Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Black-Haired Investor Awakened as a Superman 027
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"It seems he's planning to invest in the vaccine field."
Someone muttered, seemingly surprised.
The other men sitting at the table looked at Hyun-woo on the platform with interest.
"Not a treatment, then."
Their gazes became even more focused, but there was a subtle sense of rejection mixed in.
It was a cold, calculating look, as if they were evaluating Hyun-woo.
It was definitely not a look of agreement with Hyun-woo's idea.
"Even during SARS, treatments received more attention than vaccines,"
Many of those gathered at the briefing recalled that time.
They placed more weight on the possibility of developing treatments.
To them, who thought vaccines took time and involved more risk, treatments seemed like a practical solution and a source of money.
Treatment candidates were already popping up in their minds.
In particular, treatments like Remdesivir and Hydroxychloroquine were receiving attention from various media outlets.
Just then.
Hyun-woo's voice came out firmly.
"There's no time to waste on developing treatments."
A moment of silence flowed.
As everyone stared at Hyun-woo with puzzled expressions, Hyun-woo's eyes gleamed as he spoke again.
"Please invest your resources generously in vaccine development."
Not a treatment, but a vaccine?
As if guaranteeing it, Hyun-woo's confident tone cut through the minds of those in confusion once again, penetrating deeply.
"We've gathered here today to discuss that."
The venue couldn't have been any quieter.
This wasn't the UN General Assembly.
The people gathered here weren't here to contribute to world peace or the greater good of humanity.
This was, after all, a hedge fund briefing.
A place where everything boiled down to money and profit.
No one discussed justice or ideals.
Everyone's goal was clear.
To find the fastest, most reliable way to obtain stable profits.
And for that purpose, whether it was a vaccine or a treatment didn't matter.
The only thing that mattered was profit.
They were all quickly calculating in their heads, reviewing each scenario.
However, in the midst of that, some recalled the fact that investing in the bio field itself was too risky.
If successful, they could obtain enormous profits, but if they failed, there was a high possibility of complete loss.
Most of the investors here already knew.
That risk management was the most important rule in their game.
However, Conrad von Walter, a man from Germany, was not among them.
'Just as I thought!'
It was just as Hyun-woo's briefing on why they should invest in vaccines rather than treatments was beginning.
The more Conrad listened, the more he couldn't help but fall for Hyun-woo.
'I'm glad I came.'
* * *
Don't chase the enemy's movements.
Let the battle open where you go.
The family motto left by the founder of the family, who served as a general under Frederick the Great.
That motto was the philosophy of the von Walter family.
Conrad thought that Wolfgang's teachings were being realized at this very moment, at a hedge fund briefing on a continent across the sea.
Why treatments are bound to fail.
Why vaccines are the only alternative.
Now, heading towards the conclusion of just two lines, the atmosphere in the venue had already been decided.
Conrad looked around.
The people who had initially doubted Hyun-woo's idea, their posture was now leaning forward, and their disbelief seemed to have disappeared.
This was because each word Hyun-woo uttered was instilling conviction in everyone's minds.
The clear data and logic presented before their eyes, and the conclusion he had drawn as if he could see through the future, had reached a point where they could no longer be refuted.
Conrad clicked his tongue inwardly.
Realizing that Hyun-woo's speech was becoming an overwhelming design beyond persuasion, mere admiration was not enough.
In the end, he blurted out his true feelings. To Emil.
Due to the large age difference, Conrad's tone was very gentle, unlike when he spoke to others.
"You need to watch carefully. He's creating a battle right now."
Emil widened his eyes and turned his head.
"Yes?"
Conrad looked at his younger brother and calmly added.
"From the saying, 'Don't chase the enemy's movements, let the battle open where you go.' That's exactly what that battle is."
Emil hesitated for a moment, pondering his brother's words.
This situation was too complex and unfamiliar for Emil, who was only ten years old, to understand what the word 'battle' symbolized.
However, Conrad was explaining this moment to his younger brother, even though he knew that.
This was because he wanted to instill in Emil how important this scene he was watching was, and how Hyun-woo was creating the flow right now.
"Look around you. The people gathered here move the world."
Young Emil turned his head and looked around the venue.
Elderly investors, all sorts of elites with sharp eyes.
They were all silent, as if captivated by the flow of the battlefield that Hyun-woo had created.
Emil still didn't fully understand the words, but his brother's eyes seemed more determined than ever.
Conrad paused, looking around the venue, and continued.
"Even if the truth is that treatments are the answer, unlike that man's analysis, it doesn't matter anymore."
Conrad looked back at Hyun-woo on the platform and slowly added.
"Now, vaccines are the answer."
Emil tilted his head.
"Why?"
Conrad smiled gently and looked at his younger brother.
"That man isn't investing in vaccines because he thinks vaccines will have the upper hand. No, that's not important.
He's investing in vaccines after creating a situation where vaccines have no choice but to have the upper hand. It's a truly skilled strategist's move."
Conrad's voice was quiet.
It contained deep reverence.
Emil was listening to his brother's words, but he still didn't seem to fully understand.
Conrad smiled and lightly patted his younger brother's shoulder.
"Look again at who that man has persuaded."
Emil looked around again. The atmosphere in the venue was still heavy and deep.
The top figures who controlled the world's finances were all drawn to Hyun-woo's words.
They were no longer reviewing Hyun-woo's analysis, but were already accepting the conclusion.
Emil began to understand his brother's words little by little, but one question arose.
"But what if this situation wasn't intentional?"
Conrad narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at his younger brother.
"What if he really believes that vaccines are the answer?
Emil carefully continued.
"What if he's not doing it on purpose like you said, but just thinks that what he thinks is right? Then he wouldn't be creating a battle according to his will."
"That's a good question, Emil. Whether he really believes that vaccines are the answer or not, that's not what's important."
Michael tilted his head and looked at his brother.
"What's important is that he's persuading everyone right now. Whether it's sincere or calculated.
The people in this room are all moving according to his words. And that ultimately creates reality."
Conrad finished speaking with a slight smile.
"Whether it's sincerity or strategy, what changes the world is the result. It seems that man knows that better than anyone else."
Then, he muttered in a small voice that was barely audible.
"Now that it's come to this, it's really... become an analysis that can't be wrong."
* * *
The venue quickly transitioned into a private cocktail party.
The briefing was over.
But hardly any teams had left.
Conrad carefully rolled the wine glass in his hand and kept turning his gaze around.
He felt a sense of frustration for the first time in a long time.
The reason was simple.
Along with the news that Hyun-woo's AlphaMind was only allocating ten slots, there were rumors that two slots had already been taken.
That meant there were only eight slots left.
At first, he didn't care much.
He thought that making the von Walter family's choice should be something Hyun-woo considered an honor.
If one of the leading families in Europe chose him, it would be a huge opportunity for Hyun-woo.
However, the atmosphere was different from what he had expected.
At a glance, there were over two hundred teams in attendance.
And all of those teams were applying for additional meetings.
The enthusiasm was so great.
The fact that AlphaMind's team consisted of only one person, Hyun-woo Na, and that the performance fee was as high as 55%.
It just passed by as a happening.
No one cared.
What was important now was the strategy and vision in Hyun-woo's head, and the competition to grab the fragments of opportunity he had thrown was fiercer than ever.
Conrad felt his younger brother Emil's gaze, who was glancing at him from time to time. He recognized his inner thoughts and smiled.
"It's possible that we might not get his investment."
Conrad said softly.
Emil's eyes widened for a moment. The boy couldn't tell if his brother was joking or serious.
"Really?"
Emil asked.
Conrad nodded and looked around once again.
The whispering of each team could be heard.
Their gazes were fixed on the direction of Hyun-woo, who had left after exchanging brief greetings with each team while circling the venue.
"Look there,"
Conrad said quietly.
"Everyone is waiting for that man's decision without leaving. Our family has always been the one to choose, but today... I'm not so sure."
Emil pondered the words and looked around.
Only then did he seem to understand little by little what his brother's anxiety was.
Before, they had always been the ones to choose first, and had always had the upper hand, but today everything was in Hyun-woo's hands.
Emil paused for a moment, lost in thought, then whispered in a small voice.
"Don't chase the enemy's movements, let the battle open where you go."
Conrad smiled.
He was proud that his young brother was applying the teachings of the family's founder, Wolfgang von Walter, so simply and clearly, but he was also worried about how to explain the current situation.
The von Walter family had traditionally opened battles themselves and had always led the flow. If it were normal, that's what they should be doing today.
They had to exert their power to be in a position to choose, not to be chosen.
And if the other party didn't follow, they had to consider thorough retaliation.
Being rejected for an investment of only $100 million was not just a simple business failure.
It was an act of trampling on the authority of the von Walter family, and when such a situation occurred, it had to be followed by appropriate punishment and revenge.
'But…….'
Conrad pursed his lips tightly.
He instinctively knew that traditional methods wouldn't work in the current situation.
He organized his thoughts and began to explain to Emil.
"The battle has already opened according to that man's will. Look a little deeper. He limited it to only ten slots, even though he could raise more funds. What does that mean?"
Emil was lost in thought, but couldn't find the answer. Emil stared blankly at his brother.
"That man isn't looking for investors right now, he's looking for friends.
After today, he'll have ten strong friends by his side. He's no longer alone."
Conrad stopped speaking and whispered quietly in Emil's ear.
"Using force against someone like that is a bad idea. You shouldn't lose someone who could become a friend.
If it doesn't work out today, you should slowly take your time and become friends."
Suddenly, a different light flashed in Emil's eyes.
The strange atmosphere that hadn't been clear until now suddenly seemed to become clear.
"Everyone seems to feel that way."
There was definitely competitive enthusiasm.
But the scene of everyone smiling gently, whispering quietly, and having conversations didn't feel out of place at all.
"So this isn't a place to fight, it's a place to make friends."
Conrad looked at his younger brother and smiled warmly.
"That's right. We came here to become friends too."
"I hope that happens because that's what you want, brother."
Conrad burst into laughter at his younger brother's serious face and lightly stroked his head.
"You're good with words, kid. Then, that's what will happen."
Friend.
That word lingered in his mind.
It was the same when he first saw the report that predicted the COVID-19 pandemic.
At that time, he was impressed by Hyun-woo's cold analysis and sharp insight.
But today.
After witnessing Hyun-woo actually creating a vaccine-led flow, that feeling grew even more uncontrollably.
Conrad turned his head at the soft movement next to him.
A young woman was quietly approaching.
It was Chloe, who was in charge of the event as the chief manager.
Her quiet footsteps hardly disturbed the flow of the conversation.
Chloe approached Conrad, bowed slightly, and asked quietly.
"Excuse me, Mr. von Walter. I was wondering if the representative of AlphaMind could spare some time."