God of Money

“Hey, Woosung. Hey!”

Woosung was about to pass through the main entrance when he heard someone calling.

“Oh, hi. What are you guys doing here?”

“Obviously we’re here to attend the seminar. You too?”

“Not exactly.”

“That car…You’re driving it now?” Park Jonghyun asked enviously.

Woosung nodded.

“Awesome! It was from…Jang Gwangchul, right?”

Woosung nodded again and waved at Yoon Chanjong.

“Oh, you’re here too?”

“Nice to see you again. I think this seminar will be really helpful for us.”

Woosung didn’t answer, but he asked expectantly instead. “So which seminars are you guys going to attend?”

“I’m gonna hear whatever Chanjong wants.” Park Jonghyun answered first.

Yoon Chanjong answered as well. “A co-worker told me about the GUI Test Tool. So that would be my first one.”

Woosung smiled secretly. “Really?”

Just then, Woosung noticed other old classmates arriving, including Cha Yeoreum. “Woosung, you’re…here too.”

“Haha, we meet again.” Suddenly, Woosung’s phone rang. “Yes, I’m here. Alright, I’ll be there.”

After the call, Woosung started to walk faster while the others followed. Park Jonghyun murmured unhappily.

“What’s the hurry?”

Yoon Chanjong tried to calm Park Jonghyun. “We need to get going anyway too.”

Everyone entered the hotel and Woosung disappeared into the crowd.

***

Woosung arrived at the room prepared for the speakers. He looked around and saw a familiar face.

‘Hong Soobum?’

He was the founder of a popular chat app Coconut. By 2018, over 40 million users would be using it in Korea. Hong Soobum represented what everyone in the IT field wanted to become.

‘That’s right. He is supposed to do a presentation on the future of mobile apps.’

Hong Soobum was wiping his hands with a wet towel. In 10 years, he would become the face of the Korean IT industry. Woosung’s heart beat fast. He approached him and extended out his hand to him.

“Hello, sir.”

Hong Soobum looked up in surprise.

“M…me?”

“Yes, sir. I am a big fan of yours and it is an honor to meet you here.”

“Oh…I think you must be mistaken. I’m not a famous person.”

“Haha, not now, but you will be. It’s going to happen.”

“Oh…ok…”

“You just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Oh… ok…?”

Hong Soobum didn’t know how to respond. He looked at Woosung with eyes filled with suspicions. Woosung thought for a second.

‘If I develop Coconut, will it become just as popular?’

It wasn’t hard to create the app, but the success of a product didn’t depend just on developing it. The success it got needed something more.

‘It would be safer to just invest in the project rather than making it myself.’

As they shook their hands, Hong Soobum asked Woosung.

“Umm…could you let my hand go now?”

Woosung let him go and apologized.

“Haha, sorry. I’m your biggest fan. Could I get your business card?”

Hong Soobum took out a card in silence.

-Nexter Client Development Team 1.

-Team leader Hong Soobum.

The past was as Woosung remembered. In the future, Coconut would be created by several developers from the biggest portal site Nexter. They were the true geniuses, unlike Woosung who was cheating.

Woosung had great respect for such people.

“Thank you. I’d love to speak with you again.”

Woosung left to find an empty seat while Hong Soobum wiped his hands again with another towel.

Woosung continued to look around to see if he could find anyone he recognized. He felt disappointed to find none when a representative from Microsoft approached him.

“You made it.”

Lee Seungwon.

They had met before to discuss the conference.

“Yes. Haha. I hope I can be of help today.”

“As I said before, you have nothing to worry about. US headquarter loved your plugin. They would love to have you at this summer’s MVP Global Summit as well.”

MVP Global Summit.

It was a meeting of the recognized developers from all over the world.

“I will try to make it.”

“If you ever are looking for a job, please let me know. You are welcome here.”

Woosung smiled. Daesan was going to be the last time he would work for someone. He planned to quit after completing his project on development process consulting. Lee Seungwon confirmed the schedule with Woosung.

“Your seminar is right before lunch. After you’re finished, please have a complimentary lunch at the hotel and then you’re free to go. Good luck.”

Lee Seungwon left, and Woosung turned on his laptop to go over his presentation.

***

Yoon Chanjong asked Cha Yeoreum.

“When we are done here, we are going to the seminar on GTT. How about you?”

Cha Yeoreum frowned.

He must’ve been referring to ‘GUI Test Tool and Agile method.’ Her classmates didn’t seem to know, but Cha Yeoreum remembered the name of the speaker for this seminar.

Woosung Kang.

She suspected that it was the same Woosung they all knew.

“I…”

She asked her co-worker Yang Jungsuk.

“I think ‘Visual studio A-Z’ would be better. It’s something we’re going to work with a lot.”

Cha Yeoreum couldn’t decide. She wanted to see if it really was Woosung. Yang Jungsuk stared at Cha Yeoreum.

‘I’m pretty sure she likes me. If she wanted to spend time with me, she should’ve just said so rather than ask me to go to a seminar together.’

Yang Jungsuk grinned in secrecy. Park Jonghyun saw this and flinched. He could feel that this guy was dangerous.

“I think I will attend the agile method seminar after all.”

When Cha Yeoreum made the decision, all the male co-workers agreed. Other women frowned at them, but they didn’t care. Park Jonghyun stated.

“Well, I guess that’s it. Let’s go.”

Park Jonghyun was the first to notice Woosung.

“Hey, why is he standing over there?”

Yoon Chanjong looked at the stage and asked. “Who?”

“Can’t you see him? That’s Woosung.”

Park Jonghyun pointed at the person standing on the stage checking the laptop and the microphone. Yoon Chanjong murmured.

“It really is him. What is he going there?”

“Maybe he’s temping…Well, he works at such a small company and makes no money so it’s no wonder he needs a second job.”

Cha Yeoreum looked ahead as well.

‘I was right.’

She was right. Woosung stood in front of the microphone and introduced himself.

“Hello. My name is Woosung Kang and I will be speaking to you about GUI Test Tool and agile method.”

Park Jonghyun and Yoon Chanjong gasped while Cha Yeoreum sighed.

***

Cha Yeoreum’s heart was pounding.

Did she still like him?

No.

Was it respect for his talent?

No.

Envious?

No.

She couldn’t figure out what she was feeling. Her cheeks reddened. Yang Jungsuk kept giving her sly glances.

‘I need to be alone with her ASAP. I should offer her to drive home today.’

Cha Yeoreum was not paying attention to him.

“Haha, I didn’t expect to see so many people. I will do my best to be informative. Next please.”

Next slide.

Woosung felt powerful. A man looked the best when he was focused on his work. Woosung was the expert here. Park Jonghyun stuttered in shock.

“T…that’s really Woosung. So he didn’t come here to listen.”

“He came here to present?” Yoon Chanjong added.

Park Jonghyun asked Cha Yeoreum. “This is crazy. I didn’t realize Woosung was this good. No wonder you used to date him. Did you know about this?”

Cha Yeoreum couldn’t answer.