Free Web NovelAt the restaurant I had reserved, I properly introduced Zhang Zhidong and Park Hyunseong.
“This is CEO Park Hyunseong, the person Vice President Zhang Zhidong was so eager to meet.”
“We greeted each other earlier.”
“He’s also an old friend of mine.”
“Is that so?”
Zhang Zhidong’s eyes widened as he asked back.
“Yes. We’ve been friends since we were young. Thanks to him, there ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) was no difficulty in pushing this deal through.”
“It was so hard to establish a link with HS Venture Capital, yet not only did you make the connection so easily, you even helped push us all the way to a contract. Thank you, President Kim Muhyuk.”
I simply answered his expression of gratitude with a smile. ƒreewebɳovel.com
The neatly prepared Korean dishes were placed on the table, and we continued our conversation as we ate.
“How is Korean food? It might have less oil than Chinese cuisine, so I’m not sure if it suits your taste.”
“No, it’s quite delicious. There’s a lot of variety, and it isn’t too stimulating either.”
“That’s a relief.”
I nodded and smiled.
“But CEO Park, I saw that you’ve invested in many game companies. Does that mean you recognized the potential of the gaming industry early?”
At Zhang Zhidong’s question, Park Hyunseong paused his chopsticks and answered.
“As I looked for new investment fields, I noticed that there were a lot of game companies, so they caught my attention. It was a period when the new industry of online gaming was growing, and with the IT boom, I felt the prospects were bright.”
Hyunseong’s English pronunciation had gotten remarkably good. It seemed he had worked very hard in his own area.
He hadn’t been able to speak any English before. What a change.
“You seem to have a positive view of the gaming industry.”
Park Hyunseong nodded.
“Yes. The gaming industry will continue to grow along with the growth of the internet. Of course, it isn’t without side effects. But aside from that, it’s certainly a good investment field.”
“The innovation of Korean game companies is truly... impressive. The reason I decided to service Korean games rather than American or European ones is because Korean developers create games that can also succeed in China.”
“Vice President Zhang, you seem very confident about success. But in the gaming industry, nothing is guaranteed. You only know after you open the lid, don’t you?”
There were many variables in whether a game became a hit. A game couldn’t succeed solely because its gameplay was good.
But Zhang Zhidong’s conviction seemed firm.
“China is changing too. People have begun to have more leisure time, and they’ve started spending. Games can become a good hobby.”
I continued eating, quietly listening without joining the conversation.
Seeing Hyunseong conducting business in person gave me a different feeling.
I had heard he was doing well, but hearing it from others and seeing it myself were different matters entirely.
“I hope Tencent and HS Venture Capital will build a good relationship — in all business areas, not just in games. We at Tencent will help HS Venture Capital’s portfolio companies enter China. If it’s something we can do directly, we’ll do it directly. And if it’s difficult, we’ll still do everything possible.”
“And in return, we distribute the games of the companies we invest in through Tencent, correct?”
“Yes. And beyond that, we can carry out many projects together. The major shareholder of Tencent is President Kim Muhyuk here. So Tencent and HS Venture Capital can also be considered friends. Just like CEO Park of HS Venture Capital and President Kim of Tencent are friends.”
You’re friends with him, and he’s friends with me, so that means you and I are friends.
What a delightfully odd and surprising logic.
It made me laugh, but I didn’t bother contradicting it.
Park Hyunseong seemed amused too, showing a small smile.
“You say interesting things. But no matter how close people are, business is business, and we never know how each side’s position may change in the future. I won’t give a definitive answer. But if we consider each other as our top priority partners, I’d be fine with that.”
Zhang Zhidong laughed in a way unique to Chinese people.
“Of course. The closer we are, the more we should keep the proper boundaries — that’s how relationships last. Just think of Tencent first whenever you think of China. As a friend of HS Venture Capital, no — as a friend of CEO Park.”
After a warm and pleasant meal, we saw Park Hyunseong off, and Zhang Zhidong and I moved to the Myeongdong Hotel.
We shared a couple of drinks and continued our conversation.
“Vice President Zhang, is there a particular reason Ma Huateng is the CEO?”
Zhang Zhidong’s hand, which had been swirling his whiskey with ice, halted.
“I’m asking if it’s simply because he invested the most when the company was founded. If that’s the reason, then it no longer matters.”
Since I was now the major shareholder, there was no reason to keep Ma Huateng as CEO solely due to shares.
But Zhang Zhidong didn’t seem dissatisfied with Ma Huateng holding the position.
“What exactly do you mean by that question?”
“I don’t understand. You handle everything, yet the one representing the company is Ma Huateng. Even this push into online gaming wouldn't have moved so quickly if not for your efforts.”
The difference between the Ma Huateng I met and the Zhang Zhidong I met was clear.
Ma Huateng might come up with ideas, but turning those fantasies into reality was Zhang Zhidong’s ability.
“Hm.”
Swallowing his breath, Zhang Zhidong raised his glass and drank the strong whiskey in one shot.
“That’s our agreement. We bring Ma Huateng’s ideas to life. That’s why Tencent was founded.”
“You call them ideas, but Tencent right now is just copying. Those are ideas anyone else could execute with the right people.”
“It’s not mere copying. It’s creative imitation. And everything originates from Ma Huateng’s mouth. That’s what I believe.”
I refilled his empty glass.
“Most of the businesses you pursue start from small ideas.”
“I know. Making fantasies real — that’s what you do.”
“That’s why we wanted Ma Huateng to be our CEO, and that won’t change.”
“To my ears, that sounds like: ‘If someone comes up with better ideas, that person can be the CEO instead.’”
“······.”
Zhang Zhidong didn’t answer easily.
So he wasn’t ambitious.
“Take your time and think about it. I’ve lost trust in Ma Huateng. If there’s someone who can replace him, I can swap him out at any time.”
“W-what is that supposed to mean?”
He hadn’t even imagined the possibility?
With a faint smile, I answered.
“I’m the major shareholder.”
“But Chinese companies must be operated by Chinese people. Holding shares and actually exercising their power are different matters.”
“That’s only when I have no connection to the Party. Do you know why the Shanghai Clique has stopped meddling with Tencent?”
“······.”
“The moment political power meddles in business, everything becomes complicated. I will completely block political influence from entering the companies I invest in. Whether it’s the Shanghai Clique, the Princelings, or the Communist Youth League — all of them.”
The atmosphere chilled instantly.
Looking at the silent Zhang Zhidong, I spoke slowly.
“But Ma Huateng dragged political forces into this. Because of him, I ended up in a very uncomfortable position. I had to concede things to the Shanghai Clique to protect Tencent. Do you have any idea how big that loss was?”
“That... still, it was an unavoidable choice to protect Tencent. I know it was wrong. But China’s reality is different. If the Communist Party wishes, we can all be wiped out instantly.”
“You should know that I’m the one blocking that pressure for you. Just because I’m a foreigner doesn’t mean I wouldn’t use every ability I have.”
“······.”
“Well, I’m not intending to do anything right now. But if something displeases me once more, I’ll replace him without hesitation. I’d prefer if the one in that seat were you.”
Zhang Zhidong stared into my eyes as if trying to understand my intent. Then he faintly smiled.
“Think about it slowly. If you want it, I can make it happen at any time.”
“Why are you saying this to me?”
“Because if there’s someone who can grow Tencent further, I believe it’s you — not Ma Huateng. What more reason would I need? The choice is yours. I won’t force you.”
It wasn’t something I could force.
In the end, he had to decide for himself.
Then I brought up a different topic.
“Do you happen to know someone named Song Gyeonghyeong?”
“Song Gyeonghyeong? Who is that?”
“He’s the one who made Blood Alliance.”
“What? Isn’t Blood Alliance made by CEO Kim Taejeong? That’s what everyone believes.”
I shook my head.
“No. It was made by a man named Song Gyeonghyeong and his team.”
“······That’s surprising. This is unknown in China.”
To be precise, most Koreans didn’t know either. Eventually, everyone would learn, but that was later.
“He recently left TJ Soft.”
“What? Why would such a talent leave?”
“Conflict with management. What other reason could there be? How about recruiting him and developing a new game in Korea?”
“Hm... with that level of skill, he could easily found his own company and attract investment. Why would he work with us?”
“The image of gaming in Korea isn’t very good yet. Investors hesitate to invest. And he doesn’t have the kind of personality investors like.”
Zhang Zhidong nodded, understanding.
“The perception of games isn’t great in China either.”
“It would be best to give him full freedom in development while someone else handles management. Consider it positively.”
“We planned to move slowly with game development. But if there’s such a developer, taking a gamble might not be a bad idea. I’ll review it.”
Zhang Zhidong and I spoke for a long time. He was someone whose view of the future overlapped greatly with mine.
* * *
Besides the two games originally planned, Zhang Zhidong signed contracts to distribute two additional games in China — a total of four.
“Eva.”
After he left Korea, I was in the study talking with Eva.
“The schedule is taking too long. If Chairman Seo Yonggeon dies, the whole thing could fall apart.”
“I want to finish quickly too... Wow, Ilseong Group’s shareholding structure is insane. If you untangle one strand, another pops out. If not for Chief Lee Seokmin knowing all of this, we would’ve wasted several years just sorting shares.”
“Any way to shorten it?”
“If the government helps, then yes, but...”
I cut Eva off immediately.
“No. That’s a double-edged sword. Let’s not create problems that’ll come back later.”
“If you wanted to just swallow Ilseong Group whole, it wouldn’t take this long. But you want to tear it apart so thoroughly that not a trace is left.”
I nodded.
“I will make the name Ilseong forgotten in Korea — just like how the International Group vanished under the military regime.”
“That’s why it’s so hard. Still, we can finish by next year.”
Even with Lee Seokmin’s help, it was taking more than a year.
Just how badly had they tangled things?
“I understand. Work a bit harder. And what about the part we’re handing over to Seo Heekyung?”
“We can separate the affiliates by around the third quarter this year. We have to receive Ilseong affiliates’ shares from that side and give them shares from other affiliates. It takes work.”
“Then finish that part first. Sorry — it looks like vacations are a fantasy again this year.”
“Ugh... what kind of suffering is this, meeting a boss like you?”
Eva complained playfully.
“I’ll give you a sabbatical. Just finish this project well.”
“You said you’re stopping by England, then heading to the U.S., right?”
I nodded with a smile.
“It’s the last match. I have to watch it myself — I am the club owner, after all.”
Leeds United had one final match left in the season.
