Trump's arrival didn't stir much reaction in the event hall.
It would only be a few years later, after he became president, that he would be treated as a state guest. For now, Trump was nothing more than a successful real estate mogul.
"Thank you so much for coming all the way to Korea."
"My friend invited me, so of course I had to come. Besides, this is the company chaired by my strong supporter."
My grandfather and Trump were more than just friends.
When Trump's real estate business was on shaky ground, it was my grandfather who saved him—so it would be more accurate to say he was a benefactor.
"The U.S. presidential election is just around the corner, so you must be very busy."
"I've been traveling all over the United States to campaign for the Republican candidate. That's why today, I can only make a brief appearance before heading straight back to America."
The U.S. presidential election was set for November, just one month away.
This was the most critical period, and for Trump—now officially a Republican political figure—it was an especially hectic time.
The fact that he still came all the way to Korea to celebrate the completion of our new headquarters showed just how much he valued my grandfather and Taewoo Group.
"Once the election is over, I'll visit the U.S. to formally pay my respects."
"You'll be welcome anytime. But… could we have a quick word in private?"
Trump lowered his voice as he spoke.
I guided him to a quiet conference room adjacent to the event hall.
"What's the matter?"
"In American political circles, rumor has it that whoever you support is guaranteed to win."
"You can regard that as mere gossip. I've supported many American politicians, and among them, some just happened to win—hence the rumor."
"I know you support both the Republican and Democratic parties. But… surely you lean more toward one side?"
Trump was persistent.
With anyone else, I might have brushed it off—but this man was destined to become president of the United States. Scoring some points with him now wouldn't be a bad idea.
"In this election, President Obama's chances of winning are extremely high. Public support for the Democrats is still stronger, and the race itself is heavily in his favor."
"Hm… you're saying our candidate will lose."
Trump wore a grave expression.
Hearing that his own party might face defeat was clearly not to his liking.
But once he heard what I was about to say next, his expression would surely change.
"For you, Chairman Trump, this might not be a bad situation."
"What do you mean? How can a Republican loss possibly be good for me?"
"If the Republicans lose this election, they'll have no choice but to replace their candidate for the next race."
"That's probably true… but what does that have to do with me?"
At that time, Trump still didn't consider the possibility that he might become a presidential candidate.
It was understandable — this was before his popularity began to surge, and nobody could have predicted such an outcome.
"If you start working hard from now until the next presidential race, you could become the Republican nominee."
"You're saying I could be the Republican candidate?"
"Of course. But to make that happen, you'll need to win over the hearts of Republican voters completely. That means you'll have to make statements that are a bit more hardline than now, and you'll need to attack the opposing party more aggressively."
"That's nothing to worry about. My mouth is always ready to sink its teeth in."
Trump made a playful biting motion with his mouth.
Just minutes ago, he'd worn a grave expression — but now he was joking.
His "happy circuits" were clearly activated at the thought of possibly being the next presidential nominee.
"This campaign tour is especially important. You know how President Obama rose to fame, don't you?"
"He made himself known by traveling the country during the campaign, didn't he? You're right. If Obama could do it, there's no reason I can't."
"Before long, the spirit of the times will come to want Chairman Trump."
"The spirit of the times will want me? Ha! That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard. I'll trust in you and burn my soul for this election."
Trump's entire demeanor shifted.
It was as if he had now recognized himself as the next presidential candidate, radiating a palpable sense of presence.
"My grandfather must be waiting for us."
"I've taken up too much of your time already. I should get back to the United States now."
"Don't you still have time before your flight?"
"After hearing what you said, I can't just stay here. I'll move up my flight if I have to — I need to get back to America as soon as possible."
We left the conference room together.
After a brief parting with my grandfather, Trump headed straight to the airport.
And right after Trump's departure, more guests began to pour in.
Some were CEOs of prominent companies from around the world who personally came to attend.
From Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — someone I am personally quite close with — even came in person to congratulate us.
The evening after the completion ceremony for our new headquarters.
I returned to the mansion with my grandfather — and that night, I invited just one guest over.
It was Mohammed bin Salman, who at the time was merely a member of the Saudi royal family.
But within two or three years, his position in the world would change drastically. That was why I convinced my grandfather to invite him to our home.
"So this is where you live, brother? You live much more modestly than I expected."
"Well, of course it's small compared to the royal palace in Saudi Arabia."
"I thought the chairman of Taewoo Group — Korea's top conglomerate and one of the most prominent in the world — would be living in overwhelming luxury."
Modest, he said, looking at our mansion.
In all of Seoul, there weren't many who could afford a house like this.
But to the eyes of someone from the Saudi royal family, it probably looked no more than a small vacation villa.
"Isn't it enough that we built a grand new headquarters? I spend most of my day at the company anyway. At home, all I need is a place to sleep."
"Well… that's true."
"It may be a modest home, but you're the first person I've ever invited here."
"Really? I've always wanted to experience living in such a simple place."
He kept dropping the words "modest" and "simple" into every sentence.
I felt an urge to smack him on the back of the head — but I restrained myself. After all, this man was destined to become the King of Saudi Arabia.
"So, what are you up to these days? Still spending your time helping the Governor?"
"I help my father with his work, and from time to time, I make investments on Wall Street."
For his sake, I shared information freely — things difficult to come by even in the circles of Wall Street, along with details on companies that were expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
"Let's put business aside for now. Have you looked into European football clubs?"
"I'm waiting for the right moment. Once you start owning a club, I plan to start alongside you."
"I suppose I'll have to secure my position quickly if I want to become a club owner… But I think it might take some more time."
"It won't take as long as you think."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
The words almost slipped out of my mouth.
I had nearly told him that in just a few years, he would become the crown prince.
"It's just a feeling I have. Anyway, it's late — let's get some sleep and talk in the morning."
"Yes! Good night, brother."
After settling Mohammed bin Salman into my room, I went downstairs to the living room.
But my grandfather was still awake, staring out the window.
"Missing Vietnam already? Is that why you're just gazing at the sky?"
"Looking at the sky? Hardly. It's just that the guest you brought here is so important, I think the security team is going to stand guard all night long."
Following the direction of his hand, I looked out the window.
There were dozens of security personnel and vehicles surrounding our estate.
Bin Salman had not yet been elevated to the position of crown prince, but as a member of the Saudi royal family, he was receiving the highest level of protection.
"Just bear with it for one night. He says he'll be flying back to Saudi Arabia early tomorrow morning."
"When I looked at the guest list for today's completion ceremony, it was more glamorous than a presidential inauguration. Famous IT company CEOs, financial giants, and congratulatory delegations from numerous countries. Ha! Thanks to you, we pulled off one spectacular opening event."
"It just so happened that I've managed to build a lot of connections over time."
"So, is it still not enough? I've never asked you this before, but now I must. How far exactly do you intend to go? This is the perfect moment since Taewoo Group is embarking on a new beginning."
Up until now, I had never told my grandfather my true goal.
I had only ever spoken about the company's future direction or potential growth industries.
"I want to make Taewoo Group the number one conglomerate in the world."
"If you're talking about size alone, we could already do that. But knowing how meticulous you are, I doubt you've revealed everything. I'd wager that you have quite a few businesses I'm not even aware of."
You can't hide blood ties.
My grandfather knew me too well, never leaving me room for excuses.
"If you combined Taewoo Group with the private enterprises I personally manage, we could shoot straight into the world's top ten companies."
"Ha! That's even bigger than I expected. And yet, still not enough for you?"
"Far from enough. Even if Taewoo Group reaches number one in the world, that position won't last forever."
"You mean you want to make it so that even without you, Taewoo Group will always remain at the top?"
I had less than eight years left.
Eight years before I would…
Well, I knew nothing beyond that — except for one thing: eight years from now, I had already returned to the past.
That meant I had to make Taewoo Group an unshakable giant within that time frame.
Only if it became a group no one would dare challenge could its name endure forever.
"I want Taewoo Group to last not just a hundred years, but a thousand. To achieve that, simply being the world's top conglomerate is not enough."
"What else do you need, then?"
"I want freedom from politics, from global economic crises, from competitors, and from natural disasters. To be free, we must have overwhelming strength — and that's exactly what I'm working to build."
My grandfather had always despised the government.
During the military regime, he had been hounded relentlessly, and even after the military government fell, he was still constantly dragged into government affairs.
It had all been because we lacked strength.
But now, Taewoo Group had grown so powerful that not even the South Korean government could meddle with us recklessly.
"Haha… you almost sound as if you're planning to conquer the world."
"What would be the point of conquering the world? As long as I can run Taewoo Group, I'm satisfied. To do that, I need to either eliminate anything that could harm the group or turn it into an ally."
"And how is that any different from wanting to control the world's economy?"
"It doesn't matter who controls the world economy — as long as that person is on Taewoo Group's side, I have no complaints."
My grandfather put a hand on my shoulder — a gesture of reassurance for the grandson who had worked so hard.
"Just don't overdo it."
"I'm still fine for now."
"If you must push yourself, at least do it with the next generation in mind. If something happens to you, who would I entrust Taewoo Group to? At my age, I can't exactly remarry and start over!"
His words were a mix of humor and sincerity.
Thanks to that, our conversation ended with laughter.
***
A few days later.
Chun Min-jung came to my office.
"Chairman, here's the report about the employee anonymous site 'BlaBla.'"
"Speak freely. I already heard that every Taewoo Group employee from department head and below has signed up there."
"In creating BlaBla, we saw a huge amount of discussion about working from home. So, I added functionality for online meetings. Not only remote conferences — I also built in a calendar function for scheduling, as well as capabilities for online lectures and classes."
I had only asked for a platform that ensured employees' anonymity.
But Chun Min-jung had gone a step further — creating a full-fledged remote meeting platform.
Before my regression, remote conferencing sites had become a global trend.
If I remembered correctly, the market capitalization for one of those companies had exceeded ten billion dollars.
And now, Chun Min-jung had, on her own, created something with a value approaching that same ten billion dollars.