The audition program had already narrowed the field down to the Top 10.
From this point on, the show was broadcast live, and with the inclusion of text message voting in the judging process, ratings exploded.
"The ratings have surpassed 11%."
"It's the highest viewership ever recorded on a cable channel. We're breaking records every episode. And the public interest is several times greater than the ratings themselves. No matter where you go, everyone's talking about the audition program!"
The planning director's face was beaming with a smile.
Having visited every audition site since the first round, he seemed emotionally attached—talking about the show like a proud parent.
"The ratings will only go higher. But more importantly, how much has the YouTube user base grown?"
"In just one month, we've gained over a million users in Korea alone. And in the U.S. and Europe, the numbers are several times higher. We expect the global user base to surpass 30 million by the end of this month."
It was still short of expectations.
Before my regression, I knew that 80% of the Korean population used video platforms.
That meant we needed more than 40 million users in Korea alone to recreate that past glory. A mere 30 million global users wasn't enough.
"We'll need a more aggressive marketing strategy."
"We'll come up with more diverse promotional approaches."
"And what about the contestants I asked you to recruit as trainees?"
"Out of the ten names you gave us, we've secured four, and we're in positive negotiations with the remaining six."
Ten trainees.
Major agencies usually had over a hundred trainees under contract.
In contrast, Taewoo Group was only trying to recruit ten.
But in terms of potential, these were more promising than any other agency's roster.
Because they had all been superstars in my past life.
They were singers who had become popular not just in Korea but globally.
If I could recruit them, Taewoo Entertainment would have nothing to worry about for the next ten years.
"Provide everything they need. For those who don't live in Seoul, give them housing. If anyone is struggling financially, offer them a modest living allowance. Just make sure the offer is better than anything a major agency could provide."
"We can't offer everyone their own room, but we've arranged 30-pyeong apartments where four people can live together. And for younger students, we're also planning to provide housing for their parents so they can move to Seoul with them."
"Do whatever it takes to bring them in. This is for the future of Taewoo Entertainment."
"Understood!"
The finale of the audition program had concluded.
And as soon as the viewership ratings were released, the president of Taewoo Entertainment practically burst into the vice chairman's office.
"Vice Chairman! The final episode achieved a 21% viewership rating! That's not just high for a cable channel—it's competitive even compared to public broadcasters! We're already getting flooded with requests to produce a Season 2 of the audition program!"
"Do you think we managed to recover the production costs?"
"Thanks to various companies offering PPL (product placement), we were able to reduce production costs. And considering the boost in Taewoo Group's brand image, I can confidently say the show was well worth the investment."
The show itself hadn't exactly turned a profit.
The scale was massive, and the production costs were enormous.
But the increased public perception of Taewoo Entertainment—and the fact that they had successfully signed ten outstanding singers—made it a worthwhile venture.
"Have we finalized contracts with all the singers in the Top 10?"
"Yes, all contracts are signed. Starting with the first-place winner, each will begin album production in order, and we're on track to have all ten release their albums within the year."
"Make sure things move along quickly so the artists don't grow dissatisfied. Take care of their welfare, too. We don't want some careless manager causing problems."
"We're treating them better than any agency in the industry. I'll make sure no scandals occur."
"You must be busy—go ahead and get back to it."
Once President Oh of Taewoo Entertainment left, I called in the planning director.
Now that the audition program business was wrapped up, there was somewhere I needed to go.
"Director, is it possible to transport food for about 100 people to the Marshall Islands?"
"The Marshall Islands, as in those islands located in Oceania?"
"I believe that's correct."
"Please give me a moment."
The planning director moved to a corner and made several phone calls.
About ten minutes later, he returned with a troubled look on his face.
"There are no direct flights from Korea to the Marshall Islands. You'd have to go through Hawaii, and it would take over 20 hours. If we were sending food with a long shelf life, it might be manageable, but otherwise, it'll be difficult."
"If there's no direct flight, then we'll just use a private jet. From what I know, it's not that far in a straight line."
The planning director picked up his phone again.
Finally, he started saying what I wanted to hear.
"The straight-line distance is approximately 4,600 kilometers. If we use a private jet, we can arrive in under six hours."
"Then prepare the private jet. Oh! And I'll be heading to the Marshall Islands as well, so make sure to prepare accordingly."
"You're personally going to the Marshall Islands, Vice Chairman? In that case, I'll secure the safest private jet available!"
The next day, I headed to the private jet terminal.
There, I witnessed an incredible sight—the cargo hold was packed full of food from a luxury hotel buffet.
Sometimes, the planning director really did think bigger than I did.
"Vice Chairman! All the food preparations are complete. We've packed the entire buffet from the most famous hotel in Seoul into the cargo hold, and we've stocked the passenger cabin with a wide variety of drinks and alcohol."
"You're sure the plane can still take off?"
"Yes, we didn't exceed the weight limit. Also, just in case, I've arranged for three chefs and five staff members to accompany us. Is that alright?"
Behind the planning director, the chefs and staff were lined up.
Each of them held passports and the necessary documents, so I couldn't exactly refuse. And honestly, bringing the chefs along didn't sound like a bad idea.
I nodded.
"Let's head to the Marshall Islands together. We should depart now before the food gets too cold."
"You can board immediately. The jet is fully prepared for takeoff."
With more than 100 servings of food and ingredients in tow, I boarded the plane alongside three chefs and five staff members.
The private jet soared into the sky, bound for the Marshall Islands.
The Marshall Islands were made up of over 1,000 islands.
Some of these islands were leased to the U.S. military in exchange for rent, and the island I was headed to was one of them.
That's because someone had set up a factory on an island that housed a U.S. military base.
"Musk! How have you been? Looks like your skin's gotten a healthy tan, probably from being out by the coast."
"I never thought you'd actually come all the way here. And on a private jet, no less. Well, I guess since you're a U.S. citizen, the procedures wouldn't have been too complicated."
It was Musk who greeted me at the military base.
After the failure of Falcon 1, he'd been kicked out of Texas.
That's why he ended up coming to the Marshall Islands—where he could rent a factory for a reasonable price and still have access to a rocket launch pad.
"Even if the procedures were complicated, I had to come. A pioneer trying to usher in a new era is out here struggling—at the very least, I should show my support."
"Calling me a pioneer... you're embarrassing me. Come on inside. The sun here is so strong, your skin turns red after just a little time outdoors."
The back of Musk's neck was already red.
That's how intense the sunlight was. All that surrounded us was the blue sky and the endless sea.
It was a great place for a vacation—but not exactly ideal for research and development.
"Ah, and I couldn't come empty-handed, so I brought along some food."
"Just the fact that you came is already more than enough. But food too? I won't say no, though. Food is quite precious around here."
"Give me a moment. I'll get everything set up. Musk, go ahead and stay inside with the rest of the staff. I'll call you when everything's ready."
"If it's just instant food, we can eat it inside."
"Well, I brought quite a bit, so I'll set it up outside. Go on in for now."
With no great expectations, Musk headed back inside the factory.
Meanwhile, with help from the airport staff, the food and ingredients stacked in the cargo hold were carefully unloaded. The chefs began setting up their equipment and got to work.
And thanks to the planning director's thorough preparations—
About thirty locals had already been mobilized to assist with cooking and setup.
After about an hour, everything was ready. Perhaps drawn by the delicious aromas, Musk and his staff had already come outside before I even called for them.
"What is all this? Don't tell me you actually brought all of this on the private jet?"
"When times are tough, you have to eat well to keep your strength up, right? I also brought plenty of drinks and alcohol, so help yourselves as much as you want."
"To be able to eat food like this here in the Marshall Islands... I'll make sure the next rocket succeeds to repay this kindness."
After Musk said that while gripping my hand tightly, he ran over to the staff, who looked more
discouraged than before, and announced the start of the party.
As the feast of delicacies — the kind you'd never see in the Marshall Islands — was spread out, smiles slowly began to appear on the staff's faces, and soon laughter started to echo from every corner.
"Seeing everyone happy makes me happy too."
"It looks like a nice place to live, but there's really nothing here. So we can only be grateful for a party like this."
"From the sky, it really looks like there's nothing at all."
"So during breaks, we mostly play games or watch OTT platforms. Oh! And the number of people watching YouTube has also increased a lot."
Musk wasn't lying.
Even while eating, quite a few people were watching YouTube on their phones.
"We have to add a variety of content videos on YouTube quickly, for their sake."
"If you do that, the staff will be really happy."
"If you ever need more investment money, just say the word anytime. Even if it fails 100 times, we'll keep investing, so don't worry."
"…Thank you. After the Falcon 1 failure, many investors were disappointed. I worried you might be like that too."
"What matters most is an unbroken spirit, right? As long as your heart doesn't break, I believe success will come one day."
I used a phrase that was popular before I came back.
Since it was a trendy phrase that had swept Korea, Musk seemed genuinely thankful.
"I will definitely succeed. For you, and to show those who mock me—I will succeed no matter what!"
"I believe in you!"
Believe or not.
Why else would I have gone through the trouble of delivering food all the way to the Marshall Islands?
SpaceX has to succeed for the value of my shares to exceed 100 trillion won. That's why I'm doing all this.