CH450 | Heir

The new Apple headquarters in California.

Unlike in Korea, there was no grand completion ceremony.
Instead, it was replaced by a modest party where Apple employees and associates could enjoy themselves.

“Mr. Kim! It’s been far too long. I thought I’d never see your face again before I died.”

“I should have visited more often. My apologies.”

Steve’s words didn’t sound like a joke.

His body was frail and thin, his face devoid of any vitality.
Unable to walk properly, he relied on a wheelchair.

“Why that expression? This is a completion ceremony, not a funeral. Try to smile a little.”

“How is your health these days?”

“…I’m just holding on. But I had to live long enough to see the new campus completed, don’t you think?”

In the previous timeline, the Apple headquarters had often been called Steve’s legacy.
Though he had designed and planned it, Steve passed away before seeing it completed.

But this life was different.
Thanks to my strong intervention, his life had been extended.
Now, he was able to see the new Apple headquarters with his own eyes, just as he had wished.

“I’m not saying this because Taewoo Construction built it, but don’t you think it turned out wonderfully? The new campus truly suits Apple’s innovative image.”

“Hearing that makes me feel a bit guilty. Because of my stubbornness, the designs were scrapped and redone several times, which delayed the completion. Taewoo Construction went through a lot because of me.”

The Apple headquarters should have been completed long ago.
But where would Steve’s perfectionist nature ever go?

It was the same as when he created the iPhone—if he wasn’t satisfied with even the smallest detail, he tore everything down and rebuilt it from scratch.

“I heard you practically came to the new campus construction site every day despite your health.”

“Do you know what this land represents? This is where HP first began. Building Apple’s new headquarters here means… that I’m the successor to HP, doesn’t it? How could I take this lightly?”

HP, the company that could be called the origin of America’s IT industry.

Steve himself had once worked at HP, leaving him with many memories tied to this land.

On top of that, it symbolized Apple inheriting HP’s technological legacy, making the new headquarters even more meaningful to Steve.

“What does being HP’s successor matter? Steve’s Apple has already surpassed HP.”

“That may be true now, but the future is what matters, isn’t it? Which is why I have a favor to ask.”

Suddenly, Steve took hold of my hand.

His hand was so thin and frail, it felt as though I were holding a twig.

“If it’s a favor from you, Steve, I’ll grant it no matter what. Just tell me.”

“How much time do I have left? I’ve already stepped away from managing Apple.”

“You did the right thing. From now on, don’t worry about the company—just take care of yourself.”

“But my worries are endless. I can’t sleep at night, fearing that Apple might disappear once I’m gone. That’s why I’m asking you, Mr. Kim, to continue helping Apple even after I’m no longer here.”

What had I really done?

All I had done was reveal Apple’s innovations to him a little earlier.

To Steve, I might look like an innovative figure, but in truth, I was nothing more than a messenger, passing information from the future Steve to the present one.

“I’ll help with whatever I can. But in fact, it’s me who should be making a request. Please ensure that Apple maintains a good relationship with Taewoo Group even after you’re gone.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve made it very clear to the next management team—never to become estranged from Taewoo Group.”

In truth, there was no need for such a request.

I was Apple’s largest shareholder; I could steer it however I wanted.

But I had been careful to avoid interfering in Apple’s management, and I wanted to maintain that approach, which was why I had asked Steve in this way.

“I will continue working so that Apple and Taewoo Group can keep growing together.”

“Hearing you say that reassures me greatly, Mr. Kim. If Apple’s management ever makes mistakes, please, for my sake, forgive them—just five times.”

“Not just five times. I’ll forgive them ten times, a hundred times if necessary. I promise you that Taewoo Group will never be the first to let go of Apple’s hand. Of course, I can’t guarantee what will happen after I leave Taewoo Group.”

“You’re still young, Mr. Kim. That promise should last at least thirty years, and that will be more than enough.”

I gently wrapped his hand in mine, wanting to pass on even the slightest warmth to him.

Whether my feelings reached him or not, Steve smiled with a look of peace.

“As long as Apple and Taewoo Group walk together, both companies will endure forever. So please, don’t worry—just focus on your health.”

“Now I can truly be at ease. Having seen your face today, Mr. Kim, I think I’ll take my leave. I’m sorry, but my body isn’t strong enough to remain out for long.”

“Not at all. I’ve kept you too long already. Allow me to escort you to your car.”

I personally pushed his wheelchair and guided him to the vehicle.

In that brief time, we had shared so many memories.

There wouldn’t be much time left to create new ones, so I wanted to leave him with as many cherished memories of the past as I could.

I spent more than a full day with Apple’s new management team.

Perhaps thanks to Steve’s influence, the executives were very favorable toward Taewoo Group.

We drank through the night, sharing countless stories.

By the next day, I caught up on my lost sleep aboard the plane, then headed straight to Wall Street.

There, George, the head of Quantum Fund, and Dimon were waiting for me.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“For Mr. Kim, I’d wait as long as it takes. So, how was the tour of Apple’s new headquarters?”

“Whoever built it, it turned out to be a magnificent building.”

“Are you trying to brag in a roundabout way? Everyone knows Taewoo Construction built Apple’s new headquarters.”

Our conversation carried on in good spirits.

And why wouldn’t it? After all, we had earned massive profits from Brexit, leaving no room for a bad mood.

George, in particular, looked especially cheerful, having made huge gains in the currency market—his area of greatest expertise.

“Brexit profits are starting to dry up, so isn’t it time we began the next project?”

“I’ve been waiting so long, my neck is about to snap. If you don’t tell me about the next project today, I’ll strip down to my underwear and protest in front of Taewoo Group headquarters, so keep that in mind.”

That was a sight I had absolutely no desire to see.

Sure, it might cause a stir worldwide, but it was far from my taste. I quickly shifted the conversation to the next project.

“The Trump administration is the core of our next project.”

“You don’t mean attacking President Trump, of course. You mean investments based on the movements of his administration?”

“You’re aware that the America First policy has already begun, correct?”

“Of course. Wasn’t the very first America First initiative the deal involving Taewoo Shipping? If I recall, it was thanks to that policy that Taewoo Shipping could form an alliance with American shipping companies.”

The shipping industry was only the beginning.

The America First policy was destined to shake not just shipping, but many different industries.

“Historically, the United States has never allowed a rival nation to challenge its hegemony.”

“And the next challenger to that hegemony… would be China.”

“I expect sanctions on the level of a trade war. Especially a tit-for-tat exchange of massive tariffs.”

“Just hearing it sounds like chaos. Then again, for people like us, the bigger the chaos, the better. Still, it is concerning.”

Quiet and comfortable times made it difficult to earn big money.

On the other hand, the larger the event, the more violently the markets swung—creating opportunities for massive profits.

“The U.S. will impose high tariffs on Chinese manufactured goods, and in retaliation, China will almost certainly impose counter-tariffs on key American exports like agricultural products and automobiles.”

“When do you think the dispute will begin in earnest?”

“No later than the second half of next year.”

“So, more than a year away.”

Even for a major project, six months of preparation was more than enough.

Of course, the longer the preparation, the greater the potential profits.

But spending nearly two years preparing would be a waste of time—and there was no way the financial institutions in the Financial Tower would simply sit around waiting.

“For the long-term project, we’ll focus on the U.S.–China trade dispute. But in the short term, I plan to launch a separate project.”

“Of course. We can’t spend nearly two years twiddling our thumbs, can we? I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but these days even our clients have grown so demanding that they don’t even bother thanking us for a 10% return.”

The financial firms had become accustomed to unusually high returns over the past few years.

If they went two years without being fed profits, there was no telling when they might turn into hyenas.

But as long as they were fed regularly, they could serve obediently as hunting dogs.

“For now, I’m thinking of making some gains with crude oil.”

“Oil was at thirty dollars a barrel, and it’s already broken past fifty. Do you think there’s still room for profit?”

“I expect it to recover to at least sixty-five dollars within a year. Enough for us to make a modest profit, don’t you think?”

“A thirty percent rise could bring in decent returns. But don’t you think it’s still a little lacking?”

George was dissatisfied even with a thirty percent return.

With leverage, it could easily double, but even then…

It was still far too little feed to satisfy all the financial firms in the Financial Tower.

“Oil prices are just a snack. The real food that will sustain us this year and next lies elsewhere.”

“You’re dragging it out too much. Careful, or the rice will burn.”

“For the next two years, our flagship product will be Bitcoin.”

The Bitcoin craze had already begun last year.

But it was Taewoo Group that had created and distributed Bitcoin.

Since most of the Bitcoin supply had already been split between American IT companies and us, there hadn’t been much reason to invest further.

“I did hear that the Bitcoin market is even hotter than the stock market.”

“Wherever it’s hot, opportunists swarm in. With Financial Tower’s capital, we can shake them down completely, don’t you think?”

“Well, that much is obvious. But even if we take a share of what those opportunists are holding, will it really amount to much?”

There were groups trying to manipulate Bitcoin.

My plan was to use Financial Tower’s institutions to keep them in check.

But the pool of speculators wasn’t large enough for every firm to feast on.

So, I had to throw in another source of prey.

One that wasn’t closely tied to Taewoo Group’s Bitcoin.

“The altcoin market holds a pie big enough for everyone to eat their fill and still have leftovers.”

“Altcoin? Is that something similar to Bitcoin?”

“Any successor that came after Bitcoin is called an altcoin. If we target not only Bitcoin but also the altcoin market, we’ll be feasting for the next two years.”

Bitcoin was too tightly bound to Taewoo Group to handle recklessly.

But altcoins had no connection to us, so we could play with them however we pleased.

And at this point in time, the altcoin market hadn’t yet exploded.

If the financial firms boarded the altcoin ship now…

They could chart a course that would guarantee profits of at least fivefold.