The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 37



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Episode 37 The first flip phone (3)

It was only after the food was served that Steve came to his senses.

After thinking while the waiter was setting up the food, he spoke with difficulty.

“Can this be called a cell phone? “It’s like a computer shrunk down to the size of a cell phone.”

“It will be called a smartphone. “All functions can be operated through the touch screen, and we plan to make it possible to enjoy music and even movies.”

“Is that possible?”

“It’s not possible right now. It is close to an imaginary picture of the future of the mobile phone market. But it’s not impossible forever. “I am already steadily developing a plan to create a smartphone, and I really need your help with that plan, Steve.”

Steve then started looking at other design drafts.

And I picked up the design of a flip phone, which will be exactly the next generation mobile phone.

“Are you planning a foldable mobile phone as a starting point? The design is far from that of a smartphone. “The message pad made by Apple looks more similar to a smartphone.”

“There is a limit to the number of stairs a person can climb at one time. “The message pad tried to climb up to the rooftop at once, so people couldn’t keep up with it.”

“So the flip phone will act as a middle step.”

“That’s right! Oh, and the person who designed this flip phone is Jonathan, who was also in charge of designing the message pad.”

Steve seemed to already know Jonathan.

Well, there’s no way that Steve, Apple’s founder, wouldn’t know about the designer of MessagePad, which pushed Apple into the abyss.

“Jonathan knows. “He is one of the people on the restructuring list I created.”

“You were already thinking about going back to Apple.”

Just like I created a killing club in my past life.

Steve was already creating a restructuring list similar to the killing department, thinking about when he returned to Apple.

The creation of a restructuring list means.

This means that there is a great desire to return to Apple.

“… … It’s not a place where I can go back just because I want to. “The owner of the company is not me, but the major shareholders.”

“That’s why I’m making this suggestion. Let’s make a flip phone with me. “I will credit all of my achievements to Steve.”

“The design has already been completed, and the production is not left to me. But what are you asking me to help you with? “Are you really asking me to just borrow your name?”

Steve’s name value remained the same.

Even though Apple fell into abyss, Steve’s reputation did not disappear.

In fact, his reputation only grew as he was kicked out of Apple.

“Please make software. “I will provide all the funds necessary for production.”

“You’re saying we need NEXT’s software production capabilities.”

“And I need your name, too. “I would like to put your name in charge of producing the flip phone.”

“I’m not just going to lend my name. “I will only allow it if I like it from design to performance.”

If you do, I will be more grateful.

I had no reason to refuse when they said they would take care of what I was lacking.

“We will give you full control over the production of flip phones.”

“But how will the shares of the software created by NEXT be divided? “You’re not saying you’re going to eat it all, are you?”

He is also a sharp person.

However, he may not yet know exactly how valuable mobile phone software is.

“I will give you $40 million to produce the software. And whenever we produce software for a new model of mobile phone, we will support the corresponding production costs.”

“Instead, you are saying that you will own all the shares of the software.”

“$40 million is not a small amount of money. “Shouldn’t I have at least some ownership of the software?”

NEXT, a software company created by Steve Jobs.

It was certainly a good company, but even with all values, including market capitalization, it was only worth about $400 million.

$40 million was equivalent to 10 percent of NEXT’s value.

In terms of sales alone, $40 million was an amount that would not allow NEXT to look for other work for the time being.

“Still, it seems unreasonable to hand over the entire stake. Why not just take 70 percent of the shares? “If you do that, I will join your plan.”

“Give me just a moment.”

Should we be satisfied with 70 percent?

I have no intention of going after Apple.

I planned to make only the software part my own.

Because that alone makes money.

Smartphones are created, and sales of over 60 trillion won a year come in through the app store.

If I held a firm stake in the software, it was possible for me to receive most of the App Store sales.

Am I being too greedy?

If I try to eat it all by myself, I’m bound to get some backlash.

Still, 70 percent is too low.

“I’ll take 80 percent. Instead, we will increase the cost of producing the software from $40 million to $50 million.”

“Sounds like the best conditions. Let me join hands with you. Please share everything from design to development progress. “We will make a very innovative flip phone.”

“To put it briefly, many issues have been resolved. First, we succeeded in developing a miniaturized battery for a flip phone.”

“Except for the battery, what do you plan to do with the rest?”

“How can I do it all by myself? “Like you did with the Mac, you have to borrow the power of multiple companies.”

“Are you talking about Samjin Electronics? “If we use Korea’s mobile phone technology, we will be able to launch the product in the second half of this year.”

Steve Jobs once visited Korea.

To enter into a partnership with Samjin Electronics, which has excellent technology.

Like him, I plan to join hands with excellent companies.

Not only can I not develop all the technologies, but it takes too much time and manpower to do so.

I just want to hog the delicious parts.

To do that, I only needed to possess the core technology.

“Please take care of me in the future.”

“Please take care of me too. “Right now I’m greeting you as the representative of NEXT, but next time I’d like to greet you as the representative of Apple.”

Steve held out his hand first.

When he first entered the restaurant, he was full of caution, but now Steve greeted me in a gentle tone, as if he was greeting an old companion.

* * *

The work isn’t over yet.

Since I came to America, I had to take care of as many things as possible.

I also had to meet with people on Wall Street and conduct meetings related to Japanese derivatives.

Approximately 2 hour meeting.

The hyenas of Wall Street discussed which part they would share with each other, as if Japan were theirs.

It was the situation I intended.

I did my best to prevent other hyenas from touching the Japanese companies included in my paintings.

Because I created the derivatives, it wasn’t too difficult, and since there was so much to eat in Japan, the meeting ended with everyone getting something to their satisfaction.

In the end, it was beneficial to me.

The hyenas of Wall Street rushed forward with a common goal: Japan.

Thanks to this, the Japanese economy will collapse at a faster rate than before my return, and the value of the derivatives I created will only increase.

When the meeting ended, groups of twos and threes dispersed.

I approached Dimon, who was attending the meeting as a representative of Travelers.

“It is an honor to meet you like this. “I really wanted to meet you sometime.”

“I am truly honored. “I really wanted to meet who created such a beautiful derivative product.”

The second-in-command of the Travelers financial company was Dimon.

Travelers was a somewhat unfamiliar company, but within the next three years, Travelers was a company that would grow into CT Group, the largest financial company in the United States.

However, my interest was not in the CT group.

Dimon, who would become the second-in-command of CT Group in the future, but was kicked out, was my biggest concern.

The leader of the CT Group is Sandy Whale, who was like a mentor to Dimon, but was driven out by his own relatives.

He sharpened his sword with revenge.

He eventually becomes the head of a financial empire bigger than CT Group.

All of this was possible thanks to his outstanding abilities, and he was already a renowned restructuring expert.

He was exactly the talent I needed right now.

His abilities were essential to restructure all of Taewo Group’s affiliates.

“I believe that Travelers has been able to grow so far thanks to Dimon’s abilities. So I had a question. Why don’t you become independent?”

“I want to work with Sandy Weil to make Travelers the best financial company in America. And I don’t want to start from scratch.”

As expected, Dimon showed great loyalty.

Since he was betrayed despite giving all his loyalty, he must have had a strong desire for revenge.

“Even if we make Travelers the world’s best financial company, won’t Sandy Weill hand over the CEO position to her child anyway? Are you satisfied with having to remain second in command for the rest of your life?”

“… … “I don’t know where you heard this, but Sandy Weill is not that type of person.”

“Well, then I apologize. But if you have any independent thoughts, please come see me anytime. “I will help you build a financial company bigger than Sandy Weil’s in 10 years.”

I handed my business card to Dimon.

He treated the conversation so far as a joke and accepted the business card.

A small seed of doubt would have begun to sprout in his mind.

Before returning, it was Dimon who would be kicked out after three years.

However, that time will be hastened by the seeds of doubt I have planted.

* * *

After finishing my trip to the United States, I returned to Korea.

Although it was a short schedule of 3 days and 2 nights, I had so much to do that it felt like I had spent several weeks in the United States.

I wanted to spend a few days resting, but I wanted to.

Because there was a lot of work to do, I had to move without time to adjust to the time difference, and the destination I was heading to was Myeong-dong, not the technology lab.

It looks like Gwanghwamun Bear is finally ready to answer my offer.

He had requested to meet me while I was in the United States, and as soon as I arrived in Korea, I headed to his old house.

“I heard you went to America. “I’m sorry for taking up your busy time.”

“no. “I’m still young, so I can stay up all night for several days and not get tired.”

“I envy you. There was a time when I was as energetic as you are now. But now I’ve lost the energy to take initiative.”

It was Chairman Lee Seon-il, who was complaining.

Although he was old, he seemed to be in good health and could even kill a cow while trying to correct it, as he had a natural business constitution.

“You are still correcting it.”

“If it looks like that, I’m glad. Shouldn’t we try something while we still have the strength to move? “Then wouldn’t you be able to become the owner of Myeong-dong that you mentioned?”

You decided to take my hand.

After all, becoming a big player in the Myeongdong private loan market is not something that just anyone can do.

I was able to get to that position because of my excellent judgment, and I made a decision that took my own hands.

You made a good decision, so I should help you.

So that you can become the owner of Myeongdong.