The Youngest Son of Sunyang

"What?"

"What did you just say?"

They just laughed at the two people who didn't understand exactly.

"Both of you are lucky. This time, I really got greedy."

Seeing them hesitate about what to say, he chuckled.

"So, how about doing it like this?"

The two people sat down next to me.

"I will invest up to 30 million dollars sequentially. After that, if more investment is needed, it means either the company has grown tremendously or you've lost all the money, one of the two, right?"

The latter is another way of saying that it failed. If Google fails, something is wrong, not their algorithms.

"If the scale grows and additional funding is needed, even if it's not me, many investors will flock in. Accept their funding. On good terms."

"Wait, Howard. I have a question... Can you listen without misunderstanding?" The surprise they felt when they first heard the number 30 million dollars had already disappeared. It was a difficult suspicion to understand.

"Go ahead."

They exchanged glances and cautiously opened their mouths.

"If the company is improving when it needs additional funding because it's growing, why stop the investment? Didn't you say there's enough money?"

"Money can come from various sources. They must be people with a lot of experience in investments, right? Witnesses to countless successes and failures in Silicon Valley. Additional funding means it's time for their advice. Don't push away people who will pour out precious advice."

They probably didn't expect to hear such words. Engineers hate investor interference the most.

"But don't abandon your values, either. The goal may change little by little as the company grows, but it's best not to let your values be shaken, right?"

"Okay, what about the latter case? Do we have conditions for recovering the investment if our business fails?"

"Then, I'll start over and pour money until it succeeds again. Even if it's 100 million or 1 billion dollars, if it's necessary. How about that? Does that answer your question?"

It seemed like a very good answer. There were waves of emotion in the expressions of the two people.

"Howard, you really believe that our Google will definitely succeed."

Don't talk nonsense. Google must succeed for the Fourth Industrial Revolution to begin. Those words were circulating in my mouth, but I couldn't say them out loud, so I just nodded my head.

"I understand well enough. But you can't make investments based on abstract faith... Can you tell us the specific numbers now?"

I still confuse the two people's names a bit. Both of them have dark brown hair, so I can only tell them apart by their appearance. Is the more handsome one the Russian guy, Sergey?

"Okay, Sergey. I already know, but I don't plan to have voting rights. Let the two of you jointly exercise the voting rights in proportion to the shares I will hold. And in exchange for the future investment of $30 million, I want equal stake of the two of you."

At the mention of "equal," the two of them blinked at each other.

"What? You're not suggesting that you want us to split everything unevenly... You're not making some kind of oath like that, are you? It's not a wedding, right?"

Even entrepreneurs can be driven away in the United States. Co-founders can also have differences in their shares depending on their circumstances. Isn't this place a capitalist paradise?

Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any childish oaths. They accepted the word "joint" instead of "average."

"So, to start, the three of us will have an equal stake, right?"

"Exactly. You both with your brains, and me with the money. Sounds fair, doesn't it?"

The two of them extended their hands.

"It's not fair; Howard, you're losing out. If it's that kind of investment, even demanding 50% wouldn't be unreasonable."

"That's right. Even if you offered to buy us out for $30 million, it wouldn't be an unreasonable request."

"All right, then. Promise to secure my stake in the future as well. Whether it's a paid increase or a free increase. Always maintaining the average of the two of you."

Sergey suddenly extended his hand. "Let's finish the deal before you change your mind."

"I'll have the contract ready for tomorrow, so review it. And include a million dollars."

I smiled and shook his outstretched hand.

And as they talked about the internet world they dreamed of, they drank beer. They hadn't come up with innovative ideas like Google Earth, Maps, Translation, Gutenberg Project, Artificial Intelligence, or Autonomous Driving that they would create themselves.

It was because it would be the result of a fusion with various services and innovations that would follow from many geniuses.

They talked until dawn and then got up from their seats.

"Here are my New York office and Korea office contacts, and my personal phone. Feel free to contact me anytime you need."

The two of them took my business card, unable to hide their surprise.

"You're Korean?"

"Why? Did you think I was Japanese?"

"No. You use the surname 'Jin,' so I thought you were from Hong Kong."

I left the two of them, who couldn't sleep tonight, in the car and went outside.

I declined their offer to take me to a nearby motel. I wanted to enjoy the cool night air as I walked slowly.

As I moved my feet, I heard a voice calling from behind. "Hey! Are you really twenty years old?"

They didn't even glance at the contract.

The two Google founders started slapping each other's cheeks while examining the million-dollar check from every angle.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken this time?"

Rachel, who had prepared the contract and the check since morning and flown to the Silicon Valley residential area garage, seemed rather dissatisfied.

It's natural not to think that these two, who look like something out of "Dumb and Dumber," would become the owners of the world's highest market capitalization company, leaving Microsoft behind.

"Trust me. This time, it's not just about making money with stocks. It's the moment when the key players in opening a new world are right in front of us."

No matter how loudly I spoke, Rachel shook her head and sighed. "You're the one who told me to get out of dot-com companies. Aren't they different?"

"I told you, right? In 2000, dot-com companies collapsed one after another. These guys are the cream of the crop in Silicon Valley, free from the bubble. Watch them closely from now on. The ones revealing their true colors right now are the real deal. They're the ones filling the void left by the scammers."