The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 315



Only Krnovel

315. Paradigm (4)

Apple Developer Conference held every year around June.

But this year, the schedule was postponed for nearly two months, and very few people knew why.

Naturally, I was one of the very few who knew why, and Steve knew very well why.

“Are you confident? Or are you indifferent? What if the developer meeting is only one day away and you arrive now? I only started preparing for rehearsals a month ago.”

“I was a little late because I had a lot of work to do in Korea. Still, I continued to see the Apple Car from Korea and prepared for rehearsals in my own way.”

It was Steve who had been nagging me from the entrance to Apple headquarters.

However, I felt like I couldn’t put as much power into my voice as I used to.

“You seem very tired. The developer meeting is important, but would you like to get some rest?”

“I arrived late, but I’m being told to take a break? It’s not too late to take a break after the developer meeting and get drunk. Let’s get to the rehearsal site quickly. At least we should get our movements in line!”

I was dragged into the event venue.

Inside, not only Apple employees but also Taewo and Kai Automotive personnel were preparing for tomorrow’s developer meeting.

“Taewoo Group Chairman Kim Min-jae has finally arrived! Now, let’s begin the final rehearsal.”

[Wow!]

The employees cheered at the word “last.”

How rigorous would the rehearsals have been to get this kind of reaction?

But within 10 minutes, I realized that I was no different from them.

“Chairman Kim! You should have moved to the left instead of the right. And move at an angle where you can easily see the product!”

“I’ll do it again.”

“Please leave some gaps in the presentation to create anticipation. Just now it felt like an elementary school student reading a textbook. You need to put a little more emotion into it.”

“I’ll do it again.”

The rehearsal lasted for a whopping 6 hours.

Due to the fatigue accumulated from the long flight, my legs felt shaky by the end of the rehearsal.

However, Steve was still pointing out the shortcomings.

After pointing out everything from the detailed lighting settings to the microphone volume, he came and sat down next to me.

“What do you do when a young person gets this tired?”

“It’s not that I’m weak, but Steve’s physical strength seems mysterious. Look at the employees’ faces. It wouldn’t be surprising if they collapsed right now.”

“Even if it’s a waste of what I’ve done so far, I’ll hold out until tomorrow.”

Steve, Jeffrey and even Musk.

What they had in common was that they viewed and used people like machines.

It could be seen as a lack of empathy, and it was an ability that could be disguised as maximizing efficiency.

“I will do my best to hold on until tomorrow. After the event, I will either pass out or go to the emergency room.”

“Hehe, even after the event is over, Chairman Kim has no time to rest. Shouldn’t he go to the new headquarters construction site with me? We also have to meet with people in the political world and hold a meeting on ideas related to Apple’s new products.”

It was Steve who poured out my tasks like a waterfall.

If we proceeded with the schedule as he said, the only time we could really rest was during the travel time.

No, if you use the same means of transportation as Steve, you can hold idea meetings while moving.

“We are receiving reports every day about the construction of the new headquarters building. They say construction is progressing faster than scheduled.”

“I was really impressed by Taewoo Construction’s skills. The way they worked without any fuss really caught my eye. When I saw that they were secretly carrying out construction at night, I was so excited that I couldn’t help but wonder.”

It was a natural thing in our country.

In order to meet the completion date, the construction used to be done with the lights turned on.

However, although this was not allowed in the United States, Taewoo Engineering & Construction was carrying out construction as it had done in Korea.

“We were promised a bonus every time we brought the completion date one day ahead. So it seems like we are working harder.”

“I see. Then I guess Apple will also give us a bonus. Then wouldn’t the speed be faster than now? Hehehe.”

“We are still progressing ahead of schedule. Would you like to see it completed even faster?”

“That’s obvious. I heard that Taewoo Group is also in the process of constructing a new headquarters. Doesn’t Chairman Kim hope that the construction will be completed quickly?”

There was a strange impatience in Steve’s voice.

However, as I listened to his words, I also hoped that the construction of the new Taewoong Group building would be completed as soon as possible, so I just nodded and moved on.

“Now, go in and rest. If you want to proceed with the developer meeting tomorrow, even if you rest now, it won’t be enough.”

“Chairman Kim, go in first. I’ll wait a little longer and then go in.”

Where does a perfectionist personality go?

After taking a short break, Steve started giving advice to his employees again.

Since my presence next to him wasn’t going to help, I went to the hotel first and made plans for tomorrow.

* * *

The 2009 Apple Developer Conference was held.

This year, the developer conference was held two months late, making it larger, and many participants and reporters filled the event hall.

So many people gathered that there was literally no room to move.

In a way, it could be said that they were people who gathered to see Steve.

When Steve went up to the podium to begin the presentation of the new product, he let out a cheer that tore apart his eardrums.

[Waaaa!]

Despite the loud cheers, Steve showed no reaction.

He walked around the podium as if he were a person isolated in his own world.

Only after the cheers died down did Steve look at the crowd and say something.

“Oh! I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear anything because I was wearing AirPods. AirPods are equipped with a noise-cancelling function that blocks out external sounds.”

This is how you use cheering?

Naturally, Steve not only introduced Apple’s new product, AirPods, but also promoted its noise-canceling feature.

“AirPods, wireless earphones, were developed with a focus on user convenience. Haven’t you all experienced the inconvenience of earphone wires while exercising?”

Every time Steve said a word, a passionate response erupted.

In fact, at first glance, it was an AirPod that resembled a bean sprout, but when Steve was wearing it, it seemed to have something to it.

Steve continued to talk about the advantages of AirPods.

Design, battery, noise cancellation, even sound quality.

Even the smallest advantages were exaggerated as if they were great innovations, but everyone in the audience took Steve at his word.

So, we announced several products.

AirPods, iPhone, and even iPad.

The enthusiastic reaction of the audience has now become a little weaker, and the reaction of the reporters in particular has been a little cold.

“There won’t be any products that can be called innovative at this presentation, right?”

“So, I had high expectations because I heard that the schedule was postponed for two months.”

“It’s difficult to develop innovative products every time. It’s still disappointing.”

The voices of reporters buzzing.

In that atmosphere, Steve pointed out me sitting in the first row of the audience.

“Kim Min-jae, Chairman of Taewoo Group, is here. He is a familiar face to everyone, right? Please come up.”

As soon as I got up to the podium, the reporters’ eyes changed.

The reporters had high expectations because they had a history of showing artificial intelligence home appliances compatible with the iPhone at previous presentations.

So did the audience.

When I appeared, they were muttering about all kinds of home appliances, including refrigerators, TVs, and washing machines.

It was a natural reaction as Apple’s loyal customers had a strong image of the Taewo Group as a company that collaboratively produces home appliances.

So, I planned to use this opportunity to impress upon people that Taewo Group is not a company that only manufactures home appliances.

“Hello, this is Minjae Kim from Taewoong Group. If there are people who had expectations that Apple and Taewoong Electronics would collaborate to release new home appliances, I would like to apologize first. Of course, among Taewoong Electronics’ new products, there are products released through collaboration with Apple. Although there is this, it is closer to an upgraded version of the product presented at the last presentation.”

A cold reaction.

They are not even launching a new home appliance, so people are asking why they are on the podium.

I felt strangely delighted by these reactions.

It was a feeling I felt because I knew that the cold reaction would become hot again.

“Apple started as a company that made computers. But now it makes a variety of products, including smartphones, wireless earphones, and tablet PCs. This is because the functions of computers can now be used in the form of other products.”

The audience was still with their arms folded.

Some spectators even gave me a look, asking why I was talking about something everyone knew.

“So where should Apple’s technological prowess be heading now? Smartphones are said to be an integration of technology, but there is another product that is just as technologically intensive as a smartphone. That is a car.”

“Let me introduce you. This is the Apple Car created through collaboration between Apple and Taewo Group!”

Steve took over from me as he had done in rehearsal.

As he took a step back, four types of Apple cars waiting appeared.

When I think of Apple, the color that comes to mind most is silver.

Two types of silver-colored Apple cars came to the front first, followed by yellow and red-colored cars, making the stage feel full.

“This is the Apple Car that will change the paradigm of automobiles, created by mobilizing all the technological capabilities of Apple and Taewo Group!”

[Wow!]

Cheers finally erupted.

Everyone stood up and tried to catch the sight of the Apple Car.

The reporters pressed the camera shutter so hard that their fingers were not visible.

“I will now explain why the Apple Car is said to be a paradigm-changing car. First of all, we focused on the environment. The exhaust emissions from internal combustion engine vehicles. There are many environmental problems that arise as a result. So we decided to create an electric car that does not emit any exhaust fumes. “I did it.”

Steve started the four Apple Cars.

If it’s a normal car, boom! I should have heard a noise.

It was an Apple car that didn’t make any noise, and of course it didn’t emit any exhaust fumes at all.

“It’s quiet, right? It’s so quiet that I wonder if the engine is on, so I’ll try driving it myself.”

Steve sat in the driver’s seat and moved the car forward a little.

The audience cheered once again at the sight of the Apple Car moving smoothly forward.

Actually, it was an unremarkable scene.

Taewoo Motors had already exhibited an electric car at a motor show, and there had been electric cars developed before that, so the electric car itself was not an innovative product.

However, because the person demonstrating was Steve, it seemed innovative.

I’m sorry if you’re already reacting like this.

Just because it had the Apple logo on it didn’t mean it was an Apple car.

It was not a lie that it was created by mobilizing all of Taewo Group’s technological capabilities, and there was still a lot of technology left to be showcased.

“Next to the environment, we focused on safety. Traffic accidents can occur at any time. No matter how careful the driver is, unexpected accidents are bound to happen. Like this.”

An Apple car started moving forward.

A professional stuntman ran in front of him at high speed.

The situation looked as if a major accident would occur to anyone, but the Apple Car slowed down and stopped in front of the stuntman.

The collision avoidance system was activated.

Another huge cheer erupted, but there was still a lot of performance left to be shown.