After parting ways with Stark, I returned to my hotel room.

I loosened my tie and threw myself onto the sofa.

‘He gave in more easily than I expected.’

It was an unexpected meeting, but in the end, I succeeded in steering things in a direction favorable to me.

Stark no longer insisted on joining Next AI.

On top of that, within his black-and-white worldview that divides the world into allies and enemies, I managed to secure a perfectly ‘neutral’ position.

‘This is the best outcome.’

The most important thing in investment is ‘liquidity.’

And neutrality is the optimal position to maximize liquidity.

It allows me to easily pivot in any direction depending on the situation.

For now, maintaining this position was the wisest choice.

But then, ‘Could I possibly use Stark in reverse?’

A sudden thought gave me chills down my spine.

‘What the hell am I thinking!’

One of the top rules I had set for myself after regressing was ‘Never get involved with Stark.’

He is an unpredictable variable.

An uncontrollable chaos.

It’s best to keep such uncertainty as far away as possible.

However...

There is nothing in this world that cannot be used.

Chaos is no exception.

Of course, I absolutely refused to let that destructive force explode near me.

But what if it detonated far enough away?

‘Maybe.’

I had suggested to Stark that he establish his own AI company.

At the time, it was just an improvised way to defuse the situation...

But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a pretty useful idea.

‘The timing is perfect, too.’

Next month, Space Z would succeed in launching a reusable rocket.

This event would shake the entire space industry — a true paradigm shift.

Until now, the first-stage rocket boosters had been expensive, disposable items.

Once used, they crashed into the sea and couldn’t be recovered, making space development astronomically costly.

But Stark overturned this formula with a single question.

What if we didn’t discard it and used it again?

Innovation doesn’t stop at an idea.

The most important thing is execution.

He had experienced countless failures before, but this time would be different.

Not only would he succeed in recovering the booster, but he would also manage to land it perfectly with incredible precision.

Even the heat damage would be minimal, making it possible to relaunch within a year after maintenance.

This success would cause a massive ripple effect, and from that moment on, Aaron Stark would truly begin to write his legend.

But as I dwelled on this, the thought I had forced away earlier came back to me.

‘With that much firepower... couldn’t I use it to my advantage?’

The moment I entertained this idea, my whole body started trembling.

I violently shook my head to forcibly push away this dangerous thought.

‘Don’t be hasty.’

The fact that I was even considering getting entangled with Stark...

The reason I was contemplating such a risk, which I would normally avoid at all costs, was clear.

It was because of Milo’s bio sample.

If I could properly analyze it, I would be able to secure a crucial clue about Castleman disease’s ‘madness switch.’

The sample was already in my hands; now I just needed the analytical technology.

However, that technology did not yet exist in the world.

I needed to pull forward AI technology that wouldn’t be commercialized for another two years to this very moment...

This wasn’t something that could be done with ordinary influence.

It wasn’t a matter of convincing one company or one person; I needed to move the entire market.

Capital, supply chains, investors, shareholders, executives... it meant I had to grab hold of and shake all of them.

That’s why my thoughts kept drifting back to Stark.

When it comes to shaking the entire market, nothing works better than a bomb.

“Sigh...”

Once again, chills ran down my spine.

I tried to wash away this chill with a hot shower, but it was completely ineffective.

My mind kept trying to figure out ways to use Stark, and the more I did, the more vividly the cold seeped into my bones.

‘Let’s stop. It’s not even certain yet, right?’

It was still unclear whether Stark would actually start an AI company.

I had planted the idea, but who knew what he might end up doing.

However...

‘What if?’

I picked up my phone, logged into SNS, and opened Stark’s account.

As expected.

Being someone who live-broadcasts every move, he had already posted several new updates.

Some encounters change your perspective on the future, and others change the future itself. Today was interesting.

In just those two sentences, there were dozens of comments and quote tweets.

“Is Stark playing 5D chess again?”

“Throws a bomb with ‘interesting’ and disappears as if nothing happened.”

“Stark’s tweets are like texts from an ex. You think ‘So what?’ but still can’t stop thinking about them...”

‘Change the future...?’

This might be a sign that he was seriously considering starting an AI company.

As I pondered this, a new post appeared.

Who should own AI? A serious question.

This was clear evidence that he was interested in starting an AI company.

‘That’s a good sign.’

But just as I was about to feel satisfied.

Another post popped up.

Some of the most powerful people don’t use SNS. If they knew how fun this was, the world would get a lot more interesting.

This was a message aimed directly at me.

When we parted, he had given a long-winded lecture, puzzled as to why I didn’t use SNS.

After that, more posts continued to pour out nonstop.

A series of memes whose meanings were impossible to understand.

Just staring at the screen made my head spin, so I hurriedly turned my phone off.

How should I put it.

Just interacting with him indirectly through a screen felt like it drained all my energy.

‘For now... let’s put off using Stark.’

He is strictly a last resort.

I would keep him as an unavoidable option only if tomorrow’s meeting ended in failure.

***

The next day.

I headed to Envid’s headquarters.

Envid’s headquarters was a building that exuded a sense of restrained beauty.

Transparent glass exterior, minimalistic architecture, and neat landscaping.

There was not a single element that felt excessive.

Most notably, it completely excluded the typical Silicon Valley vibe of unrestrained freedom or exaggerated ‘creativity.’

There were no lounge areas with beanbags or playground-like spaces with ping-pong tables, and from what I could glimpse beyond the hallway, even the inside of the offices looked surprisingly ordinary.

After being guided into the conference room, an Asian man standing by the window turned to face me.

That was Jackson Wang, the CEO of Envid.

Jackson was wearing the black leather jacket that had become his trademark.

It wasn’t the typical hoodie you’d see in Silicon Valley, nor a business suit — it was his own distinct style.

From that outfit radiated confidence, a hint of rebellion, and pride in his own domain.

He stared at me for about three seconds, then smiled.

“Sean, we finally meet. This is...”

Several employees from the legal and IR teams were also present in the conference room.

After brief introductions, Jackson sat down at the table, laced his fingers together, and asked.

“So, in what capacity have you come today? As an investor? Or...”

The intention behind his question was clear.

He was confirming whether I was here as a major shareholder holding 8% of Envid’s shares.

“As a major shareholder and a potential business partner, let’s say.”

“I see. Then, which set of questions would you like me to answer first?”

“First, I’d like to ask as a major shareholder.”

Without delay, I got straight to the point.

“The reason I hold an 8% stake in Envid is because I believe this company has the potential to move beyond merely being a gaming GPU manufacturer and pioneer a much larger market.”

“You mean the AI market.”

He cut in with a laugh.

“I’m well aware of your activities. I didn’t go out of my way to dig them up — word just travels.”

He was indirectly mentioning that he knew I was a major investor in Silicon Valley’s AI industry.

Well, that was fine.

I never intended to hide it anyway.

“All the AI startups I’ve invested in face the same technological bottleneck. They urgently need dedicated processors specialized for deep learning computation, not gaming architectures.”

“I see.”

“This isn’t just an issue for our portfolio; it’s a common problem across the entire industry. The whole AI market is trapped by computing power limitations. If Envid were to proactively present a solution, it could capture an emerging market and greatly enhance shareholder value.”

Jackson fell silent for a moment.

His cautious gaze scanned me carefully.

“As you know, we can’t share any more about our product roadmap and R&D progress than what’s already disclosed publicly. Under securities law, we must guarantee equal access to information for all investors.”

A public company CEO providing non-public information to a specific investor would be against the law.

That’s exactly why the legal team employees were present here.

However, there’s a reason major shareholders still insist on private meetings with the CEO.

Even without explicit statements, you can glean information from the tone of voice, reactions, and subtle nuances.

“Of course, I’m not asking you to reveal your product roadmap. As a major shareholder, I simply want to confirm whether Envid properly recognizes the potential of this emerging market and if the management has a strategic plan to address these industry shifts.”

“Of course, we closely monitor market trends and are taking corresponding actions.”

Jackson’s response was the classic corporate language.

A vague answer that left all possibilities open.

“In that case, let me speak from the perspective of a potential business partner. My portfolio companies have specific demand for dedicated chips that support FP16 computation and incorporate HBM. If you need market validation, I can assure you that there’s guaranteed real demand at least in this area. How do you view the possibility of collaborating in this direction?”

This implied that if they developed deep learning–dedicated chips, my startups would happily purchase them.

Yet, Jackson responded without a single change in expression.

“We are always open to discussing all forms of partnerships.”

‘Liar.’

If he were truly interested, he would have immediately requested more concrete information.

Details like expected order volume, required specifications, and delivery schedules.

Not asking those meant that deep learning processors were still not a priority for Envid.

In other words, they intended to focus on the proven revenue source — gaming GPUs.

“There’s a paradigm shift happening in the AI market right now. I believe this is a critical moment where those who enter early can secure market dominance.”

With that, I repeated the same point again.

A clear message that I would keep asking until I got a definitive answer.

After a brief pause, Jackson opened his mouth.

“We also fully recognize the growth potential of the deep learning market. However, determining the timing of entry isn’t based on simple demand forecasting alone. We have to consider factors such as technology maturity, supply chain establishment, allocation of development resources, and so on...”

“Even taking all that into account, now is the right time.”

Jackson fell silent again as he looked at me, then continued speaking.

“In addition to market potential, we must also consider the technical challenges that will arise once we enter actual production. Investors only look at numbers and demand curves, but we have to think about architectural bottlenecks, software integration, manufacturing variables, and more.”

His fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the table.

“For example, to properly support FP16 computation, we’d have to completely overhaul the current FP32-based SIMD architecture. That would mean changing data packing methods and redesigning internal registers. If vectorization efficiency drops during this process, we might end up sacrificing even existing FP32 performance.”

“Adopting HBM isn’t simple either. Sure, the memory bandwidth would increase dramatically, but compared to GDDR5, it operates at lower voltage, and the memory controller structure is entirely different. If we fail to address this properly, the memory interface could become a bottleneck even worse than the compute cores...”

While he was explaining, his expression suddenly shifted.

As if coming to his senses, he apologized.

“Ah, I’m sorry. In simpler terms, it means there are still countless challenges to solve from design to production.”

I let out a slight chuckle internally.

‘He’s underestimating me.’

It was a tactic to overwhelm me with technical detail.

There was also a subtle layer of contempt, implying, ‘How could a Wall Street guy possibly understand this level of detail?’

When an opponent played it this way, there was no need for me to be polite either.

“It seems you have no intention of reflecting my suggestions.”

“That’s not true. I always approach discussions with an open mind.”

Then, only one choice remained.

“An open mind... That’s perfect timing. After talking with you today, I’ve come to feel that I want to contribute to Envid in a more direct way.”

I looked him straight in the eye and continued.

“You see, I’m recognized for my ability to foresee the future of various industries. I’d like to offer that insight more directly.”

“Are you suggesting...?”

“Yes. I would like to join the board of directors.”

Yes, I needed to be on the board.

It was the only place where I could directly influence the company’s direction.

Jackson opened his mouth, his face stiffening.

“While I highly value your capabilities, our board is composed based on technical understanding.”

“Are you saying I lack the qualifications to join the board? I believe I have significant strategic value to offer.”

“No. Advice regarding industry trends, market movements, and capital flow would certainly be very helpful. In fact, I would be open to seeking your counsel on those points. However, even so, I believe it’s premature right now.”

I smiled.

He still thought I was ‘requesting’ something.

“So, in other words, you’re declining my support for now.”

Jackson’s expression stiffened even more.

“Surely... you’re not planning to force unwanted help on us, are you?”

“Force? Of course not. I’ve never forced my choices on anyone. I simply intend to ask the shareholders. Whether my advice is truly unnecessary for the future of this company.”

Ask the shareholders.

This was a clear signal of a proxy fight at a shareholder meeting.

But he surely knew.

‘If it came to a head-on battle, I would have the advantage.’

I was the top hedge fund manager on Wall Street, an investor famous for my legendary prediction accuracy.

There was no way the shareholders would ignore my voice.

“I don’t want to cause unnecessary internal conflict either. Even rumors of this could make the stock price volatile and put the management in a tough spot. So...”

I gave Jackson a bright smile.

“How about you just quietly give up a seat without making a big fuss?”