Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 168

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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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168. Park Seok-won? You’re certain?

Midopa Department Store Myeongdong Branch.
As I passed through the revolving doors and stepped into the department store, the distinctive fragrance of cosmetics from the first floor wafted strongly through my nostrils.
Though it was a weekday morning, the interior bustled with a considerable number of customers, and the atmosphere thrummed with vitality.
Centered around the information desk in the main plaza, cosmetics and perfume shops clustered together, while along the walls, luxury brands recognizable by name alone displayed their wares in brilliant arrangements.
Upon spotting the Gucci store confidently claiming its place among them, I made my way directly toward it.
A Female Secretary in a crisp uniform standing at the store entrance greeted me with a professional smile.

“Welcome.”

Typically, one salesperson would accompany each customer, so during busy periods there could be wait times, but since it was a weekday, I was able to enter immediately.

“Is there a particular item you’re looking for?”
“I’m just browsing.”
“I understand. Please feel free to look around, and call me if you need anything.”

The Female Secretary, wearing her name badge, maintained her smile while stepping back a few paces to the side.
One might expect displeasure in such situations, but instead she showed consideration for my comfort, revealing that staff training here was thorough.
Of course, my appearance—designer suits from head to toe and a Rolex on my wrist—likely influenced her demeanor, but regardless, it was a positive interaction.

“Hmm…”

I strolled through the store at a leisurely pace, observing carefully.
Mannequins displayed newly designed clothing for the upcoming autumn season, but what caught my eye were women’s handbags.
Among them, the Bamboo Bag crafted from bamboo and the Jackie Bag shoulder bag—named after Jacqueline, wife of President Kennedy and a fashion icon of her era—were displayed in various colors and styles.
While it was the first brand that came to mind when thinking of Italian luxury goods, its reputation had suffered considerably due to family disputes worthy of melodramatic television and various scandals.

‘Among all these, the Paolo Gucci incident was what dealt the most decisive blow to the brand’s image.’

When one of Guccio Gucci’s grandsons lost the power struggle over management, he retaliated fiercely by creating a brand under his own name, Paolo Gucci, manufacturing and selling clothing, handbags, and accessories at cheap prices.
One couldn’t fault him for running a personal business, but the problem was that he was selling inferior products under the Gucci name, damaging the luxury brand’s image.
Eventually, when Gucci completely expelled him, the resentful Paolo Gucci committed an act of betrayal by reporting his father’s tax evasion to the United States National Tax Service, sending him to prison.

‘A son who reports his 81-year-old father and sends him to prison. If a company can still function while such melodramatic family betrayal is unfolding at the top, that would be the real anomaly.’

Naturally, these incidents became the subject of gossip, and as misfortunes accumulated, the brand’s image plummeted, creating a vicious cycle of declining sales that sent Gucci spiraling into decline.

‘Until just last year, people’s perception of Gucci was that it was an uncool, stuffy old luxury brand.’

But under the leadership of an exceptional executive and a rising-star designer, Gucci—once a sinking ship—was now spreading its powerful wings for a magnificent resurrection.

‘Higher heels
Shorter skirts
Deeper necklines’

Jacob Thompson, who had left behind these now-legendary words, was a figure who had left an indelible mark not only on Gucci but on the entire fashion world.
Though he had been Chief Designer for barely a year, the displayed clothing and bags unmistakably bore Jacob Thompson’s distinctive signature—a design sensibility that was utterly transformed from his predecessor’s work.
Seeing this, Seok-won steeled his resolve once more: he had to acquire Gucci somehow, while its valuation was at its lowest.

‘There’s a saying that the best investment is buying undervalued quality stocks at a bargain price.’

Then one product caught Seok-won’s eye immediately—Gucci’s Horsebit loafer.
The double-ring design spread across both sides and the bar-shaped gold-plated symbol connecting them created a striking look—simple at first glance, yet surprisingly ornate and refined.

“Could I take a look at that one?”
“Of course. What’s your shoe size?”
“275.”
“Ah, we have that size in stock.”

The staff member retrieved the displayed shoe and placed it before Seok-won’s feet.

‘The leather quality passes inspection.’

The Italian smooth leather possessed an elegant sheen that was neither excessive nor understated, smooth and supple, elevating the shoe’s prestige considerably.
And above all, the comfort of wearing it—as if it were custom-made—pleased him even more.
As Seok-won examined his reflection in the full-length mirror on one side, he suddenly recalled a past moment with Manager Oh.

Sitting in the cramped Shoe Repair Shop as usual, Seok-won noticed Manager Oh had removed his shoes and asked curiously what the occasion was.

“You bought new shoes?”
“What do you think? Do they look good?”
“Those are Gucci. A luxury brand.”
“Ha, you recognized them right away. That’s right.”

Manager Oh replied with a pleased expression and naturally pulled out a cigarette, placing it between his lips.

“You don’t think they’re counterfeit, do you?”
“Hey, you bastard. Do I really look like someone who’d walk around in knockoffs?”

At Manager Oh’s indignant response, I smiled and spoke.

“Well, you don’t usually wear luxury brands, so I thought I’d check.”
“Hmph. Someone gave them to me.”
“Who just gives away designer shoes like that?”
“My wife.”

At those words, I lifted my head and looked at Manager Oh.

“Your wife?”
“Yeah. She saw me still wearing the shoes I bought at our wedding and told me to stop being so cheap. So she went to the department store and bought me a pair.”
“You do have a bit of a penny-pinching streak, sir.”

Despite earning a decent income, Manager Oh had the habit of using things for a long time once he bought them.

“Your wife must really care about you, buying you designer shoes like that.”
“Well, the money comes from my account anyway, so what’s there to be happy about.”

Though he spoke gruffly, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, suggesting he was in quite a good mood.
Silently chuckling at that, I picked up the shoes and spoke.

“Since they’re new, there’s no need to polish them. I’ll just dust them off.”
“Go ahead.”

Manager Oh watched my hands move for a moment before speaking as if something had just occurred to him.

“By the way, do you know what the nickname for Gucci Horsebit loafers is?”
“No, sir. There’s a nickname for them?”

Manager Oh chuckled and answered.

“It’s the ‘Uniform of Wall Street.'”

As I looked at him with curiosity, Manager Oh began to unfold his usual miscellaneous knowledge as he always did.

“When you work in an office, you’re wearing dress shoes all day long.”
“That’s true.”
“They’re tight and suffocating, and your feet ache after wearing them for hours—it’s incredibly uncomfortable. But these Horsebit loafers are elegant and formal-looking while being more comfortable than ordinary shoes. And on top of that, the Gucci brand carries that luxury image, so traders working on Wall Street used to wear them while doing business.”
“Ah, so that’s why they call it the uniform of Wall Street?”
“Exactly. I’m not sure if my wife knew all that when she bought them, but they suit me perfectly, don’t they?”
“They really do.”

In the end, he’d just wanted to brag about his wife.
After finishing his reminiscence, Seok-won glanced down at the Horsebit loafers on his feet and spoke to the Female Secretary.

“I like them. I’ll take these.”
“An excellent choice. From what I can see, they look like they’ve found their perfect match.”

The delighted employee recommended various belts and ties that would coordinate well, but since nothing else was particularly necessary, he declined.

“How would you like to pay?”
“All at once.”
“Understood.”

While the Female Secretary processed the payment, Seok-won turned his head to examine his reflection in the full-length mirror once more, then smiled with satisfaction.

* * *

Wearing sunglasses and an expensive designer brand short-sleeved shirt, Woo Ho-geun sat in a chair beneath a parasol table, sipping cool beer while admiring the slender beauties playing in the swimming pool.
Their palm-sized bikinis looked as though they might slip off at any moment, and their wet, taut skin radiated pure sensuality.
Just then, Oh Sang-hyun, dressed incongruously in formal attire for a hotel swimming pool, walked over and took a seat in the empty chair across from the parasol table.

“You arrived earlier than expected.”
“Fortunately, there was no traffic from the airport, so I was able to get here quickly.”

Woo Ho-geun took a sip of beer, set it down, and turned his gaze toward him.

“You found something?”
“Yes.”

Oh Sang-hyun held out the document envelope he’d brought.
When Woo Ho-geun took the envelope and dumped its contents onto the table, several photographs spilled out.
They showed Choi Bok-rak, a supervisor at the Securities Supervisory Service, attending various events.
As Woo Ho-geun held the photographs and looked up, Oh Sang-hyun immediately began his explanation.

“His name is Choi Bok-rak, a section chief at the Securities Supervisory Service’s First Investigation Division who led the investigation into the Boseong Communications case from beginning to end.”

Woo Ho-geun leaned back against the sofa, his gaze inviting me to continue.

“The raid on Donghae Peregrine Securities headquarters was also carried out at his strong insistence, I’m told. Following your instructions, I dug deeper into his background and uncovered some fascinating details.”
“What kind of details?”
“He’s someone who rarely engaged in external activities beyond his assigned duties, yet recently he attended the Ubo Foundation’s founding ceremony, and shortly after, he was invited to Vice Minister Choi Jin-woo’s book launch—displaying a remarkably close relationship with him.”

Woo Ho-geun furrowed his brow and examined the photograph in his hand once more.

“Vice Minister Choi Jin-woo—isn’t he someone with considerable connections to the Blue House?”

Oh Sang-hyun nodded and added his thoughts.

“Precisely. He’s not only been mentioned multiple times as a candidate for Minister of Economy and Finance, but he also served as president of Daehung Securities for a brief period.”
“…!”
“And as you’re well aware, the Ubo Foundation is a public interest foundation established in honor of the late Chairman Park Yong-joo, its founder.”

Woo Ho-geun, immediately grasping the implication, tossed the photograph onto the table.

“It all connects back to Daheung Group.”
“Exactly.”

Woo Ho-geun crossed his arms and posed another question.

“Is there any other connection between Vice Minister Choi Jin-woo and Choi Bok-rak?”
“Apart from sharing the same surname, there’s no trace of any academic, regional, or blood ties.”

Oh Sang-hyun shook his head as he answered.

“Then how did someone like Vice Minister Choi come to know him?”
“According to my investigation, they first met at the Ubo Foundation’s founding ceremony….”

Oh Sang-hyun paused briefly, glancing at Woo Ho-geun’s expression before continuing.

“The person who introduced them was Park Seok-won, a department head.”
“Park Seok-won? You’re certain of this?”
“It was confirmed through someone who attended that event.”
“I see….”

Woo Ho-geun’s eyes snapped open, and he ground his teeth with a cold expression.

“However, there’s still no clear evidence that the Daeheung Group or Park Seok-won is involved. Frankly, there’s no benefit for the Daeheung Group to gain from doing this either.”

Oh Sang-hyun maintained a cautious stance, but Woo Ho-geun was already convinced that it was the work of the Daeheung Group—or rather, Seok-won.

“They touched me. That’s what this is.”

Woo Ho-geun clenched the photographs scattered across the table in his fist, his animosity rising to the surface.

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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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