readytorunbook Chapter 130: 18 Trillion Won Jackpot
Chapter 130: 18 Trillion Won Jackpot
The next morning at the HJ Partners headquarters.
The cold air characteristic of a winter morning was seeping even into the lobby.
Since it was just before the start of work, the building entrance was still quiet.
Employees dressed in suits were entering little by little after scanning their employee IDs.
I had also come to work early and was just sitting down after taking off my coat and hanging it up.
At that time, there was a person who flung the office door open.
It was none other than Director Choi Seo-jun.
“Representative!”
Choi Seo-jun rushed to me while panting heavily.
I prepared tea while wearing a smile.“Did something happen? For now, sit down and catch your breath, Director.”
Choi Seo-jun plopped down on the sofa and took a deep breath while exhaling heavily.
Then he shouted.
“Synapse Tech has been listed. On Nasdaq!”
I stirred a coffee mix for myself and an Americano in the cup for Director Choi Seo-jun.
Then I picked up the cups and put them down on the table.
I took a sip of coffee with an expression as if it were natural and spoke.
“Ah, that was yesterday, was it not?”
When I asked as if it were nothing, Choi Seo-jun fiddled with the tablet he was holding and held it out to me.
“The opening price shot up to 43 dollars in just 5 minutes from the public offering price of 28 dollars. Even in the media, they said it is the most anticipated IPO of the year. It came out as breaking news in real-time on broadcasts too. Representative, this is truly a perfect success.”
I checked the tablet screen.
The logo of Synapse Tech Inc was clearly floating on the Nasdaq electronic billboard.
Below it, a skyrocketing stock price graph was visible.
Moreover, as I turned the screen, a scene of Kevin Lee rejoicing while receiving a baptism of flashes at the listing ceremony site was seen.
Choi Seo-jun continued speaking without being able to hide his excitement.
“Our evaluation of stake value currently reaches about 18 trillion won.”
Following his excited voice, he was now even trembling a little.
“The media is so frantic too. The headlines are all plastered with this, calling it a miracle.”
I merely drank the warm tea while looking at the screen calmly.
“Director, your coffee will get cold. Please speak while drinking.”
The hand putting down the cup was still calm.
Choi Seo-jun seemed to still not have his excitement subside even while drinking the coffee.
I was also extremely happy.
How could I not be happy at good news.
In fact, it was just that I was not surprised because I already knew the result.
I thought to myself while looking at Choi Seo-jun.
‘There will only be more surprising things in the future….’
I slowly opened my mouth.
“The Nasdaq listing of Synapse Tech is not a simple investment success. From now on, it is like a flare signaling that our HJ Partners has formally set foot on the stage of the US market.”
“That is right. To be honest, I did not expect the reaction would be this good, so….”
I spoke while looking at Choi Seo-jun’s reddened eyes.
“Director Choi, you must have stayed up all night last night.”
Choi Seo-jun scratched his head and laughed.
“Is it that obvious? Haha. But perhaps because I feel good, I do not feel very tired.”
“Only things that get even better remain in the future. Director Choi, you have worked hard in the meantime. In fact, Synapse Tech is as good as your work, Director Choi.”
Choi Seo-jun spoke with a proud expression.
“Aey. What do you mean by my work? I just did everything as you directed, Representative.”
“You suffered while going back and forth to the US several times.”
The news of Synapse Tech’s Nasdaq listing shook the entire world in an instant.
In fact, the US morning broadcasts were plastered with this news from right after the opening.
The logo of Synapse Tech flickered incessantly on the Nasdaq electronic billboard in Times Square, New York.
At the commemorative event site, Kevin Lee was smiling brightly while receiving a baptism of dazzling flashes, and questions poured in.
“What is Synapse Tech’s next goal?”
“How do you plan to change the AI market landscape?”
“Are there words that the cooperative relationship with Korea’s HJ Partners was the key to success?”
The atmosphere of the New York stock market was a festival itself.
But this news did not stay as an issue of only the United States.
Across the time difference, it was immediately transmitted to the morning news in Korea and the main screens of portals.
[HJ Partners hits a big one on the US Nasdaq! 18 trillion won jackpot]
[A miracle of a tech company from Korea. The global market is stirred]
The words Synapse Tech and HJ Partners were heard everywhere, on the commute and in offices.
Names that were only talked about within the investment industry until just a few hours ago had now become the protagonists of news that the whole nation knew.
An analyst who appeared on an economic specialty broadcast spoke with an excited tone.
“This is not a simple IPO. HJ Partners has entered the US tech market head-on. From now on, I am looking forward to how much expectation they will instill.”
After even watching the news, I slowly put down the tablet.
In my eyes, instead of excited emotions, it was already full of the next thing to do.
“Director Choi.”
“Yes, Representative.”
After organizing my thoughts for a moment, I brought the words out calmly.
“Now that the listing of Synapse Tech has been well concluded, let’s formally do what must be done next. I must meet President Lee Seok-bae of Yeongnam Marine Industry and President Kim Byeong-kwon of Sammyeong Heavy Industries.”
Choi Seo-jun asked while blinking his eyes.
“Why do you want to meet those two suddenly?”
I gave a gentle smile.
“In order for us to expand the LNG transport business toward the US, we must definitely reorganize from the ship production line. HJ Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering will be the center, but we must solidify a domestic shipyard network that will practically pull orders and production together. Particularly, Yeongnam Marine Industry and Sammyeong Heavy Industries are both places that can become core partners.”
Choi Seo-jun nodded and began taking notes.
“Yeongnam Marine Industry has strengths in small LNG ships or special vessel modification. If we are to avoid the constraints of the Jones Act in the US market… it is good to first create a small LNG ship line in Korea to put into regular routes. In addition, that side has fast decision-making and is flexible in modification work.”
In my words, Choi Seo-jun raised his head.
“Movements to bypass the Jones Act are becoming increasingly sensitive in the US too. We will have to prepare that part meticulously. It would be troublesome if we are blocked after showing a loophole for no reason.”
“That is right.”
I nodded and drank the coffee.
Then I continued speaking.
“So, utilizing the agility that Yeongnam Marine Industry has, we will first line up small LNG carriers and support vessels. It is a method where HJ Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering takes charge of large projects and Yeongnam fills that gap. To move flexibly in the early stages of US entry, such a forward base is essential.”
Choi Seo-jun asked while taking notes diligently.
“Then what do you intend to do with Sammyeong Heavy Industries?”
“Sammyeong Heavy Industries is unrivaled in high-difficulty welding and parts design technology for extreme environment response. How many companies have special alloy welding technology that can endure even at 40 degrees below zero. When considering LNG carriers, especially the Arctic route, their technological prowess is not a simple option but a necessity.”
Choi Seo-jun raised his eyebrows while being surprised for a moment at the words Arctic route.
“Are you by any chance keeping even the Arctic route in mind?”
“Even if it is not now, it will be needed someday. There is nothing bad about being prepared.”
I turned my gaze toward the window and said calmly.
“From now on, we must definitely solidify the domestic production line and make it so that the supply chain runs without a single error when we enter the US market. We must not be shaken for other investors to follow as well.”
My voice was already full of conviction.
It could be felt that I was not just expanding business, but preparing the starting point for building HJ Partners’ global transport network.
Choi Seo-jun said while taking out his phone.
“I will set the schedule immediately.”
I raised my hand to stop him.
“No. This is not a simple meeting. Both companies also need to understand how seriously we intend to enter this market. Let’s first arrange a spot to do it.”
“I understand. Where should the place be?”
I drank all the coffee remaining in the cup, put it down on the table, and said.
“How about going on a business trip to the province after a long time to get some fresh air? A person can feel the joy of living only if they get some fresh air occasionally. It is too boring to only stay stuck inside the office and work.”
Choi Seo-jun burst into a chuckle.
“The words business trip and fresh air coming from your mouth, Representative, do not suit you at all. You are not some uncle in his fifties, yet you say that with that face ....”
I made an excuse while pretending not to be surprised.
“Ahem. I could never get a sense just by sitting at the desk. There are things one knows only by seeing the field directly.”
“That is right. Then shall we make a schedule to stop by Yeongnam Marine Industry first and then move toward Sammyeong Heavy Industries?”
“No. It would be better to meet the presidents of both companies together first.”
Choi Seo-jun wore a puzzled expression.
“The two of them at once? Would it not be better to visit them separately?”
I sat leaning back comfortably in the chair and spoke.
It seemed I had something in mind.
“If we meet them separately, a misunderstanding could arise for no reason. It could look like we are putting more weight on one side. But if we invite both companies to one spot, the message becomes clear.”
“If it is a message….”
“It is that we consider both companies as core partners. And it is also necessary to make them recognize in advance that entry into the LNG transport market is absolutely impossible with only the cooperation of one or two companies. It is important to create an atmosphere of a united front from the start.”
At my words, Choi Seo-jun soon slapped his knee and laughed.
“That is true. If we meet them sequentially for no reason, a nerve war could break out between them. I see that rumors spread quickly.”
“That is right.”
I smiled and continued speaking.
“This is not a simple subcontracting or partner company contract, but a partnership to build the ecosystem of the shipbuilding industry together for the next few years. We have to set the atmosphere properly from the start.”
“Then it would be good to have the place be the Yeongnam Marine Industry headquarters. We have to look at the shipyard together anyway.”
“Yes, that would be good.”
Choi Seo-jun asked.
“When shall we set the business trip schedule?”
“It is still noisy with the Synapse Tech listing issue. Let’s move one day later. If we are late, we might miss the timing.”
Choi Seo-jun immediately checked the schedule with his phone.
At that time, I was lost in thought while looking toward the window.
Perhaps because the weather was cold, the air was clear and the sky was serene.
Now that a bridgehead had been secured in the US market with the Synapse Tech listing, it was time to solidify the real industry foundation.
The LNG transport business is not just a matter of making a few ships.
The shipyard, parts companies, shipping companies, and financial networks must all be intertwined.
In the end, how solidly we solidify the foundation within Korea will be the key.