Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 490

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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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490. I almost let a golden opportunity slip right through my fingers.

As Seok-won and his entourage emerged from the building after concluding their discussion with Minister of National Defense An Yong-guk, a waiting black Mercedes sedan pulled up and came to a halt.
Seok-won settled into the plush leather seat in the back, and Ju Geun-sung, gripping the steering wheel, smoothly eased the car into motion.
Once they had exited the Ministry of National Defense grounds and merged onto the main road, Dr. Choi Tae-ho, the BlueSpace president seated beside him, glanced cautiously before broaching the subject with careful deliberation.

“Chairman… are you truly determined to proceed with the Mosulpo launch facility construction as planned?”

Seok-won, who had been gazing at the passing landscape through the car window, turned his head at the worry-laden tone of the question.
He then met Dr. Choi Tae-ho’s anxious expression and spoke with measured composure.

“You’re concerned the plan might face setbacks, aren’t you?”

Dr. Choi Tae-ho nodded as though he had been waiting for this response.

“Regardless of how optimal the location is for a launch facility, if local residents mount fierce opposition, it will be difficult to proceed with construction as scheduled. Moreover, I understand the Ministry of National Defense attempted to establish an air force base there a decade ago and failed, so frankly, I’m concerned we’re facing obstacles from the very start.”

Yet unlike the anxious Dr. Choi Tae-ho, Seok-won remained entirely unshaken, displaying remarkable composure.
He even allowed a smile to play at the corners of his mouth as he posed a counter-question.

“If we abandon Mosulpo, where else would you propose building the launch facility?”
“While the location conditions are somewhat inferior, Sacheon, Goseong, or Namhae County are not unreasonable alternatives.”
“Those are merely second-best options, not the optimal choice.”

At Seok-won’s indifferent response, Dr. Choi Tae-ho leaned forward to make his case.

“Of course, but surely it’s better than having the project dragged on indefinitely due to local opposition.”

Seok-won, with one leg crossed, shook his head.

“Do you truly believe the project would proceed without complications simply because we chose to build at an alternative site instead of Mosulpo?”
“Wouldn’t it still be better than Mosulpo?”
“My assessment differs. While the degree may vary, we would encounter local resistance regardless.”

Seok-won regarded Dr. Choi Tae-ho with a serious expression.

“Unlike countries as vast as the United States, China, or Russia, Korea is unfortunately a nation with territory far too limited relative to its population.”

I shrugged and continued.

“In short, no matter where we build the launch facility, we can’t avoid friction with the local residents who depend on that land for their livelihoods.”

Dr. Choi Tae-ho had no rebuttal to this sharp observation.

“Moreover, unlike Mosulpo where more than half the planned site is owned by the Ministry of National Defense, most of the other candidate locations are private land, so acquiring the property will face significant hurdles.”
“….”
“If we’re going to have to go through difficulties convincing local residents anyway, wouldn’t it be far better to build the launch facility in Mosulpo, where land acquisition is relatively easier and the location conditions are optimal?”

After pondering this, Dr. Choi Tae-ho nodded as if he understood.

“Now that you mention it, that makes sense. I see my thinking was short-sighted.”

But unable to completely dispel his concerns, he asked carefully.

“Then how do you plan to address the opposition from the residents of Mosulpo?”

As always, I maintained my composure and let a subtle smile play at the corners of my mouth.

“Once the launch facility is established, working staff and their families will move in, increasing the residential population and boosting tourism demand, which will revitalize the local economy. There are many advantages. Why would the local residents oppose the construction?”
“Well, for residents who have been farming on Ministry of National Defense land for a long time, suddenly losing their livelihoods and having to leave their cherished land to relocate elsewhere—that’s the issue, isn’t it?”
“You’ve identified it precisely. There are various reasons, but the biggest one will be economic.”

I crossed my arms and added.

“On top of that, there are historically significant sites like the Altneul Airfield and the April 3rd relics, which have high preservation value, so opposition will be even stronger.”
“Then this is a serious problem.”

Dr. Choi Tae-ho’s expression hardened.
Seeing that, I raised one corner of my mouth into a grin and threw out a cryptic remark.

“That’s why we decided to purchase all 610,000 pyeong of Ministry of National Defense land, not just part of it.”
“…?”

Dr. Choi Tae-ho, who had been wondering about this anyway, asked hurriedly.

“That’s far too much land for just the launch facility and supporting infrastructure. What do you intend to use all of it for?”
“I have an idea that came to me spontaneously, but once the plan becomes more concrete, I’ll explain it to you. In any case, leave convincing the local residents to me, and you focus entirely on constructing the launch facility and developing the space launch vehicle.”

Seok-won spoke with confidence.
Even the Ministry of National Defense had failed to persuade them and abandoned plans to construct an air force base, so it was difficult to understand what method he intended to use to quell the opposition.
However, since it was Seok-won speaking with such firm conviction about success, I decided to trust him and wait and see.

“If you say so, I understand.”

It was certainly no easy task, but for some reason, I felt confident that Seok-won could somehow resolve the problem.

* * *

California, United States.
Bright sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows as two young men with somewhat tense expressions sat at a table in an elegantly appointed Hotel Meeting Room alongside a lawyer.
A middle-aged lawyer wearing horn-rimmed glasses meticulously reviewed the document one final time, then slid the contract toward the young men and spoke.

“Everything looks good.”

Landon Shore, dressed in an impeccably tailored bespoke suit and seated across from them with his subordinates, withdrew a fountain pen from his inner jacket pocket and placed it on the contract.

“Then you just need to sign at the bottom there.”

Robert Williams, a former hedge fund manager and co-founder of the venture company Confinity, picked up the fountain pen first.
Having been founded less than three months ago, the company had received a substantial investment of three million dollars due to its highly valued prospects, and Williams could not conceal his excitement.
Above all, he was greatly encouraged by the fact that Park Seok-won, chairman of the Eldorado Fund—known as a major player in Silicon Valley venture investment after achieving great success investing in Netscape, Yahoo, and Hotmail—had taken interest in the company they had created.
After signing, Williams passed the fountain pen to his co-founder Thomas Shugart beside him.
Shugart, too, with a flushed face at the thought that their idea had been recognized, unhesitatingly wrote his name on the contract.
Once both men had finished signing and set down the fountain pen, Landon Shore spoke with a bright smile.

“Now we’re all in the same boat. Our boss wanted to attend in person, but he had other matters to attend to and greatly regretted not being able to join us.”
“I would have loved to meet him, but I understand he must be busy.”

Williams wore a genuinely disappointed expression.
As a former hedge fund manager, Williams had always admired Seok-won, who had achieved remarkable results and risen as a titan of Wall Street, and had been eagerly hoping for even a handshake.

“Instead, he said that when he comes to California soon, he would like to share a meal and have a conversation with you, so please don’t feel too disappointed.”
“Really?”

Williams’ eyes sparkled in an instant.

“We’re available anytime, so please don’t hesitate to contact us.”
“Of course. I’ll head over right away.”

Beside him, Thomas Shugart nodded enthusiastically as he spoke.
Landon Shore found himself suppressing a quiet laugh at how Thomas resembled a fan awaiting a meeting with an idol.
It was hardly surprising—Seok-won had earned considerable renown throughout Silicon Valley as a venture capitalist whose touch turned everything to gold, not just on Wall Street.
Even overlooked startups saw their valuations skyrocket simply because Seok-won had invested in them; there was no need to elaborate further.

With the investment contract finalized, Landon climbed into a limousine and headed to the airport to return to New York.
He rolled up his sleeve to check his watch, mentally calculated the time difference, then pulled out his phone and called Seoul.
After a few rings, Seok-won’s voice came through.

[Hello?]
“It’s me, boss.”
[Did the contract go smoothly?]
“Exactly as I reported—we valued the company at ten million dollars and invested three million, securing a thirty percent stake. And as always, I included a clause giving us priority rights in any future funding rounds.”
[Good work.]

Landon shrugged slightly, phone pressed to his ear.

“It wasn’t particularly difficult. The moment I mentioned your name, their expressions changed immediately and they became far more cooperative. The negotiations were remarkably smooth.”
[Ha, is that so?]

Landon smacked his lips slightly, as if with mild regret.

“Honestly, if I’d wanted to, I could have lowered the valuation and secured a larger stake. I do feel a bit of a missed opportunity.”
[We’re investing with an eye toward the future, not the present. It’s far more profitable to maintain good relationships with the founders than to be greedy over a few extra dollars.]

Though Seok-won called it merely a few extra dollars, the reality was that people often betrayed others for far less immediate gain.
Landon smiled faintly, holding the phone.

“Beyond your keen foresight, it’s that investment philosophy of yours that makes Silicon Valley entrepreneurs want to be chosen by you.”
[Stop flattering me or I’ll get dizzy.]
“Ha, I’m just stating facts.”

Landon leaned back against the leather seat and changed the subject.

“By the way, when the House passed the impeachment resolution, I thought President Davidson would fall from power because of Zippergate. But now that First Lady Amanda has appeared on television defending President Davidson, public opinion seems to be gradually shifting in a more favorable direction.”

Zippergate was the scandal in which President Davidson’s affair with a twenty-two-year-old White House intern fresh out of college was exposed through the media.
As a result, President Philip Davidson faced an impeachment vote that passed in the House of Representatives, controlled by the opposition Republican Party, on two counts: perjury and obstruction of justice, placing him in a dire crisis.

[She may want to kill her husband in her heart, but as a woman with great political ambitions, she couldn’t allow President Davidson to fall like this.]
“I agree with that assessment.”

Unlike other First Ladies, Amanda actively engaged in public activities and wielded considerable influence over the Davidson administration’s policies.
Because of this, rumors circulated openly throughout Washington and beyond that she would formally enter the political arena after President Davidson left office.

“If things proceed this way, it seems highly likely that the impeachment will be dismissed in the Senate, just as the boss predicted.”
[For the impeachment to pass, at least sixty-seven votes—two-thirds of the total seats—must be cast in favor. While the Republicans hold the majority, they only have fifty-five seats, so realistically the chances of passage are nearly nonexistent.]
“If the impeachment is dismissed and the political risk is eliminated, the New York Stock Exchange will receive a significant boost in upward momentum.”
[Zippergate hasn’t had much direct impact on the market, but it was still a latent negative factor. Once that disappears, combined with the interest rate cut effect, it will push the index relentlessly higher.]

Landon Shore then asked with an eager expression.

“How high do you think it will go?”
[By NASDAQ standards, I expect it will easily surpass four thousand.]

The moment he heard this, Landon Shore’s eyes widened in shock.
He hastily steadied the phone that nearly slipped from his hand and asked again.

“Did you say it will surpass four, four thousand?”
[Yes.]

At Seok-won’s matter-of-fact response, Landon Shore’s expression showed he found it difficult to believe.
And for good reason—the NASDAQ index, which was currently setting record highs day after day, stood at twenty-four hundred.
If it surpassed four thousand, that meant nearly doubling from here, so his skepticism was entirely justified.
As Landon Shore imagined what would happen if Seok-won’s prediction came true, he unconsciously swallowed hard.

* * *

After ending the call, I stood by the window and took a sip of the canned beer I held in one hand.
Then, recalling Landon Shore’s startled reaction just moments ago when I mentioned the NASDAQ surpassing four thousand, I muttered to myself.

“This year is when the market enters the realm of madness rather than investment—as panic buying compounds with the market breaking records daily and surging wildly, creating an atmosphere where everyone else is making money but you’re not.”

It was an era of madness, but also an opportunity to make enormous wealth.
The venture companies I invested in this time would be the golden geese that laid golden eggs for me.

“It was originally called something else, and PayPal was simply the product name for their in-house developed online money transfer service. I nearly let a mountain of gold slip through my fingers.”

I considered this investment crucial because I had secured the predecessor company to PayPal, which would successfully go public years from now and establish itself as the quintessential online payment method.
Moreover, it would become the cradle of what people would later call the “PayPal Mafia”—the titans who would come to dominate Silicon Valley.

“Though George Miller hasn’t joined PayPal yet, I’ll get to meet him during his fiery, youthful prime.”

Anticipating what the young George Miller—hailed as a genius of the century—would be like, I brought the canned beer to my lips.

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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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