Professor Kim Ho-min gladly accepted the help from Seosung SB.
After listening to the conversation, it seems that this world is small; most people are known through just one connection. Among the researchers at Seosung SB are many from Korea University and MIT, and several have a personal friendship with Professor Kim.
Hearing the news, Daryl couldn’t hide his excitent.
The two types of cars to be released in the second half of the year will be CarOS’s first and last internal combustion engine vehicles. From then on, the plan is to focus on electric vehicle developnt.
If a new material battery is developed beforehand, it could be incorporated and released imdiately.
Even after announcing joint research with Seosung SB, CL Chemical continued to reach out.
Chairman Im Jin-yong, upon hearing the news, burst into laughter.
[Ha ha, CL Chemical’s situation must be quite challenging.]
Seosung SB primarily focuses on small batteries. Even now, most of its revenue cos from small batteries used in smartphones and similar devices.
Conversely, CL Chemical has focused on large vehicle batteries from the beginning and secured supply contracts with groups like Volkswagen.
Typically, when entering into long-term contracts, raw material prices or exchange rates must be linked to the supply prices for risk hedging. However, CL Chemical contracted a fixed price for ten years’ worth of supplies rather than variable prices.
At that ti, they did not anticipate that the prices of raw materials like lithium and cobalt would skyrocket to this extent.
[It is similar for other battery companies to enter into long-term supply contracts at fixed prices, but CL Chemical has a scale of supply that is overwhelmingly large due to its production capacity.]
In terms of transaction size, the smaller contracts are worth tens of billions of dollars, while the larger ones exceed 10 billion dollars.
According to the contracts, the volu will increase several tis from 2020 onwards. Calculating based on current manufacturing costs, selling more would lead to losses.
If no solution is found within a few years, the losses will increase exponentially.
The only silver lining is that cobalt prices continue to fall. This reflects how much speculation has been occurring in the market.
While the drop in cobalt prices is definitely a positive developnt, it further diminishes the price competitiveness of our new materials. The key to comrcialization is how much we can lower prices and enhance stability through research and developnt.
After finishing the call with Chairman Im Jin-yong, senior Sang-yeop spoke.
“CL Chemicals. It brings back bad mories.”
I nodded my head.
“That was CL Chemicals.”
Senior Sang-yeop shook his head vigorously.
“Don’t even ntion it. Just thinking about it makes sit up in bed.”
A while ago, Senior Sang-yeop invested his entire fortune in CL Chemicals’ call options. But shortly after that, due to an employee’s mistake, he fell victim to email phishing and lost tens of millions of dollars. The stock price plumted, and Senior Sang-yeop lost everything, even ending up in debt to loan sharks.
“I worked construction just to pay that off.”
Eunsung Motors collaborates with CL Electronics in the military sector and with CL Chemicals in the electric vehicle sector. For that reason, I see no reason to support CL Chemicals further.
Taek-gyu asked.
“So, if new material batteries really get comrcialized, what will happen to hydrogen cars?”
Eunsung Motors has a unique technological advantage in hydrogen cars. Initially, they used a two-track strategy with electric and hydrogen vehicles, but now they’re focusing heavily on hydrogen cars.
I smiled.
“Probably, the era of hydrogen cars will never arrive.”
***
Since returning to Korea, ti has flown by quickly.
Before I could truly feel the spring weather, sumr began. Just when it seed to be getting warr, it beca necessary to run the air conditioning during the day.
It feels like sumr started right after winter… or is it just my imagination?
As the weather gets warr, people’s clothing has beco lighter.
Our company doesn’t have strict dress regulations. The vice president walks around in training clothes and flip-flops, but the employees all co to work dressed in suits.
Originally, the financial sector is a bit conservative.
In the past few days, with nothing much happening, I ca to work and was playing gas with Taek-gyu when my phone rang.
As soon as I answered, the scolding began.
[When are you going to get your health check-up?]
“I’ll go soon.”
[Don’t just answer casually. You have to take care of your health while you’re healthy. Got it?]
“I understand.”
[No matter how much money you make, rember that it’s pointless if you lose your health.]
“Yes. I’m working now, so I’ll get back to you later.”
[Make sure to eat well.]
“I will.”
Taek-gyu asked, “Is it your mom again?”
“Yeah. She calls every day, worried.”
“But really, do you not need to go to the hospital?”
“I already had all the necessary tests done in the U.S.”
While I was collapsed, various thorough examinations were conducted. They particularly focused on scanning my brain to find out why I hadn’t woken up.
“Do you know how terrified I was at that ti?”
“Are you worried you might not wake up?”
“That’s one thing, but are you afraid your superpower might be exposed?”
Fortunately, my body, including my brain, showed no differences from an ordinary person. It seems this ability is unrelated to the physical body.
“Think about it. What would happen if it got out that you had powers?”
“What would happen?”
“You’d be dragged into a lab and dissected.”
“Co on, no way….”
Taek-gyu said firmly.
“It’s not impossible. Didn’t you watch X-n? You see what happens to mutants there.”
I was at a loss for words.
“Am I a mutant? Just because I clench my fist doesn’t an claws pop out.”
At my words, Taek-gyu made an expression of disappointnt.
“That would have been cool.”
“If that ever happens, I’ll be sure to stab you first for morabilia.”
As we wasted ti with pointless conversations, my phone rang again. This ti, it was an unknown number.
I pressed the answer button.
“Who is this?”
[It’s been a while.]
I was taken aback by the unexpected caller.
They asked .
[Do you know who it is?]
“Yeah.”
Just from the voice, I could tell imdiately.
***
“I’m getting married next month.”
Seeing my expression, she asked.
“Are you surprised?”
I answered honestly.
“A little.”
It’s been such a short ti since graduation, and now a wedding? Isn’t that a bit fast?
It’s rare for soone to get married quickly without a reason. Could it be what I’m thinking?
I didn’t want to ask directly, fearing it might be rude.
“With that senior?”
Seon-ah chuckled lightly.
“Who else would it be?”
It was the first ti I was seeing Seon-ah again since she took a leave of absence last year. A lot has happened in that year.
She still looked stunning enough to attract attention. Her hairstyle, makeup, clothes, bag, and shoes were all more polished, and her expressions and movents radiated an upper-class vibe.
She wouldn’t feel out of place as a daughter-in-law of a conglorate.
We were sitting in the coffee shop on the second floor of the Ceylon Hotel. Just because it’s a hotel didn’t an the coffee was particularly better; it was just overpriced.
“Did you ask to et just for this?”
“Yeah. I wanted to see your face and give you the invitation in person.”
Seon-ah pulled an invitation from her Birkin bag and handed it to .
I examined the invitation. The date was the 12th of next month. The venue was the Crystal Hall of the Grand Palace Hotel.
In novels and dramas, Cinderella stories are everywhere, but in reality, it’s extrely rare for a conglorate to marry an ordinary person.
Not just for conglorates, most people look for partners with matching economic stature, education, family background, and appearance. Realistically, practical conditions greatly influence marriage.
That said, Cinderella stories do exist in reality, albeit rarely.
Recently, the relationship between Prince Harry of the UK and Arican actress ghan Markle has been a notable example. The British royal family officially acknowledged it and is expected to announce their marriage soon. Despite ghan being a foreign celebrity, biracial, and having a divorce history, there was little backlash, largely because Prince Harry is the second son, unrelated to the line of succession.
Similarly, Go Jun-hyung is a third son far from being an heir. If he pushed to marry soone he liked, his family likely wouldn’t have opposed it much.
It’s uncertain if he was chosen for that reason…
I first saw Go Jun-hyung at a school festival. At that ti, I was just an ordinary college student, while he was the son of a chaebol. The difference between us was clear.
However, the situation has changed drastically now.
GH Construction is just a large corporation. OTK Company could easily acquire a company of similar size if it desired.
I took a sip of coffee and asked, “I’ve been curious about sothing for a while.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you want to date ?”
After his military service, when we t by chance at a party, Seon-ah said she wanted to succeed. She probably thought the sa way since we first t, even if I didn’t notice it then.
My father had a business, but we weren’t extravagantly wealthy. Among my seniors and peers, many ca from much better-off families.
So why ?
Seon-ah answered simply, “Because you looked the brightest.”
“What?”
“I told you back then. From the mont I saw you, you were sohow different from the others.”
“……”
I don’t quite understand what this ans. What could Seon-ah have seen in ? I didn’t have any intuitive powers back then.
Seon-ah fiddled with her cup, a habit that appears when she has sothing to say.
“Why did you hide it?”
“What?”
“That you’re the CEO of OTK Company.”
“You never asked.”
“I’m not joking.”
“It’s true.”
Would OTK Company brag about anything when the daughter of the vice president of RCK Brothers is also hiding her identity?
OTK Company gained fa after Brexit. Until then, it was only known sporadically by people in finance.
“What happened during that ti?”
“Bantcoin, the L6 explosion, startup investnts, Brexit, and so on. You know all that, right?”
How I made money has been reported countless tis in the dia; it’s known by everyone.
Seon-ah looked straight at .
“Is that all?”
Of course, if it were that easy to make money through investnts, who would work hard?
It was possible because I had foresight, but…
“I was lucky.”
Seon-ah didn’t ask any more about that. Instead, she asked sothing else.
“I heard you’re eting the foreign lawyer who ca to school with us back then?”
“How did you know?”
“I heard it from Yuri.”
It seems she’s in touch with Yuri sotis. She doesn’t seem to know about the fact that she’s the daughter of RCK Brothers’ vice president, though.
“You…”
Seon-ah seed to want to say sothing when a woman approached our table. She greeted with a smile.
“Hello, CEO Kang Jin-hoo.”
I turned to see who it was, and it was none other than the hotel president. Ceylon Hotel is part of the Seosung Group, currently run by Im Soo-mi, the sister of Chairman Im Jin-yong.
The sudden appearance of the president made the staff tense up.
I stood up from my seat.
“Hello, President Im Soo-mi. What brings you here?”
She smiled.
“I rushed over as soon as I heard CEO Kang Jin-hoo had arrived.”
The head office of Ceylon Hotel is located within the hotel premises. It seems soone recognized my face and reported it.
This was already our third eting. The first ti was at a funeral ho, and the last ti was at a baseball ga.
Unlike back then, when she was in casual clothes, now she was dressed in a suit, exuding a strong vibe like a formidable woman.
By the way, having always seen Hyun-joo noona next to , I’m quite used to this kind of atmosphere.
President Im Soo-mi joked.
“I’ve heard your sister has been relying on you a lot lately.”
“Not at all. I’m the one relying on her, really.”
“I was really worried when I heard you had collapsed due to the earthquake. Are you doing okay now?”
“Of course.”
That incident must have been quite serious. No one I et fails to check on my health. Now that I think about it, is Seon-ah the exception?
President Im Soo-mi turned her attention to Seon-ah.
“It seems you were in a eting. Who is this person…?”
“……”
What should I say?
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