CH121 | Heir

“Is this really a cellphone? I’d believe it if you told me it was a computer!”

Team Leader Han practically shouted in disbelief.

Even after arriving at Apple’s headquarters, his face remained impassive.

But the moment Steve pulled out the iPhone, he was at a complete loss for words.

While he continued muttering exclamations, I turned my attention back to Steve.

“It’s much smoother than when I last saw it. From touch recognition to screen transitions—everything feels great.”

“Glad to hear it. But to my eyes, it’s still full of flaws. I feel like I’m just one step away, but that last step is proving difficult.”

Steve’s perfectionist nature hadn’t changed.

At this rate, the iPhone wouldn’t be released for several more years.

“It’s time to make a decision. If the IT bubble hadn’t burst, we would’ve had more time, but this is the reality now.”

“Hmm… I can’t exactly say I had nothing to do with Apple’s stock price getting cut in half. If it keeps dropping, I might get kicked out again…”

“It needs to launch this year.”

Just because development was complete didn’t mean the product could go on sale immediately.

They still had to secure component supply contracts, set up assembly plants, and prepare logistics.

At a minimum, they needed three to six months of preparation. If Steve didn’t make the call now, a launch within the year would be impossible.

“There are still some shortcomings… But I suppose it’s at least good enough to avoid getting ripped apart by critics. Fine. I’ll start making plans for the iPhone launch. If I want to stay in this CEO seat, I don’t have much choice.”

“A wise decision. I’ll provide full support on all fronts.”

Steve still carried PTSD from his past ousting.

Since he didn’t know I owned more than 50% of Apple’s shares, he felt constant unease.

But hey, if that anxiety meant an earlier iPhone launch, I had no complaints.

* * *

After wrapping up my meeting with Steve, I returned to Korea.

But at the airport, an unexpected figure was waiting for me.

“Boss! I need to talk to you. Let’s go to the car.”

“David! You’ve been in Korea?”

I followed David to the waiting vehicle.

Captain Kang himself was in the driver’s seat—a fully armored, surveillance-proof car.

It was equipped with bulletproof shielding and an anti-eavesdropping system, a vehicle I rarely used unless absolutely necessary.

“What’s so urgent that you had to prepare all this?”

“The seed we planted in Russia is about to bloom.”

“So, the blood-red flower is finally ready to blossom.”

Vladimir Putin.

At last, he was on the verge of becoming Russia’s president.

We had been supporting him from the time he was an independent figure until now.

“We received a message from Russia. They’ve officially invited you to attend the presidential inauguration.”

“Of course, I’ll go.”

“Will you be attending as the CEO of SAVE Investment, or as the head of Taewoo Group?”

“On the surface, I should go as the head of Taewoo Group. That way, I’ll have more leverage to extract benefits.”

“Understood. I’ll head to Russia first and secure our position before your arrival.”

With that, David returned to the airport and flew to Russia.

Meanwhile, I switched cars and made my way to Taewoo Group’s headquarters to see my grandfather.

* * *

“Min-jae my boy, you’re here! What’s got you flying to the U.S. so often? It’s not like they’re spreading honey on the streets over there.”

“I just returned from checking out Apple’s new product. Since Taewoo Electronics is collaborating with them, I wanted to see it firsthand.”

“And? Was it worth the trip?”

“I was very impressed. …But, Grandfather, I need to speak with you privately.”

My expression turned serious.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, my grandfather didn’t press further. Instead, he led me into a small room inside his office.

Originally designed as an emergency shelter in case of a fire, this room was also built for security reasons.

With thick concrete walls sealing off all sides, it was one of the safest places in the building, immune to eavesdropping.

“What’s got you looking so serious?”

“A new president is about to be appointed in Russia.”

“A new era means a new leader. That’s hardly surprising. I thought it was something more urgent. You’re making a fuss over nothing.”

My grandfather chuckled.

From Taewoo Group’s perspective, Russia wasn’t a major client. His dismissive reaction was understandable.

But would he react the same way when he heard the rest?

“The new Russian president has officially invited me to his inauguration.”

His smile faded.

“The Russian president himself? …Do you know him personally?”

“I’ve been supporting him consistently.”

“Are you saying you funded his campaign? How did you know he would become president?”

“I learned about him by chance and saw great potential in him. I made a substantial investment, believing he would rise to the top.”

“Hah! You certainly have an eye for these things. But I’m concerned. Politicians always change their tune once they’re in power.”

In South Korea, few business leaders trusted politicians—especially those who had endured the military regimes of the past.

My grandfather was no exception. Even Chairman Jang of Hyundai Group had once dabbled in politics to protect his business interests.

“That’s why I want to go myself—to gauge his stance.”

“Hmm. But what do you stand to gain from this trip? Even if Russia has a new leader, what’s left to take? Korea suffered a financial crisis, but Russia outright declared bankruptcy.”

South Korea wasn’t the only country struggling from the Asian financial crisis.

Russia had suffered an even harsher time than Korea.

While we had the support of the IMF, Russia had failed to reach an agreement and was ultimately abandoned by the organization.

As a result, the country was forced to declare bankruptcy.

"Extending a helping hand during hardship allows us to gain even more in return, don't you think?"

"I'll grant you full authority. Handle it as you see fit. Even if you don’t secure anything, I won’t hold you accountable—just make sure you return safely."

"I’ll be visiting as a businessman. What could possibly go wrong?"

"You never know. …Still, attending a presidential inauguration as a director feels a bit lacking in stature."

A mischievous grin spread across my grandfather’s face.

Then, he dropped an unexpected bombshell.

"It’s time you graduated from the Strategy Office. I'm appointing you as the Vice Chairman of Taewoo Group."

"That’s too soon. If a man in his twenties becomes Vice Chairman, there’s bound to be all sorts of backlash."

"At least within Taewoo Group, no one will oppose it."

"Still…"

"You won’t be alone. You’ll share the title with Vice Chairman Bae Sung-kyun. That should ease your concerns."

Becoming Vice Chairman was inevitable.

However, my age had always been a concern—I had planned to wait until my thirties before vying for the position.

Yet, my grandfather had beaten me to the punch with this bold decision.

"This isn’t something you should decide on your own. If the majority of the board of directors votes in favor, I’ll accept the position."

"A simple majority? That’s too easy. The number of executives under your influence already makes up nearly half the board."

My grandfather was well aware that I had a faction of loyal executives.

I hadn’t exactly been secretive about it, and my actions had made it clear multiple times.

"I intend to remain completely neutral. I want this to be a board decision, free from my influence. Also, I won’t accept the position unless I receive over 80% approval—not just 50%."

"Isn’t 80% a bit excessive?"

"If I’m going to take the role, I need enough backing to have a real voice. I refuse to be a half-baked Vice Chairman."

"Hmm… I see your point. We don’t have much time, so I’ll convene the board meeting tomorrow."

I had no intention of interfering in this board meeting.

Whether I became Vice Chairman now or a few years later, it wouldn’t change much in the grand scheme of things.

For that reason, I wasn't even planning to attend the meeting.

* * *

The sudden board meeting had left all the executives puzzled.

Gathered in the conference room, the CEOs of various subsidiaries had no idea why they had been called.

Since Chairman Kim Tae-joong had yet to arrive, they passed the time by chatting quietly among themselves.

“Do you have any idea why we were summoned?”

“How would I know? Maybe one of the subsidiaries got into trouble.”

More than ten minutes had passed.

Yet, Chairman Kim still had not entered the meeting room.

Instead, the Chief Secretary stepped forward and began presiding over the board meeting.

"Chairman Kim and Director Kim Min-jae will not be attending today’s meeting. Everything discussed here will remain confidential, and no one will be held accountable for their decisions."

Everyone fell silent and turned their attention to the Chief Secretary.

The unusual situation left them perplexed, so they simply waited for him to continue.

"Today's agenda is the appointment of a Vice Chairman. We will hold a vote to decide whether Director Kim Min-jae should be promoted to this position."

"Is this the Chairman’s decision?"

"This agenda is entirely separate from Chairman Kim's personal opinion. His only instruction was that the decision should be made solely by this board."

A heavy silence filled the room.

No one spoke, but eyes darted across the table.

Those aligned with Kim Min-jae's faction turned their gazes toward CEO Woo Sung-il in unison.

Caught in the spotlight, Woo Sung-il shrugged helplessly.

He hadn’t received any instructions from Kim Min-jae, leaving him uncertain about how to proceed.

Other factions were also glancing around nervously—those loyal to Vice Chairman Bae Sung-kyun, the ones following Taewoo Construction’s CEO Jang Soo-young, and more.

But the sudden nature of this meeting left them with no time to strategize or discuss their positions beforehand.

"We will now proceed with the vote. It will be conducted by secret ballot. Please enter the designated voting booths one at a time."

Before anyone realized, five voting booths had been set up in the back of the meeting room.

Staff members from the Strategy Office entered with ballot boxes, and the voting process immediately commenced.

With no time for discussion, each CEO had no choice but to cast their votes individually.

"Please remain silent during the voting process. Once you've voted, proceed to the waiting room."

Despite the simplicity of the ballot—just marking O (approve) or X (reject)—

Most hesitated, unable to make up their minds quickly.

Many executives spent a long time deliberating inside the voting booths.

In the end, the process took over two hours.

Only after the final vote was cast did the waiting executives return to the meeting room.

However, this time, Chairman Kim was already there, waiting for them.

"Ah, no need to rush. Take your time and find your seats."

"We sincerely apologize for keeping you waiting, Chairman."

"I just arrived myself. No need to hurry, now."

Like students arriving late to class, the executives scrambled to take their seats.

Within a minute, everyone had settled in.

The Chief Secretary stepped forward with the ballot boxes in hand.

"We will now begin the vote count."

Before that, Chairman Kim raised his hand.

"Before we start, let me say something. Regardless of the outcome, I have no objections. I merely wanted to hear your honest opinions.

"If it were up to me, I would appoint Director Kim Min-jae as Vice Chairman without hesitation, but I can’t do that if my executives oppose it, can I?"

"We will now commence the counting."

The voting had taken over two hours, but the counting took less than twenty minutes.

After carefully verifying the results several times, the Chief Secretary made the final announcement.

"With 35 votes in favor and 3 votes against, the motion has passed with over 90% approval."

Chairman Kim grinned from ear to ear.

"Only three dissenting votes? There’s nothing more to discuss. Summon Kim Min-jae immediately."

Seeing his overwhelming satisfaction, the CEOs exhaled in relief.

Had the vote gone differently, those who opposed might have faced serious consequences.