Chapter 59: Grid Network
Chapter 59: Grid Network
< Grid Network >
I was learning a lot while running a company.
“We've finished synchronizing with the Redwood City data center.”
“Begin transmission!”
The number of miners on the screen mounted on the wall surpassed 1.6 million.
With over two million people worldwide waiting to mine, the number was, in a way, meaningless.
Below, the figures for computation and data transmission were skyrocketing to record highs.
Eddie said in an excited voice.
“The connection to the data center is a success. With the optimization of our computing functions, performance will increase by 2.8 times!”
The data center didn't just bolster the cloud system; it also increased the efficiency of high-performance computing through mining.
Silicon Valley was a society of infinite competition.
- Green Operation! We provide high-performance computing support for university and corporate clients.
- Data Revolution helps your research and development.
Similar companies utilizing blockchain technology were stealthily emerging.
A 2.8-fold increase was an excellent figure, enough to crush other companies and the latecomers trying to catch up.
Even if Earth Resource expanded its other divisions, it would be a problem if Source Coin, its foundation, failed.
I wasn't an exceptional manager, but I had seen countless times in the history of IT how companies like Yahoo had dug their own graves by fumbling their core business and collapsing.
“What about the cloud?”
“We're uploading the software, starting with Aurora.”
Cloud tests were conducted one after another.
They worked through the night, hosting various web servers for videos, shopping malls, and social media, and running the system online.
“No problems.”
“Test passed!”
The data center acquisition was a success.
It was like giving wings to the already fast-growing business of Earth Resource.
“Eddie. You've worked really hard.”
“It was nothing. It was easy.”
“Is there anything you want as a reward? Stocks, for instance.”
In a startup, the influence of the founding members is absolute. Eddie, who had joined in the early days and designed the main system, was a key talent I couldn't afford to lose.
The kind of talent you wanted to tie down, even if it meant giving away shares.
“Stocks are a headache. I'd prefer Source Coins.”
“Okay. I'll give you as many as you want.”
The function to arbitrarily issue Source Coins from the company had been blocked. However, there were Source Coins that had been mined and exchanged for dollars, and any shortfall could be covered using the shopping mall business.
Bonus coins were generated with every purchase.
I could use my own money to buy luxury goods, computers, or electronics for the hardworking employees through the Source shopping mall.
A flex, buying things with my own money, so to speak.
Then I could give the Source Coins generated from that shopping to Eddie.
Seeing the cloud function working perfectly, Oh Myeong-woo spoke up.
“It's a bit of a shame. There is a way to boost the data center's performance by about ten times.”
“Huh?”
Even for an exceptional programmer like Oh Myeong-woo, was that even theoretically possible?
Eddie and I stared blankly.
“Ten times? What are you talking about?”
“I think it's possible if we just extend one of the features of Source Coin, our strong point.”
“Extend?”
“Right now, we're utilizing the unused computing power of computers through mining. And we've connected the data centers.”
“Right.”
“What if we also used a grid network service on the mining computers?”
Grid network service.
It was a malicious practice frequently used by Korean web storage services.
It involved installing a grid network on users' computers, turning them into zombie PCs for data transmission.
A malicious tactic to save their own costs by using users' PCs like servers for network functions.
The side effects were a slower computer and a massive spike in internet usage.
Even if you had a high-performance computer, it was game over once a grid network program was installed.
I glared at Oh Myeong-woo.
“Isn't that crossing a line?”
Even if it was for the business, it was an act that would make anyone who knew about computers shudder.
I never thought a friend I trusted would suggest such a thing.
“A grid network isn't inherently bad. The problem with web storage services is that they install it without properly informing users, make it run automatically on startup, and make it difficult to uninstall. We can just use it legitimately, only when mining Source Coins.”
“Still...”
“Functionally, we can just display a separate consent pop-up each time the grid is used. If we give more Source Coins to those who agree, isn't that a fair trade?”
“Hmm.”
Giving them a choice could mitigate the side effects.
Mining to utilize a computer's spare computing resources.
There were people who mined Source Coins while using their computers for gaming or document work, but many ran the mining program 24/7.
If we offered more Source Coins, a good number of people would willingly agree.
“Buying or building data centers takes time and money. If we connect and optimize with a grid network, we can save a huge amount on costs. Plus, we can double or triple-check important data.”
“Hmm. It's something to think about.”
Eddie, who had been listening quietly, nodded.
“It sounds okay to me, too. If it's a method that requires confirmation each time the grid is used, people won't curse us out. The telecom companies won't like it, though.”
Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, our competitors in the cloud space, were giant corporations.
It would be difficult for them to use their customers' computers for a grid network, but it was possible for us by issuing Source Coins.
It was a crafty method, but it could actually give us an advantage over them.
“Shin. We have to do this. Lowering costs is an advantage, but it's not like there are data centers lying around all over the world.”
“Hmm.”
“There are plenty of places we can use as free data centers on the condition that we provide more Source Coins.”
In the end, I couldn't help but be persuaded.
“In return, let's make sure to significantly increase the Source Coin payout rate for those who agree to the grid.”
“Yeah. Let's do that.”
For cloud sales, we had to start approaching companies in Silicon Valley and around the world.
* * *
“I've uploaded the video announcing the launch of our cloud service to YouTube.”
“Good work.”
As Earth Resource grew by leaps and bounds, my own workload at the company actually decreased.
Developing custom programs for cloud service clients, web server hosting, and the like were all in the specialized technical domain of the employees.
Only the large-scale decisions remained my responsibility.
“Let's build a data center in Korea. And in Europe, too. Building in Sweden or Iceland to save on electricity costs would be a good idea.”
“Understood.”
A considerable number of small and medium-sized Korean enterprises and startups were expressing their intent to sign contracts with us.
We couldn't rely solely on the grid, so the construction and acquisition of data centers continued to move forward.
Thanks to our popularity on YouTube, I passed along an investment plan for Korea to the cloud division, one that also took the shopping mall into account.
“Building a logistics warehouse and a data center together would be great for space utilization.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
I bought a large plot of land in Yongin to accommodate both functions simultaneously.
It was my first investment plan in Korea after making a lot of money.
Thanks to Source Coin's popularity, the business had been successful from the start, so it didn't feel like a waste.
Because I understood the overall business of Earth Resource, it never took long to make any decision.
I had to keep pace with the company's terrifyingly fast growth.
‘In the past, Korean companies like Mirae or Isung must have experienced this kind of growth rate.’
In an environment that was little more than a wasteland, they built cars, constructed shipyards, laid down highways, and raised apartment buildings.
From semiconductors, aviation, and aerospace to defense and digital sectors.
The development of Korean companies over the past few decades was truly magnificent.
In this era of advanced finance and computer technology, a startup could achieve a market value of tens of billions of dollars just by getting the business model right.
It made me feel a renewed sense of respect for how much effort, time, and sweat had gone into the traditional industries.
- Ellie: There are quite a few people on Wall Street talking about you.
- Kim Shin: Me?
- Ellie: Your put option hit the jackpot last time.
- Ellie: 10.5 billion dollars. It was reported extensively not just by Korean broadcasters, but also by Fox, NBC, and ABC.
- Ellie: There are so many financiers who want to meet you. Your name even comes up suddenly in our company meetings.
When I traveled, I would stay at Ellie's place in New York.
She said she hadn't revealed her relationship with me at her company.
She said she couldn't help but be surprised whenever my name popped up unexpectedly among her colleagues.
- Kim Shin: It would be interesting to meet people from JPMorgan.
- Ellie: Anytime you want. You could probably even meet our chairman.
A fortune of 100 million dollars allows for a luxurious life.
With a fortune of over 10 billion dollars, pretty much anything you could think of buying with money was possible.
- Ellie: I'm also amazed at your skill in growing a company. If Earth Resource were to seek investment, I'm sure a huge number of financiers would come running with money.
- Kim Shin: I don't think we'll be taking any investments. Though we might take out loans if necessary.
Buildings like data centers were close to fixed assets, so the profit margins were low.
Using loans for investments with long-term returns wasn't a bad idea.
Thanks to COVID, the loan interest rates at financial institutions in the US and Japan were dropping sharply.
- Ellie: I know. That's why I'm not suggesting it. Hmph.
- Ellie: If you ever need a loan, just let me know. I know a lot of people in the corporate lending division.
Seeing Ellie working hard and establishing herself on Wall Street made me feel a little proud of her.
* * *
Vice President Jeong Beom-tae demonstrated his abilities as a talent born for working overtime.
Investment proposals for movies and dramas were literally flooding into Dream Art Rainbow.
“Two billion won? The average production cost has dropped quite a bit.”
“That's probably because the film industry itself is struggling.”
As COVID spread, movie theaters were left empty.
Investments were being unilaterally canceled, to the point where even movies in the middle of filming were being shut down, so many production companies were desperately reaching out to Dream Art Rainbow.
“The CEO told me to invest aggressively, but I still can't just accept losses.”
He ruled out mediocre projects that would have been expected to turn a small profit when the film industry was normal.
Movies that didn't compromise on either box office appeal or artistic merit.
He picked up films that could at least recoup their production costs by expanding their distribution network to OTT services instead of theaters.
* * *
As the divisional system was established, my work at Earth Resource decreased.
“Jong-yeop. How's company life?”
“It's great.”
“No complaints?”
“None at all.”
Lee Jong-yeop was working with the same sharp focus he had when he first joined Arcor.
He studied blockchain technology and the cloud, and at lunchtime, he mingled and ate with various employees.
When it came to work, he was better than me.
I only became the CEO because I had money and luck on my side.
“Gather all the important articles on COVID. Exclude duplicates and focus on the information.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If you need to, you can get help from doctors or medical students specializing in infectious diseases. Ask the secretarial staff to help as well.”
“Yes, I understand.”
It was nice not having to search for necessary information myself.
This must be why company CEOs can play so much golf.
‘Will the vaccine made by Biolife actually be effective?’
There was no way to know before clinical trials, but I needed to get some sense of it.
Then, while I was buried in work, I got a call.
Jim Bowman.
The man who had come to me as an investment accelerator.
“It's been a while.”
“You've had time to think, I trust? I believe you're ready to join us now.”
An alliance with the coin manipulators.
It seemed like an easy and comfortable way to make money, but I had already made my decision.
“I will not be participating in that venture. Neither I nor Earth Resource are interested in your business.”
My decision hadn't wavered over the past few days. That's why I could speak so firmly.
After a moment of silence, Jim spoke.
“I suggest you reconsider your decision.”
“My mind is made up.”
“You will regret making such a choice.”
“Regret? Is that a threat?”
“A person who misses a great opportunity that won't come again regrets it for the rest of their life.”
I had been through quite a lot in my life.
I had made mistakes and done things wrong, but the only thing I'd regret for the rest of my life was my marriage.
“It's something I don't want to do. And I never will.”