Chapter 30: The Pressure of Greatness
Chapter 30: The Pressure of Greatness
📅 Date: April 1994
📍 Location: NexTech Headquarters, Seoul, South Korea
Jin Hoshino sat at his desk, staring at the latest reports.
✔ Microsoft was tightening its grip on corporate markets.
✔ Hollywood was still resisting, though cracks were beginning to form.
✔ The NexPhone prototype was functional, but mobile networks weren't ready for it.
Each victory felt smaller than the last.
Each battle felt longer than before.
And for the first time, he wondered if he had spread himself too thin.
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Microsoft's Next Move: Government Intervention
📅 Date: April 5, 1994
📍 Washington D.C., USA
In a high-security meeting room, Microsoft executives met with U.S. government officials.
Bill Gates wasn't there. But his influence was.
📌 Microsoft's Argument to the Government:
✔ NexTech was growing too fast, posing a national security risk.
✔ NexOS's open-source model could destabilize the software industry.
✔ NexTech's control over multiple industries was a potential monopoly.
One government official hesitated. "Is NexTech actually violating any laws?"
A Microsoft lobbyist shook his head. "Not yet. But if we don't act now, it'll be too late."
📢 Breaking News: U.S. Government to Investigate NexTech's Business Practices!
Jin received the news within hours.
His assistant, Choi Da-hyun, placed the report on his desk.
"Sir, this isn't just a lawsuit anymore. Microsoft is trying to turn the government against us."
Jin exhaled slowly.
📌 They weren't just fighting in the market.
They were fighting for survival.
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Jin's Counterattack: The Global Expansion Strategy
📅 Date: April 10, 1994
📍 NexTech Boardroom, Seoul
Jin sat with his top executives.
His expression was calm, but his mind was racing.
"Microsoft is trying to block us in the U.S.," he said. "Fine. Then we'll expand everywhere else."
📌 The New Plan:
✔ Strengthen NexOS's presence in Asia, Europe, and South America.
✔ Form alliances with non-American companies to reduce U.S. influence.
✔ Increase R&D in telecommunications—ensuring NexPhone has global support.
"If they want to make this a political battle," Jin said, leaning back, "then we won't play by their rules."
📢 Breaking News: NexTech Expands Internationally—A Direct Challenge to U.S. Tech Giants!
Microsoft had tried to trap him in one market.
Instead, he was building a worldwide empire.
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Hollywood's First Major Studio Breaks
📅 Date: April 15, 1994
📍 Los Angeles, California
For over a year, Hollywood had refused to work with NexFlix.
✔ They called streaming a "fad."
✔ They feared losing control over distribution.
✔ They pressured internet providers to slow down NexTech's progress.
But now, one studio was willing to listen.
Jin sat in a private meeting room, across from a Hollywood executive.
The man sighed. "I'll be honest, Hoshino. We don't like you. But we like losing money even less."
📌 The Deal on the Table:
✔ A test partnership—one studio would license select films to NexFlix.
✔ If successful, other studios might follow.
✔ Hollywood would still have control over pricing and content restrictions.
Jin studied the contract.
It wasn't perfect. But it was a start.
He picked up his pen.
📢 Breaking News: NexFlix Signs Its First Studio Partnership!
For the first time, Hollywood wasn't fighting him.
They were considering working with him.
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The NexPhone Dilemma – Too Advanced for Its Time?
📅 Date: April 20, 1994
📍 NexTech Research Lab, Seoul
Jin walked into the high-security development center, where his engineers were gathered.
On the table sat the latest NexPhone prototype.
✔ A sleek, touchscreen design.
✔ Full internet access.
✔ Advanced features no other phone had.
His lead engineer, Kim Seung-ho, looked troubled.
"Sir… NexPhone works. But there's a problem."
Jin frowned. "What is it?"
📌 The Problem:
✔ Mobile networks in 1994 weren't ready for NexPhone's technology.
✔ Most people still used basic cell phones—smartphones weren't a mainstream concept.
✔ If they launched too early, NexPhone might fail due to lack of infrastructure.
Jin stared at the device.
He had always been ahead of the industry.
But now, he faced a real question—was he too far ahead?
He exhaled, torn between two choices.
📌 Launch NexPhone early and risk failure?
📌 Or wait until the world was ready, delaying NexTech's entry into mobile?
For the first time in years, he didn't have an immediate answer.
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The Cost of Power – Jin's First Breakdown
📅 Date: April 25, 1994
📍 Jin's Private Office, Seoul
Jin sat alone, staring at his hands.
✔ He had fought Microsoft to a stalemate.
✔ He had broken Hollywood's resistance.
✔ He had built NexPhone—but didn't know when to launch it.
But something felt wrong.
📌 He hadn't slept properly in weeks.
📌 His appetite was nonexistent.
📌 His mind felt slow—like a machine running on fumes.
He reached for his coffee. His hands were shaking.
And suddenly, the room spun.
His breath caught in his throat, and before he knew it—his vision blurred.
Then—darkness.
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A Wake-Up Call – The Consequences of His Pace
📅 Date: April 26, 1994
📍 Private Hospital, Seoul
Jin woke up to the sound of steady beeping.
A heart monitor.
A hospital room.
He groaned, trying to sit up.
A voice stopped him.
"Finally awake?"
He turned. Choi Da-hyun sat beside his bed, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"You collapsed from exhaustion. Doctors said you've been running yourself into the ground."
Jin exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. "I don't have time to be in a hospital."
Choi's voice turned sharp. "Then make time, Jin. Because if you die, there is no NexTech."
Silence filled the room.
For the first time, Jin realized he had been so focused on the fight…
That he had forgotten to take care of himself.
He wasn't invincible.
And if he didn't change something soon…
He wouldn't last long enough to win.
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End of Chapter 30