The Gusher
Tiffany's excited cry of "Wow! This is huge!" prompted Yoo Jae-won to burst into cheers right alongside her. His shout carried genuine, overwhelming joy.
On closer inspection, the scene was rather peculiar. After all, Yoo Jae-won was the one who had pinpointed the exact location where oil would be found. Moreover, he hadn't chosen it haphazardly—he had used his future knowledge. That meant he had known from the very beginning that oil would gush from this spot.
Yet his cheers rang with sincere delight because he hadn't been able to specify the precise drilling point. On a world map, pointing at a spot with your finger might look incredibly accurate, but the actual area that single point represented was larger than a small country. While he hadn't been that vague, the candidate zone was still quite expansive. On top of that, the oil reservoir seemed to lie at a considerable depth; the drilling had to go much deeper than the average well in the Texas region.
There had been significant concern that Chevron might abandon the operation midway, deeming it hopeless. It wasn't mere worry, either—Chevron had already halted and dismantled several rigs that showed no promise.
Fortunately, today's strike put all of Yoo Jae-won's fears to rest.
"I'll head over right away!"
-Really? Aren't you busy with things in Korea?
"But I can't just sit still when something like this happens."
His work in Korea was essentially complete. He had finished inspecting the Jeju Island projects, and all that remained was a travel itinerary. Canceling it would bring nothing but personal regret, with no real problems attached. Besides, witnessing an oil gusher firsthand was an event he had desperately wanted to see. And since he held a stake in this very well, it would be an especially meaningful experience.
"Are you returning to the United States?"
Kim Dae-seok, who had been quietly reading the room, asked with perfect tact.
"Yes! Something wonderful has happened. Please prepare as quickly as possible."
"Understood, Chairman."
Upon receiving Yoo Jae-won's instructions, Kim Dae-seok immediately made a call. He was likely checking on flight tickets.
Watching him for a moment, Yoo Jae-won felt like he was forgetting something. Japan. After wrapping up his Korean schedule, he had planned to visit Japan to inspect the operations of Shin-Nippon Investment Bank, one of ID Group's Japanese subsidiaries. On the surface, the purpose was to evaluate the bank's performance and assess the state of Japanese corporations. In truth, however, it was a trip to gauge the optimal timing to begin his campaign against Japan. He wanted to observe the atmosphere that couldn't be captured through data alone. That schedule could be delayed by a few days without issue.
There had been meetings scheduled with external partners, and suddenly postponing them would be discourteous. But if it was internal ID Group business, there would be no problem.
That evening, after completing his whirlwind schedule in Korea, Yoo Jae-won departed for the United States late at night. His parents, relatives, and Korean acquaintances—including Choi Kang-wook and Jeon Myeong-heon—expressed regret over his sudden departure without a proper farewell gathering. Still, since the change was due to good news, everyone offered their congratulations.
Jeon Myeong-heon's voice rose especially high at the mention of oil. Having lived through two oil shocks, investment in petroleum had long been his dream. But oil was a monopoly controlled by advanced nations, leaving no room for others to enter. Hearing that Yoo Jae-won held a stake in an actual well, he celebrated as if it were his own success.
Of course, Jeon Myeong-heon's way of expressing joy was characteristically bold. He claimed the gusher had erupted at the perfect moment to commemorate the success of the North-South summit. It wasn't exactly the connection Yoo Jae-won would have made, but congratulations were congratulations, so he accepted them gladly.
Upon arriving at San Francisco International Airport, Yoo Jae-won didn't stop by home. He transferred directly to a flight bound for Texas. Tiffany, her family, and even Fredrick Taylor II were already at the site, so there was no need to make a detour. Since he had changed into casual clothes before leaving Korea, the immediate connection posed no issue.
By the time he landed in Dallas, Texas, it was nearly lunchtime. Though his heart urged him to rush straight to the site, he decided to treat Kim Dae-seok and the security team to a good meal at a renowned steakhouse. Since they had come all the way to Dallas, he also wanted to share the meal with the core members of ID Software—John and Romero among them—and asked if they could join.
John and Romero naturally agreed. Their bond had been special ever since they began developing games together in a tiny garage.
The steakhouse where the group gathered was the very same place where Yoo Jae-won had once treated them before.
"Wow, getting together like this really brings back memories," John said as everyone settled in.
"Memories? It's barely been ten years."
"Really? Why does it feel like ancient history to me?"
"We've been so absorbed in making computer games that our sense of time has gotten a bit warped. Anyway, the Chairman is treating us again today, right?"
"Of course. Eat to your heart's content."
"Don't regret it later. We're absolutely ravenous right now. We might leave your wallet completely empty."
Eating well was its own reward—that had long been one of Yoo Jae-won's philosophies. And if his wallet was emptied simply by feeding these people, that in itself would be something worth commemorating.
Between the IMF bailout investments and the launch of the White Tiger Fund, Yoo Jae-won had been spending money like water on massive projects. Yet his accounts still overflowed with cash. Most of the products and services sold by ID Group were cash businesses, and internet advertising—which had grown into a substantial revenue source—was also conducted on a prepaid basis.
While the bursting of the IT bubble alongside the Nasdaq collapse had left Silicon Valley and countless IT companies suffering from severe cash droughts, ID Group—with its rock-solid revenue model—was the exception. In fact, as the true gems were separated from the rubble, investment money was pouring into a small number of verified companies. And at the very top of that list was, naturally, ID Group.
Unfortunately, because not all of its subsidiaries were publicly listed, many investors expressed disappointment. Still, the listed companies—Android and Time Warner Nextcom—continued to maintain stock prices at pre-bubble levels, clearly reflecting investor expectations.
It was rather bittersweet. After preventing hundreds of billions in losses, he could have boasted about it, but he couldn't.
"By the way, have you thought about our future schedule?"
ID Software was currently in a resting phase. The breakneck pace they had maintained had left the entire staff exhausted for an extended period. They were only releasing minor bug fixes, balance patches, and expansion packs for now, with no concrete plans yet for the next major title.
But a game development company could only sustain itself by releasing new games. Especially since all of ID Software's titles offered free multiplayer, declining sales would eventually lead to losses.
Fortunately, the money they had earned so far amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars, so there was no immediate crisis. Still, Yoo Jae-won felt it was a shame to let talented people sit idle without creating anything.
"Mmm, a new title?"
"Chairman! Someone with your overflowing talent might generate ideas nonstop, but ordinary people like us need proper rest when we take a break," Romero said, sounding aggrieved.
Yoo Jae-won was left speechless. These were the very geniuses calling themselves ordinary. The performance he displayed came from knowledge gained by changing his past life. When it came to efficiency per unit of time, John and Romero were far superior.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure we release a game armed with astonishing new technology befitting the end of the century or the new millennium."
As expected, John was more serious.
ID Software's new games didn't just affect ID Entertainment's revenue. They influenced the entire computer industry—from 3D accelerator cards to new CPUs, memory speeds, and capacities. Computer performance doubled every year, but if used only for office work, models from one or two years ago were perfectly adequate. Of course, enterprise-level tasks handling millions or tens of millions of customer records required the latest systems, but simple document work or spreadsheets could be handled by budget models.
Nevertheless, people grew excited whenever high-performance products launched because, in gaming, higher specs always meant better experiences. ID Software's hallmark was utilizing 120% of a high-end system's performance, which allowed their computer graphics to reach an entirely different level from competitors.
Yoo Jae-won wanted to maintain this perception well into the 21st century. For that to happen, innovative new titles needed to be released consistently.
"If you're looking for material, you should watch the movie Saving Private Ryan that's releasing soon."
"Saving Private Ryan?"
"Yes. It's a film starring Tom Hanks and directed by Spielberg. It's already receiving tremendous praise among industry insiders."
Yoo Jae-won recommended Saving Private Ryan to John Carmack, hoping it might prove helpful. The movie as a whole was entertaining enough to be considered a masterpiece. But its true highlight was the first thirty minutes depicting the Normandy landings. The three-dimensional sound design and camera angles that placed viewers right in the middle of the beach assault created an overwhelming sense of immersion, as if they were actually on the battlefield.
It had also provided immense inspiration to countless game developers. John, Romero, and the other ID Software developers would surely gain something from watching it.
"Is this one of the movies you invested in, Chairman?"
"Ah? Yes, I did invest."
ID Entertainment would never miss a blockbuster like this. Although they now owned Warner Bros. through Time Warner Nextcom, ID Entertainment's investment policy remained unchanged: if it was a good film, they would invest regardless of the production company.
"As expected! Don't worry about box office performance! We'll take the whole staff for a group viewing!"
Yoo Jae-won didn't bother stopping him, even though it wasn't necessary. The movie was a guaranteed masterpiece, and the more people who watched it, the more they would gain from the experience.
After finishing the enjoyable meal with the ID Software executives, Yoo Jae-won headed back toward the oil field. Texas was so vast that he opted for a helicopter instead of a car.
"Jae-won!"
As soon as Yoo Jae-won stepped off the helicopter, Tiffany ran over and threw herself into his arms. A deep kiss followed. Tiffany's parents had come to the helipad as well, and with Kim Dae-seok and the security team nearby, Yoo Jae-won felt slightly embarrassed.
Regardless, Tiffany's affectionate assault continued for quite some time. They had been apart for well over a month, and the historic event of the gusher erupting seemed to have caused her feelings to explode.
Once finally released after being held for so long, Yoo Jae-won greeted his prospective in-laws. Everyone looked at him with eyes full of pride.
"Over there. That's Well No. 23."
They drove to Well No. 23, where the oil was said to be gushing. As they drew closer, a pungent smell grew stronger. It was the thick odor of oil. Different from the smell at gas stations—this was the distinctive scent of unrefined crude.
"Whoa."
Soon, flames burning fiercely came into Yoo Jae-won's view. They were coming from the temporary well facility. It felt less like Texas, America, and more like Saudi Arabia.
Fredrick Taylor II stood there, quietly observing the scene. He simply stared in silence. It made sense; it would look strange for the owner of Chevron to be frantically giving on-site orders over a single unexpected gusher.
"You've arrived?"
When Yoo Jae-won and Tiffany approached, Fredrick Taylor II turned around. His gaze was quite sharp. Rather than looking at his beloved granddaughter or daughter, he fixed his eyes squarely on Yoo Jae-won, as if trying to see straight through him.
"Take responsibility."
The sudden words had no context.
"Pardon?"
"This land was surveyed twenty years ago. The result at the time was that it was barren. Yet in the very first assignment I gave Tiffany, she chose this land. I ordered a test drill to teach her that geological data analysis isn't always reliable—and she hit the jackpot. So what am I supposed to do now?"
It was Fredrick's complaint. Yoo Jae-won smiled as he looked at him.
Oil field development was indeed a difficult business. He must have given Tiffany a challenging task to impart that lesson. Now the situation had completely reversed. Data that had previously indicated no potential would now need to be reexamined.
That would require an ultra-large analysis system—either a supercomputer or a cloud computing system. When considering cost-effectiveness, cloud systems were overwhelmingly superior. It had once been ID Technology's exclusive domain, but with the release of Linux 2.0, numerous companies were now scrambling to build their own cloud systems.
However, highly reliable systems suitable for corporate use remained firmly in ID Technology's territory.
"Still, it's too early to celebrate. First, let me explain the reserves of this oil field."
Fredrick continued as if he had read Yoo Jae-won's thoughts. Yoo Jae-won wiped the smile from his face and immediately switched to full concentration mode. The value of this oil field would form the foundation for his campaign against Japan, so he couldn't afford to miss a single word.