Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 88

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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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88. Now the real crisis has begun.

The late afternoon sun, which had blazed relentlessly throughout the day, was losing its intensity as it descended toward the western horizon.
At a table in the crowded Outdoor Cafe, Roy sat alone, his tousled brown hair still disheveled.
In his loose shirt and jeans, Roy looked much the same as he had during his university days.
Quenching his thirst with beer beneath the parasol’s shade, he was casually munching on a slice of pizza when someone approached and spoke to him.

“We were supposed to have dinner together. Why are you eating pizza? Were you that hungry?”

As Roy looked up, a familiar face was gazing down at him, just as expected.

“You’re here.”

Waving his oil-stained fingers, Roy spoke, and Seok-won let out a soft chuckle.
Even among Westerners, Seok-won’s towering height stood out, and his handsome features rivaled those of accomplished actors. When he smiled, revealing his white teeth, he looked like he’d stepped straight out of a magazine spread.
His loosely unbuttoned linen shirt and Ray-Ban sunglasses complemented him so perfectly that even Roy, who paid little attention to fashion, suddenly felt self-conscious about his own casual attire and found himself glancing down at his shirt.
Glancing around, Roy noticed that the eyes of every woman in the Outdoor Cafe—the Female Servers and customers alike—were fixed entirely on Seok-won, and he clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Tsk.”
“What’s wrong?”
“For the sake of other men, you should always wear a hat when you go out. Or at least cover your face with a mask.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Seok-won tilted his head in confusion and sat down in the empty chair across from Roy.
Watching him, Roy’s appetite suddenly vanished. He set down the pizza he was holding onto his plate and asked out of the blue.

“Are you getting some kind of skincare treatment these days?”
“Skincare treatment? Why have you been spouting nonsense since earlier?”
“Your skin looks whiter than mine, and I’m Caucasian.”

It was a remark that could easily be misunderstood, but Seok-won, knowing that Roy was the type who lived without much thought, brushed it off casually.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just the sunscreen I’ve been applying.”
“Sunscreen? What man uses sunscreen? That’s something only women use.”

At Roy’s petulant tone, Seok-won responded with a derisive laugh of his own.

“This neighborhood gets brutal sun anyway. If you go around without sunscreen, you’ll fry in no time. You should be careful too.”
“I don’t need that kind of thing.”

Roy deliberately insisted, then grabbed the remaining pizza and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing.

“Speaking of which, why does your face look so gaunt all of a sudden?”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Your dark circles have dropped to your jaw, and your skin looks all dull and flaky. You look like someone who pulled an all-nighter for a whole week.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“What do you mean it’s not? Let me show you a mirror.”
“Ugh, come on.”

Roy smacked his lips and suddenly flared up.

“You try working in front of a computer day and night like it’s your daily bread, and you’ll end up like this.”

Seok-won recalled the sight of Tom Harper and the half-zombified employees he’d seen at the Netscape Office, and looked at Roy with a sympathetic gaze.

“Poor guy.”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Stop it.”
“If it’s that hard, why don’t you just switch to a different job now? I can look into it for you.”
“No need. Nobody’s pushing me. I’m doing this because I want to.”

Roy wiped the grease off his hands with a napkin, answering as if it were nothing.

“Really?”

Seok-won sensed that this wasn’t mere bravado but genuine conviction, and nodded quietly.
Come to think of it, Roy wasn’t alone—Tom and the Netscape employees were the same way.
No matter how much they were ordered from above, without passion and determination for their work, they couldn’t dedicate themselves so relentlessly, pouring everything into it.

“In that case, if you ever leave the company later, invest in me then.”

Roy leaned back as he spoke.
Seok-won looked at him with curiosity and asked.

“Are you planning to start your own business?”
“Not right now….”

Roy scratched the back of his head with one hand as he answered.

“Actually, I tried out the new web browser beta version you sent me, and an idea came to mind.”
“What kind of idea?”

Seok-won knew better than anyone that Roy possessed exceptional talent in the computer field, so he looked at him with interest.

“It’s not quite ready to discuss yet. I’ll tell you once things become a bit clearer.”
“Fair enough. Let me know once you’re ready.”

With that, Seok-won didn’t press further and readily stepped back.

“That said, no matter how close we are as friends, I can’t invest if the concept isn’t solid.”
“Of course. I don’t like half-baked ideas either, so don’t worry.”

Seeing Roy respond without any hint of disappointment, he smiled slightly.
Just then, a Female Server in an apron approached and asked Seok-won.

“What can I get for you?”

Seok-won glanced at the beer Roy had ordered and said.

“I’ll have the same as him, please.”
“One moment, please.”

As the Female Server disappeared with a smile, Seok-won gestured with his chin toward the empty plate on the table.

“How can you manage dinner after just eating pizza?”
“This is just a palate cleanser. I’ve saved plenty of room for dinner, so don’t worry.”

As Seok-won shook his head in resignation, the Female Server returned with the beer.

“Your beer is ready.”

The beer in the transparent glass was filled to the brim with a pristine white foam that looked incredibly refreshing just to behold.
As Seok-won lifted the glass and took a sip, the sensation of bubbles bursting mingled with a crisp coolness that flowed down his throat, instantly dispelling the heat.
Seok-won swallowed the beer with a satisfied expression and set the glass down.

“Ah, perhaps it’s the heat, but it tastes even better.”

Seok-won wiped the foam from his lips with the back of his hand and glanced at Roy.

“Anyway, how was the beta version?”

The day after Seok-won verified the completed new web browser, beta testing immediately began with a thousand pre-selected users.
Naturally, Roy, who had connections with both Seok-won and Tom Harper, participated as a beta tester.
Today’s meeting served both purposes—catching up after a long time and directly asking how the new web browser felt from a user’s perspective.

“To be honest, I was quite surprised.”
“In what way?”

Roy answered seriously to the question posed as Seok-won leaned slightly forward.

“I expected there to be quite a few rough spots since it’s a beta version.”

It was only natural to think that way, since beta testing itself was meant to identify any errors not yet discovered before official release.

“But when I actually used it, the polish was so high that it could launch officially right now without any issues.”
“Still, there must have been something lacking, right?”
“No. Not at all.”

Roy shook his head and continued.

“I’ve only used it for four days, but from what I’ve experienced so far, there’s nothing to fault. The performance is far superior to Mosaic, which is currently considered the best web browser available. There’s nothing more to say, really.”
“That’s a relief then.”

While Seok-won thought it was fine, I had been anxiously awaiting the beta test results, uncertain what expert computer specialists would think.
But hearing Roy’s high praise lifted a weight from my shoulders.

“Not only can it play multimedia content—various images, videos, and audio—but the ability to expand functionality through plug-ins was excellent.”

Roy’s eyes sparkled as he passionately poured out his impressions.

“There are many advantages, but do you know what I liked most?”
“What?”
“The fact that despite supporting so many features, the program remains lightweight.”

At those words, Seok-won tilted his head in puzzlement.

“The difference in capacity isn’t that significant anyway.”

Roy stared at me as if I’d lost my mind, then launched into an impassioned tirade, spittle flying.

“Standard hard drives max out at 850MB and RAM is only 4MB to 8MB—how do you expect heavy programs to run properly? That’s the most critical factor!”

Listening to his explanation, I realized my mistake.

‘Right. This was the era when hard drive capacity was so limited that we had to save everything to floppy disks instead.’

Considering that before my regression, a single movie file consumed 3 to 5 gigabytes, I could appreciate just how remarkably—how exponentially—computer performance had advanced.

“Mosaic was fast enough initially, but with every update, they kept piling on more features, making it bloated and sluggish now. But this program is not only far superior in functionality—it’s lightweight too. The game’s over.”

Roy spoke with absolute certainty, as if making a solemn vow.

“When it officially launches, I’d bet money it’ll bury Mosaic completely.”
“So it’s that good?”

When I pressed for confirmation, Roy nodded, his expression tinged with envy.

“Yeah. That Tom guy is definitely a genius for creating something like this.”

Roy sighed softly.

“If I’d known, I would’ve invested in Tom myself.”
“Why didn’t you?”

I asked with a smile, and Roy rolled his eyes in frustration.

“I’m not loaded like you. Where would I get that kind of money? Successful people always land on their feet—they could fall on their face and still pick up a gold ring. The world’s just unfair, that’s all.”

If I let him continue, he’d keep grumbling indefinitely, so I placated him.

“Fine. I’ll buy dinner.”
“That’s not nearly enough. You’re covering all the drinks tonight. I’m going to empty my pockets completely.”

Roy’s response was dismissive, and I burst out laughing.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

When I thought about the money I’d earn later by taking Netscape public, that much was nothing I couldn’t afford to give.

* * *

After observing the beta test progress smoothly for a few more days, Seok-won boarded the business jet again and headed to New York.
Once he unpacked his luggage at the Plaza Hotel Penthouse where he always stayed, Seok-won didn’t open his eyes until late morning.
Yawning as he rose from bed and drew open the bedroom curtains, brilliant sunlight poured in unobstructed.

“Ugh. So bright.”

Seok-won reflexively squinted and leaned diagonally against the window frame, admiring the view outside.
The deep verdant foliage of Central Park and the towering buildings beyond it never grew tiresome to behold.
After briefly savoring the scenery and shaking off the remnants of sleep, Seok-won draped an indoor robe over his shoulders and stepped out of the bedroom.
Just then, hearing the doorbell ring from outside, he opened the suite door to find a neatly uniformed Hotel staff member standing before a trolley with a slight bow.

“Room service.”

Only then did Seok-won remember that he’d requested breakfast service before bed, and he stepped slightly aside.

“Come in.”
“Thank you for having me.”

The Hotel staff member pushed the trolley into the suite and asked Seok-won.

“Where would you like me to set up breakfast?”
“On the terrace, please.”
“Understood.”

The Hotel staff member promptly pushed the trolley toward the terrace.
True to its penthouse status, the terrace was spacious, adorned with pristine railings and flowers that complemented the Hotel’s refined atmosphere perfectly.
With practiced efficiency, the Hotel staff member spread a white tablecloth across the table and arranged each dish one by one.

“Please enjoy your meal.”

Once the Hotel staff member finished setting up breakfast and offered a greeting, Seok-won handed over a prepared tip.
The generous gratuity—twice what was customary—naturally made the Hotel staff member’s demeanor even more courteous.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

Once the Hotel staff member had left the room, Seok-won sauntered out onto the terrace and lifted the silver covers one by one.
A lavish spread awaited him—freshly baked croissants, scrambled eggs, bacon, crisp salad, and fresh fruit arranged with meticulous care.
Seok-won poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot, settled into a chair, and savored the rich aroma of the beans.

“Mmm. Excellent aroma.”

As I sipped the coffee, my mind finally felt clear and sharp.
My appetite naturally returning, I picked up a warm croissant and took a delicate bite.
The rich butter flavor mingled with a subtle nuttiness, filling my mouth completely.
I chewed thoughtfully on the croissant while unfolding the newspaper that had been brought with breakfast.
A headline on the front page immediately captured my attention.

[Ernesto Cedillo Elected President of Mexico!
In yesterday’s presidential election, Ernesto Cedillo, the ruling party’s candidate, secured victory with 48.7% of the vote.
Born the son of an electrician, Cedillo grew up in difficult circumstances, working as a shoe shiner among other hardships, yet never lost hope. Through his sharp intellect and tireless effort, he earned a doctorate in economics from Yale University in the United States.
Subsequently, as a seasoned bureaucrat who served in the Bank of Mexico and the Ministry of Planning and Budget, he is now regarded as the ideal candidate to stabilize Mexico amid its recent foreign exchange crisis.
Meanwhile….]

Staring down at the photograph of the newly elected President Cedillo standing before his supporters with a radiant smile, waving his hand, I muttered to myself.

“Now the real crisis begins.”

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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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