Chapter 4: The First Company
The streets of Seoul were bustling with energy as Jin Hoshino walked through Gangnam's tech district. Towering office buildings, neon billboards, and the sound of typewriters filled the air as businessmen rushed between meetings.
He wasn't here to admire the city.
He was here to build his first company.
The Future Tycoon System had given him a roadmap to industries that would dominate the world. He had already started investing in stocks, but now it was time to create something of his own.
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[Mission Unlocked: Build a Tech Startup]
✔ Choose an industry with high future potential.
✔ Launch a profitable product within six months.
✔ Gain early traction and market influence.
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Jin exhaled slowly. This was it.
He had ₩20,000,000 in total net worth, but that wasn't enough to start a full-fledged corporation. He needed something scalable, low-cost, and ahead of its time.
He had already researched upcoming trends and narrowed his options down to three industries:
✔ Internet Services – A rising market, but costly to enter.
✔ Computer Software – Huge potential, but difficult to scale alone.
✔ Gaming Industry – Low barrier to entry, rapidly growing.
The answer was obvious.
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✔ Business Name: NexTech Studios
✔ Industry: Gaming & Software Development
✔ Initial Goal: Develop innovative arcade & PC games.
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The gaming industry was in its early stages, with companies like Nintari and GameSphere dominating the market. PC gaming was still niche, but it was about to explode.
If he could create an addictive, high-quality game before the market matured, he would have a head start.
Jin smirked.
Time to get to work.
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Setting Up the Company
Jin walked into a small co-working space in Gangnam, where he had rented an office for ₩1,000,000 per month.
The room was tiny—just a few desks, a telephone, and an old desktop computer. It wasn't much, but it was enough for now.
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✔ Office Rented (₩1,000,000 per month).
✔ Business License Registered (₩500,000).
✔ Basic Equipment Purchased (₩1,500,000).
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Total Initial Investment: ₩3,000,000.
Now, he needed a team.
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Recruiting the Right People
Jin posted job listings at universities and online forums, looking for passionate programmers, artists, and designers willing to work for a startup.
After two weeks of interviews, he had assembled a small but talented team:
✔ Kim Seung-ho – Lead Programmer (22 years old, computer science student).
✔ Park Min-ji – Game Designer (21 years old, self-taught artist).
✔ Lee Tae-jun – Sound Engineer (23 years old, part-time musician).
✔ Choi Da-hyun – Marketing & PR (25 years old, ex-advertising assistant).
They were young, ambitious, and eager to prove themselves.
"We're going to build the future of gaming," Jin told them on their first day. "And we're going to do it better than anyone else."
The team got to work immediately.
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Developing the First Game
Jin had three months to create a product that would shake the market.
He decided on a 2D arcade fighting game, something simple but addictive—like an early version of Street Warriors (Street Fighter).
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✔ Game Title: Battle Zone
✔ Genre: 2D Fighting Game
✔ Platform: Arcade & PC
✔ Development Time: 3 Months
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For the next few months, the team worked day and night, coding, designing characters, and refining combat mechanics. Jin provided industry insights from the system, helping them create something ahead of its time.
By the end of the third month, Battle Zone was complete.
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The First Business Deal
Jin now had a finished game, but no distribution network. He needed a publishing deal to get it into arcades and stores.
He set up a meeting with Hwan Electronics, a major arcade distributor in Korea.
Inside a sleek office in downtown Myeong-dong, Jin sat across from CEO Hwan Jae-suk, a middle-aged businessman with sharp eyes.
"An unknown startup wants me to distribute their game?" Hwan scoffed. "Why should I take that risk?"
Jin calmly slid a floppy disk across the table. "Try it."
Hwan raised an eyebrow but inserted the disk into his computer.
The game booted up.
For the next ten minutes, the room was filled with the sounds of Battle Zone's fast-paced combat.
Hwan leaned back, eyes filled with surprise. "This… is good."
Jin smirked. "I know."
Silence stretched between them.
Then, Hwan folded his arms. "Alright. I'll distribute it—but I want 70% of the revenue."
Jin's smile didn't falter. "50%."
"60%."
"55%," Jin countered.
Hwan studied him before letting out a chuckle. "Fine. 55%. But if this flops, don't come crying to me."
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✔ First Business Deal Secured!
✔ Battle Zone to be distributed in 500+ arcades nationwide.
✔ Revenue Split: 55% (Hwan Electronics) / 45% (NexTech Studios).
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Jin shook his hand.
His first deal was done.
Now, he just had to wait.
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The First Profits & A Rising Threat
One month after Battle Zone's release, Jin checked the sales reports.
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✔ 50,000 copies sold in the first month.
✔ Arcade revenue exceeding ₩100,000,000.
✔ NexTech Studios' share: ₩45,000,000!
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₩45,000,000.
It was more than his entire stock portfolio.
Jin exhaled. He had officially entered the business world.
But just as he was celebrating, a newspaper headline caught his eye.
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"GameSphere Acquires Small Gaming Studios to Dominate Korean Market."
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Jin narrowed his eyes.
GameSphere was one of the biggest gaming companies in the world. And now, they were buying up small developers—companies just like his.
This wasn't just about gaming anymore.
The corporate battlefield had begun.
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End of Chapter 4