CL Group strictly adhered to the principle of eldest-son succession.
However, the chairman's firstborn son had died in an unexpected accident.
Just like my own father.
But unlike Taewoo Group—where I existed as the grandson—CL Group had no male heirs, only a daughter.
To uphold their succession principle, they decided to adopt a nephew as the heir.
It wasn't a bad decision.
After all, he shared the same bloodline and possessed an exceptional intellect.
But what about the daughter's perspective?
Of course, the Go Yeon-jin sitting across from me now was still pure-hearted.
She had no interest in the company's management and truly liked and respected her adopted older brother.
But would that last forever?
With time, her innocence would inevitably be tainted by reality.
I decided to probe a little.
"Yeon-jin, do you have any interest in running the company?"
"Not really… but my parents wouldn't approve even if I did. You know how strict my family is."
"From our conversation, I can tell you're more than capable of running a company. It's a shame."
"Me? Running a company? Isn't that way too complex and difficult for me?"
Her fresh-faced naivety was obvious.
I realized she wouldn't be easily swayed.
But my true target wasn't her.
It was her mother.
"Your mother must be struggling," I said. "Technically, you are the rightful heir of CL Group, but that's not how things turned out."
She blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean? I have zero interest in CL Group's management."
"Oh! I'm sorry if that upset you. I guess I got too emotionally involved. If I were in your position, I'd be furious. Shows how small-minded I am."
Yeon-jin bit her lip, visibly suppressing her emotions.
She wasn't angry enough to lash out, but she clearly wasn't comfortable either.
Normally, I would've stopped there.
But this time, I decided to push a little further.
"Other major conglomerates often pass down department stores or entertainment businesses to their daughters, but unfortunately, CL Group doesn't have those divisions."
"Why do you keep saying things like that? If you continue, I'm leaving."
"I sincerely apologize. I keep thinking out loud in the wrong direction."
I had provoked her multiple times.
And in the end, our lunch was cut short.
Yeon-jin stormed out of the restaurant, clearly furious.
And that anger?
It would find its way to her mother.
***
The next day
When I arrived at the Planning Office, Taewoo Electronics' President Woo Sung-il was already there, waiting for me.
"Director, I have some updates regarding our music streaming project."
"You didn't have to come all the way here. You're a busy man—a phone call would've sufficed."
"No, sir! It's only an hour's drive each way. Of course, I should report in person."
Woo Sung-il was still showing me deference.
If anything, his bowing had become even deeper over time.
My transfer to the Planning Office had actually elevated my standing beyond when I was in Taewoo Electronics.
"Are negotiations with the copyright association not going well?"
"It's not an issue. Thanks to our acquisition of a mid-sized music distribution company, there's no major conflict with the Copyright Association. The real problem lies in our negotiations with the three major broadcasting stations."
"What's the issue with the broadcasting networks? As long as we provide good advertising, isn't that all that matters?"
"Well… that's the thing. I only recently found out myself, but due to the aftermath of the IMF crisis, all music programs on the major networks have been canceled."
Wait, was that true?
Back during the financial crisis, I had spent most of my time watching the news.
I barely paid attention to entertainment shows, so I had no idea that music programs had ceased airing.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
The crisis had hit not just businesses but also broadcasters.
And music shows, which required heavy stage production investments, were among the first to be cut.
"Actually, this is an opportunity," I said.
"How so?" Woo Sung-il asked.
"Consider this—what if we sponsor the major networks to bring back their music programs?"
"All three of them?"
"Of course. Only by going big can we generate widespread interest in MP3 music downloads. And while we're at it, we can have digital downloads included in the ranking criteria."
At this time, MP3 files were gaining traction in South Korea.
However, just like in the U.S., most people downloaded them illegally through P2P sites.
There weren't even legitimate platforms for downloading music yet, so no one felt any guilt about piracy.
"But will including digital downloads in the rankings really drive people to use our platform?"
"If they're true fans, absolutely. Fans will do anything to support their favorite artists.
Especially when it comes to music show rankings—they take that very seriously."
Woo Sung-il still looked perplexed.
He didn't yet understand the extremes of fan culture.
"Do you know who won the Grand Prize at last year's Music Awards?" I asked.
"I just remember it was a group act."
"These days, we call them idols. Of the five major music award organizations, four gave the Grand Prize to an idol group. Do you know what happened to the one broadcaster that didn't?"
"Did they receive complaints?"
"More than that. It was practically a protest movement.
Idol fans don't just support their favorites; their devotion is nearly religious.
And now, multiple entertainment companies are actively launching new idol groups."
This was the dawn of first-generation idols.
And soon, the second and third generations would dominate the industry.
For our music platform to succeed, we needed to target these fans first.
"Then we'll proceed with sponsoring all three networks from Taewoo Electronics."
"It's going to cost quite a bit."
"Think of it as a marketing expense. It's a worthwhile investment—so go ahead."
"I'll do my best to secure the deals, but funding might be a problem. Supporting all three networks could stretch our budget too thin."
"Then I'll secure additional funds. Apple is about to officially launch the iPod in Korea. I'll talk to them and have them place ads before and after the music programs."
"You're serious? If that's possible, then this can absolutely work!"
Woo Sung-il's eyes widened in shock.
He couldn't believe I could so easily secure Apple's backing.
But to me, it really was that simple.
After all, I wasn't just an Apple shareholder.
I was their largest shareholder.
Between SAVE Investments, Taewoo Electronics, and my personal holdings, I had enough control to steer Apple's Korean marketing strategy as I pleased.
A few days later, I visited the art gallery operated by CL Group.
I had never lived a life particularly involved in art, but even with my limited knowledge, I could tell that the art collection held immense value.
As I wandered the gallery alone for a few minutes, a large entourage began approaching.
At the center of the group was a middle-aged woman dressed elegantly in a traditional hanbok, walking directly toward me.
"You must be quite busy at Taewoo Group—what brings you here?"
"It's truly an honor to meet you. My name is Kim Min-jae."
I greeted her with a polite bow.
This woman was Kim Young-seo, the CEO of the gallery—but more importantly, the wife of CL Group's chairman, the true matriarch of the family.
"Such good manners," she noted. "Though I can't help but wonder why you behaved differently the other day."
"I made a mistake when speaking to Yeon-jin.
Lately, with the financial crisis, my mind has been entirely consumed by business matters.
It clouded my judgment, and I sincerely apologize."
"So, you saw my daughter not as a woman but as a business leader?"
Now I understood why she was called the matriarch of CL Group.
Despite the family's strict Confucian traditions, she did not hesitate to speak her mind.
Raised by a former government minister, Kim Young-seo exuded both intelligence and dignity.
"I, too, dreamed of becoming a business leader from the age of twenty.
I assumed Yeon-jin might have the same aspirations, and I spoke too carelessly."
"I heard you joined Taewoo Group at twenty-three and later became the youngest executive in a major corporation.
But not everyone follows that kind of path."
"You're absolutely right. That was my narrow-mindedness speaking.
Still, after speaking with Yeon-jin, I could tell she has the potential to be an exceptional leader.
Not just for a small subsidiary—she has the capability to lead an entire group."
What mother doesn't enjoy hearing praise about her child?
Kim Young-seo let out a soft smile, covering her mouth slightly.
Her once piercing gaze toward me softened.
"Thank you for speaking so highly of Yeon-jin.
So, did you come all this way just to apologize?"
"I also heard that CL Group's art gallery houses some famous pieces, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to visit."
"And now that you've seen it for yourself—was it worth the reputation?"
"To be honest, I'm not well-versed in art.
But even to someone like me, the collection looks extraordinary.
If I could, I'd hire your gallery director as the head of design at Taewoo Electronics."
"Oh? Are you saying you want to recruit me for Taewoo Electronics?"
She chuckled softly.
"I never knew you had such a playful sense of humor."
But I wasn't joking.
During our conversation, I had reviewed Kim Young-seo's background and capabilities.
Her business acumen was remarkable—far too exceptional to be confined to running an art gallery.
A talent like hers was like a nail waiting to pierce through the rigid Confucian structure of CL Group.
"It's a shame that CL Group doesn't own any department stores or large retail chains.
With your ability to curate an art gallery, I have no doubt that you could have managed luxury retail spaces just as well.
If that had been the case, CL Group might have become the top retail empire in Korea."
"You're far too generous with your compliments.
You should have said all this to Yeon-jin instead."
"I'm not just saying this for the sake of it.
If I could, I would entrust Taewoo Group's department stores to you without hesitation."
"Hohoho, you're quite an amusing man.
Well then, I suppose we'll meet again next time."
With a gentle smile, Kim Young-seo turned away.
For now, she might dismiss my words as nothing special.
But once she lies down to sleep, a vision of herself running department stores and retail chains will start to form in her mind.
She'll begin to ponder why I said what I did—what my true intentions were.
And before she knows it, she'll find herself rationalizing the idea, driven by her own ambitions.
A mother's desire to pass down a thriving retail empire to her eldest daughter.
***
That evening
After leaving the CL Group art gallery, I headed straight home.
Waiting for me at the front gate was my grandfather.
"I heard you visited the CL gallery today.
Did you take an interest in the young lady?"
"Well, I did find something interesting—but not the young lady.
Rather, I found myself intrigued by CL Group's subsidiaries."
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"CL Group has been developing its battery business for the past few years.
They're currently focusing on rechargeable batteries for small electronics like mobile phones."
My grandfather sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
He had set me up for a potential courtship, yet here I was, scheming about corporate acquisitions instead.
I must have reminded him of his younger self.
"So, you're eyeing their battery division now?
But CL Group won't give it up so easily.
They already lost their semiconductor company to Hyunjae Group—there's no way they'll let this one go too."
"What if they were the ones to bring the deal to us first?"
"Are you saying you've set things up so that CL Group will approach us?"
I responded with a sheepish smile.
My grandfather had caught on—he now realized that my real reason for attending the meeting wasn't about romance, but business acquisition.