Hyunjoo and Ellie were staying at a hotel near Detroit City Hall.
As soon as our private plane landed, a limousine was ready at the airport, and we headed straight to the hotel. We could et the two of them in the hotel lobby.
Ellie greeted us with open arms. “It’s been a while for both of you.”
It felt like it had been a really long ti since I last saw them. Thinking about it, it has been quite a while.
I greeted them happily, asking, “How have you both been?”
Ellie frowned and said, “I haven’t been doing well because Jessica kept giving work to do. I thought I could rest a bit coming to the U.S.”
Hyunjoo seed exhausted. Although she always appeared that way, today it seed particularly severe.
“You look tired, are you okay?” I asked.
Hyunjoo let out a sigh and said, “I would have been fine if you two hadn’t been so busy.”
Due to the chaotic situation with the Korean branch, she had to fly to the U.S. for investnt and negotiation issues. It seems like she hardly had ti to rest or do anything else.
Scratching my head, I apologized, “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect things to escalate like this.”
I had planned for a gradual progression, but sohow things had turned out differently.
Ellie asked, “Who is this gentleman?”
Standing behind us was Henry, blushing for so reason and remaining silent.
Had the beer he drank on the plane not worn off yet?
I introduced him instead, “This is Henry Goldman, the grandson of Jas C. Goldman, CEO of Golden Gate.”
Upon hearing my words, Ellie was surprised, and Hyunjoo also had a slightly astonished expression.
“Nice to et you for the first ti. I’m Ellie Kim, working at the Korea branch. This is Jessica Oh, the manager of the Korea branch.”
Henry lowered his head in surprise.
“Oh, yes. Nice to et you. I’m Henry.”
Without even eting Ellie’s gaze, Henry blushed suspiciously.
Could it be possible…?
Taek-gyu whispered to in a low voice, “Looks like he has a crush on Ellie.”
I could see it too.
Taek-gyu nudged my side with his elbow. “You need to relax a bit.”
“Why ?”
Hyun-joo Noona said, “Since the greetings seem to be over quickly, both of you follow to the room.”
We entered the hotel room.
Until a mont ago, the room was filled with cigarette smoke as if soone had been smoking.
I said to Ellie, “We’re not sharing the sa room, right? Secondhand smoke isn’t good for health.”
“I do have a separate room, but besides sleeping hours, we’re together all the ti anyway. What if my skin gets affected?”
Taek-gyu said, “As soone who has suffered from secondhand smoke since middle school, I realized there’s only one way to prevent it.”
“What is it?”
“Smoking together. If you smoke directly, you can avoid secondhand smoke.”
“This is nonsense.”
Hyun-joo took a drag of her cigarette, and we imdiately began the eting.
“How did the negotiations go?”
“The negotiations with the Michigan State governnt are almost finalized. We secured the main office and factory site, and the infrastructure will be managed by the state. We have also agreed to receive tax benefits and various forms of support.”
“What about FCA?”
“Their representatives are expected to co over tomorrow. It seems they want to streamline unprofitable brands and factories during this opportunity.”
“They probably wouldn’t want to let go of successful brands.”
“Anyway, acquiring Chrysler will help us fall in line. If we also acquire an electric car company, it would be a perfect match. Any suitable companies in mind?”
“The bigger issue is the U.S. presidential election. Everyone’s attention is focused on that globally, right?”
“The U.S. accounts for about 20% of the global GDP, but its influence is several tis more. With its overwhelming military power and the dollar as the reserve currency, many countries are influenced by U.S. policies and interest rates.”
“That’s why all countries have to keep an eye on the U.S. election.”
“What’s the sentint in Korea?”
“Absolutely against Ronald.”
“Does that an it’s absolutely impossible or they absolutely hope it doesn’t happen?”
“Both.”
“… It seems he is quite unpopular. Well, he did make quite a few controversial remarks about Korea too.”
“Other countries are in a similar situation. There are hardly any countries hoping for Ronald except maybe Israel, because of his anti-Muslim stance.”
“If everyone else supports Diane, and we stand by Ronald, it might cause more trouble if he actually becos president, even more than during Brexit.”
“Hyunjoo’s expression showed clear distress.”
“Why support Ronald of all people? It’s better to support Diane.”
“That’s what I wanted to do, but they weren’t receptive over there. If Diane had beco the candidate, would the situation have improved from now?”
“Due to Ronald’s enthusiastic promotion, OTK Company is also receiving attention. Ronald constantly shared his achievents on social dia regarding the progress of investnts. Thanks to this, it beca known worldwide that OTK Company owns CarOS and is investing in the automotive industry. Should I be thankful for the publicity provided?”
“Let’s think positively. If things go well, you could carry the President of the United States on your back, right?”
In Korea, the business sector and the political sector are almost one and the sa. Therefore, if I have decided to fight against Eunsung Corporation, joining hands with the political sector seems inevitable if I want to avoid being left behind. Having soone on my side is necessary. If that soone is the US President, it would be more than ideal.”
“That’s talking about when things go well.”
“It will go well. Trust ,” Jin-hoo reassured.
Hyun-joo nodded. “I know. There must be a good reason for what you are doing, Jin-hoo.”
After Brexit, there is a sense of increased trust.
Ellie also chid in. “I believe in Jin-hoo too.”
“Thank you,” Jin-hoo replied.
Hyun-joo extinguished her cigarette and clapped her hands. “Let’s start working now.”
Negotiations with the governnt for support, acquisition talks with the FCA Group, relocating CarOS headquarters, and more—work was indeed piling up.
In this chaotic situation, an unexpected person ca looking for .
***
I headed to the hotel eting room with Ellie. There, a bald man in a suit and glasses was already there. He seed a bit nervous, perhaps due to his pale skin and prominent forehead.
“Nice to et you. I am the CEO of OTK Company. This is Ellie, our lawyer.”
“Nice to et you.”
A brief look of surprise flickered across his face.
It must be fascinating to hear that a young Asian man in his twenties is the CEO of a mysterious investnt company like OTK Company.
Since he didn’t ask if it was true, it seems like he already had so information about .
“I’m Joel.”
He is the chief strategist of Diane’s election campaign, responsible for everything from campaign slogans to TV ads and rally schedules.
Despite being busy, he ca to see . Or is it because he’s so busy that he ca to see ?
After exchanging greetings, we sat down.
“I requested a eting with you before, and now we finally et.”
Joel smiled wryly at my words.
“I also regret that. It would have been better if we had t earlier.”
“What can I do for you?”
He answered my question directly.
“We would like your help.”
I sowhat expected this request when he asked to et.
“What does that an?”
“Your candidate also views OTK Company’s investnt positively. However, they have expressed concerns about the rush. They are aware that the agreent with the current governnt has not been signed yet. What do you think about delaying the signing?”
“Are you asking to break a promise?”
Joel shook his head in response.
“Just a temporary delay.”
Ronald is actively promoting OTK Company’s investnt as his achievent. If we show disinterest or intend to withdraw our investnt in such a situation, it would greatly impact him.
Regardless of which side you stand on, investing in the Arican auto industry is certainly helpful.
Yet you make such a request. Is this what they call politics?
“What will I gain by doing this?”
“As you know, most governors in the Rust Belt are Democrats. Candidate Diane plans to loosen regulations on autonomous driving, legalize driverless vehicles, and provide subsidies for autonomous cars to advance the Arican auto industry.”
Are you planning to and the law in favor of CarOS?
I tapped the table with my finger.
Seeing ponder, Joel spoke softly.
“You must understand that losing a few states in the Rust Belt won’t harm the overall trend. I believe you will make the right choice.”
The election is fast approaching.
While Ronald is gaining ground for a turnaround, the advantage is still with Diane.
According to polls, she leads not only in popularity but also in electoral votes.
Experts predict that Diane will easily secure between 310 and 340 electoral votes and win the presidency.
Joel looked confident.
Is he so sure that his proposal will be accepted?
Even if I continue to support her, there is no guarantee that Ronald will win. However, if I withdraw my support, Diane’s victory is certain.
“I have one question.”
“What is it?”
“Was it really necessary for you to co to ?”
“For a complete victory.”
“…Are you not willing to allow any variables?”
The thought that my choices could change the President of the United States feels strange.
Nevertheless, the answer has already been decided.
“I will decline.”
Unexpectedly, Joel’s expression froze stiff at the unexpected answer.
“You will regret this.”
Playing hardball?
I chuckled softly.
“Trust is the lifeblood of business. You can lose money and earn it back, but once you lose trust, it’s over. I believe Candidate Diane will understand.”
If she doesn’t, there’s not much we can do.
Joel rose from his seat without saying another word. Are things now completely severed with Diane’s camp? It leaves a bitter taste. I didn’t intend to make enemies.
Ellie asked ,
“Why did you refuse?”
I replied as if it were obvious,
“You can’t believe politicians’ words.”
Will Diane’s statents about becoming president actually co to fruition?
Major car companies like GM and Ford, along with top IT firms, are backing Diane’s election campaign. Even if they oppose, could they still push through legislation beneficial for us?
Above all, since Diane didn’t promise this directly and it’s not written in any docunt, there’s no way to hold her accountable later.
“What about Ronald?”
It’s another question whether he’s not a politician.
“Ronald has spearheaded investnts in the automotive industry and publicly pledged to support it to the fullest if he becos president.”
From the outset of revitalizing US manufacturing, there’s no reason for him to mistreat us.
“And being a businessman himself, he’d likely strive to keep his promises whenever possible.”
At least more trustworthy than a politician.
“That’s all talking about when Ronald becos president. If Diane becos president, it might be challenging to continue doing business in the US.”
“Ronald will be elected.”
Ellie looked puzzled.
She must be wondering why I’m so confident.
“Rather than that, I should give Ronald a call and express my concerns.”
Of course, it is likely that the fact that I contacted a key figure in Diane’s election campaign would have also reached Ronald’s side.
I should reassure him so that unnecessary doubts do not arise. Let’s sign the agreent with the governnt right away.
“What if Ronald becos president but fails to get re-elected?”
I chuckled and said,
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
Four years later, OTK Company will have grown enough that we won’t have to worry about the political climate in the United States.
Reviews
All reviews (0)