The morning after the Busan Industry Summit, Park Minho sat in his hotel room, eyes glued to the TV as a storm raged in his chest.
"Motorola acquires Symbian for $135 million," the announcer declared. "Jaehan, TLC, Kejian, Amoi, even Sony Ericsson sign on. Starting next month, their new phones will run Symbian, cementing its grip on 80% of Korea's mobile market."
Minho's jaw tightened. His Ultimate Imitation Emperor System kept his pulse steady, but fury coiled in his gut. Xu Jia-Hu of Jaehan, TLC's parts empire, and now Motorola's Symbian push—backed, no doubt, by Gao-Seong's Yoon Woo-bin—had blindsided him overnight.
"They're selling out our future," he muttered under his breath.
MaumNet, Korea's digital pulse, erupted with debate. Some users cheered:
> "One system means cheaper apps. Devs won't waste cash on ten platforms."
But others mourned:
> "First Microsoft takes PCs, now Motorola grabs phones? Where's Korea's OS? We're just handing it all over."
Minho felt their grief like knives. PCs were a lost cause—Microsoft's grip was ironclad. But mobile OS was a new frontier. Two years ago, chips couldn't handle robust systems; now they could. Korea's brands—Jaehan, TLC, Hansung—had nurtured their own OS, a hundred flowers blooming equally.
Hansung's lean, lightning-fast OS, powering its 29,900-won Labor Edition 12 and upcoming 49,900-won Hansung 3, stood among the best. His system, born of the Ultimate Imitation Emperor System, was Korea's hope.
But Jaehan and TLC had folded, chasing short-term savings over national pride.
"Cowards," Minho spat.
Their betrayal wasn't just business—it was treason. Motorola would build an ecosystem so vast no rival could crack it. App developers would flock to Symbian, ignoring niche systems like Hansung's. Microsoft's old playbook—lock in users, starve competitors—was unfolding again. Korea's OS dreams, his dreams, faced execution.
He clenched his fists. In his past life, smartphones became lifeblood—PCs faded, phones ruled. A foreign OS monopoly wasn't just market loss; it was strategic surrender, shackling Korea's tech to foreign whims.
Xu Jia-Hu didn't care. Profits over patriotism. TLC leveraged its parts empire to thrive under Symbian's umbrella. Hansung, to them, was a bug to be squashed.
Minho closed his eyes as the Ultimate Imitation Emperor System fed him glimpses of the future—Android, iOS, ecosystems dominating by 2010. His OS could compete, but Symbian's 80% head start loomed like a concrete wall.
Xu's flood of cheap Jaehan phones, Yoon's billions, TLC's parts monopoly—they were closing in from all sides.
But Minho saw the detour no one else could.
"Symbian is bloated," he whispered, opening his eyes, fire blazing within. "It chokes on low-end chips."
Hansung's OS was optimized for rural workers, running smoothly on modest hardware. MaumNet adored it for its blazing speed and walnut-smashing durability. His summit fame had opened retail doors nationwide. And Academician Ni Kwang-soo's mentorship promised chip expertise to match his software.
The TV droned on: "Symbian to rule the world?"
Minho's eyes burned as he rose. "Not if I stop it."
They could drown him in market share and money. But his OS wasn't built to please suits in glass towers—it was built for the people. Fast, cheap, indestructible. And with Ni's guidance, Hansung would birth chips to rival Symbian's Western backers.
He grabbed his notebook, flipping it open with trembling hands. There would be no sleep tonight.
OS upgrades. Chip designs. Brand alliances to rally Korea's small players.
His pen flew across the page as the Ultimate Imitation Emperor System fed him code snippets, chip architectures, ecosystem strategies. Symbian's power lay in market lock-in. Hansung's would lie in unbeatable speed, price, and patriot pride.
MaumNet's buzz—Hansung's king!—would fuel demand. His Labor Edition 12, already selling 180,000 units monthly, and Hansung 3, about to launch, were just the start. He'd build an OS to rival Android, a chip to crush Symbian's core.
The old man's warning echoed in his mind—shooting star, doomed to crash.
Minho smirked. Stars fall.
He gripped his pen tighter.
Tides rise.
Xu's debt traps, Yoon's schemes, TLC's scale—they were all pebbles before his tsunami. Ni's faith, Choi Sang-Woo's fire, Soo-jin's quiet support, Korea's cheers—they were his wind.
Symbian aimed to rule the world.
Minho aimed to topple it.
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