Heritage Connections
For the ardent followers (Esquires), the first symbol of Washington DC would be the Capitol. The United States Capitol stands atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. Though not geographically at the center of the District of Columbia, it serves as the origin point dividing the four quadrants. Officially, both the east and west façades of the Capitol are designated as the "front." Historically, however, the eastern front was intended as the primary entrance for visitors and dignitaries. The grandest approach to the Capitol's eastern front is Maryland Avenue Northeast, where a stately three-story red-brick building housed the Washington DC office of the Heritage Foundation. The subjective descriptor "stately" fits because many buildings along Maryland Avenue were constructed of red brick.
Fortunately, Yoo Jae-won found the building without difficulty and entered. When his aide informed the lobby guard that the visitor was Yoo Jae-won of ID Group, the guard made a call. Moments later, someone Yoo Jae-won recognized appeared: Shayla Dolly, secretary to Chairman Edwin Feulner.
"Good to see you again, Ms. Shayla. This is our second meeting, isn't it?"
The blonde beauty with the unforgettable radiant smile was as striking as ever. In Manhattan he had merely thought her pretty and moved on, but now he found his eyes lingering. Puberty, it seemed, had arrived with a surge of male hormones.
"Welcome, Chairman Yoo. I'm delighted you remember me. The chairman has been waiting for you since an hour ago. Please follow me."
Shayla led him upstairs with her bright smile. Edwin Feulner's office occupied the far right end of the third floor. Since there was no elevator, they climbed the central staircase to the top.
"Ah, our most valued patron has arrived."
Edwin Feulner greeted Yoo Jae-won with genuine warmth the moment he entered. He rose from his chair, strode forward, and pulled him into a hearty embrace. The sudden display surprised Jae-won, but it was hardly a negative signal for the meeting, so he returned the hug with equal friendliness. Feulner was a large man, yet Jae-won had grown enough recently that the difference was now only a fist's width; the scene did not look awkward.
"A perfect SAT score, was it?"
The conversation naturally began with Jae-won's college applications. Feulner seemed to know every recent detail of his life, as though his parents had been boasting to him.
"With your record, Stanford acceptance is practically guaranteed."
"Everyone says so. Still, I'm applying to several schools just in case."
"Prudent as always. Thanks to you, March should prove entertaining. A bidding war among the elite universities for Chairman Yoo."
Whether because of the donations or personal goodwill, the discussion flowed smoothly under Feulner's guidance.
"ID Group's expansion is remarkable. I hear you've landed in Japan?"
"Yes. Japan remains Asia's most advanced economy. But starting last year I kept noticing troubling signals. A closer look revealed serious underlying problems, so I moved in immediately."
"An accurate assessment. The Plaza Accord brought enormous benefits from the strong yen, but the backlash is now due."
Feulner nodded in agreement and offered his own thoughts.
"What about Russia? Compared to conditions there, Japan is practically paradise."
Feulner clearly assumed ID Group's Russian venture was another financial investment like the Japanese one.
"Ah, it's not an investment. It's a recruitment drive."
"Recruitment?"
"Russia's economy is collapsing and politically it's in chaos. In such times, research organizations are the first to be cut."
Feulner's mouth opened slightly in surprise.
"Meanwhile, what ID Group lacks most is specialized research talent. So I'm using this opportunity to bring Russia's best minds over."
"Are you sure about this?"
The simple question carried many layers, the largest being whether these people could be trusted. The Heritage Foundation was staunchly conservative. For American conservatives, the Soviet Union had been the greatest enemy, and post-Soviet Russia remained equally suspect. Russians and Soviets were considered equally untrustworthy. The dozens of listening devices discovered at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, including some found at the construction site of the new embassy, were proof enough.
"I can't be certain," Jae-won answered honestly. He had never worked with Russians in either life, so he did not defend them. When drafting his master plan he had simply thought the move would be beneficial and memorized the names of outstanding researchers and those cooperating with North Korea. Executing what he believed would work did not mean he could predict every variable that might arise.
"That's why I need your help, Chairman."
"My help? I think I can guess what you're about to ask, but let's hear it first."
"Recently I contacted Dr. Andrey Sakharov of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center and received a positive response regarding a move."
"Dr. Andrey Sakharov?"
As president of a prestigious think tank, Feulner clearly recognized the name.
"Isn't the man's name Andre Shailov? As far as I know, the director of Russia's nuclear center is Shailov. This time your pronunciation appears to be off."
Andre Shailov? It was the first time Jae-won had been corrected on pronunciation. Still, it was understandable. The names stored in his memory had been recorded in both Cyrillic and Hangul. Unable to read Cyrillic, he had only ever read the Hangul versions, which differed significantly from actual pronunciation. He wondered why Mikhail had never corrected him when he said Sakharov. In any case, the person in question was indeed the director of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center. He would simply be more careful going forward.
"Yes. I've launched a new venture called ID High Tech and would like to bring Dr. Shailov on board. However, the procedures for bringing him to the United States are rather complicated, especially the visa."
Jae-won's own American visa had been straightforward. His first visit had been on a tourist visa; now he held an O-1A visa, a significant upgrade. The O-1 visa, known as the extraordinary ability visa, granted a minimum three-year stay that could be extended annually. It permitted income-generating activities. The "A" designation recognized exceptional achievement in science, arts, or business. Jae-won had qualified in both science and business. Dr. Shailov would have been eligible for an O-1 as well, but his origin from an adversary nation had become an obstacle. Concerns that he might engage in espionage appeared to be delaying approval despite the time that had passed.
"Hmm, I see."
Jae-won's throat felt dry, but Feulner showed no immediate reaction, appearing deep in thought. Jae-won continued.
"Bringing Russia's top researchers benefits me, but it also clearly benefits the United States. Brain drain weakens a nation's research capacity. While America can widen its technological lead through domestic innovation, diminishing a rival's development capability is equally effective."
Absorbing a competitor's talent was an exceptionally powerful strategy. It subtracted from the opponent while adding to oneself, doubling the gap.
"Imagine these highly skilled individuals ending up in China or North Korea instead. If even a few nuclear physicists are among them, the consequences would be severe."
"I agree completely."
Feulner responded more vigorously this time. China and North Korea were major research topics at the Heritage Foundation. Moreover, Jae-won's reasoning was sound. Although not yet a headline issue, voices within the foundation were beginning to warn against underestimating Russia's collapse and China's rise. Previously they had watched idly until China grew powerful, then scrambled to respond. This time, with Jae-won's involvement, the outcome might differ.
"Understood. I don't know how much influence I can wield, but I'll do what I can."
After a long moment of consideration, Feulner finally gave the answer Jae-won had hoped for.
"Thank you. A single word from you carries great weight."
"Haha, your expectations are so high I'm starting to feel the pressure. If you need advice or assistance in the future, come see me anytime."
Wait—was that all? Jae-won felt a flicker of confusion. He had expected Feulner to attach some request of his own when granting the favor. Yet the chairman had agreed without asking for anything in return. Jae-won had even brought Alan, his legal team head, specifically to vet any demands for legality. Now it seemed he had wasted the man's time. He wondered if this was truly like Edwin Feulner. Still, the Russian matter was ongoing; he would have to wait and see what developed.
October 31st.
"Hmm? That's strange."
Lee Hyuk-soo, chief secretary of Ilseong Group, stared at his phone with a puzzled expression. The call he had been expecting had not arrived. He was waiting for the sales director of Onkyere Newspaper. Advertising was the lifeblood of any newspaper, and papers competed fiercely to increase circulation so they could charge higher ad rates. Some even gave away bicycles to regular subscribers as premiums. Though expensive, the gifts boosted circulation and therefore ad revenue, making them worthwhile investments. In this environment, securing advertising from Ilseong Group was critical. Normally, when Ilseong reduced or halted ads, the sales director would call immediately, burning with urgency. Most issues could be resolved smoothly once the pain point was identified. Even the rare difficult cases produced estimates within days.
"How odd. Have those greedy bastards finally had their fill?"
This time he had only reduced Ilseong's advertising across Onkyere Newspaper and its magazines to sixty percent of the usual volume. Past experience suggested the sales director should have called the very next day. Yet days had passed with no reaction. That the same people who had always seized every opportunity to extract money were now silent was deeply suspicious.
"Should I pull everything?"
Anger flared, and Lee Hyuk-soo considered the nuclear option. But he could not bring himself to do it. The beloved chairman was already planning a major restructuring of core executives. As one of the closest aides, he could not risk disturbing the chairman over something so trivial.
"Sigh. First I need to find out what's going on."
In the end, Lee Hyuk-soo picked up the phone himself. He did not call the Onkyere desk directly. Instead he dialed the head of Ilseong Group's intelligence team. Their relationship was awkward—they were rivals constantly competing for the chairman's favor—but in situations like this, someone had to make the first call.
—Chairman! Good news. We received word from the U.S. Embassy that Dr. Shailov's visa will be issued soon.
It was a welcome report from Mikhail's recruitment team.
"Already?"
Less than a week had passed since his meeting with Edwin Feulner, yet a dramatic change had occurred. Until now the U.S. Embassy had been impossibly arrogant. Inquiries from Mikhail or ID Group's legal team had been met with extreme hostility. After asking Feulner for help, however, the tone had shifted to positive. It could have been coincidence, but dismissing Feulner's influence or Jae-won's own efforts felt wrong, so he chose not to.
For reference, Jae-won had asked Mikhail why he had not corrected him when he referred to Dr. Shailov as Sakharov. Mikhail had been visibly flustered; openly pointing out a superior's mistake was not something easily done in Russia. The powerful authoritarian culture of socialism had apparently fostered that mindset. While it could be viewed as a flaw, the same trait meant Russians would follow even unreasonable orders without question—an occasional advantage. Jae-won decided not to dwell on it.
In any case, the fact that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was finally moving brought a surge of satisfaction. Jae-won clenched his fist.
"Excellent. Then arrange a welcome recruitment event in Moscow as soon as possible. Coordinate it with my schedule."
—Pardon? You mean you're actually coming to Moscow, sir?
Mikhail sounded genuinely surprised. When Jae-won had mentioned accelerating recruitment by going to Russia himself, Mikhail had apparently assumed it was merely talk.
"Of course. I don't make empty promises."
—Ah, yes! My apologies for the misunderstanding. We'll schedule it for November. Will that work for you?
"Perfect."
Jae-won's schedule was remarkably open. There were no major events or interview requests at the moment. While business and investment inquiries still arrived frequently, the group's solid structure meant very few matters reached him directly. This gave him time to develop programs he had long wanted to create. The latest project involved simple games integrated with ID Talk. One was a puzzle game where players aligned three gems horizontally or vertically to make them disappear. Another was a dodging game where players avoided a rain of bullets. Both were casual titles that took only minutes per session and were slated for inclusion in the Android operating system. For ID Talk users, he planned to add a competitive scoring system among all users or registered friends, similar to the SNS games once popular in Korea. Those Korean developers had designed the games so players consumed in-game items like gems or stars to play. Jae-won had no intention of implementing paid items; he simply wanted to boost ID Talk's popularity through integration. Once internet speeds improved, direct multiplayer matches or cooperative missions would become possible, but for now, with slow connections and response times, aggregating scores was the best option.
Jae-won contacted Remington and asked him to prepare for the Russia trip. Remington was startled that Jae-won intended to visit the land of the Red Army personally, but Jae-won's resolve was firm, so he did not argue further. Instead he began assembling a security detail large enough to prompt comments about overkill.
The next day, Jae-won returned to Silicon Valley for the first time in a while. After purchasing a house in Old Palo Alto and setting up a private office there for programming, he had only left when Alan contacted him about urgent company matters. Additionally, Henry Samuel, president of NextCom, had requested a meeting, giving him another reason to venture out.
Upon arriving at the company, Jae-won found Alan waiting with two unfamiliar men.
"These are the drivers who will be assigned to you, Chairman."
The dedicated driver hiring process discussed during the New York trip had finally concluded. Their résumés were impressive. Each had at least ten years of accident-free driving experience, along with medical and psychological evaluations. One had even served in a U.S. special forces unit. Such credentials seemed excessive, yet when entrusting one's life to another person's driving, thorough vetting was only prudent. ID Group's core capabilities all stemmed from Jae-won himself. Remington and Alan understood that if anything happened to him, the company's current glory would vanish like mist. That was why the driver selection process had been so meticulous. Both candidates had consented to background checks. Remington's intelligence team had worked at full capacity, and Alan had conducted his own rigorous review. Careers and medical histories were examined in detail, but driving skill was the top priority. They had been tested on everything from the Rolls-Royce registered to Jae-won personally to corporate Mercedes vehicles and even Remington's muscle cars.
"Chairman, it is an honor to serve you. I'm Ken Fisher."
"Greg Wyler."
Ken Fisher and Greg Wyler, the two men who had passed Remington and Alan's tests, introduced themselves. Both were massive. Remington was already large, yet these two seemed even bigger. At first glance they looked more like bodyguards than drivers. The bear-like men bowed deeply in the Korean style, though Jae-won could not guess where they had learned it.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Yoo Jae-won. I look forward to working with you."
Jae-won offered his hand. The Americans bowed while he extended a handshake, creating the amusing impression that their greeting customs had been swapped. The two would work a five-day week on rotating shifts. Driver schedules were inherently flexible, and any work beyond regular hours would be compensated with proper overtime pay. Since these men would be entrusted with his life, he felt no reluctance about generous compensation. They would begin today, with the older Ken Fisher taking the wheel first.
After the introductions, Jae-won moved to his next appointment: the meeting requested by Henry Samuel of NextCom. He returned to his old office and summoned Henry. NextCom's office was nearby, so Henry appeared within three minutes.
"What's been going on lately?"
Jae-won skipped pleasantries because Henry Samuel's appearance was far too disheveled. As president of NextCom, he oversaw fifty employees, yet he stood before Jae-won in sweat-stained jeans, a white crew-neck T-shirt, and an unbuttoned checkered shirt layered over it—the very image of an overworked IT developer. At the executive meeting just weeks earlier he had been impeccably dressed in a suit. Jae-won could not imagine what had caused the change. Henry, however, was brimming with excitement, completely oblivious to his own state.
"Chairman, we've finally succeeded in developing the high-speed data modem! Now we can enter the cable TV market!"
Even though Jae-won preferred getting straight to the point, this was too abrupt. At the very least some context was required. He had heard vague mentions of developing a communications device, but that it was a high-speed data modem was news to him right now.
"Calm down and sit down. Explain everything step by step."
"Ah, yes, of course."
Henry Samuel sat beside Jae-won and began his explanation. From the very first sentence, Jae-won's mouth fell open. The technology Henry described was completely unexpected.