Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 473

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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473. For a mere ten billion dollars, it’s practically a steal.

Beneath a crystalline sky unmarred by a single cloud, Seok-won stood in one corner of the sprawling Seoul Airport Parking Lot.
Dressed in a tailored suit and Ray-Ban sunglasses, flanked by his entourage, he cut an air of effortless composure.
In stark contrast, the personnel from the Defense Science Research Institute stood taut with tension, nervously checking their watches as they waited for the transport aircraft scheduled to arrive today.
As more time elapsed.
Han Ji-sung beside him raised one arm, pointing skyward as he spoke.

“Chairman. It appears to have arrived.”

As Seok-won lifted his gaze, the transport aircraft that had appeared as a distant speck rapidly approached, revealing its colossal silhouette.
It was the AN-225—the world’s largest transport aircraft, bearing the name “Mriya,” which means “dream” in Ukrainian.
A true behemoth, it was equipped with six turbofan engines on each wing, each producing 30,776 horsepower, capable of carrying up to 250 tons of cargo in a single flight.

“When I saw it in the Antonov Company Hangar in Ukraine, I was worried whether something so massive could actually take flight. But seeing it soar through the sky like this—there’s nothing but admiration.”

At Han Ji-sung’s words brimming with wonder, he smiled deeply.

“True to its name—a dream—it carries our hopes toward the cosmos.”
“A most fitting sentiment indeed.”

The AN-225, whose prototype achieved its historic maiden flight in early 1988, was originally constructed by the Soviet Union to transport the Buran space shuttle to the launch site.
However, while the second unit was being manufactured, the Soviet Union dissolved, and to make matters worse, the Buran project itself was cancelled, bringing the entire program to a halt.
Ultimately, both the prototype and the incomplete second unit were placed in the Antonov Company Hangar in Ukraine, left to languish in storage.

‘And as if that weren’t enough, all six D-18T engines attached to the completed prototype were stripped away and repurposed as spare parts for other transport aircraft.’

I had traveled to Ukraine myself to transport the Proton rocket to Korea, and upon first seeing the AN-225 Mriya stored in the Antonov Company Hangar, I was deeply disappointed.
It had not been properly maintained over the years—rust bloomed in patches throughout, and with the engines torn from both wings, the exposed wiring hung grotesquely; it was scrap metal incarnate.

‘And so I ended up acquiring the entire AN-225 Mriya myself.’

When I inquired whether it could be repaired and made operational again, the AN-225 Mriya—which had been nothing but a space-consuming liability in the hangar—was handed over entirely by Antonov Company, who accepted only the restoration costs.
As a result, the incomplete second unit was now undergoing active assembly at the Antonov factory.
As the colossal Mriya transport aircraft now revealed its full outline above me, I spoke.

“I spent a hundred million dollars thinking it was a loss, but seeing it come back to life and soaring through the sky—I think we made the right call.”
“Indeed we did.”

Han Ji-sung nodded in agreement beside me, gazing up at the sky together.
With Daheung Group’s recent acquisition of Korean Tongun, we could certainly maximize the AN-225’s extraordinary cargo transport capabilities.

‘Beyond that, with its immense size and cargo capacity, we could even use it as a platform to launch space rockets into the upper atmosphere from high altitude.’

Though the decision had been made on impulse, I felt we’d acquired it at a bargain price.
Meanwhile, the AN-225 Mriya, with a fuselage length of 84 meters, appeared above the airport, its majestic bulk cleaving through the sky as if splitting the heavens themselves.
Overwhelmed by its sheer scale and presence, everyone gathered there lifted their heads skyward and gasped in wonder.

“Wow! That’s incredible.”
“With that thing in the air, the 737 looks like a toy.”
“It actually carried an entire rocket. That’s insane.”

As if showcasing itself, the AN-225 Mriya created a colossal shadow and made a wide, sweeping circle above the airport before lowering its 34 wheels and gradually descending toward the runway.
With everyone holding their breath, the wheels touched ground and the aircraft executed a smooth, flawless landing.

“Yeaaaah!”

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause without thinking.
Seok-won maintained an outward composure, but inwardly I exhaled a breath of relief knowing the transport aircraft and its precious cargo had arrived safely.
Following guidance from the control tower, the AN-225 Mriya moved slowly into the parking lot, cut its engines completely at its designated position, and came to rest.

“It never gets old—the sheer size of this thing is truly staggering.”

As I murmured to myself, the AN-225 Mriya before my eyes was nothing short of overwhelming in scale.
The Boeing 737 passenger jet positioned at a distance looked almost diminutive by comparison.
Everyone else was equally awestruck by the presence emanating from such enormous size and weight.
Moments later, the nose lifted slowly like a giant’s mouth opening, and the cargo hold door swung upward.
Bathed in streaming sunlight, the massive cylindrical object that had been concealed in the dark cargo hold revealed itself—it was the Proton rocket.
Workers immediately began busily installing the specially prepared rails and heavy-duty trailers.

[Connection complete!]
“Check once more for any loose connections!”

A middle-aged foreman in a one-piece work suit and hard hat shouted into his radio, and the workers moved with practiced efficiency, meticulously inspecting the special rails for any defects.

[All clear!]
[We’ve completed our inspection on this end as well.]

The work supervisor nodded slightly and pressed the walkie-talkie transmit button.

“Okay. Now extract the cargo. Move the rails slowly—we can’t afford any mistakes!”
[Understood!]

The worker receiving the order pressed the controller button firmly in his hand.
With a mechanical whirring sound, the specially fabricated rail system sprang to life.
The Proton rocket, its exterior painted pristine white, gradually emerged from the cargo hold, revealing itself piece by piece.
Following the first stage rocket with its six RD-275 engines bundled together came the second, third, and fourth stages, their paint jobs still bearing the Russian flag and space agency insignia, dragged out in succession.
Since the Proton rocket stood 53 meters tall, it fit into the AN-225 Mriya—whose fuselage stretched 84 meters—without significant difficulty.
However, because such length made ground transport problematic, the Khrunichev Factory had divided it into three sections for transport.
As each section of the Proton rocket came into view, the eyes of Kwak Yun-shin and the other Defense Science Research Institute researchers began to gleam in unison.

“That’s… that’s really a Proton rocket…!”
“Look at that. It’s not a ground-test launch vehicle with mock engines—it’s an actual operational rocket.”
“I never thought I’d see something like this with my own eyes.”

The researchers buzzed with excitement and astonishment.
Kwak Yun-shin, the missile division chief, wore an expression brimming with excitement and anticipation like a child receiving a Christmas gift.
From the moment the Proton rocket first appeared until now, as it was being loaded onto the massive trailer, he hadn’t taken his eyes off it for a single moment—his fervent intensity was unmistakable.
He looked as though he wanted nothing more than to disassemble the rocket before him down to every last bolt and examine it thoroughly.

“Everyone’s practically shooting lasers from their eyes.”

At Han Ji-sung’s remark, Seok-won cast a sidelong glance at the exhilarated researchers.

“It’s an opportunity to freely examine Russia’s cutting-edge rocket technology, which surpasses Korea’s. That’s reason enough for excitement.”
“True enough. With not just the actual rocket but also a mountain of related technical documents, today really does feel like Christmas.”

Seok-won let out a soft chuckle and watched the work proceed.
As the three sections of the rocket were transferred onto three massive trailers, the researchers, unable to contain themselves, approached and examined them from every angle.

“Photos, take photos quickly!”
“The texture of this fuselage…!”
“Damn, those Russians really did create something magnificent!”

Just then, the work foreman caught sight of the researchers huddled together around the rocket and bellowed at them.

“Hey, you people! It’s dangerous!”
“We just need to examine it a bit more.”
“It’ll only take a moment.”
“No, you’ll actually cause an accident this way! Come on, everyone step back!”

As the foreman waved his muscular forearms, the researchers reluctantly retreated.

“Don’t push us.”
“Fine, fine. We understand.”

Yet unable to shake their fascination, the researchers’ eyes gleamed with an unmistakable fervor as they stared intently at the Proton rocket.
I could practically see them tearing apart the Proton rocket all night long the moment they arrived at the Defense Science Research Institute in Daejeon—no exaggeration.
After dozens of personnel labored for quite some time, all the Proton rocket fuselages had been transferred to three large trailers.
Then they completely covered the cargo beds with enormous waterproof tarps so nothing inside could be seen.
In that state, the convoy filed out of the Parking Lot under escort from K-131 military trucks manned by armed military police at the front and rear.

“Let’s head back now.”

Once the vehicle convoy completely disappeared from sight, I turned around and climbed into the back seat of the Mercedes sedan that had been waiting on the side.

“Where shall I take you?”

Han Ji-sung asked from the passenger seat while fastening his seatbelt.

“To the office.”
“Understood.”

With that, Ju Geun-sung, who had the engine running, smoothly pressed the accelerator and set the car in motion.
The Mercedes sedan, having exited the main gate built in traditional style with green tile roofing, immediately merged onto the Gyeongbu Expressway heading toward Gangnam, where Daehung Venture Capital was located.
As I sank into the leather seat, watching the scenery blur past the car window, my phone vibrated in my inner pocket.
I checked the name on the screen—Landon Shore—and immediately pressed the call button to answer.

“Calling me means the negotiations must be finished.”
[Yes. We’ve agreed to acquire 100% of ARM Holdings for one billion dollars without listing on the London Stock Exchange.]

My face broke into a smile at the news I’d been waiting for.

“You’ve done well. Let’s proceed with the contract right away without wasting any more time.”
[Understood.]

Landon Shore paused for a moment before continuing in a worried tone.

[Well, I did conduct the acquisition negotiations as instructed, but ARM is a company that’s been completely overwhelmed by Intel in the CPU processor competition, and even Apple was trying to pull out. I’m not sure if it’s worth spending such a considerable sum to acquire them.]

The CPU, which serves as the brain of a PC, was designed in two major forms.
On one hand, there was Intel’s X86 architecture based on CISC, which enabled high-performance computation but consumed significant power, and on the other hand, ARM architecture, which used RISC to achieve low power consumption and minimal heat generation.
However, until this point, computers were installed and used in fixed locations like homes or offices, so the focus was more on high-performance computation rather than low heat generation or power consumption.
Naturally, Intel’s X86 architecture captured most of the CPU market, leaving ARM to lose its dominance.

‘But in a few years, when smartphones emerge, this situation will be completely reversed.’

As the market’s center shifted from PCs to mobile devices, ARM’s advantages in low power consumption and heat generation began to stand out.
Just looking at ARM’s valuation skyrocketing from one billion dollars to thirty-two billion dollars—a staggering thirty-two-fold increase—in merely eighteen years revealed the magnitude of the market transformation.

‘If I can acquire ARM, the goose that will lay golden eggs, for merely one billion dollars, it’s practically a steal.’

Seok-won tightened his grip on the phone in his hand as he replied.

“In a few years, you’ll understand why I acquired ARM.”
[I see….]

Though Landon Shore still harbored doubts, he chose not to press further.

[Then I’ll complete all the contract procedures and contact you again later.]
“Please do.”

After ending the call, Seok-won gazed ahead with a satisfied expression, contemplating the profits he would generate through ARM in the years to come.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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