the more he considered it, the more perfectly it fit. Time Warner Nextcom could own it, with Yoo Jae-won exercising full management control. ID Group would cover the purchase price, neatly preventing the notoriously strict Time Warner board from inserting itself into the deal.
Yoo Jae-won immediately instructed the secretariat and the strategic planning office to review NBC’s assets, ID Group’s retained earnings, and all legal requirements. He also informed Vice Chairman Remington of his intentions. After dispatching those orders, he was about to set the phone down when another name came to mind.
“Ah, this is exactly the kind of matter Mr. Turner specializes in. I should ask for his advice.”
Checking the East Coast time, Yoo Jae-won placed a call to Ted Turner. After the classic ringtone sounded twice—
“What brings our young chairman to call today?”
Ted Turner’s booming voice came through the line. They exchanged a few pleasantries before Yoo Jae-won laid out the NBC acquisition idea. Turner’s reaction was immediate.
“Whose idea was this? It’s brilliant!”
The next day, an urgent call arrived from Remington.
“Boss, great news! Brace yourself—the Time Warner board has unanimously approved your NBC acquisition proposal.”
“Really?” Yoo Jae-won asked, astonished. The idea had surfaced only yesterday, yet the decision had come with lightning speed. For the traditionally minded Time Warner board, it was an unprecedentedly swift move.
“Mr. Ted played a major role. As expected of Ted Turner.”
According to the explanation, the key factor had been the use of the Time Warner Nextcom title. Yoo Jae-won’s original vision for entering the American broadcasting market had been to receive one of Time Warner’s own networks. What he had overlooked was the board’s perspective. Beyond the legal hurdles, the directors feared anything that might undermine their own legacies—an unacceptable concession. That was why they had been reluctant about a network acquisition. NBC, however, changed the equation. While the fear remained, an even greater desire—to solidify the Time Warner media empire—took precedence. Acquiring NBC would fulfill that ambition.
Even when Ted Turner had unexpectedly proposed the merger between Time Warner and Nextcomcast years earlier, the board’s initial skepticism had ultimately given way to approval, driven by the same imperial ambition. If Time Warner served as the public face while Yoo Jae-won covered the acquisition cost, the deal became entirely feasible. Rumors in the financial markets that rival Universal was also considering an NBC bid further accelerated the board’s decision.
“But will the FCC grant approval?”
Acquiring a public broadcast network required multiple regulatory clearances, the most difficult being approval from the Federal Communications Commission. If the FCC judged Time Warner Nextcom too large, approval would likely be denied.
“Fifty-fifty. But the board says it will exert its influence. Mr. Ted is also very enthusiastic.”
Yoo Jae-won accepted the assessment. Still, the outlook was far more positive than the honorary-citizenship effort. In the original timeline, NBC had merged with Universal only to be passed around repeatedly before finally landing in Comcast’s hands. Although Comcast had already vanished through its merger with Nextcom in this timeline, it had once dominated internet and cable television across North America. Now reduced to a single syllable in the lengthy name Time Warner Nextcom, an NBC merger would nevertheless align the flow of events with the history he remembered.
After a long discussion with Remington about the specifics of the NBC acquisition, the video meeting concluded.
“Then I’ll see you this weekend.”
The final greeting differed from usual. The following week was Thanksgiving, and the Remington family was scheduled to return to their hometown of San Francisco. It had been a long time since he had seen Shannon and Emma. Moreover, this year’s Thanksgiving would feature an event unlike last year’s: a group screening of The Philosopher’s Stone.
It would be no ordinary group screening. To celebrate the film’s premiere, the producers, cast, and even the original author, J.K. Rowling, would attend a red-carpet event. After the screening, there would be stage greetings from the director and actors—an enormous occasion for everyone involved with Harry Potter. General admission tickets had been released through P Market’s movie-reservation page and sold out within minutes of going live.
Yoo Jae-won and Tiffany left the house together for the first time in a while, heading to the red-carpet premiere of The Philosopher’s Stone. As the film’s executive producer, Yoo Jae-won had every reason to walk the carpet. Both he and Tiffany were major celebrities in their own right, and the moment they stepped onto the red carpet, camera flashes erupted without pause.
Soon afterward, the Remington family arrived as promised. Finally, a group entered looking distinctly out of place—like borrowed barley sacks at a rice shop. They were the president and executives of ID Electronics’ appliance division. They had come to San Francisco for the year-end settlement of the appliance business and had readily accepted Yoo Jae-won’s invitation to the group screening. They knew the film was one he had invested in, but none of them had expected a full red-carpet premiere. Accustomed to neither Hollywood nor such glamorous events, the president and executives looked thoroughly awkward.
After the red-carpet ceremony concluded amid various small incidents, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone finally began to play.
It was the beginning of a legend.