KS Telecom Executive Meeting
With market share declining daily, the atmosphere in the conference room was grim.
And as if trying to shift the blame, Park Dong-hee, the vice president who had aggressively pushed for the acquisition of Cyworld, was raising his voice.
"What do you mean Cyworld's user numbers are declining? What's the point of acquiring a good platform if we manage it like this?"
"Competition from new SNS platforms is causing our market share to drop. In particular, Taewoo Telecom is actively promoting Facebook."
"I've seen Facebook myself, and it doesn't seem like anything special. I don't understand why users are leaving for that. Start a promotional campaign—discount background music and avatar items. That should bring users back, right?"
They had no real understanding of why Cyworld was losing market share.
The other executives simply nodded along to Park Dong-hee's loud complaints.
"But Vice President, what do we do about CEO Seo Kwang-soo? Cyworld's market share is declining—is there really any need to pay him such a hefty sum?"
"That's why I included certain clauses in the contract. If we invoke them, we can cut the acquisition cost."
Seo Kwang-soo was the founder of Cyworld.
But now, he was completely shut out from the platform he had created, having been forced to hand it over to KS Telecom.
It was already painful enough to have his creation taken from him, and now, he was facing a forced reduction in the acquisition payment.
"Do you think Seo Kwang-soo will just sit back and take this? If he starts a media campaign, things could get messy."
"What can he really do? Do you think he'll sue his seniors? The moment he does, he'll be ostracized from the alumni network. And he knows full well that suing a major corporation is a losing battle."
"Then we'll proceed with minimizing the acquisition cost for Seo Kwang-soo."
"But since we're from the same alma mater, don't be too heavy-handed. Try to persuade him properly."
To them, Seo Kwang-soo was already a forgotten figure.
They quickly shifted the discussion back to regaining Cyworld's market share.
"How's the development of new features coming along?"
"The technology has been developed, but we can't launch it. Taewoo Group has already patented these technologies."
"Can't we work around the patents?"
"It's not that simple. If Taewoo files a lawsuit, Cyworld could be shut down entirely."
"They really are a ruthless company. And why is KS always trailing behind Taewoo? Come up with something that Taewoo wouldn't even dream of!"
Park Dong-hee was fuming.
With no one saying what he wanted to hear, his anger only grew.
Sensing this, one executive cautiously spoke up.
"The situation might change once this year is over. Rumor has it that Taewoo Group hasn't donated a single cent to any political campaigns this election season."
"They must think they're above it all—such arrogance. Once the election is over, the politicians will tear them apart."
"If we play our cards right, we could completely destroy Taewoo Telecom. And that KakaoTalk or whatever it's called—it has to be wiped out."
Other telecom companies were also preparing to enter the smartphone market.
If people started using KakaoTalk to send messages for free, revenue from text messaging services would plummet.
"For now, we have to hold back. But once the election is over, we should join forces with other telecom companies and push back hard."
"We just need to endure for a little while longer. Taewoo Group, lost in its arrogance and complacency, doesn't have much time left."
"Tsk, tsk. A company trying to cut ties with the political world in Korea? They'll pay a devastating price for their arrogance."
For the first time since the meeting started, the mood in the room lightened.
They were already anticipating Taewoo Group's downfall due to political retaliation and were planning accordingly.
***
Eoeun Park, Daejeon.
The chilly weather had left the park relatively empty, with only a few people strolling around.
Perhaps that was why one particular person, walking in circles with his head hung low, stood out even more.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind."
"Who…? Vice Chairman Kim Min-jae?!"
The man with his head down was none other than CEO Seo Kwang-soo.
I had come all the way to Daejeon to meet him, wandering around Eoeun Park until I found him.
"The world is crueler than you thought, isn't it? People use their connections to climb to success, only to discard them once they're no longer useful."
"…I have nothing to say. Only now do I realize how generous your offer to me really was. I trusted that so-called 'senior' and look where it got me."
I had already heard about what had happened to Seo Kwang-soo.
He had his company, Cyworld, stolen from him—and on top of that, he wasn't even paid the full amount he was promised.
Before my regression, at least he had received his money. But in this timeline, perhaps because of my intervention, his fate had turned out even worse.
"So, what do you plan to do now?"
"I don't know. I considered filing a lawsuit, but KS has already assembled a powerful legal team full of well-connected attorneys. I thought about taking it to the media, but the press always sides with big corporations—they won't even listen to me."
Seo Kwang-soo was drowning in despair.
The man I had met before had been full of confidence, believing he could accomplish anything.
But now, after witnessing the ugliness of the world firsthand, his confidence had disappeared—replaced by nothing but defeat and frustration.
"You want revenge but have no way to get it. Is that right?"
"…If I had to sell my soul to the devil, I'd do it."
"I can help you. But it will require a very difficult choice. Are you willing to make it?"
"I'll do it! As long as I can get my revenge, I'll do anything!"
"You're accepting the offer without even hearing the details? Haven't you learned the importance of carefully reviewing contracts?"
"What do I have left to lose? They've already taken everything from me. There's nothing more they can steal, so there's no need to check any contracts."
Seo Kwang-soo was half-mad with rage.
That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
After all, nothing fuels a person's hidden potential like anger.
"The method of revenge is quite simple. You'll be the one to bring down Cyworld. If that happens, KS Telecom will take a massive hit as well. But can you really destroy what was once your own creation with your own hands?"
"The Cyworld that exists today isn't the one I built. It's nothing more than a cheap imitation wrapped in a familiar shell. That's why I want to be the one to destroy it."
Cyworld had become nothing more than a tool to extract money from users.
It had completely deviated from the idealistic vision Seo Kwang-soo had originally pursued.
"In that case, how about taking the position of Facebook Korea's Managing Director?"
"I heard that Facebook has ties to Taewoo Group, but it seems the connection runs even deeper than I thought."
"I have enough influence to decide who takes that position. So, what do you say?"
"I accept. I'll use everything I have to ensure Cyworld's complete downfall!"
"Then let's move now."
We had to act before Seo Kwang-soo's rage had a chance to cool.
We got into the car and drove from Daejeon to Seoul, heading straight to Facebook Korea's office near Taewoo IT.
"This is where you'll be working from now on. Oh, I should start calling you Director Seo Kwang-soo now."
"There don't seem to be many employees here."
"Development is handled in the U.S., where Facebook's headquarters is located. Taewoo IT also contributes to development, so there wasn't a need for a large staff in the Korea office. But that will change—we're planning to expand the team."
"Would it be possible for me to bring in a few people?"
"As the Managing Director, you can bring in as many people as you want."
"Then I'll bring over all the developers who worked on Cyworld."
Anyone personally recommended by Seo Kwang-soo was someone I could trust.
And if they had worked on Cyworld's development, they were exactly the kind of talent we needed to recruit.
"Oh, before that, I have a few ideas I'd like to show you. These were developed by Taewoo IT and have already been patented."
"I see."
Seo Kwang-soo's response was lukewarm at first.
But the moment he saw the ideas, his eyes lit up.
"These… these are the very ideas I had envisioned! No… they go even beyond what I had imagined. I had always wanted to implement these features in Cyworld, but we were limited by technology. And yet… you're telling me they're already fully developed?"
"There are still plenty of ideas I haven't shown you yet. Let's go through them all before we discuss further."
Seo Kwang-soo continued to exclaim in amazement.
Before my regression, these were technologies that had been implemented in Cyworld.
But now, I had preemptively secured some of those ideas, blocking their use, while also developing new ones alongside Chu Min-jeong.
"The Mini Homepage was an idea I was determined to integrate into Cyworld! I knew it would be something Koreans would love without fail."
"Then why not incorporate it into the Korean version of Facebook?"
Each country had its own preferences.
Facebook was known for its sleek design and performance, but to quickly dominate the Korean market, it needed charming features like the Mini Homepage.
Of course, I had no intention of applying these changes to the global version of Facebook.
Instead, we planned to develop a separate Korean version, running a dual-track strategy—one that would accelerate Cyworld's downfall.
"With just a few of these features, I'm confident we can cut Cyworld's market share in half within the year!"
"Then we need to start working as soon as possible. We'll offer top industry salaries, so don't hesitate to bring in the best talent."
"I'll start making calls right away."
"Oh, and don't worry about any legal issues—Taewoo Group will handle everything."
"Thank you!"
Seo Kwang-soo, now officially Facebook Korea's Managing Director, immediately picked up his phone and began making calls.
His eyes burned with a manic intensity—he was consumed by his determination to destroy the very platform that had been stolen from him.
While Vice Chairman Kim Min-jae was in Daejeon meeting with Seo Kwang-soo,
*
Chu Min-jeong was having an unexpected conversation at a traditional Korean restaurant in Cheongdam-dong.
"Go ahead and eat. Haha, don't tell me you're too uncomfortable to enjoy your meal?"
"N-no, sir! It's not that at all! I just… I've never had this kind of food before, so I'm not sure how to eat it properly."
The man sitting across from her was none other than Chairman Kim Tae-jung.
After secretly returning to Korea from Vietnam, his first official meeting was a private lunch with Chu Min-jeong.
"Haha, there's no right or wrong way to eat this kind of food. Just eat however you like."
"Chairman, if this meeting is about the dating rumors between me and Vice Chairman Kim Min-jae, I want to make it clear—it's all a misunderstanding! There's absolutely nothing between us. If my presence around him is an issue, I'll make sure not to meet with him outside of work!"
Her voice trembled.
For the first time in her life, Chu Min-jeong had found stable employment at a respectable company.
With a secure job and a high salary, her quality of life had improved dramatically, and she was genuinely happy.
She was terrified that this happiness—something she had never experienced before—might be taken away from her.