Real Man
Chapter 825

What kind of person was he, to capture the heart of the former chairman Shin Hyun-ho, who had a wicked temper?

He turned his head and saw Yoo-hyun, who was chatting leisurely with a relaxed expression.

“It’s nothing. It’s all thanks to you, chairman, for revitalizing the domestic content business.”

“Hahaha! This kid, he has a good sense of humor.”

With a few words, Yoo-hyun made the shoulders of the Federation of Korean Industries members sway. He led the conversation throughout.

Soon, the atmosphere revolved around Yoo-hyun.

Chairman Choi Jin-chul broke the silence and opened his mouth.

“President Han, aren’t you bored with this trivial talk?”

“It’s interesting. And helpful.”

“Really? I don’t think it’s something that would benefit you.”

At his casual question, everyone’s eyes were drawn to him.

Yoo-hyun had tried hard to pique his curiosity, but he didn’t expect him to ask such a personal question so soon.

That meant Chairman Choi Jin-chul was a difficult person.

Whatever the reason, Yoo-hyun wanted to make the most of the opportunity that came his way.

“The path that you seniors have walked is the same path that I will walk. There is a lot to learn from you.”

“Unexpected.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, your business approach seems quite different from ours.”

Why did they gather at the Federation of Korean Industries?

To get rid of the annoying pebbles, and to collude with each other where necessary, to protect their vested interests.

It was bound to clash with Yoo-hyun’s value of making everyone live well by expanding the market.

But Yoo-hyun gave a different answer.

“We have the same roots in the Korean industry. I think we are all one community.”

“Community?”

“Yes. Because we can create much greater value if we work together.”

“Hmm, do you think you belong to that level?”

If you only look at the company value, Reverb was not comparable to anyone here.

In fact, it was ridiculous to compare a company that had only shone for two years with the conglomerates that had led the politics, economy, and culture of Korea for decades.

Despite the sharp question, Yoo-hyun calmly answered.

“I’m not enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, but I can be a helper who can help create more synergy.”

“You?”

“Yes. I came here to tell you that.”

As Yoo-hyun stepped forward without hesitation, Chairman Choi Jin-chul’s eyebrows twitched.

“Interesting. I thought you just came to give a mediocre presentation.”

“I can’t waste your precious time, seniors.”

“I hope you don’t disappoint me. It seems like I have high expectations.”

“You won’t be disappointed. Please watch.”

Yoo-hyun smiled as he met Chairman Choi Jin-chul’s cold gaze.

A little later, it was time for the keynote speech.

Yoo-hyun, who stood on the podium, looked at the faces of the conglomerate chairmen who were sitting.

He had a close relationship with Chairman Shin Kyung-wook, but he met the others for the first time.

He needed to soften the atmosphere that could be a bit stiff.

That was why he participated in the small talk and had a dialogue with Chairman Choi Jin-chul to arouse his curiosity.

Was it thanks to Yoo-hyun’s efforts?

Bang.

-The Future of Korean Industry

A clichéd title popped up on the screen, but everyone looked interested.

Self-driving, AI, virtual reality, robots, fintech, IoT, big data, etc.

Even as the keywords related to the fourth industrial revolution that the media buzzed about every day flew by, they didn’t lose their concentration.

It was a very different flow from when other speakers came.

That was enough.

Click.

Yoo-hyun, who had created the desired atmosphere, announced the beginning.

“I will tell you about the future I expect in 10 years. First of all, more than half of the companies here will be gone from this place.”

From the beginning, the shocking statement made the audience stir.

Whispering.

Yoo-hyun, who had grabbed their attention, spoke strongly before the mood was disrupted.

“All the businesses that are operating offline will evolve from non-face-to-face contact to online contact, where offline experiences are also shared online. The crisis that will arise due to the rapid change is…”

They had already heard this content countless times from expensive consulting and smart subordinates’ reports.

But they had never seen such detailed data as shown on the screen.

It was hard to dismiss it as just a prediction, as it was full of experience.

How did he do it?

They were curious, but they didn’t want to interrupt the flow.

They listened attentively as Yoo-hyun continued his speech.

Chairman Seo Jae-hwan, who was listening to an example of a crisis situation, couldn’t help but open his mouth.

“I can understand that our online and offline distribution network is eroded by Amazon. But are you saying that our video content business will disappear because of Netflix?”

“Netflix is planning to enter the domestic market this year. If they push ahead with both video content production and streaming, it will be a big crisis for LJ Entertainment.”

He had received a report on this long ago, but he dismissed it as impossible.

He suppressed the anxiety that was rising and Chairman Seo Jae-hwan said coldly.

“I’ve heard enough of your warning. But the world doesn’t change that easily.”

“But it’s also true that the mobile revolution overturned everything.”

“That was because of the development of 3G and LTE communication. Without such infrastructure innovation, people’s lives can’t change drastically.”

“That’s true in normal cases.”

“Normal cases?”

Where should he start?

There was no future without their agreement.

Yoo-hyun threw away his worries and stepped forward boldly.

“There can also be changes forced by uncontrollable situations, besides infrastructure innovation.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Think about the Spanish flu 100 years ago, and SARS 10 years ago. If people can’t go outside, the online innovation will accelerate much more.”

“Oh, come on. Where is such a nonsense?”

Unlike the others who were incredulous, the expressions of Chairman Il Sung and Chairman Han Sung were quite serious.

They had received a report that MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), which had swept the Middle East, had started to spread to Europe.

Chairman Shin Kyung-wook, who had discussed this issue deeply with Yoo-hyun, intervened.

“Chairman Seo, let’s hear more. President Han, please continue.”

“Yes. I understand.”

The groundwork for persuasion was enough.

The seeds of doubt that he planted now would grow big when the time came.

Flip.

Yoo-hyun turned the page and got to the point.

“I’m sure you all know that the paradigm shift has already begun, and that it will happen much sooner than expected. I’m here to tell you what will be the key to the near future, where disruptive innovations will take place.”

The prediction of the future is based on the current technology.

Just as the iPhone and 3G sparked the mobile revolution, the innovative technologies that the big companies are preparing for, such as virtual reality, self-driving, and the Internet of Things, will soon turn the world upside down.

But there was one premise missing from this scenario.

The future innovation will not be a single technology, but a convergence of all technologies.

And the foundation for that is big data.

Not the data collected by individual companies, but the massive data obtained from countless enterprises around the world. When used, the destructive power of innovation will be unimaginable.

Choi Jincheol, the chairman who was listening, narrowed his eyes.

“So you’re saying that whoever has more data will have the advantage.”

“Yes. In the future, there will be cross-over innovations in all areas. At that time, the one who has secured a huge amount of data will not only have the advantage, but also monopolize the victory.”

“Like Amazon, who dominates the cloud?”

“Isn’t Ilsung using AWS? Most of the companies here are the same.”

“Hmm.”

Chairman Choi Jincheol thought briefly, as he always did.

Ilsung provides customized services by collecting and analyzing the information of customers who use smartphones, such as search history, photos and videos, app usage time, location, etc. through the cloud.

Ilsung’s cloud used AWS instead of its own server because of the cost issue.

In other words, Amazon could peek at Ilsung’s data, just as Ilsung collected the information of individual customers.

It was like sitting still and easily using the data that Ilsung had gathered.

Not only Ilsung, but also the companies around the world were dependent on Amazon’s service.

‘Whoever controls the data controls the world…’

Chairman Choi Jincheol smirked at the phrase that flashed through his mind.

But could he change it now?

Somehow, it felt like it was too late.

Shin Kyung-wook, the chairman sitting next to him, pointed out his dilemma.

“President Han, if what you say is true, then we should operate our own servers, but the management and maintenance costs will be huge.”

“That’s right. The operating cost will be more than double.”

“Yeah. Even if we spend money, we can’t collect all the data in the world like Amazon.”

“As you said, there is no advantage. The closed system of the past is not a good option.”

“Then you have an alternative?”

Along with Chairman Shin’s question, everyone’s eyes were focused on Yoo-hyun.

The reason why Yoo-hyun came here?

To change the direction of the Korean industry.

To do that, he needed their help.

Not just helping, but sticking together to survive the rough waves.

This was not only for Reverb, but also for the national industry.

“Yes. I do.”

With that in mind, Yoo-hyun pressed the presenter’s button.

Flip.

-Data independence.

Everyone tilted their heads at the unfamiliar word that filled the screen.

Then, Yoo-hyun’s mouth spilled out a plan that could reshape the Korean industry.

“Then, I’ll tell you how to overcome the giant American companies and make Korea the leader of innovation.”

About 20 minutes later?

The presentation was over, but no one got up from their seats.

No, they couldn’t.

The future that Yoo-hyun presented was stuck in their minds.

They didn’t fully understand the concept, but they seemed to empathize with the desperation.

Six months passed since then.

A lot of things happened in the meantime. The most disturbing event in Korea was the group infection caused by MERS.

The epidemic spread rapidly around the large hospitals.

Ilsung Hospital, which failed to cope with the initial outbreak, was branded as the source of MERS infection.

News of confirmed cases and deaths came up every day as breaking news, and the people were engulfed in fear.

The government’s recommendation to refrain from going out made the busy downtown quiet.

MERS changed the daily life completely.

Eventually, President Choi Minyong held a press conference to take responsibility for the hospital’s negligence.

-We, Ilsung Hospital, failed to prevent the infection and spread of MERS, causing great pain and worry to the people. We bow our heads and apologize.

The criticism of Ilsung subsided with the neat apology, which was called the textbook of apology.

As time passed, MERS calmed down, and everything seemed to pass like a happening.

But not for the top 10 corporate chairmen.

The doubt that Yoo-hyun planted began to sprout, and their movements became busy.

Yoo-hyun was at the center of it.