Chapter 92: Professor Shashua

“Professor! Professor Shashua.”

The lecture ended, and I hurriedly followed the professor as he headed for the front door.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty about whether this young professor was indeed the person I was looking for.

“Yes? Is this about something you missed, perhaps a student who arrived late?”

“I did arrive late, but I’m not a student.”

Professor Shashua stopped and looked me up and down.

“Ah, my apologies. Then, what brings you here to see me?”

“I have one question before we begin. Are you currently conducting research in the field of optics using relative standard deviation?”

“I am.”

He didn’t seem particularly surprised, suggesting this research was already public knowledge.

If anything, I was the one caught off guard.

It seemed this professor was indeed the person I sought. But had the commercialization of his research already progressed significantly?

If there was no room left to intervene, flying all the way to Israel would have been a complete waste of time.

I’d already experienced enough times that having a glimpse of the future wasn’t a magic bullet for everything.

Buying up undervalued stocks in large quantities would cause the stock price to skyrocket, drawing the attention of other investment firms. Short-term investments were practically impossible.

It was more feasible to take a long-term view and gradually acquire shares over several years. But this method was frustratingly slow. Once the stock holding exceeded a certain amount, making me a major shareholder, that too would attract unwanted attention.

The best approach was to build a rapport before the company was founded and become an angel investor. Of course, this also required having intimate knowledge of the situation.

Anyway, hoping I wasn’t too late, I spoke.

“This might take a while. Would you have some time to spare?”

I took out my business card and handed it to him, eliciting a surprising look.

“Miracle Investment?”

The moment I saw his expression and the look in his eyes, I wanted to celebrate.

That expression and gaze meant no one had approached him with a business proposition yet, or he wasn’t prepared for one.

“Yes. The website URL is on the card, so please feel free to check it out before considering a meeting, but….”

Professor Shashua looked back and forth between the business card and me before speaking.

“How about we meet in my lab at the technology transfer company in two hours? Would that work for you?”

“Thank you. I’ll see you again soon.”

I bowed my head slightly, and he gave a casual wave of his hand before hurrying away.

I wandered around the school for the next two hours.

Having time to spare, I noticed things I had missed in my rush to get here. Barricades and a checkpoint placed next to the school’s main gate caught my eye.

I later learned that when a threat of Middle Eastern terrorism was detected, security checks were quite thorough. They would search not only visitors but also students and professors meticulously, truly living up to the description of a powder keg.

I’d heard that the archeology department at Hebrew University was among the best in the world, and the museum on campus was certainly impressive. But the university’s greatest pride was undoubtedly Albert Einstein.

A Jewish native, Albert Einstein, before his death in 1955, bequeathed his intellectual property rights to Hebrew University, which he played a key role in establishing.

Up until about ten years ago, the university had only formally owned the intellectual property rights to Einstein, making no real effort to commercialize them.

However, commercialization began in earnest when they hired Berli Hiller, an intellectual property rights expert, as their agent.

The university began marketing Einstein’s name and image, charging fees for its use in various events and advertisements. The revenue generated from this exceeded $1.5 million annually.

It was a frightening world when even the sacred halls of academia were infiltrated by merchants turning a person’s image into money.

After circling the campus, I headed to the technology transfer company.

Entering Professor Shashua’s lab, I saw three or four people hunched over computer monitors, engrossed in their work.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Come this way.”

Professor Shashua led me to a small room. It was surrounded by books, and every desk and chair was piled with printed papers and various camera lenses, leaving hardly any space to sit.

He brought over an extra chair and placed it next to his desk, gesturing for me to sit.

“Please, have a seat.”

It wasn’t comfortable, but what could I do? This was the person who would become a goldmine in the future.

“Would you tell me why a wizard from Hollywood wants to meet with me, someone who grapples with mathematical formulas?”

A wizard from Hollywood?

Could that be the nickname for Miracle in the US? Or perhaps he’d read an article with that title?

“Hollywood is just one of our investment targets. We’re always interested in new technologies and promising startups.”

“Are you perhaps interested in CogniTens?”

“Pardon? CogniTens?”

What a blunder!

I shouldn’t show any surprise, no matter what the professor says.

I needed to avoid revealing how little I knew. I quickly tried to recover.

“My apologies, could you elaborate?”

A hint of disappointment flashed across his face as he replied.

“CogniTens is a 3D optical measurement solution capable of measuring the precision of metal parts and assemblies. It’s both the name of the solution and the company.”

I didn’t understand it precisely, but it didn’t matter.

Wasn’t he the genius professor whose every startup was a hit?

“When did you establish the company?”

“We started in 1995.”

“I’ll add that company to my list as well.”

“Add?”

“Yes. The reason I came to see you, Professor, is my interest in the technology that provides users with information collected through cameras with minimal error.”

Professor Shashua began to stare at me with surprised eyes.

“How did you know about that?”

“I read a paper on artificial intelligence and computer vision systems. Ah, well, I didn’t personally read it. Our company staff discovered it, and I only have a basic understanding of the concept.”

I quickly drew a line, just in case. I needed to prevent the conversation from leading to in-depth questions and discussions. My ignorance couldn’t be exposed.

“Do you think that concept is significant enough to cross the ocean?”

The professor’s eyes sparkled.

“Its value will depend on where the technology is applied. Professor, you already have a field in mind, don’t you?”

“Of course. But I’m also curious about Mr. Jin’s thoughts.”

Looking directly into the professor’s eyes, I spoke without hesitation. Either he was considering a different application for this technology, in which case I needed to steer him in the right direction, or he was already on the right track, which would make us even more compatible.

“The eyes of a car.”

Professor Shashua’s eyes widened like car headlights.

“Imagine a car with your technology applied. Small cameras gather information around the vehicle and, with minimal error, alert the driver? It could trigger warning sounds before any contact. What if a camera mounted on the rear bumper displayed directly onto an interior monitor? There would be no need to turn your head when reversing or parking.”

“If the front camera accurately calculated the distance to the car ahead, collision accidents would dramatically decrease, and recognizing traffic signals could enable automatic braking.”

The professor had already begun excitedly sharing his own ideas.

“We’ll push it to a level where lane recognition is possible. That would prevent lane departures.”

“Converting analog data to digital would allow it to be integrated into the car’s systems.”

“Exactly. The ultimate goal you envision is….”

“Self-driving cars, where the car moves on its own!”

Watching the professor excitedly ramble on brought a genuine smile to my face.

“Professor, what do you think is the true goal of autonomous driving?”

“Huh? No, the goal is autonomous driving. What do you mean, the goal of the goal?”

“I believe the true goal of autonomous driving is zero traffic accidents.”

This was a calculated move to earn points with Professor Shashua. And it worked.

He was speechless for a moment. When he finally spoke, it was with admiration.

“I see. I hadn’t considered it that far.”

“It’s only a matter of time. You’ve surely thought about it too, Professor.”

Whether it was this man or the chairman of Google who first said the ultimate goal of autonomous driving was zero traffic accidents, the result was satisfying.

He would think of me not just as a simple investor but as a young man with a broad vision.

“Shall we get down to business then?”

“Business?”

“Yes, the reason I crossed the ocean.”

“Are you saying you’d invest when all you have is a concept and basic theories?”

“You haven’t even heard the investment terms, and you’re already surprised?”

Calming his surprised heart, Professor Shashua spoke.

“Just a moment. The possibility of self-driving is slim. It’s something out of science fiction movies. Of course, it’s theoretically possible, but who knows when it will be usable in reality… And, in particular, I doubt humans would entrust the steering wheel to a computer chip. It’s a matter of life and death.”

He lacked self-belief and conviction. Perhaps it was only natural. The new era was dawning too quickly.

I also realized he was a trustworthy person. The person who should be seeking investment was the one pointing out the negative aspects, just like an investor would.

“What could be more fantastic than turning a dream into reality? Look at our company name. It’s Miracle.”

Leaving Professor Shashua, still looking bewildered, I stood up. Having surprised him this much, it was better to leave some room for contemplation.

“I’m staying at the Sheraton. Please consider the investment terms carefully, and feel free to contact me whenever your thoughts are settled. Oh, and that includes CogniTens. Well then….”

This was a sudden and unrealistic turn of events for Professor Shashua.

As I said my goodbyes, he barely managed to regain his composure.

“Ah, my apologies. The Sheraton…. I’ll contact you, Mr. Jin.”

I felt strength in his hand as I shook it.

A firm handshake meant he didn’t want to let go, didn’t it? It seemed like I was already more than 90% there.

I was willing to accept whatever offer he made.

* * *

I considered sightseeing in Jerusalem, but went straight back to the hotel. An important person could arrive at any moment, so I shouldn’t be distracted by leisurely thoughts.

Waiting at the hotel until he came to see me was the right course of action.

As I entered the hotel, Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-suk, who was sitting in the lobby lounge drinking coffee, jumped up and rushed over.

“Have you finished your business?”

“No, what are you doing here?”

“I was waiting for you, sir.”

Was he just steadfast, inflexible, or was he still bothered by the scolding he received on the plane?

“Oh, I did some sightseeing in the morning. But everywhere I went, there were so many checkpoints and soldiers with guns wandering around that I lost the desire to sightsee and just came back.”

I chuckled. There were occasional soldiers, but not enough to ruin sightseeing.

He was just feeling uneasy about enjoying himself while his boss was working.

“There’s nothing for you to do, Assistant Manager Kim. Who knows when we’ll visit this country again? Don’t regret it later, go see the sights. And if things go well today, we’ll head back tomorrow. I just added extra days as a precaution.”

Assistant Manager Kim’s constantly changing expressions were amusing.

“I’m going up to my room to rest. Just go out and enjoy yourself.”

Leaving the still hesitant Assistant Manager Kim, I walked to the front desk.

I gave them my business card and asked them to not miss anyone who came looking for me.

Now, time to relax and put my feet up.

By the end of the day, at the latest, I would be a major shareholder of a company possessing the core technology for autonomous driving, a company with an asset value exceeding ten trillion won.