Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 163

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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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163. Are you interested in the exclusive rights we possess?

Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
Among the towering skyscrapers that lined the northern shore of Hong Kong Island along the coast, one particular structure stood out prominently—Central Plaza.
With its impressive spire piercing the sky, Central Plaza rose as a 78-story supertall building reaching a total height of 373.9 meters, earning its reputation as Asia’s tallest skyscraper at that time.
Its exterior, adorned with hundreds of tons of granite and reinforced glass in various hues, captivated onlookers even during daylight hours, but its true magnificence revealed itself at night.
The brilliant nocturnal spectacle created by over a thousand neon lights installed on the outer walls during darkness was so breathtaking that it drew involuntary gasps of admiration from all who beheld it.
On the 43rd floor of this building, the Donghae Group’s Hong Kong branch was situated.

“Please come in.”

At the words of the local Hong Kong female secretary in English, Oh Sang-hyun rose from the sofa, adjusted his attire, and entered the inner office.
Beyond the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows lay a spacious private office overlooking an unobstructed expanse of brilliant blue sea.
White yachts drifted across the water, and the light reflected from the waves shimmered with dazzling brilliance.
Woo Ho-geun sat before an elegant desk, wearing a blue designer-branded necktie, and looked up.

“I hope you’ve been well, sir.”

Oh Sang-hyun bowed respectfully in greeting.

“How could I be well when I’m essentially in exile?”

At the sarcastic tone, Oh Sang-hyun found himself at a loss for words, his expression turning awkward.

“Have a seat over there.”
“Yes, sir.”

As Woo Ho-geun rose and gestured with his chin toward the sofa on one side of the office, Oh Sang-hyun quickly nodded and moved to the left sofa to sit.
Coming around the desk, Woo Ho-geun settled into the center seat, pulled out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips.
Oh Sang-hyun promptly lit his lighter and held the flame to it.
Without a word of thanks, Woo Ho-geun accepted the service as though it were his due, leaning back in his chair as he exhaled white smoke and regarded Oh Sang-hyun.

“You said the Boseong Communications matter was roughly wrapped up.”
“Yes, sir.”

Oh Sang-hyun leaned forward and explained the progress in detail.

“Regardless of the company, Director Son O-seung and Manager Jo Chul-rae were arrested for getting greedy, attempting to manipulate stock prices by dipping into customer funds.”
“No matter how good a lawyer you hire, it’s hard to avoid prison time for a case the Securities Supervisory Authority made such a fuss about with a raid, yet somehow they’ve kept their mouths shut.”
“Former Chief Secretary Jeon Hae-cheol stepped in personally and pulled some strings, I hear.”

Recalling the face of Jeon Hae-cheol, the Chief Secretary and closest confidant of his father Chairman Woo Yong-gap, Woo Ho-geun let out a dry chuckle.

“He’s a bit annoying with all his nagging, but I’ll give it to him—Chief Secretary Jeon knows how to get things done.”

Then he turned his gaze back to Manager Oh Sang-hyun.

“So now that everything’s settled, I can go back, right?”
“Well… that is…”

As Manager Oh Sang-hyun hesitated with an awkward expression, Woo Ho-geun’s brow furrowed as if he’d expected as much.

“I figured. Father must have told you to keep me locked up here until he comes to his senses.”
“The incident happened not long ago, and the trial hasn’t completely concluded yet, so he’s being cautious. And since you’ve already left Korea for broader horizons, I believe he also wants you to see and learn much from Hong Kong, an international financial center, before returning.”

Manager Oh Sang-hyun tried his best to soothe me, but I wasn’t the type to fall for honeyed words.

“I know my father better than anyone, so there’s no need to dress it up.”

Seeing him close his mouth while reading the room, Woo Ho-geun clicked his tongue.

“Anyway, what about what I asked you to look into?”

Then Manager Oh Sang-hyun answered carefully.

“The massive sell orders placed the day before the raid came from Daehung Securities.”
“…!”

At the unexpected revelation, Woo Ho-geun’s thick brows twitched.

“So you’re saying the sell orders that made me lose out came from Daehung Securities?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”

Manager Oh Sang-hyun nodded slightly and added to his statement.

“The selling was split across multiple accounts, but given that the orders came in simultaneously, it’s clear that regardless of who it is, a single person orchestrated this.”
“It has to be. There’s no other way it could have happened.”

Woo Ho-geun’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint as he ground his teeth.
In those first weeks after fleeing to Hong Kong, I had drowned my frustrations in alcohol.
But that was only temporary.
It wasn’t long before I realized I couldn’t simply collapse like this, so I pulled myself together and regained my composure.
After that, I began methodically retracing my steps, trying to pinpoint exactly where my supposedly flawless plan had gone wrong.
As I did, one particular incident kept nagging at me—when someone had inserted themselves into the middle of a collusive transaction and absorbed a massive volume of shares right after I’d finished the retail investor squeeze and was about to drive the stock price back up.
Moreover, the fact that the Securities Supervisory Authority had conducted a raid and seizure the very next day seemed far too coincidental to dismiss as mere chance.
Unable to shake the uneasy feeling, I had contacted Oh Sang-hyun back in Korea and instructed him to investigate who was behind that massive sell-off.
What emerged was completely unexpected—Daehung Securities.
Suddenly, the irritating face of Seok-won flashed through my mind.

‘Surely that bastard didn’t orchestrate this.’

While it was true that we weren’t on good terms, even I had to admit the suspicion was too far-fetched.
It would be difficult for him to even detect that I was manipulating the stock price, and even if he had somehow noticed, there was no reason for him to risk involving the Securities Supervisory Authority just to inconvenience me.

‘One wrong move and the two groups could become complete enemies. There’s no way he’d take such a risk just to make me lose face.’

Though my mind insisted it couldn’t be him, I couldn’t shake the nagging unease.
As I touched my chin with one hand, wearing an uncomfortable expression, Oh Sang-hyun cautiously asked.

“What’s the matter?”

I straightened my upper body and stubbed out the half-burned cigarette in the crystal ashtray before speaking.

“Dig deeper into who used Daehung Securities to dump that volume on us.”
“You don’t think they reported us to the Securities Supervisory Authority, do you?”

Oh Sang-hyun’s face hardened immediately as he asked.

“If that’s not it, then the timing fits too perfectly.”

I answered in a coldly measured voice.
In contrast, Oh Sang-hyun, who possessed a more cautious temperament, fell silent in thought for a moment before showing a slightly skeptical reaction.

“But there’s nothing for them to gain from doing that, is there?”
“That’s what puzzles me too. That’s why I need to find out what their real objective is.”

I suspected as much, but I’d already learned from experience that saying more would only invite harsh words.

“…Understood.”
“And dig into the people around whoever led the investigation at the Securities Supervisory Authority. There’s definitely something to find there.”
“Yes.”

Woo Ho-geun leaned back in his chair, his fierce gaze fixed forward as he ground his teeth.

“Whoever touched me will regret it.”

* * *

A heavily tinted BMW sedan glided smoothly to a halt before the entrance of the Walkerhill Hotel, perched on a hill overlooking the Han River.
As Seok-won stepped out from the driver’s seat in a perfectly tailored suit and sunglasses, a uniformed doorman quickly approached, grasping the car door and offering a slight bow.

“Welcome.”

Seok-won nodded in acknowledgment and handed over the car keys along with a ten-thousand-won note, which the doorman accepted with utmost courtesy.
Having entrusted the car, Seok-won walked through the revolving doors with practiced ease and entered the hotel building.
Crossing the lobby, elegantly appointed with natural marble flooring and a magnificent crystal chandelier, Seok-won took the elevator straight up to the Japanese restaurant on the upper floors.
As he passed through a dimly lit corridor and approached the restaurant entrance, a Female Server with neatly tied hair stood at the desk and offered a warm smile.

“Welcome. Will you be dining with others?”
“I should have a reservation under the name Landon Shore.”
“Ah, you’re one of our private room guests. Please follow me.”

The courteous Female Server guided him to a private room deeper within the establishment.

“Your party has arrived.”

The Female Server gave a light knock, slid open the brown wooden door, and stepped aside.
Seok-won strode in, and through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows of the private room, the panoramic view of the Han River was breathtaking—and there sat Landon Shore, already waiting at the table.
Across from the table sat two Oriental men: Jo Jung-gwang, the SoftBank president who had traveled to Korea to meet me, and Executive Director Yokouchi Tsuyoshi.

“You’ve arrived.”

Landon rose from his seat with a broad smile and addressed his companions in English.

“Allow me to introduce you. This is the representative of our Eldorado Fund.”

The two men turned to look at me with expressions of mild surprise.
George Hamilton’s testimony at the public hearing had become a major issue, making Eldorado Fund the hottest name on Wall Street in recent weeks.
To learn that someone so young was the representative of Eldorado Fund—the fund that had generated enormous profits from the yen attack—was genuinely shocking.
Yet Jo Jung-gwang, a self-made businessman who had risen from nothing despite facing discrimination as a Korean-Japanese resident in Japan and enduring countless hardships, quickly regained his composure.
Concealing his initial surprise, Jo Jung-gwang smoothly delivered the Korean greeting he had practiced beforehand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jo Jung-gwang.”

Though he had made considerable effort, the accent was unmistakably awkward.
I grasped the hand Jo Jung-gwang extended and replied in fluent English.

“Park Seok-won. Please, let’s speak English—it’ll be more comfortable.”
“Is that alright?”
“Of course.”

Jo Jung-gwang’s face brightened slightly as he gestured toward his companion with one hand.

“This is Yokouchi Tsuyoshi, an executive director who works with me.”

The executive director in the gray suit then spoke, his manner almost excessively formal, his English carrying the distinctive accent of a native Japanese speaker.

“I am Yokouchi Tsuyoshi.”

I accepted the gilt-edged business cards from Jo Jung-gwang and Yokouchi Tsuyoshi, then retrieved my own from my wallet and handed them over.
My card was simple—just my name in English and Korean, along with my mobile number.

“Your English is remarkably fluent.”

As Jo Jung-gwang offered the compliment, I smiled faintly and responded.

“I studied abroad in the United States as well, just like you, President Jo.”
“Ah, that explains it.”

As Jo Jung-gwang nodded in understanding, Landon interjected with a comment.

“Now that we’ve all exchanged greetings, shall we sit down and continue our discussion?”
“Of course.”
“Then shall we order some food?”

The four men took their seats around the spacious dining table, facing one another.
A Female Server who had been waiting by the door approached and placed a menu in front of each guest before asking her question.

“Are you ready to order?”

Seok-won didn’t bother opening his menu, regarding the server with the ease of familiarity as he spoke.

“The chef’s tasting course here is quite excellent.”
“Ah, then let’s go with that.”

The remaining two men agreed to follow Seok-won’s recommendation.

“Four chef’s tasting courses, please.”
“Yes, understood.”

The Female Server gathered the menus and closed the door as she left.
With only the four of them remaining in the private dining room, Seok-won moistened his throat with warm green tea before speaking.
He then fixed his gaze directly on Jo Jung-gwang across from him and opened his mouth to speak.

“I understand you’re interested in the exclusive Yahoo portal service rights we hold across Asia, including Japan.”

Jo Jung-gwang, who had appeared slightly taken aback by Seok-won’s direct approach without any preliminary discussion, quickly composed himself and nodded.

“That’s correct. We would like to acquire the exclusive rights you possess.”

Seok-won, still wearing a faint smile, raised his eyebrows and asked.

“How much have you researched as your valuation?”

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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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