Every year in June, the Apple Developers Conference is held.
But this year, the schedule had been delayed by nearly two months, and only a handful of people knew the reason why.
Of course, I was one of those few who knew the reason, and so did Steve.
"Are you feeling confident? Or indifferent? The developer conference is only a day away, and you're showing up just now? I've been preparing for the rehearsal since a month ago."
"There was a lot to handle back in Korea, so I was a little late. Still, I've been following the Apple Car progress from Korea, and I did my own preparation for the rehearsal."
From the entrance of Apple's headquarters, Steve was already nagging at me.
But somehow, it felt like he didn't have as much strength in his voice as he used to.
"You seem very tired. The developer conference is important, of course, but wouldn't it be better to get at least a little rest?"
"Late to arrive, and now you're telling me to rest? Rest can come after the conference is over. Come on, let's head to the rehearsal site. At the very least, we need to check our flow of movement!"
I was practically dragged into the venue.
Inside, not only Apple staff but also personnel from Taewoo and Kai Motors were gathered, preparing for tomorrow's conference.
"Chairman Kim Min-jae of the Taewoo Group has finally arrived! Let's begin the final rehearsal."
[Uwaaaah!]
The staff erupted in cheers at the mention of the word "final."
Just how strict must the rehearsals have been for them to react this way?
And in less than ten minutes, I realized I was no different from them.
"Chairman Kim! Just now, you should have gone left, not right. And move at an angle where the product can be seen clearly!"
"I'll do it again."
"Leave a pause in your speech to build anticipation. Just now, you sounded like a grade-schooler reading from a textbook. Put more emotion into it."
"I'll do it again."
The rehearsal dragged on for a full six hours.
On top of the fatigue built up from the long flight, by the time it finally ended, my legs were trembling beneath me.
Yet Steve was still there, pointing out shortcomings.
It wasn't until he finished nitpicking everything from the fine details of the lighting setup to the microphone volume that he came over and sat beside me.
"You're still young—how can you be this exhausted already?"
"It's not that I'm weak. I think your stamina is what's beyond comprehension, Steve. Just look at the employees' faces. They look like they might collapse at any moment, and it wouldn't surprise anyone."
"They'll push through until tomorrow, if only because it would be a waste to quit now after all we've done."
Steve, Jeffrey, and even Musk—
What they all had in common was that they treated people as if they were machines to be used.
You could say they lacked empathy. Or, more generously, you could say they were maximizing efficiency.
"I'll hold out somehow until tomorrow as well. Whether I faint afterward or end up in the emergency room, I'll deal with it then."
"Heh, even after the event ends, you won't have time to rest, Chairman Kim. You'll need to visit the new headquarters construction site with me, meet with people in the political world, and sit through an idea meeting about Apple's new product lineup."
Steve rattled off my upcoming tasks like a waterfall.
If things went according to his words, the only rest I'd get would be during travel time.
No, wait—if I traveled with Steve, even the travel time would be filled with brainstorming sessions.
"I've been receiving daily reports on the new headquarters construction. They say the work is progressing faster than scheduled."
"I was truly impressed by Taewoo Construction's capabilities. The way they work—so clean and efficient—really won me over. I even found myself gasping when I saw them secretly carrying on with construction at night."
In Korea, that was nothing unusual.
To meet completion deadlines, it was common to flood the site with lights and keep construction going through the night.
But in the U.S., such practices weren't permitted. Still, Taewoo Construction continued their work just as they did back home in Korea.
"I promised bonuses for every day they advanced the completion date. That's probably why they're working so hard."
"Ah, so that's the reason. Then Apple should also promise bonuses. Wouldn't that make them work even faster? Hahaha."
"They're already ahead of schedule. Do you really want them to finish even faster?"
"Of course. Isn't Taewoo Group also building its own new headquarters? Don't you, Chairman Kim, want that project completed as quickly as possible?"
There was a strange sense of urgency in Steve's voice.
But as I listened, I realized I, too, wanted Taewoo Group's new headquarters to be completed as soon as possible, so I just nodded along.
"Why don't you go in and rest now? Even starting your rest now won't be enough to prepare you for tomorrow's developer conference."
"You go ahead, Chairman Kim. I'll stay and watch a little longer before turning in."
A perfectionist never changes.
After only a short rest, Steve was back again, throwing out instructions to the staff.
Since there was no real help I could offer by staying, I left for the hotel first, promising myself to be ready for tomorrow.
***
The 2009 Apple Developers Conference had begun.
Since the event had been delayed by two months this year, its scale had grown even larger, and the venue was packed with countless participants and members of the press.
It was, quite literally, standing-room only.
In a way, it could be said that most of them were there simply to see Steve.
The moment Steve stepped onto the stage to begin unveiling the new products, the crowd erupted in a deafening roar, loud enough to tear eardrums apart.
[Waaaaaah!]
Yet despite the thunderous cheers, Steve showed no reaction whatsoever.
He walked across the stage as if he were in a world of his own, completely detached from everyone else.
Only after the cheers had died down did he finally glance at the audience and toss out a line.
"Ah! My apologies. I couldn't hear anything with my AirPods in. They have a noise-canceling feature that blocks out all external sound."
He used the crowd's energy like this?
With a single line, he not only introduced Apple's new product, the AirPods, but also promoted their noise-canceling feature.
"AirPods, our wireless earphones, were developed with a focus on user convenience. Haven't we all had moments when earphone cords got in the way while exercising?"
Each time Steve spoke, the crowd's response ignited again.
To be honest, the AirPods looked like little bean sprouts at first glance, but with Steve wearing them, they seemed to have an aura of significance.
Steve went on, highlighting the strengths of the AirPods—
Design, battery life, noise-canceling, sound quality.
Even the smallest advantage, he exaggerated as if it were a groundbreaking innovation. Yet the entire audience accepted his words without question.
After that, he unveiled a few more products.
AirPods, iPhone, iPad.
By then, the crowd's enthusiasm had cooled somewhat, and the press in particular seemed noticeably unimpressed, even cold.
"There doesn't seem to be anything in this event that could really be called innovative."
"Exactly. They delayed the schedule by two months, so expectations were high."
"It's tough to produce something revolutionary every single time, but still… it's disappointing."
The murmuring voices of reporters filled the hall.
In the midst of that atmosphere, Steve pointed toward me, seated in the front row of the audience.
"Chairman Kim Min-jae of Taewoo Group is here with us today. A familiar face to many of you, I'm sure. Please, come up to the stage."
As I stepped onto the platform, the eyes of the press shifted immediately.
They were expectant—after all, in a previous presentation, I had unveiled AI-powered home appliances compatible with the iPhone.
The audience was no different.
At my appearance, they began muttering words like refrigerator, TV, washing machine—every kind of household appliance imaginable.
To Apple's loyal customers, Taewoo Group carried a strong image as a company that collaborated on consumer electronics. Their reaction was only natural.
But this time, I intended to etch into their minds the fact that Taewoo Group was not just a home appliance manufacturer.
"Good afternoon. I am Kim Min-jae of Taewoo Group. If anyone here was expecting a brand-new home appliance launched through collaboration between Apple and Taewoo Electronics, I must first apologize. Of course, among Taewoo Electronics' new products, there are items released in partnership with Apple. But they are closer to upgraded versions of what we revealed at the last presentation."
The reaction cooled instantly.
Their eyes asked the unspoken question: If it's not a new appliance, then why are you even on stage?
Strangely enough, I felt a thrill in response.
It was the anticipation, knowing that this chilly mood would soon turn fiery once again.
"Apple began as a company that made computers. But now, it produces smartphones, wireless earphones, tablets, and more. That's because the functions of a computer can now be embodied in other forms."
Still, the audience sat with arms crossed.
Some even looked at me as if to say, Why are you babbling about things we already know?
"Then where should Apple's technology head next? People say the smartphone is the pinnacle of integrated technology, but there's another product that rivals it as a true culmination of innovation. That product is the automobile."
"Allow me to introduce—the Apple Car, created through the collaboration of Apple and Taewoo Group!"
Just as we had rehearsed, Steve seamlessly picked up from my words.
As he stepped back, four Apple Cars that had been waiting behind the stage rolled into view.
When you thought of Apple, the color silver immediately came to mind.
Fittingly, two silver Apple Cars came forward first. Then, as a yellow and a red car followed behind them, the stage suddenly felt completely filled.
"The Apple Car—built with the combined technological strength of Apple and Taewoo Group, a vehicle that will redefine the very paradigm of automobiles!"
[Uwaaaaaah!]
At last, the cheers erupted.
People rose to their feet, straining to take in the sight of the Apple Cars.
Reporters furiously pressed their camera shutters, their fingers moving so quickly they almost disappeared from sight.
"Why do we say the Apple Car will change the paradigm of the automobile? Let me explain. First, we focused on the environment. Internal combustion engines spew exhaust fumes, causing countless environmental problems. So we decided to create an electric car—one that emits no exhaust whatsoever."
Steve then started up all four Apple Cars.
Normally, you would expect the familiar vroom of engines roaring to life.
But these cars produced no sound at all.
They were utterly silent, and naturally, there was not a single trace of exhaust.
"Quiet, isn't it? So quiet you might doubt whether the engines are even on. To prove it, I'll drive one myself."
Steve slid into the driver's seat and nudged the car forward.
The Apple Car glided ahead with effortless grace, drawing another round of cheers from the crowd.
In truth, it was nothing remarkable.
Taewoo Motors had already unveiled electric vehicles at motor shows, and EVs had been in development long before this. The technology itself wasn't exactly groundbreaking anymore.
But because it was Steve behind the wheel, the moment seemed revolutionary.
With this much excitement already, things could only get better.
The Apple Car wasn't defined by the logo alone.
It was no exaggeration to say it had been built with the full might of the Taewoo Group's engineering. And there were still plenty of technologies yet to be revealed.
"After the environment, our next focus was safety," Steve said. "Traffic accidents can happen anytime. No matter how cautious a driver is, unforeseen accidents occur. Just like this."
One of the Apple Cars rolled forward.
A professional stuntman suddenly sprinted across its path.
To anyone watching, a collision seemed inevitable—but the Apple Car automatically slowed down and came to a stop right before reaching him.
The collision-prevention system had kicked in.
Another thunderous wave of applause erupted, but there were still many more performances to come.