The Chairman Who Wants to Play and Eat

Episode 58. How about Tetros?

Pitcher Seol Dong-yeon was not pleased with the proposal at all.

“A chaebol’s young master wants to play baseball? And he wants to bring in a star player like me for coaching?”

Who did he think he was?

He had dominated amateur baseball and made a dazzling debut in the pros,

last season recording an impressive ERA in the 0s, even popularizing the phrase “Seol Dong-yeon’s ERA” among college circles.

But what was this?

Coaching for amateurs, not even youth players?

He would have refused even if it was a group affiliated with the team, and now it was someone from Seonghyeon who had no ties to him.

He had pride as a professional player; no amount of money could make him accept.

“Hyung, please think about it just one more time.”

His junior, Gong Chan-soo, pleaded.

“That’s not just ordinary. The person you think is a phony isn’t. Hyun Sang-yoon is the real deal.”

“The real deal? So you mean he’s at a professional level or something?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What?”

“I said it’s true. Professional level.”

It seemed like this friend had eaten something strange. The exaggeration was too much.

“Anyway, think it over, senior. It’s a rare opportunity.”

“Yeah. Think whatever you want.”

Laughing it off was something that happened months ago.

Then one day,

suddenly, it happened.

[ Seong-hyun acquires the prestigious MLB team ‘LA Darners.’ ]

[ Will we see a flood of players heading to America? … The baseball world welcomes it, saying, ‘If they can step onto the big stage, the government promises active support.’ ]

TVs and newspapers began to flood with news of Seong-hyun’s MLB team acquisition.

It wasn’t a dream.

That unbelievable thing actually happened.

A Korean company acquiring that high-and-mighty Major League team? Is that even possible?

Wait a minute?

“Then doesn’t that mean I can really go now?”

It was a sudden thought.

Since his youth baseball days, he had received countless love calls from Major League teams.

There was no problem with his skills.

It was just that there were numerous obstacles, from realistic issues like military service to minor problems like language and cultural adaptation.

In the end, he had given up.

Even now, it was a regretful moment in his life that sometimes haunted him in nightmares.

But what if that team had a Korean owner?

Wouldn’t the situation change a bit?

His mind shifted.

“That’s right. I’ve been thinking about this all wrong.”

When you think about it, fulfilling the wishes of ordinary people who want coaching should be a basic attitude for someone in baseball, after all.

Without an audience, there is no professional sports.

That’s right.

What does it matter if he’s a scion of a conglomerate? He just needs to throw the ball with some sincerity.

Does pride send you to the major leagues?

No.

It does not.

I can’t even count how many times I hesitated in front of the phone, holding Gong Chan-soo’s number.

Then, by chance, I met Gong Chan-soo.

He asked again.

“Have you thought about it? I take it that means you’re declining? Then I’ll make sure to convey to Seong-hyeon that Seol-sunbae is not an option.”

That clueless guy, Seol Dong-yeon, gritted his teeth inwardly. But he couldn’t show it.

The tables had turned.

“No, that’s not it, Chan-soo. Please listen to me.”

My voice softened involuntarily. I forced a smile.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“I thought about it. It seems like dealing with these unpleasant tasks is an unavoidable fate for a star player. It can’t be helped. So connect me. I’ll do it.”

And so, I met Hyun Sang-yoon.

And,

On the day I first met him at the practice field,

‘What, what is this?’

Thwack—!

He saw it.

His proud slider soaring over the fence with a resounding crack.

It was a pitch he had never given up a home run to before.

But that wasn’t all.

“Is there no other pitch? Please throw it like it’s the real deal, not some boring batting practice ball. I’m fine with it!”

Hyun Sang-yoon shouted from the batter’s box.

It was clear.

Gong Chan-soo was wrong.

That young master was not just extraordinary. He was beyond professional level.

Just a genius.

And,

Thanks to that, he folded away a long-held dream of glory.

‘Maybe it’s not me who should go to the Major Leagues, but that person over there? Why isn’t he playing with those skills?’

An unresolvable question arose alongside it.

In that moment,

Lee Doo-man, who was watching the scene, also thought.

‘Why call a catcher when there’s no chance to catch the ball? It doesn’t seem like he’s asking for batting lessons.’

He too had one. An unresolvable question.

It was strange.

It felt as if he could hear the sound of a dream he had never even dared to dream of entering the Major Leagues shattering within his heart.

Lee Beom-seok also thought.

‘Just now, the young dreams of two baseball players were trampled by the young master. And it was done mercilessly.’

There was only one person who didn’t know.

“Throw it harder, it’s a fastball!”

The young master shouted.

*

Days passed.

The international call from Oh Hyun-sik, manager of Seonghyeon Electronics, came at 10 AM local time, which was exactly 11 PM in Korea.

– Young master. Urgent news, urgent news.

His voice was trembling.

“What’s going on?”

– That, the investment I recommended to you back then, the one in Artery… the game company.

Artery?

– The company’s stock just halved.

“Halved?”

– Yes, it almost turned into a big disaster. If it weren’t for you, that huge sum of money would have been completely wiped out in Artery…

What’s going on?!

I was at a loss for words.

I had made another big mistake.

I should have just let the investment happen, but I insisted on stopping it myself. I missed a golden opportunity to throw away my investment.

They say that if you repeat a mistake, it becomes a skill.

It feels like this is my true ability, and my heart grew heavy.

– Young master?

Outside the receiver, Manager Oh’s voice echoed. It was an expensive international call. I needed to pull myself together.

“Yes, Manager Oh. I understand.”

– Thank you. Thank you. I called to tell you that.

A moment later,

An idea flashed through my mind like a lightning bolt.

‘Right! Why didn’t I think of that?’

A crisis is also an opportunity.

If I missed the chance to invest in the failing gaming industry, then I should dive right into that wave and get swept away.

It means I can create and sell a game.

I can’t be late.

If an idea comes to mind, I need to act on it immediately.

‘But what should I create?’

I can think about that later. For now, let’s just move.

So, I went to the Department of Computer Engineering at Korea University.

“You’re going to make a game?”

Professor Eo Nam-jun asked, not taking his eyes off the monitor. He seemed indifferent to pleasantries.

“Yes.”

“Then you can just make it.”

“Right.”

“But why to me…?”

It was a tone that questioned why I was even asking such a thing.

The reason was obvious.

It wouldn’t work if I tried to make a game all by myself.

Collaborating would increase the chances of failure. If it’s Professor Eo Nam-jun, I can trust him.

There was one problem, though.

It was that Professor Eo Nam-jun didn’t seem to have a serious interest in games.

“How astonishingly indifferent you are.”

It was understandable.

His obsession with papers meant that his only interest was always the papers he downloaded from the BBS.

Even now, he had a paper open on the monitor.

While responding to me with half-hearted answers.

Suddenly, I became curious.

“What on earth is it that you’re so engrossed in?”

I asked.

“Oh, this?”

“Yes.”

“This is a recent mathematics paper. I’ve been really into discrete mathematics lately. It’s an essential field for our computer science, you know.”

When I asked about a topic he liked, he suddenly became much more talkative, as if it had always been that way.

“This is a research paper on polyominoes by Professor Patrick Colon from Harvard’s mathematics department. Polyominoes are a type of two-dimensional graph theory, in other words, a field of discrete mathematics that deals with finite subgraphs composed of an infinite number of unit cells connected edge to edge. So…”

In simpler terms, it means it’s quite difficult.

But I understood it all.

“In simpler terms, it’s pentominoes, right?”

“That’s correct.”

He quickly replied.

Pentominoes are like tangrams.

The number of new shapes that can be created by connecting five squares edge to edge is a maximum of twelve, and you play by using those twelve blocks to create various given shapes.

Huh?

Wait a minute?

If done well, this could be a game!

Pentominoes (five squares) can be arranged in eighteen different ways. That means there are eighteen blocks.

It’s overly complicated. Disqualified.

I can’t use triominoes (three squares) either. There are only two blocks. That’s not enough to make a game.

Again, disqualified.

So then?

Ultimately, the answer is only tetrominoes, which are made by connecting four squares.

The number of blocks that can be created is seven.

Just right.

The problem is that there aren’t many boards that can be made with tetrominoes like with pentominoes…

I fell into thought for a few minutes.

A moment later,

“Did you just call me?”

Professor Uh, misunderstanding my ‘huh?’ sound, asked.

“No, I didn’t. Rather, I think you just gave me an idea, Professor Uh.”

I found a way.

“Then are you going to code on that computer over there?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

He turned to me and asked. It meant he was slightly intrigued.

“I made the game, so I need to sell it quickly. I’m heading straight to Seonghyeon Electronics.”

“Excuse me? When? When did you make it?”

I answered.

“Just now.”

“You’re just saying that; you haven’t made anything, have you?”

“I just coded everything in my head while I was thinking for a moment. It came out to exactly 321 lines. Now I just need to transfer it to a source file and compile it.”

He was at a loss for words.

Why is that?

Was my statement strange?

Isn’t coding something you do entirely in your head and just write down? That’s how I’ve always done it.

I rushed to Seonghyeon Electronics.

Fortunately, President Lim Du-won was in his office.

“Sir, oh, I mean, Mr. Hyun, what brings you here all of a sudden?”

“No.”

I replied.

“You can call me sir now. I’m not here as Mr. Hyun; I’ve come to make a deal with Seonghyeon Electronics in a personal capacity.”

“What kind of deal are you talking about?”

“I’ve come to sell a game license.”

His eyes widened.

“A game license? Are you speaking suddenly?”

I nodded.

“Then where is the game? It seems you’ve only brought your body; you wouldn’t say it’s in your head, would you?”

“······.”

“I see. It is indeed in your head.”

He understood quickly.

A moment later,

I swiftly transferred the code from my mind using President Im Duwon’s computer.

It was only a few lines. Just 321 lines. So it didn’t take that long.

Compile.

And execute.

Ta-da, the game was created.

President Im was standing beside me, mouth agape, staring at the scene.

“I’ve completed it.”

The block shapes were represented in ASCII code.

Other than that, there were no colors or sounds. So it looked quite shabby.

But the rules of the game remained as planned.

A game screen of 10 blocks wide and 20 blocks tall,

manipulating falling tetrominoes to stack them. When a line is filled, that line is cleared and covered.

If it stacks without being cleared and reaches the top of the screen, it’s game over.

It was a simple rule.

“Oh.”

From behind me, I heard President Im’s admiration during the test play.

“It looks fun, doesn’t it?”

“Really?”

As expected, he had no discerning eye.

Is this kind of thing fun?

“Alright. Let’s make a contract. I’ll need to discuss the details with the contract department and handle the practical matters, but before that, we need to align on the major points, young master. What do you think, young master?”

“I’m good with that. Let’s proceed.”

It felt refreshing.

“So, who will be the contracting party? Will it be in the name of Young-sun Hyun himself? Or do you have a separate corporation?”

“There is a corporation.”

“Oh, you mean Yoon International.”

“That’s right.”

There’s a reason it has to be Yoon International.

It’s because there’s a slim chance of success, however unlikely.

If that happens, the royalties will go to Yoon International. They will become the ammunition for a leisurely life in Ireland later on.

If we’re lucky enough to fail, that would be even better.

Seonghyeon Electronics and Seonghyeon Electronics will bear all the costs.

It’s the same method we used to contract with Apple.

Isn’t it a flower-viewing card?

I added that I hoped to port it to as many models as possible.

Especially if it’s released in North America, it should be playable on IMB computers, Apple, and even Atari; it must not be exclusive to any one device.

President Lim asked back.

“Even Atari? Isn’t that risky?”

It seemed he had heard the Atari news long ago.

“While Atari may be faltering now, it is still the most widely distributed console across North America. If the game isn’t ported there, sales won’t increase.”

But the opposite is true.

I said it on purpose because it’s risky.

Even though the Atari Pac-Man game sold a whopping five million copies, the stock produced exceeded ten million, leaving a mountain of unsold inventory. They couldn’t avoid a deficit.

I swallowed hard. I hurriedly concealed my true feelings.

It was then.

“By the way,”

President Lim asked.

“Don’t you have a name for the game yet? I think we need a name to put in the contract.”

“Right.”

Oh no, I almost forgot something important.

“Since it’s made with tetrominoes, how about Tetrominos? Or shortened to Tetros?”

The young master left.

“Is the succession process finally beginning?”

Not long ago, I received a notification from the head of the department.

It was a secret directive from the chairman to prepare for an increase in the shareholding ratio of Young Master Hyun Sang-yoon in Seonghyeon Electronics.

There are many ways to go about it.

I was simply waiting for concrete actions to unfold.

And just now, the young master had arrived.

With a game in hand.

He already understood well what that meant.

“Finally, the young master’s move has begun. He plans to funnel software development work to Yoon International and increase his shareholding ratio by compensating with stocks or convertible bonds instead of royalties. So, what is it that I need to do now?”

It was clear.

Without any illegalities, I had to ensure that everything was handled perfectly, so that even if the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were to investigate, there would be no grounds for any accusations.

He was confident.

He had been prepared for this moment since he aligned himself with the young master.

The timing had truly arrived.

“As much as needed.”

He could do it.

In that sense, he had been playing Tetris in the president’s office for several hours.

But then,

“Why aren’t any lines coming up? I’ve set them up, but if no lines appear, I can’t win.”

Game over.

In the end, he became the world’s first Tetris player to die because no lines appeared. Yet, no one knew that fact just yet.

Meanwhile,

At the Computing Center of the Soviet Academy of Sciences,

“What is this? What is this feeling?”

Chief Scientist Alexei Antonov paused his typing, feeling an inexplicable emptiness.

He shook his head.

It must be due to the stress.

The workload coming down from above had been so overwhelming that he had been working non-stop for days.

Clatter,

He pulled out a puzzle box from the drawer.

I intended to take a moment to clear my head.

Among the things I’ve been enjoying lately, Pentomino stood out. As I pieced the puzzle together, I felt my mind becoming clearer.

“Just a little break, then I’ll get back to work.”

I thought, fiddling with the blocks.

An idea brushed through my mind, only to fade away again, lost in the depths of memory.