Coder Lee Yongho

2 a.m.
YongHo was still sitting in front of his computer.
‘*Sigh*… Until when should I keep editing this.’
Organizing the code and changing the variable names was an extremely difficult.
The fruits of program developing was in the fact that you were making something new.
However, the task Son SeokHo gave him was like cleaning.
Cleaning the code.
YongHo’s eyes couldn’t see them but Son SeokHo’s could.
Like when you see the same situation but think differently, even if they saw the same code, the depth of the code they saw was different.
‘Let’s take this to the end.’
At this point, YongHo could feel pride welling up.
With the mindset to become acknowledged by Son SeokHo, he didn’t leave the computer today until it was dawn.

“What’s the current RMSE(Root Mean Square Error: the efficiency is better if the score is lower) score?”
“The record is 0.9014.”
“Hmm…….”
Jeong DanBi fell into thought after she received Son SeokHo’s report. Son SeokHo, having noticed something was serious, asked.
“Why, did something happen?”
“I don’t think we have any more time to develop it.”
“Then are you saying we should give up on the NetFlax Prize?”
NetFlax Prize.
It was a recommendation algorithm compet.i.tion that NetFlax, the world’s biggest movie renting site, hosted every year.
As a compet.i.tion that started at the beginning of the year and the winner will be announced at the end of September, it was a long-term compet.i.tion.
The prize was 1 million dollars.
NetFlax used the system developed in the compet.i.tion to tune their own CineRecommend System.
RMSE was the standard of evaluation of each recommendation system in that compet.i.tion.
The recommendation system provided by NetFlax had the efficiency of 0.9525.
The meaning of the score was simple.
User A gives movie B a score of 5.
However the recommendation system would give it a score of between 3.15~5.95.
Therefore, The lower the score the said recommendation system could be said to have a better efficiency.
Jeong DanBi and Son SeokHo was preparing to apply it to Shinseki’s recommendation system after they’ve achieved great results in that compet.i.tion.
“It was one of the conditions of your employment so we can’t give up on it… but I think we need to reduce the number of researchers than there are currently.”
Due to regret, Jeong DanBi couldn’t look at Son SeokHo in the eyes.
However, Son SeokHo also had the experience and age to know about the big companies’ inner struggle. He didn’t struggle a lot as if it was already within his expectations.
And answered refreshingly.
“Then let’s go with that. But give me Mr.YongHo, who came in recently.”
She didn’t feel that it was an impossible request at all, since it was a newbie who came in just recently.
Jeong DanBi ok’ed right away.

Perhaps Rodin, who sculpted ‘thinker’ felt like this?
He didn’t live in the same era but YongHo could feel that he could sufficiently sympathize with him.
He didn’t leave work that late.
However, due to the code review session the next day, he couldn’t sleep properly.
He edited the code referencing the book, Code Complete(written by Steve Mcconnel, translated by Seo WooSeok), which Son SeokHo recommended.
He wanted to be acknowledged by Son SeokHo.
Son SeokHo never said anything wrong.
And he could feel that he had expectations of YongHo growing up.
Sincere words and insincere words could be distinguished regardless of the length of learning or age.
He knew automatically.
Son SeokHo was sincere.
He wanted to YongHo to grow as a programmer and wanted to tell one more thing to his junior.
YongHo wanted to live up to his expectations and he could feel that his ability was improving day by day.
And he reached here.
“If it’s this, then I think I can start leaving some work for you now.”
As soon as he heard Son SeokHo’s words, YongHo bit his lips which were trembling.
He purposely widened his eyes.
He shook his head from front to behind to suppress the emotion welling up from the bottom of his heart.
“You’ve done well.”
Son SeokHo also offered a sweet bean bread as if he knew YongHo’s efforts.
“Here, have one.”
YongHo, who received the sweet bean bread, bit into it.
The surging emotion barely subsided along with swallowing the sweet bean bread.

A CEO’s office that could only be seen in dramas.
Jeong DanBi and Jeong JinHoon were sitting in neat postures.
It was Jeong JinYong, CEO of Shinseki which was ranked 12th in the financial world.
“Chairman.”
“Let’s do this JinHoon’s way; we will alternate recommendation system that Mirae developed and the one you are developing each day until September and decide which system is better.”
“September is too short.”
“DanBi, didn’t you say before? That IT changes fast so we, Shinseki, should change fast like that. I can’t give you all the time you want.”
“However……”
“Keep in mind that there are countless people who don’t even have this opportunity.”
Jeong JinYong closed his eyes, implying that he wouldn’t allow further conversation. At that figure, Jeong DanBi didn’t open her lips, which were closed solidly.

As soon as they left the office, Jeong DanBi glared at Jeong JinHoon.
“Was it you?”
“Didn’t I say to call me president in the company?”
“Is it so hard to give me some time? I said I will leave the company!”
“You tell me to give you time when time is money in this world?”
Jeong JinHoon replied with a sly smile. He seemed satisfied since things went the way he wanted.
“Are you going to keep hindering me like this?”
“What hindering, You know better than anyone else that you will lag behind without compet.i.tion.”
Jeong DanBi glared at him but he didn’t seem to care. Jeong JinHoon waved his hand and went ahead to the corridor.
“Well then, work hard.”

“Thanks for your work, everyone. Today’s a get-together so turn off your PCs.”
Jeong DanBi came outside and spoke while clapping.
She felt like she needed a drink together.
And a noisy atmosphere was better than going alone.

The first place they went to was a beef house that YongHo went for the first time.
When he was in Mirae, he was always the one holding the tongs and scissors. It was his duty as the youngest one there. (So, as the youngest, he was always the one grilling the meat)
However, a person who especially grilled the meat existed here.
Looking at the price tag, it was 40000 won per serving (≈35 USD).
People ordered more without bothering about the price tag.
“By the way, we didn’t even do Mr.YongHo’s welcome party. Well then, stand up Mr. YongHo.”
YongHo who was carefully eating a piece of meat raised his head.
In the middle of the seats was Jeong DanBi
Even with the smoke due to the grilling, her beauty wasn’t hidden at all. Instead it gave an aura of wonder with the smoke in place.
YongHo stood up awkwardly and introduced himself.
“I entered not a long time ago, and my name is Lee YongHo. I have a lot of shortcomings but please take care of me from now on.”
Waaaaa.
At YongHo’s greeting, the other employees cheered.
As a person who fixed the transaction error, there were people who already marked him.
And there was an especially loud voice among those.
It was Son SeokHo.
“Do you have a  lover!”
“Not…yet.”
“If you don’t you gotta sing once.”
Son SeokHo seemed elated due to the alcohol and laughed and teased him
Jeong DanBi restrained him.
The get-together continued to the 2nd and 3rd places.
And Jeong DanBi, along with Heo JiHoon and Son SeokHo and other upper people, left the place.
They left to leave the people to enjoy themselves.
And it became the next day.

Although he was a team leader, Son SeokHo was never not polite towards YongHo. And he never left the sweet bean bread from his mouth.
It was the same even after they drank alcohol the previous day.
“Mr.YongHo. By chance, have you heard of the NetFlax Prize?”
“It’s the first time I heard of it.”
He replied honestly.
He already knew that a half-a.s.sed answer didn’t get through.
“The work we have to do in the future is to win the NetFlax Prize. The prize money is 1 million dollars. That’s 1 billion won! Moreover, if we win then the company will provide a 10% of the annual salary as incentive so it’s an attractive condition right?”
“That’s true but… What if we don’t win?”
He had little experience in society. In that little time, he was pushed around here and there so YongHo knew that the place known as companies wasn’t that easy.
He realized that there was something bitter on the other side of something sweet.
“There won’t be any damage to you, Mr. YongHo.”
“That means……”
Son SeokHo was a contracted worker. He received an annual salary of 150 million won (≈ 130,000 USD) and he would be contracted again at the end of the year.
The condition for the next year’s contract was the winning of the NetFlax Prize.
Son SeokHo didn’t explain that to him as he didn’t see the need to. However, YongHo knew instinctively after he heard that there will be no damage to him.
That Son SeokHo was carrying a big responsibility.
Just that he didn’t know exactly what it was.
“Well, you don’t need to concern yourself with that, shall we start working then?”

Even the start was a high hurdle.
Son SeokHo was there as the project supervisor, but there were also actual workers.
Son SeokHo couldn’t do each and everything so people had to take over his work.
‘*Sigh*……’
The people who took over were frantic restructuring the recommendation system to suit Shinseki.
The NetFlax Prize provided about 100 million data for the compet.i.tion so there was no need for a large data information processing system.
The important thing was the algorithm.
However, the recommendation system they needed to apply to Shinseki was different.
They needed to be able to process large bits of information so the people were busy to the point that YongHo felt sorry for asking them anything.
‘Well… This… if the doc.u.ment was organized well, there would be no problems.’
Even so, it wasn’t like the existing research was doc.u.mented well.
The tight schedule and low personnel produced this obvious result.
Still, it was a relief that Son SeokHo was here.
“The maut is a well made program even when I see it.”
The base of the program was the maut made by Son SeokHo.
YongHo’s first task was also to download and a.n.a.layze the maut.

Translator’s note 

Regular Chapter 1/3

Beef is VERY expensive in Korea, especially in restaurants. So going to beef houses are considered very luxurious.

Alright, time to update the index page, and go through every single chapter to make a glossary…

Thx for reading!

Translator : Chamber