The year was 1993. The world was still largely analog, tethered by telephone wires and physical newspapers. Yet, in his secluded, high-tech study overlooking the Seoul skyline, Kang Min-jun, now thirteen, was already living in the digital future. With the comprehensive 'Dot-Com Dossier' and 'IMF Crisis File' securely archived, and the passive income from the Chronos Algorithm steadily flowing into Future Mind Co.'s fortified accounts, the time had come to initiate the next phase of his grand design. The digital gold rush was about to begin, and Min-jun intended to be its quiet, unseen prospector.
Min-jun presented his precise instructions to Mr. Park. "Mr. Park," he began, gesturing to the detailed spreadsheets projected from his Omni-7 onto a larger screen, "the internet, though nascent now, will be the defining force of the next two decades. Fortunes will be made and lost at an unprecedented scale. We will be on the making side."
He outlined his strategy for early-stage tech investments. "Rather than waiting for companies to go public, we will engage in seed funding. This allows us to acquire significant equity in future giants at incredibly low valuations."
To formalize this new venture and maintain Future Mind Co.'s primary focus on intellectual property and large-scale real estate, Min-jun instructed Mr. Park to establish a new subsidiary. "We will call this division 'FM Angel Investments,'" Min-jun declared. "It will operate as a distinct entity under the Future Mind Co. umbrella, dedicated exclusively to identifying and providing early-stage capital to nascent technology startups. This specialization will project an image of focused expertise within the venture capital landscape."
Mr. Park, ever diligent, set to work immediately. The legal registration of FM Angel Investments was completed with practiced ease, drawing upon the robust infrastructure already established for Future Mind Co. It was positioned as an investment arm dedicated to nurturing groundbreaking technological innovation, a perfectly plausible façade for Min-jun's preternatural foresight.
Following the meticulously detailed 'Dot-Com Dossier,' their first target was identified. It was a small, relatively unknown online bookseller based in a garage, a startup operating out of Seattle, Washington, named "Amazon.com." The dossier highlighted its founder, Jeff Bezos, as a visionary with an ambitious long-term strategy for e-commerce.
Mr. Park initiated contact through the rather primitive internet communication methods of 1993, sending a concise, intriguing email to the founder's publicly listed address. It introduced FM Angel Investments as a discerning venture capital firm with a particular interest in the future of online retail.
A video conference was eventually arranged – a cumbersome, pixelated affair by 2030 standards, but cutting-edge for 1993. Mr. Park, seated before the camera, was not there to receive a pitch from Jeff Bezos. Instead, armed with Min-jun's precise knowledge, he was there to give one.
"Mr. Bezos," Mr. Park began, his voice calm and authoritative, reflecting the hours of coaching from Min-jun, "our analysis at FM Angel Investments goes beyond conventional market trends. We have conducted extensive, proprietary research into the future of logistics, supply chain optimization, and the long-term societal shift towards e-commerce. Based on this in-depth analysis, we have concluded, with absolute certainty, that your model for an online bookstore, expanding into a general online retailer, is not merely a promising venture, but the foundational blueprint for future commerce."
Bezos, who was surely expecting to explain his business plan, listened with growing astonishment. Mr. Park proceeded to outline, with unnerving accuracy, the very challenges Amazon would face in scaling, the logistical bottlenecks, and even the eventual need for sophisticated cloud computing infrastructure – issues that were years away from becoming widely recognized problems. He spoke of the precise market size Amazon would eventually command, the long-tail phenomenon of online retail, and the critical importance of customer experience and data-driven personalization. Every point resonated deeply with Bezos's own nascent, ambitious vision, validating his boldest dreams.
Then came the offer. "FM Angel Investments is prepared to make a seed investment of five million USD," Mr. Park stated, a sum far exceeding the modest amount Amazon was actively seeking from early investors. "In exchange, we request a substantial, but non-controlling, block of private shares in Amazon.com, allowing you complete operational autonomy."
The offer was staggering for a company of Amazon's size in 1993. Not only was the capital far more than they could have hoped for, but the accompanying pitch demonstrated a level of insight into their future that felt almost prophetic. It was a validation of Bezos's vision, coupled with a financial lifeline that would allow him to accelerate his plans exponentially. It was, quite simply, an offer they could not refuse. The deal was accepted with astonishing speed, Jeff Bezos more bewildered by Future Mind's prescience than by the sheer generosity of the capital.
This precise, reverse-pitch, high-impact investment pattern was then replicated with several other future giants meticulously detailed in Min-jun's dossier. A few months later, Mr. Park contacted the founders of a fledgling auction website that had just launched: "eBay." Again, Mr. Park outlined the future of C2C (consumer-to-consumer) commerce, the power of user-generated content, and the critical role of trust and reputation systems, all insights gleaned from Min-jun's direct access to 2030. The investment in eBay, another multi-million dollar seed round for a significant equity stake, proceeded with similar, swift success. Other strategic investments in companies that would eventually become household names in software, hardware, and telecommunications followed, quietly positioning FM Angel Investments at the very vanguard of the burgeoning tech revolution.
Min-jun had one unyielding rule for FM Angel Investments: they were to be silent partners. "We provide capital and guidance when requested," he instructed Mr. Park, "but we never interfere with daily operations, product development, or core strategic decisions. Our role is to identify genius, provide the fuel, and step back."
This approach quickly made FM Angel Investments the most desired investor in the burgeoning tech scene. Founders loved them because they were generous, insightful, and, most importantly, allowed complete autonomy. Their reputation for picking winners, for seeing the future before anyone else, became legendary overnight. Companies actively sought their backing, attributing FM Angel Investments' unparalleled success to Mr. Park's mysterious "unerring judgment" and "deep market insights."
Min-jun, overseeing everything from his quiet study, smiled. The digital gold rush had truly begun, and Future Mind Co., through its FM Angel Investments arm, was quietly, invisibly, collecting the lion's share of the digital gold. The empire was not just being built; it was thriving, its roots reaching deep into the future.