Around the time the exhaust note left behind by the F1 machines began to fade, Seong-ho Kim's voice was heard.

"A countermeasure?"

As Seong-ho Kim, still looking out of the window, slowly turned his body, Craig Burnett, the Inmos CEO, took a step toward him and opened his mouth.

"Yes. A countermeasure. Does Ilhyeon Electronics have one?"

"What sharp countermeasure would we have?"

Craig Burnett's expression brightened.

Because the words that there was no countermeasure had come out of Seong-ho Kim's mouth.

But at what Seong-ho Kim said next, the brightened face darkened further than it had been at the start.

"If Inmos won't do it, we'll have to go and see Micro Devices."

"Go and see Micro Devices?"

"They produce central processing chips there too, so I'm thinking of asking them to go on supporting the DDR RAM we produce."

"By which you mean you'll join hands with Micro Devices?"

"Is there any joining of hands about it?"

Seong-ho Kim spoke as though he could not follow Craig Burnett's reaction.

"When all I mean to do is put a request to Micro Devices."

"A request?"

"Inmos has drawn the line, so we have to take hold of something else, don't we? We'll have to ask them to extend a hand for our sake."

"Why do you not put the request to us?"

"Didn't you draw the line first? And having declared you would not join hands, what more can I do? I'm not fool enough to go on pleading with a man who has said he won't grant it."

When Seong-ho Kim finished speaking, Craig Burnett's face twisted.

Seong-ho Kim looked straight into that face of Burnett's and said,

"As I said a moment ago, I did originally come here to make a request. But you drew the line first, so there has come to be nothing we can do. Only…"

Seong-ho Kim stopped speaking for a moment.

Because just then the F1 machines were running toward the start point.

Shwoooom — BANG!

The machines passed the start point, letting out their roar.

But neither Seong-ho Kim nor Craig…