Chapter 28: The Weight of an Empire

Chapter 28: The Weight of an Empire

📅 Date: February 1994

📍 Location: NexTech Headquarters, Seoul, South Korea

The world saw Jin Hoshino as a tech visionary.

✔ The young billionaire taking on Microsoft.

✔ The businessman who defied Hollywood.

✔ The genius who built NexTech into an empire.

But the world didn't see the exhaustion in his eyes.

They didn't see the nights he spent alone in his office.

They didn't see the weight pressing down on his shoulders—the burden of holding everything together.

As he sat at his desk, skimming through legal documents, he realized something.

"I don't have time to slow down."

Because the moment he did, they'd crush him.

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Microsoft Tightens Its Grip – The War Escalates

📅 Date: February 5, 1994

📍 Microsoft Headquarters, Redmond, Washington

Bill Gates sat in a private meeting with his top legal advisors.

The lawsuit against NexTech had been filed.

But it wasn't enough.

📌 Microsoft's Next Move:

✔ Pressure software developers to abandon NexOS.

✔ Blacklist NexTech from enterprise markets.

✔ Influence governments to block NexOS adoption.

One executive hesitated. "Sir, if we push too hard, NexTech might fight back harder."

Bill Gates leaned forward, his voice calm but firm.

"I don't care. Either we crush NexOS now, or we regret it later."

📢 Breaking News: Microsoft Moves to Restrict NexTech from Business Markets!

Jin saw the reports immediately.

His assistant, Choi Da-hyun, entered his office, a grim look on her face.

"Sir, Microsoft is trying to cut us off from corporate clients."

Jin set his pen down slowly.

"They think I'll just accept that?"

A small, tired smirk crossed his face.

"Fine. We'll hit them where they don't expect."

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Jin's Counterattack: The Education Gambit

📅 Date: February 10, 1994

📍 NexTech Boardroom, Seoul

Jin stood before his top strategists.

"Microsoft controls business computers. But they've ignored one market completely—education."

His executives exchanged glances. "Sir… you want to introduce NexOS into schools?"

Jin nodded.

📌 The Education Gambit:

✔ Offer NexOS to schools for free—ensuring students grow up using NexTech software.

✔ Create specialized educational tools within NexOS.

✔ Form partnerships with universities to fund research using NexOS.

"Microsoft is focused on the present," Jin said, "but I'm playing the long game."

📢 Breaking News: NexTech Introduces Free Software for Schools!

Within a week, hundreds of schools applied.

Microsoft had spent years dominating business markets.

But Jin was building an entire generation of NexOS users.

And that was a threat far more dangerous than anything Microsoft had expected.

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The Hidden Cost of War – Jin's Breaking Point

📅 Date: February 15, 1994

📍 Jin's Private Apartment, Seoul

Jin hadn't slept properly in days.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw legal documents, corporate reports, strategies, counter-strategies.

📌 He had launched a counterattack against Microsoft.

📌 He had pushed NexOS into education.

📌 He had prepared for NexMall's next expansion.

But for the first time, his body was failing him.

His head pounded. His chest felt heavy.

And when he tried to stand, his vision blurred.

He barely made it to the couch before he collapsed.

His body had finally reached its limit.

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A Wake-Up Call – The Phone Call That Changed Everything

📅 Date: February 16, 1994

📍 Jin's Apartment, Seoul

His phone buzzed.

Weakly, he reached for it.

📜 Caller: Mother

He hesitated.

Then, for the first time in weeks… he answered.

"Jin? Are you okay?" Her voice was gentle, but filled with worry.

Jin swallowed, trying to steady his breathing. "I… I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine," she said softly.

There was a long pause.

For the first time, Jin didn't know what to say.

"When was the last time you ate properly?" she asked.

He tried to remember. He couldn't.

"Jin… I know what you're doing is important. But you're not invincible."

Her voice wasn't scolding.

It was just… sad.

"If you keep going like this, you won't have anything left when you win."

Jin closed his eyes.

The world saw him as a genius, a warrior, a revolutionary.

But right now…

He was just a tired son, listening to his mother's voice.

And for the first time, he felt something crack inside him.

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The Shift – A New Approach

📅 Date: February 20, 1994

📍 NexTech Headquarters, Seoul

Jin walked into the office with a different energy.

✔ He was still fighting Microsoft.

✔ He was still pushing NexFlix forward.

✔ He was still preparing to take over the mobile industry.

But he wasn't doing it alone anymore.

📌 Jin's New Approach:

✔ Delegating more power to trusted executives.

✔ Creating a leadership structure so NexTech could run without him micromanaging everything.

✔ Focusing on long-term stability, not just immediate victories.

He wasn't stepping back.

But he was learning how to carry the weight without destroying himself.

And for the first time in months, he felt like he could breathe.

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End of Chapter 28