Keyboard Warrior 1.0
That night at the Yoo residence. “What did you say? Could you repeat that?”
As expected, his parents were stunned. Their reaction came after Yoo Jae-won told them that someone from Sambo Computer had visited the school, treated him to an expensive authentic Chinese restaurant, and offered to buy the program he had created.
“They said if I hand over the copyright to my typing tutor program to Sambo Computer, they’ll give me two million won as a scholarship.”
His parents finally grasped the situation after hearing the words repeated. “Two million won as a scholarship? Really?” his father asked this time. Even one million won was a huge sum, and now it was twice that. His father’s mouth fell open. Lately, his sense of money had become quite distorted. Money no longer felt like money. That was inevitable, because during the Olympics, Yoo Bong-man had earned an enormous amount of extra income. It wasn’t money earned through hard work, but a fortune that had come from a single decision. He had swept the betting pool hosted by the brown rice oil company president, guessing the gold, silver, and bronze medal counts correctly.
Yoo Bong-man’s initial stake of five hundred won had grown to fifty thousand won by the final round. Moreover, he had grown shrewd enough not to bet everything on every round or claim every prize himself. If he monopolized the winnings, the other employees would stop betting, reducing his total take and arousing suspicion. Yoo Jae-won’s extraordinary cunning was clearly inherited from his father.
Some days he deliberately lost small amounts or won modestly to show he could be wrong, then split the final large bet on Korea’s total gold, silver, and bronze medals with a friend. He had pulled the friend in so he wouldn’t stand out too much. Of course, they hadn’t split the winnings evenly. The friend, skeptical of Yoo Bong-man’s predictions, had only bet five thousand won, while Yoo Bong-man had bet fifty thousand. In the end, he received nine hundred fifteen thousand won—nearly three months’ salary. Adding all previous winnings, the total exceeded one million three hundred thousand won.
Strangely, the company president who had been thoroughly cleaned out by Yoo Bong-man didn’t seem upset. Instead, he clapped him on the shoulder, boasted about their friendship, and suggested they have drinks sometime. Usually, when Korean men say “let’s have drinks sometime,” it’s just empty talk. Yoo Bong-man had assumed as much, but the brown rice oil president was different. In early October, after the Olympics ended, he genuinely invited Yoo Bong-man to his home. They drank together at the president’s house and grew closer. Yoo Bong-man learned that once the president realized his high accuracy rate, he had used Yoo Bong-man’s picks to play much larger bets elsewhere. When Yoo Bong-man deliberately missed some rounds with his small-scale strategy, the president had lost heavily, but when he correctly predicted every medal in the final round, the president had won dozens of times more than he had previously lost. As thanks, the president gave him an extra one million won on the side.
Now his son had brought home another two million won. A month of hauling heavy sacks of soybeans and brown rice had earned him only about three hundred thousand won, yet suddenly the tail was wagging the dog. Strangely, he didn’t feel bad about it. He had worked hard to educate his son and even bought him an expensive computer because he never wanted to see Jae-won doing the same grueling physical labor he had endured. Having only graduated elementary school, Yoo Bong-man had no choice but to work with his body. But he wanted his son to have a job where he could avoid the scorching summer sun and the bitter winter wind. Looking at the situation now, that wish seemed more than likely to come true.
“That’s my boy. That’s really something.” The fact that the vice president of the famous Sambo Computer had come all the way down to buy his program made Yoo Bong-man think his son would grow into someone far greater.
“Wow, then our Jae-won’s college tuition won’t be a problem at all.” Kim Mal-sook was more practical than her husband. Even though they didn’t yet know which university he would attend, she was already planning to save the scholarship money carefully for tuition. She was thinking quite far ahead. Seeing her husband nod in agreement, the intense parental desire for academic credentials was palpable. After all, there was no more reliable path from humble beginnings to success than through education.
Still, school could wait. Right now, it was time to do business. As a minor, Yoo Jae-won at least needed to convince his parents if he wanted to pursue his chosen path. In the early twenty-first century, there had been problems with minors using their legal status as a shield to commit all sorts of trouble. But for Yoo Jae-won, that status was a shackle, not a shield. He needed to handle it carefully from now on.
“Yes, that would be the case if I accept Sambo Computer’s offer.”
Fortunately, his perceptive parents sensed that Yoo Jae-won had something else in mind. “Do you have another idea?”
At their question, Yoo Jae-won began laying out the plan he had prepared so carefully at school. “Mom, Dad, I want to see my typing tutor installed in every school computer lab across the country.”
His parents nodded in agreement. If their son’s program were installed in schools nationwide, it would be not only their pride but a glory for the entire family.
“Huh? Wouldn’t signing with Sambo Computer make that happen?”
Yet something in their son’s tone suggested otherwise. “Sambo Computer only wants the copyright. That means they’ll take my idea and create their own version.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Of course not. For one thing, instead of my name, the company employees’ names would appear as the creators.”
The atmosphere shifted. His parents, who had been delighted about the scholarship money, now looked concerned. Names mattered that much. A name was the strongest proof of one’s achievements. Having his name removed from the very first typing tutor he had created was a significant drawback in their eyes. Of course, if they negotiated well with Sambo Computer, his name could still appear at the top, but there was no need to mention that now.
“That’s why I want to distribute the typing tutor myself.”
His parents, who had been slightly indignant moments earlier, were now taken aback by their son’s declaration that he would handle distribution himself. Though he called it distribution, it was essentially running a business. Since he was still young, they would have to help, yet they knew nothing about it. This wasn’t selling rice—it was computer software. They had no idea where or how to sell it.
“It’s not difficult at all. Sambo Computer is right there. We can distribute it through their network, or we could include the typing tutor as educational material in the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications’ computer supply project.”
The scale of the plan kept growing. Sambo Computer was already a major company in Seoul, and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications was a government organization. They had no clue how to negotiate with the government to make distribution happen. The very word “government” made them uneasy. The current president had been elected through a national referendum, but everyone knew he was an extension of military rule. Even when the president appeared on television asking people to trust him, everyone knew his previous career had been as a general.
“Hehe, there’s really nothing to worry about. Distributing a program is exactly the same as selling any other product.”
Yoo Jae-won held up the 5.25-inch floppy disk containing the typing tutor and continued his simple explanation of software distribution. “This floppy disk is the original. You take it to Seewoon Electronics Plaza and ask them to make hundreds of copies. Of course, you have to pay for the disks and the labor. Then you package the copied disks with an instruction manual. You can get the packaging boxes printed at a print shop near Seewoon Electronics Plaza. Once you have the boxes, you just need to hire a few people to pack them. Then you supply them to Sambo Computer and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.”
“Huh? It’s that simple?”
Listening to their son, it did seem quite straightforward. Still, buying the blank disks and having the manuals and boxes printed would cost some money. Even so, it sounded similar to harvesting crops and packaging them for sale. Of course, their perception overlooked the biggest hurdle—securing supply contracts from Sambo Computer and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Nevertheless, Yoo Jae-won wasn’t particularly worried about obtaining those approvals. The typing tutor was already complete. What he had shown at the competition was merely a taste of its core functions. The version he had spent nearly two months perfecting since his regression was polished enough to be called version 1.0. Even if the major corporations were preparing knockoffs, Keyboard Warrior 1.0 would crush them like dinosaurs underfoot.
“And the principal has agreed to help.”
He sealed the argument with the principal’s support. In Deokjin-ri, the principal carried far more weight than Yoo Jae-won had initially realized. This was an era when teachers’ authority was still firmly respected, and the principal was the most experienced among them. Even factory presidents couldn’t match his influence. If the principal was willing to help, his parents’ lingering anxiety vanished completely. They even began asking how they could assist.
“We’ll need some money to produce the products for supply. We’ll have to buy blank disks and pay the packers. I’ll calculate the exact amount and let you know.”
His parents nodded. Then a sudden question caught him off guard. “I see. But where did you learn all this? Your mom and dad certainly didn’t teach you, and school wouldn’t have either.”
The question came sharply while his guard was down. Flustered, Yoo Jae-won desperately searched his Memory Palace. Soon, he found a suitable answer. “Um? Oh, I read it in a newspaper at the library! You know Bill Gates in America, right?”
Both parents nodded. Although Windows, which would unify the personal computer operating system, had not yet been released, Bill Gates was already a well-known figure. Personal computers were already widely equipped with MS-DOS, and GW-BASIC included with DOS was widely used as an introductory programming language.
“When Bill Gates started his business, there was a part about signing a contract with IBM. It seemed similar to my current situation. After reading that, I thought I could try something similar.”
Fortunately, his parents seemed convinced by Yoo Jae-won’s quick thinking. They didn’t press further. Instead, they said, “All right, we understand. But we’re not expecting you to achieve the same kind of success as Bill Gates. Just do what you want to do.”
Even so, his parents looked ready to scrape together whatever funds they could. Grateful for their trust, Yoo Jae-won shook his head. In a household like theirs, the only significant savings were the housing subscription deposits they had been putting aside in hopes of someday buying an apartment. Distributing the typing tutor didn’t require that much capital. Besides, there were other ways to raise money. Instead, Yoo Jae-won renewed his resolve. Bill Gates was currently far ahead, but he would definitely surpass him and make his parents proud. If Bill Gates was the emperor of PCs, then he would become the god of the entire IT industry, PCs included!
The next day, having successfully convinced his parents, Yoo Jae-won met with the principal after school. Unlike the conversation with his parents, he presented the principal with an extremely detailed plan. In a way, it was no different from presenting a business proposal. Unlike his parents, who would believe anything he said, the principal was essentially a stranger. While the effect of the ministerial award lasted, the principal would act as an ally, but there was no telling when that advantage might run out. He needed to secure the principal’s commitment before then. Moreover, this meeting had another purpose. Winning the principal’s trust was important for gaining an ally, but whether he could secure startup capital was also at stake. And not as a loan, but as an investment. It was a difficult position, yet he felt no nervousness. His business item was the real deal. Keyboard Warrior 1.0 had pushed the limits of what could be achieved in BASIC. The features he had implemented were rich and substantial. Comparing it to the typing tutors being developed by computer companies owned by Seoul’s chaebols would be almost embarrassing. A hundred words were worth less than seeing and trying it once. That was why the presentation was being held in the computer lab. The principal and vice principal stood beside the computer, along with Jeong Hyeon-ung, the computer club advisor who had some technical knowledge, and Yoo Jae-won’s homeroom teacher, who had tagged along.
“Then I’ll run Keyboard Warrior 1.0.”
As soon as he finished his prepared line, Yoo Jae-won operated the keyboard. He typed the executable file name “KW10.” It was the abbreviation of Keyboard Warrior 1.0, the official release name he had agonized over all night. In an era without the internet or even BBS via modem, except among enthusiasts, the name carried his lofty ambition to transform terrified beginners who found computers frightening into fearless warriors armed with nothing but a keyboard. The sound of the Enter key was crisp and cheerful.