Now it was my turn.
Team Leader Han and David had already taken turns delivering a mountain of reports.
Finally, the moment had come for me to speak.
"As you all know, the president's seat at Taewoo Electronics is currently vacant. I'm planning to bring in someone new to fill it."
"Did President Woo Sung-il get fired? Wasn't he one of the key people who helped you rise to Vice Chairman?"
"He wasn't fired. I gave him a chance to move up to something greater. If he can't seize it… well, that's on him."
People often assumed I favored Woo Sung-il.
After all, I was the one who appointed him as president of Taewoo Electronics, and I had backed the company strongly under his leadership.
"So you're bringing someone in to replace him? Do you already have someone in mind?"
"I'm thinking of recruiting someone from IBM."
"If you mean IBM's president, that's not going to be easy. That person's got deep loyalty and takes pride in IBM being the best in the world. Without offering an astronomical signing bonus, it'll be close to impossible."
"I'm not interested in IBM's president. The person I'm after is named Lisa. She should currently be serving as the director of IBM's semiconductor R&D division."
David tilted his head—clearly unfamiliar with the name.
But Team Leader Han did know her.
"Wait, is she the one who was selected as one of MIT's top innovators under 35? That was about three years ago, right?"
"Probably the same person. Word is, IBM is planning to promote her to vice president soon. We need to move before that happens."
"Well, if it's about recruitment, that's my area of expertise. I'll reach out to her today."
"Once you've secured a meeting, let me know. It would only be proper for me to personally offer the position of Taewoo Electronics president."
"I'll try to get an appointment scheduled before you return to Korea."
Lisa Su.
In my previous life, she went on to become the CEO of AMD.
A talent with extraordinary semiconductor design capabilities—and the leadership skills to match.
Someone incomparable to Woo Sung-il.
In fact, the two weren't even in the same league.
For the future of Taewoo Electronics, she was absolutely essential.
I had to bring her in, no matter what.
Over the past two days, I met with many people.
I made rounds through Amazon and Google, discussing plans for the future.
We especially had extensive conversations about the video platform project.
After those two busy days, I finally received good news from David.
"Boss! Director Lisa is available for lunch today. But didn't you have a meeting with the Wall Street crowd today?"
"That can be postponed. Go ahead and schedule lunch with Director Lisa."
"I'll get in touch with her right away."
Fortunately, IBM was located in New York.
Even with a drive, I could get to the meeting place on time without any issues.
"Boss, I reserved a Chinese restaurant for the meeting with Lisa."
"Good thinking."
Lisa was a Taiwanese-American.
She had immigrated to the U.S. as a child with her parents, which was why David chose a Chinese restaurant—something she might feel comfortable with.
"There she is."
Lisa, 35 years old, entered the restaurant.
Even in my previous life, I'd seen her featured in news articles and magazines.
But that was after she had moved to AMD and grown older.
She had always appeared vibrant, but this younger version of her didn't just radiate energy—she exuded boldness.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Min-jae Kim, Vice Chairman of Taewoo Group."
"I saw your keynote at Apple's WWDC. I was really impressed with your insights into AI and IoT."
Life had taught me just how much a name can matter.
Just like how hiring a high-profile coach could bring talented players to a football club, my joint keynote with Steve had raised my profile significantly.
Thanks to that, I'd clearly made a good first impression on Lisa.
"The technology is still far from perfect. That's why Taewoo Electronics and our semiconductor division are working hard to improve it. In fact, we've already made significant strides."
"Already? It hasn't even been a year. If that's true, I'd love to see it."
"If you'd like, you can not only see it—you can lead the development yourself."
I made my recruitment intentions crystal clear.
And Lisa wasn't the kind of person who would miss the subtext.
"Is this a scouting offer? Taewoo Electronics is an impressive company, but it's not quite as attractive as IBM. I'm not really looking to move."
"Then how about this—why don't you make Taewoo Electronics into a company as attractive as IBM? I'd like to offer you the position of President of Taewoo Electronics."
"...Are you serious? Not Vice President, but President?"
Lisa was expected to join AMD in about seven or eight years.
If I recalled correctly, even then, the position offered to her had only been Vice President.
But now, while she was still in her mid-thirties, I was offering her the role of President.
Considering that Taewoo Electronics was a much larger company than AMD in terms of revenue, this was an extraordinary offer.
"You heard me correctly. I want to bring you on as President of Taewoo Electronics."
"I've heard that Korea is sensitive about age. Would the executives accept someone in her mid-thirties as President?"
"Well, I'm not even thirty myself, and I'm the Vice Chairman. And I believe you have the ability to silence any doubts with your skills alone."
That wasn't flattery.
According to her detailed profile, she had S-grade development capabilities, A-grade management skills, and outstanding competencies across the board.
"…Would you give me some time to think about it? I'd like to talk it over with my husband, and also discuss it with my parents."
"Of course. I'd also like to offer you the dual role of President of Taewoo Electronics and Head of Semiconductor Development. You'd have full authority to develop semiconductors and apply them to our consumer electronics. And I'll offer you five times your current salary. On top of that, we'll provide complete support to ensure a comfortable life in Korea, free from any inconveniences."
"I'll take all that into consideration while I think it over."
Lisa was clearly deep in thought.
But I had no doubt she would accept.
She was someone with an intense drive to succeed—stronger than anyone I knew.
My schedule in the U.S. had come to an end.
I could have returned directly to Korea, but I had one more goal to accomplish—so I flew to Saudi Arabia with David.
"Boss! Are we here to meet royalty again?"
"Of course. Who better to promote premium products to than royalty?"
The main reason for coming to Saudi Arabia was to promote our premium product line.
These high-end appliances were priced up to ten times more than regular consumer electronics.
If rumors started that the Saudi royal family used them, wouldn't other wealthy individuals follow suit?
"Wow! Boss, your reputation must've really skyrocketed. The number of security personnel has increased several times compared to before."
"Looks like things are going to get a bit noisier."
I exited the airport without even going through immigration.
A large limousine was waiting for us at the airport entrance.
As a bodyguard opened the door, a familiar and welcoming face waved at me.
"Hyung! Why did you take so long to visit again? You should come more often!"
"Sorry. Ever since I became Vice Chairman, I haven't had much personal time. I can't even remember the last time I took a vacation."
The one warmly greeting me was Bin Salman.
He would eventually be known as Mr. Everything—the future King of Saudi Arabia.
Well, that was still far off. For now, he was just a first-year university student.
"I heard you entered university at the top of your class. Your father must be proud."
"I wanted to study abroad, but my mother was strongly against it, so I ended up attending a local university."
"To celebrate your top admission, I've prepared a very special gift. It should have arrived at your estate by now."
"We can talk about the gift later—first, I want to hear how you've been. I rewatched your Apple keynote so many times!"
Inside the car, Bin Salman and I chatted like close friends.
I told him about the joint keynote with Steve and explained the technologies implemented in Taewoo Electronics' consumer products in a way that was easy to understand. Before long, we arrived at a mansion that looked straight out of a royal palace.
"Welcome! Muhammad was so eager to greet you himself. Was the journey comfortable?"
"It was perfect, Your Highness. In fact, I had a truly enjoyable time."
The man welcoming me was Bin Salman's father.
He would become the King of Saudi Arabia in ten years' time, so I greeted him with utmost respect.
"Stay close to Muhammad. I consider you a friend of our royal family."
"Thank you very much. And I couldn't come empty-handed, so I've brought a few humble gifts. I hope you'll like them."
At my signal, a team brought in the premium appliances, covered in white cloth.
I gave Bin Salman a glance, giving him the honor of unveiling the gift.
Shhhh! The cloth was lifted, revealing our elegantly designed premium appliances.
Even compared to the artworks on the walls, these machines stood out with refined beauty—enough to make Bin Salman gasp in awe.
"Wow! These are Taewoo's new products unveiled at this year's CES!"
"Some of them weren't even shown at CES. This is their first-ever reveal—right here."
"Hmmm, I must say, I love these gifts. You didn't need to bring anything, but these are truly extraordinary."
"I've brought a second set to be presented to the royal palace as well."
"Ha ha, you have a generous heart. I'll make the arrangements with the palace myself. For now, rest well while you're here. I have other appointments and can't stay long."
Salman left the estate with a satisfied smile on his face.
Only then did Bin Salman relax and speak to me more casually.
"My mother's going to love this."
"Well, technically, the appliances are for your mother."
Just installing our premium appliances in Salman's estate and the royal palace alone would generate an incredible promotional impact.
Of course, I couldn't take photos or shoot videos for advertising purposes. But considering the number of wealthy individuals who visit the royal palace, this might actually be the ideal promotional method for our premium line.
"By the way, hyung, doesn't your company also own a football club?"
"We own a team in the Korean professional league."
"I'm jealous. I want to be a club owner too. Not a Saudi league team, though—I want to buy and manage a club in the UK."
A first-year college student with that kind of ambition?
Well, I suppose that's exactly what you'd expect from Saudi royalty—thinking on a whole different scale.
"A friend of mine in Russia is also trying to buy a football club in the UK."
"Really? Then you should buy one too! Let's compete against each other. Just thinking about it sounds exciting!"
It wasn't like the thought had never crossed my mind.
Even being the main sponsor on an EPL team's jersey provided massive publicity.
But if I actually owned a team? The marketing potential would be off the charts.
The problem, though, was the cost of running a club.
To stay in the Premier League, you'd need to invest at least 300 billion won (roughly $220 million) per year.
And I couldn't be sure whether the advertising impact alone would justify that level of investment.
"Let's think about it later. Once you graduate, we'll talk seriously then."
"Just give me four years. I've already started investing my personal fortune—I'm selling off some of my precious metals and putting the money to work. In four years, I'll have enough to buy an EPL club."
I couldn't tell if he was joking or dead serious.
But with Bin Salman? Honestly, it felt like he could really pull it off.