Chapter 61. Hiring Employees

At first, when I regressed, I thought everything would be easy, but once I faced reality, it wasn't as simple as I had imagined.

Firstly, I don't know everything that will happen in the future.

Since I haven't experienced it firsthand, I only know what I've read in articles, so I don't know the detailed ins and outs. Moreover, there are cases where the known information and the truth are different.

Secondly, even if I know something, it's not easy to convince others how I know it.

For example, in the case of the BridgeWorld Airlines engine explosion, I was convincing because I said I heard strange noises on the plane. If I had told them over the phone, I would have been arrested and treated as a terrorist.

Thirdly, even if I know the future and can convince others, turning that into reality is another issue.

What good is a great opportunity if you don't have the money? Without money, it's useless.

The stage is set, so now all I need is money.

It might be difficult to get a few hundred billion dollars right away, but at least I need to prepare a deposit. To do that, I need to invest the money I have now and make it grow.

Fortunately, there's a good investment opportunity right now.

"I want to hire some employees. Do you know anyone?"

David thought for a moment and then said,

"I have some former colleagues from my time at Victory Investment. Some have moved to other investment firms, but a few are currently unemployed."

He is as good a person as he is skilled.

In the first loop, when David joined Shark Management, many of his former colleagues from Victory Investment followed him.

His high performance there was partly due to the support of his colleagues.

"That's great. Ask if they're interested in a side job."

"What are the terms?"

"The period is one to ten days. Offer them $100,000."

"I'll check."

David sent messages and made calls.

About two hours later, he told me,

"Three people can start immediately."

I received information about the employees.

A white man, a black man, and a Hispanic woman.

I was impressed.

Their educational backgrounds were dazzling. New York University Accounting, Stanford University Mathematics, and Yale University Business School. My background in Economics from Korea University can't even compare.

"Are they all good at their jobs?"

"I'll vouch for them."

"Then it's settled. Let's hire them."

David glanced at me and asked,

"Can I go to New York for a bit?"

"To meet them in person?"

"That's part of it, but I also want to see my daughter."

His daughter is currently hospitalized in a New York hospital. Even though he talks to her daily via video calls and phone, he must want to see her in person.

His expression made it clear he wanted to go right away.

What a doting father.

"Go ahead."

David nodded immediately.

"I'll be back in two days."

* * *

David left on a plane, and I was left alone in the unfamiliar American land.

Bored with staying in the hotel, I decided to tour San Francisco. Sid, who had just resigned and was on a break, joined me.

In the first loop, he would have been working non-stop at a securities firm. Now, he's touring America with a future world leader.

I suddenly remembered when Sid visited Korea. He was invited to the Blue House and had a private meeting with the president, and influential politicians and economists lined up to meet him.

In the first loop, I wouldn't have dared to approach such a person, but now I can casually call him "bro." This shows that you should invest in undervalued quality stocks, whether they are people or companies.

The weather was chilly, but the sun was shining brightly.

"It's been a while since I've been outside. When did it get so cold?"

Sid was wearing a T-shirt and Crocs on his bare feet. I was worried he might freeze, so I bought him a down jacket from a nearby store.

Unlike New York, which is filled with tall buildings, San Francisco mostly has low-rise buildings.

This is because the ground is weak and there's a risk of earthquakes.

There's a San Andreas fault line under the city, and earthquakes do occur from time to time.

I remembered a novel I read about a major earthquake in San Francisco. The protagonist knew the earthquake was coming and ran around trying to prevent it. What was the title again?

We sat in a cafe and drank coffee.

Watching the passersby, I was reminded of the diverse ethnicities that make up the city.

Sid, eating a cake, said,

"To create a metaverse, there's a crucial technology we need."

"VR?"

"Exactly. Despite the decades since computers were introduced, input and output devices haven't changed much. Input is still the keyboard and mouse, and output is the monitor. Smartphones have only changed the input to touch, but the mechanism is the same."

"But voice recognition has also emerged, right?"

Sid nodded.

"Finally, changes are starting. In the future, we'll be able to control computers with our thoughts."

Currently, VR devices are being developed, but they are far from true virtual reality.

However, in the future, brainwave-based input and output devices will become widespread, revolutionizing the IT industry.

It will be possible to control avatars in the virtual world with just our thoughts.

"It could be used in games too."

"Exactly. In the future, games will run entirely on the cloud."

Currently, the most aggressive company in this field is NS.

Originally, NS centered around its PC OS, Windows. However, after Satya Samalan became the third CEO, the company shifted to a cloud-centric model.

They made it possible to access their cloud, Azure, and manage data and run programs regardless of the operating system.

They also invested heavily in games.

The best way to enjoy games, regardless of platform or device, is through the cloud. NS grew to become the second-largest cloud company after AMZ, and its stock price soared.

This clearly shows the growth potential of the cloud.

"When are you planning to acquire CoolCloud?"

"It will take about ten days."

I already have a plan for how to raise the money needed for the acquisition and how to carry it out.

While we were talking, Sid's phone on the table rang. I saw that it was Rolf.

"Do you need to answer?"

"Probably just useless talk. 'Let's have lunch,' 'Let's have coffee,' 'Let's talk,' etc."

He must be quite disappointed.

After all, everything Rolf can do to mimic a genius is thanks to Sid. If Sid leaves, Rolf must be very worried.

Thinking you can exploit a genius is just an illusion.

I looked at Sid.

He seems like a simple, clumsy young man, but he is a genius on par with Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton.

If I didn't know what he would achieve in the future, I might have had the same illusion as Rolf.

Sid shook his head.

"I don't want to see him anymore."

"Even if he offers you 15% of the shares?"

"I don't really need it."

He didn't seem to care much about money.

Perhaps real-world wealth isn't that important to him. He is the creator of the virtual world, and the infinite wealth of the new world is in his hands.

I reassured him,

"Don't worry. I'll kick him out as soon as we acquire the company."

The core of CoolCloud is two things.

First, Sid Lucas. Second, Mimir.

I could create a new company using these two, but that's not a simple matter.

Why do IT giants today copy services or poach employees instead of acquiring startups for huge sums of money?

Because these companies have their own unique identity.

Moreover, Mimir is a program that grows through deep learning.

Even identical twins can grow up to be very different adults depending on their experiences.

Minerva, CoolCloud's AI, has undergone three years of deep learning.

Starting from scratch would take an unknown amount of time, and there's no guarantee the AI would function the same way.

Furthermore, acquiring CoolCloud at this point is something that didn't happen in the first loop. If possible, it's better to minimize variables.

In the end, the best option is to acquire CoolCloud as is. If that's not possible, I'll have to create a new company.

"What would you do first as CEO?"

"There's a lot to do."

"The internet is always Day 1, right?"

"Ah, right."

After Pangea was created, people asked Sid,

"Is this the completion of the internet world?"

He answered,

"We've just moved from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age."

The Gold Rush ended when the last gold was mined. But the internet is at its most underdeveloped stage today.

Sid is a pioneer who will advance the civilization of this underdeveloped world.

"You seem different from other people."

"Really?"

"Like how you immediately knew those two were idiots. I've thought about it for a long time but never said it. And this is the first time I've talked so comfortably with someone."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Most people don't understand what I say."

I could guess the reason.

You see the world according to what you know. Therefore, the world a genius sees must be different from that of an ordinary person.

The world Sid sees now must be completely different from what others see. That's why most people can't understand the essence of what he says.

However, I lived in the future he created, so I can understand him.

But I'm not a genius. The only reason I've come this far is because I regressed.

As Sid said, the internet world will continue to develop endlessly.

The future I know will eventually come to an end. So, I need to get as much as I can before then.

* * *

Two days later.

David Rockheart returned to Silicon Valley with three people.

I greeted them.

"Hello, I'm Han Miru, co-CEO of Continuum Capital. You've probably heard about me, so I'll skip the introduction."

The white man's name is Maurice Pearson, the black man is Edward Benson, and the Hispanic woman is Gabriella Chavez.

All three worked with David at Victory Investment.

Since time was limited, I got straight to the point.

"Continuum Capital has about $100 million in capital. Our goal is to grow this money as much as possible in a short period."

Maurice raised his hand and asked,

"What kind of return are you expecting?"

"At least ten times."

"......"

They all looked like they were thinking, "What nonsense is this?"

My goal is a bit ambitious.