Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 143

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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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143. I’m sure you’ll handle things appropriately, but do be careful with what you say.

The next morning.
Jo Chul-rae arrived at the office as usual, but his face was haggard—he hadn’t slept all night.
Someone had interfered in the middle of the coordinated transaction and ruined everything, and on top of that, Woo Ho-geun had given me unreasonable orders. It was understandable.
No matter how much I thought about it, what happened was utterly absurd, but there was no point in regretting the past now.

“I was far too careless.”

Woo Ho-geun’s words—that he wouldn’t tolerate a second mistake—kept circling through my mind.
Jo Chul-rae took a deep breath while seated at his desk, then exhaled slowly to steady himself.
He powered on his computer, entered his personal password, and accessed the trading program. First, he tried to pull up the Boseong Communications stock chart to check what the pre-opening bid price was.

“Huh?”

But instead of the simultaneous bid price appearing, all he saw was a trading halt indicator.

“Trading halt? What is this!”

The moment Jo Chul-rae cried out in shock, a commotion erupted from outside.
The murmuring grew louder, and suddenly a group of men in black suits burst into the office without warning.

“We’re from the Securities Supervisory Board!”

Choi Bok-rak, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, pulled out his credentials and held them up high as he shouted.

“Everyone, stop what you’re doing and stand up from your desks!”

Son O-seung, who had come out hearing the commotion, spoke with a startled expression.

“What is the Securities Supervisory Board doing here?”
“We’ve come to conduct a search and seizure due to suspected violations of the Real-Name Financial Transaction Act and stock price manipulation. We ask for your cooperation.”

The employees stirred greatly at the mention of a search and seizure.
In particular, Son O-seung couldn’t hide his bewilderment as he watched Choi Bok-rak produce the search warrant.

“This… what is…”

Choi Bok-rak, scanning Son O-seung from head to toe, asked coldly.

“You are Son O-seung, aren’t you?”
“Y-yes, that’s correct, but…”

Son O-seung, seized by an ominous premonition, answered hesitantly.
Choi Bok-rak’s lips curled into a bitter smile at the sight.

“How fortunate. You’ll need to come with us.”

Son O-seung recoiled in alarm, his voice rising in protest.

“What do you mean, taking me away!”
“You know better than anyone what this is about.”
“…!”

As Son O-seung’s face drained of color, Choi Bok-rak’s suspicions crystallized into certainty.

“Why are you wasting time? Take him now.”
“Yes, sir.”

The Special Judicial Police officers who had accompanied him responded curtly and stepped forward, seizing Son O-seung by both arms.

“You can’t just arrest an innocent citizen like this!”

As Son O-seung thrashed and resisted fiercely, Choi Bok-rak laughed coldly and withdrew something from his inner pocket, unfolding it before his face.

“This is an emergency arrest warrant.”
“This can’t be happening…”
“If you continue to be uncooperative, we’ll have no choice but to use force. I suggest you come quietly.”
“….”

Upon seeing the arrest warrant, Son O-seung’s resistance crumbled, and he shook his head weakly in resignation.
Choi Bok-rak regarded his sudden collapse with cold eyes as he tucked the warrant back into his pocket.

“Take him away.”
“Yes, sir!”

The Special Judicial Police officers, having received their orders, gripped Son O-seung firmly on both sides and escorted him outside.

“The, the manager…”
“Good heavens.”
“What on earth is happening….”
“What’s going to happen to us? A sudden search warrant?”

All the employees who witnessed this scene stirred with agitation, murmuring in unison.
They were bewildered and frightened, unable to understand why the Securities Supervisory Board had descended upon them so abruptly.
Amid the chaos, Choi Bok-rak glanced swiftly around the office where the search was underway.

“Who is Jo Chul-rae?”

As I opened my mouth to ask, the Securities Company employees exchanged nervous glances and surreptitiously looked toward one side.
Following their gaze, Choi Bok-rak turned and spotted Jo Chul-rae standing with the other employees, having risen from his desk.
Startled at the sound of his name, he trembled violently, and as Choi Bok-rak drew near, cold sweat beaded on his forehead—terror gripping him entirely.

“You are Jo Chul-rae, correct?”
“…Yes.”

Jo Chul-rae answered with a pallid, drained expression.

“You’ll need to come with us as well. I’m sure you understand the reasons better than anyone, so there’s no need for explanations.”

At the cold words, Jo Chul-rae’s face went blank in an instant.
The moment he realized everything had been exposed, his legs gave way beneath him and he collapsed where he stood.

* * *

Bzzzz. Bzzzz.

Woo Ho-geun, sprawled across the hotel bed, opened his eyes with a frown at the persistent vibration of his phone.
This was the morning after he’d met a model Jeon Geon-woo had introduced him to at the villa, gotten thoroughly drunk, and spent the night at the hotel.

“Mmm.”

The woman lying beside him, her pale skin exposed, stirred in her sleep and pulled the sheets toward herself.

“Oppa, your phone….”
“I’m awake now, so just go back to sleep.”

Woo Ho-geun sat up bare-chested, wearing only his underwear, and reached for his phone resting on the nightstand.

“Hello.”

The moment he answered with an irritated expression, Oh Sang-hyun’s urgent voice came through the receiver.

[Director, where are you?]

Woo Ho-geun leaned against the headboard and took a sip from the half-empty water bottle beside him before responding.

“I’m out. What’s wrong?”
[You need to come to the office right now.]

Sensing something was amiss, Woo Ho-geun’s brow furrowed sharply.

“What happened?”
[About thirty minutes ago, Special Judicial Police from the Securities Supervisory Board raided Donghae Peregrine Securities. They’re conducting a search and seizure as we speak.]
“What?!”

At this bombshell news, Woo Ho-geun’s eyebrows shot up and he raised his voice sharply.

[Given that Boseong Communications has been suspended from trading and both Manager Son O-seung and Deputy Manager Jo Chul-rae have been taken away… it appears our operation has been exposed.]
“Damn it!”

I’d had a bad feeling ever since yesterday’s incident, and now everything had come crashing down.
Gripping the phone tighter, Woo Ho-geun pressed urgently.

“How much have they found out?”
[We’re still investigating that. However, given that they specifically targeted those two and took them immediately, there’s a strong possibility they know a considerable amount.]
“Hell!”

Woo Ho-geun spat out a harsh curse.

“I’m heading there right now. In the meantime, reach out to whoever you can and find out exactly what’s happening!”
[Understood.]

His face contorted with rage, Woo Ho-geun ended the call and unleashed a barrage of curses.

“I knew something felt off, damn it!”

Woo Ho-geun bolted upright from the bed and scrambled to find his trousers, carelessly discarded on the hotel room sofa, then pulled them on.
As he was slipping on his shirt and fastening the buttons, the woman who had just awakened wrapped herself in the bedsheet and asked.

“Where are you going?”

Woo Ho-geun cast an irritated glance at the woman before turning his attention back to the cuffs of his sleeves.

“Something’s come up. I need to leave.”
“But you promised we’d go to the department store today and buy me a birthday gift. You’re just going to leave like this?”
“Listen! I just told you something urgent came up!”

Woo Ho-geun snapped at her, venting his frustration.
His mind was already churning with complications, and having this trivial woman whining beside him only made his irritation spike sharply.

“But I wasn’t….”

The woman trailed off, sensing his mood.
Annoyed by her hesitation, Woo Ho-geun grabbed his jacket and pulled four million-won checks from his wallet, tossing them onto the bed.

“Take this and buy yourself a bag or clothes. Don’t contact me again.”
“Wait! That’s not what I——”

The woman lunged forward in alarm as the checks scattered across the sheets.
But Woo Ho-geun, having finished dressing, turned away without another word and left the room.

* * *

Seok-won stood before the expansive floor-to-ceiling window in a crisp white dress shirt and refined striped tie, arms folded across his chest.
His gaze was fixed on the headquarters of Donghae Peregrine Securities in the building across the way.
Journalists who had rushed over upon hearing the news crowded the scene, while Securities Supervisory Board officials in black suits endured the relentless barrage of camera flashes as they methodically carried out large boxes of seized materials and loaded them into the waiting vans.
Customers and passersby, startled by the sudden raid, gathered in small clusters nearby, whispering as they watched the spectacle unfold.

“With the operation falling apart, all the money we put into Boseong Communications is as good as lost.”

Thinking of Woo Ho-geun, who by now must have received word and was seething with rage, an involuntary smile played across his lips.
Just then, there came a knock, and Na Seong-mi entered, dressed in a navy blue one-piece suit.

“Choi Ho-geun is here.”
“Send him in.”
“Yes.”

Shortly after, Choi Ho-geun arrived with Jung Hwan-yeop, guided by Na Seong-mi into the office.

“Please, have a seat over there.”
“Thank you.”

As the two men settled side by side on the left sofa, I naturally crossed one leg and took the seat of honor in the center.

“You handled that job exceptionally well.”
“Ha, that was child’s play. It’s been a while since I got to flex my skills like that.”

At that, Choi Ho-geun, sitting beside him, gave Jung Hwan-yeop a sharp jab to the ribs with his elbow as if to tell him to hold his tongue.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned to me and replied.

“I’m glad it met your expectations.”

Watching Choi Ho-geun with his lips sealed and Jung Hwan-yeop rubbing his side with one hand—apparently it had hurt quite a bit—I felt laughter bubbling up inside me.
Every time I saw them, they bickered endlessly, yet they were a perfectly matched pair.
Suppressing my amusement, I asked Choi Ho-geun a question.

“You said you sold at 27,000 won per share?”
“That’s correct.”
“So you made more than double your investment.”

At that, Jung Hwan-yeop interjected quickly.

“If we’d held on longer, we could’ve easily made three times that. It’s a shame we didn’t.”

Watching him smack his lips with regret, I shook my head.

“If we’d made too much profit, we might have ended up under investigation by the Securities Supervisory Board. This timing is perfect.”
“Ah, I see.”

Jung Hwan-yeop quickly nodded in agreement, then seemed to think of something else and cautiously asked.

“As soon as we finished liquidating our entire position, the Securities Supervisory Board investigation came knocking, as if they’d been waiting. Did you plan this as well, sir?”
“Jung Deputy Manager!”

Choi Ho-geun, the team leader, startled and glared at him.

“Why are you spouting such unnecessary nonsense today?”
“Ah, my apologies.”

Jung Hwan-yeop immediately bowed his head, realizing his curiosity had gotten the better of him.
Watching this, I leaned back against the sofa and spoke in a slightly subdued voice.

“You know the saying that loose words invite trouble. I don’t think it will happen, but absolutely do not mention anything related to this matter outside of here.”

I issued the warning with a serious expression.
Since I had always been a kind superior to my subordinates, my stern demeanor carried particular weight.
Jung Hwan-yeop immediately straightened his posture and responded.

“Yes, sir.”

Knowing that despite his usually carefree manner, he was reliable when it mattered, I nodded slightly and changed the subject.

“Once the transaction funds are deposited, withdraw everything in cash and dispose of all the shell accounts we used.”
“Understood.”

Choi Ho-geun replied.
I then picked up the black hard case I’d left beneath the sofa and placed it on the table.

“Open it.”

When Choi Ho-geun unlocked it and opened the case, it was packed full of bundles of one-million-won notes.
As both men’s eyes widened in shock, I spoke matter-of-factly.

“This is a bonus for handling this matter well.”
“…!”
“It’s two hundred million won. Split it evenly—one hundred million each.”

Choi Ho-geun closed the case with trembling hands and bowed deeply.

“Thank you.”
“I’ll put it to good use, sir.”

Jung Hwan-yeop Deputy Manager, by contrast, wore an expression of unbridled delight.
Seok-won chuckled softly at their starkly contrasting reactions and offered a light word of caution.

“I’m sure you’ll all handle this well, but do keep your lips sealed.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Rest assured. What happened today dies with us.”

While Choi Ho-geun Team Leader responded with solemn resolve, Jung Hwan-yeop Deputy Manager simply couldn’t contain his glee at receiving such an unexpected windfall, his laughter bubbling up repeatedly.
Seok-won nodded and made a light dismissive gesture with his hand.

“Then let’s call it a day.”
“Yes, sir.”

The two men answered in unison, gathered the money bag, and rose from the sofa.

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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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