Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: The Bomb Bluff
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Not just Yi Chenlian, but Lee Dae-hyuk had come up with a way to sever The Company itself from Steven Jobson.
A fierce fighting spirit flickered in his eyes.
‘Not sure if it’ll actually work, but I have to try.’
After subduing Joseph Griffin and seizing the bomb,
he planned to spend a night at the Dream American Hotel.
That was when he intended to use Joseph Griffin’s bomb to place a gamble.
‘A bomb terror attack… They’d have to pay attention to something like that.’
Lee Dae-hyuk planned to disguise it as a bomb terror attack, bluff them, and propose a deal.
If they met his demands, there would be no terror attack.
In exchange, they were to detach from Steven Jobson.
“…….”
It was a bit childish, but for now, it seemed the fastest and most reliable method.
Of course, if he approached them that way, The Company wouldn’t just sit idly by.
‘They’ll try to kill me.’
He needed to prepare ‘insurance’ to prevent that.
And that ‘insurance’ was already taking shape in Lee Dae-hyuk’s mind.
If he got just a little help from Eve in Korea, it was possible.
‘This’ll be fun.’
He was thrilled for a moment as he thought of the perfect insurance.
‘…I feel less like a chaebol and more like a con artist by the day.’
Lee Dae-hyuk felt an inexplicable sense of self-loathing.
But what could he do?
He had to do whatever it took within the bounds of being ‘human.’
The weak had to thrash about to survive.
***
The next day, in the hotel lobby, Kim Sung-hee, who had returned the electric shock device, was slightly surprised by Lee Dae-hyuk’s suggestion.
“Pizza… for breakfast?”
“Why are you so surprised?”
Lee Dae-hyuk asked her back instead.
“I thought chaebols didn’t eat stuff like pizza.”
“Chaebols are people too. We eat pizza and use the bathroom.”
“You must watch a lot of Korean dramas. You have this fantasy about chaebols.”
At Yoon Tae-ho’s question, Kim Sung-hee blushed.
“Not really, but okay. Where do you want to go?”
“Have you heard of a pizza place called ‘Karmo’? They say it’s a famous spot around here, like Finz Coffee.”
Kim Sung-hee nodded at Lee Dae-hyuk’s question.
“Oh, that place. Yeah, it’s really good. Wow, President, you’re already an expert on Silicon Valley?”
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Please wait a moment. The roads are complicated, so it’d be tough for Manager Yoon to drive. I’ll call a rental car.”
“Thank you.”
Lee Dae-hyuk smiled and gave Kim Sung-hee a slight bow.
She waved her hand awkwardly at his gesture.
“No need. It’s my job.”
And it was a job that paid way more than it was worth.
It was a bit odd for Koreans to eat pizza in the morning, but whatever.
She just had to do her job.
“Seriously, just wait a sec!! I’ll call you when the rental car arrives.”
Dash-!!!
Kim Sung-hee quickly ran toward the entrance.
Lee Dae-hyuk smiled silently at her enthusiastic retreating figure.
Truth be told, he hadn’t called her just to eat pizza in the morning.
‘I forgot about the really important homework.’
When Lee Dae-hyuk woke up that morning, he realized he had completely forgotten an important task.
Checking on Steven Jobson’s birth mother.
‘Probably nothing will happen… but you never know.’
The Company wouldn’t harm Steven Jobson’s birth mother right now.
Threatening her wouldn’t benefit them at all.
It would be better to return her at an opportune time and strengthen ties with Steven Jobson.
But variables could arise anytime.
‘Who knows what Yi Chenlian might do.’
Rather than worrying, it would be more reassuring to check on her situation and assign a bodyguard.
“…….”
That’s why he needed Kim Sung-hee.
It would be easier for the bright and cheerful Kim Sung-hee to lower their guard than two unfamiliar Korean men showing up out of the blue.
As he calculated all these factors, a strange sense of anticipation appeared on Lee Dae-hyuk’s face.
Either way, Steven Jobson would meet his birth mother sooner than planned.
That meeting… might change not just Steven Jobson’s fate, but the world’s.
‘Exciting.’
He no longer felt like the thug Kim Gun-woo; he felt like a proper chaebol heir cultivating culture.
Gains from Apple and revenge were revenge,
but he was also curious about the world Steven Jobson would change with his new life.
Just as Lee Dae-hyuk was swelling with anticipation,
Kim Sung-hee returned to the lobby.
“Rental car’s here. Let’s all go get some pizza!”
***
Martha Williams’ life had been tough.
The men she loved had betrayed her multiple times.
Struggling to survive, she had become an old woman well over 70 before she knew it.
An elderly woman with no children or husband.
That was her.
Tap. Tap.
She stopped on her way to work with feeble steps.
Swipe-
“…….”
Her gaze fixed on the large advertising screen on the building.
There, a video was playing of the one she missed so dearly but could never meet in her lifetime.
Eyes burning with passion.
An impassioned voice and an expression full of zeal.
Her son… announcing the new product business plan and procedures.
‘Steven….’
But she didn’t even know what product her son made or what it was.
No matter how much it was explained, her rigid mind couldn’t comprehend it.
Still, she was overjoyed at the anticipation that her son’s product would succeed and enrich the world.
‘Haa….’
Even as she thought that, unnecessary sadness washed over her.
Sadly, her son didn’t know her.
After sending him up for adoption, she had never once contacted him or shown herself.
She could only cheer from afar as he walked his great path.
Now that her son had surpassed success and become an icon leading the world.
If she appeared…
‘It would only be a hindrance.’
It was something a mother who abandoned her child should never do.
She planned to quietly meet her end in the same city, cheering for her son as she was now.
Whew-!
The old mother sighed out her regret and sadness and resumed walking.
.
.
.
“…….”
This was the information Lee Dae-hyuk had gleaned about Steven Jobson’s birth mother, Martha Williams, by brushing her hand.
Since it was from brushing her hand while she was serving the first customers of the morning, he couldn’t read all the information.
“…Hoo.”
Having read the important parts, Lee Dae-hyuk felt his chest tighten instead.
He had a gut feeling things wouldn’t go smoothly.
‘She’s more remarkable than I thought. Or is it because she’s a mother?’
Objectively, Martha Williams’ life was unfortunate and pitiful.
But her mindset toward Steven Jobson was different.
‘Not appearing before her child for the child’s sake… That’s hard.’
Lee Dae-hyuk, who had never had a child even in his Kim Gun-woo days, couldn’t even fathom Martha Williams’ deep love.
If she accepted help from Steven Jobson, she could live peacefully right away.
Moreover, at this point, Steven Jobson had publicly expressed affection for his birth mother in the media.
He said he didn’t resent her because his irresponsible husband abandoned the family.
He had always heard stories about his birth mother from his adoptive parents.
He knew she had made great efforts to find adoptive parents with financial means.
That’s why he existed today.
While revealing he was adopted, Steven Jobson had publicly said he wanted to meet his birth mother.
Martha could have met her son easily if she wanted.
That’s why Lee Dae-hyuk thought arranging a meeting would be simple.
But if he revealed his intentions poorly, Martha might hide from her son.
‘Let’s just eat pizza quietly today.’
Lee Dae-hyuk picked up a slice of pizza, postponing the plan.
***
That afternoon.
Steven Jobson was having tea near Silicon Valley with his close friend.
“To spend a day like this with you. Annoying.”
Bill Gates frowned at Steven Jobson’s playful reproach.
“Same as always. You don’t need my comfort, then?”
“Of course I don’t need comfort from a rival.”
Bill Gates inwardly sighed in relief at Steven Jobson’s retort.
The world called him and Steven Jobson geniuses.
But Bill Gates waved it off every time.
He wasn’t a genius, just a diligent technician who wanted to be lazy.
He had developed various new products and programs by prioritizing convenience in his research.
He liked creating things in a relaxed, comfortable environment.
Steven Jobson was different.
This genius burned himself to bring revolution to the world.
His past creations were impressive, but the Aiphone was beyond words.
It really… felt like his jaw had dropped.
Instead of jealousy, Bill Gates cheered for his friend and rival to create an even more perfect ‘masterpiece.’
But then, the bodyguard he thought of as a friend died in an unfortunate accident.
‘No need to worry too much.’
Fortunately, though he didn’t know the genius’s inner feelings, he seemed steadfast on the outside.
“Then, since you have time, let’s chat. Relieving stress is important too.”
“Chat… You must have something interesting.”
“I met an interesting person.”
Bill Gates casually broached the topic.
“An interesting person? I’ve gotten to know an interesting one lately too. Amazing.”
Steven Jobson stroked his chin, thinking of one person.
A calm, composed man with such profound depths that even he couldn’t fathom them.
‘A really fun guy.’
As Steven Jobson thought of Lee Dae-hyuk,
surprisingly, the same name came from Bill Gates’ mouth.
“A guy named ‘Dae-hyuk Lee.’ Met him at your company’s investor night. Didn’t talk much, but he was peculiar. Different from us, but I could tell he’d make it big.”
Bill Gates recalled Lee Dae-hyuk from that night.
He wasn’t an inventor like him or Steven Jobson.
But he had the makings of an even greater investor.
It felt like looking at Warren Buffett.
Steven Jobson burst into laughter at Bill Gates’ story.
Was it because he already considered Lee Dae-hyuk a friend?
Hearing Bill Gates praise him made him feel inexplicably good.
“Haha. You thought so too, huh. That guy will soon make a name for himself worldwide.”
“‘Too’? Then… you already…”
“Yeah. Mr. Lee and I are already close.”
At his words, Bill Gates clapped his hands together.
“If even you say that, my eyes didn’t deceive me.”
“Right. Whether people or projects, we’ve reached the same conclusions plenty of times.”
Though Steven Jobson and Bill Gates were opposites, their judgment was similar.
The entrepreneurs or projects they sensed success in always achieved tremendous success, shaking not just Silicon Valley but the whole world.
Lee Dae-hyuk would be one such success case.
Reflecting on past memories, Steven Jobson and Bill Gates reached the same conclusion.
‘We have to grab that guy somehow.’