Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 144

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

144. The beer tastes even better today, for some reason.

“What on earth is going on?”

Woo Yong-gap, seated in the place of honor, glared at Jeon Hae-cheol, the Chief Secretary sitting on the left sofa, his face twisted with irritation as he pressed for answers.

“There’s a company called Boseong Communications whose stock price has surged recently. It appears that several executives at a securities firm used nominee accounts to manipulate the stock price.”
“These damned fools. As if we didn’t have enough trouble lying low because of the presidential slush fund scandal, and now they pull this stunt!”

Woo Yong-gap’s voice rang out through the room, his fury unmistakable.

“Given that the Securities Supervisory Board immediately halted trading and conducted a surprise raid, it appears they’ve already secured substantial evidence.”
“If they make all that fuss and come up empty-handed, they’ll be in trouble themselves. That’s how it works.”

Woo Yong-gap leaned back and spoke coldly.

“Before this spirals out of control, fire everyone involved and wrap up the case as nothing more than individual employee misconduct unrelated to the company.”

Jeon Hae-cheol hesitated before responding, gauging the atmosphere carefully before speaking with caution.

“There’s… one problem with that.”
“A problem?”

Woo Yong-gap raised his eyebrows and fixed his gaze on Jeon Hae-cheol.

“It appears that Director Woo is involved in this matter as well.”
“…!”

Woo Yong-gap’s eyes widened as he demanded an answer in an angry voice.

“Director Woo—you mean the big one?”
“Yes, sir.”
“This rotten bastard!”

Upon hearing the confirmation, Woo Yong-gap slammed his palm against the sofa’s armrest, his face contorting with rage.

“Are you certain the big shot is involved?”
“I heard this from a high-ranking official at the Securities Supervisory Board, so it’s not entirely baseless information.”
“That damned bastard.”

Chief Secretary Jeon Hae-cheol continued speaking as he watched Chairman Woo Yong-gap’s face flush red and pale alternately.

“As long as this fact hasn’t reached the media, if it becomes known that Director Woo orchestrated the stock price manipulation, it could complicate matters significantly.”

Stock price manipulation involving a third-generation chaebol heir—it was precisely the kind of incident that would captivate public curiosity and draw attention.
Not only would it tarnish the Park Group’s image, but Chairman Woo Yong-gap himself would face humiliation like never before.
When he thought of how the other group chairmen belonging to the Federation of Korean Industries would snicker behind his back and mock him, Chairman Woo Yong-gap’s blood pressure rose even further.

“Ugh.”

As Chairman Woo Yong-gap’s elevated blood pressure caused him to grip the back of his neck and furrow his brow, Chief Secretary Jeon Hae-cheol jumped up in alarm.

“Chairman! Are you alright?”

Chief Secretary Jeon Hae-cheol rushed over to his side, his face filled with concern as he examined the chairman’s complexion.

“Damn it. Huff, huff….”

Chairman Woo Yong-gap leaned his body against the sofa’s backrest and breathed heavily, struggling to steady his breathing.

“Sigh… it’s fine. My blood pressure just spiked for a moment.”
“I’ll have Dr. Choi brought over immediately.”
“There’s no need for such fuss. It’s not that serious.”

Chairman Woo Yong-gap contorted his face and cut off the conversation dismissively.

“Rather, bring that bastard here at once!”
“Yes, understood.”

At this rate, Chairman Woo Yong-gap looked as though he might collapse before even seeing his son’s face.
Chief Secretary Jeon Hae-cheol gazed at him with concern before stepping outside.
Left alone, Chairman Woo Yong-gap brought his fist down hard on the sofa’s armrest with a sharp crack.

“I thought things had been quiet for a while, and now he pulls this stunt?”

He exuded a fierce aura from every fiber of his being, his teeth grinding involuntarily.

* * *

The shower spray cascaded down with a refreshing rush.

The cool stream of water from the showerhead cascaded down, drenching Seok-won’s sculpted shoulders and chest before flowing downward.
Thanks to consistent training, his sharply defined abdominal muscles achieved a perfect balance, as if meticulously carved by a master sculptor’s chisel.
His high nose and pronounced jawline added masculine allure, and his silhouette reflected on the transparent glass wall as the water streamed down resembled an exquisite sculpture crafted by a master artist.
After turning off the shower, Seok-won stepped out of the booth and dried his wet body with a towel.
Standing before the mirror, he dried his hair briefly with a blow dryer, then applied men’s skin lotion, and his face returned to its usual immaculate appearance.
After changing into comfortable clothes and leaving the bathroom, Seok-won opened a mini refrigerator in the corner and pulled out a can of beer.
As he popped the top and took a long sip, a refreshing coolness flowed down his throat, and the fatigue of the day seemed to vanish completely.

“Ah, there’s nothing quite like a beer after a shower.”

Seok-won hummed a tune, holding the beer can in one hand as he gazed at the left wall.
There hung two works side by side: Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn and a painting of a Coca-Cola bottle.
When he had traveled to Europe to acquire MP3 patent rights, he had stopped by Switzerland and met the owner of the two works that were being exhibited in Korea, purchasing them for forty-one million dollars.

“It feels like a dream to have originals, not reproductions, hanging in my room.”

The works held special significance because he had loved them even before his regression to the past.
In particular, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn was especially meaningful among Andy Warhol’s works, which had somewhat diminished rarity due to multiple prints being made using silkscreen, a printmaking technique—this piece was truly exceptional.

“In other words, it has history.”

Like its name “shot,” it was one of three works that remained unpenetrated by bullets in an incident where the Marilyn series, printed in five different colors, was stacked and shot with a revolver.
Moreover, Andy Warhol himself had been shot by a revolver and barely survived, which added even more fascinating intrigue to the piece.
When such history and rarity combined, the value of a work increased exponentially.

“Twenty-seven years later, when Shot Sage Blue Marilyn appeared at Christie’s Auction House in Manhattan, New York, it sold for one hundred ninety-five million dollars.”

Considering that, acquiring both works for less than fifty million dollars was truly a bargain.

“Of course, I have no intention of selling them later.”

Seok-won gazed at the painting with satisfaction while sipping his beer.
Though he currently owned only two pieces, he couldn’t help but wonder how wonderful it would be if he could acquire other Andy Warhol works just as easily.
Just as Seok-won was savoring this rare moment of joy, his mobile phone vibrated on the desk.
He picked up the phone with his other hand and answered the call.

“Yes.”
[It’s Landon Shore, boss.]
“I heard you were taking a vacation to Puerto Rico on a yacht you bought with your bonus. What’s going on?”

Having reaped substantial profits from his recent investments, Seok-won had generously distributed bonuses to the hardworking Eldorado Fund staff.
Landon Shore, who had received a staggering ten million dollars alongside Andrew, immediately purchased a magnificent yacht.

[Before I leave, I wanted to call and share some good news.]
“What is it?”
[The securities registration statement we submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission for the IPO passed today.]
“Is that so.”

Seok-won brightened at the news he had been anticipating.

[The offering price has been confirmed at $28 per share, exactly as you desired.]
“Goldman Sachs didn’t disappoint—they delivered real value for their money.”

Landon Shore spoke with a note of concern in his voice.

[While I’m relieved the listing is confirmed, I’m somewhat worried about the arrangement where we take on all the unsubscribed shares from the offering.]
“That won’t happen. There’s no need to worry.”
[I hope you’re right.]
“When is the listing date?”
[It hasn’t been completely finalized yet, but it should be decided within next month.]
“I’m already looking forward to the moment Netscape lists on NASDAQ.”

Not only was this his first venture investment finally bearing fruit, but it was also a historic IPO that would serve as the opening salvo of the dot-com bubble that would sweep global stock markets like a tempest in the years to come, making his anticipation all the greater.
Then, a memory suddenly came to mind, and Seok-won smiled slightly as he spoke.

“You haven’t forgotten that old bet, have you?”
[What bet are you referring to?]
“When we first invested in Netscape, we made a hundred-dollar wager on whether the company’s value could exceed one billion dollars within three years.”

Landon Shore then made a sound of realization.

[Hearing you mention it brings it back to mind. But you still remember that bet?]
“Of course. It was an important wager.”

Seok-won replied with a playful expression, chuckling.

“If it goes public as planned, with the newly issued shares included, the market cap will exceed 1.6 billion dollars. That means I won the bet, right?”
[Strictly speaking, since it hasn’t listed yet, it’s still premature. If the IPO disappoints and falls short of expectations, wouldn’t the whole thing be for nothing?]
“So we wait until the listing day? Well, if that’s what you want.”
[To be honest, even if I lose the bet and have to give you 100 dollars, I’d be happy if the listing succeeds.]

At that, Seok-won spoke with absolute confidence.

“The stock price will skyrocket the moment trading begins, so have a crisp new 100-dollar bill ready on the listing day.”
[Of course. By the way, there’s one more thing I need to report to you.]

Seok-won adjusted his grip on the phone in his hand as he spoke.

“Go ahead.”
[You know how we’ve been selling knock-in knock-out options to Japanese financial institutions and companies?]
“Yes, what about it?”
[Starting last week, several companies have shown interest, and both Itochu and Mitsubishi Corporation have expressed their intention to enter into option contracts with us.]
“Is that really true?”

Seok-won’s eyes widened with interest as he asked.

[It is.]

Itochu and Mitsubishi Corporation were among Japan’s largest general trading companies, known as part of the “Big Five.”

“Since the Cabinet and the Bank of Japan have surrendered to the hedge funds’ assault and lowered interest rates, it looks like the yen will continue to strengthen. They probably want to enter into option contracts to minimize foreign exchange losses.”
[For general trading companies and export firms engaged in foreign exchange transactions, there’s nothing more troublesome than large currency fluctuations, whether up or down.]
“That must be it.”

Indeed, as the yen surged sharply over a short period, export companies like Toyota and Sony were suffering significant damage—their profits were shrinking and their price competitiveness weakening.
The general trading companies were taking losses as well.
Even after the Cabinet and the Bank of Japan, fully aware of this situation, surrendered to the hedge funds and poured tens of billions of dollars into the foreign exchange market, the yen’s strength showed no signs of abating.

“How large are the contracts they’re looking to make?”
[Combined, the two companies are looking at around 300 million dollars.]

Seok-won’s expression fell slightly with disappointment.

“It’s not that large.”

Relative to the prestige of the two companies involved, the scale was modest at best.

[Surely you understand—this being our first contract, we must exercise caution. Depending on circumstances, the amount could increase further, and given the current climate, there’s a strong possibility other companies will sign option contracts as well.]

In situations like this, everyone was watching and waiting; the moment someone took the first step, the rest would inevitably follow.
Seok-won nodded slightly, the phone pressed to his ear.

“You’re right—we can’t expect to be satisfied on the first bite. With so many companies worried about exchange rates, tell them to push the sales more aggressively.”
[Understood.]

Seok-won glanced at the schedule written on his desk calendar, and a subtle smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Since I need to attend the Netscape IPO ceremony, I’ll be able to see you in person next month in the United States.”
[I’ll be waiting.]

After continuing the conversation for some time longer, Seok-won ended the call and set his phone down.
Satisfied that the Netscape IPO and option sales were proceeding smoothly according to plan, he cracked open a second beer can.

“The beer tastes even better today.”

On days like this, alcohol always went down smoothly.
Seok-won held the cold beer in his mouth with that thought.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————