A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 67

The President added with an even heavier voice.

“Are you prepared to establish a cooperation system with the government to overcome this crisis?”

The question was directed toward the entire meeting room, but the President’s gaze was deep and sharp, as if piercing through each person’s soul.

A long, heavy silence flowed.

It was exactly at that moment.

“I am Kim Young-hwan of Chungseong Shipbuilding & Development.”

A man slowly stood up from a relatively inconspicuous seat inside the meeting room.

He was the head of a mid-sized group based on the shipbuilding industry.

“Mr. President, may I say a word?”

When the President nodded, Kim Young-hwan spoke in a cautious but clear tone.“To be honest, from the perspective of mid-sized shipbuilders like us, we are currently at a crossroads of survival.”

Desperation was buried in his voice.

“Large shipowners have notified us of successive order cancellations citing the drop in oil prices. Some are even demanding the return of down payments.”

Kim Young-hwan caught his breath and continued speaking.

“The crisis you mentioned is already an ongoing reality for companies like ours. At the sites, we have to worry every day about whether to stop the facilities or whether to let people go.”

The expressions of the heads of large groups hardened.

Among them, there were those who avoided his gaze.

In fact, while large corporations were still holding out, mid-sized companies were facing a much steeper crisis.

Kim Young-hwan’s voice grew even louder.

“I am not asking for immediate support. However, as it stands, we have no choice but to collapse without any breakthrough. Whether it be the government or large groups, I hope you will definitely keep in mind that once companies like ours completely collapse, the industrial ecosystem itself could crumble.”

A heavy silence wound around the meeting room.

Only then did several heads of groups begin to carefully open their mouths.

“Setting priorities is necessary.”

“Structural supplementation is urgent, starting with industries directly exposed to global prices, such as energy or shipbuilding.”

“However, there are limits to private-sector leadership. The government must also present clear standards and frames.”

As opinions clashed, the meeting room gradually began to take on the aspect of a heated debate.

No one said anything wrong, but a picture coming together as one was not visible.

Exactly then, I, Lim Hyunjun, who had been listening silently, quietly raised my hand.

This time, all eyes were focused on me.

As the meeting room became quiet again, I slowly opened my mouth.

“I apologize for interrupting the discussion. May I dare to say a word?”

The President nodded.

“Speak, Representative Lim.”

I opened my mouth in a calm voice.

“After listening to various remarks, I feel that the disconnection caused by industries failing to link with each other is ultimately the root of the crisis.”

I bowed my head politely toward Representative Kim Young-hwan of Chungseong Shipbuilding & Development.

“Representative Kim Young-hwan, thank you for your valuable words. I am ashamed of myself for having thought of this as a problem for large corporations only.”

Quiet admiration leaked out from all over the meeting room.

The humility of the young businessman was impressive.

I continued speaking.

“This crisis now is not simply a matter of large corporations surviving. It is a crisis that cannot be handled unless the entire vertical ecosystem of the industry moves together.”

My gaze became even more serious.

“Even looking at the shipbuilding industry alone, are not design, materials, engineering, construction, transportation, and insurance all connected? If one axis collapses, the whole has no choice but to shake.”

The atmosphere of the meeting room began to change.

Everyone focused on my words.

“Therefore, I propose this.”

Confidence was contained in my voice.

“We must establish a coexistence-type survival system by industry where the government, large corporations, and mid-sized companies participate together.”

The eyes of several participants widened at my words.

“For example, if it were the shipbuilding industry, a crisis response alliance would be created where the private sector voluntarily participates in each stage from order placement to construction. The government’s role would be to certify this as a platform and support it with funds, legal protection, and diplomatic connections.”

The Minister of Industry hurriedly took notes and raised his head.

“What Representative Lim mentioned is similar to a fair, decentralized industrial protection structure based on a joint agreement between the public and private sectors.”

I nodded while wearing a short smile.

“However, this time, speed is life. It must be planned around practical working-level units where decision-making is fast.”

The President quietly folded his hands.

And he nodded with a serious expression.

“Good. Representative Lim, is it possible to organize and submit the proposal you talked about today? We will also discuss it.”

I replied politely.

“It is an honor.”

The atmosphere of the meeting room changed completely.

In a bleak moment where no breakthrough was visible, an innovative idea presented by a single young businessman had turned the board.

Despair disappeared from the participants’ expressions, and the light of hope began to seep in.

After the President’s concluding remarks, final discussions on various pending issues followed.

The Minister of Industry asked.

“How should we proceed with the fund support plan for small and medium-sized enterprises?”

Chairman Lee Jin-cheol of Hanmyeong Group opened his mouth first.

“We can expand the win-win fund operated by our group. However, I ask that the screening criteria be adjusted more realistically.”

Chairman Kim Young-hwan of Chungseong Shipbuilding & Development shook his head and spoke.

“That alone is not enough. From the perspective of the field, funds are a problem, but securing sales channels is more urgent. It comes first for large corporations to relax the criteria for selecting partner companies.”

Chairman Choi Jae-seong of Cheongshin Group also cut in while crossing his arms.

“That is correct. But since we cannot lower quality standards, we should move in a direction that runs parallel with technical support.”

I quietly expressed my own opinion.

“How about linking it with the Technology Innovation Center operated by the Small and Medium Business Administration? It seems we can combine the technical capabilities of large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises.”

The Minister of Industry nodded again while taking notes.

“That is a good idea.”

The Minister of Employment and Labor raised his voice.

“Job creation is also important, but the employment problem of the youth is becoming increasingly serious. Especially, the mismatch between the manpower shortage of mid-sized companies and the youth’s preference for large corporations is deepening.”

I cut in.

“That is fundamentally a matter of perception. We must show that working at a mid-sized company is sufficiently attractive. In terms of welfare or growth potential.”

Representative Kim Young-hwan gave a bitter smile.

“It is easy to say, but realistically it is difficult to provide employee benefits as much as large corporations.”

“Monetary benefits are not necessarily everything. Sense of accomplishment, growth opportunities, and diversity of work. If we appeal with these things, it will be sufficiently competitive.”

Chairman Choi Jae-seong showed interest.

“What specific plan are you thinking of?”

“For example, providing training opportunities at large corporations to those employed at mid-sized companies, or introducing project-based rotating shifts. It is showing that one can accumulate great experience even in a small company.”

The inside of the conference room became quiet for a moment.

The participants each sank into thought.

Finally, the President rose from his seat while looking at his watch.

“The time has already become like this. Let us end today’s meeting here.”

The President looked around at the participants while exchanging greetings.

The Cheongwadae reception room was filled with an atmosphere completely different from before.

The air where bleakness and anxiety hovered had changed into expectation and vitality before long.

At the moment I was about to stand up from my seat after quietly organizing my documents, someone approached me and spoke.

“Representative Lim.”

I raised my head to check who it was.

It was Representative Kim Young-hwan of Chungseong Shipbuilding & Development.

He bowed his head while holding my hand with a sincere expression.

“I was grateful earlier. Usually, for companies like ours, even if we give opinions in a place like this, they are not accepted, but thanks to you, it was a great help.”

I smiled humbly.

“I am the one who is more grateful. If not for your words, Representative Kim, I would not have even been able to think of it.”

“To be honest, at first, since you are a young person, I thought you just borrowed the name of the group. But listening to the talk today, my thoughts changed completely. I realized for the first time that a true leader is unrelated to age.”

At those words, I could not continue speaking for a moment, and then I replied with a short bow.

“I hope we can move together in the future as well.”

At that time, the other heads of groups also began to approach my side one by one.

Among them was also Chairman Lee Jin-cheol of Hanmyeong Group.

“I was truly surprised today. Chairman Lim must be happy.”

Chairman Choi Jae-seong of Cheongshin Group also nodded while uncrossing his arms.

“Representative Lim, if you have time, let’s have a meal sometime next week. People with this kind of thinking are rare among young people these days.”

Their reactions were not simple goodwill.

It was a scene showing that the name Lim Hyunjun was now formally etched into the industry.

At that time, the President, while being escorted by his aides, stopped for a moment before exiting and turned toward me.

And he left a short remark.

“Let us eat first, Representative Lim.”

The inside of the meeting room was swept by silence again.

In a place where even having the three characters of one’s name called held significant meaning, the President’s invitation to a meal was as good as formal recognition and a declaration as a next-generation national partner.

I immediately bowed my head.

“Please call me anytime, Mr. President.”

The President nodded lightly with a satisfied look in his eyes and left the meeting room.

The high-ranking officials and aides following behind also exited quietly.

***

The next morning.

The nation’s major daily newspapers and news all broadcasted the same content at once.

[President summons emergency corporate briefing. Need for national and corporate joint survival strategy]

[Representative Lim Hyunjun of HJ Partners proposes a public-private crisis cooperation model. Rising as a next-generation economic brain]

[Lim Hyunjun, the talent whom even the heads of the top 10 groups took notice of]

Because of that, even the real-time search keywords on portal sites were undeniably plastered with Lim Hyunjun.

It was to the extent that news and debate programs mentioned his name.

“To be honest, I heard that the person the President paid the most attention to was Representative Lim Hyunjun.”

When the world was noisy with such stories, Chairman Nam Kun-ho of Daehan Group muttered while looking at the newspapers his secretary brought and seeing my image on the television.

“…He is no ordinary fellow.”

Han Ji-beom, the General Director of the Financial Strategy Headquarters of Daehan Group who was standing by his side, carefully spoke.

“In addition to the Universe Games problem you mentioned, Chairman, it would be better to find out more information regarding Taeseong and Representative Lim Hyunjun.”

Nam Kun-ho nodded without a word.

“If left alone, it seems he will trouble my heart for a long time. Let’s cut the sprout before that!”

Han Ji-beom bowed his head and answered.

“I will continue to track him. Especially, I will start by identifying internal trends regarding which companies he is moving with.”

Nam Kun-ho continued speaking with his gaze fixed outside the window.

“Our center is shaking due to the Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering situation. Yet that fellow grabbed everyone's attention with just a few words in the meeting room. To think that old man Lim Man-seok raised such a grandson. He is nothing less than a tiger cub.”