CHAPTER 851

Serena Lian’s voice was calm, even though she must have been flustered.

“Don’t worry, Steve. I’ve notified all the companies under our influence.”

“The recommendation is stronger than I thought. They will surely waver.”

“It’s okay. It’s just a recommendation, not a verdict.”

Most of the US River Alliance were companies invested by Y Combinator.

If Serena Lian stepped in, the immediate fire could be extinguished.

“Thank you. I’ll respond to the media through the US branch as soon as possible. I’ll send you the relevant materials first.”

“I should thank you more. I heard that you take care of Paul every day. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s what I have to do.”

It was when Yoo-hyun answered calmly.

Bang.

The door opened and Gong Hyunjun came in.

“Director, the news… Oh, you were on the phone.”

Why was he making such a fuss? He usually didn’t.

Yoo-hyun hung up the phone and asked.

“What? What’s going on?”

“Look, look at this article.”

“What’s the big deal?”

Yoo-hyun took the phone that he handed over and snorted.

“What is this? The River Regulation Act?”

“Powerful politicians made a joint declaration. They said that comprehensive regulation is needed for the new River data center.”

“Ha! This is crazy…”

They were already in trouble even if the regulation was lifted.

Were they trying to ruin Korea?

It was hard enough to stop the high-ranking officials who were determined to attack, but now the politicians were meddling too. He felt like his breath was being choked.

“Director…”

The managers who rushed in were stunned by Yoo-hyun’s serious expression.

As the US government’s lawsuit and the Korean government’s regulation followed, the foundation of River, which aimed to be the hub of everything, was shaken.

The companies connected to River showed signs of leaving, and cracks began to appear in the alliance.

A week after the US lawsuit began, everything that Yoo-hyun had worked hard to build seemed to collapse.

Was this just Yoo-hyun’s problem?

It would cause a lot of damage to many companies that trusted and supported River, and to all the employees who worked hard.

If a wrong precedent was set, it might be hard for a good company to emerge in Korea again.

Yoo-hyun couldn’t give up.

He struggled to get through, and his colleagues helped him.

He responded to the reporters who flocked to him, and distributed the materials prepared by the lawyers of River’s US branch, and the verification materials that refuted the domestic regulation, to prove his legitimacy.

It wasn’t just Yoo-hyun and his colleagues who tried.

The venture companies were the ones who suffered the most from the River Regulation Act.

They were in a position to benefit directly from the venture ecosystem that Yoo-hyun created with the power of large corporations, and they issued a joint statement to solve the problem that was linked to their survival.

The statements of the heads of Korea’s representative IT companies were all included.

With these efforts, public opinion quickly turned around.

Negative comments were filled under the articles related to the River regulation.

-What has the government done for us that they keep regulating River?

-River issued a press release saying that it was the US’s fault. Why don’t they believe it and do that?

-Anyway, damn the government.

-How much has River contributed to the country, and they are breaking it down instead of protecting it.

-This is why you shouldn’t do business in Korea.

-River must have done something wrong. Why would the minister of industry come out?

-That’s what he’s like. The industry ministry staff also cut him off.

Even a petition to protect River appeared.

The number of participants in the petition quickly exceeded one million, and criticism of the government poured out.

This news spread to the Prime Minister’s Office in Seoul Government Complex.

Park Heesoo, the prime minister, slapped his forehead and snapped at Kwak Jinmo, the minister.

“I told you to do it moderately! Do you know how bad the public opinion has gotten because of you?”

“It was also a problem in the US. We needed to take preemptive measures for the sake of US diplomacy.”

“Is that really all?”

“What do you mean…”

Kwak Jinmo, the minister, stuttered and Park Heesoo, the prime minister, said the point.

“I’m asking you why you’re pushing so hard for it.”

“It’s for the country. Isn’t that obvious?”

The country?

Even if he cross-checked with the vice minister of industry, there was nothing wrong with River.

This was clearly an overreach by Kwak Jinmo, the minister.

“I’ll ask you again. Is there really no other reason?”

“No. I’m just patriotic.”

“What about the opposition lawmakers and ministry officials who agreed with you?”

“I don’t know anything about that.”

“Ugh. Fine. You can go now.”

Park Heesoo, the prime minister, waved his hand and Kwak Jinmo, the minister, cautiously went outside.

Clang.

After the door closed, Park Heesoo, the prime minister, picked up the report on the table.

The report with the word ‘National Intelligence Service’ had the collusion between Kwak Jinmo, the minister, and other high-ranking officials and politicians and the Chinese Communist Party.

It was all true since the head of the National Intelligence Service himself stepped in, but it was too big to touch in the current situation where the government’s power was weakened.

“How the hell am I supposed to deal with this?”

Park Heesoo, the prime minister, sighed deeply and lamented.

As the news about River increased, so did the voices of concern for Yoo-hyun.

As the days passed, many messages of support piled up.

From the aunt at the gomtang restaurant to the boss of Yeontae-ri.

Even people he hadn’t seen for a long time left long messages for Yoo-hyun.

They were all sincere.

Yoo-hyun, who had turned his phone to silent, looked at Paul Graham lying in bed and muttered.

“I wondered if it was a meaningless action for a moment… But I guess not. So many people are cheering me on.”

“…”

There was no answer.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Only the sound of the heart rate monitor connected to Paul Graham’s chest filled the room.

If his condition had improved a little, he would have gone to the US, but he couldn’t even move because he hadn’t regained consciousness.

Yoo-hyun held Paul Graham’s hand and continued to talk.

“Today, I got a call from Brian Chesky. You know, the Airbnb founder you always admired. He sounded so worried and complained to me.”

“…”

“Maybe he felt awkward to comfort me. I felt the same way. There were so many things I wanted to say to you, but I was too embarrassed. I should have expressed more when you were here…”

I couldn’t express myself because we were too close, too comfortable, and I thought you would understand without words.

The person who seemed as high as the sky became taken for granted at some point.

Squeeze.

Yoo-hyun, who tightened his grip on his hand, looked at Paul Graham, who still had his eyes closed.

“Paul, what would you have said to me if you were awake?”

Looking back, it became clear.

Paul Graham was the greatest mentor in Yoo-hyun’s life.

He was able to become who he is now because the giant supported him firmly.

Suddenly, his question flashed through his mind.

-The more you have to protect, the harder it will be. You will face many times more hardships in the future. Can you handle it?

It was what Paul Graham said when he warned him about Carl Icahn.

What did he answer then…

“I said I could do it if you helped me. So please wake up and tell me. I can’t do it alone.”

In his voice mixed with sobs, there was fear hidden in his heart.

It was just a sneeze for Carl Icahn, but the whole Korea was shaken.

It was even related to the US politics and China.

It was beyond what Yoo-hyun could handle.

He had no idea where to start and how to solve the problem.

“…”

He wished he would answer, but Paul Graham remained silent.

Yoo-hyun stayed there for a while and then got up.

Creak.

As he opened the door and came out of the ward, a blonde woman with shoulder-length hair was standing there.

It was Jennifer Graham, Paul Graham’s wife, who had charming blue eyes and a smile.

“Steve, did you finish talking with Paul?”

“I just sobbed again, you know. He will scold me a lot when he wakes up.”

“He will probably remember everything. He may forget his wife’s birthday, but he always takes good care of his friends.”

“Oh…”

Yoo-hyun sighed and Jennifer Graham smiled.

“Do you have some time?”

“Sure.”

Yoo-hyun nodded eagerly, feeling awkward.

He followed Jennifer Graham to the outdoor garden connected to the fifth floor.

The chilly spring breeze seemed to have softened a bit.

Whoosh.

The cool wind blew and Jennifer Graham’s hair fluttered.

He had spent a lot of time with her, but it was the first time he had a one-on-one conversation with her.

What would she feel, looking at her husband who was lying unconscious in a foreign country?

It was a painful agony that he couldn’t even imagine.

Yet she never lost her smile.

Jessica Graham, who leaned her back on the railing, took a sip of the vending machine coffee that Yoo-hyun gave her and opened her mouth.

“You must be busy these days, right? There are a lot of people looking for you, and a lot of articles are coming out.”

“Yes. It’s a bit like that.”

“Hmm, Steve, you might be having a hard time, but Paul would have been very envious of you.”

“Envious of me?”

“He secretly liked getting attention, you know. He used to whine that no one cared about him even when he grew his business as he got older.”

Come to think of it, he did grumble when Son Jeong-eui got attention by joining the River Alliance.

Yoo-hyun chuckled, remembering Paul Graham’s playful voice.

“Now that I think about it, he did that often.”

“Yes. He always had a childish side even when he got older. I wondered why he was like that at first.”

“Haha. Really?”

Paul Graham had amassed a huge fortune and fame, but he looked lighter than anyone else.

Yoo-hyun was able to change from being anxious when he had a lot in the past to being like he is now thanks to learning a lot from Paul Graham.

The true investor’s image that he showed him while taking him around was still vivid in his heart.

Yoo-hyun nodded and Jessica Graham squinted her eyes.

“He said he learned from you, though?”

“From me?”

“He was amazed that you didn’t live comfortably by yourself. He said you always thought about the people around you and the society.”

“No way. I’m not that much.”

“Other people don’t seem to think so. Look over there.”

Yoo-hyun’s gaze followed Jessica Graham’s finger to the railing below.

Even though it was evening, there were many reporters waiting.

Behind them, there were enthusiastic River supporters and banners cheering for Yoo-hyun.

They were all waiting for Yoo-hyun to come out.

Yoo-hyun muttered.

“There are so many people who are grateful to me… I couldn’t even greet them properly.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Actually, I didn’t know what to say.”

There were more than one or two tangled problems.

He had to take responsibility and propose a solution as a representative as soon as he stepped forward, but he had nothing to say in front of the overwhelming situation.

“I can see that. You look like you have too much burden on your shoulders, don’t you?”

“Yes. I want to be lighter like Paul, but I can’t.”

“The situation is different, isn’t it? You don’t want to let go, but you want to protect, right? No. Maybe you want to win while protecting everything?”

“To be honest, yes. But I don’t know how. I wish Paul was by my side. He would have shown me a good way.”

“Really?”

“Yes. If it was him…”

Yoo-hyun, who was pouring out his true feelings to Jessica Graham, paused.