Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 136
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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136. The Great Tokyo Air Raid (2)
Eldorado Fund Office, New York, USA.
As a flood of yen purchase orders poured in, Tyler let out a short whistle and spoke.
“Looks like George Hamilton is really determined to finish off the Bank of Japan today.”
Andrew, standing with Landon Shore in the back with his arms crossed, watched the yen exchange rate move ceaselessly before asking in a serious tone.
“How much in purchase orders have come through?”
Tyler quickly tapped away at his keyboard and answered immediately.
“Just over 300 million dollars.”
“I don’t know how much ammunition he’s prepared, but he’s certainly coming in strong from the start.”
Andrew nodded slightly.
Tyler, spinning his chair backward, looked at the two men and spoke.
“Maybe he’s trying to crush their morale right from the beginning by coming down hard.”
“The real game is in Tokyo, though. If he exhausts himself this much at the start, it could actually make things harder later on.”
That’s when Landon Shore interjected smoothly.
“If he’s gathered enough capital to spend like this without worry, then that changes things, doesn’t it?”
“Do you have any information on how much ammunition George Hamilton is holding?”
Andrew turned his head to ask, and Tyler looked over with curiosity as well.
Landon Shore, receiving both their gazes, shrugged with a casual air.
“That would be the most crucial secret that determines victory or defeat—how would I know that? I’m sure only George Hamilton himself and a few of his closest confidants know the exact amount.”
“I suppose that’s how it would be.”
Andrew, who had asked on the chance there might be separate information, wore a slightly disappointed expression.
Tyler also seemed to deflate after his quiet anticipation.
“But I can make an educated guess.”
“An educated guess?”
“The boss mentioned that George Hamilton and the hedge funds have pooled together at least five billion dollars—probably more—to dump into the market today.”
“Good heavens!”
“They’ve assembled that much capital.”
Andrew and Tyler’s eyes widened at the staggering sum, and they let out brief exclamations of astonishment.
Soon after, they nodded their heads in understanding.
“To force the Bank of Japan itself to surrender, you’d need to drop a bomb of that magnitude on Tokyo.”
Tyler shook his head in agreement as well.
“And when you add in the capital from players like us who are watching and waiting before joining the attack, the Bank of Japan and the government are going to have a truly nightmarish day.”
“The more cornered the Bank of Japan becomes, the more profit we rake in. Nothing wrong with that, right?”
Landon Shore flashed a grin as if playing the villain.
“Now that you mention it, when the yen collapsed after the great earthquake, the boss quickly sold off his short positions and switched to longs. I didn’t understand it at the time, but looking back now, the timing was absolutely brilliant.”
Tyler marveled at this, his hands clasped behind his head.
“I didn’t expect to make profits on this scale myself.”
Landon Shore echoed Andrew’s sentiment.
“If I’d said the yen would spike to the 80s per dollar back then, they’d have called me insane.”
“They would have.”
“Who could have predicted things would turn out like this?”
The other two nodded simultaneously in thought.
Our boss truly is extraordinary.
He alone foresaw what no one else could imagine and hit the jackpot.
At first, everyone called it luck, but as the same pattern repeated again and again, no one dared speak of fortune anymore.
Everyone acknowledged Seok-won’s ability.
‘And I’m fortunate to work under such a boss.’
Andrew genuinely believed that.
Just then, one of the team members sitting at a computer turned around and shouted urgently.
“The exchange rate that dropped below 83 yen has recovered!”
Andrew’s eyes gleamed as he approached the team member’s desk and checked the monitor.
“It looks like the Bank of Japan has finally noticed the situation and is taking action.”
“I thought it would take a bit longer, but they caught on faster than expected.”
As Landon Shore muttered, Tyler immediately responded.
“They’re in a battle with the hedge funds, so they’re monitoring the foreign exchange market 24 hours a day. It’s not particularly fast that they’re only moving now.”
“Fair point.”
While the two exchanged words, Andrew stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment, then his eyes flashed with determination as he issued an order.
“Alright, let’s put in 30 million dollars and buy yen.”
“Isn’t that jumping in too early? We’re just getting started.”
At Landon Shore’s words, Andrew smirked, pulling one corner of his mouth upward.
“That’s exactly why we’re just throwing a light jab to show we’re here.”
“Well, trading isn’t my specialty anyway, so you handle it as you see fit.”
Andrew gave a light wink of gratitude and issued another instruction to his subordinates.
“Split it into 10 million dollars each and buy in three tranches.”
“Understood.”
Tyler, who answered with vigor, began purchasing yen alongside the team members who had already finished their preparations.
* * *
Chuo Ward, Nihonbashi Hongokocho, Tokyo.
A luxury Toyota sedan pulled up sharply in front of the aging Bank of Japan Headquarters building, where spring rain had been falling in a fine drizzle since dawn.
Kajiwara Yuki, Governor of the Bank of Japan, emerged from the rear door and rushed into the building, drenched by the rain before his attendant could even shield him with an umbrella.
His face was rigid with urgency, and he hadn’t even bothered to tie his necktie.
His footsteps echoing through the empty corridor, Governor Kajiwara walked briskly alongside his attendant before pushing directly into the International Department office.
Beneath the bright fluorescent lights, the shrill ringing of telephones and frantic shouts from all directions assaulted his ears.
Unlike the early morning hour when most staff hadn’t yet arrived, the International Department office was thick with tension.
Having received emergency notifications, every single employee had reported in without exception, their eyes fixed on computer monitors while they juggled phone receivers in their other hands, movements frantic and disorganized.
The moment Governor Kajiwara entered the office, his gaze immediately fixed on the large electronic display board mounted on the opposite wall.
[USD/JPY : 82.99]
“…!”
Upon seeing the dollar-yen exchange rate displayed on the board, Governor Kajiwara’s breath caught in his throat and his face drained of color.
The 83-yen level that had been maintained with such difficulty until the weekend had shattered—the shock was indescribable.
“What on earth….”
Despair and fury tangled together, leaving my mind numb.
Seeing that Governor Kajiwara had arrived, Director Matsuyama Nao quickly stepped forward and bowed.
“You’re here.”
The gaunt Director Matsuyama had grown visibly thinner over the past month of fighting the hedge funds, his already sharp features becoming increasingly strained and irritable.
“What were you all doing while the exchange rate fell like that!”
Fury surging to the crown of his head at the fact that the 83-yen level had broken, Governor Kajiwara bellowed with a menacing expression.
At the sound of his voice ringing throughout the entire office, the staff momentarily froze, their faces flushing red as they stared at the enraged Governor Kajiwara.
“We were… caught completely off guard by an unexpected surprise attack from the hedge funds through the Sydney Foreign Exchange Market.”
Director Matsuyama, his head bowed, attempted to respond, but to Governor Kajiwara’s ears, it sounded like nothing but an excuse.
“Isn’t anticipating such things and preparing in advance precisely your responsibility!”
Governor Kajiwara pressed sharply.
Director Matsuyama, about to protest again, swallowed his words upon seeing Governor Kajiwara’s savagely twisted expression.
‘There’s no point bringing it up—I won’t hear anything good from this.’
Instead, Matsuyama Nao bowed deeply, his head trembling.
“I apologize.”
“How pathetic!”
At the sound of Kajiwara Yuki’s disapproving click of his tongue, Matsuyama Nao’s face flushed crimson as he remained bowed.
Being reprimanded in front of all his subordinates was nothing short of humiliating.
But Kajiwara Yuki paid no attention to such matters and called out to Yamada Shinnosuke, who was still frantically defending the exchange rate.
“Yamada!”
“Yes, sir!”
Yamada Shinnosuke, who had just hung up the phone with a foreign exchange dealer in Sydney, approached immediately.
Having not left the office for over a week, Yamada Shinnosuke’s face was covered with stubble—he hadn’t had time to shave.
With only three or four hours of sleep a day, his eyes were bloodshot and exhaustion was etched across his features.
In this critical, time-sensitive situation, Yamada Shinnosuke felt frustration welling up at Kajiwara Yuki’s interference rather than assistance.
But since his superiors had done this more than once, Yamada Shinnosuke managed his expression carefully and responded.
“You called for me, sir.”
“Explain the current situation.”
Yamada Shinnosuke held back a sigh and explained briefly.
“During the weekend, when vigilance loosened slightly, the hedge funds led by George Hamilton seized the opportunity and placed massive buy orders through the Sydney Foreign Exchange Market, which had received relatively less attention, driving up the yen.”
“Such underhanded tactics—despicable bastards.”
Though they were engaged in a high-stakes battle with enormous sums at stake, Yamada Shinnosuke couldn’t understand why striking at the opponent’s weak point was considered dishonorable, but he kept such thoughts to himself.
“Then why aren’t we responding immediately?”
“….”
Could this man not see his staff working frantically at this very moment to prevent the yen from rising?
Yamada Shinnosuke felt exasperated and angry, barely suppressing a curse that threatened to escape his lips.
“We’re doing everything we can to hold them back, but the opposition’s momentum is too strong.”
Kajiwara Yuki then furrowed his brows and responded irritably.
“How much are you buying that you’re saying such things?”
“The orders we’ve placed so far have already exceeded 300 million dollars.”
“…!”
The figure far exceeded expectations, and Kajiwara Yuki’s expression shifted to one of visible shock.
“You’ve placed that many buy orders?”
“Yes.”
Yamada Shinnosuke, his expression grave, continued in a heavy, measured tone.
“Something about this doesn’t feel right.”
“What do you mean? Explain it so I can understand!”
Kajiwara Yuki, realizing only now how serious the situation had become, pressed him with a hardened face.
“It appears they intend to launch a full-scale assault today, just as they did with the Bank of England, to force us to surrender.”
“You’re saying they’ll wage an all-out war?”
“That’s correct.”
Yamada Shinnosuke nodded.
“These… damned Americans!”
Kajiwara Yuki bit down hard on his lower lip, his body trembling with rage.
“Given how much capital they’re pouring in during this preliminary skirmish, when the real game—the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market—opens, they could inject tens of billions in funds.”
“Tens of billions?”
All color drained from Kajiwara Yuki’s face as he swallowed hard.
“If that happens….”
“The 80-yen line might collapse today.”
Yamada Shinnosuke answered with a dark expression.
Though he swallowed the next words, what would unfold afterward was easy enough to imagine.
If the 80-yen line—the last bastion everyone, including the Bank of Japan, considered sacred—collapsed, the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market would inevitably plunge into panic and terror.
If fear spread unchecked and everyone rushed to buy yen, the foreign exchange market would rapidly spiral into a state of complete chaos.
At the mere thought of such a catastrophic scenario, Kajiwara Yuki’s face went ashen as he cried out.
“Absolutely not! We must defend the 80 yen level by any means necessary—even if it means drawing down our foreign exchange reserves further!”
“I will do my utmost.”
He gave the answer, but no one could guarantee it would actually be possible.
Kajiwara Yuki turned to Matsuyama Nao, who stood beside him, and spoke.
“I’m going to the Prime Minister’s Official Residence to meet with the Prime Minister. If anything urgent comes up, report it to me immediately!”
“Understood.”
Kajiwara Yuki turned and hurried out of the office with his attendants.
Watching Kajiwara Yuki’s retreating figure—as if fire were at his heels—Yamada Shinnosuke exhaled a quiet sigh.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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