Chapter 26: The Turning Point

Chapter 26: The Turning Point

📅 Date: December 25, 1993

📍 Location: Jin's Childhood Home, Seoul, South Korea

For the first time in years, Jin Hoshino was spending a quiet evening away from the office.

His mother placed a cup of warm tea in front of him, sitting across the table.

✔ No board meetings.

✔ No market reports.

✔ No corporate battles.

Just the faint sound of a TV in the background and the smell of home-cooked food.

His father, a man of few words, finally spoke.

"You've done well, son."

Jin looked up, slightly startled. His father rarely gave praise.

"But you should remember…" His father continued, pouring himself a drink. "Winning everything means nothing if you lose yourself."

Jin didn't respond immediately.

For the first time in months, he wasn't thinking about Microsoft, Hollywood, or NexTech.

He was thinking about himself.

And for the first time… he wasn't sure what he wanted anymore.

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Microsoft Prepares Its Next Attack – A Lawsuit Against NexTech

📅 Date: December 28, 1993

📍 Microsoft Headquarters, Redmond, Washington

Bill Gates had expected Jin to break under pressure.

✔ They had blacklisted NexOS.

✔ They had launched a smear campaign.

✔ They had tried to shut him out of the industry.

Instead, Jin had gone open-source, making NexOS even stronger.

Bill clenched his fists. "If we can't kill him in the market… we'll bury him in court."

📌 Microsoft's Plan:

✔ File a lawsuit claiming NexOS was using stolen Windows code.

✔ Pressure U.S. regulators to investigate NexTech for anti-competitive practices.

✔ Use legal battles to slow NexOS's expansion worldwide.

📢 Breaking News: Microsoft Sues NexTech Over NexOS!

Jin saw the headlines within hours.

His legal team rushed into his office, panicked.

"Sir, Microsoft is trying to drag us into a lawsuit that could last years!"

Jin exhaled slowly, tapping his fingers on the desk.

📌 They weren't trying to win.

They were trying to stall him.

If he spent years fighting legal battles, he wouldn't be able to focus on expanding NexOS.

"They want to keep me distracted," Jin murmured. "Fine. Let's give them something else to focus on instead."

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Hollywood's Secret Offer – A Deal with the Devil?

📅 Date: December 30, 1993

📍 NexTech U.S. Headquarters, Silicon Valley

Jin was still reviewing Microsoft's legal attack when his assistant, Choi Da-hyun, entered his office.

She placed a file on his desk.

"Sir… Hollywood wants to talk."

Jin raised an eyebrow. "They rejected NexFlix. Why come back now?"

Choi smirked. "Because their own streaming service failed."

Jin leaned back, thinking.

📌 Hollywood's Offer:

✔ They would license films to NexFlix—but only under their conditions.

✔ NexTech would have to follow strict censorship rules.

✔ Hollywood would have the power to pull content at any time.

Jin stared at the contract for a long time.

Then, he pushed it aside. "No."

Choi blinked. "Sir?"

"They came to us because they need us. Not the other way around."** Jin's voice was calm but firm.**

📢 BREAKING NEWS: Jin Hoshino Rejects Hollywood's Offer—What's His Next Move?

Instead of accepting a bad deal, Jin was going to do what he always did.

Outthink the industry.

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Jin's Counterattack: Building a War Chest

📅 Date: January 1, 1994

📍 NexTech Headquarters, Seoul

The legal war with Microsoft was about to start.

The battle for NexFlix's survival had begun.

Jin needed more firepower.

📌 His Plan:

✔ Strengthen NexTech's financial position—prepare for a long war.

✔ Expand NexMall globally—dominate e-commerce before Amazon.

✔ Secure private investors—so no one could use outside funding to pressure NexTech.

By the end of 1994, Jin wouldn't just be fighting back.

He would be too powerful to stop.

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A Personal Realization – The Weight of the War

📅 Date: January 5, 1994

📍 Jin's Private Apartment, Seoul

Jin was alone again.

The city lights blinked outside his window, but he barely noticed.

📌 He had just declared war on Microsoft.

📌 He had just rejected Hollywood's control.

📌 He had no time for anything except NexTech.

He looked at his phone.

The last message from his mother was still unread.

📜 "Jin, come visit again when you have time. We'll always be here."

He exhaled, rubbing his temples.

✔ He was the most powerful man in tech.

✔ He was the biggest threat to corporate giants.

✔ But deep down… he was just a 19-year-old kid fighting alone.

For the first time in his life, Jin wondered if he was still winning.

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End of Chapter 26