Translator: Dreamscribe
The Butterfly Effect.
It ans that a small change can cause a major event.
I often have that kind of thought.
How many futures have I changed with this ability?
Sothing I might have taken lightly and brushed off, what if it caused an enormous change?
The financial market is the sa.
It may seem trivial, but that tiny crack eventually triggers a massive financial crisis.
Back then, people just didn’t know.
If so, then where does this instinct that has brought change to my life co from?
I once beca curious and searched for various things on the internet.
Among them, the most fascinating was the theory of human evolution.
It was a theory that if humanity were to evolve, we might be able to use supernatural powers like those seen in novels or movies.
Of course, there was no scientific proof, and it was most likely just soone's delusion.
However, since I was experiencing that evolution myself, I couldn’t just laugh it off.
But there was another theory that was extrely interesting and seed quite feasible. It wasn’t so delusion floating around the internet, but rather an actual company that had been founded and was developing through the night for the sake of human evolution.
That was Close AI, in which our company had purchased a 45% stake.
“According to the company’s policy and internal docunts, the ultimate goal of AI developnt is for the evolution of humanity.”
“AI developnt is human evolution?”
“Yes. Didn’t Tusk, the major shareholder of the company, say sothing like that? That soday, if AI chips are implanted in our brains, the AI will handle all the learning for us.”
It was a highly controversial remark.
But his idea was similar to the goal of Close AI.
Achieving perfect evolution through the developnt of AI.
To be honest, it didn’t feel like a very relatable future.
That’s because at the current level, AI can’t even hold a basic conversation.
“Still, soday, it might be possible to have everyday conversations. It could read docunts for us, summarize them, and provide real-ti translation in all languages, don’t you think?”
“Yes. Soday that will co. But for that level to be reached, we’d probably have to wait at least 30 years. Haha.”
“To be honest, I still get chills from Tusk’s previous remark. Implanting an AI chip in the brain!”
“Don’t worry. That’ll never happen in our lifeti.”
That was the end of the chit-chat.
There was actually another reason Close AI was being ntioned.
“After you acquired the stake, CEO-nim, you haven’t taken any particular action, so it seems they were puzzled by that. And maybe they’re getting a little anxious, too.”
They probably thought I was scheming sothing behind the scenes.
But I couldn’t pay attention to that because of Tesla and FaceWeb.
After the incident at Tesla, a full-blown competition with FaceWeb had begun, and I had no attention to spare for that side.
But surprisingly, both the Tesla incident and the conflict with FaceWeb ended more smoothly than expected.
Right now, FaceWeb is under intense criticism and facing a massive wave of account deletions, and all those users are flocking directly to our PicPic.
“FaceWeb released so sort of explanation, but it seems they don’t have any real counterasure. Above all, their chairman, Marcus Burg, is scheduled to be summoned to a hearing, so he seems completely preoccupied with that.”
The recent data leak incident was quite serious.
With user data in the hundreds of millions leaking out, it was inevitable that public opinion would turn upside down.
Thanks to that, our PicPic avoided the flood of attacks and, on the contrary, is being promoted hard by our company as the safest and most trustworthy social network, using the marketing budget I had provided.
“In any case, Close AI plans to fly directly to Korea to et with you, CEO-nim.”
I had no intention of stopping them from coming in person.
I was also curious to see who was actually running the company.
“Yes. Please schedule that well. What about the other matters?”
“I’ve brought a topic that will soon beco a major issue. As you may already know, the Supre Court recently ruled that Japanese companies must pay 100 million won each to the comfort won victims, correct?”
The Japanese occupation is over, but its scars still remain here and there.
Among them, the comfort won were major victims.
So the Supre Court ruled that the Japanese companies at the center of the comfort won exploitation case must compensate the victims, but the Japanese governnt strongly protested.
They argued that it was a matter already settled long ago through a governnt-to-governnt agreent, so why bring it up again.
“There have been frequent clashes between Korea and Japan, but this ti, the issue seems a bit different. The Japanese governnt is said to be seriously planning retaliation.”
“What kind of retaliation exactly?”
“They probably won’t touch tourism. The percentage of our citizens traveling to Japan is quite significant. So they’ll have to target another weak spot, and I suspect it’ll be semiconductors.”
Photoresist, fluorinated polyimide, and high-purity hydrogen fluoride.
These three are extrely important items in semiconductors.
The problem is, Japan controls over 80% of these three items.
Moreover, Korean semiconductor companies import nearly 90% of those items from Japan.
In other words, they’re Japan’s most powerful weapon against us.
And on top of that, isn't our country, including Kangseong Electronics, shifting its focus to semiconductors as its main industry?
“The Japanese governnt knows that too. It’s clear they plan to tighten the leash on us and use it to threaten.”
It was a diplomatic war.
Gone are the days when countries fought clumsily with swords and spears.
Now, they crush one another with their economic power.
“Then Kangseong will also suffer great damage. Sa for NK.”
“Yes. We don’t know the exact situation over there, but both companies are probably in a state of ergency. The Japanese governnt hasn’t made an official announcent yet, but judging by how information is circulating, it seems like it will happen soon.”
It was at that mont.
I felt a vibration through my body.
As if my instinct was telling that sothing serious was about to happen between Japan and Korea.
“Then we should also closely monitor the Japanese market.”
“Yes. Shall I prepare the Japanese market data?”
“Yes. Please do that.”
“I’ll work with the Research Team and create a report.”
Just when I thought the eting was over.
Another report had landed on my desk.
“This one’s from Kwangwoon Shipping.”
“......Why is it so thick?”
“They said they’ve created multiple plans for the next strategic direction. It also includes routes and other detailed items. They’d appreciate it if you could evaluate the overall content.......”
The thickness of the docunt was murderous.
But I was the one who set it up this way, so I had no choice.
Though I should say it’s better than before.
Back then, they used to report every trivial thing to , to the point where no one could tell who the real CEO was.
But now, instead of reporting everything constantly, they compile major strategic proposals like this and submit them for my review.
“Looks like I’ll be working late again tonight.”
“Then shall our staff summarize the report for you?”
Maybe that would be better.
Rather than doing it alone, it’d be better if everyone did it togethe-
“......?”
But just then, the report in Lee Hye-rin’s hands began to glow.
I let out a short sigh.
“No. I’ll review it myself.”
“Whoa. Then I’ll go ahead and prepare so snacks for you to have with dinner and while working late.”
“Yes. Please do.”
After Lee Hye-rin left, I opened the report, which was quite heavy in weight.
“It's a ss from the first page.”
Usually, even if a report was long, I could just focus on the parts that glowed.
But since this one was glowing from the very first page, it looked like I’d have to postpone the ga plans I had set for tonight.
***
"Everyone is in a state of extre tension right now."
“Really?”
“Yes. Rumor has it the Japanese governnt might go public with it as early as tomorrow.”
Right now, it was as if semiconductor companies had a fire lit under their feet.
At first, the stance was that no matter what, Japan wouldn’t go so far as to use items that could significantly impact the semiconductor market as leverage. But judging by the rumors currently circulating, things didn’t seem so simple.
“Pri Minister Dobe must have a lot on his mind. The quantitative easing policy he pushed under Dobenomics is practically ending in failure, isn’t it? It seems he’s trying to bury public dissatisfaction with this issue.”
“Why the hell are those bastards harassing perfectly fine companies? They should manage their political careers themselves.”
“That’s how approval ratings work, don’t they?”
Just as companies use politics,
Politics also uses companies.
This situation was one of those cases.
“Then we should also make so preparations. If we have to urgently secure those three items, we’ll need to use our shipping lines.”
“Yes. In the end, this will be good news for Kwangwoon Shipping. If Japan enforces export restrictions, we’ll have to import raw materials through other foreign companies.”
CEO Kim Doo-young grinned.
It was unfortunate that Kangseong and NK would suffer because of the two governnts’ conflict, but thanks to that, Kwangwoon Shipping could earn more money.
“So, what about our country? What kind of retaliation are they planning?”
“Well… honestly, we don’t really have any weapons like Japan does.”
“Then we just have to sit back and take the hits?”
“Yes. It’s practically impossible to block tourism, so it seems they’re planning to make maximum use of public sentint. That way, the number of tourists going to Japan will decrease, and so will the purchase of Japanese products.”
The problem was that, compared to Japan’s trade restrictions, Korea’s response would be far weaker.
Japan was striking at the heart of Korea’s core industry, while Korea had no such effective weapon to strike back with.
“Tsk. We’re the ones making money, but it still pisses off.”
“It does feel a bit frustrating.”
Wasn’t it said that nothing stirs the Korean people more than a match between Korea and Japan?
Even in sports, people could accept losing to any other country, but not to Japan. That sentint ran deep.
Also, it’s widely known that even unpopular sports events would see viewership spike if it were a Korea-Japan match.
Korea and Japan were eternal rivals in that sense.
“By the way, did we get a response from CEO Jung?”
“Yes. It ca in this morning.”
“Really? He already read through that thick docunt?”
“You know how fast CEO Jung Jin-ho works.”
“He’s not just fast. His results are incredible. Who would’ve imagined that our Kwangwoon Shipping would beco the world’s largest shipping company? It’s all thanks to CEO Jung Jin-ho.”
That’s why they had no choice but to rely on Jung Jin-ho even more.
But since he was handling so many different matters, they tried to avoid disturbing him as much as possible, only sending reports on a quarterly basis.
“Let’s take a look.”
There was only one thing Kim Doo-young needed to check.
What had CEO Jung Jin-ho marked?
No matter how brilliant the ideas or proposals were, if Jung Jin-ho hadn’t marked them, they were automatically discarded.
So no matter how regretful it was, they wouldn’t even glance at anything that hadn’t been checked.
“Pacific route, especially reevaluation of ship operation efficiency in the Northeast Asia segnt... potential delays in cargo congestion, so port call schedules at major Japanese ports should be adjusted flexibly for risk managent. Also, so routes should be temporarily shifted toward Central and South Arica or Europe…”
As he muttered to himself while going over the report, Kim Doo-young paused.
“What’s wrong?”
“Director Yang. Have you read this?”
“No, not yet.”
“Then read just this section on the routes.”
Following the instruction, Director Yang quickly scanned the report.
“......Huh?”
Director Yang also sensed the sa strange feeling that Kim Doo-young had.
“This isn’t... just a simple route change.”
“Right? You see it too?”
“Yes. These changes clearly carry intent. And the focus is Japan.”
To an untrained eye, this report might not an much.
On the surface, it looked like simple schedule adjustnts and route diversions.
But to veterans like these two, it was different.
Using excuses like reevaluation of operational efficiency, potential congestion delays, and risk managent to adjust port call schedules, on top of that, drastically altering routes.
At first glance, it might not seem special, but if you look into the intricately tangled routes and vested interests, it was clearly a plan to deliberately delay ships heading to Japan.
“If goods aren’t delivered by the deadline, penalties will be incurred, but if we follow this plan, we can avoid breaching any contract terms and still manage to arrive just in ti to et the deadline.”
Normally, when shipping contracts are made, the deadlines are set with a generous buffer.
So, the schedules are usually designed to ensure arrival well before the deadline.
But at this rate, the shipnts would be arriving just barely on ti.
“If it’s not just one ship, but dozens of vessels heading to Japan all arriving right up against the deadline...”
“Then their logistics will be thrown into chaos, right?”
“Yes. At first, it won’t be noticeable, but after just a few weeks, a logistics crisis is bound to erupt. Items that are supposed to arrive won’t, and goods that need to be sent out won’t be processed quickly.”
Cargo routes are more complex than people think.
When you're operating hundreds of ships, complexity is inevitable.
And since they don't stay in just one country but move between others, a misstep in the routes causes massive delays.
“But how does CEO Jung Jin-ho know all these routes so well? If you just adjust things based on these dates and tis, everything lines up perfectly, almost eerily.”
“I’ve said it a million tis. CEO Jung knows more than us. He’s a real expert. Honestly, sotis he feels like he ca from a Dragon Palace.”
With just this one report, they could tell what Jung Jin-ho was implying.
His target was Japan.
Was it anger at the Japanese governnt for daring to shake the semiconductor empire he had carefully built? Or was it burning patriotism, a refusal to ever lose to Japan?
“Whatever the reason, knowing CEO Jung’s personality, this is just the beginning.”
It had always been that way.
If soone stood in Jung Jin-ho’s path, no matter who they were, he would crush them without rcy.
Most people wouldn’t believe it.
But the companies that had suddenly imploded or gone bankrupt in recent years, every single one of them was connected to Jung Jin-ho.
“H-Honestly, though, this ti he’s not just facing off against a single company. He’s going up against the Japanese governnt.”
Even CEO Kim Doo-young felt his heart tighten.
Wasn’t it just recently that FaceWeb, once on top, dared to ss with PicPic and ended up utterly devastated?
But this wasn’t a war between companies.
“CEO Jung is fighting on behalf of the Korean people. We should support him.”
“Shouldn’t we be stopping him instead of cheering...?”
No. It was already too late.
The mont that report was submitted, this feedback ca in.
What did that an?
It ant Jung Jin-ho had already planned everything.
“He’s probably already given us directions and is moving on the financial side too. For all we know, he’s already taken his position. And knowing him, he’s probably prepared sothing we can’t even imagine.”
The Japanese governnt likely didn’t have the faintest clue.
They were already basking in the glow of victory before the fight had even begun.
Because they knew just threatening with those three items was enough to win.
But beneath their feet, a massive storm was quietly brewing.
“Sakura Ending......”
“Sorry?”
“Sakura Ending Project. Doesn’t it have a nice ring to it?”
Director Yang let out a reluctant laugh.
It wasn’t really a ‘project’, they just wanted to give it a na that captured the feeling.
Operation codena: “Sakura Ending” (TL: Cherry blossoms are called sakura in Japanese)
The intricately interlocked gears were already moving, just as the plan intended.
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