The Money Tree's Unexpected Call
Yoo Jae-won wondered why the department head of the Money Tree was seeking him out. And how had the man even known he was here? A string of questions lined up in his mind, but he could not keep Kim Won-jung waiting any longer, so he picked up the receiver.
“Hello? This is Yoo Jae-won.”
—It’s Kim Won-jung. Do you remember me?
Of course he did. Thanks to the ministerial award, Yoo Jae-won had come this far. While his ability to churn out a typing trainer like a master of BASIC had played its part, Kim Won-jung also deserved credit for recognizing raw talent when he saw it. In the twenty-first century, people still accepted bribes or favors and handed prizes to the wrong candidates; in 1988, such things were even more common. The fact that Kim Won-jung had judged the contest solely on merit was remarkable.
“Yes, of course. I hope you have been well, sir.”
—Haha, I’ve been quite well, thanks to you.
Kim Won-jung’s words sounded like polite formality, yet they were true. Because of Yoo Jae-won, the Ministry of Communications’ school-computer supply program had not been scaled back; it had gained new momentum. The transfer to the Ministry of Education remained unchanged, but the response had shifted. The plan now was to push the school-computer project on a much larger scale the following year. Even if it meant trimming supplies elsewhere, they would deliver three years’ worth of computers to schools at once, easing the workload for the education authorities. The reaction had been positive. The argument that a talent like Yoo Jae-won might be unable to blossom for lack of a computer was persuasive enough to win over the higher-ups. For Kim Won-jung, it was a path strewn with flowers. Just when the reduction in school projects had threatened to shrink his influence, the sudden expansion of the program multiplied his visibility and opened far more avenues for promotion.
—By the way, something came up that made me curious about you, so I decided to call.
While he had been busy preparing for next year’s project, a call had come down from above—not from his superiors at the Ministry of Communications, but from much higher. The National Security Planning Agency. The mere name was enough to make an honest man’s heart skip a beat. He had wondered whether his son or some relative had been causing trouble at demonstrations. When he answered with extreme caution, the voice on the other end had been nothing like what he expected.
—Do you happen to know a program called Keyboard Warrior?
“Pardon? That’s the typing trainer I made.”
Yoo Jae-won, who had been listening attentively, let out an involuntary sound of surprise at the sudden mention of Keyboard Warrior.
—Right. I heard you were planning to refine the typing trainer from the contest into a commercial version. I was wondering whether the Keyboard Warrior that’s popular in America is the same program or just a coincidence.
“It is the same one. I made that too.”
—Is that so? I thought it might only share the name… Wait, you really made that as well?
“Yes. I added some game elements to the typing practice.”
—What? You actually created that too?
“Yes! If you run the program and check the credits, my name appears right there. Why would I lie about it?”
—Then why did it catch on in America first?
“It runs in graphics mode because it’s a game, so it needs a decent computer. Korea still has mostly older machines, so not many people can use it. I released a trial version in the U.S. first, where better computers are more common. If the response was good, I planned to develop a proper commercial version. The reaction has been better than I expected.”
Kim Won-jung muttered exclamations of astonishment under his breath as he listened to the long explanation.
—Eh? Have you been to America, Jae-won? I hadn’t heard anything about that.
A sharp suspicion flashed through his mind, and he voiced it at once.
“When I went to Seoul last time, I signed up for KETEL’s paid internet service. With a modem attached to the computer, I can send programs to the U.S. from home.”
—Internet? Good heavens! There was such a service on KETEL?
As the head of the Computer Supply Division at the Ministry of Communications, Kim Won-jung was hearing about it for the first time. Still, everything Yoo Jae-won said checked out. This was far bigger than simply awarding him the ministerial prize for a typing trainer. The National Security Planning Agency already knew about it and had called to confirm; higher authorities would move even faster. Kim Won-jung’s mind lit up. Yoo Jae-won was a genius. By discovering him early, Kim Won-jung had greatly expanded his own influence within the ministry. If the man who created the program that had hit in America was truly Yoo Jae-won, then the boy had become a national treasure. He was no longer someone Kim could handle personally; far higher officials would take charge. Having spent many years in public service, Kim Won-jung could already picture the sequence of events. First, verify everything as quickly as possible, then report upward.
—Understood. I’ll be calling again later. It’s nothing to worry about—quite the opposite.
“Pardon? Yes, I understand.”
The line went dead.
“What did he say?” Lee Yong-kwon asked the moment the call ended, unable to contain his curiosity.
“He wanted to know whether I really made the Keyboard Warrior that’s popular in America. I only just received the data myself—how did Department Head Kim find out and call first?”
Lee Yong-kwon nodded, finally grasping the situation.
“Of course he knew. Government information channels are much faster than we imagine. Especially when it comes to the United States—the government watches that country most closely. There are diplomats, of course, but also correspondents and agents from the National Security Planning Agency. Nothing to be afraid of. From the way he spoke, it’s clearly not bad news for you.”
Yoo Jae-won understood at once. He had never been frightened to begin with. He had already marked the government as a potential business partner. He could not sell the game-enhanced American version to them, but there was no problem selling the Korean version. Building goodwill with high-ranking officials would also give him the power to swat away anyone who tried to meddle. He had been wondering how to approach relations with the government; Kim Won-jung’s call had solved the problem neatly. Since the other side already valued his assets highly, there was no need to hover around them first. This contact had been unofficial, so he would wait and see how the government itself responded.
There was another piece of good news from the vice president’s office.
“If the government is already talking about it, then a huge success is certain. Hmm, in that case we can place additional orders even sooner. I think we might order another three thousand—no, four thousand copies by November, so be ready in advance. Ah, and I’d like to see the American version of Keyboard Warrior as well.”
“Understood. Shall I send it by mail through the PC communication service?”
Having secured an advance order from Lee Yong-kwon as well, Yoo Jae-won rose from his seat with a light heart.
“Haaam, heading home now?” asked the driver who had volunteered to take the truck.
“No. I’ll stop by Seewoon Electronics Plaza and Seocho-dong on the way.”
His business in Seoul was not finished with the delivery to Sambo Computer. He needed to visit Yongsan and Seewoon Electronics Plaza to gauge the state of Korea’s computer industry, and he had official matters to discuss with lawyer Choi Kang-wook in Seocho-dong.
Fortunately for the driver, there was still nothing worth seeing in Yongsan or Seewoon. Yongsan remained quiet; no new products had launched in the past month, and computer prices had not dropped significantly. Without crowds of customers, the market was the very picture of calm. Seewoon Electronics Plaza, by contrast, was in turmoil ahead of a large-scale relocation for redevelopment. Many empty stalls were visible, and some shops were already packing up. Even so, the illegal-copy peddlers who were the market’s trademark were still at work. The one saving grace was that Keyboard Warrior had not yet appeared on their lists. Since it had not been released commercially, that was only natural, though there was always the chance of a leak from the SKC distributor. The distributor had indeed put real effort into protecting the original, just as promised.
“Another five thousand this time?”
While at Seewoon, Yoo Jae-won placed another order with the SKC distributor.
“As the order volume increases, I’ll double the bonus for maintaining a zero defect rate.”
“Oh my, thank you very much.”
The SKC distributor’s section chief bowed so low he looked ready to offer his liver. Though Yoo Jae-won was much younger, age meant nothing in the face of results. A customer who bought thousands of disks at a time and even used their additional services was a VIP by any standard. While sorting out defects was troublesome, a customer who paid in cash without fail was the best kind of client.
After finishing his business at Seewoon Electronics Plaza, Yoo Jae-won and his party headed for Seocho-dong.