Planting Seeds of Gold in American Soil (3)
"Still, isn't it a waste to just give up now? Besides, if you're only going to finish with a master's degree, it's as good as not doing it at all."
"I know, but I have to face reality. If I were going to go to graduate school, I should have gone into architecture or medicine. Why on earth did I choose mathematics..."
"Are things at home getting difficult?"
"It's not so much that they've become difficult, but my father is telling me to face reality now. He says he has no intention of investing any more money in my studies... Well, it's true that we aren't a wealthy family and my tuition isn't exactly cheap..."
Yoon-gi was narrowing down the timing to jump into the conversation. For now, this man in front of him had zero interest in him. If he wanted to turn that attention toward himself, he figured now was the perfect moment.
"Are there no scholarships for graduate schools in the U.S.?"
The answer didn't come from Andrew, but from Steve.
"I'm not sure how it is in Korea, but in the U.S., there's plenty of support up to the undergraduate level. But for graduate school—especially 'general graduate schools'—there's very little support. You have to pay for a master's out of your own pocket, and even for a doctorate, there's no support unless you're assisting a professor."
"Is the mathematics department considered a general graduate school?"
"Yeah. Professional schools are things like law, medicine, or architecture, that's about it."
"I see."
As Yoon-gi nodded, Andrew slumped over his desk and let out a sigh.
"Haaah... companies probably won't like an old math student either..."
"Why don't you try asking Bill?"
"Bill? For what?"
"How about asking for a job at Microsoft? It's still in the early stages, so who knows? It might turn out well later. You wouldn't be a founding member, but still."
"Their capital is only 1,500 dollars. It would be incredibly tight for them to hire anyone new, wouldn't it?"
Steve shook his head.
"No, they've got plenty of room now. Because Yoon-gi invested 700,000 dollars there... oh, crap!"
In an instant, Steve Ballmer's face turned pale as he looked at Yoon-gi. He had promised to keep it a corporate secret, but he had let it slip to Andrew without thinking.
However, instead of getting angry, Yoon-gi saw this as an opportunity.
"Steve-hyung, you really need to put a lock on your lips, don't you?"
Yoon-gi didn't get angry; instead, he smirked and called Steve 'hyung.' Steve let out a sigh of relief, gave an awkward smile, and nodded.
"Ahaha... I'll really be careful from now on."
Their awkward exchange didn't last long, as Andrew, eyes wide, cut in.
"Wait, this kid invested 700,000 dollars in Microsoft? You're joking, right?"
Steve looked at Yoon-gi as if he were in a bind, and Yoon-gi, with a faint smile, sighed and nodded.
"What can I do? Just please ask him not to tell anyone else."
"I, I will. Andrew, what you just heard is a total secret. If Bill—no, if Paul finds out, I'm dead."
"No, wait. Is it real? Did this kid really invest 700,000 dollars!"
Steve nodded.
"Yeah, that's right. He's from a country called Korea, and he's the eldest grandson of a major conglomerate there."
Andrew sighed again.
"Haa, some are born as sons of rich families and travel the world when they're young, while others are born into commoner families and can't even study what they want..."
It could have been seen as a direct insult, but Yoon-gi didn't get angry at all; he continued the conversation.
"Listening to you now, it sounds like you want to study more but the circumstances aren't allowing it?"
"You didn't know that even after listening to all this?"
Because his envy of those who 'have' was manifesting as a faint hatred, Steve stopped Andrew.
"Andrew, that's too harsh in front of a kid."
"No, what did I..."
Andrew's voice trailed off as his face turned red. He knew all too well how shameful his behavior was.
"Steve-hyung, is this person a genius?"
At Yoon-gi's question, Steve thought for a moment before nodding.
"At least when it comes to mathematics, there aren't many people at Harvard right now who can keep up with him."
"Then, I will sponsor you."
At the word 'sponsor,' both Andrew and Steve's eyes widened.
"Sp-sponsor?"
Andrew leaned forward, bringing his face almost nose-to-nose with Yoon-gi.
"Yes. Sponsorship."
As Yoon-gi nodded, desperation washed over Andrew's face.
"Really?"
"Yes. If the conditions are met, I can support all tuition and living expenses during your master's and doctoral programs."
"Oh, God."
Andrew looked at Steve and continued.
"Steve. You're not lying, are you? This kid... no, this boy really invested 700,000 dollars in Microsoft?"
"I'm telling you, it's real. He decided to invest 200,000 dollars in a lump sum, and 100,000 dollars every year after that. But this is a real secret, okay? You can't tell anyone else."
"I got it! I'll never tell!"
Andrew grabbed both of Yoon-gi's hands with both of his own.
"Can you really support me? I really want to study."
Yoon-gi quietly stepped back, and naturally, his hands slipped out of Andrew's grasp.
"But there is a condition."
"A condition...?"
Watching the disappointed-looking Andrew, Yoon-gi quickly continued.
"Later, when the Harvard doctoral program is finished..."
"When it's finished?"
"Please apply to my company."
"Apply to your company...?"
Andrew didn't quite understand what Yoon-gi meant.
"Yes. I mean, please apply for a job at my company. Even though our group is currently only in the top 100 in Korea, by the time Andrew-hyung finishes his doctorate, it will be a much larger company than that."
"An American suddenly going to a country called Korea for me is a bit..."
Yoon-gi shook his head.
"I'm not saying you have to come."
"You're not saying I have to come? Didn't you just say that?"
"I'm not saying you have to take the job, I'm saying you have to apply. At the very least, give me the chance to present you with the conditions."
"Ah...!"
Andrew realized what he meant and straightened his body, which had been hunched toward Yoon-gi.
"I promise you at least the average starting salary of Harvard graduates, and a salary commensurate with your top-tier abilities. Of course, the company will also cover all relocation costs."
"Crazy... Yoon-gi. Can't I apply?"
At Steve's words, Yoon-gi chuckled and shook his head.
"I don't have the capacity to hire you right now. It's something that will only be possible at least five years from now."
Before Yoon-gi could even finish his sentence, Andrew gently pushed Steve aside, walked right up to Yoon-gi, and lowered his body.
"I just have to apply, right?"
"Yes. When you come to apply, I will make you an offer you can't refuse."
Andrew grabbed Yoon-gi's hands again.
"Oh, God."
Whether he was talking to Yoon-gi or to himself, it was unclear, but Andrew's eyes were glistening with tears.
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
"Tomorrow, I'll bring the man who helps me with my work and come back. Let's sign the contract then."
"A contract?"
"Yes. We need to write down specifically what kind of support will be provided. That's better than you worrying that I might cut off the support halfway, right?"
"Th-that's true."
"And there is one favor I'd like to ask..."
"What is it? If it's something I can do, I'll do anything."
"Are there any people at Harvard graduate school or elsewhere in a similar situation to you? People who want to study more but have to take jobs they don't want because of their financial situation?"
"Of course there are."
"Then, can you introduce me to people you truly trust, people who are tight-lipped? I want to personally support other excellent people, not just you."
At the words of the generous Korean boy, Andrew and Steve's jaws dropped. In the late 70s in Korea, if you just graduated from college, companies would practically beg you to join them, but that wasn't the case in the U.S. Of course, if you were from Harvard, it was easy to get a job, but compared to Korea, the supply of highly educated job seekers was overwhelmingly higher, so there was no need for companies to support them while they were still students. And yet, a Korean kid—not even an American—was offering to cover full tuition for multiple years, not as a condition of employment, but as a condition of applying for employment, while taking on the risk himself. They couldn't help but be shocked.
"Of course, I can't support every department."
As Yoon-gi raised his index finger, Steve and Andrew snapped out of it and listened intently to Yoon-gi's words.
"Please, only departments that are helpful to the company, like engineering departments such as mathematics or physics, economics, architecture, accounting, law, and geology."
Andrew nodded at the reasonable limitation.
"Got it. I can think of several people right now."
"It doesn't have to be Harvard. But they should be on par with Harvard or just below it."
"Got it. Got it!"
"Then we'll meet here at this time tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Andrew nodded frantically, as if he were intoxicated by 'Yoon-high.' Once Yoon-gi left, he would worry, ponder, and doubt whether the promise was real until this time tomorrow. He would even go so far as to think he shouldn't have trusted the words of a ten-year-old boy. However, that worry would turn into perfect 'Yoon-high' the moment this time tomorrow arrived. Doubt only exists when there is no substance. The moment substance is created, Yoon-gi's age wouldn't even enter the realm of doubt.
"Steve-hyung, can you show me around other places? I think this is enough for the research building."
"Uh... s-sure? Aren't you hungry? Want to go to the campus cafeteria?"
"Sounds great!"
Fifteen minutes after Yoon-gi and Steve left, Andrew, who had been standing blankly watching their retreating figures, rushed out of his lab.
The day after visiting Harvard with Steve, Yoon-gi visited the research building again, this time bringing Ryu Geun-tae along. In Andrew's lab, 12 graduate students, including Andrew, were wearing anxious expressions, but as soon as Yoon-gi appeared, Andrew jumped up from his seat, delighted.
"I was so worried you weren't coming!"
"A manager must value their promises."
"Th-that's true, isn't it?"
"What departments are these people from?"
"This is Basta, physics. This is Hacksington, math like me. This is Ryan, accounting. This is Lianna, architecture. And..."
Unexpectedly, Andrew had brought many people from major departments.
"Aren't major departments easy to get jobs in?"
Andrew clicked his tongue.
"Actually, we're all from immigrant families."
"Immigrant families?"
"Yeah. In the U.S., it's actually more profitable to just graduate from college and get a job. There's not much support for master's and doctoral degrees, and companies don't prefer them either..."
Andrew's words were true. In Korea, you could aim for a high salary as a researcher after finishing a master's or doctorate, but American companies wanted to put people into practical work as quickly as possible. In fact, as of 2018, the average salary for a Harvard undergraduate was 94,000 dollars, while a doctorate's salary was only 112,000 dollars. Considering the time and cost to earn a doctoral degree, it was actually a loss. Existing U.S. residents knew this, but foreigners or immigrants often didn't know this fact and would thoughtlessly enter general graduate school, only to regret it later.
"I need talent for when I'm older, since I'm still young now. So it doesn't matter."
At Yoon-gi's words, Andrew looked slightly puzzled. 'This kid, his speaking seems more natural than yesterday?' But Andrew couldn't dwell on it any longer because of what Yoon-gi said next.
"My condition is only one. At least five years from now, come to Korea and interview at the company I run. That's all. Does everyone understand?"
At Yoon-gi's words, Lianna raised her hand. A beauty characterized by a long ponytail and Taiwanese-American heritage.
"Does 'at least five years' mean we can study more?"
"I will support your tuition for up to 15 years."
Suddenly, everyone murmured and looked at each other. If you considered job hunting, it was practically lifelong support.
"Then, shall we sign the contract?"
At Yoon-gi's words, Ryu Geun-tae handed over the documents, and at the same time, two American lawyers brought in for the contract took their places on either side. No matter how capable Ryu Geun-tae was, he couldn't be fully versed in North American law.
"Anyone who doesn't want to?"
There was no way those thirsty for study and thirsty for support wouldn't sign. Of course, there were some suspicious looks, but once the advice of their own national lawyers was added, the signatures were all finished.
"Ajusshi."
At Yoon-gi's words, Ryu Geun-tae pulled out a suitcase, took out money envelopes, and handed them to everyone. The applicants, wondering what kind of envelopes they were, checked the contents and trembled in shock. 1,000 dollars. It was an amount exceeding three months' salary for a new employee at a large Korean conglomerate as of '77. Since there were 12 people, he had used 12,000 dollars right there on the spot.
"There might be money you need to use right away, and it's more convenient to have some cash on hand, so this is a prepayment. This is a payment in kind, so I'd appreciate it if you could sign the receipt."
In the eyes of those who had lingering doubts until just a moment ago, the suspicion had completely vanished, and only 'Yoon-high' remained.
"Oh, God..."
Andrew kept calling out to God, looking at Yoon-gi with moved eyes. A small but big guest of 700,000 dollars. Of course, only Andrew knew about the 700,000 dollars, but for that very reason, Andrew looked at Yoon-gi with even more joyful eyes.
"Then, I'll be going now."
As Yoon-gi left Harvard University, seen off by everyone, Choi Deok-bae asked from beside him.
'Did Steve Jobs make the iPhone?'
'No, it wasn't Steve Jobs who made the iPhone, but the employees who worked under him.'
'Do you know the name of the Samsung researcher who made the semiconductor?'
'What about the name of the LG researcher who made the OLED TV?'
'It's capable subordinates who make the actual products. The one who directs them is the number one. I intend to be the number one, and for that, I've planted seeds of gold in Harvard and in the U.S. Even if only one of them joins my company later, through their network, I'll be able to hire a large number of capable subordinates. Of course, it will take 5 years, or about 10 years as I expect.'
Choi Deok-bae was impressed by Yoon-gi for the first time, and sincerely so. At the same time, he pointed out one problem.
'No need to worry. If you're a manager, you should be able to take risks.'
Yoon-gi's cryptic answer was only resolved after arriving at the hotel.
"[Aigoo, my grandson!]"
Although it was over the phone, Choi Ki-hyun greeted him with a bright voice, as if he were very happy to hear his grandson's voice after a long time.
"Grandfather, are you doing well?"
"[Of course I am. Though my neck is about to snap from waiting for you to come home every single day.]"
"I miss you too, Grandfather, but you heard the news, didn't you?"
"[That's right. My neck is about to snap twice as hard thinking about seeing my second grandson.]"
Rather than getting straight to the point, Yoon-gi chatted with Choi Ki-hyun for a while, and only after quite some time did he bring up the main issue.
"Grandfather, could you lend me some money?"
In an instant, Choi Ki-hyun's voice changed to that of a cold-headed manager.
"[Money...?]"