The next evening.
Once again, I visited the hotel conference room for an idea meeting with Chun Min-jung.
As soon as I walked in, Min-jung bowed her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Vice Chairman… thank you so much."
"This was something we should do as part of employee welfare. And besides, you're one of Taewoo Group's core talents."
"I'll repay this kindness for the rest of my life!"
As expected, it was a profitable investment.
A little hassle in exchange for being able to work an S-tier talent for life? Absolutely worth it.
"And if anything like this ever happens again, don't hesitate to let me know. Taewoo Group will use every means at its disposal to help. Ah, and starting next month, your brother, Chun Min-woo, will be selected as a Taewoo Group scholarship student. Not only will we cover his tuition, but he'll also receive private one-on-one lessons from top instructors."
"I'll put my life on the line to carry out whatever task you give me! And also, we've made some progress on the AI development."
Already? Progress on AI development?
As expected from someone whose talent made it worth personally visiting a high school.
"I'd love to hear what kind of progress."
"We worked with Professor Hinton's team and succeeded in developing deep learning technology using artificial neural networks. Well, rather than saying we developed it, it's more like we established the existing concepts more clearly. Mathematically speaking, we calculated error values using calculus and…"
The mathematical explanation went in one ear and out the other.
But two key terms came out of Chun Min-jung's mouth—exactly the ones I had hoped for:
Artificial Neural Networks and Deep Learning.
Even if I'd regressed in time, I couldn't pretend to understand all the technical details.
All I needed was confirmation that those core keywords were real and that related technology had been developed.
"Can we start applying the deep learning technology right away?"
"It's still early in development, so it can't be applied right away. But once we accumulate more data, it'll definitely be usable. The only issue is that we're still researching where best to apply it."
"There are endless applications. Facial recognition, gaming, translation, factory automation, self-driving cars, and even the medical industry—it can be used in all of them."
"Our team still isn't fully convinced, but you seem more confident in deep learning's potential than we are, Vice Chairman."
That's because I've seen it with my own eyes.
I saw firsthand how far AI could advance through deep learning.
Of course, it was only partially utilized in the past, but now that we've succeeded in developing the technology earlier, it meant we could apply it earlier too.
"AI powered by deep learning is a core technology of what's being called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. So please keep pushing ahead with the development."
"For now, we need to create various algorithms to improve deep learning's efficiency. So I don't think I'll be able to join any idea meetings for a while."
"I wouldn't want to take away your precious time. We'll hold idea meetings whenever you want to resume them, Ms. Chun."
"…"
Chun Min-jung said nothing.
She looked like she was a little disappointed.
But really, what could matter more?
If deep learning techniques could take AI to the next level, that was everything.
"Start with facial recognition first. Then look into studying Go or chess through deep learning."
"Go? Would there really be a need for an AI that plays Go?"
"If you build it, the need will come."
It was a crucial step in promoting AI technology.
Before the regression, Google had used that exact method to showcase AI to the world—and in this life, Taewoo Group would be the one to do it.
The good news about establishing a conceptual foundation for deep learning kept me tossing and turning all night.
I spent the entire night thinking about which fields to apply AI to first in order to gain an edge. Before I knew it, morning had come, and the thought still consumed me as I made my way to the office.
But once I arrived at the Vice Chairman's office, I couldn't afford to focus on AI any longer.
That was because the head of the Planning Office came in with a very serious report.
"We've successfully recruited 20 highly reputed individuals. They come from a wide range of fields—independent politicians, university professors, former police officers, former prosecutors, and doctors."
"Was the recruitment process difficult?"
"Most of them had also received offers from major political parties. But with both major parties tarnished by illegal campaign fund scandals, it wasn't too hard to bring them on board."
"We need to make sure no one knows Taewoo Group is behind this."
"We've been extremely thorough in concealing any links to Taewoo Group."
A great deal of effort had gone into covering up the connection to Taewoo Group.
We had used one of the shell companies owned by SAVE Investment Company to bring them in, and the actual recruitment process had been carried out using personnel from Captain Kang's team.
"But the number's still too low. We need at least 50 recruits, and we haven't even hit half of that."
"There simply aren't many people interested in politics. Most of those on the list are deeply disillusioned with the political system itself."
Disillusionment with politics was nothing new.
Having already found success in their respective fields, most of them had no desire to dip their feet into the cesspool of politics.
And perhaps they were wary because they didn't know who we really were.
But that didn't mean we could just give up.
"Show me the list you used."
"We screened a total of 100 candidates. The ones we successfully recruited are marked in blue. Top-priority targets are marked in orange, and second-priority targets are marked in yellow."
Fortunately, the list the planning chief had compiled also included photos.
I began carefully reviewing the faces and background information of all 100 candidates.
During past recruitment seasons, I had reviewed tens of thousands of detailed profiles. Going through a list of just 100 was nothing.
"Hmm, we should start by recruiting someone who can serve as the group's central figure."
"But for that, we need someone with enough recognition to spark a public phenomenon. Unfortunately, no one on the list has that level of public visibility. They're well-respected in their respective fields, but not enough to attract mass attention."
"Public recognition is something we can manufacture. Assemblyman Choi Jae-seok looks promising. He's an independent with a solid local base and a principled stance—no involvement in any scandals."
I had reviewed the personal histories of countless politicians by now.
Most had been involved in one scandal or another, but Choi Jae-seok was clean. Not a speck of corruption could be found.
That didn't mean he lacked ambition.
As a politician, his eyes were set on the highest places, and he had recently grown disillusioned with his current position.
"He's popular in his constituency, but he's no national figure."
"Then we'll just have to make him one. If we recruit Choi Jae-seok first and turn him into a national figure, it'll make recruiting the rest much easier."
"That's true, but raising a politician's public profile is no easy task. Some do gain instant recognition through televised confirmation hearings, but such opportunities are rare."
Even the current president had risen to fame as a star from such hearings.
But confirmation hearings weren't the only path to recognition.
Especially in times like these, a direct approach might prove even more effective.
"Choi Jae-seok's constituency is in Busan, right?"
"Yes, it's Gijang—an area that was incorporated into Busan about ten years ago."
"Perfect. Let's direct a data center project to Gijang."
"You mean, frame it as Assemblyman Choi's achievement?"
"Exactly. While other politicians are busy bickering and slinging mud, someone who focuses on economic growth and public welfare will stand out—and if he delivers real results, even better."
If Taewoo Group got involved, achieving results wouldn't be an issue.
Starting with the data center, we could simultaneously push for urban redevelopment, factory construction, and more.
Once the project was secured, it would guarantee unwavering support from local residents. Taewoo Group had more than enough capacity to make it happen.
"It's a good strategy, but to recruit Assemblyman Choi, we'd have no choice but to reveal Taewoo Group's involvement."
"I'll meet him myself. Set up a discreet meeting."
"You'll go personally, Vice Chairman? That's too risky. Let me handle it."
"No. To recruit someone like Choi Jae-seok, I need to go in person. That's the only way to convey our sincerity."
"…Understood."
The planning chief left the office looking a bit dispirited.
Before long, he returned.
But he wasn't alone—he brought my grandfather with him.
"I heard from the planning chief. You're planning to create your own political group now, are you?"
"If we keep being dragged around by the two major parties like now, it'll be difficult to lead the global market. We need a negotiation group that can protect us from the big parties. We have no intention of using them to gain other vested interests. So I can assure you there won't be any problematic issues."
I glared at the planning chief and said.
It wasn't really his fault.
Grandfather was still the chairman of Taewoo Group, and naturally, all company information flowed to him.
But I hadn't expected him to make such a move so soon.
From the planning chief's perspective, it was probably done out of concern for me, but I was a little annoyed.
"Not a bad idea. A group like that might be necessary for the development of Korean politics. Not a group to protect corporate interests, but one moving for the progress of Korea's economy."
"Thank you for agreeing."
"But! I'm against you getting involved. How could I trust you if rumors spread that you're colluding with politicians while you're leading Taewoo Group? I'll meet Assemblyman Choi Jae-seok myself."
In fact, it was something I wanted to ask him to do.
Although my recognition had risen quite a bit after the joint speech with Steve, it was nothing compared to Grandfather's reputation.
"Because of the illegal election fund scandal, just meeting between politicians and businesspeople makes the front page news. Are you okay with that?"
"Are you so scared of maggots that you can't make soybean paste? And what's the problem even if it's front-page news? We're meeting for regional development—who would object? And if things go wrong, I'd rather be the one who goes to jail."
Grandfather's resolve was clear.
He was willing to take the hard path for me.
Though someday, I would have to walk that path myself.
For now, I wasn't about to refuse Grandfather's warm-hearted offer.
"I will make sure that neither you nor I end up in jail or under investigation."
"I don't have long to live, so going to jail doesn't matter much to me. But you haven't even had children yet—you can't go to jail."
"...I'll do my best."
"You're really trying, right? It doesn't matter to me if the person isn't from a legal or big business family. I just want someone you like."
With Grandfather pushing like this, I really needed to get married soon.
But marriage isn't something you can just decide on your own, is it?
"I will keep that in mind. Also, I'll prepare a report outlining what to say to Assemblyman Choi Jae-seok."
"I already have a rough idea. You're planning to build a data center in Choi's district, right? And you'll push some other projects too. I'll take care of the rest, so don't worry."
Grandfather was unmatched when it came to these kinds of matters.
The moment he got involved, recruiting Assemblyman Choi was as good as done.