Becoming chairman brought more than a few inconveniences.
When I was vice chairman, my grandfather was still around, so I could travel on business without worry.
Now I had to coordinate every schedule before I could even take a few days on a trip to the United States.
"Boss! Wow, since you became chairman you've definitely changed. There's a different energy about you, isn't there?"
"I look worn down because there's so much to do. Honestly, I haven't slept more than three hours a night lately."
David had been waiting for me at the airport.
Together we headed for the fintech bank.
Normally I would have gone to SAVE Investments, but since it had merged with Taewoo Securities, it wasn't suitable for covert operations anymore.
"I've scheduled the meeting with the presidential candidate for lunch tomorrow. Since the candidate is from Hawaii, he wants to meet at a traditional Hawaiian restaurant."
"Not bad. The situation has been unfolding in a very interesting way lately."
"Thanks to the subprime mortgage crisis, the Bush administration's approval ratings tanked and the Democrats gained a bounce. But now that the situation seems to be stabilizing, support is swinging back to the Republicans."
What mattered most in a presidential race was approval ratings.
That's why candidates watched their polling graphs every day, riding the highs and lows.
Especially at moments like these, when first and second place flip within days, each day felt agonizing. That was why Representative Obama asked to meet with me.
"You must be feeling extremely anxious."
"Same here. We've put in so much money — if our candidate loses the next election, we won't come out unscathed either."
"Don't worry — that won't happen. If it looks like it might, I might step in personally."
I said that to reassure David.
Though I had intervened in history, I hadn't altered the main currents. I had only nudged what would otherwise have gone into someone else's mouth into my own.
"Boss! We've arrived at the fintech bank. The thought of Dimon strutting around claiming he's chairman already makes me want to gag."
"Dimon will envy you more, David. Think of how hard he's working to save the debt-ridden CITI Group. He probably aged several years in the process."
"I'll make the decision after I see him in person. If he looks good, I'll send him flying with some choice words."
Dimon, now chairman of a financial group, and David, who had once envied him.
But the envy didn't last ten minutes. The moment David saw Dimon's face, he began speaking with worry.
"What happened to your face? Don't you sleep at all? How can someone change this much in just a few months?"
"I should never have taken on CitiGroup. I should have just kept building the fintech bank. My greed ruined me."
"Sit down first. Your legs are shaking."
David helped Dimon onto the sofa.
Even for Dimon, a specialist in restructuring and corporate stabilization, trying to steady CitiGroup—the world's largest financial group—was an impossible burden.
"Still struggling, I see."
"Don't even ask. The company expanded in size but has no substance. I've been cutting unnecessary staff and shutting down divisions that only burn money. I barely have time to eat. These days every meal is just fast food."
I could understand him better than anyone.
I had done the same with AIG—losing sleep while going through the employee roster one by one.
"AIG has only just finished its restructuring too."
"I envy you. I really envy you."
"Want me to lend a hand? If you give me your executive list, I can grade them my own way."
"If you would really do that for me, I'd never forget the favor for the rest of my life."
"Isn't it a little strange for a chairman of another company to meddle in your personnel matters, and for you to be so happy about it?"
"It's different with you, Boss! If anyone else said it, I'd grab them by the collar. But you—your eye for people is sharper than anyone I've ever met. I trust you completely."
Had I said too much?
Normally, if another company came to me with this kind of problem, I would have ignored it entirely.
But the fintech bank could almost be considered my own bank, so I couldn't just turn away.
"Let's start with the list of executives. If time allows, we can go through the management-level staff as well."
"Thank you so much. I ought to bow to you."
Dimon suddenly dropped to his knees and gave a formal bow. After spending so much time in Korea, he had even picked up some of its customs.
"Don't do anything strange. Let's talk about Wall Street. What's the mood like these days?"
"Honestly, it feels like the calm before the storm. Some say the subprime mortgage crisis has already blown over, but in my view, the real storm hasn't even arrived yet."
He was thinking exactly as I was. That was why I had brought him on, and why I had entrusted Fintech Bank and CitiGroup to him.
"When the storm passes, only a handful of firms will still be standing."
"Depending on how we move, that handful could shrink—or it could grow."
"My plan is to push the surviving firms to establish their Asian headquarters in Korea."
"So the ones that agree to relocate will be spared, and the ones that refuse… left to collapse?"
"I don't have the power to destroy anyone. I'll just hold them to principles and contracts."
"If they're forced to honor their insurance contracts as written, very few firms will make it through."
"That's not really our concern, is it?"
Dimon nodded. With all his strength tied up in stabilizing CitiGroup, he couldn't afford to worry about other firms' survival.
"Then would you like me to start meeting with their CEOs directly?"
"I'd appreciate that."
"Of course, both Fintech Bank and CitiGroup will move their Asian base to Korea. Just tell me where you want them."
"No rush. Four years from now will be soon enough. We haven't even broken ground yet. All I need is a signed agreement that they'll relocate once the financial tower is completed."
"If it's four years away, that gives us some breathing room. Most firms will gladly sign if it means they don't have to worry about bankruptcy right now."
Moving them right away was out of the question.
Even if it wasn't the headquarters but only the Asian base, the costs would still be significant.
But four years from now, the burden would be much lighter.
In times when it was hard to predict tomorrow, signing the agreement and reducing the weight of the insurance contracts was the better choice.
"Go ahead with the contracts that way. In addition, Fintech Bank will need to take over the responsibilities that SAVE Investment Company has been handling. I know you're already swamped, so I'm sorry to pile more work on you."
"This is naturally Fintech Bank's role. Lobbying within U.S. politics and managing the companies SAVE Investment held under borrowed names won't be a problem."
I couldn't simply fold SAVE Investment entirely into Taewoo Group.
Too much of its work had to remain discreet, and some holdings could risk antitrust violations if concentrated. It had to be divided and managed separately.
There was also another advantage.
Fintech Bank was a wholly American financial institution, so it could move freely.
But SAVE Investment had grown too closely tied to Taewoo Group, which inevitably imposed certain restrictions.
"I'll keep advising you on future investment directions."
"If you do, I'd be grateful. Thanks to your guidance so far, Fintech Bank has been able to post exceptionally high returns. As long as we can maintain that level of profitability, there'll be more than enough funds to stabilize CitiGroup."
Unlike investment companies, banks generally placed their focus on stability.
But Fintech Bank had pursued aggressive strategies, earning massive profits—possible only because of the intelligence passed along from SAVE Investment.
"Once this crisis settles down, there won't be any big opportunities for a while. Still, I'll recommend some steady earners for you."
"If disasters like this happened often, the global economy would collapse. The fact that we can avoid negative returns during the coming years of economic downturn is already a win."
I had said there would be no more large-scale events, but that didn't mean there were no financial opportunities left.
In fact, there was one item in particular that would fit Fintech Bank perfectly.
"How's Bitcoin doing these days?"
"Out of all the items you've come up with, this is the first one that hasn't made money. Hardly anyone trades it, and it's used only a little in the gaming industry."
"Give it some time. Eventually it'll be traded more than most currencies. That's why you should set up a Bitcoin exchange now and start running it."
I had already released Bitcoin to the world.
But the price was still so low that even Dimon was groaning about it.
What he didn't know, though, was this: compared to my life before regression, today's price was already two to three times higher.
Because I had made Bitcoin public earlier this time and arranged for it to be usable in the IT and gaming industries, its price was climbing much faster than before.
"Even if we build an exchange, will that really bring in users? Bitcoin has practically no utility right now."
"Haven't you seen the dot-com bubble or the housing bubble? When mania takes hold, nobody cares about utility."
"You're saying Bitcoin will have its own bubble?"
"It's inevitable. And when it comes, the numbers will be staggering. Just taking a 1% fee could bring in revenue on the order of tens of trillions of won. Add in the financial services built around Bitcoin, and the profits will be even greater. There's no reason not to seize the ground now."
Dimon nodded. "If you put it that way, I'll move as quickly as possible to prepare a Bitcoin exchange."
"It'll become a solid cash cow for Fintech Bank."
"No other bank would dare build a virtual currency exchange, but Fintech Bank? It fits perfectly with the Silicon Valley image."
Dimon's expression was conflicted.
He should have been smiling at the prospect of such a money-maker, but with the mountain of work already on his plate, all he could see was more sleepless nights ahead.
That was why I had prepared another gift for him—something that would help Dimon finally get a little rest.
"Let's send David to the Fintech Bank. Since the bank is handling our lobbying with the political sector, that would make sense, wouldn't it?"
"B-Boss! Are you saying I should work under Dimon?"
"Thank you! Just having David on board will cut my workload in half!"
"Do I really have to go?"
"I'll treat you well! I'll make you a vice president right away. Higher salary, generous bonuses—the works."
David kept edging backward, while Dimon closed in a step with every word.
Watching the two of them already looking like close partners, I rose from my seat.
"I should get going. I can't be late for my appointment with the presidential candidate, so I need to leave now."
"Boss! You have to take me with you."
"Not this time. I'll handle today's schedule alone. You'll have plenty to do at the Fintech Bank, and I can't overburden you."
And with that, I left David behind at the Fintech Bank and stepped outside alone.
Now only one thing remained: the meeting with the next president of the United States.
If I wanted the next eight years to be smooth, I had to leave a strong impression.