CH129

Daheung Securities Headquarters

During the morning rush hour, Seok-won, dressed in a navy suit and a luxury tie, walked through the revolving door into the spacious lobby, holding a briefcase in one hand.

With his short, neatly trimmed bangs styled with wax to give a natural texture, his forehead was exposed, exuding the aura of a smart and confident man.

Standing over 180 cm tall, with long limbs like a model and a well-toned physique from consistent workouts, he looked good in anything he wore.

On top of that, his face was strikingly handsome—enough to rival most actors—and as the son of the chairman, he had an enviable background, making him incredibly popular among the female employees.

Even though it had been over a year since he started working at the company, there were still plenty of female staff lingering in the lobby every morning just to catch a glimpse of him arriving.

As expected, when the elevator doors closed after Seok-won stepped inside, sighs of disappointment could be heard from various corners of the lobby.

"Doesn't it seem like he changed his hairstyle today?"

"Yeah, his hair looked a bit shorter than usual."

"He always styles his hair up like that, but I wish I could see him with it down for once."

"I heard he doesn't like it because it makes him look too young."

"Ah, well, he's already the youngest among the executives."

While the female employees were busy gushing about how their department head should have debuted in the entertainment industry, or at least done a photoshoot for the company newsletter so they could stick his picture on the wall, one of them let out a small sigh.

"Haa…"

"What's wrong, unnie?"

A female employee in a uniform, with a name tag reading "Jo Haena," looked dejected as she turned to her junior colleague.

"My standards have gotten way too high because of the department head. It's a real problem."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember how I said I was going on a blind date last weekend?"

"Oh, right! How did it go?"

Hearing this, the other employees in the vicinity also turned their curious eyes toward her.

"The guy you were meeting worked at Hyunwoo Construction, right?"

"Hyunwoo Construction? That means he must have a great salary."

Intrigued, another colleague chimed in.

It was a time when large construction companies were thriving, securing massive overseas projects one after another, and dominating the stock market rankings.

So, being employed at a top-tier construction firm was enough to make someone a prime marriage prospect.

"Ugh… about that…"

Jo Haena sighed deeply again, prompting her junior colleague to cautiously ask,

"Why? Was he not that great?"

"No, actually. He had a straightforward and manly personality. He spent three years at the Saudi Arabian branch and recently got promoted. He's saved up enough to buy an apartment in Seoul for when he gets married."

"Then isn't that a good thing?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a great match."

The colleague looked puzzled, while the junior staff nodded in agreement.

"That's true, but after comparing him to the department head, he just seemed so… underwhelming."

"Ah…"

Her junior colleague let out a sympathetic sigh.

No matter how decent a man was, he would inevitably seem lacking in every way when compared to Seok-won.

And just look at that dazzling face.

After getting used to seeing Seok-won's face every day, it was only natural that every other man in the world would start looking like a squid or a cuttlefish in comparison.

"Comparing him to the department head is just too cruel."

"The bar is way too high."

"Yeah, unnie, that's not fair."

The surrounding female employees all gathered around, chiming in with their opinions, but Jo Haena wasn't listening to any of them.

"Ah… isn't there a man out there like the department head?"

"Wake up from your dream. Why would a man like that date you?"

Her colleague gave her a blunt reality check, and the junior staff quickly added,

"Unnie… the department head is like a unicorn—he only exists in fantasies."

"Yeah, Haena, maybe try being a little more realistic."

At that, Jo Haena rolled her eyes and shot back,

"Tsk. Can't I even dream?"

"Nope. You can't."

"Unnie, that's what we call a delusional dream."

"Alright, enough of this, everyone. It's time to get to work!"

With that, the group of giggling employees quickly scattered.

When Seok-won arrived at his office, he took off his jacket, hung it on the coat rack, and sat down at his desk.

It seemed that Na Seong-mi, who had arrived earlier, had organized everything for him. The day's newspapers and the documents he needed to review were neatly arranged on his desk, and his computer had already been powered on, ready for him to start working.

"The executive meeting scheduled for this afternoon has been canceled," Seong-mi said as she walked in, holding a planner.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, the CEO suddenly had another engagement."

"Any other changes?"

"No, nothing else."

Seong-mi flashed a subtle smile and asked,

"Would you like your morning coffee?"

"That sounds great."

"I'll bring it right away."

With that, Seong-mi stepped out of the office, and Seok-won picked up one of the newspapers from his desk and started reading.

Seok-won wasn't particularly interested in the front-page news, so he quickly skimmed through it and moved on to the economics section. One article caught his attention.

[Boseong Telecom First Quarter Performance Raises Concerns]

Boseong Telecom, which saw its stock price surge recently due to expectations of turning a profit, is now facing investor concerns due to production delays caused by quality issues with its new products. The company's stock had risen sharply from the high 9,000s to 17,600 won in just a month, thanks to expectations surrounding its overseas factory's full-scale operation, business restructuring, and the launch of high-value-added new products. However, predictions now suggest that turning a profit may be more difficult than anticipated, which could negatively impact its stock price.

"Hm."

Seok-won read the article with an intrigued expression when Na Seong-mi entered carrying a tray and set down his coffee.

"Team Leader Choi Ho-geun is here. What should I do?"

Seok-won straightened his posture and responded as if it was perfect timing.

"Let him in."

"Okay."

Not long after, Choi Ho-geun, wearing a striped tie, entered the room.

"I was just about to call you, but how did you know to come?"

"Haha, when the department head arrives, the women in the office start buzzing, don't they? I heard that your new hairstyle has already spread throughout the office today."

"Why are there rumors like that…"

Seok-won awkwardly smiled, recalling the female employees he had seen in the lobby on his way in.

"You must be really popular with the ladies. At this rate, it seems like there might be a fan club forming in the office."

"Well, I can't exactly tell them not to hang around the lobby when I arrive, can I? It's a bit exhausting."

Seok-won gave a helpless smile, and Choi Ho-geun teasingly responded.

"The hardships of being a popular man, huh? I wish I could experience that, just for a day."

Seok-won chuckled, then turned serious as he pointed to the article he had been reading just a moment ago.

"Did you come here because of this?"

Choi Ho-geun wiped the smile off his face and nodded.

"Yes, that's right. It's not just the newspaper; there have been rumors circulating about Boseong Telecom in the trading floor since yesterday."

Back in the day, before the rise of stock broadcasting or online forums, rumors were often spread through securities trading floors and gradually reached individual investors.

"So, the retail investor hunt has begun."

"Yes, it seems that way."

Seok-won leaned back in his chair and asked,

"How low do you think the stock price will drop?"

"At least, I don't think it'll dip below the 10,000 won range."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, if they want to maintain the upward momentum while shaking out the retail investors, they can't allow the stock price to fall below the previous low."

"And that low point is 10,000 won?"

"Yes."

Seok-won adjusted his chin and took a moment to organize his thoughts. He pulled out a car key with a BMW logo and a keychain from his pocket and placed it on the desk.

"There should be two travel suitcases in the trunk."

"..."

"Use the cash in them to buy Boseong Telecom stock."

"Understood."

As he watched Choi Ho-geun Team Leader pick up the car key, Seok-won asked,

"How many dummy accounts do you have ready for the trades?"

"32 accounts have been prepared."

"All of them will be clean with no risks, right?"

Team Leader Choi confidently replied,

"They're all safe, so there's no need to worry about that."

"Good."

Seok-won nodded slightly before continuing,

"Once the retail investors are shaken off and the stock starts to rise again, we'll drop a bomb on them before they have a chance to sell and escape."

Choi Ho-geun grinned widely, showing his teeth.

"Just thinking about those who tried to play the market getting trapped and falling into chaos already feels satisfying."

Seok-won chuckled softly before his expression became serious again.

"Most importantly, you know that security is the top priority, right?"

"Of course. Only Assistant Manager Jung and I in the team will know about the operation."

"Well done. The fewer people who know, the better."

Choi Ho-geun Team Leader cautiously asked,

"When are you planning to sell?"

"I'll watch the situation a bit more and let you know when the time is right."

"Understood."

Since all decisions were ultimately made by Seok-won, Team Leader Choi accepted without further comment.

"For now, quietly accumulate the stock with the money you've been given without the other side noticing."

"Yes. Once the operation is complete, I'll report back."

Seok-won nodded in acknowledgment as Team Leader Choi gave a polite bow and left the room.

Left alone, Seok-won opened the stock window for Boseong Telecom on the computer.

As expected, the bad news triggered a flurry of sell-offs, and the stock price started plummeting like a waterfall.

"They think they'll profit by shaking out the retail investors, but this time, it won't go their way."

Meanwhile, after leaving the director's office, Team Leader Choi Ho-geun took the elevator down to the underground parking lot.

The large parking lot was about half full with cars driven by employees and visitors.

Looking around, he soon spotted Seok-won's black BMW parked next to a concrete pillar.

After scanning the area to make sure no one was around, Team Leader Choi walked over to the parked BMW.

He took the car key Seok-won had given him from his inner pocket and opened the trunk.

Inside the neatly arranged trunk, two large 28-inch travel suitcases sat side by side.

Swallowing dryly, Team Leader Choi looked around once more, then lowered the zipper of the suitcase.

Inside, bundles of 10,000-won bills were packed tightly, filling the suitcase without a single gap.

Team Leader Choi's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard as he ran his hand lightly over the crisp stacks of bills.

"Ugh... My God. How much is all this?"

His hand trembled slightly as he touched the stacks of bills.

While he had bought and sold much larger sums while trading stocks, he had always dealt with numbers on a screen, never handling so much cash in person. This was the first time he had seen this much money in tangible form.