Chapter 42: A New Chapter Begins

“So, what brings you to see me?”

Anderson remained on guard.

“I came to talk. It’s good for you too, Anderson.”

“I don’t know what’s good for me, but I don’t have anything to discuss with you.”

His wariness was higher than expected.

Undeterred, I kept smiling as I spoke.

“Let’s start with a simple meal while we chat. I’ll treat you. I heard you like Chinese food—is that right?”

His eyes brightened slightly at the mention of Chinese food.

It turns out that everyone loves a free meal.

“If you have a favorite place, I’ll follow you. How about it?”

“Uh… it’s quite expensive. Are you sure?”

“Absolutely, no problem!”

After a brief chat with his friend, he began to walk ahead. We followed closely behind.

Arriving at a nearby Chinese restaurant, we settled in and placed our orders before continuing our conversation.

“You’re the one who developed Mosaic, right?”

“Oh! You know about Mosaic?”

Released earlier this year, Mosaic accelerated the popularization of the internet.

But by now, disagreements were likely causing a rift between Anderson and the school.

Ultimately, the ownership of Mosaic lay with the school’s research lab, leaving Anderson with no authority.

“Of course I know it. There’s no one in Korea who’s heard of it yet, but it’s a web browser that opens up a new world of the internet!”

Complimenting Mosaic seemed to dissolve whatever remaining wariness Anderson had.

He was, after all, just a dedicated techie.

“Right? I was so frustrated I had to create it myself! My friend here and I barely slept for days, it was such a struggle…”

So this guy next to him must be Eric Bina.

Just then, our food arrived.

We continued our meal and conversation.

“Are you satisfied with the current version of Mosaic?”

“Satisfied? We haven’t even truly started yet! There’s so much I want to do…”

I seized the opportunity as I noticed a hint of disappointment on his face.

“No matter how hard you develop and update it, doesn’t it still belong to the research lab? You both did the work, but the lab reaps the benefits. Plus, support isn’t great either, is it?”

“Damn it, I’m out of energy to complain about those university folks. If they’d just invest a little, we could make it so much better. But when it comes to money, they have a million excuses…”

Unlike Anderson, who was venting, Eric Bina seemed awkward, scratching his head.

“Eric! Say something too!”

“Whoa, whoa, Mark, calm down a bit!”

I chuckled lightly and turned to Anderson.

“Anderson, why not consider going all in after graduation? Once you get your master’s next year, you won’t need to stick around the school, right?”

Anderson sighed heavily.

“But that requires money.”

“So, if you had the money, you could create a browser even better than Mosaic?”

“That’s obvious! I’m Mark Anderson!”

His confidence and enthusiasm hadn’t changed a bit.

After earning his master’s, he headed straight to Silicon Valley, where he teamed up with a venture capitalist to establish a company.

But this time, I intended to be that investor. After its IPO in ’95, it was guaranteed to shoot up to a market cap of $8 billion.

“I’ll invest! I’ll put in the money, and you’ll create the product.”

“But then it wouldn’t really be my company, would it? How’s that different from the research lab?”

I shook my head at Anderson’s indifferent reaction.

“No, it’s your company. You create it, and you name it. It’s Mark Anderson’s company. I’m just here to invest. You handle the management and development. I’ll just take 40% equity.”

Anderson fell silent, deep in thought.

Eric Bina glanced at Mark, gauging his reaction.

It was time to deliver the final blow.

“I won’t interfere with management at all.”

I paused my meal, waiting for his response. Anderson rubbed his chin, pondering.

Then, after a moment, he finally spoke.

“How much are you thinking of investing?”

“Feel free to say any amount you want.”

He flinched at my confident reply.

“One million dollars. I think that would allow me to do everything I want. Is that possible?”

I swallowed a laugh at his words.

“Five million dollars, but on the condition that I won’t accept any other investments. This must be included in the investment contract.”

Anderson was momentarily stunned by the massive amount of five million dollars, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Five million dollars for 40% equity? Is that even possible? What are you, a charity worker?”

“Of course, but after the IPO, I’ll exit at the right time. I’ll also grant you the right to buy my shares. My equity must not be diluted before that.”

“That’s only natural for five million dollars… What on earth do you see in me?”

It was fortunate I didn’t look like a fraud to him.

“I see a future in you. I’m willing to invest in that future. So, will you sign a contract with me?”

“This is definitely a yes! All I need to do is get ready to head to Silicon Valley next year. Hey! Eric! You should come too! I’ll give you a much better deal than you have at the lab. I’ll even share equity with you!”

Hearing our conversation, Eric, who had been gaping the whole time, responded without hesitation.

“Mark, if you go, I have to go too! Aren’t we the mom and dad of Mosaic?”

“Exactly, my partner!”

They exchanged bright smiles before turning back to me.

I pointed to Han Gyeong-yeong, who had been quietly observing the atmosphere.

“This person next to me will take care of the U.S. investments in my place, James Han. You’ll probably see him more often than you see me. You can finalize the contract with him.”

Han Gyeong-yeong exchanged greetings with Anderson.

“I’m James Han.”

“I’m Mark. Nice to meet you!”

“Hahaha, I’ll just do whatever my boss orders! Right, boss?”

Han Gyeong-yeong winked at me.

We all wrapped up our meal with satisfied smiles after striking a good deal.

“Let’s meet again tomorrow to finalize everything.”

I settled the bill so they could chat freely as we headed outside.

“Hey, why would you ask for five million from someone who just offered one million? Do you have money to spare?”

As soon as we parted ways, Han Gyeong-yeong questioned me, clearly puzzled.

“Do you trust me, bro? Just trust me one more time. That five million will come back as several billion!”

“You crazy! Make sense!”

I just smiled as I got into the car.

Arriving at the hotel in Chicago, I explained the detailed matters to Han Gyeong-yeong.

“Do you know any lawyers?”

“A lawyer? I do have someone who helped when we set up the company. Should I call him?”

“Yes, tell him to come to Chicago tomorrow. Have him join us to draft the contract.”

“Got it.”

I reiterated the points I emphasized during the conversation with Anderson.

“Did you hear? The contract must include that we won’t accept any other investments. If we need funding, we get first dibs, and my 40% equity must not be compromised. The lawyer should know how to handle that better.”

“Is that all?”

I nodded.

“Don’t worry about the rest. It’s better for them to figure things out among themselves without us interfering.”

“Huh… I’ll do as you say, but I feel like we’re throwing money away.”

Han Gyeong-yeong didn’t seem to grasp the future of the internet yet.

But in just a year, he would understand. And when the IPO came in ’95, he might just faint from shock.

“Trust me! And even if we lose that five million, you’ll make way more than that!”

Seeing my smile, Han Gyeong-yeong couldn’t help but chuckle back.

After Han Gyeong-yeong went to his room, I turned to Ma Seok-dae.

“Shall we have a quick chat in my room?”

“Sure.”

I led Ma Seok-dae to my room.

I opened a can of beer and offered it to him, but he shook his head.

I took a sip from my own beer.

“Mr. Ma, am I still not good enough to serve you? Haven’t you seen enough of me? I will walk my own path, one not inherited from my grandfather. Now, show me your intentions so I can trust you and keep accompanying you, okay?”

The corners of Ma Seok-dae’s eyes lifted slightly, but his gaze remained unchanged as he looked at me.

“If I don’t receive an answer by the time I return to Korea, I’ll start looking for someone else. I can’t have a secretary who isn’t my person following me around 24/7, can I?”

A cold gulp of beer slid down my throat, refreshing my weary body.

Then, after a moment of silence, Ma Seok-dae finally spoke.

“Can I answer before going to Korea?”

“…Sure, but whether you become my person or not, what happened during this trip to the U.S. stays a secret. That’s the least you can do, right?”

“Understood.”

“Go and rest now.”

I watched him leave as I finished my beer.

I’m really curious about what choice you’ll make, you know? It’s something I absolutely want.

Muttering to myself, I slipped under the covers.

The next day, I headed to the University of Illinois with a lawyer who had flown in from New York to draft the contract.

As I waited at a restaurant near the university, I spotted him walking in with someone who looked like a lawyer.

“This is a lawyer who supports student startups,” I explained.

“Ah, nice to meet you,” he replied.

After a brief greeting, we quickly handed the contract to Mark.

The lawyer examined the document for quite a while before whispering something to Anderson.

Then, he turned to me and smiled.

“I’ve met many investors, but this is my first time seeing a contract like this. It’s such a great deal for Mark that I’m a bit stunned!”

“Haha, really?”

“However, there are a few adjustments that need to be made,” he said.

“Sure, let’s discuss that with our lawyer,” I suggested.

I exchanged glances with our lawyer, and they took the contract to another table.

Anderson’s face was already lit up with excitement.

“Charlie! Thank you so much! I really feel like I can do everything I want now. I won’t let you down!”

“You can do anything you set your mind to,” I replied.

We exchanged wide smiles, both clearly excited.

In a cheerful atmosphere, he enthusiastically described the company of his dreams.

A little later,

the lawyers returned to our table, having sorted out the details of the contract.

After explaining the changes to each client, they handed out copies of the contract.

“Alright, let’s sign,” one of them said.

We all signed and exchanged contracts.

“The investment will be deposited into your account on the day you graduate. You can contact James here if you need anything, and if you need more funds, just let us know. Just be aware that your shares will increase,” he added.

“Thanks, Charlie!”

As he stood up, Anderson seemed so happy that he pulled me into a tight hug.

I felt grateful too, though I thought to myself that I should be the one thanking him.

Thus, I brought Netscape, the company driving the dot-com bubble, into my arms.

Now, it’s time to go meet our buddy Jobs!