Come to think of it, I don't really know how much money I have either.
I checked up to a certain point.
But once it surpassed a certain level, I just let it be.
While I was feeling a strange sense of camaraderie, Tennessee shook his head.
"You and I are a bit different."
"...?"
"You earned yours with your abilities. I simply inherited part of my grandfather's fortune."
"Does money have names written on it? Regardless of how it's earned..."
"It's different, completely."
His tone was resolute.
"So the money I earn from now on is quite special to me."
"...."
"It's not a lot, but I'm thinking of giving it my best."
I was about to feel moved for a moment.
But the part where he said it wasn't a lot snapped me back to reality.
"Anyway, I'll acquire Gucci with my money."
"So, you're buying my shares then?"
"If you're okay with that."
"Should we draft a contract?"
If drafting a contract feels difficult, then a partnership is impossible.
On the other hand, if such a question feels upsetting, then that too disqualifies one from partnership.
Fortunately, Tennessee and I were cool about such things.
"Of course, we should."
"Okay. Then let's proceed with that."
"Oh, and."
"...?"
"You're thinking of acquiring the Harris main branch too, right?"
I nodded.
"Then I'll handle that too, in the Grosvenor way."
Tennessee still seemed to have more to say.
"The scale there is significant, so it won't be resolved immediately."
I know.
That's why we're creating a luxury district and establishing a new commercial zone.
"Just letting you know in advance—I have no intention of paying them the full price."
"What?"
"I'll take it."
"...!"
"Within the boundaries of the law, I'll take it."
At some point, Tennessee began perceiving Harris as an enemy of the Grosvenor family.
"I don't want to give those guys a single penny of my money."
"I feel the same."
"Then we're in agreement?"
There's no point in stopping this.
"You mean within the boundaries of the law, right?"
He nodded.
I decided to trust Tennessee's words.
***
In front of my room stood a middle-aged man holding a camera.
He was dressed in a baggy suit with rugged sneakers.
He noticed me and gave a small nod.
"Hello, you're CEO Park Ji-hoon, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"I'd like to request an interview."
These days, I've been getting interview requests pretty often.
Especially since the Forbes article came out.
Naturally, I have no choice but to decline them all.
I was about to do the same this time, but then I saw the card the reporter handed me and lost my grounds to refuse.
'London Times… Well, I guess I have to do it.'
After Tennessee went into my room first,
I stepped outside the building with the reporter.
We bought two warm lattes and headed to a quiet bench.
"What would you like to know?"
"I heard you're creating a new concept street."
"Oh, yes."
"And that you're on the brink of acquiring Gucci as well."
He seemed to have a rough idea that I was involved in the overall business while Tennessee lent only his name.
Well, for a London Times journalist, their information network must be impressive.
"There are countless industries. Why fashion, in particular? I came to hear your reasons."
"That's a fresh question."
"...?"
"You're asking why I'm in the fashion business, right?"
Most interviews are filled with predictable questions.
How much revenue is being generated, how the business will expand, or whether there are plans to attract investments, and so on.
In contrast, asking about the philosophy behind the business—something few are curious about—felt very fitting for the London Times.
"I suppose I should start by explaining why I began in the UK."
"Sounds good."
"It was quite simple at first. I wondered, what if London men dressed with a bit more style?"
"Style?"
It's unexpectedly hard to come across well-dressed British men.
Perhaps it's the lingering spirit of the Industrial Revolution, which values practicality over design as the highest virtue.
As a result, most men on the streets wear workwear, as if they're heading straight to a job site.
"Work is important, of course. Earning money is essential for supporting a family. That dedication deserves applause. But…"
"...?"
"Wouldn't it be nice to dress up just for yourself at least one day a week?"
"But even if they want to dress well, it's not something that can change overnight…"
"That's exactly why I'm in fashion."
"For those who want to dress well but don't know how?"
"Exactly."
On weekdays, they work for their company.
On weekends, they dedicate themselves to their families.
That's great—it's admirable.
But still, wouldn't it be good to focus on oneself for at least one day, or even half a day?
***
"What a fantastic peek into your storytelling! I'm curious—how do you see the concept of "style for oneself" tying into the larger themes of your narrative?"
Since I'm making men's clothing, I phrased it that way.
But honestly, it's not a story limited to men or women.
"Still, I do have a question."
"Yes?"
"It's intriguing how a CEO in his teens… came up with such a thought. It's quite puzzling."
"Oh, that."
I scratched my head awkwardly.
"It's… something I thought of while looking at my parents."
"Living abroad must have made you feel even more affectionate toward them?"
"Exactly. That's it. Spot on."
I gave an embarrassed smile.
"When the article comes out, I think you'll be compared a lot to Leona Harris."
"...?"
"Everyone who's aware knows you two are rivals. Naturally, readers will draw comparisons when they read the interview."
"That wasn't my intention."
"When you live uprightly, you encounter unintentional strokes of luck."
What kind of life did Harris lead?
How did she live for even strangers to naturally take my side?
Anyway.
I extended my hand with a pleasant smile.
"Please send my regards to CEO John Walter."
On my way back, I stopped by the convenience store.
There's nothing like snacks when gaming!
'What should I get?'
Tyrell, which looks like potato chips.
Walker Bread, just like Buttering.
Calvery's roll cake with actual chocolate in it.
And my choice?
'I'll go with something from Steve's company.'
I've toured the factory after all.
Might as well buy something I'm familiar with!
With both hands full of snacks and drinks, I returned.
Click.
As I opened the door, Peter came over to take my bags.
"You're back?"
Tennessee, on the other hand, didn't even glance my way.
I wondered what was going on, and Peter lowered his voice as he spoke.
"He's been like that for 30 minutes now."
"...?"
"You know Capsulemon, right? At first, he was indifferent, but ever since he missed a rare monster, he's been completely hooked."
"Looks like he's having fun?"
"More than fun, it's practically an obsession."
"So, did he catch it?"
"No, he's still grinding."
"Then he could just progress the story and come back to catch it later."
"I don't know. He's not listening."
Just as Peter shook his head as if to say not to bother, Tennessee suddenly stood up abruptly.
Tennessee, punching the air in celebration!
"What's up?"
"Did you catch it?"
It seemed he finally snapped out of it.
He sat back down as if nothing had happened.
For over an hour after that, Tennessee was glued to the game.
It wasn't until he completed the initial Pokédex that he seemed to regain his senses.
"This game's graphics are kind of unique."
"What about them?"
"Well, it's quite different from the games I've studied so far."
Pfft.
"What's so different?"
"It feels like a whole new upgrade."
"Really?"
"More than that… what's this device?"
Tennessee pointed at the console connected to the TV.
"No matter how I look at it, it doesn't seem like a regular game console…"
"It's the successor to the Family."
"...!"
"The Family is 8-bit, and this one is double that—16-bit."
Unlike Tennessee, who tried to hide his amazement, Peter's eyes widened in disbelief.
He looked as if he couldn't comprehend how a 16-bit system could exist!
Seeing the two gaming enthusiasts in front of me made explaining all the more fun.
"It's not out yet. Developers got it early for testing. After all, you need the actual hardware to test games properly."
"Not released yet?"
Even Tennessee couldn't hide his excitement this time.
"When's the official launch?"
"End of the month."
"...!"
"Super Mario and Capsulemon will be the launch titles."
When he first heard about the test, he probably thought it was just another Family game.
But now, with the next-gen console right in front of him… Tennessee, the gaming fanatic, couldn't help but lose it.
"How was the game?"
"It's insane."
"What part?"
"From the character designs, difficulty balance, monster matchups, even the timing of item drops…"
Hold on.
He got so excited that a flood of technical jargon burst out like a storm.
Realizing it might have been too much, he blinked awkwardly, as if looking for a way to recover.
Alright, I'll help you out.
"Since becoming a shareholder, you've really been studying hard, huh?"
"Yeah, you're right."
Tennessee finally seemed to regain his composure.
"I didn't play for long, but it definitely felt immersive."
"Do you feel like playing more?"
"Well…"
I was curious about his honest opinion.
Capsulemon would be a mega-hit anyway, so why was I curious?
'Because history has started to shift little by little because of me.'
Thanks to me breaking into the North American market early, Nintendo's sales had skyrocketed.
Naturally, this led to a rush in developing the next-gen device, and the console was released much earlier than in history.
There were other changes too.
The Capsulemon show aired way earlier than expected, which resulted in the game launching on a completely different device.
On top of that!
Since our company developed the game, it must have been heavily influenced by Brother Yoo Geon's style.
Simply put:
A completely different game from the one I knew had emerged!
As I anxiously awaited Tennessee's response, he finally spoke.
"An accurate review is premature."
"What?"
"The only way to truly judge is to beat the final boss."
He spoke with the weight of an official announcement.
The three of us each had a bottle of Red Bull.
We stayed up all night.
We barely touched the mountain of snacks I had bought, completely focused on playing the game.
When we hit tough spots, we'd huddle together and brainstorm solutions, progressing through the game at a steady pace.
Yet, despite all that…
It felt like we hadn't even made it halfway through the game!
"The scale is just massive," Peter said, amazed.
"Even the cartridge size must've been increased several times over. It's insane."
Looking at the Monster Dex, we had filled only about a fifth of it.
Which meant our progress in the game mirrored that.
"Tennessee."
"...?"
"Do you really have to beat the final boss to evaluate it?"
"Games aren't played for evaluation."
"Then why?"
"Just enjoy the moment."
After staying up all night, he grabbed the controller again without hesitation.
Alright, who needs words for a review?
If he's this obsessed, it's undoubtedly a masterpiece of masterpieces.
"Hey, aren't you tired?"
"Not yet."
"Sorry, but we're going to need some sleep."
"Already?"
'Already?'
Looking over, Peter was half-asleep.
"You said you had to do a final test?"
"Honestly, it's been done for a while."
"...?"
The end of the month is next week.
If it were still in testing, that'd be ridiculous.
"Then why'd you call me here?"
Sure, I wanted to see how the game turned out, but more than that, I just wanted to give him a gift.
Tennessee had run himself ragged because of me.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I opened the wardrobe door.
Inside, a large box revealed itself.
"It's yours."
"What is it? This?"
"The Super Family being released soon. It's the very first model produced worldwide."
"What?"
"It's a commemorative piece. I made a special request for it."
"So… you're saying this is… the first-ever unit of the next-gen console?"
Maybe he was too excited.
Even his words started to stumble.
"See the signatures on the box?"
Gulp.
"Every single developer signed it."
"Is Miyamoto's signature there too?"
"Right here, the biggest one."
He clutched his head in disbelief.
If I exaggerated just a bit, he looked like someone thinking, It's worth being born for this.
Despite being one of Europe's wealthiest people…
Who would've thought he'd be so ecstatic over receiving a game console?
'It's rewarding to see him this happy.'
Smirking,
I let a quiet smile cross my face.