Chapter 102
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: LC Group
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Chairman Ma Dae-chul struggled to conceal his surprise.
The company's chief executive was far younger than he had expected.
'He owns 51% of the shares at that age?'
Didn't that mean he possessed over 280 billion won?
"I heard you own 51% of this company's shares. Is that true?"
"Yes, it is, Chairman."
"If you don't mind my asking, which corporation does your family belong to?"
Given his wealth, he must have assumed Ryu Min was from a chaebol family, like Ma Kyung-rok.
Ryu Min shook his head.
"I don't have any parents. My background is quite humble."
"..."
"The only reason I was able to acquire such a large sum of money was luck. I was fortunate enough to come into a windfall."
"And you poured all that money into my son's company?"
"Because I was certain."
"Certain that it would grow significantly if it changed its business model?"
"Yes."
"..."
Though his expression remained unchanged, Ma Dae-chul was reeling with shock internally.
'This is certainly no ordinary young man.'
Even facing him, the young man's gaze was steady, his voice unwavering.
Moreover, he was capable.
He called it luck, but most people would let such an opportunity slip by.
This was why they said luck was a form of skill.
"How old are you?"
"I'm twenty this year."
His age matched his appearance, but his demeanor did not.
'Did my son have this kind of insight and nerve when he was twenty?'
Ma Dae-chul could only shake his head.
His children were accomplished, but they couldn't compare to this young man.
"So, you're the one who proposed this business idea, then."
"I did propose it, yes. But I only tossed out the initial idea. Most of the detailed systems are the work of Representative Ma here."
"Kyung-rok?"
As Ryu Min passed the credit to him, Ma Kyung-rok was inwardly surprised.
It was a completely unexpected remark.
"Honestly, I didn't do much. Representative Ma was the one who designed the specific systems, created various business items, and managed the operations. I merely provided the framework; he was the one who worked through the night to add the bones and flesh."
"Is that true?"
"Ah... yes."
In truth, Ryu Min had contributed as well, but it wasn't a complete lie.
When they were starting out, ideas had been flowing, and he and Ryu Min had often discussed various items.
Ryu Min's advice had been a great help back then, but...
'To give me all the credit.'
One would think he'd want to curry favor with the chairman of Oseong Group, yet Ryu Min was instead propping up Ma Kyung-rok.
But there was no way the seasoned and experienced Ma Dae-chul would fail to see the truth.
'Hmm, a young man who knows how to praise others and isn't greedy, to boot?'
He was truly a talent to be coveted.
If he had his way, he would adopt him as a son and give him proper management training.
'Ahem, am I getting too old? What a foolish thought...'
Ma Dae-chul cleared his throat to dismiss the thought and turned around.
"I understand. With this level of passion, I see there's nothing to worry about for the future."
With that, Ma Dae-chul turned and walked away without another word.
Ma Kyung-rok followed him in a fluster.
"Are you... are you leaving?"
"Can't you tell?"
"Why don't you stay a little longer?"
"Why would I? I'm a busy man myself."
Ma Dae-chul turned his head and spoke in an indifferent tone.
"I'll be watching to see how much you grow. If you make it into the KOSDAQ top 50 within a year, I'll appoint you as my successor, as promised."
"Thank you."
Leaving only those words behind, Ma Dae-chul disappeared.
He didn't look back once.
"Whew, he's gone."
"Major Shareholder. You spoke very well."
"You have no idea how nervous I was on the inside. Haha."
Ryu Min joked, but Ma Kyung-rok didn't laugh.
There was something he seriously wanted to ask.
"Major Shareholder. Why did you tell my father it was all my idea? You clearly proposed several items yourself."
"But that's all I did. You were the one who deliberated over those items, developed them, and put them into action, weren't you, Representative?"
"..."
"I was only stating the facts."
Ma Kyung-rok quietly observed Ryu Min.
He had almost been overshadowed by another's achievement, but thanks to Ryu Min praising him in front of his father, he had saved face.
'This is all thanks to Major Shareholder Ryu Min.'
The way Ma Kyung-rok looked at Ryu Min changed.
From a gaze of wariness to something softer.
Seeing this, Ryu Min smiled inwardly with satisfaction.
'Good. I was able to lower his guard.'
In any case, Ryu Min had no need to impress the chairman.
Claiming the ideas as his own wouldn't have gotten him anything extra.
'It's better to build goodwill with Ma Kyung-rok this way.'
Pretending not to notice Ma Kyung-rok's grateful gaze, Ryu Min smiled to himself.
* * *
The world only remembers first place.
Second place is always destined to be overshadowed by the first.
There was one company that felt this fact most keenly.
Oseong Group's rival, LC Group.
Click- click- scroll-
The more he moved the mouse, the more worry creased the face of LC Group's chairman, Song Baek-hyun.
[Player Place Inc., Stock Price Rises Again Today!]
[PlePle Nears 100,000 Users Just One Month After Launch!]
[A Company Growing by the Day, Player Place!]
[What is the Secret to PlePle's Success? By Accurately Grasping Players' Needs...]
[PlePle's CEO, Ma Kyung-rok, Revealed to be Oseong Group's Heir...]
"Did they bribe someone? Why are there so many articles?"
Muttering to himself, Song Baek-hyun clicked on the comments section of an article.
└Anyone here use PlePle? Raise your hand!
└Me! It's so easy to sell items here! The app is super user-friendly too.
└I sold all my useless materials on PlePle.
└Me too, me too. I thought they were junk and wouldn't sell, but someone actually bought them lol
└I was short on cash lately, but I sold some items and made a nice chunk of change lol
└ㅋㅋ For real. I quit my part-time job and am surviving by selling trash mobs' drops.
└I usually buy any decent rare equipment that pops up here right away.
└It's really convenient for buying gear too.
└We really needed a site for players, and PlePle is perfect.
└The stock price hits the daily limit every day, it's such easy money.
└This is even crazier than Bitcoin during its peak. Gotta scrape together some cash and invest ASAP.
└This is true. Anyone not investing in PlePle is an idiot.
└The LC Group chairman probably won't invest out of pride, right?
└So PlePle was made by Oseong Group. They hit the jackpot.
└It's Oseong Group, so it makes sense. They've done it again.
└Classic Oseong.
"What a load of crap. Haa."
Song Baek-hyun turned off the monitor completely.
If he read any more, he might just die of frustration.
Knock, knock-
"Come in."
Seeing the person who entered the chairman's office, Song Baek-hyun's eyebrows arched.
It was none other than his eldest son, Song Jae-gyeom.
"Father. You called for me?"
"Jae-gyeom. How old are you this year?"
"I am thirty-two."
"I mean your international age."
"Thirty... sir."
"Haaa."
As a sigh escaped the chairman's lips, Song Jae-gyeom lowered his head like a sinner.
"The age limit for Players is twenty-nine, wasn't it?"
"Y-yes."
"You must feel wronged, don't you? Missing the cutoff to become a Player by just one year."
"I'm not sure..."
"Why not? Becoming a Player gives you abilities. No matter how incompetent you are, you get a superpower, an 'Eneung'. Isn't that great? Huh?"
"..."
It would be great, of course.
But Song Jae-gyeom couldn't smile.
He knew his father's words were a jab at his incompetence.
"Look at our rival, Oseong Group. They're expanding globally while we're always stuck in second place. Why is that? It's not like our technology is that far behind, is it? Huh?"
"..."
"It's because people only remember first place. After first, it doesn't matter if you're second or third. And that first place is often determined by luck. The gap with second place isn't even that big. Do you know what that means?"
"..."
"It means that with enough effort, even second place can become first. With enough effort! But is our group not putting in the effort? That's not it either. We're working our asses off, but we just can't overcome them. The gap has already widened to a point where ordinary effort can't close it. So, what we need is a heavy hitter, a knockout punch, you see?"
"..."
Despite the somewhat agitated voice, Song Jae-gyeom let it go in one ear and out the other.
He was so used to this kind of nagging that he would feel strange if he didn't hear it.
"Do you know what articles I was just reading?"
'He was probably reading about Oseong Group. He spends all day fuming over it.'
"Apparently, Oseong Group has launched a new venture with a blockbuster item. Have you heard of Player Place?"
"Player... Place?"
His eyes widening slightly in surprise, Song Jae-gyeom nodded as if he knew.
"I've heard of it."
"It's an item created by Oseong Group. And by none other than their eldest son, Ma Kyung-rok."
Ma Kyung-rok is the CEO of PlePle?
This was the first he'd heard of it, and Song Jae-gyeom's expression hardened.
"How many years older are you than Ma Kyung-rok?"
"Three years..."
"And Ma Kyung-rok is the younger one, isn't he?"
"..."
"But that young punk, a tiger's cub is still a tiger, it seems he has an eye for business. To hit such a jackpot item. Meanwhile, someone else grew up in an environment that was just as good, if not better, yet can't even get a single headline with his name on it."
"..."
Song Jae-gyeom remained impassive at the blatant comparison.
He wasn't even tired of it anymore.
"If you had at least become a Player, I wouldn't be berating you like this. So, what should you do? Shouldn't you launch a major business venture like Ma Kyung-rok? I'm not even asking for a home run. A double, or even a single would do. Huh? As a man who's taken business classes, shouldn't you show some results? As the eldest son of LC Group."
"I will... show you results."
"Oh? Do you have a project in the works?"
"I have been preparing something in secret."
"What is it?"
"It's not yet at a stage where I can reveal it. Please wait a little longer, Father."
"Didn't you say the same thing last time? Are you just making excuses to get out of a lecture?"
"It's true, so please trust me and watch. I'm preparing a knockout punch."
"Haa, well, alright. I'm sure you've heard and understood enough by now. You may leave."
"Yes, please rest well."
Bowing his head, Song Jae-gyeom left the chairman's office.
Click-
He closed the door and thought deeply.
How had things come to this?
'This is all because of that bastard Ma Kyung-rok.'
When a person is subjected to comparisons until their ears bleed, they are bound to grow resentful.
Did he not want to become a Player himself?
'What can I do about being unlucky?'
Some might consider it fortunate that he was excluded by a mere one-year difference.
He had, after all, survived a life-or-death game.
But for Song Jae-gyeom, whose reality was a living hell, it was nothing short of misfortune.
'If only I had become a Player too...'
If he had, he could have at least competed with Ma Kyung-rok on a level playing field.
'There's no use regretting it now.'
Clack, clack-
His dress shoes echoed as Song Jae-gyeom walked.
Click- creak-
He entered his private office and leaned back in his chair.
"Haaa."
He took off his glasses for a moment and pressed his temples firmly.
The stress lately had been immense.
'Player Place was Ma Kyung-rok's?'
That was new information.
To confirm if it was true, he turned on his monitor and searched for articles.
"It's true."
A surge of irritation washed over him.
And to think he had recommended the site to his cafe members without knowing.
He had effectively helped his mortal enemy from behind the scenes.
As he frowned, another article caught his eye.
[Congressman Lee Seong-hyun's Anti-Player Bill Passes Vote!]
[Lee Seong-hyun: "Players are like cancer cells in society."]
[As Player-related crime increases, so does support for Lee Seong-hyun...]
[If the bill is enacted, Players can be subdued with force!]
[Players hunting Players? Police to prioritize recruiting Players.]
[Anti-Player Police Unit to be formed as early as next month.]
'So that guy was the problem.'
Song Jae-gyeom despised Players as well.
But to expand his own power and stand against Ma Kyung-rok, he had no choice but to side with the Players.
'That congressman... I can't just let him be.'
Noticing it was time for the meeting, Song Jae-gyeom logged into the chatroom.
[The Chairman has entered the chatroom.]