Chapter 162: The Arrival of the White Devil in Korea - (3)
"Attention, passengers. We will be arriving at Gimpo International Airport shortly. Please remain seated and fasten your seatbelts."
Back in '88, when I first came to Korea, it was a bone-chilling winter. Now, it's a scorching summer. But with Mr. Kim Hanseok, Mintendo's CEO, personally picking me up from the airport, the journey to the hotel should be comfortable, right?
July 13th, 1992.
With about a month left before Laon's first anniversary, I embarked on a solo trip to Korea.
As I fastened my seatbelt in preparation for landing, Yukki's murmurs from last night while packing my travel bag resurfaced in my mind.
"Being newlyweds and going on month-long business trips..."
Though it was a tight month packed with schedules, being in the early stages of marriage, there was a slight sense of disappointment lingering.
I wanted her to come along if possible, but having just returned from our honeymoon, taking more time off for another vacation might have seemed conspicuous to her.
"If it's alright next weekend, would you come to Korea?"
It was just a polite inquiry to alleviate her despondent demeanor, but Yukki vigorously nodded as if she had been waiting eagerly.
"Instead, I'll get the plane tickets ready for you. See you in Korea."
"Hooray!"
She, who moments ago seemed as energetic as a dejected puppy, was now jumping around the living room with my approval.
But even as she joyfully pranced around, she'd clung to my departing attire this morning, tearfully bidding me farewell...
The plane circled over Gimpo Airport's sky before smoothly touching down on the runway.
Ugh, that feeling every time the plane descends from the sky. I really dislike it.
And soon after. When the plane's door opened upon stopping on the runway, a rush of scorching hot air enveloped my entire body, making it hard to breathe.
Thankfully, I opted for casual attire; had I donned a suit for the sake of formality, I might have sizzled under the blazing sun.
"Thank you, sir."
Nodding lightly in response to the beautiful stewardess's greeting, I turned away after reciprocating her courtesy. However, she called out to me, handing something over.
"Ah, this..."
Accepting the chilled canned beverage she shyly offered, I felt a slip of paper brushing my fingers. Huh?
Turning my gaze away from the stairs, the stewardess who handed me the note vanished into the plane as if avoiding my eyes.
Back in the days without cell phones, life was lived to the fullest...
With a delicate perfume of Yuki's favorite fragrance lingering on the neatly folded note, I smiled, feeling her care from distant Korean soil.
&
"Mr. Kang Junhyuk, it's been a while."
As I exited the arrival hall dragging my luggage, Mintendo employees, who were with Mr. Kim Hanseok, rushed over and took charge of my baggage.
"It's been a while. Sir."
"Have you been well, sir?"
"Oh, it's a bit awkward hearing 'sir' from Junhyuk."
"You needn't worry about that. It's easier for everyone, including the employees, and me."
As I made a point to establish Mr. Kim Hanseok's dignity in front of his employees, he displayed a satisfied smile and introduced me to them.
"You might not know, but he's like a benefactor to Mintendo Soft, enabling its existence. We should treat him well."
Upon hearing this, some employees widened their eyes and mouths in surprise.
"Is this person the developer of the Dragon Emblem series?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Wow... It's an honor. I've been a fan since my childhood. I thought you'd be much older, but you look quite young."
Given that I was only in my early thirties, compared to the Mintendo staff, I appeared either slightly older or within a similar age range, so his words weren't far-fetched.
However, Mr. Kim didn't seem to agree.
Though the employee's offhand comment about my age didn't faze me, Mr. Kim, who was observing my reaction, promptly redirected the conversation.
"Sir, please don't. It's true that I'm young."
"Our employees need better education. It's my fault entirely."
As the CEO of his company humbly bowed in front of me, the employees quietly ceased their chatter. I hadn't anticipated the atmosphere to grow this heavy...
A while later, as we boarded the black Grandeur waiting in front of Gimpo Airport with Mr. Kim, it smoothly glided out of the airport and headed toward Gimpo City.
"Will you go straight to the hotel or to the main office?"
"Let's head to the office. I need to catch up on Laon's research there."
"Sure, that sounds good."
Starting as a console-exclusive gaming magazine, Mintendo had evolved into a leading gaming company in Korea by collaborating with various Japanese game companies. In 1988, they initiated the Korean localization of Dragon Emblem and Final Frontier 1, followed by Final Frontier 2 and the Hero Legend series from Calcom the next year, receiving positive responses from Korean gamers.
Then, last summer, with the simultaneous release of 'Laon' by Pentagon, Mintendo had solidified its position in the Korean gaming industry and wielded significant influence in the gaming sector.
What had started as a small publishing company in Seoul's Seodaemun-gu had now moved its headquarters to a towering building in Gangnam, growing into a mid-sized company with a staff of 80.
"Mr. Kim, your business acumen is admirable."
"It wasn't all my doing alone, was it? Your help was significant. I heard you got married last month, but I couldn't attend due to my late father's memorial. I apologize."
"No, it's alright."
"Thank you. Let's head inside the office. Miss Lee, just prepare a cup of coffee."
"Yes, understood, sir."
The mention of "Miss Lee" felt like a cringy throwback to old times. Thank goodness it's the '90s; addressing your subordinates with such outdated titles would spell trouble in the long run!
"Please, have a seat over here, Mr. Junhyuk."
Leaning back on the sofa in the center of the CEO's office, Kim Hansuk smiled, taking a seat opposite me.
"This office is quite splendid, isn't it? The view of the Han River beyond the window..."
I grinned, gazing at the river flowing outside.
A knock interrupted us shortly after. Miss Lee entered, balancing two cups of coffee on a tray.
"Careful, it's hot."
Her neat hair and light makeup framed a bright smile, though the trendy red lipstick indicated her sensitivity to current fashion trends.
After graciously offering coffee to both the CEO and me, she lightly bowed and stepped back.
"Thanks, Miss Lee."
Ugh, those cringy lines again... I glanced up, noticing that her smile didn't quite reach her eyes when referred to as "Miss Lee."
"May I ask your name?"
"I'm Soyeon."
"Thank you, Soyeon. I'll enjoy the coffee."
"Thank you, sir."
As the coffee-bearing assistant departed, I started reviewing the report handed to me by CEO Kim.
Before becoming a corporate figurehead, Kim Hansuk was a gamer at heart. And that was clearly reflected in Mintendo's performance.
While skimming through the documents, I inquired, "How's Raon's response in Korea?"
Without a moment's delay, he replied, "Excellent."
"..."
"Unbeatable."
"..."
Am I having a conversation with the CEO of a company or a passing Raon fanboy? Did I come to Korea just to hear praise about Raon?
Perplexed by his odd answers, my eyes naturally shifted towards him while browsing the report.
"Sir."
"Yes?"
"Usually, when asked such questions, one would mention sales figures."
"Oh? Um, yes. That's..."
Upon my hint, Kim Hansuk hurriedly started shuffling through other charts lying on the table.
"Ah, since its launch on August 15th, we've sold approximately 400,000 units till now."
"What about the Super Family from our competitor, Mintendo?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't you investigate sales figures of our competitor, Mintendo?"
"Oh, yes, we did. Just a moment, please."
Even in the cool air-conditioned office, Kim was sweating profusely while rummaging through documents and then connected an external intercom.
Beep
"Miss... No, Soyeon, could you come back to the CEO's office for a moment?"
"Yes, understood, sir."
After her acknowledgment through the intercom, Soyeon knocked and entered the CEO's office.
"Soyeon, do you happen to know the sales figures of our competitor, Mintendo?"
Soyeon nodded and immediately turned to me, speaking up. "The Super Family was officially distributed in Korea through 'Future Corporation' on January 22nd this year, and they've sold around 320,000 units as of last month. It's priced at 189,000 won, about 9,000 won cheaper than our Raon."
"Despite launching five months later, they've nearly caught up. Doesn't sound much like being 'invincible' as the CEO mentioned, does it?"
Kim Hansuk awkwardly smiled in response to my statement.
"But our distribution rate is ahead, and many third-party developers are leaning towards us, so in the long run, we will have the upper hand."
"Who guarantees that?"
"Huh? Um, that's..."
At that moment, Soyeon, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly interjected.
"Excuse me, but I have something to say to Manager Junhyuk."
Whoa... she promptly responded to CEO Kim's unexpected question, now even offering her opinion?
"Oh, Soyeon. This isn't an appropriate moment for you to interfere in our conversation."
"It's alright. I don't mind. Feel free to speak your mind."
Seemingly emboldened by my words, Soyeon cleared her throat and addressed me.
"Currently, Raon, our main product, is priced too high for the domestic market."
... Was this how Kamauichi, Mintendo's CEO, felt all those times when giving orders to a subordinate like me?
>
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