New Employees With an Annual Salary of 1 Trillion Won - Chapter 185

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 185. Starting Line (5)

Bzzzz-!

The mobile phone in my pocket vibrated.

I answered the call to test the call quality, and the result was satisfactory.

“The call quality isn’t bad.”

“We transplanted the existing mobile phone components as they were. So it looks ugly, but it works properly.”

From the speaker to Mike.

Mobile phone components were stuck all over the iPod.

It had no commercial value as it was, but I didn’t mind.

“Is the Wi-Fi installation also completed?”

“That’s right. We modified and attached a USB Wi-Fi Module for laptops. We tried to miniaturize it, but since the iPod is so small, it sticks out a bit.”

It wasn’t just a bit.

More than half of the module was sticking out.

But as long as it worked properly, it didn’t matter at all.

“Then let’s try downloading a file.”

“You can access the Rollbook Server and download test files.”

We built a separate server for today.

We directly edited videos into a format playable on the iPod.

And we configured a System so those videos could be downloaded through a dedicated server.

I accessed the server and pressed the download button.

The speed was slow, but the file was gradually downloaded.

It took 5 minutes for the download to complete, and I played the test video through the iPod.

“It plays without problems.”

“Since it’s a file converted to iPod-exclusive format, this video plays smoothly, but if you put in other videos, the ratio will be distorted and screen corruption will occur.”

“Don’t worry about that part since we can make a separate conversion Program.”

Manager Park scratched his head.

In his eyes, the modified iPod would seem meaningless.

But in my eyes, it was more beautiful than any work of art.

Every time each function operated.

I could hear heavenly harmony, and the stagnant Gear Structure was moving rapidly.

“All the main functions are working.”

“Call function, Wi-Fi function, video playback, and even Game are possible. Though only low-spec Game are possible.”

“This is sufficient. As promised, I’ll give everyone a special Bonus.”

I took out a bundle of Envelope I had prepared in advance.

And I distributed one Envelope each to all 40 members of the Prototype Department.

The Employees slightly opened the Envelope to check inside, then looked at each other with surprised faces.

“You’re giving us this much?”

“It’s the first special Bonus I’m giving, so I put in a little more. I heard you worked hard for 2 weeks without even going Home.”

“We’ll gratefully accept it.”

1 million won Bonus per person.

It wasn’t that large an amount.

But they were happy to receive a Bonus despite creating an ugly Prototype.

“Now I’ll give new work instructions.”

“Whatever instructions, we’ll definitely accomplish them!”

The power of Bonus was tremendous.

Once they received money, the Employees’ attitude completely changed.

With immediate rewards following, they began to accept work like the next stage of a Game.

“The new work is organizing this iPod.”

“Organizing… you mean separating the Network Line and putting the modules and components attached outside into the main body?”

“Correct. The size can change. However, it must be a size that can be held with one hand. Even if it’s completely different from the iPod, just make it portable.”

It sounded easy,

but it was actually far from simple.

Numerous modules and components were connected through external Network Line to implement various functions.

To integrate all of that into one device would require Modification at the level of redesigning and manufacturing virtually all components.

“There are many areas lacking in our capabilities.”

“What areas are lacking? I’ll provide all support generously.”

“To integrate into one device, we ultimately need dedicated Semiconductor. And only Semiconductor companies can design and manufacture that.”

“You’re saying we need an integrated Semiconductor System that combines multiple Semiconductor into one.”

“Only then is integration into one device possible.”

I removed the iPod’s case.

Inside were countless Semiconductor packed tightly.

CPU, DSP, RF chips, memory, power management chips, audio codec chips.

Chips with different roles were intertwined with each other.

To connect such various Semiconductor, spacing and wiring between chips were essential.

The problem was that the spacing and wiring led to space waste, inevitably making the board area unnecessarily large.

“If we made these Semiconductor into one, how much could the area be reduced?”

“Since spacing between chips disappears and wiring is unified… wouldn’t it reduce by at least 30% to maximum 60%?”

Semiconductor arranged at regular intervals.

They looked organized on the surface, but subtle discord was leaking from within.

There were many redundant functions, and it was noise created by each chip moving separately.

Though connected to each other, there wasn’t a single part that truly meshed, so I felt strong discomfort.

“We’ll proceed with the design and manufacture of integrated Semiconductor chips through Daehyeon Semiconductor. Please focus only on minimizing the remaining components and organizing the internal structure.”

“If such Semiconductor chips are completed, making it into one device isn’t impossible either.”

“Since this work will take long, I promise an even bigger Bonus.”

“We’ll work hard!”

Manager Park and all Employees nodded in unison.

Fire was already lit in their eyes.

I felt the same way.

Wanting to complete it as soon as possible, I directly took a helicopter and flew to Daehyeon Semiconductor.

***

As soon as I got off the helicopter, I immediately looked for President Gelsinger.

To greet me who came without notice, he ran up the Stairs in his work clothes.

“What brings you here so suddenly?”

“Sorry for coming without notice. There’s an urgent matter to handle.”

“What kind of matter?”

“I want to create a new integrated Semiconductor System.”

I showed him the iPod Prototype video.

And I told him that an integrated Semiconductor System was needed to mount all functions in one device.

And President Gelsinger understood my meaning immediately.

He mentioned similar Technology.

“Are you talking about SoC?”

“Similar but different.”

“In what way is it different?”

System on chip.

Several companies were already using integrated System Semiconductor under the name SoC.

But what I wanted wasn’t a System that just pretended to bundle things together.

“Right now it’s just at the level of putting multiple functions on one chip. And there aren’t even many functions.”

You want a concept one level above SoC.”

“It must be an integrated form from CPU to GPU, modem, and even ISP. While being capable of heat control and considering power efficiency.”

President Gelsinger frowned.

This meant that the integrated semiconductor system I wanted was that difficult.

“We need to make the impossible possible to secure technology that’s ahead of other places.”

“But with current processes, there’s no way to control heat generation and interference. GPUs have different dedicated voltage levels, and modems have serious signal interference.”

President Gelsinger explained the reasons why it was impossible point by point.

I also knew all those problems, but I didn’t stop.

“Still, it’s technology that will come out someday. Then we need to start first. Of course, I’m not saying we’ll create a complete version from the beginning. If we solve problems one by one step by step, we can complete it someday.”

“It seems like it will be a large-scale project. At least a hundred engineers will need to be deployed, and we’ll need to bring in the latest equipment to proceed from design to manufacturing.”

“I’ll support everything.”

Money wasn’t a concern.

I had already secured massive funds through the Iraq War for today.

“The most important thing is we need to raise Daehyeon Semiconductor’s process technology first. To make the semiconductor system the Branch Manager wants, 130-nanometer process is impossible. We need to go down to at least 90 nanometers or below to achieve power efficiency.”

“When can you develop 90-nanometer?”

“Actually, Samjin Electronics has already succeeded in developing 90-nanometer and is preparing for mass production next year. But we just finished developing 110-nanometer and are just now starting 90-nanometer development.”

A one-generation technology gap.

It would take at least two years to bridge that gap.

That’s why I had aggressively recruited engineers to cut that time in half.

“So how long will it take?”

“I’ll try to cut the time in half. No matter how late, I’ll succeed in developing 90-nanometer within this year.”

“Good. And please also proceed with integrated system semiconductor design simultaneously. If a perfect new-concept SoC is impossible, we need to go with creating semiconductor sets.”

“You mean semiconductor chip sets? Understood. I’ll proceed with research using that concept as direction.”

We couldn’t create a complete version from the beginning.

It was still a technological transition period.

So as an alternative, we had to start development with a structure that bundled multiple chips in set form.

If we accumulated technology through that process.

Someday we could create a true SoC, a completely integrated system semiconductor.

***

I went to work at the Tiger Fund Office.

The employees’ faces exuded leisure.

Even without checking market indices, I could guess enough from the atmosphere alone.

“Branch Manager, the market is showing rapid recovery after the Iraq War ended.”

“Faster than expected. With this trend, we can expect stable returns with just our basic portfolio.”

“That’s right. The profits secured during the war were so large that there seems to be no need to push ourselves now.”

But I didn’t let my guard down.

Just because the war ended didn’t mean all risks had disappeared.

A single new global variable could shake the market at any time.

So every morning, I checked worldwide economic trends through Omnis.

“Is there anything special?”

“One strange trend has been detected.”

“What is it?”

“Pneumonia of unknown cause is spreading in Southern China. It’s already spread to Hong Kong, and Omnis automatically issued a warning.”

Infectious disease.

It was the most unpredictable variable that could shock the economy.

The ripple effects varied drastically depending on transmission power, fear, and government response speed.

“What’s the current Omnis warning level?”

“Level 2. But the spread is fast, so depending on the situation, it could be upgraded to Level 5.”

Omnis had a total of 10 warning levels.

The highest Level 10 was a crisis that could shake the global economy, and the lower the level, the more minimal the market impact.

Level 2 was classified as a simple regional issue.

But if the situation escalated to Level 5 or higher as Omnis predicted.

Then it wouldn’t be a simple health problem but could become a panic factor for the entire market.

It meant we couldn’t rule out the possibility of stock prices and entire industries fluctuating simultaneously.

“Has the infectious disease been named?”

“No name has been assigned yet. It’s only being called ‘unknown pneumonia’ or ‘mysterious disease.'”

“Hmm, I need to examine related materials more.”

“I’ll collect everything from World Health Organization data to Chinese internet forum posts.”

Using Omnis, data collection was instantaneous.

It could scrape posts and articles scattered throughout the internet, even short news briefs from local media, without missing anything.

The collected data was automatically refined, analyzed for language and context patterns, and converted into visualization materials.

Looking at such materials, I realized.

This was definitely not a problem that would end simply.

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