The Clinton Enterprises Saga Pt. 08

"Jeremy has meetings tomorrow and has to leave after dinner. I will be here nervous as a cat waiting for your call."

I left them nestled together on the sofa. Janice was squirming, which could mean anything. Jeremy's hand gave me a quiet wave out of her sight.

Chapter 17 - Dr. Sung

Sung and I met in the bar. He gestured, and the assistant disappeared. I had expected a middle aged and rotund gentleman. Sung looked to be still in his Thirties and very fit. "How do you do, Dr. Clinton. It is a pleasure to meet you." The greeting was very correct and the voice spoke perfect English. He noticed my surprise and said, "My PhD is from Berkeley. I am afraid I have absorbed many American colloquialisms."

He explained that he was only indirectly associated with the group that was proposing the Joint Venture, so that our conversation was in the way of feeling each other out for compatibility.

"Alec, I will be candid. I grew up in the family industrial culture of Korea. Lots of bowing and scraping and polite conversation that never got to the point. I was rebellious before I ever went to California, and my desire to break the mold only increased. I would have suffered greatly when I returned, except that I studied under Patterson and brought back several ideas for chip designs that have made the company an enormous amount of money."

There was a break in the conversation while I absorbed that and he led the way to the dining room.

I ventured, "Your boldness must have something to do with the Joint Venture? You are looking to cross-fertilize some of our thinking and approach?"

"The freedom that is granted me does not extend far in the company. There are old ideas and procedures everywhere. I have been successful in convincing the CEO to create a "New Enterprises" group charged with drafting a top to bottom overhaul of the engineering side of the corporation to bring it into the 21st Century. The Joint Venture is one of a number of avenues we are pursuing."

We were enjoying a fine filet and a bottle of vintage St. Estephe. The atmosphere was very relaxed for so short an acquaintance. He had sharp eyes and a smiling face. I decided to test the waters with the Janice idea.

"I'm not sure this is the appropriate moment, but my colleagues and I have given some thought to the structure of the JV. Our young startup cannot afford to assign someone to direct the project, but I assume you would prefer an individual with a direct connection to our way of thinking. There is a woman who graduated just ahead of me in Professor Liu's program that has been working for a well regarded firm here in London. She would like to move on for the right job opportunity. I am raising the possibility of recruiting her with you to check signals, so to speak. Would a woman be acceptable to your people?"

He paused for a bite of his steak and a swallow of the fine red. "Alec, everywhere there are problems with women in leadership jobs. You have your problems in the U.S., and we have ours. Certainly, the right woman would send a strong signal in my company about the future. But much depends on the person. Does she have the technical smarts and the personal toughness for such an assignment? Is she willing to take on a two or three year project that may not add to her career?"

His response could be read in more than one way. Was he warning me off, or showing interest? I decided to press on. "I have a resume with me if you would like to look it over. And since the three of us are fortuitously in the same place at the same time, I could arrange a short meeting if you would welcome that opportunity."

After a moment, he answered, "They have every minute of my stay booked. But after we finish, I will have my assistant join us in the lounge to see if there is a possibility."

We spent the rest of the meal discussing chip designs, what to do when Moore's Law faded, and other things that EE PhD's talk about. There was a warmth to the conversation that I had not expected.

In a corner of the hotel lounge, Sung was jovial when his assistant appeared. "Let me introduce you to Dr. Kim, who has been so foolish as to volunteer to be my PA. It is a one year assignment for new technical staff, during which he neglects his engineering career to cater to the whims of myself."

He added, "In Kim's case, he is also neglecting his running. At one time, he held the college record in the Marathon in Korea."

I stood and shook hands. His English was as good as Sung's. I asked, "Where did you go to school in the U.S.?"

"CMU, sir. I did my PhD work under Moravec in Reddy's lab." Wheels turning, I asked facetiously, "How soon will you have a robot to replace Dr. Sung?" Professor Raj Reddy was almost the inventor of academic robotics in the States.

Sung roared, and Kim blushed. "Alec, you are a man after my heart, but you may give Kim his own heart attack. He is one of my secret agents. Are you a runner? Go for a run with him in the morning. I will give him special release time!"

Kim was dying, especially when I said I was a runner and would enjoy going out in Hyde Park with him. But he quickly returned to his tablet and Sung's schedule.

"Sir, there is a short gap after the association reception, which starts at four, and the dinner for your special guests at eight. Perhaps we could find a convenient lounge?"

"Yes, do that. And work out the details with Dr. Clinton on your run." He stood, "If you will excuse me, I have a full day tomorrow and my body does not recognize London time!" He walked away, Janice's resume in hand.

Kim and I looked at each other. "Please call me Alec. A run with someone who has not broken 3:30 is ok?"

"Yes, of course. I am very out of shape. Please call me Jake. It is a pronounceable version of my first name in Korean. Will 6:30 work? I must catch up with him before his talk at 9:00."

"OK. Let's find out if we can appear in the lobby in running clothes without causing trouble."

The Concierge was accommodating, "Sir, many of our younger guests go for a run first thing. We do ask that you not tarry in the lobby. The older English ladies tell me they find naked male bodies offensive in the early morning!"

In the elevator going up, I elbowed him, "Offensive, that's us!"

As the phone rang Janice, I had a brilliant idea. "Alec, I am dying of suspense."

"He wants to talk to you. You will like him."

"When? Where? I do have to make excuses at work."

"There is a special added attraction. You and I are going running at 6:30 with his PA, who is making the arrangements for a meeting. The PA used to be college Marathon champion of Korea."

"My god, this is too much. How do we rendezvous?"

"Can the talented Janice hail a cab in running clothes and pick us up in front of Brown's precisely at 6:30? I advertised the run for Hyde Park. Does that work?"

"You are crazy, really crazy. I will see you at 6:30. Make sure you have your phone."

I left a call with the front desk for six, and set my phone as well.

As I knew it would, my body complained vociferously at 1 am Boston time. After six rings, I was on my feet, answering with a grunt. I didn't need half an hour to get into running clothes, so checked my mail while stretching. A note from Anna contained simply a question mark, time stamped at Boston dinner time last night. I answered with one word, "promising," and asked her to tell the others.

Jake was in the elevator as I entered, looking very tigerish. We butt fisted and I said, "I found a running guide. She is picking us up."

"You are full of surprises, Alec. You know, Sung has a reputation as the surprise guy at the company. No wonder you hit it off with him. I have never in my life seen him laugh at a business meeting like he did last night."

We were on the curb, shivering under the dubious gaze of the head valet for all of three minutes when a cab with an arm waving out the window drew up. She popped the door and scooted over. "Marble Arch, please," she told the driver.

Janice and Jake were both looking astonished. I did tongue in cheek introductions, "Dr. Horvath, this is Dr. Kim. It seems that three EE PhD's are going running together."

Pink in the face, she punched me. "Alec, what have you done, he is not a PA?"

Kim looked upset. I smiled evilly and said, "Oh, but he is. Being Dr. Sung's PA is a very prestigious appointment. But what Jake doesn't know, Janice, is that you are the mystery candidate to direct the Joint Venture!"

They were shocked into silence. I patted shoulders. "Everything is going to be fine. We have lots to talk about."

Janice looked at me to pay the cab, but I turned up my hands. No money. Before she could extract hers from her shorts, Kim had pounds in his hands to pay. "Allow me."

Janice looked good on the running path. Even better than I remembered. "How the devil do you keep in shape for running?" I gasped. Kim had the easy lope of a champion runner and was keeping a sharp eye on the body he was letting lead us.

"I'm not telling any secrets. Is it true I can call you Jake, Dr. Kim?"

Certainly. Especially if I may call you Janice. Dr. Sung showed me your resume. The credentials are impressive." His eyes looked over at me and said so was the rest of her.

We steamed right along down to Kensington Gardens, but slowed to talk shop on the way back. After getting our respective backgrounds exchanged, Janice asked, "You are obviously smart and an insider. Should I take this job if it is offered?"

He stopped to take her hand and kiss it gently. "I certainly hope so. You are the breath of fresh air our company desperately needs. Sung is brilliant, he is family, and his designs have made us a lot of money, but he has many enemies among the old guard. They keep him distracted, undoing their damage."

Janice was back at him, jogging along. "What about you. Aren't you a breath of fresh air too?"

"Yes, but I am a career engineer. It will be four or five years before I have enough seniority to change things.

I broke in, "But Sung wants to short cut the process?"

"Yes. He is very good. For instance, he had the CEO set up the New Enterprise group not in his chain of organization. That way he has a freer hand to maneuver."

Janice bopped me with one of her standard punches. "You know, I might just like this job." She looked at Jake. "I can be familiar with him. We were a couple once. Not any more. I got engaged last night!" Jake and I mumbled congratulations. Maybe we weren't supposed to do that?

We were nearing the Arch. I asked, "Do you want to meet Sung by yourself? He can ask you for all the dirt on me? Jake can be your escort."

She stopped, sweat dripping, and looked at us. Laughing, she said, "Look at you. Two handsome males and one woman. Do we go as a threesome?"

She pulled a card from her shorts and handed it to Jake. "Send me the details. You are the escort. I have to dash to a work meeting."

It was still quiet on the sidewalks and we decided to jog back to Brown's. After a bit, he said, "That is some woman. The chemistry with you didn't work?"

"She had her degree and was aiming for the stars. Asked if I wanted to come along. Saying no was the best decision I ever made. You wouldn't believe the humility a couple of years here has knocked into her."

"She's found the right guy?"

"Met him yesterday. He is an Oxford PhD in Economics. Sharp as can be. Told them he has to come along if she takes the job. Can you the imagine the heat I would get as the Boss and ex-lover? Not going to happen."

"Alec, this whole thing sounds like a novel."

"Let's hope it has a happy ending. What about your love life? Are you paired up?"

"Yes. She is at Berkeley, a year away from her degree. Sung helped her get admitted. We met in college. She was a runner too. Champion in the short distances. There is friction between my mother and her. My mother is very traditional. Says Ye-jin doesn't know her place."

"The two of you could do very well in America. Not so many glass ceilings."

"Yes. We've talked about that. Especially when I am in her bed in Berkeley." He smiled at me.

"But Sung has been building his engineering base in the company. He wants the two of us to be part of the new wave. Calls us his revolutionaries. Not in public, of course."

As we were riding up the elevator back at the hotel, I said, "We will do our best to help you with the Joint Venture. Look me up the next time you are in Boston. And take care of Janice tonight."

My phone vibrated. It was a text from Janice. "Super run! More later!"

In the shower, I thought about changing my reservation and taking the afternoon flight today. But I might be needed for damage control if things fell apart tonight. And a day catching up on London museums was attractive. There might even be time for a nap.

Her phone call at seven did catch me napping. "Alec, I'm downstairs. Come have a drink with me." Her voice sounded excited. I wondered, putting on my trousers, excited good or excited bad?

She had her eye on the elevator when I came out, and caught my arm, walking us to the lounge. "He is really smooth! I was so offguard with that American voice! And so direct! In the first few minutes, after reviewing the resume, he said Jake told him I was the right person for the JV!"

"Have you ever cemented a job offer with a run before?"

"Any teasing, Alec, and I will punch you out, even if we are in Brown's."

"What else did you talk about?"

"He was very nice about the hazards of being a female project director. Wanted to know if I thought I could take hostility from some of the men I would work with."

"Did you give him a flash of the Janice I knew in Boston?"

Her arm was rising when I caught her hand between both of mine. "Hey, we have closed the door on those days. We can work on being friends, not lovers?"

The eyes did flash. "You are required to make obnoxious, sexist work remarks, and I am allowed to practice my best hard-assed Janice responses!"

I smiled and massaged her fingers as I used to do. Going back to the Sung conversation, I asked, "How did you leave things with him?"

"He said he was taking care that others created the JV, but he would be available if we needed him."

"Pretty nice treatment from a guy in his position, don't you think?"

"Alec, I was so tense, I had to rush over here and talk to you! It feels like I have just been through my orals again!"

I stood, "You had better head back to your place and call Jeremy." I was thinking about a call to Anna.

Walking out, she had my arm and asked, "What about timing, do you think? I probably should not burn any bridges here that I don't have to."

"You're right. There are lots of things that could derail the project. We only have a term sheet at the moment. I'll keep you in a tight loop on developments."

As the valet opened the taxi door, she kissed me lightly on the lips, "Thanks for everything," and was gone.

At three o'clock her time, Anna answered, "We are all on pins and needles. Emma and Beth are here. May I put you on speaker?"

"Yes, of course. The short version is that things have gone well." I paused and said lightly, "I know you will be pleased to learn that Janice got engaged last night!"

Anna hissed, "Alec, you didn't?!"

"He is my size, terribly smart, and uses a strong hand on her when he needs to. I think she is really in love for the first time."

Beth had the phone. "Anna is on the floor, says you can't be that lucky."

"It gets better. Sung is Thirtyish, has a Berkeley EE PhD, and wants to see more American style initiative in the company."

Anna was back. "Sounds like we need to make a go of the JV."

"Yes, tell Amy to charge ahead with the legal structure. I'm on the afternoon plane tomorrow and home in time for a late dinner."

"We miss you. Even when you are doing good things."

"I am coming home to a loving family, am I?"

"You are coming home to a beating, devil!"

(Cont'd in Part 9)