CH79

Daheung Securities Headquarters, Yeouido, Seoul.

The trading floor on the fifth floor was bustling with activity, the voices of traders and the loud ringing of phones filling the air.

Ring! Ring!

"Buy more Chunho Steel!"

"More Hyundai Construction shares? Got it!"

"Today's momentum is strong. Raise the bid price!"

The atmosphere was filled with energy, reflecting the market's revival as it recovered from the shock of the previous year's real-name financial system reform and began to heat up again.

"21,000 won for 30,000 shares on the sell side."

Holding a phone against one shoulder, Jung Hwan-yeop focused on his monitor as he placed the order. Within moments, the buy orders at 21,000 won began to dwindle, and the shares sold off rapidly.

The stock price, momentarily faltering after the large sell-off, quickly stabilized and continued to rise, maintaining the 21,000 won range.

"Phew."

After focusing all his attention on the trades all morning, Jung Hwan-yeop let out a small sigh as the tension lifted the moment the transaction was completed.

"Did you make a good haul?"

Before he knew it, Chief Choi Ho-geun had approached him and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

"See for yourself."

As Jung Hwan-yeop slightly shifted his upper body to the side, Choi Ho-geun peeked over his shoulder at the monitor and flashed a sly smile.

"You've definitely earned your lunch today."

"Lunch? Come on, I've done more than that."

"Yeah, the ones who bring in the money call the shots. Good job. Want me to massage your shoulders?"

Manager Choi Ho-geun wiggled his fingers teasingly.

"No thanks. You'd probably just grab me by the neck if things went south."

"Then just keep making money. Problem solved."

"I'd love to, but it's not as easy as it sounds."

Jung Hwan-yeop pouted and grumbled, and Choi narrowed his eyes, suspicious.

"What's going on with you?"

"What do you mean, out of the blue?"

"Normally, you'd be puffing your chest out and showing off. You're being awfully quiet today."

Choi Ho-geun looked Jung Hwan-yeop over with a sharp, probing gaze as if asking if he was hiding something.

At that moment, Hong Jae-hee, who had been sitting at a desk behind them, chimed in.

"Yeah, what's up, Manager Jung? Are you feeling okay today?"

In response, Chief Choi Ho-geun reached out with one hand and placed it on Jung Hwan-yeop's forehead, tilting his head in confusion.

"No fever, though."

Jung frowned at their antics and replied gruffly.

"Can't I just be quiet once in a while?"

"Come on, man. It's just weird when you're not being your usual self."

Crossing his arms, Choi stared at Jung with genuine concern.

"Is there something on your mind?"

Even Yoo Seok-hyun, sitting next to them, wore a worried expression.

With his teammates' concerned gazes on him, Jung Hwan-yeop scratched the back of his head with one hand and reluctantly spoke up.

"It's not that, really. I've just been feeling a bit disheartened lately."

"What do you mean?"

Choi asked, puzzled.

"No matter how much effort I put in, like making over two million won after two straight days of trading, it feels pointless when our team leader's investments soar by tens of millions in a single day. It's hard not to feel like I'm spinning my wheels."

Hearing this, Choi shook his head, unimpressed.

"Is that all?"

"It's a big deal to me."

Choi Ho-geun clicked his tongue, shaking his head at Jung Hwan-yeop.

"Jung Hwan-yeop, are you really comparing yourself to the team leader?"

"That's right. Honestly, it just shows that you have a pretty high sense of self-worth, huh?"

Following Hong Jae-hee's playful interruption, Yoo Seok-hyun also nodded in agreement.

"I'd love to support you, but this one's hard to back up."

Jung Hwan-yeop, who had been sulking from the responses of his teammates, scowled and retorted.

"What's wrong with me? I'm telling you, when it comes to swing trading, there's no one better than me!"

Despite his often frivolous behaviour Jung Hwan-yeop was a seasoned swing trader, well-regarded in Daehung Securities for his ability to execute short-term trades with impressive skill.

Standing with his shirt sleeves rolled up, Choi Ho-geun was a master of scalping, buying and selling stocks in incredibly short intervals multiple times a day.

The two of them were on the same team, and that was largely because of their connection to Seok-won, the chairman's son.

Choi Ho-geun nodded, acknowledging Jung Hwan-yeop's skills.

"Yeah, I know you're good. But let's be honest, the scale of what the team leader is working with is just on another level, isn't it? Take away the fact that he was born with a diamond spoon in his mouth, and his skill is practically unfair."

"Exactly. It's like comparing a cup to a basin," Hong quipped, earning a nod of agreement from their teammate, Yoo Seok-hyun.

"Right. The team leader operates on a whole different level."

"Hey! You guys are unbelievable!"

It wasn't so much Choi Ho-geun who annoyed Jung Hwan-yeop, but rather Hong Jae-hee and Yoo Seok-hyun, who kept making snide comments from the sidelines.

Jung Hwan-yeop glared at them, his forehead veins visibly pulsing, but since they weren't wrong, he could only click his tongue in frustration.

Choi Ho-geun patted Jung Hwan-yeop's shoulder and spoke in a more relaxed tone.

"There's that saying, 'A crow that chases after a stork ends up tearing its pants.' I just watched two random stocks I picked suddenly shoot up like crazy, and I decided to let go of it all."

With a half-enlightened smile, Choi Ho-geun spoke, and Jung Hwan-yeop felt an intense headache coming on.

"Ugh."

Seeing Jung Hwan-yeop's reaction, Choi Ho-Geun casually added,

"And there's no need to be jealous since the results from the team leader also count as part of our team's performance."

"…!"

As Jung Hwan-yeop perked up his ears, Choi Ho-geun, in a subtle tone, continued speaking.

"That means, this year's year-end bonus is going to be pretty hefty."

Upon hearing that, Hong Jae-hee clapped her hands and brightened up.

"Oh my! That's great news!"

Although Yoo Seok-hyun tried to hide it, he couldn't conceal the smile that spread across his face.

With a sudden sparkle in his eyes, Jung Hwan-yeop, who had seemed gloomy just moments ago, turned to look at Choi Ho-geun and asked,

"You mean it'll be more than the last year-end bonus, right?"

In a voice filled with anticipation, Choi Ho-geun shrugged his shoulders.

"There's still a lot of time until the end of the year, but if we don't forget what we've earned so far, it should be bigger."

"Hehehe. Of course, he'll keep achieving great results, right? He has hit a 100% accuracy rate so far."

After quickly shifting gears to talk about the bonus, Choi Ho-Geun gave him a disbelieving look and teased,

"Didn't you just say a minute ago that the performance gap was so big it made you lose motivation?"

"Well, you told me to let it go and enjoy the ride."

"Ugh, you troublemaker."

Choi rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

At that moment, a familiar voice interrupted from behind.

"What's all the excitement about?"

Startled, Choi Ho-geun turned around to find Seok-won, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, smiling as he entered the partitioned area after his meeting in the president's office.

"Nothing much."

As Choi Ho-geun began to respond, Jung Hwan-yeop sprang up from his chair and approached eagerly, rubbing his palms together as he asked in a friendly tone,

"Team Leader, you're back! Did you have a good lunch?"

Unaware of the situation, Seok-won nodded with a smile.

"I went to the Japanese restaurant just nearby with the CEO and had an eel rice bowl. I didn't know there were so many good restaurants around here."

"Oh, absolutely! Eel is excellent for men's health, you know," Jung replied enthusiastically, his grin widening.

Choi Ho-geun, clearly exasperated, shot him a sharp glare, silently signalling him to tone it down. But with the bonus clearly on his mind, Jung Hwan-yeop pretended not to notice and pressed on with his remarks.

"If there's nothing urgent, come to my office. I have something to discuss with you."

"Understood, sir," Choi replied promptly.

With that, Seok-won turned and stepped into the private office next door.

As soon as the door closed, Choi turned to Jung, muttering in frustration,

"You shameless opportunist!"

"Why, what did I do?" protested Jung, feigning innocence.

"You'd better get ready for a private meeting with me later," Choi retorted, glaring at him.

Choi Ho-geun raised a fist playfully at Jung Hwan-yeop before following behind Seok-won.

After a brief knock, Choi opened the door and stepped inside.

"Have a seat over there," Seok-won said, gesturing toward the sofa with a raised hand as he stood and walked toward the coffee pot by the window.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I'd appreciate it, thank you."

Smiling faintly, Seok-won tore open a packet of instant coffee, poured it into a cup, and added just the right amount of hot water. He stirred the coffee a few times with a teaspoon, ensuring it dissolved well, then carried the cup to the sofa with both hands.

"Here you go," he said, setting the cup down on the coffee table.

Choi Ho-geun immediately bowed his head. "Thank you very much."

Having his superior personally prepare coffee for him felt overwhelmingly burdensome.

Oblivious to Choi's unease, Seok-won calmly took the middle seat on the sofa and asked in his usual tone, "How's the market looking today?"

"The bull market continues. Unless another unexpected variable pops up, the stock index is likely to surpass 1,000 points before the end of the year."

Nodding slightly, Seok-won remarked, "If that happens, it'll be the first time in five years the index has climbed back to 1,000 points, correct?"

"That's right," Choi confirmed.

During the so-called "three lows" phenomenon of 1986–1989—characterized by low oil prices, low interest rates, and a weak dollar—South Korea experienced an unprecedented economic boom.

As exports surged and the economy expanded, the stock market also flourished. The stock index, which stood at 139 points in early 1985, soared to an all-time high of over 1,000 points in just four years.

'There was even a saying that if you bought stocks, they would inevitably go up.'

However, just as the boom ignited rapidly, it also fizzled out in an instant.

Driven by the prospect of easy profits, even companies that failed to meet listing qualifications went public recklessly, while already-listed companies overissued new shares. Inevitably, the bubble burst.

On April 1, 1989, the index peaked at 1,007 points before beginning its steep decline. Within just 18 months, it had plummeted to 566 points—nearly halving its value.

'This was also when the term 'empty accounts' first emerged.'

Investors who had borrowed heavily to buy stocks couldn't withstand the downward spiral. Their accounts were liquidated en masse through forced sales, exacerbating the market's collapse.

Countless individuals, lured by dreams of overnight wealth, lost everything in the blink of an eye.

'It's ironic how, not long after the index climbed back above 1,000 points, the IMF crisis hit, almost like a cruel reflection.'

This made it clear that the saying "history repeats itself" didn't come from nowhere.

Clearing his thoughts, Seok-won turned to Manager Choi Ho-geun, who was quietly waiting for him to speak.

"I asked to meet with you because there's something I'd like you to do," Seok-won said.

"Just tell me what you need," Choi replied without hesitation.

"But it's not company business—it's a personal favour," Seok-won added.

"…!"

Seok-won picked up his coffee cup, took a calm sip, and continued, "Of course, if you're not comfortable, you don't have to do it."

Though he gave Choi the option to refuse, there weren't many employees bold enough to turn down a request from their direct superior—especially one as closely tied to the company's ownership as Seok-won.

Quick-witted, Choi immediately recognized that this wasn't just a casual favour. It was essentially an invitation to align himself with Seok-won and become part of his inner circle. He swallowed nervously.

Though it was certain that Seok-won wouldn't inherit the chairman's position, as the role was destined for the group's confirmed successor, President Park Jin-hyung, there was no doubt that Seok-won would secure a significant position within the group or eventually strike out independently with substantial backing.

Joining forces with Seok-won now would be like grabbing hold of a golden lifeline.

'Letting this chance slip away would be the height of foolishness.'

Manager Choi Ho-geun quickly organized his thoughts and straightened his posture before responding.

"Please, tell me whatever you need."

Seok-won, who hadn't expected any refusal, smiled at Choi's overly determined demeanour.

"It's nothing too difficult, so no need to feel so tense."

Leaning back against the sofa, Seok-won fixed his gaze on Choi and continued.

"I'd like you to gather detailed information about the ownership structure and debt situation across all subsidiaries of the Donghae Group."

Hearing this unexpected request, Choi raised a slightly puzzled expression and asked for clarification.

"Donghae Group?"

"That's right."

Nodding slightly, Seok-won spoke in a more serious tone.

"Specifically, I want an accurate breakdown of Chairman Woo Yong-gap's controlling stake and how the shares are distributed among the owner's family members."

"…!"