CH72

A Week Later, Daehung Securities Headquarters, Yeouido

The trading floor on the 5th floor was buzzing with activity as usual. Monitors mounted on desks flickered endlessly with shifting numbers, blending with the incessant ringing of telephones and the murmur of traders.

The atmosphere was especially charged today as the yen continued to strengthen, causing export stocks to surge, and driving the energy in the room to a fever pitch.

"How much have we made so far?"

Choi Ho-geun, the chief manager who had been overseeing operations in Seok-won's absence, approached and asked as Jung Hwan-yeop, turned from his bulky CRT monitor to respond.

"Daegwang and Hyunwoo Motors have each risen by 36% and 41%, respectively, and Misung Electronics is up 25%."

Choi Ho-geun, glancing at the screen displaying the gains, nodded slightly.

"Okay, that's enough. Let's call it a day and sell everything."

"Excuse me?" Jung Hwan-yeop, caught off guard by the sudden directive, turned fully in his seat to face Choi Ho-geun.

"We're selling now?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Choi replied coolly.

"But the market is still moving up. Selling now seems too soon…"

Given that all the stocks had risen by more than 5% today alone, it was tempting to let them ride the momentum.

"It's the team leader's order," Choi Ho-geun said, his tone firm.

Jung Hwan-yeop blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"You think I'm kidding? He called last night and told me to liquidate all positions."

Even though Seok-won was in the U.S., he regularly communicated with Choi Ho-geun, giving investment instructions. To make sure he could contact him at any time, Seok-won had provided Choi Ho-geun with a personal mobile phone.

At the time, mobile phones were still a rarity, and most people rarely used them. So, Choi Ho-geun made sure to carry the phone proudly in its case attached to his waist, subtly flaunting it.

Just moments ago, Jung Hwan-yeop, who had been hesitant about selling, immediately changed his attitude upon hearing that the order came from Seok-won.

"Should we sell everything all at once?"

"That'll cause the stock price to drop. Split it into three or four sales over the next two days."

"Got it."

Jung Hwan-yeop nodded in agreement, and Choi Ho-geun couldn't help but make a slightly amused face.

"You weren't like this earlier when I told you to sell. Isn't the difference in your reaction a bit much?"

But Jung Hwan-yeop stood his ground confidently.

"Well, it's the team leader's order, isn't it? I haven't lost anything by following his instructions so far."

Seeing his bold, unapologetic expression, Choi Ho-geun felt a slight irritation rising in his neck.

"Ah, this guy… Jeez. I can't even say anything because he's not wrong." Choi muttered under his breath.

"Why are you being so grumpy all of a sudden?"

Deputy Jung Hwan-yeop playfully leaned in, pretending to massage Choi Ho-geun's shoulder as he tried to smooth things over.

"Enough, cut it out," Choi Ho-geun snapped, swatting away Jung Hwan-yeop's arm with a gruff expression.

From a different corner, Yoo Seok-hyun, who had been watching the exchange, chuckled and intervened.

"Chief, just let it go. Isn't this typical behaviour for Deputy Jung by now?"

Jung Hwan-yeop glared at him with mock anger at being treated like trouble.

"Oh? A little chick is daring to interrupt while the seniors are talking? You've grown bold, haven't you?"

Normally, Yoo might have been cautious, but he wasn't so easily intimidated anymore.

"I've been here over two years now. Don't you think I'm too grown-up to be called a chick?"

With a shrug, Yoo Seok-hyun nonchalantly brushed off Deputy Jung Hwan-yeop's remark. This confident response left Jung Hwan-yeop slightly speechless.

Watching this exchange, Chief Choi smirked as if to say, "Serves you right."

"That's true. Seok-Hyun's about ready to shed the 'rookie' label."

Then, patting Jung Hwan-yeop on the shoulder with a smirk, Chief Choi teased,

"It doesn't feel good to see the chick grow up and challenge you, does it?"

"Ughhh."

Jung Hwan-yeop grimaced and let out a groan, but nobody paid it any attention.

The atmosphere in Investment Team 4 was so good because, not only were they close, but their investment performance had been overwhelmingly better compared to other teams.

At that moment, Jae-Hee Hong, the only woman on the team, suddenly spoke up as if she had just remembered something.

"By the way, when is Team Leader coming back?"

Jung Hwan-yeop, snapping out of his thoughts, chimed in with an "Oh, right," agreeing with the question.

"It's already been more than two weeks since he left for the U.S. Isn't he staying a bit too long?"

"I asked, and he said he'll need to stay a bit longer," Chief Choi replied.

"He's not planning to settle down in the U.S. and not come back, is he?"

"Are you crazy? Of course not."

With a stern face, Chief Choi smacked Deputy Jung on the top of his head.

"Whatever work he has left to do, just wait quietly instead of making a fuss."

Then Jae-Hee Hong, speaking up, added with a hint of longing,

"I just hope he comes back soon."

Jae-Hee's comment made Jung Hwan-yeop grin teasingly.

"What's the deal? Are you waiting for a souvenir?"

"No, I'm not," Jae-Hee Hong replied, flustered.

"Well, I guess you won't be needing a gift then."

Jae-Hee Hong shot him a pointed glare, then hesitated before admitting,

"W-well… if he does bring something, I'd be grateful."

Jung Hwan-yeop smirked knowingly.

"Aha, so you are waiting for a gift! You're just full of anticipation, aren't you?"

"Oh my god! You're so annoying, Hwan-yeop!"

Jae-Hee finally exploded, letting out an angry yell, but Jung Hwan-yeop only seemed to find her reaction even more amusing.

Watching his team members, who seemed to have regressed to elementary school levels of immaturity, Chief Choi chuckled softly. He clapped his hands lightly to get their attention.

"All right, all right, enough chit-chat. Let's get back to work. You all know your paychecks don't come for free, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Understood."

Even Jung Hwan-yeop, who had been thoroughly enjoying teasing Jae-Hee, returned to his seat with a satisfied look on his face.

Pulling his chair closer to his desk, Chief Choi began checking the prices of the stocks Seok-Won had instructed them to hold for long-term investment, separate from their recent trades.

Looking at the numbers displayed on his monitor, Chief Choi couldn't help but let out a short exclamation.

Ogwang Industry ▲ 3,900 379,600

Chunho Steel ▲ 2,400 98,500

Both stocks that Seok-Won had pinpointed for investment had more than tripled in price, so it was no surprise.

"No wonder you have to acknowledge his skills."

At first, he had looked at Seok-Won through the lens of scepticism, seeing him as just another parachuted hire. But now, those feelings had completely disappeared.

In fact, after correctly predicting the yen's strength this time and reaping significant profits from export-related stocks, Chief Choi could only admire Seok-Won's extraordinary insight and investment acumen.

"He even tells us what to eat and how to eat it. If we mess that up, we're just hopeless."

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Chief Choi focused on meticulously reviewing the documents in front of him to carry out his assigned tasks without error.

***

Manhattan, New York.

In the CEO's office, with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows offering a view of the blue East River and ferries gliding back and forth, Seok-Won sat on the sofa between Landon and Andrew, who faced each other.

Unlike Seok-Won, who leaned back on the plush leather sofa with a relaxed posture, Landon kept checking his wristwatch repeatedly, unable to hide his restlessness. Andrew also couldn't conceal his tense expression.

Landon, whose mouth was dry, picked up his cup of coffee, took a sip, set it down, and looked at Seok-Won.

"The consumer price index (CPI) is about to be announced. Aren't you nervous?"

Depending on the CPI results, bond prices would inevitably fluctuate wildly.

Because of that, not only Eldorado Fund but the entire market was holding its breath, anxiously waiting for the announcement.

However, the calmest person in the room, who should arguably have been the most nervous, was Seok-Won, sitting as composed as ever.

"Fretting about it won't change the CPI result," Seok-won replied nonchalantly.

"I suppose that's true," Landon said, though he still looked uneasy. "But what if the result deviates from expectations?"

Seok-won, who had maintained a calm expression throughout, now revealed a flicker of confidence in his eyes.

"There's a very low chance of that happening."

Landon and Andrew exchanged confused glances as they looked at Seok-won, who continued speaking with conviction.

"After the collapse of the savings and loan association, the Federal Reserve drastically cut interest rates to fight the recession, and they've also flooded the market with liquidity. I'm sure you're aware of that."

The financial boom over the past few years had been driven by low interest rates and an excess of liquidity.

"With so much money circulating in the market, it inevitably pushes inflation upward."

"...!"

Landon's eyes widened in realization as Seok-won pressed on.

"And with the midterm elections approaching, the Fed's push for preventive rate hikes—something that seems almost alien—makes sense. There's a reason behind every move they're making."

Andrew squinted slightly and asked, "Are you saying that the Fed must have seen inflationary data they're concerned about?"

Seok-won responded with a faint smile, "If that wasn't the case, they wouldn't have acted so abruptly."

The suddenness of the Fed's interest rate hike was undeniable, and both Landon and Andrew nodded, clearly understanding the point.

"So, this CPI report is likely to come in worse than expected?" Landon asked, his anticipation evident.

"Very likely," Seok-won replied.

As Landon's face lit up with expectation, there was a knock at the door, and Mason hurriedly entered, holding a printed document in one hand.

"Did the CPI data come out?" Landon asked eagerly.

Mason nodded and, without hesitation, handed the document to Seok-won, who sat at the head of the table.

Seok-won received the printout and, after briefly scanning the newly released CPI data, looked up with a smile curling at the corner of his lips.

Landon leaned forward, his voice tense with anticipation. "How did it come out?"

Seok-won, holding the document, passed it to Landon, saying, "It came in at 140.3, a 0.3% increase from the previous month."

Andrew swallowed hard and responded.

"This is the highest figure since last December."

Landen, checking the details of the CPI on the paper, clenched his fist and spoke in an excited tone.

"Energy prices have jumped a whopping 5.3% compared to last month, and food and medical services have also risen significantly. It's safe to say that the rate freeze is off the table."

"That's right. While additional hikes may be uncertain, the inflation concerns will force Fed officials to make hawkish statements for the time being."

Andrew's eyes sparkled.

"If that's the case, with all hope gone, the bond market is going to face a massacre."

Seok-won clasped his hands together, leaning back in his chair, and a deep smile curled at the corners of his lips.

"Once the market crashes and it's a bloodbath, we'll clean up and collect the spoils."

"We'll wrap it up neatly, don't worry," Andrew replied, standing up with his back straight. He turned and walked out of the office with Mason, now that it was his time to be busy, preparing to move quickly and monitor the market reactions.

Landen, watching Andrew leave, looked at Seok-won with a look of admiration.

"You've nailed it again, another hole-in-one."

"It's not over yet," Seok-won said calmly, regaining his composure.

Landen, now more at ease, replied with a smile, "With the CPI numbers out like this, the game is practically over, isn't it?"

Seok-Won offered no verbal response, only a faint smile.

Watching him, Landon couldn't help but think that this man might indeed have been born with the golden touch.

"To succeed in every investment this spectacularly—calling you Midas is no exaggeration."

"The real game hasn't even begun yet, so don't get ahead of yourself."

"Do you mean there's something even bigger to come?"

"Of course. Having set foot on Wall Street, it's not enough to shine briefly and then fade away. The goal is to become its ruler, don't you think?"

Seok-Won finally revealed a glimpse of the ambition he had quietly harboured.

Landon, stunned by the magnitude of this ambition, was left momentarily speechless.

If someone else had overheard, they might have dismissed it as absurd bravado. But Landon, having closely witnessed Seok-Won's track record of success, couldn't just brush it off as empty words.

"Are you serious?"

"Boys, be ambitious," Seok-Won said, quoting the famous scholar William Clark. "The bigger the goal, the better, wouldn't you agree?"

"But calling yourself a 'boy' might be pushing it a bit…"

Landon cast a sceptical glance at him, as though to say, A boy? Really?

Had Andrew been present, he too might have worn a similarly incredulous expression.

Judging by the playful smile on Seok-Won's face, it seemed he had made the comment to lighten the mood.

"I'm starting to think you might actually pull it off, and that's what's scary."

"That's why you need to stay sharp and follow closely."

The idea of ruling Wall Street might have seemed far-fetched, but sitting across from Seok-Won, brimming with confidence, Landon felt an unshakable belief that this man could indeed make it happen.

His heart raced with excitement at the thought, and he silently praised himself for making what now felt like the smartest decision of his life: choosing to work with Seok-Won.