Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 74

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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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74. Trust me and leave it to me.

Inside a Gulfstream IV business jet cruising at ten thousand feet above the earth.
Seok-won sat in a spacious leather seat, dressed in a bespoke black suit, his expression slightly tense.
The moment I received Tom’s call, I chartered a private jet and flew directly toward San Francisco, where Silicon Valley lay waiting.
As I turned my gaze toward the window, I peered beneath the circular porthole and beheld an endless expanse of pristine white clouds stretching across the landscape below.
At that moment, Landon Shore, seated across from me, set down the thick stack of documents he’d been reviewing onto the table and spoke.

“Hmm. This won’t be easy.”
“Do you think we’re at a disadvantage?”

At my question, Landon Shore removed the glasses he’d been wearing while examining the lawsuit documents and answered.

“The problem isn’t just bringing in NCSA personnel, but the most troubling issue is that the framework of the newly developed web browser is virtually identical to Mosaic.”
“Since Tom Harper was the one who originally conceived the idea and spearheaded Mosaic’s development, it’s inevitable.”

As I recalled, NCSA discovered that Tom Harper had begun developing a new web browser in Silicon Valley and immediately filed a lawsuit against Netscape, claiming intellectual property infringement.

“That said, as you know, sir, as long as NCSA holds all the relevant patents and source code rather than Tom, we won’t have an easy time winning if this goes to trial.”
“What do you estimate our chances of winning to be?”

Landon Shore didn’t answer immediately, hesitating for a moment before speaking.

“To be honest, it’s fifty percent or less.”
“If our win rate is below fifty percent, that means winning at trial will be difficult.”

Since Landon Shore’s role in accompanying me to Silicon Valley was to provide precise legal counsel, I spoke without reservation, laying out the facts as they were.

“That’s correct. The best course of action is to reach an amicable settlement with NCSA.”

In the original timeline, when NCSA filed the lawsuit, Tom Harper bristled and the case went to trial.

‘But ultimately, just as Landon Shore mentioned, it ended in a settlement.’

From Tom Harper’s perspective—having conceived the original idea and spearheaded its development—the situation was infuriating, but since NCSA held all the intellectual property rights, it was a battle lost from the start.
Even knowing all of this, I partnered with Tom Harper and invested in Netscape because the potential value far exceeded these obstacles.

‘Most importantly, NCSA still doesn’t fully grasp just how valuable the Mosaic web browser they hold in their hands truly is.’

While I certainly had intentions of protecting intellectual property with this lawsuit, my greater grievance stemmed from the fact that they hadn’t merely developed a new web browser independently—they’d poached a significant portion of my research staff.

“What exactly are they demanding?”

With an additional four million dollars invested and substantial capital already committed, the company faced closure before it could even launch.
Yet despite this dire situation, I remained utterly composed, which prompted Landon Shore to inwardly shake his head in admiration before responding.

“They’re demanding either that you cease development of web browsers based on Mosaic, or acknowledge their intellectual property rights and pay fifty cents in royalties per browser sold.”

Upon hearing this, Seok-won let out a hollow laugh.

“They’re demanding royalties before we’ve even launched a single browser? That’s essentially telling us not to build it at all.”

The internet was only taking its first tentative steps, so no viable business model existed yet.
Because of this, virtually all programs—Mosaic included—were effectively distributed free of charge, except to corporations.
But if we had to pay fifty cents per unit in royalties, not only would we lose any chance at market dominance, we’d face bankruptcy the moment we launched due to unsustainable losses.

“NCSA knows full well this demand is unreasonable.”

Observing him with his arms crossed, Landon Shore continued calmly.

“If we file a countersuit to buy time while negotiating, we should be able to reach a settlement at a reasonable figure.”

Since this was the most prudent approach, I nodded slightly.

“We’re pressed for time and can’t afford to be held back by this. I need to hear Tom’s thoughts as well, so let’s discuss our response strategy when we meet, and prepare a rough settlement figure in the meantime.”
“Understood.”

After receiving his acknowledgment, I settled deeper into the plush seat, methodically organizing my thoughts on how best to resolve this matter.

* * *

Shortly after arriving at San Francisco Airport and disembarking from the business jet, Seok-won climbed into the limousine that had been waiting with Landon Shore and headed straight for Silicon Valley.
Netscape, having received an additional 4 million dollars in investment from Seok-won, had leased an entire floor of a building located on the outskirts of Silicon Valley to use as its office.
In the meantime, the number of working employees had grown considerably, well exceeding forty people.
While there were some newly hired staff, most were core personnel who had developed Mosaic with Tom at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.
Perhaps because they worked in IT and were all relatively young, the employees’ attire was far more casual than what one would see in Korea.
To exaggerate slightly, they looked as though they had rolled out of bed at home and come straight to work.
Moreover, the desks partitioned by dividers were so cluttered they resembled a garbage dump.
Coffee-stained paper cups, crushed cola cans, crumpled papers, and torn snack wrappers lay scattered haphazardly, while disheveled employees with tired faces hunched over their monitors, working intently.
With unkempt, matted hair of indeterminate last-wash date, faces etched with exhaustion, and dark circles hanging beneath their eyes, they were the very picture of software developers.
Guided by a young employee in jeans and a polo shirt into the Executive Office, I found Tom Harper—who had been hunched over a cluttered desk rapidly typing at the keyboard—suddenly spring to his feet to greet me.

“Welcome!”

Though called an Executive Office, the space was smaller than a university dormitory room, sparsely furnished with only a desk equipped with a computer and a five-person sofa.
The trash bin beneath the desk overflowed with empty disposable coffee cups and sandwich wrappers, while discarded clothes and blankets lay carelessly scattered across the sofa.
Seeing this, Seok-won furrowed his brow and asked.

“You’re not actually eating and sleeping here at the office instead of going home, are you?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Tom shrugged as though it were obvious.

“The schedule is tight if we’re going to complete the web browser we’re developing by the end of this year. There’s no time to rest.”

Tom casually rolled up the blanket and clothes scattered on the sofa and shoved them into one corner, then gestured for me to sit.
Looking at the sofa—dust accumulated thickly in its crevices, a mystery as to when it was last cleaned—I shook my head and sat down beside Landon Shore.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

Seok-won glanced at the pile of disposable coffee cups stacked on the desk.
Looking at the state of the office, I wondered if there was actually anything fit to serve a guest.
It would be fortunate if the cups were even washed, so I waved my hand in polite refusal.

“It’s fine, just sit.”

Seok-won spoke with a worried expression as Tom took the seat across from me.

“Work is important, but you need to take care of your health too. At this rate, you’ll collapse before you even finish the development.”
“This is nothing. When we were developing Mosaic, I practically lived in the lab for months.”

Tom, who had been speaking, suddenly ground his teeth with an infuriated expression.

“After all that effort to create Mosaic, they have the audacity to sue us for intellectual property infringement! Just to teach those damn NCSA bastards a lesson, I’m going to finish development and launch a new web browser as soon as possible.”

He already harbored ill feelings toward NCSA, which had neglected him and practically driven him out. Now, having received the lawsuit, his fury seemed to reach a boiling point.
Watching Tom like this, Seok-won asked calmly.

“You’ve reviewed the contents of the lawsuit, haven’t you?”

Tom’s expression twisted.

“Fifty cents in royalties per browser? Are these people insane? That’s basically telling us to shut down the company!”
“I anticipated this from the beginning, so there’s no need to get worked up.”

Tom, who had been fuming and sputtering, seemed to cool down a bit upon seeing Seok-won’s composed demeanor, and soon his expression turned apologetic.

“You’ve invested such a substantial amount in me. I feel terrible about this.”
“This was something we’d have to deal with eventually anyway. It would have been far more troublesome if this had happened after the new web browser’s launch. In a way, the timing is fortunate.”

Though angered by NCSA’s actions, Tom was also deeply concerned. He leaned forward in his seat and spoke.

“These aren’t just threats—they’re serious enough to actually follow through with a lawsuit. So what do we do now?”

At that, Seok-won turned his head and directed his gaze toward Landon Shore, who sat beside him.

“Legal matters are Landon’s specialty, not mine. Would you explain the situation instead?”

Tom looked at Landon Shore with desperate eyes.
Landon gave a light cough and explained the countermeasures he had prepared on the way.

“There are two possible courses of action.”
“What are they?”
“First, we file a countersuit against NCSA in the California Federal Court. While it’s true that all intellectual property rights are attributed to NCSA, it’s undeniable that Tom Harper and the other employees who transferred here made significant contributions to Mosaic’s development.”
“Significant contributions? We built the entire thing! The people still at NCSA didn’t write a single line of source code for Mosaic!”

Tom grew agitated and vented his frustration, but Landon Shore, true to his background as a lawyer, maintained a composed demeanor.

“You may feel wronged, but legally, all rights to Mosaic belong entirely to the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.”
“Damn it!”
“Moreover, since developers who worked at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications have been defecting en masse to Netscape to build a new web browser, this will also work against us in court.”

Tom asked, his spirit visibly dampened by the unfavorable situation from every angle.

“Then what’s the second option?”
“We reach a settlement with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.”

The moment Tom heard those words, his eyebrows furrowed.
His hardened gaze and tightly pressed lips made it abundantly clear that he found this proposal utterly unacceptable.
Observing Tom’s reaction, Landon Shore spoke in a persuasive tone.

“I mentioned this to the CEO on the way here, but if we go to trial, we might be able to drag things out, but the likelihood of winning is extremely low.”

Tom’s indignant expression faltered, and his shoulders sagged as he listened further.

“I’m sure you understand the reasons why, Mr. Harper.”
“Hmm…”
“If we lose in court, we’ll have to compensate for all the costs incurred so far, and the settlement amount could increase significantly. More critically, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications might use the verdict as a pretext to block the release of the web browser they’re developing entirely.”
“…Surely not that far.”
“If they want to make an example of Netscape to prevent similar incidents in the future, it’s entirely possible.”

If that truly happened, Netscape would stumble before even taking its first step.
Tom’s expression grew grave as he absorbed the implications.

“But they’re making demands that are so unreasonable and absurd—how can we possibly agree to them?”

Then Seok-won, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, straightened up and interjected.

“Of course, I have no intention of accepting the National Center for Supercomputing Applications’ demands as they are. We’ll negotiate on reasonable terms.”
“Is that even possible?”

Seok-won spoke with confident assurance.

“It may not be easy, but we’ll make it work.”

Then, looking at Tom, who still wore an anxious expression, he continued.

“I’d like to handle the negotiations with National Center for Supercomputing Applications directly with full authority. Would that be alright?”
“You’re going to step in personally?”

Tom asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

“That’s right. Netscape is a company we built together, so I can’t just stand idle with my hands behind my back.”

As Seok-won nodded, Tom’s face finally relaxed with relief.

“I’ve been worried about how to handle those guys anyway. If you’re willing to step up, I’m truly grateful.”
“Good. I’ll handle this matter, so don’t worry about anything else and focus entirely on web browser development.”
“Are you really sure about that?”
“Trust me and leave it to me.”

It was undoubtedly a difficult task, but Tom found himself believing that Seok-won could pull it off somehow.
With the arrival of such a dependable ally, the weight he’d been carrying in his heart for days began to lift.

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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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