To Overcome Aldous Huxley Syndrome
"Tell him I'll see him later..."
"I'll think about that one."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The call with Oh Gong-tae had turned up something new.
Yoon was a gaming expert?
Then why was he sitting at Kiseong IT?
Come to think of it, Kiseong IT used to make games too. If Gong-tae was recommending the man this hard, the talent had to be real. So why couldn't someone that capable even land a homepage contract?
Jinwoo dug through Kiseong IT's data banks and turned up the traces Yoon Jong-seok had left behind. Every last one of them was a meticulously crafted analysis or plan — the kind of work that made you nod along in spite of yourself.
"Game Magazine? What's that?"
Game Magazine Master? What was that supposed to mean?
Gong-tae pressed on without missing a beat.
A guy that well-connected couldn't even raise three hundred million won for a game he'd made himself, so he'd gone begging Director Ki Dong-chan for investment leads?
"That's weird. If he's that good, why couldn't he get funding for his own game?"
"That's a cop-out and you know it. Anyway, I'll look into it."
Gong-tae had gone quiet for a moment. Then he spoke again.
This brat... was he sharp, or just slow?
Jinwoo had built a reasonable amount of trust with Gong-tae by now. And Gong-tae had never once leaked the things Jinwoo had asked him to keep quiet. Sooner or later, the truth would have to come out if they were going to work more closely. And it seemed that sooner or later was right now.
He'd asked the question himself, but swallowing the answer was another matter entirely.
"I'm telling you because it's you. Keep your mouth shut. Don't tell anyone..."
What's with the sigh.
"Gong-tae!"
"I wasn't trying to trick you, so I don't think I owe you an apology... The only people in Korea who know I'm the chairman of JW Corporation are you and the vice chairman. Wait, no — three people."
He'd told Baek Geum, the founder of Munpia, the truth as well.
Leave Shadow the bodyguard out of it. He was a shadow, after all.
Saying there were only four people didn't have quite the same ring as saying there were only three. It just sounded a little more impressive.
"Baek Geum. The founder of Munpia."
"JW Corporation is bigger than you can even imagine. And I'm going to make it bigger still."
He caught on pretty fast. Wasn't it obvious even back then?
If someone was sitting down with the vice chairman to decide whether or not to invest two hundred trillion won, that someone had to be the chairman. Who else would a group vice chairman consult on a matter with that kind of money on the table?
"Dive-In... the work you'll be doing is important. I'll look into Team Leader Yoon."
Gong-tae answered like a man whose soul had left his body.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Why me...?"
Thin limbs. A belly that bulged out like a tadpole's. Baek Geum stared at Jung Jinwoo with his eyes gone wide.
"I've given this a great deal of thought."
It was a matter he had already discussed with Vice Chairman Ko Yoon-seok.
"As you saw last time, Dive-In is going to transform every genre into a new digital world."
Showing once was better than explaining ten times, so he had already let Baek Geum experience the Dive-In system for himself — written stories becoming webtoons, becoming videos, becoming films and dramas, then leaping into those virtual worlds to live them firsthand.
"It was shocking, I'll grant you that. I even got a preview of the world that's coming."
"That Aldous Huxley Syndrome you mentioned. I've been thinking a lot about those words. In the end, everything is going to be built around visuals... but the foundation of every visual genre is text — stories committed to the written word."
The last time they had met, Baek Geum had dwelt on Aldous Huxley Syndrome: the phenomenon of so much content flooding in that readers and users could no longer tell what mattered, drowning in a heap of garbage until they simply disappeared into it.
Baek Geum looked silently into Jung Jinwoo's eyes, as if he were trying to see straight through to what lay behind them.
"That's why I came to realize that text-based stories are actually what matter most. Web novels. If web novels hold their quality... then every visual genre built on top of them will clear a certain bar as well. And for that, you need someone who can keep a hand on the wheel."
"And you're saying that someone is me?"
"Is there anyone more qualified?"
Baek Geum's eyes, which had been fierce enough to pick a fight, softened.
"I've already stepped back from the front lines. A management specialist appointed by Saber is running the company. Wouldn't putting me back in charge be a step backward?"
"We can always put someone in place to assist with the management. JW headquarters will be controlling the important decisions anyway. But when it comes to protecting Munpia's content quality, I don't believe there's anyone better than you. Am I wrong?"
Jinwoo had always loved web novels, and he had felt Baek Geum's conviction through more than one channel. Lectures of his were still circulating online, all carrying the same message: a story has to be at least this good. The reason Munpia had grown into the center of the web novel genre in the first place was because they had focused on discovering great stories that delighted readers — without taking shortcuts.
"Even so... if we're talking about Global CEO of Munpia... I don't even speak English."
"AI has gotten so good these days that translation and interpretation are easy. What matters is the will to communicate."
"I'm old, and my body's not what it was... how could I possibly..."
"But you have something intense that no one else has. I believe your will is what matters. Everything else is secondary. Together with me, let's spread web novels — quality web novels — across the global market. We're going to blanket the entire world with them."
Web novels would reach every country, every culture. And the most important thing would be protecting their quality. Only then would the webtoons and videos built on top of them hold that same standard — and the dramas and films built on that foundation would naturally meet it too.
A dragon rising from a ditch was a miracle. But from a spring of dragons, they came easy.
"Do you truly believe I'm the right person for this?"
"Focus solely on maintaining quality. I'll take care of the rest."
"If you put it that way..."
Once again, Baek Geum's eyes grew sharp, the corners of his brows lifting.
"No. Don't wreck your health. In web novel terms — you finish everything first, then you kick back and enjoy the honey."
"Hahaha..."
Baek Geum chuckled, clearly pleased.
"And this..."
Jinwoo picked up a paper carton from the floor.
"It's sipjeondaebotang, a restorative herbal tonic. Made with quality ingredients, so... make sure you drink it."
"No, you didn't have to go this far..."
"You're one of my people now, so looking after you is my job. Always take care of your health. Your body isn't yours alone anymore."
Baek Geum, who had been smiling quietly, slowly bowed his head as if settling something in his heart.
"This reminds me of when I first founded Munpia. That's how exciting this feels. I'll give it everything I've got."
When Baek Geum lifted his head, his eyes were shining like those of a man in his twenties.
It felt as though the hole that could have become their greatest blind spot had just been plugged.
"I'll be counting on you."
Jinwoo smiled and bowed his head toward Baek Geum.
"When will he be arriving?"
"Listen to you, talking all polite. Last time you called him a weirdo."
At Shin Bin-sun's words, Jung Hyunmoo's face crumpled.
"Didn't we all think that at first? Even if Jinho-hyung introduced him, the guy was weird! Was I the only one?"
"You need to get better at reading people, Jung Hyunmoo. And this is the guy who's supposed to run Gyeondae Motors someday... honestly. Anyway, Ki-cheon is late again."
"Ki-cheon oppa is such a problem. What's the point of advertising the fastest network if you're always late? And isn't Ki-cheon oppa a year older than Hyunmoo oppa? So why don't you call him hyung?"
At Shin Bin-sun's words, Gu Hyungwoo clicked his tongue.
"Ki-cheon got held back, so they're the same class year. He started school late, basically."
"Ahh..."
"Am I late? I'm not late, right? Hah... hah..."
"Guess his family isn't old nobility. Speak of the devil."
The door flew open, and with Lee Jinho's words, Choi Ki-cheon came bursting in, gasping for breath.
"You're not late yet! Five minutes to spare. Hurry up and sit down."
"Whew... thank god. I thought I was late, so I ran like hell."
"Oppa, you're wearing an expensive watch and you don't even look at it?"
"Ah, this... hahaha... it's hard to read. Who puts a twenty-four-hour display on an analog watch..."
"Why wear a watch you can't even read... tsk tsk."
"Hey! A man's about style! And a watch completes the look... you don't know anything..."
"Anyway..."
While Shin Bin-sun and Choi Ki-cheon bickered, Lee Jinho cut in.
"Did you guys cash in on those copper futures last time?"
At Lee Jinho's words, Gu Hyungwoo grinned.
"The chairman was thrilled. Buying copper ahead of time saved us from a hundred-billion-won loss."
Gu Hyungwoo of MG — locked in a neck-and-neck fight with Saengsong for first and second in the global electronics market — tipped his head as he said it.
"I just pocketed a modest three billion."
"Ahh, I should've held a little longer. I sold at twenty-two thousand dollars and it ran all the way to thirty-five."
Shin Bin-sun had walked away with three billion won, and Jung Hyunmoo had more than doubled his money at around the same scale.
"Amateurs... hahaha. I sold at thirty-three thousand. Went all in with thirty-four billion and made a hundred and twenty. How do you plan to run companies with trigger fingers that itchy?"
Everyone stared at Choi Ki-cheon, stunned.
"Being lazy actually paid off for once... good lord. That's more than triple."
"It's not laziness. It's being careful."
That's what he said, but nobody looked convinced. Choi Ki-cheon was late to every gathering as a matter of course, and moved a beat behind at everything he did. Who knew a slow tempo could be an advantage at a time like this.
"Investing is a contact sport, kids!"
Choi Ki-cheon cackled, thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Anyway... does anyone know why Mr. Jung Jinwoo called us together?"
"Beats me. I don't really know either. Mr. Jung Jinwoo asked me to gather everyone, so I did."
Lee Jinho had been the first to exchange contact with Jinwoo, so he had naturally taken on the role of liaison.
"Maybe... he's looking to do something serious with us?"
"Could be..."
"Does anyone know who that rich guy Mr. Jung Jinwoo is connected to? Wouldn't it be better to just go through that person directly?"
At Choi Ki-cheon's words, Shin Bin-sun's face crumpled.
"Ki-cheon oppa! Don't try to cut open the goose that lays the golden eggs! That's stupid. And looking at Jinwoo oppa, I don't think he's just some guy who knows a rich person. There's something about him."
"True... the intel he gave us wasn't ordinary information. And then there's Gold Coin... we were just talking among ourselves. How did the Gold Coin issuer know to contact us? The only person who overheard that conversation was Mr. Jung Jinwoo..."
"Hyunmoo! You hit on something important. But... some things... some things you shouldn't drag out into the open. Just knowing quietly is enough."
"But... we barely know anything about Mr. Jung Jinwoo."
That was the moment.
The door to the VIP suite at the five-star Nodae Hotel swung open, and the man they had been waiting for stepped inside. Everyone rose and bowed their heads.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"Haha, good to see you all."
"It's been a while."
Number Five had gathered because Jung Jinwoo had summoned them. After all the tidy profits they had made thanks to him, the hierarchy had naturally settled itself.
Every last one of them felt as though they were cabinet ministers receiving the president.