Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 57

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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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57. Well, we’ll see how things unfold.

Two days later.
I met Tom Harper again in the business meeting room of the Hotel where I was staying.
Befitting a five-star establishment, the interior was quiet and elegantly appointed, and since today was the day we’d finalize the investment contract, Tom sat in his chair with a tense expression, looking uncomfortable in his formal attire.
A Lawyer sat beside him to provide legal counsel, and I had Landon Shore, who had arrived from New York yesterday, seated beside me as well.
The stern-looking Lawyer in a black suit with a tightly knotted necktie carefully reviewed every detail of the contract before speaking.

“There are no significant issues with the contents.”

Then Landon Shore spoke with a smile on his face.

“As you both previously agreed, we’re investing $2 million and acquiring a 20% stake in the newly established company. Additionally, the contract includes a clause granting our representative priority investment rights should additional capital be needed in the future.”

Since these were things Tom already knew, he nodded slightly.

“Then, if you have no further objections or concerns, you can sign the contract right away.”

At Landon Shore’s words, Tom exhaled softly without realizing it.
The web browser development he’d half-abandoned after hitting the harsh wall of reality could now miraculously resume, so it was only natural that emotions welled up inside him.
Tom took the pen the Lawyer offered and held it in his hand, gazing at the contract before him with mixed feelings for a moment before finally signing his name at the bottom.
Then I, sitting across from him, broke into a smile revealing my teeth and stood up, extending one hand.

“Now we’re truly working together. I’m looking forward to creating a magnificent web browser that will humble the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.”
“Thank you so much for believing in me. I promise I won’t let you down.”

Tom also grasped my extended hand with an excited expression.

“Have you thought about what name you want for the new company?”

Tom answered without any hesitation.

“I’m planning to call it Mosaic Communications.”
“Did you come up with the name based on the web browser you created?”
“That’s right.”

Noticing my lukewarm reaction, contrary to his expectations, Tom asked.

“Is there a problem with the name?”
“Not exactly, but I think it could cause issues down the road.”
“What do you mean by that?”

Seeing Tom Harper’s puzzled expression, I explained my reasoning.

“You developed the web browser, but the National Center for Supercomputing Applications owns all the rights to it.”
“Yeah.”

Tom Harper winced slightly and nodded, as this was the most painful aspect of the situation.

“If you announce you’re developing a new web browser, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications will obviously be unhappy. But if you use the name Mosaic as-is, how do you think they’ll react?”
“Mosaic is a name I came up with.”

Tom Harper protested indignantly.
I gave him a sympathetic look, but this was one point I couldn’t compromise on.

“I understand your frustration, but since the National Center for Supercomputing Applications holds all the related rights, it’s not yours to use.”
“Damn it.”

Tom Harper understood intellectually but couldn’t accept it emotionally, and his frustration boiled over.
Then Landon Shore, who had been quietly listening beside us, interjected.

“The representative is correct. If the National Center for Supercomputing Applications takes issue with it, we could face serious problems later.”
“I share the same opinion.”

Even the Lawyer who had come with us agreed with my assessment, and Tom Harper bit his lower lip hard, unable to hide his sense of injustice.
But Tom Harper wasn’t a stubborn child, so he soon calmed his anger and spoke.

“You’re right. There’s no undoing this, so insisting would only make me look foolish.”

Seeing him accept the advice without further resistance, I felt inwardly relieved.
In fact, in the history before my regression, when I established Mosaic Communications, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications sued Tom Harper for patent infringement, citing his use of the Mosaic name and his recruitment of developers who had worked with them.

‘Even if we don’t use the Mosaic name, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications will find some way to pick a fight, but it’s still best to avoid giving them ammunition.’

Since Tom Harper’s fundamental philosophy and direction were entirely embedded in how the web browser would be developed, a patent dispute with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications seemed inevitable during the development process.
I could deal with that later, but for now I was satisfied that we’d avoided using a company name that could invite controversy.
I glanced at Tom Harper, who was wearing a stern expression, and casually offered a comment.

“What do you think about Netscape as the company name?”

Tom furrowed his brow upon hearing my proposal.

“I’ve never heard that word before.”
“It’s a combination of ‘Network,’ which refers to the internet, and ‘Escape,’ which means to break free or embark on an adventure. I came up with it myself.”

Though the true creator stood right before me, I continued speaking with composure.

“It represents a gateway to exploring new worlds through the internet. What do you think?”
“Netscape….”

After repeating the name aloud several times, Tom’s eyes suddenly gleamed with enthusiasm.

“It’s easy to remember and rolls off the tongue beautifully. More than anything, the idea of a gateway to explore new worlds through the internet is absolutely perfect for a web browser company.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? It’s far superior to Mosaic Communications.”

Tom even clapped his hands in genuine delight.
It was only natural that he was pleased, since Tom Harper himself was the one who had originally coined the compound word and used it as the company name.

“So, we should start looking for an office first, right?”

Tom shook his head in disagreement.

“No, there’s something we need to do before that.”
“What is it?”
“We need to bring in the colleagues who worked with me on Mosaic Communications.”
“The National Center for Supercomputing Applications is a national research institute, and this is just a startup. Do you really think they’ll be willing to leave so easily?”

Tom shook his head reassuringly at my concern.

“The people who joined later are just chaff. The real core—the ones who matter—are the student researchers who worked with me from the very beginning.”

Tom Harper himself was still a student who hadn’t even graduated yet.

“They’re just like me—they haven’t taken action yet. But they’re deeply frustrated with how the National Center for Supercomputing Applications meddles in our work and dismisses our achievements with Mosaic Communications.”

If the National Center for Supercomputing Applications had treated Tom, the principal architect of Mosaic Communications, so poorly, the other student researchers would surely feel the same way.

“If I go and persuade them, they’ll definitely come here and work with us.”

Watching Tom speak with such confidence, I nodded slightly.

‘Since we developed Mosaic Communications together, their abilities are already proven, and working with colleagues we’ve coordinated with will significantly reduce development time.’

Moreover, we could bring over the technology and experience we’d acquired while creating Mosaic Communications, making it advantageous in multiple ways.

‘Of course, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications will be furious when they find out we’ve taken their development personnel.’

But ultimately, the responsibility lay with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications for failing to treat the student researchers properly and neglecting them.

‘And besides, if we end up creating a new web browser, we’ll inevitably clash with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications anyway. There’s no reason to take the easy path around it.’

Moreover, with Microsoft as a formidable competitor, I had no idea when they would develop and release their own web browser, so there was no room for hesitation.

‘Even if it becomes a problem later, right now the priority is to seize the market as quickly as possible.’

Having thought that far, I looked at Tom and spoke.

“Even if they have complaints, leaving a stable position to come here won’t be an easy decision.”
“That’s… probably not easy.”

Tom himself had gone through considerable deliberation when leaving the National Center for Supercomputing Applications to come to Silicon Valley, so this was something he could understand.

“Passion is good, but you need to offer them appropriate treatment and compensation. That’s why you left the National Center for Supercomputing Applications in the first place.”
“You’re right. Asking them to work together without any guarantees would be selfish greed.”

Tom, realizing this wasn’t a trivial matter, nodded heavily.

“It would be better to grant stock options so that as the company grows, they can share in the profits. That way, the new members joining would work with even greater motivation.”

As the company grew, the value of the stock options they received would increase as well, so they would work harder and more proactively.

“Yes! That would work perfectly. It’s a really good idea.”

Tom accepted my suggestion with delight.
After that, I continued to have in-depth conversations with Tom, generously offering various pieces of advice on how to manage the company.

* * *

After finalizing the contract, I checked out of the hotel and rode in a limousine with Landon Shore toward San Francisco Airport.
As I leaned back against the plush seat, watching the landscape blur past the car window,
Landon Shore, sitting beside me, glanced at my mood before speaking carefully.

“From what I’ve heard, you haven’t even graduated from university yet, so I’m not sure if a two-million-dollar investment is worth it.”
“Do you think I’m wasting money?”

I turned my head and cast a sidelong glance at Landon Shore.

“I’m sure you have your reasons for investing, but frankly, I’m skeptical about whether we can generate sufficient returns.”

It was understandable—not only did the company lack an office, it hadn’t even been officially established yet, and the so-called CEO was a green, fresh-faced youth on the verge of graduating university.
I smiled faintly, as if I’d expected him to think exactly this way.

“Last time, I acquired shares in Cisco.”
“Yes.”
“At that time, I must have mentioned that the internet would become an enormous goldmine in the future.”

Watching Landon Shore listen quietly, I continued.

“If Cisco is the company laying the railroad tracks that enable internet usage, then Netscape will serve as the helmsman navigating the vast seas of the internet.”
“So both companies are essential to using the internet, then.”
“Exactly.”

Landon Shore, whose brow had been furrowed, finally relaxed his expression.
While he didn’t fully grasp the blueprint I was painting, he at least understood that this wasn’t a hasty venture—it was a calculated investment made with deliberate consideration of the internet as a new form of business. That much reassured him somewhat.
Of course, it was only slight consolation; Landon Shore remained skeptical about this investment.

‘If we can at least recover the principal, that would be fortunate.’

As if sensing his true thoughts, I smiled meaningfully.

“How about we make a wager?”

When Landon Shore looked at me with a puzzled expression, I grinned.

“I’ll wager that Netscape’s corporate valuation will exceed one billion dollars within five years—no, three years.”
“Pardon? That’s absurd.”

Landon Shore barely suppressed a hollow laugh as he spoke.

“I understand your optimism about this investment, but surely you recognize that such a target is utterly unrealistic.”

For someone proposing a wager with such confidence, the terms were remarkably preposterous.

“A company that’s barely been established reaching a valuation of one billion dollars—not one hundred million, but one billion—in three years? It’s impossible.”

Though Landon Shore spoke with such certainty, I only deepened my smile as I replied.

“Isn’t venture investing precisely about discovering pearls buried in mud, taking risks, and reaping substantial returns? I believe Netscape is exactly such a gem.”

I withdrew a hundred-dollar bill from my wallet and held it in my hand.

“I have no doubt whatsoever that it will be the unicorn that delivers me a magnificent jackpot.”

After observing my unwavering conviction for a moment, Landon Shore accepted the hundred-dollar bill I offered.

“Very well. Let’s make this wager. I hope your investment succeeds, but I suspect I’ll be the one walking away victorious this time.”
“We shall see. Time will tell.”

I laughed with absolute confidence.
Landon Shore, observing my expression—one that harbored not the slightest doubt of losing—initially hesitated before shaking his head.

‘There’s no way that could happen.’

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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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