[Netscape: The Gateway Between the Internet and Reality – Young Founders Strike Gold!]
[Netscape Soars Past $100 Per Share – An Unstoppable Rally!]
[The Pioneer of the Internet Revolution – Netscape Becomes a Beacon of Hope for Silicon Valley's Young Entrepreneurs!]
[IPO Jackpot! Netscape Rides the Internet Boom with Relentless Momentum!]
Like the saying, "Woke up a star overnight," Netscape had skyrocketed over 370% in just three trading days. It wasn't just Nasdaq's new rising star—it had become the sensation of the global stock market.
Although its stock price began hovering after surpassing $104 per share, even if it didn't climb further, this was already an unprecedented surge.
Investors lucky enough to secure IPO shares—or those who bought in on the first day—hit the jackpot of a lifetime, making an absolute fortune.
***
Inside the Executive Office
In a spacious, modern, and elegantly furnished CEO's office, Seok-won sat with one leg crossed, watching a large PDP television mounted on the wall.
The screen displayed CNBC, America's premier financial news channel.
At the center of the screen, a blonde female anchor was leading a heated discussion with two market experts. The hot topic? Would Netscape's stock continue its meteoric rise, or was a crash inevitable?
[A 370% surge in just three days? This is an obvious bubble!]
[Why is it a bubble? Considering the limitless potential of the internet, Netscape's growth is only just beginning!]
The young analyst's rebuttal made the seasoned market expert, a neatly groomed man with slicked-back hair, frown.
With an exasperated scoff, he raised his voice:
[Netscape has been around for barely two years. Its total revenue is under $20 million, and its net profit? Zero. ZERO!]
He snorted and shook his head.
[No matter how promising the internet seems, does it make sense for a company like this to have a $6 billion market cap and a stock price over $100?]
[Why not? Stock prices reflect both present value and future growth potential. IT companies, born from the digital revolution, shouldn't be judged by outdated, conservative metrics!]
The young analyst's bold counterargument made the older expert's eyebrows shoot up.
[Encouraging reckless speculation without proper valuation is utterly irresponsible!]
[Mr. Benson, perhaps you're just too old to keep up with this rapidly changing era. Maybe it's time for you to retire.]
[What did you just say?!]
The furious market expert turned red with anger, veins popping in his neck as he shouted.
Sensing the heated tension, the female anchor quickly intervened.
[Gentlemen, I think you're both getting a little too excited. Let's take a quick break, and we'll return after these messages.]
With that, the screen faded to commercials.
As a commercial played leisurely on the screen, Seok-won watched with a satisfied expression and murmured to himself.
"If a major news network is covering it like this, Netscape has definitely become a superstar."
The more Netscape was mentioned in the media, the higher its brand recognition soared, drawing even greater attention from investors.
"That growing attention and hope will push the stock price even higher."
Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by Landon stepping inside.
As always, he was dressed in a sharp suit, sporting his signature deep green tie.
Landon glanced at the TV, where the debate had resumed after a short commercial break, then took a seat on the empty sofa to the right and spoke.
"Watching TV, I see."
"They happened to be discussing Netscape."
"Well, with the stock soaring like this, Netscape has been all over the news—every single day, in both newspapers and on TV."
"That just means it's at the center of attention. That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"It is, but…"
Landon hesitated slightly, gauging Seok-won's reaction before continuing.
"To be honest, I'm a little concerned."
"What do you mean?"
Seok-won, reclining casually against the sofa's backrest, looked at Landon with curious eyes.
Carefully choosing his words, Landon continued.
"As you've said, Netscape is practically dominating the web browser market, and its future looks even brighter. But…"
"But what?"
Under Seok-won's steady gaze, Landon finally voiced his concern.
"If a stock price rises too fast, too aggressively, at some point, profit-taking will kick in, and if that triggers a sudden collapse… the aftermath could be devastating."
Landon stole a glance at Seok-won's expression as he listened in silence, then leaned forward slightly in his seat.
"Investors who received IPO shares or bought in on the first day and made significant profits have started selling off their stocks to cash in. This trend continued from yesterday into today."
The unstoppable rally had now lost some momentum, with the stock price hovering around $104, moving sideways due to the very profit-taking pressure Landon had pointed out.
If the stock were to crash suddenly, it would be a major blow to Seok-won, who had yet to sell a single share of his holdings.
Of course, even in the worst-case scenario, the stock was unlikely to fall below the IPO price, meaning he wouldn't technically suffer a real loss.
Still, after seeing the stock break past $104, any decline would feel like a missed opportunity—as if he were losing money.
More importantly, as a major shareholder with a 30% stake, even a $1 drop in stock price meant a substantial paper loss, making it impossible to ignore.
However, unlike Landon, who showed a hint of concern, Seok-won appeared completely unfazed.
"If someone bought at the open on the first trading day, they've already more than doubled their money. Wanting to sell now is only natural."
"That's exactly why I'm bringing this up… Since your shares aren't subject to any lock-up restrictions, perhaps now would be a good time to sell a portion of them."
Landon hesitated, then cautiously floated the idea.
A lock-up period—also known as protective escrow—is a restriction imposed on major shareholders during an IPO, preventing them from dumping large amounts of stock too soon, which could cause a market crash and harm investors.
Seok-won, as the second-largest shareholder after Tom Harper, was not bound by any lock-up restrictions.
In other words, he was free to sell his shares on the open market anytime he wanted.
'Not that I have even the slightest intention of selling right now.'
Seok-won, still seated casually, crossed his arms and asked,
"Are you suggesting I cash out?"
"Yes. Of course, not all of it—just about 10% of your holdings. I'm sure Netscape would understand, and it wouldn't shock the market too much."
Landon quickly nodded as he spoke.
Just 10% of Seok-won's stake, at current market prices, was worth over $170 million—enough to not only recover his initial $6 million investment but leave him with an enormous surplus.
"Anyway, I'm holding on to my Netscape shares, so keep that in mind. Also, continue gradually accumulating shares of Intel, Deutsche Telekom, and AOL as I instructed last time."
"…Understood."
As Seok-won spoke, his eyes landed on Landon's necktie. With mild curiosity, he asked,
"Now that I think about it, you've been wearing the same tie for days."
"Ah, yes."
Landon let out an awkward chuckle.
"You must really like that tie."
"Not exactly. I wore it on the day of Netscape's IPO, and we hit the jackpot, didn't we? So, I've been wearing it every day since, hoping the winning streak continues. It's kind of like a superstition."
"Ah, I see."
Seok-won's lips curled into a teasing smirk.
"But what are you going to do if the stock keeps going up and never drops? You'll have to wear it forever."
"I sincerely hope that's the case."
But looking at Seok-won's expression, Landon wasn't so sure if it was a joke.
A strange premonition crept over him—like he might actually be stuck wearing this green tie indefinitely. Maybe he shouldn't have brought it up.
After chatting a little longer, Landon left the room.
Seok-won picked up his teacup, only to set it down again when he realized the coffee had gone cold.
Just then, his phone vibrated on the table.
"Hello?"
[It's me, Roy!]
At the familiar voice of his friend, a smile formed on Seok-won's lips.
"What's up?"
Still holding the phone to his ear, he got up from his seat and walked toward the window, where the vast East River stretched out below.
[I just missed you, so I called. I mean, our bond is stronger than blood and deeper than the ocean…]
"I'm hanging up."
[Hey, hey! Wait!"]
Roy, who had been spouting nonsense, hurriedly yelled.
[Jeez, can't you take a joke?]
"My time is more valuable than gold."
[You're as humorless as ever.]
Roy grumbled, complaining that Seok-won still wasn't the type to play along.
Hearing his familiar whining after so long brought back memories of their college dorm days, and Seok-won let out a small chuckle.
"You've been busy, barely keeping in touch. What's the occasion today?"
[You're in the U.S. right now, aren't you?]
"Yeah. How did you know?"
[Netscape went public on Nasdaq a few days ago. There's no way an investor like you would miss such an important event.]
"You're annoyingly sharp. Yeah, I'm here."
[Then before you wrap things up and head back to Korea, can we meet up for a bit?]
Seok-won tilted his head slightly, intrigued.
"Meeting up isn't a problem, but why all of a sudden? Is there something you need to see me about?"
[Uh… well…]
Roy hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat.
[Remember when I asked if you'd take a look at my startup idea and consider investing?]
At that, Seok-won recalled their past conversation.
"Yeah, I remember. Don't tell me… you actually started a company?"
[Yeah.]
The unexpected response caught Seok-won off guard for a moment.
At the same time, curiosity sparked in him—what kind of company had Roy, someone as brilliant with computers as Tom Harper, decided to start?