Chương 492: Chapter 492: If You Don’t Want to Do It, Don’t Do It
Kim Tae-jeong's story was well-known.
Graduating from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Korea University, he teamed up with his fellow alumni to develop a Korean-style word processor.
However, Kim Tae-jeong transferred all program rights to others and went back to graduate school.
Later, while working at Daehyeon Information Technology, he received financial support from his father to establish TJ Soft.
To grow TJ Soft, which started as an office software development company, CEO Kim Tae-jeong decided to take a chance on games.
He acquired a development team that was struggling to launch a game called Blood Alliance and managed to release it.
Of course, the game didn't succeed right away.
People, still unfamiliar with the MMORPG genre, found it hard to engage with Blood Alliance.
To break through this barrier, Kim Tae-jeong personally distributed installation CDs to PC rooms nationwide, promoting the game foot by foot.
As a result, he turned Blood Alliance into a representative game of Korea.
Now, it had grown to be a major force alongside StarCraft, the national game.
Yet, the humble and diligent Kim Tae-jeong seemed to have disappeared along with the success of Blood Alliance.
'What's this… Is CEO Kim Tae-jeong trying to pull a fast one here?'
The signs were clear, or rather, it was impossible not to notice.
When I opened the door and stepped in, tension filled the meeting room.
I couldn't help but recall the image of Kim Tae-jeong, who was smirking, and the completely stiff Zhang Zidong beside him.
"What do you mean by that? Why is this topic even being brought up now?"
"Even CEO Kim Tae-jeong had his struggles. Everyone has those awkward moments. And based on market capitalization and potential, Tencent is worth more than TJ Soft. Just because one game succeeded doesn't mean you should get cocky. In this industry, you never know who will rise or fall."
"But who are you to say that to me?"
Kim Tae-jeong's voice rose. Hyeon-seong frowned at the blunt insult.
The loudest voice doesn't always win; that only happens on the streets. Besides, he had no tact.
I shot a cold glance at Kim Tae-jeong and said.
"Should we cancel this contract? If you don't want to move forward, then don't."
I turned to Zhang Zidong and asked.
"Vice President, it doesn't have to be Blood Alliance, right? You're okay with handling a different game if you need to?"
"Yes. I don't plan on begging anyone who doesn't want to sign. If you want to bring another game and service it, you can. I'm confident we can make it work."
Zhang Zidong declared confidently.
I nodded in agreement; what he said was true.
Tencent was a company that succeeded in bringing games that had not been successful in Korea to China.
The staggering number of users on QQ Messenger facilitated that success.
"Then let's cancel it. I'll arrange meetings with other companies. There's no shortage of game companies that HS Ventures has invested in. We should have enough games to work with."
"If the Boss says so, then that's what we'll do."
Zhang Zidong agreed. This time he turned to Hyeon-seong.
"Hyeon-seong, let's cancel this. Sorry for the hassle; I know you've been working hard on this."
Hyeon-seong shook his head in denial.
"No. It's all right."
"Oh, and let's sell all of TJ Soft's stocks by the end of today. With the way things are being run, it seems doomed to fail soon. Better to cash out than lose everything. You're okay with that, right?"
"If that's what you think, then that's what we'll do. We'll have a meeting today to sort this out."
So far, HS Ventures had never liquidated all shares in a company it had invested in.
They mostly held the majority and only realized profits when the founders or executives expressed desire to buy shares.
But to liquidate all of TJ Soft's shares?
The moment that goes public, TJ Soft's stock price will plummet.
Other investors would definitely raise doubts about HS Ventures' actions, which had never taken profits this way.
Clearly, they would throw their stocks out onto the market.
Kim Tae-jeong, who was not oblivious to this, shouted in panic.
"No, no. What do you mean? Who gave you permission to handle the shares…"
At that moment, Hyeon-seong interrupted with a grim face.
"If I'm going to liquidate my shares, do I have to get permission from you, CEO?"
"…Mr. Park, that's not right."
"What's not right? You seem to think everything's fine and dandy, simply smiling while it's obvious I can take advantage. Don't you think that's a bit naïve?"
"No… Why would I disregard you, CEO? I have no reason to do that."
Though he wasn't doing it anymore, Hyeon-seong had once been an athlete.
Seeing such a serious presence from him made it hard not to feel intimidated.
Zhang Zidong had already moved to my side, ready to back me up.
I found the exchange between the two entertaining and leaned in to listen.
"I made it clear. For this contract, we should do everything we can. Yet the way you've behaved today is like a slap on my face. Don't try to excuse it by saying you didn't like the terms. If you truly felt that way, I would have taken the initiative to suggest we shouldn't sign it from the start."
"…"
"Your actions today are an open protest against this meeting, aren't they?"
Kim Tae-jeong closed his mouth, unable to counter.
With a piercing gaze, Hyeon-seong continued his tirade against Kim Tae-jeong.
"I get it; you might not like this. It's understandable. But we're doing business here. If you display negative emotions so openly, how can I trust you to hold shares in this company? The Kim Tae-jeong I knew seems to no longer exist."
Kim Tae-jeong's embarrassment was written all over his face.
"Mr. Park, you're misunderstanding things. That wasn't my intention…"
"I can easily replace the management if I wanted. But I don't plan to do that. Sure, I've invested, but this company was founded by you and built by its employees. That's why I'm liquidating my shares. If we can't work together, then it's time for a change. Will you buy the shares we hold, CEO Kim Tae-jeong? Or should we look elsewhere?"
If HS Ventures were to sell its shares, Kim Tae-jeong wouldn't be able to ensure his management rights.
Besides, he wouldn't have the means to purchase those shares anyway.
"…Just hear me out first."
"Not me, talk to them. The decision-making power rests with him."
Hyeon-seong shook his head firmly and pointed at me.
Well, well, look at you grow up, Hyeon-seong. I chuckled softly, and Kim Tae-jeong turned to look at me.
"You're CEO Kim Mu-hyeok, right? I think there's some misunderstanding, but it's not that I'm uncomfortable with this meeting…"
"I understand CEO Kim Tae-jeong's perspective. You don't trust an unprepared Chinese company. You don't want to do this, right? That's why we should just cancel."
Kim Tae-jeong sealed his lips tightly.
"I don't like forcing people to do what they don't want to. So, just tell me. Should we cancel? Or do you want to discuss the terms?"
"…What if I like the terms?"
"Then I bet Mr. Park will throw a fit! Despite looking meek, he used to dream of becoming a national athlete. Once he gets angry, I can't stop him myself."
"Then I'll confirm the terms first. So, don't say you're pulling out of this deal…"
Kim Tae-jeong's voice hesitated as he watched for reactions.
Looking over at Hyeon-seong, who let out a sigh, he nodded slightly.
"Got it. Let's continue negotiations for now."
HS Ventures would be able to change management whenever they wanted.
In the end, it didn't matter who founded the company or managed it.
In a corporation, whoever held the most shares was the true owner.
A prime example is Steve Jobs, who was ousted from the very Apple he built and nurtured.
Such occurrences were common in the U.S.; only in Korea does the founder hold onto the title of the company owner.
Taking advantage of the moment, Hyeon-seong interjected.
"Let's discuss things further. Let's send everyone out, just the four of us. The details will be hashed out by the staff, but how about we make decisions here for now?"
Both Kim Tae-jeong and Zhang Zidong nodded.
Zhang Zidong gestured to a staff member beside him.
After receiving a briefcase from the staff, Zhang Zidong dismissed all the employees.
Kim Tae-jeong gave orders to the staff he brought along.
"You guys wait outside."
"Understood, sir."
"Public responsibility."
"Yes, sir."
"Please guide the others to different meeting rooms and prepare snacks for them. They can leave early today. Thank you for your hard work."
Finally, Hyeon-seong saw Gong Jinju out, leaving just four of us in the spacious meeting room.
Zhang Zidong and I sat side by side, while Kim Tae-jeong and Hyeon-seong sat facing each other.
Kim Tae-jeong spoke first, his demeanor much more polite than before.
"Vice President Zhang Zidong, I apologize if my behavior upset you."
"Not at all. As someone who runs a business, I understand to some extent. Taking the initiative is indeed important. Shall we discuss the contract terms?"
Kim Tae-jeong nodded, and Zhang Zidong pulled out a stack of papers from his briefcase.
He handed a copy to both Kim Tae-jeong and Hyeon-seong, then passed one to me.
I picked up the thick documents in front of me and began to read.
"As you can see, I learned that the conditions were … when the MOU was signed for distribution in China recently…"
Zhang Zidong elaborated on the contract terms and the establishment of a joint venture for a long while.
The conditions were not unfavorable for TJ Soft. In fact, they were excellent, making Kim Tae-jeong's eyes widen in surprise.
I, too, was a bit taken aback by the terms laid out on paper.
Just as expected, Kim Tae-jeong asked hesitantly.
"Is this feasible? Other companies couldn't meet these terms, could they?"
"It's fine. We're looking at the bigger picture, not just the tree. Right now, our priority is to grow the company rather than make quick cash."
Whether he liked the terms or not, a smile spread across Kim Tae-jeong's face.
"A signing bonus of five million dollars and fifty percent in royalties… Can you really give this to us?"
The last deal he signed with a Taiwanese game company had a signing bonus of five hundred thousand dollars. The royalties varied based on sales, starting from fifteen percent to a maximum of thirty-eight percent.
And the terms that had almost been finalized for his entry into China asked for a signing bonus of one million dollars and a royalty of thirty percent.
"Yes. The moment you sign the contract, the signing bonus will be paid immediately."
Kim Tae-jeong picked up the paper in front of him and scrutinized it carefully.
After Zhang Zidong finished reading the conditions proposed by Tencent, he looked satisfied and said.
"It seems Tencent has made quite a concession. What do you think, CEO Kim Tae-jeong?"
In response to Park Hyeon-seong's question, Kim Tae-jeong nodded.
"Under these conditions, I think it would be acceptable to take a risk and sign a contract with Tencent."
The terms that Tencent had offered were not just good; they were outrageous.
Watching the two converse, I turned to Zhang Zidong and asked in Chinese.
Knowing they couldn't understand Chinese, I wasn't worried about them catching wind of the conversation.
"Are you sure? These are really outrageous terms. I didn't expect you to go this far."
"It's fine. This was the conclusion we reached after a long internal meeting. Right now, what's urgent is to bring good games to China and attract users. If we gather enough users, the revenue will come; this is Tencent's principle."
He was indeed someone with foresight. The more I saw, the more I preferred Zhang Zidong over Ma Huateng.
With a confident expression, Zhang Zidong asked Kim Tae-jeong.
"Are you satisfied with the contract terms? Tencent is serious about Blood Alliance. We believe it will succeed in China."
"Thank you. This is the first time I've received such treatment. I must have seriously misjudged Tencent before."
"Then can we skip the confidentiality agreement and go straight to the contract drafting?"
"That works. Let's do that."
The two didn't seem to have any objections. It was now time for the staff to take over the details.
As things seemed to be wrapping up, I casually suggested.
"Let's have the staff discuss the details and meet again. The legal team will draft the contract for review. Now how about dinner? I'd like to introduce Vice President Zhang to Korean cuisine."
Kim Tae-jeong responded apologetically.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to join you due to a prior commitment. It's an important arrangement… so canceling it is difficult."
Even though an important guest was arriving from overseas, he scheduled another appointment. This showed a lack of basic courtesy.
I didn't like it, but there was nothing I could do.
If I pointed it out unnecessarily, it might ruin the atmosphere. I smiled and said.
"Understood. Then shall we take our leave?"
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