The general election had been expected to lean heavily in favor of the ruling party.
With the government's term nearing its end, the administration and ruling party had joined forces for the campaign, making a landslide victory seem inevitable.
However, the results told a different story.
Ruling Party: 119 seats
National's (People's) Economic Party: 92 seats
Opposition Party: 75 seats
Out of the 300 seats up for grabs, the ruling party had failed to secure even a simple majority.
The primary opposition suffered a major blow as well, ending up with a meager 75 seats.
Surprisingly, it was the People's Economic Party (PEP) that was being hailed as the real winner.
Although the PEP had around 30 seats fewer than the ruling party, it had secured enough to become the largest opposition force.
Until now, the People's Economic Party had only been significant enough to form a negotiation bloc, but with this election, it had stepped into the ranks of the major political powers.
"Thanks to Governor Choi Jae-seok's leadership, the People's Economic Party was able to win the support of the people."
"I hardly did anything. As Governor of Gyeonggi Province, I wasn't in a position to actively campaign. The result was only possible because Tae-woo Group worked effectively to shape public opinion."
"Just so we're clear — no illegal campaign tactics were involved. We merely focused on making sure the People's Economic Party's excellent policies were well communicated to local residents."
"Hahaha, no worries — I'd never suspect that. I may not trust my own son, but I trust you, Chairman."
Perhaps it was the years spent in central politics?
Governor Choi Jae-seok had mellowed a great deal compared to the past.
In earlier days, he would have demanded every detail about the election activities, but now, it seemed the process didn't matter as much to him.
"The People's Economic Party is now the largest opposition party. We have more seats than before, but that also means attacks could come from both sides."
"It won't be easy for them to corner us. If we align with the opposing bloc, we'd hold more than half the seats — enough to pass legislation. And if we join hands with the ruling party, we'd have the numbers to push through a constitutional amendment."
With the opposition, they'd reach a majority.
With the ruling party, they'd have a supermajority capable of amending the Constitution.
That confidence radiated from Governor Choi. But how the established political forces would react remained uncertain.
"The People's Economic Party has only just put down roots. If the two old parties decide to kick away the ladder, the PEP could face severe trials."
"Whether they block us or kick away the ladder, all we need to do is keep walking firmly down the path we believe in. If we do, the people will stand behind us."
It was the sort of answer one could consider correct.
No matter what kind of checks the two established parties tried to impose, so long as the People's Economic Party (PEP) kept advancing along the path of national progress, they could continue to secure public support.
And if I ensured their roots stayed firm, they would be able to withstand any storm.
"We must never underestimate the power the ruling and opposition parties hold."
"I'm well aware that the ruling party could mobilize the prosecution and the police to attack us, and that the opposition could rally civic groups to stage protests. Still, our support base is steadily growing, and I believe we can handle it."
"When it comes to government organizations like the prosecution and the police, Tae-woo Group can offer some degree of defense. As for civic groups, I'll use public opinion to make sure they don't become a serious problem for you."
I was still managing the Public Servants' Fund.
From prosecutors and police officers to National Tax Service employees — many public officials were our fund's clients.
It had been over ten years since I established the fund, and every year it had delivered staggering returns for its investors.
Consider the client who had invested 100 million won in the early days:
Ten years later, that single investment had grown to over 20 billion won.
Our fund was yielding the highest returns in the market — enough for investors to earn a minimum of 50% and up to double their money annually simply by leaving their capital with us.
With such legitimate and substantial earnings, there was no longer any need for them to seek support from shady sources.
Why take risks for pocket change when you could earn vast profits safely?
"I can't tell you how reassuring it is to have Tae-woo Group on our side."
"It's too soon for that sentiment. We still have a huge mountain to climb."
"You mean the presidential election."
"Exactly. There are only eight months left until the election. Even if we go all out now, there are no guarantees for the outcome."
It was far too early to light the fireworks.
The general election had merely been a preparatory stage for the presidential race.
Yes, winning in the general election was important —
but for the future of the People's Economic Party, a presidential victory was absolutely essential.
"You've changed, Chairman. Previously, you told me it was enough if I simply ran for president."
"If you're running for president, then of course you should win. As with any competition, the winner takes all — and nowhere is that more true than in politics."
Circumstances had changed, and so had my stance.
Before, I had been encouraging Governor Choi Jae-seok to run, dangling the carrot.
Now that his candidacy was a foregone conclusion, it was time to prod him with the stick toward victory.
"Once the presidential election is over, I'll push forward with everything I have — even if it kills me."
"You'll also need to prepare to resign as Governor of Gyeonggi Province. You know that you must step down at least ninety days before the election, right?"
"I plan to finish my work by next month and then resign early. If I step down exactly ninety days before, there won't be enough time to prepare."
"I hope you finish strong."
"Of course. That way, the citizens of Gyeonggi will want to vote for me again someday."
This presidential election was expected to be a chaotic free-for-all.
The ruling party would run to secure another term in power.
The opposition party would run to wrest the government away.
And the People's Economic Party (PEP) would be racing toward its first-ever entry into the Blue House.
By historical precedent, the ruling party was expected to win in a landslide.
But the results of the general election had thrown history off course.
Before my return to the past, the ruling party's sweeping victory in the general election had carried their presidential candidate to the top on a strong tailwind.
Now, however, the People's Economic Party had taken the win in the general election instead.
The breeze that had once blown toward the ruling party had stopped altogether —
and instead, the wind had begun to blow toward the People's Economic Party.
By the time half of 2012 had passed,
I received an incredibly welcome piece of news from Seo Jeong-jun, the CEO of Centurion.
It was such good news that I rushed straight to Centurion's headquarters.
"Chairman! We've finally succeeded. With Centurion's technology, we can now stably mass-produce insulin!"
"You mean insulin production is already possible? I had expected it would take at least another year."
The process of manufacturing insulin was notoriously complex.
Even with Centurion's cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art facilities, and equipment, I had estimated at least one more year before reaching this milestone.
Yet here they were — securing the insulin production rights and achieving large-scale manufacturing in less than a year.
"Thanks to the exceptional talent you brought into our company, Chairman, and the help from artificial intelligence, we were able to drastically shorten the time needed."
"So AI ended up being useful?"
"It was immensely helpful. The AI conducted thousands of experiments per day on its own and found the optimal production methods. We can confidently say we will produce insulin faster than Novo Nordisk, and of even higher quality."
Centurion had already been actively utilizing artificial intelligence for some time.
They had used AI during the development of a treatment for a mutant strain of swine flu, and were now adept at employing it effectively — which is why mass production of insulin had become possible in record time.
"You've worked hard. Centurion is now the only insulin producer in Korea."
"It was all possible thanks to your support, Chairman. We'll move to secure Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approval as soon as possible so we can start selling insulin. That way, we can recoup the licensing fee we paid Novo Nordisk for insulin production rights."
"Don't bother worrying about the cost of obtaining the insulin production rights. It was simply an investment in Centurion's growth."
Naturally, all investments were made with the ultimate goal of recovering the funds.
However, in this case, I hadn't intended to recover the cost through insulin sales.
Securing the insulin production rights was merely a stepping stone toward obtaining the manufacturing rights for the diet drug currently in development at Novo Nordisk.
"I'm truly grateful for you saying that. Also, Novo Nordisk contacted us."
"Was it to congratulate you on insulin production?"
"Yes, they offered congratulations, and they also asked if we'd like to jointly research a new diabetes treatment they're developing. They were particularly intrigued by our use of artificial intelligence in insulin production."
It was like a pumpkin rolling right into my lap — an unexpected windfall.
We hadn't even made the proposal first; Novo Nordisk had approached us. It couldn't get any better than this.
"Have you accepted their proposal?"
"Not yet. It hasn't been submitted officially. The Novo Nordisk research team only said they would formally request it to their board of directors."
"Once the formal request comes in, accept it. But be sure to negotiate so that Centurion can secure at least a portion of the equity."
"Of course. After all, we're developing the diabetes treatment with your money, Chairman. We should get as much equity as possible."
The new drug Novo Nordisk was developing was being funded with my money.
In order to secure both the rights to produce insulin and the rights to manufacture the new drug for the Asian market, I had invested an astronomical sum into Novo Nordisk.
Of course, it wasn't a charity.
I already held a substantial amount of Novo Nordisk shares, and if the new drug succeeded, those shares would multiply in value hundreds of times over.
Still, that was no reason to let a chance at direct equity in the drug itself slip away.
What's more, the equity would belong not to Tae-woo Group, but to Centurion — an excellent opportunity to boost Centurion's market value.
"If you ever need more personnel, just say the word. I'll support you as much as possible."
"Would it be possible to request IT specialists? We have too few staff capable of handling artificial intelligence. If we had just one more person like Team Leader Cheon Min-jung, we could conduct experiments much faster."
It was a roundabout way of saying he wanted to bring over Cheon Min-jung herself.
I could provide him with billions in capital and hundreds of personnel if needed — but Cheon Min-jung was off-limits.
"I'll send you several senior researchers who have worked under her. But Team Leader Cheon is tied up leading multiple projects at Tae-woo Group, so she can't focus solely on Centurion's work."
"If only we had just one more person like Team Leader Cheon…"
"I feel the same. Still, once you have the senior researchers, your output will improve greatly."
Cheon Min-jung was the single most skilled person at handling AI.
Many employees had learned from her knowledge and expertise, but their skills still had a long way to go.
"I'll personally visit Denmark soon to discuss collaboration with Novo Nordisk. If I explain exactly how we're applying AI, the Novo Nordisk board will likely respond positively, don't you think?"
"If you go in person, the chances of collaboration will rise even higher. I'm counting on you."
"Trust me — not only will I secure the collaboration, I'll make sure we come away with a share of the equity!"
The so-called miraculous diet treatment.
It wasn't complete yet, but if Tae-woo Group's technological capabilities were brought to bear, we could bring its completion date forward.
And while the chances were slim, there might even be a way for Tae-woo Group to acquire the miraculous diet treatment entirely.