CH82

Walkerhill Hotel, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul

A black BMW 540i slowly approached the grand entrance of the hotel and came to a stop.

The doorman, dressed in a neat blue uniform with white gloves, smiled and walked toward the car as he noticed it.

As he reached out and gently opened the driver's side door, a tall figure emerged, extending a long leg. It was Seok-won, dressed in a custom-tailored suit, who stepped out of the car.

Seok-won handed the doorman a tip along with the car keys, and the doorman accepted it with both hands, slightly bowing his head.

"Thank you," he said.

Having entrusted his car for valet parking, Seok-won strode confidently toward the revolving golden doors and entered the hotel lobby.

As one of the few five-star hotels in Seoul, the spacious lobby exuded luxury. The marble floors gleamed with a polished shine, and an opulent chandelier hanging from the ceiling radiated a dazzling brilliance.

Large windows bathed the entire lobby in natural sunlight, illuminating famous paintings and sculptures displayed meticulously, further enhancing the upscale atmosphere.

Even though it was a weekday afternoon, quite a few people were sitting comfortably on the sofas, engaged in conversations, or standing at the reception desk, speaking to hotel staff. Seok-won glanced at the scene as he crossed the lobby, heading straight for the elevators.

Surveying the two elevators lined up on each side, he noticed the one on the far left descending to the lobby. He walked toward it and waited.

Checking his wristwatch, he then looked up at the floor indicator above the elevator.

[5, 4… L]

As the elevator arrived and the doors opened, Seok-won stepped aside.

Two men exited the elevator, and one of them stopped abruptly upon recognizing him.

"Seok-won, fancy meeting you here."

"...!"

Seok-won turned his head to see who it was and briefly furrowed his brows.

However, he quickly composed himself and, in a calm voice, addressed the man standing in front of him, Woo Ho-geunHo-geun.

"What a coincidence."

Seok-won's gaze briefly scanned the man standing behind Woo Ho-geunHo-geun, Manager Oh Sang-hyun.

"I heard you've been appointed as the head of the Strategic Planning Office. Congratulations, albeit belatedly."

At this, Woo Ho-geunHo-geun, who had his hands shoved into his pants pockets, shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"I heard you've been appointed as the head of the Strategic Planning Office. Congratulations, albeit belatedly."

Hands in his trouser pockets, Woo Ho-geunHo-geun shrugged casually.

"It's not much of a title, but my father insists I start at the bottom and learn the ropes to prepare for taking over the group. Well, here I am."

"Business is learned in the field. Starting with a significant position without any groundwork is rarely the right approach."

Though the remark was general, Woo Ho-geun took it as a subtle jab, feeling it alluded to how his father, Chairman Woo Yong-gap, doubted his competence and placed him in a lesser role.

Irritated, Woo Ho-geun deliberately adopted a mocking tone and took a jab at Seok-won.

"I hear Jin-hyung has been promoted to president of Daheung Textiles. That must sting a bit, huh?"

The intent behind his words was transparent, but Seok-won merely smirked inwardly.

"That's something to congratulate, not something to feel upset about."

"Oh, come on. You're still not even an executive, while Jin-hyung is now leading the group's flagship company. That practically cements his position as the heir, doesn't it?" Woo Ho-geun said with a sly grin, teasing Seok-won.

"I hear you've been struggling at the securities firm, desperately trying to prove yourself. Looks like you've become the dog that chases the chicken but ends up staring at the roof," he added, with a sneer.

"I don't know why you're so interested in our family matters, but it doesn't bother me, so you don't need to worry about it."

Though he answered earnestly, Woo Ho-geun interpreted it as Seok-won trying to mask his frustration with bravado.

Woo Ho-geun, now grinning more broadly, narrowed his eyes and said,

"Let me know when you need a drink to drown your sorrows. My treat."

Having heard enough nonsense, Seok-won began to feel his time was being wasted. He muttered to himself inwardly,

'You avoid filth not because you're scared but because it's dirty'

Seok-won subtly glanced at his wristwatch and made a gesture to indicate he was busy.

"I've got an appointment. I'll be on my way."

As he stepped into the elevator, Woo Ho-geun, assuming Seok-won was retreating in shame, smirked smugly and raised his pinky finger in a mocking gesture.

"So, what's got you visiting a hotel at this hour? Meeting a woman? Is she pretty?"

Seok-won paused and turned back with a cool expression.

"Unfortunately, it's for business."

"Ah, I see."

Woo Ho-geun chuckled slyly, adding, "By the way, are you still seeing that girl from the pool last time? No, wait. She was obviously just a fling, wasn't she?"

Seok-won's sharp gaze cut through the air like a blade.

"Do you think you're on top of the world just because you were lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family? Let me tell you—everything you're holding onto can be lost in an instant. Keep that in mind and stay grounded."

He smiled coldly and continued.

"And take care of your lower half. If you end up in a scandal, imagine how disappointed Chairman Woo would be."

"You bastard! What did you just say?"

Woo Ho-geun's face turned red with rage, and he shouted, causing Oh Sanghyun to hurriedly grab his arm.

"Please calm down, sir."

"Let go of me!" Woo Ho-geun retorted angrily.

"This is the hotel lobby. Please consider the eyes on us." Manager Oh urged.

At those words, Woo Ho-geun looked around. He noticed that the sudden commotion had drawn the attention of people in the lobby, who were now whispering and staring at them.

As Woo Ho-geun hesitated for a moment, Seok-won casually raised one arm and stepped into the elevator.

"See you around."

Grinding his teeth, Woo Ho-geun glared fiercely as the elevator doors closed.

"Damn, bastard!"

Just then, a hotel employee approached, looking between the furious Woo Ho-geun and the embarrassed Oh Sang-hyun.

"Is there a problem, sir?"

"Get out of the way!"

Still seething, Woo Ho-geun shoved the hotel employee aside and stormed off, swinging his arms wildly.

Oh Sang-hyun let out a small sigh and quickly followed behind.

Meanwhile, in the elevator, Seok-won pressed the button for his floor and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Of all people, I had to run into that guy."

Though annoyed, he decided to take it as a bit of bad luck before an important event.

As the elevator reached the 15th floor, the doors opened, and he stepped out.

Walking down the hallway covered in a plush red carpet, he stopped at the door of a suite located at the far end.

Ding-dong.

He pressed the doorbell and waited. Shortly after, the sound of a lock turning came, and the door opened to reveal Andrew. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and had his hair neatly slicked back.

"You're here."

Andrew greeted him warmly with a wide smile.

"It feels even better seeing you here in Korea."

Seok-won extended his hand, and after a brief handshake, Andrew stepped aside.

"Come on in."

Andrew stepped aside to let him enter.

The suite Andrew was staying in was a royal suite, complete with a bar counter and two bedrooms.

As soon as Seok-won entered, his attention was drawn to the large windows in the living room that offered an expansive view of the Han River.

Landon, seated on the sofa, stood up when he saw him and approached with a smile.

"Welcome, boss."

Seok-won shook hands with him too, exchanging pleasantries.

"Was it tough crossing the Pacific?"

"I'm feeling a bit jet-lagged, but thanks to the private jet, I'm not too tired."

"Leaving the trading desk where I can't let my guard down, coming this far, I actually feel like I'm on vacation. It's a nice change."

Andrew, standing nearby, added with a joke.

Even though Andrew had been a bit stiff during their first meeting, he had become much more relaxed over time, as they had successfully closed many deals together.

Seok-won smiled slightly as he looked at both of them.

"Well, now I feel bad. We're going to talk business from here on out."

At that, Andrew burst out laughing.

"Actually, my wife has been nagging me to move from the busy Manhattan to our mansion on Long Island. To do that, I'll need to keep working hard to build up my performance."

"Oh, that house? I saw the photos Emma picked out—it's a gorgeous Victorian-style mansion, complete with an indoor horse-riding arena," Landon added enthusiastically, raising a finger.

Emma was Andrew's wife, and thanks to Landon's sociable nature, the two couples had already met several times and grown close.

"It's a beautiful house, but the price is the problem," Andrew admitted sheepishly.

"How much is it?" Seok-won asked, curious.

"Just over 4.5 million dollars," Andrew answered with a wry smile.

"Well, with the bonus you'll receive after this project, buying it shouldn't be an issue. Don't forget to invite me to the housewarming party when it happens."

Seok-won subtly hinted at the large bonus they were likely to receive from the upcoming work, causing both Landon and Andrew's eyes to light up.

"Please, have a seat so we can discuss the details," Landon said, motioning toward the living room.

They moved to the comfortable sofa set in the center of the room, meanwhile, Andrew poured coffee from the silver kettle on the portable tray into a cup and brought it to Seok-won.

He then sat down opposite Seok-won, with Landon on the other side, positioning himself between them.

With both men curious about what kind of deal was about to unfold, Seok-won spoke in a calm voice.

"You've all heard about the assassination of Luis Donaldo Colosio, the leading presidential candidate of Mexico's ruling party, last March."

Since it was a recent event, Andrew had no trouble recalling it and added his thoughts.

"Yes, it was a major incident," Andrew replied, recalling the shocking news.

"To think, the candidate was assassinated during a campaign rally, just five months before the election," he added.

Landon nodded in agreement. "It created significant political unrest in Mexico. And as a result, the peso depreciated by more than 10%, and the currency still hasn't recovered."

Andrew's eyes narrowed in thought as he suddenly turned to Seok-won.

"You're not thinking of short-selling the Mexican peso, are you?"

"Exactly."

After hearing the answer, Andrew showed a slightly skeptical reaction.

"But haven't most investors already dumped the peso, causing the exchange rate to drop significantly? Isn't it a bit late to join the trade now?"

"I agree," Landon chimed in. "It's possible to make a profit, but I doubt the returns will be substantial at this point."

Seok-won responded with a calm smile.

"Do you really think so?"

"...?"

Andrew and Landon exchanged puzzled looks, sensing that they might be missing something crucial.

Andrew hesitated before cautiously sharing his thoughts.

"Mexico has adopted a fixed exchange rate system, pegging the peso to the U.S. dollar. To maintain this rate, they'd have to use their foreign reserves to defend it. But Mexico isn't like the UK."

Landon nodded in agreement and added, "The Bank of England at least had sufficient reserves to put up a fight before eventually caving. But Mexico, with its limited reserves, is likely already on the brink of exhaustion after repeated attacks from speculators."

"You're right," Seok-won acknowledged.

"In fact, rumours are circulating on Wall Street that the Mexican government will soon devalue the peso."

Andrew and Landon both nodded at his words.

Then, Seok-won's tone shifted, becoming more serious.

"But I see things differently."

"...?"

"The real crash of the peso is not something that has already happened—it's just beginning."

At this unexpected statement, Landon widened his eyes and asked.

"Are you saying the peso will fall even further from here?"

"Yes," Seok-won said, a confident smile spreading across his face.

"I predict that the current exchange rate will drop by at least 50% more."

"...!"

TL/n -

In 1994, Mexico's leading presidential candidate, Luis Donaldo Colosio, was tragically assassinated. Colosio was the official candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) for the presidency in the upcoming elections. He was shot on March 23, 1994, during a campaign rally in Lomas Taurinas, a neighbourhood in Tijuana, Baja California.

Colosio was delivering a speech when he was shot in the head by a gunman at close range.