San Francisco, USA.

Even though it was winter here, there was no biting cold wind like in Korea.

Instead, faint sunlight seeped in sparsely between the clearing clouds.

Humid and mild air, unlike Korea.

Winter here was not harsh, but instead, a sense of loneliness wafted through.

I stared intently from inside the car at a certain place revealed between the buildings.

‘So this is… Synapse Tech headquarters.’

The old and shabby building Choi Seo-jun showed me in the past was nowhere to be found.

Instead, a high-rise building stood tall in the city center.

A stylish appearance boasting sophisticated architectural beauty felt dignified.

A modern-feeling company name shone at the top of the entrance.

“It is much bigger than I thought.”

As I let out an exclamation while being satisfied, Choi Seo-jun explained with a gratified expression from the seat next to me.

“We cleared out the old building and purchased the entire real estate nearby. Since we are ahead of the Nasdaq listing, shouldn't we have at least this much.”

Hong Jang-gun laughed lowly while crossing his arms.

“It certainly does not look like a startup. Looking only at the company building, it already seems like a global enterprise. Whoa.”

Getting out of the car, I tilted my head back and moved my gaze upward along the outer wall of the building.

The neatly organized exterior and elegant curved design looked good.

Upon entering the lobby, warm lighting and state-of-the-art security equipment first caught my eye.

Security is always the lifeblood for a place that focuses on technology development.

That was why I paid special attention to this part.

I looked around and observed the employees busily coming and going. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Warm lighting and bright light coming from the windows wrapped around the entire space.

The amazing thing was that even though this was a space I was setting foot in for the first time, it did not feel that strange to me.

It felt as if I were revisiting a place I had been familiar with from a long time ago.

My group and I took the elevator and headed to the upper floors.

As the door opened, a laboratory using transparent reinforced glass instead of walls was visible in the corridor.

Engineers in white gowns were moving busily while staring intently at monitors.

The office door opened and Kevin Lee revealed himself.

He approached with a bright smile.

“You are finally here! If you had told me, I would have gone out to meet you.”

The alcohol-soaked genius of the past had disappeared without a trace.

Now, wearing a suit and boasting sparkling eyes, he looked like the leader of an enterprise.

In fact, the person most surprised to see Kevin was Choi Seo-jun.

He blinked his eyes several times and even rubbed them with his hands.

It was because the appearance was a world of difference from the image engraved in his memory.

After only seeing him in wrinkled shirts with a haggard complexion, going around crushed by fatigue, the man in front of his eyes now was the very picture of perfection.

As Choi Seo-jun reached out his hand in welcome, Kevin gripped that hand firmly.

Then he turned his gaze to me.

“You are finally here. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

I smiled slightly.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Lim Hyunjun.”

“You must have suffered a lot coming from so far away. Now, come this way.”

Kevin’s voice seemed significantly higher than usual.

“I have a lot to show you all today.”

He led my group and moved his steps toward the laboratory.

In the center of the space, where equipment packed with state-of-the-art technology was densely displayed, transparent display devices were lined up.

It looked complicated even at a glance.

Kevin picked up a headset connected to the central display and continued the explanation.

“This right here is the Neurobridge algorithm. It analyzes brainwave signals in real-time to visualize emotional and cognitive states. For example, when stress builds up, a deep red pattern spreads across the screen, and when concentration increases, clear blue waves appear.”

When one employee wore the headset, colorful colors undulated in the hologram that floated in the air.

“John, did you wash before coming to work?”

“Kevin!”

The hologram screen flashed yellow.

It seemed like a color reacting to an embarrassing question.

When he threw a funny question this time as well, green waves rippled in the hologram.

Kevin added an explanation.

“If used medically, the emotional ups and downs of depression patients can be tracked in real-time. Similarly, in educational settings, a student’s level of immersion can be checked immediately.”

Kevin’s voice gained more and more strength.

“Technology that people used to mock in the past has now become reality. It is a field that existing competitors could not even attempt. It is like having created a completely new language. Shall I call it a language where humans and AI truly communicate.”

I watched silently and then smiled.

“The world cannot help but pay attention, indeed.”

Although Choi Seo-jun did not know this field well, he thought it was amazing.

“This is not just simple technology, it is close to innovation.”

Kevin’s eyes burned like flames.

“That is correct. That is why people are already flocking from Silicon Valley, New York, and even Europe asking for investment opportunities. However, I wanted to show you first before anyone else, Representative.”

Kevin pointed at the screen and his speech became faster due to excitement.

“In Silicon Valley especially, they were calling for up to double the investment amount. Pharmaceutical companies are also eyeing it.”

I looked at him silently while crossing my arms.

Coolness, not excitement, dwelt in my gaze.

“It is a good sign that many people are flocking. However, the truly important thing will be who utilizes this technology and how.”

At my words, the inside of the laboratory became quiet for a moment.

Kevin calmed his excitement and nodded.

At that time, Choi Seo-jun took out a tablet, flipped through the screen a few times, and added.

“You already mentioned it when you acquired Synapse Tech, Representative. You said for this company to enter listing preparations immediately. Since we moved according to that instruction. Heh.”

Kevin’s eyes widened as if he were surprised.

“Then, could it be that preparations are already finished?”

Choi Seo-jun smiled.

“According to the schedule, it would have been the end of the first quarter of next year, but the process proceeded faster than expected. Document review and investor meetings are also in the final stages. In fact, all that remains now is to set the listing date.”

Kevin let out an exclamation as if he could not believe it.

“I heard it usually takes several years, but to move it up this much….”

I slowly continued my words.

“Because there is no need to drag out time. I thought you all would certainly succeed. So shouldn't you stand on the stage now.”

The gazes of the employees in the laboratory also changed at those words.

In my words, conviction, not just simple ambition, was contained.

I smiled softly and added.

“Now, let us leap beyond the framework of a startup into an enterprise that can confidently compete in the global market.”

I slowly stroked my chin with my fingertips.

I looked calm on the outside, but calculations were already running rapidly in my head.

In fact, the technology Kevin created would soon be on the lips of investors worldwide.

The moment the listing is announced, the stock price will soar sky-high and the market will show a reaction close to madness.

And I knew that flow entirely.

Swallowing a smile inside, I turned my gaze to the side.

HJ Partners had already been preparing for the listing of Synapse Tech Inc for several months.

The reason we came to the United States was not just a simple visit, but to confirm that in person.

Choi Seo-jun wore a gratified expression and spoke while looking at the tablet screen.

“We have decided on the method as a Nasdaq direct listing. It is a method of directly releasing the stakes of existing investors into the market without necessarily going through a new public offering. At a time like now when expectations are maximized, this method is much more advantageous.”

Kevin let out an exclamation and nodded.

“A direct listing instead of an IPO… it is something I really never thought of.”

I also spoke while wearing a satisfied expression.

“Nasdaq is the appropriate stage to confirm how much the technological prowess we possess can be recognized for its value in the market.”

The air in the laboratory heated up again.

Confidence flashed in Kevin’s eyes, and pride flashed in the employees’ eyes.

I concluded finally while observing each person’s expression.

“Now, let us officially put our names on the world stage.”

As soon as my words ended, the cheers of the employees poured out.

It was a powerful sound that vibrated even the glass windows on the walls.

Kevin could not continue his words for a while while watching that sight.

Only a few years ago, his idea was laughed at as a hollow delusion.

However, now, the thing he dreamed of was becoming a reality before his eyes and was about to reach out toward the entire world.

I watched them from among the cheering employees.

Although I was wearing a gratified smile on the outside, I knew how much they had suffered during that time.

‘Soon, various places will show madness-like greed over this company.’

My gaze passed the cheering employees and stayed on Kevin.

It was as if I were piercing through even the anxiety hidden behind his eyes that were burning with passion.

Once the cheering died down and the employees left one by one, Kevin looked at me with a momentarily hesitating gaze.

Then, as if he had made a decision, he led my group to his office.

The office Kevin used alone was very simple.

Other than the desk he mainly used, there was only a large table and several chairs.

In the quiet office, Kevin only moved his lips slightly and then frankly confessed his inner feelings.

“Representative Lim, may I ask you one thing?”

I nodded as if puzzled.

Kevin continued while letting out a low breath.

“Could it be… will you hand the company over to another side after the listing is finished? Honestly, because I have seen many such things, I cannot help but ask.”

Kevin’s voice gradually became smaller.

I looked at him for a moment and then gave a low smile.

“Do not worry about that at all. I have no intention of selling and handing over the company at all. I decided to proceed with the listing with the intention of growing this company further. So, you just concentrate only on technology development. Because that is the only way for us to lead the world.”

Kevin touched his shoulders, which were stiff with tension, and let out a sigh of relief.

Honestly, the news of listing was also something he had wanted so much.

The fact that he could start as a small startup and rise onto the world stage was an overwhelming thing in itself.

However, as much as the joy, an unexplainable anxiety raised its head deep in his heart.

‘What if they hand over the entire company after the listing?’

If a good reaction came out in the market, it was obvious that giant corporations would rush in.

There was no person who did not change in front of money.

However, regarding the person named Lim Hyunjun whom he faced before his eyes, he felt some kind of certainty.

A gaze that was calm yet unwavering.

And the solid confidence welling up from within it.

Kevin could not understand it himself, but he felt a sense of relief.

A certainty like the fact that this person might truly protect it.

He thought that he might be a person who dreams the same dream as us, not someone just chasing money.

Kevin nodded with a bright smile.

The anxiety that remained in a corner of his heart vanished completely.

It was strangely so.

My group left the company and arrived at the hotel designated as the accommodation.

As soon as we entered the suite after passing through the luxurious lobby, Choi Seo-jun leaned his body against a chair while loosening his tie as if his tension had relaxed.

I stood by the window and appreciated the scenery of the city.

It was at that time.

A vibration sound was heard from the cell phone placed on the table.

Choi Seo-jun checked it and wore a surprised expression.

He gave the cell phone to me and said,“Representative, it is Vice Chairman McCain.”