Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 17

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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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17. That boy. He’s truly grown into something now.

Past midnight, in the dead of night.
Chairman Park Tae-hong sat alone at his study desk, dressed casually in a room furnished with vintage mahogany furniture.
As I held an on-the-rocks glass filled with ice and whiskey, leisurely reviewing documents, a knock sounded at the study door, and a slender middle-aged woman entered.
It was Jo Deok-rye, Chairman Park Tae-hong’s wife.
Despite being over fifty, Jo Deok-rye retained her delicate beauty, and she approached with a tray in both hands, striking up a conversation.

“Do you have a lot of work?”
“Well, there are a few things to handle one way or another.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong set down the documents and stretched naturally.

“I’ll probably need a bit longer, so go to bed first.”
“Understood.”

Jo Deok-rye, who had personally prepared the appetizers, set a white plate on the desk.
It was a canapé—crispy crackers topped with ham, cheese, and halved fruit.

“How can you drink whiskey without any proper food? That’s not good for you.”
“It’s not like I’m drinking that much anyway.”
“A little?”

Jo Deok-rye cast a pointed glance at the whiskey bottle I’d pushed to the corner of the desk.

“Ahem.”

I let out a deliberate cough and averted my gaze, and Jo Deok-rye shook her head as if resigned.

“You’re at an age where you should be taking care of your health now.”
“Oh, stop nagging. I’m still perfectly fine.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong flexed his arm deliberately, showing off his biceps.

“Look at this. How many people do you think have muscles like these at my age? Stop worrying needlessly and just go to bed.”
“You’re so stubborn.”

He’d been relying on his robust constitution to bluff his way through life since his youth, and that hadn’t changed one bit.
Knowing that he wouldn’t listen even if she spoke, Jo Deok-rye simply stopped pestering him and instead pushed the plate toward him.

“Since you understand, at least eat some of these appetizers.”
“Hmph.”

Park Tae-hong snorted, then pretended to be reluctant while picking up a ham and cheese canapé with his fingers and popping it into his mouth.

“I’m only eating this because your effort is so admirable.”
“Of course. What else would it be?”

Jo Deok-rye didn’t forget to throw in one last remark as she left the study.

“Don’t work too late into the night.”

Park Tae-hong waved his hand dismissively as if urging her to go, then picked up another canapé and grumbled.

“She never nagged like this when she was younger. Seems like she just keeps adding more complaints as time goes on.”

Yet he wasn’t unaware that everything she said came from caring about him.
Just look at the appetizers she’d brought—she could have had the Gunsan Housekeeper prepare them, but she’d made them herself instead.
They suited his taste for savory flavors perfectly, and the careful arrangement revealed the thoughtfulness she’d poured into them.

“It does taste good.”

Park Tae-hong had only eaten a few, yet more than half the plate had already disappeared. He smacked his lips regretfully at the sight.
Just then, the telephone on his desk rang.
Park Tae-hong, having a rough idea of who it was, quickly reached out and picked up the receiver.

“Hello.”
[Father. It’s me.]

At the sound of Seok-won’s voice coming through the international line, distant and faint, Park Tae-hong responded with measured courtesy.

“It must be morning there now.”
[Yes. I checked your message and called right away.]

Given the time difference, day and night were reversed, so he’d had Gil Seong-ho send a message to the dormitory manager to call.

“Shouldn’t you be heading to class?”
[My lecture doesn’t start until 10, so it’s fine.]

I had a rough idea why he’d suddenly told me to call, but I played dumb and asked anyway.

[But what did you need to call about?]

Chairman Park Tae-hong glanced at the investment statement from Salomon Brothers sitting on the corner of his desk before speaking.

“You know exactly what this is about, yet you’re playing innocent.”
[Ha ha. Looks like the mail from Salomon Brothers arrived.]

With the receiver pressed to his ear, Chairman Park Tae-hong suddenly raised his eyebrows in mock indignation.

“That’s right, you rascal. I was so shocked I nearly had a heart attack!”
[Ha ha, but you’re so robust that I doubt that would ever happen.]

Faced with this unexpectedly impudent side of my second son—who had always been a model student without a single misstep—Chairman Park Tae-hong wore a peculiar expression.

‘Look at this kid.’

Though the sudden change was unsettling, Chairman Park Tae-hong, who had been quietly concerned that his second son was too much of a gentleman, didn’t find this transformation entirely unpleasant.

‘Come to think of it, the original second son would never have even considered such a risky investment without saying a word.’

Looking back, his personality seemed to have changed considerably since the shooting incident.

‘They say people sometimes experience a shift in perspective after going through something major. Perhaps that’s what this is.’

Even now, remembering when I heard the news of the accident made my heart sink and my hands tremble.
In any case, Chairman Park Tae-hong, thinking it fortunate that the change had been for the better, smiled and responded.

“You little rascal! Your old man has already passed the age of sixty. Your mother nags me so much about taking care of my health that my ears are practically calloused.”
[Mother has always been a worrier by nature. If people saw her outside, they’d never think that way.]
“Smooth talk won’t work on me. Do you really think I’m just going to let it slide that you used ten times leverage?”

Though Chairman Park Tae-hong spoke in a reproachful tone, his mouth was still smiling—he wasn’t truly displeased.

[Did you catch on? Though I wasn’t lying when I said you’re still young.]
“Well, I’m grateful for that, at least.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong, who had been smiling, soon lowered his voice with a serious expression.

“I’m relieved the results turned out well, but what on earth were you thinking using that much leverage?”

At that, Seok-won also wiped away his smile and answered calmly.

[Because I was certain.]

Hearing the response, Chairman Park Tae-hong held the receiver to his ear with an intrigued expression.

“You said you were certain.”
[Yes. If it’s a gamble with guaranteed victory, shouldn’t you maximize the stakes?]

Thinking to himself, “This kid’s got nerve,” Chairman Park Tae-hong spoke.

“And what would you have done if your judgment had been wrong?”

Seok-won answered without hesitation.

[If I made the wrong decision, then I would have had to bear the responsibility that came with it.]

At words that seemed somewhat irresponsible, Chairman Park Tae-hong frowned slightly, looking disappointed.

“With ten times leverage, you could have suffered losses far exceeding your principal. Could you have handled that alone?”

It was a rebuke—essentially asking if he’d been counting on his parents to bail him out if things went wrong.

‘Did he let his heart run ahead without thinking things through?’

It was possible, given his youth.
But just as disappointment was beginning to settle in, Seok-won’s resolute voice came through.

[Of course.]
“What do you mean?”

Without realizing it, his tone became somewhat pressing, but Seok-won answered without hesitation.

[I’ve set it up so the position automatically liquidates before losses exceed the principal.]

Park Tae-hong paused slightly upon hearing that a clear stop-loss line had been established.

[I’m a grown adult now. Surely you don’t think I’d undertake something I couldn’t take responsibility for while relying on Father’s trust.]

Witnessing this unexpected maturity, Park Tae-hong quickly composed his expression, as if he’d never shown a hint of disappointment.

“Hmm. Still, you’ll end up losing the principal, won’t you?”
[It would be a lie to say it doesn’t sting, but investment always carries risk, so there’s nothing to be done about it.]

It wasn’t a small sum—over 100 million dollars.
Even for Park Tae-hong himself, it was a substantial amount, yet his son’s composure left him momentarily speechless.

‘Good grief. I can’t tell if this boy has no sense of money or if he’s got nerves of steel.’

One thing was certain, though: my second son wasn’t merely a scholar buried in books—he possessed the gambler’s instinct to take bold risks when necessary.

‘That’s precisely what an entrepreneur leading a company needs.’

My assessment of my second son rose another notch.
Suddenly in high spirits, I adjusted my grip on the receiver and spoke.

“In any case, the results were excellent. Looking at the statement, your profits have grown considerably. What are you planning to do now?”

As if waiting for the question, Seok-won answered immediately.

[I was actually meaning to tell you—I’m planning to establish an investment firm in the United States.]
“What?”

Park Tae-hong’s expression grew intrigued at yet another surprise from Seok-won today.

“You’re saying you want to invest in earnest?”
[Yes. Coming to America and seeing the wider world, I realized there are countless opportunities and ventures to profit from.]
“Like your pound sterling investment this time?”
[Now that I have the capital, I want to actually attempt what I’ve only imagined in my head. To be honest, this whole affair was more of a test to see if my predictions align with market reality.]

Park Tae-hong couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh at the notion of conducting an experiment with over 100 million dollars.
He’d intended to have Seok-won join the company after graduation and teach him the business, but now his son was saying he wanted to establish and run his own investment firm—it was quite disconcerting.

“So you’re saying you won’t return to Korea and will stay in the United States instead?”
[I haven’t decided that yet.]
“You still have time before graduation, so take your time thinking it over. And the money I invested this time is yours—do with it as you see fit.”

The sum had been so substantial that Park Tae-hong could easily have interfered, yet by entrusting it entirely to him, Seok-won responded with genuine joy in his voice.

[Thank you. I won’t let you down.]
“I certainly hope not.”

Park Tae-hong’s lips curved into a thin smile.
He was doing this because Seok-won had delivered results worthy of such trust, and above all, had demonstrated an unwavering resolve to accomplish something meaningful.

“You should get to class now, so let’s wrap this up.”
[Yes. I’ll call you again later.]

After setting down the receiver, Park Tae-hong took a sip of whiskey from his rocks glass and murmured with satisfaction.

“That boy. He’s really grown up now.”

* * *

“As I explained earlier, under the Bretton Woods System, the exchange ratio between the dollar and gold was fixed at 35 dollars per ounce. In accordance with this, all member nations could exchange dollars for gold from the United States at this fixed rate.”

The Old Professor, his hair white with age, stood before the blackboard and continued his lecture.

“To maintain the Bretton Woods System, there was one critical prerequisite: the United States had to possess a sufficient quantity of gold reserves. Under this condition, member nations fixed their currencies to the dollar’s exchange rate and allowed exchange rates to fluctuate only within one percent. If the rate moved beyond the permitted range, each nation’s government had an obligation to intervene in the foreign exchange market to stabilize it. This meant that within the Bretton Woods System, member nations had chosen a managed floating exchange rate system pegged to the dollar.”

After delivering his lecture with considerable passion, the Old Professor suddenly glanced at his wristwatch and spoke.

“We’ll continue with the rest next time. Let’s end today’s lecture here.”

Unlike his usual practice of filling the entire time slot, ending the lecture twenty minutes early left the students looking bewildered.

“Hmm. You don’t look pleased? Should I continue?”
“No, no!”
“Thank you, Professor!”

At the students’ enthusiastic response, the Old Professor smiled and gathered his books and notes from the lectern.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he spoke.

“Oh, right. Seok-won.”
“Yes?”

Seok-won, seated in the front row, lifted his head in confusion at hearing his name called so suddenly.

“I heard you’re competing in the gaming tournament finals against MIT today. Is that correct?”
“Ah, yes.”

Seok-won hadn’t expected the Old Professor to bring up the gaming tournament, and he nodded awkwardly in surprise.

“It’s truly wonderful when students from neighboring schools interact and build friendships like this. And honestly, winning or losing doesn’t really matter.”

The Old Professor chuckled warmly, winking with one eye as he spoke in a cheerful tone.

“Still, winning is always better than losing, wouldn’t you say? I’m rooting for you, so go out there and do your best.”

Only then did Seok-won understand why the professor had ended the lecture early, and he forced an awkward smile.
After the Old Professor patted his shoulder and left the lecture hall, Seok-won couldn’t help but clutch his head and groan at how the situation had spiraled beyond his control.
It was just a gaming tournament—why had word spread all the way to the professors?
While Seok-won was fretting, the other students who had attended the lecture also stood up to leave, approaching him with words of encouragement.

“The competition’s at Moby Dick, right? We’ll come watch, so hang in there!”
“Crush those MIT engineering nerds!”
“We’re cheering for you! Make sure you win!”

The more they encouraged him, the more embarrassed Seok-won became. He covered his flushed face with his palm, shouldered his backpack, and hurried out of the building.

“Over here!”

Roy, who had been waiting with his scooter parked nearby, waved both arms in greeting.

“Huh? Why is your face so red? Did you catch a cold or something?”
“Never mind. Just start the engine already.”

As Seok-won settled onto the back of the scooter and urged him on, Roy tilted his head in puzzlement but obediently kicked the engine to life.

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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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