Golden Spoon Investor

LaGuardia Airport, New York.

Located in the Queens area, LaGuardia Airport was the smallest of the three major airports in the New York metropolitan area.

Because of its size, it was used exclusively for domestic flights. However, since it was the closest airport to Manhattan, it was frequently used by Wall Street's elite for their private jets.

On one side of the vast tarmac, where fewer than ten large and small aircraft were parked, stood Seok-won. He was dressed in a camel-colored cashmere coat and a scarf, wearing leather gloves on his hands.

Beside him were two burly white men who appeared to be bodyguards.

A cold wind from the nearby East River tousled his hair slightly as he stood there.

Looking up at the gray clouds in the sky, he furrowed his brows. Surely, it's not going to snow again?

Just then, the staircase of a recently arrived Gulfstream IV business jet was lowered, and Tom Harper emerged, his hair tousled and dressed casually in jeans and a jumper.

Surveying his surroundings, Tom spotted Seok-won waiting for him and approached with a pleased expression.

"I didn't expect you to come all the way out here to greet me."

"A distinguished guest is arriving—of course, I had to."

Seok-won smiled lightly and shook Tom's hand.

"Was the trip to New York comfortable?"

"Not at all."

Tom gestured toward the sleek, white body of the private jet behind him and grinned.

"Thanks to the private jet you sent, the flight was incredibly smooth. It was so comfortable I didn't even want to get off."

"Glad to hear it."

"Honestly, I'm jealous. Flying around in a jet like that all the time—just how rich do you have to be to afford something like this?"

Tom spoke in a playful, cheerful tone.

"If this IPO goes well, you'll become a billionaire yourself. Then you can buy as many private jets as you want."

"A billionaire, huh? Just hearing it makes me feel rich already."

Grinning broadly, Tom glanced back at the group behind him and gestured toward someone.

"Oh, right. This is your first time meeting Bill, isn't it?"

At that moment, a middle-aged white man, appearing to be around 40, with a square jaw and a stern demeanour, stepped forward and made eye contact.

"Bill Nelson."

Unlike Tom, who was dressed casually, Bill was in a neatly tailored black suit, with a properly knotted tie and a leather briefcase in hand. His appearance made it easy to guess what kind of personality he had.

Bill Nelson was an experienced business executive recruited from a mid-sized IT firm in Silicon Valley.

With the company expanding rapidly after launching its new web browser last year, it could no longer afford to run things haphazardly.

However, most of the core members, including Tom, were completely inexperienced in managing a business. They needed someone to take on those responsibilities.

That's why they had brought in Bill Nelson—and so far, he had been handling things satisfactorily without any major issues.

"I'm Seok-won Park."

Seok-won smiled as he shook Bill's hand, then gestured toward Tom with his chin.

"You must have a tough job cleaning up after these guys in Silicon Valley."

"Hah…"

Bill Nelson let out an awkward chuckle, seemingly unaccustomed to jokes.

"What am I, a kid? I don't need babysitting."

"From what I saw in your office last time, you might need a full-time nanny."

"T-That was just because we were busy working! It's not usually that messy."

Tom, clearly aware that his office had looked like a dumpster, hurriedly tried to defend himself.

"Even if the flight was comfortable, you must be tired from the long journey. Let's head to the hotel and get you settled in first."

"Oh, right."

Tom glanced at the black SUV parked behind Seok-won and pointed at it.

"We're taking that, right?"

"No."

"Then what are we riding?"

Tom looked around in confusion, and Bill Nelson also furrowed his brows, puzzled.

"That one."

Seok-won turned his head and gestured to the left. The two men followed his gaze.

At the far end of the tarmac, a Bell 206 helicopter, painted white with black stripes, was parked.

"You're not serious, are you?"

Tom let out a laugh, thinking it was a joke—until he saw the serious look on Seok-won's face.

"I am. That's our ride."

"Wait, you're taking a helicopter?"

"Yeah."

Unlike Tom, who was staring at him in shock, Seok-won remained unfazed.

"You know how bad New York traffic is. If we took a car to Manhattan now, we'd probably get there after sunset."

"Is it really that bad?"

"But with the helicopter, we'll be there in less than 20 minutes."

Tom stared at Seok-won, dumbfounded.

"You talk about helicopters like they're taxis… Is this what being rich is like?"

Seok-won smirked and gave Tom a light pat on the shoulder.

"You'll be living like this soon enough."

A fiery ambition flickered in Tom Harper's eyes.

Moments later, the Bell 206 lifted off smoothly from the tarmac, carrying Seok-won and his group toward the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.

***

That evening.

Seok-won met up with Tom Harper and Bill Nelson again at the French restaurant in the Plaza Hotel.

After settling into their pre-booked rooms and resting for a few hours, Tom and Bill looked noticeably refreshed.

With Landon joining them, the four of them were seated in a private dining room, arranged specifically for a quiet conversation.

The room was lavishly decorated, reminiscent of a European palace. The table, covered with a pristine white tablecloth, was set with gleaming silverware and elegantly designed plates.

A uniformed waiter arrived, placing a basket of warm bread along with butter and an assortment of jams. Seok-won turned to Tom Harper, who was sitting across from him and asked first.

"How do you like the room?"

Tom, who had just taken a sip of champagne, broke into a wide smile.

"It's amazing. The entire Central Park view is visible from the window. With all that snow, it looked just like a Christmas card."

"I'm glad you like it."

Seok-won felt a sense of satisfaction—booking a room with a great view had paid off.

Glancing to Tom's side, he saw Bill Nelson nod in agreement.

"I liked it as well."

"That's good."

Engaging in light conversation, Seok-won spread a bit of butter onto a piece of bread and took a bite. The cheese accompanying it was delightfully salty and rich, making for an excellent pairing.

As he moved on to the truffle risotto, topped with black truffles, he looked at the two men across from him and spoke.

"As you already know, tomorrow we'll be meeting with Goldman Sachs representatives to finalize the IPO plans."

At those words, Tom Harper, who had been nervously sipping his champagne, suddenly downed the rest of his glass in one go and set it down.

"I'd only been thinking about it in theory until now, but now that we're actually moving forward with the IPO process, I'm feeling nervous."

Watching the waiter refill Tom's glass, Seok-won gave him an understanding look.

"It makes sense. It's your first IPO, and your company is barely a year old. It's natural to feel that way."

In truth, it was Seok-won who had strongly pushed for this IPO.

Tom Harper, as the founder, had been hesitant at first, but after much persuasion, he had agreed to go public.

Now, even after flying all the way to New York for negotiations, he couldn't hide his lingering doubts as he asked anxiously.

"Like you said, it's only been a short time since we started the company. We're not even profitable yet—we're still in the red. Do you really think we can pull off a successful IPO?"

At that moment, Bill Nelson, who had been listening quietly, cautiously interjected.

"I have my concerns as well. Rather than rushing into it, wouldn't it be better to strengthen the company first before going public?"

His reaction was understandable.

Despite the company's web browser reaching a staggering 2 million downloads in just three months, revenue had only amounted to $17 million.

Most users had downloaded the free version, leading to this revenue shortfall.

'If not for a few companies purchasing the software for business use, we wouldn't have made any money at all.'

The problem stemmed from the company offering almost no difference between the free and paid versions—which had led most users to see Netscape's browser as a completely free software.

'The free version is great for market share, but in terms of revenue, we're practically cutting off our lifeline.'

In reality, despite capturing over half the market within six months, the company was bleeding millions in losses.

Seok-won took another sip of champagne and set the glass down, his voice turning serious.

"I understand the desire to build a stronger foundation before going public. Honestly, taking a company that's barely taken its first steps and launching an IPO—people would call us crazy."

Seok-won's blunt words left Tom Harper and Bill Nelson momentarily taken aback.

On the other hand, Landon, who had been by Seok-won's side for a long time, remained unfazed. He casually sliced into the foie gras—one of the world's three greatest delicacies—with his fork, savouring its smooth and rich flavour.

Meeting Tom Harper's gaze, Seok-won continued.

"From my perspective, the browser already boasts excellent functionality, a sleek interface, and high efficiency. But you've always said there's still a lot missing."

"That's right. Considering the endless possibilities of the internet, what we've released so far is just a basic version. There are still plenty of features we need to add."

Tom Harper nodded enthusiastically as he spoke.

He wasn't just saying this—he was already deep into developing the next version of the web browser.

Seok-won acknowledged this with a nod.

"I agree—this isn't the end, but just the beginning."

"Exactly! That's why I like talking to you—you get it."

But Seok-won remained composed as he looked at Tom and spoke again.

"To do that, you're going to need a lot more investment, which means the company's losses will only continue to grow. How long do you think you can sustain that?"

Tom Harper's face stiffened at Seok-won's sharp observation, and he fell silent.

After all, his first project—the Mosaic web browser—had ultimately failed due to excessive costs and mounting losses.

"And you don't want to eliminate the free version and switch entirely to a paid model just to secure revenue, right?"

Tom responded with a serious expression.

"I understand that we need to make money—we're not running a charity."

He exhaled sharply before continuing.

"But not now. Our browser is popular not just because it's great software, but because it's free. The moment we put up a paywall, users will switch to a competing browser in no time."

Although Netscape was leading the market, it hadn't completely dominated it yet.

If anything, its success had triggered a gold rush of competitors, with companies scrambling to develop their browsers, turning the market into a fierce battlefield.

'The most troublesome competitor is Microsoft—the apex predator of the software industry. They're developing their web browser.'

Tom Harper was well aware of this, which only heightened his sense of urgency.

Seok-won's tone remained calm but firm.

"I agree—it's too early to fully transition to a paid model. That's exactly why we need an IPO."

"You're suggesting that we use the capital from going public to cover our investment costs?"

Seok-won didn't bother mentioning the massive IPO windfall that would allow him to exit at peak valuation, easily recouping investments through the stock market. That part didn't need to be said.

"Exactly. Right now, our browser is so popular that people practically equate 'the internet' with Netscape. This is the perfect time to go public."

His unwavering conviction made Tom Harper pause in deep thought.

After a moment, he finally nodded.

"Alright. I've followed your advice before and never regretted it. I'll trust you on this one too."

Bill Nelson still had lingering doubts about whether it was too soon, but seeing the company's founder make up his mind, he chose to stay silent.

Seok-won then flashed a bright smile and spoke confidently.

"Not only will you get to develop whatever you want, but I'll also turn you into a billionaire—so get ready."