“You promised government support funds, so how can you suddenly cut them!”
“We have no choice because the Ministry of Planning and Finance has slashed the R&D budget.”
Jaesung, who had won a government policy research project and started an AI startup, came to meet the person in charge to secure additional investment amid rising graphics card and server costs, only to be suddenly notified of the budget cut.
The government drastically reduced the budget for research and instead invested more finances in real estate and support for the elderly.
“If we stop AI development now, we will never be able to catch up with other countries.”
“Even so, isn’t it difficult for CEO Yoo’s company to produce noticeable results with this level of support?”
“No matter what, it’s not like they’re completely giving up, right?”
Jaesung earnestly pleaded, saying the project would fall apart, but the person in charge sighed and said.
“I don’t feel good that the AI research project I was in charge of has been canceled either. I know well the importance of the project, but they cut the budget from above—what can I do?”
To create an artificial intelligence computation program algorithm, high-performance computing devices and large servers were needed, requiring initial capital that a startup could not afford.
In Japan, the government poured enormous budgets to spur AI development, but they lacked the necessary manpower, while Korea had some manpower but no government investment will.
The US and China were already ahead, but excluding those two countries, Korea was the one with the potential to create AI algorithms.
However, the government was only interested in policies that showed immediate results, drastically cutting budgets for research that required time and investment and had little impact on gaining votes.
“Damn it. We’ve already lost the initiative, but how important is it to have at least domestic AI rather than completely handing over the market.”
Korea had a strange market that survived without being entirely devoured by American IT companies, thanks to the unique Korean language.
Neighboring Japan, with its large domestic market and manpower, had given up its online ecosystem to America’s Yahoo and Amazon, but Korea was one of the few countries where native portal services and SNS with meaningful sales were still active.
“James, you still don’t want to sell the company?”
“Not a full acquisition—how about partial shares and investment?”
“What the company wants is not your program, but your brain. Of course, there’s no reason to leave the company intact.”
A call came from the CEO of an American AI company to Jaesung, who had returned after meeting the person in charge.
There were several American companies watching Jaesung’s company, as he majored in computer engineering at Stanford and obtained an MBA from Wharton Business School.
From the beginning, there were scouting offers from American companies, but Jaesung, who wanted to create a native AI in Korea, gave up billions in annual salary and returned home.
“I’m not thinking of selling the company, so give up. I need to get investment—your company has no interest, right?”
“I want to work with you, not that I need your company. How much hardship is there in the beginning to create an AI algorithm—do you want to do that again?”
“Got it. I guess I’ll have to go to America to meet angel investors directly. I gave you the opportunity first.”
The CEO who wanted Jaesung was an acquaintance from America, so he brought up the investment talk first.
He could be a competitor, but since it was impossible for an AI made in Korea to catch up with models made in America pouring astronomical costs, he wasn’t particularly worried.
“Why are you bothering to suffer like that?”
“I want to expand the business into various fields starting with my own AI. The Korean market is smaller than America’s, but it’s the optimal place for quick application and testing.”
“Yeah, yeah. Good luck. If you get angel investment, I’ll invest a little personally too.”
After finishing the call with his friend who was doing well as an AI company CEO in America, he rubbed his stiff eyes.
To save even labor costs with a tight budget, Jaesung participated directly in coding while serving as CEO.
During the day, he met various people for sales, returned to the company for work, and went out again in the evening for entertainment.
“I’m going to drop dead like this. I used to stay up two nights straight easily, but have I gotten old?”
It had been three days since he couldn’t go home, working while taking short naps on the simple bed in the corner of the CEO’s office.
Not only was he tired from aging, but frequent dinners and entertainments meant eating alcohol and snacks every night, and sitting in the office tapping the keyboard made his belly swell like an 8-month pregnant woman.
Fatty liver and diabetes warning signs appeared, but exercising was a great luxury for Jaesung, who had little time since starting the startup not long ago.
“CEO, go home and sleep today. We’ll stay overnight.”
“I was planning to go in early anyway because I have a bank meeting tomorrow.”
He had planned to code all night again today, but thanks to the developer employee giving him a hint, he went home for the first time in a while.
If employees worked overtime, overtime pay was added, increasing labor costs, and although he was worried about labor costs right away, he couldn’t show that the company funds were insufficient.
His head throbbed from worries about the company, but somehow he slept and headed to the corporate bank the next morning to get a business loan.
“I’m sorry, but you already have a lot of debt, so we can’t provide additional loans.”
“Next week, I’ve agreed to receive venture capital investment from America. Can’t you at least loan for immediate operating expenses?”
“Our non-performing loan ratio has risen, so available loan amounts are almost exhausted. It’s not a problem with your company—nationally, financial sector funds are drying up, so there’s nothing we can do.”
Because the government poured too much money into real estate loans, companies found it hard to borrow money.
He visited other banks just in case, but there really were no banks offering corporate loans.
“This is serious. Next week is payday— what should I do?”
He had already liquidated all his meager personal assets, and borrowed as much as possible from acquaintances.
“Damn it! If the country sets a policy, they should proceed steadily. What are we supposed to do if they give and then take it away?”
Recently, his head often throbbed, and to relieve stress, Jaesung put a cigarette in his mouth.
He lit it and took a deep drag when his head spun and everything went dark.
“Ugh!”
“Are you okay? Someone has collapsed here!”
Jaesung grabbed his heart and collapsed, and the person smoking next to him reported to 119.
Jaesung closed his eyes, confirming he was being taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
I overdid it. I should sell the company to America.
As he lost consciousness, he regrettably decided to liquidate the company.
“Jaesung, are you coming to?”
“Dad?”
When he opened his eyes in the hospital room, his father was wearing a doctor’s gown.
Jaesung’s father had established himself early as a surgeon but couldn’t retire even past 70 because he sent his son to study in America and supported business funds.
Born into a somewhat stable golden spoon family, Jaesung wanted to rise to a true diamond spoon, giving up high salary for business.
“Why call me father so creepily. It gives me goosebumps—call me Dad like usual.”
His father, who didn’t rest even on weekends caring for patients at the hospital, with a bent back and aged drastically, waved his arm saying it gave him goosebumps.
Huh? Why does Dad look younger?
It was definitely his father, but instead of an old, tired, shadowed face, he had firm skin and a bright expression.
“You had anemia and got tackled, so you fainted briefly. Fortunately, you’re not injured, so you can get up now. Your mom is coming, so go straight home and rest.”
Confused by his father’s rejuvenated appearance, the hospital room door opened, and an even more surprising mother appeared.
“Mom?”
“Jaesung! Are you okay? Do you know how shocked Mom was?”
“It’s mild anemia, so don’t worry—resting at home today will be fine.”
“Is there no injury?”
His father, who hadn’t seen much light staying only in the hospital as he aged, had a tall, intellectual, sharp cold handsome face.
His mother, who married falling for that appearance and was a beauty contest participant with decent looks, but the mother who appeared now had a slimmer figure and subtly prettier face than in Jaesung’s memory from photos.
It’s definitely Mom, but why is she younger?
Thinking it strange seeing his rejuvenated parents, when he got down from the bed with his mother’s support, he realized his body had shrunk.
Is it a dream? I’ve gotten younger too?
Still not fully awake from sleep, thinking strangely, as he left the hospital, the hospital’s appearance was odd too.
This isn’t Dad’s hospital?
It wasn’t his father’s private hospital in memory, but a large general hospital, and all staff were foreigners.
“Where is this? It doesn’t seem like Korea?”
“Oh my? We moved to America following Dad this year. Did you hit your head?”
It was a dream, but strangely, as time passed, it became vivid, and as he came to, it felt real.
Confused, Jaesung silently got into the Toyota Camry his mother was driving and headed home.
Arriving at a typical American house with a lawn and garage, Jaesung confirmed this was Bellevue in Seattle, America.
“Mom! Is oppa okay?”
“Jaeeun, oppa still seems dizzy, so don’t play pranks and let him rest.”
His younger sister Yoo Jaeeun, who came out from the house, had become a little kid too.
There were many questions, but thinking it would worry her if he asked Mom, he went up to his room and lay on the bed.
Looking around the room to grasp the situation, the door cracked open and his younger sister Jaeeun came in.
“Oppa, you got hit in the head with a ball while playing soccer and fainted, right?”
“Yeah? I don’t remember well. How long has it been since we transferred to America?”
“You already forgot? We moved to America two months ago.”
“I’m confused. Dad must be doing well at the new hospital, right?”
The younger sister, who looked like an elementary schooler at first glance, was originally very talkative and tormented Jaesung as a excessive talker when young.
Knowing his sister’s personality, he asked leading questions, and she spilled information freely, allowing him to quickly grasp the current situation.
Dad got a professorship at the University of Washington School of Medicine—it’s different from the past I experienced?
When Jaesung decided to study in America, while drinking with his father, he mentioned casually being offered a professor position in America, and that place was the University of Washington in Seattle.
The whole family immigrated to America following his father’s new job, Jaesung was in 7th grade middle school, Jaeeun in 5th grade elementary.
Is it like a parallel world? Then, what year is it now?
Looking at a magazine in the room, it said 1994, and Jaesung calmly accepted that he had died from overwork and returned to the past.
Not only did he regress alone, but the family’s past had changed too, causing confusion, but surprisingly, he accepted reality quickly.
“It’s actually better. I can start over in America from the beginning.”