Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 181

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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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181. There’s something I’d like to ask of you.

Seok-won arrived at the office dressed in a perfectly tailored navy suit paired with Gucci horsebit loafers, a leather document case in one hand.
Everything he wore—suit and shoes alike—bore the Gucci insignia, as though he’d just stepped out of a fashion editorial.
Since acquiring full ownership of the brand, I’d deliberately favored Gucci even more, but after accepting the request to model menswear, Jacob Thompson had gifted me an entire wardrobe of custom-tailored pieces fitted to my frame, so I found myself reaching for them naturally and often.
Upon entering my private office, I spotted Na Seong-mi, who’d come in early to tidy up and organize my desk, and greeted her with a smile.

“Good morning.”
“Welcome, Director.”

Na Seong-mi smiled and bowed her head slightly in greeting.
As I set my document case on the desk and removed my jacket, Na Seong-mi quickly approached, took the garment from me, opened the wardrobe beside her, and carefully hung it to prevent wrinkles.

“Shall I prepare your coffee?”
“Please.”
“Of course. I’ll bring it right away.”

Na Seong-mi departed with a bright reply.
As I retrieved necessary documents from my case, I spotted the morning newspaper that Na Seong-mi had neatly folded and organized, and immediately picked it up to read the prominent article on the front page.

[Official Launch of the New Era National Council!
The New Era National Council held its founding convention at the Olympic Fencing Stadium yesterday and officially launched, with Kim Jae-chun, the preparatory committee chairman, elevated to the position of chairman.
With this, the New Era National Council has displaced the existing Democratic Peace Party and secured the position of the leading opposition party in the National Assembly.
The launch of the National Council has triggered a realignment in the political sphere, and it is anticipated that the future political landscape will be dominated once again by the Three Kims.
Chairman Kim Jae-chun, in his inaugural address, asserted that “numerous issues requiring discussion loom over state affairs, and with the founding of the New Era National Council, the Blue House as well as relations between the ruling and opposition parties must be reconfigured,” and proposed that he meet with President Kim Sung-gyu at the earliest opportunity.
In response, the Blue House also expressed congratulations on the founding of the New Era National Council through its spokesperson and announced that President Kim Sung-gyu and Chairman Kim Jae-chun would meet in the near future.
Meanwhile….]

Gazing at the photograph of Chairman Kim Jae-chun on the stage of the founding event, holding a bouquet in one hand with a radiant smile, I murmured to myself.

“The beginning of Act Two of the Three Kims era.”

Na Seong-mi entered with a knock and set down a refreshing iced Americano.

“Thank you.”
“Not at all. Is there anything else you need?”
“No, that’s fine. You can get back to work now.”
“Then I’ll be going.”

Na Seong-mi tucked the tray under her arm and stepped out of the office.
I folded the newspaper and pushed it aside, then took a sip of my iced Americano with a satisfied expression.
The rich, syrup-free brew was exactly to my taste.
Just then, my phone vibrated, and I picked it up immediately to answer the call.

“Yes, this is Park Seok-won.”
[Boss, it’s me.]

It was Landon Shore’s familiar voice.
I leaned back in my chair and asked in a relaxed tone.

“What brings you to call at this hour?”
[I’ve completed the sale of all the Netscape shares you instructed me to dispose of.]

My eyes lit up at the news I’d been waiting for.

“Good work. The fact that you wrapped this up faster than expected tells me the block deal went through smoothly.”

Even with Andrew and the Eldorado Fund traders’ exceptional skills, disposing of a full 30% stake in Netscape without shocking the stock price in just a couple of months was no simple feat.
In situations like this, a block deal was the method to rapidly liquidate large volumes while minimizing market impact.

[Yes. As you know, Microsoft released a new web browser alongside Windows 95. However, contrary to our concerns, it hasn’t had much impact, which allowed us to complete the block deal smoothly.]

Microsoft had been so focused on developing the new operating system that they hadn’t had time to worry about the internet. When they first released Windows 95, they couldn’t include their own web browser.
But in August, they released Windows 95 Plus Pack and bundled it with their newly created web browser, Internet Explorer.

“I’ve tried Explorer myself, and it’s lacking in many ways compared to Netscape.”
[Exactly. Internet access is slow, and most importantly, it crashes frequently. Netscape is definitely more reliable and user-friendly.]

I nodded while holding the phone to my ear.

“We obtained the Mosaic patents and technology licenses and developed our own web browser, but… given that we rushed to create it in just a few months, it’s bound to have rough edges.”
[Even so, Microsoft’s name carries weight, yet everyone seems deeply disappointed by the Explorer we just released.]
“It would have been far better if we’d taken more time to polish it before launch. I can’t help but feel some regret about that.”
[Isn’t that proof that Christopher Alexander was losing sleep over how aggressively Netscape is rising?]

Indeed, with Netscape’s emergence, the web environment was expanding far more rapidly and dramatically than anticipated, and Christopher Alexander, Microsoft’s founder, felt a grave sense of crisis.

‘With the media stoking this atmosphere further—Time magazine even put both our faces side by side on the cover, openly highlighting us as rivals—there’s no way he wouldn’t be stressed about it.’

That’s why expectations for Microsoft’s own web browser had run so high, but the first round was a complete victory for Netscape.

[As a result, investors who had been cautious confirmed that the response to Microsoft’s web browser fell short of expectations, and they all rushed to accept the block deal, allowing us to offload our shares at a higher price than initially offered.]
“How much did you sell it for?”
[We sold the remaining 10% stake at $107 per share, splitting it equally between NTT and CalPERS.]

CalPERS was America’s largest pension fund, guaranteeing retirement pensions and health insurance for California state civil servants.

“So we got $2 more per share.”
[Considering Netscape’s stock price closed today at $111.32, even at that price it would be a good deal.]

Landon Shore answered while openly displaying his regret.

“We made sufficient profits and got out cleanly. Most importantly, we’ve already disposed of all our shares, so there’s no need to have any lingering attachment.”
[That’s true, but… seeing the stock price continue to rise, I can’t help wishing we’d sold a bit later.]

I too had made profits and exited when I first ventured into the stock market, but seeing stocks I’d sold continue to climb, I’d regretted selling too early more than once. I understood his feeling perfectly.

‘And whenever I tried to buy back those stocks, they’d plummet like clockwork, wiping out my account.’

After experiencing such painful lessons multiple times, I’d learned the hard way: never be too greedy, and once you sell a stock, never look back.
Especially knowing that Netscape’s fairy-tale Cinderella story would end not with a happy ending, but a tragic one.
I suppressed my melancholy and adjusted the phone in my hand.

“It must have been difficult disposing of such a large volume. Thank you for your effort. And tell Andrew he has my gratitude too.”
[I will.]

Landon Shore, who had been responding, suddenly spoke as if something had just occurred to him.

[By the way, have you checked Cisco’s stock price today?]
“It’s crossed fifty dollars per share.”

I replied matter-of-factly.

[Cisco’s stock appreciation rate is just as remarkable as Netscape’s. The boss said it would rise significantly, but I never imagined it would deliver such outstanding performance.]

Hearing the admiring tone, I offered a faint smile and spoke casually.

“Cisco, the number one network equipment company, will become the company selling jeans and pickaxes in the internet era that’s about to unfold. It’s only natural that they reap the benefits.”
[That’s true. But it’s not easy to recognize that before others and boldly invest a step ahead.]

Hearing the constant praise, I burst out laughing.

“You’re making me dizzy—don’t hype me up so much.”
[I’m speaking from the heart.]

Landon Shore answered seriously, then returned to the main topic.

[If the stock price continues to rise like this, the executives informed us yesterday that they’re considering a one-for-four stock split.]
“That’s not a bad idea either—if the price gets too high, it becomes difficult to trade.”

I nodded and showed a positive attitude.

[I… Cisco has already tripled in profit, but you won’t sell that one too, will you?]
“I’m planning to hold Cisco for a while longer.”

Landon Shore, who had asked cautiously, finally let out a sigh of relief.

[I was secretly worried you might sell this one too. I’m glad.]
“Unlike Netscape, no strong competitors have emerged, and the internet revolution is only just beginning. Selling Cisco now when it’s positioned to capture all those benefits would be foolish.”
[Exactly my point!]
“Ha. I’ll hold it at least until the stock price reaches what I judge to be its peak, so rest assured.”

I smiled and reflected.

‘Cisco will ride the high waves of the dot-com bubble to become the number one company by market cap. I can’t sell shares at a bargain price when it’s only just beginning its upward trajectory.’

In fact, in 2000 when the dot-com bubble reached its peak, Cisco was subject to an extraordinary overvaluation with a price-to-earnings ratio of 205 times, amid rosy projections that it would become the first company in history to break through a market capitalization of one trillion dollars.

‘But like the Tower of Babel in scripture, when the dot-com bubble—grotesquely inflated by human greed—burst, everything crumbled to dust in an instant.’

Cisco, which had surged to the top market capitalization, saw its stock price plummet helplessly alongside the dot-com collapse, reduced to a mere tenth of its former value.
A yawning precipice awaited ahead, but until then, an enormous stock surge would continue, and I intended to savor every bit of it before making my exit.

[By the way, the third private jet you ordered has completed all test flights.]
“I see.”

The private jet I had ordered as a gift for my father was finally ready for delivery.

[We’ve finished hiring the crew, so it’s ready to use whenever you’d like. What would you like to do?]
“Send it to Korea right away.”
[Understood.]

After exchanging a few more words, I ended the call and set down my phone, letting my thoughts drift.

“Father mentioned he had a business trip to China this month, didn’t he?”

I murmured with a sly smile.

“Perfect timing.”

Then I picked up my phone again and made another call.
After a few rings, Gil Seong-ho, the Chief Secretary, answered with a greeting.

“Manager Gil, it’s Seok-won.”
[Young Master, what brings this call?]
“I understand Father has a business trip to China scheduled for the end of this month—is that correct?”
[Yes, that’s right.]

A mischievous smile played at my lips.

“There’s a favor I’d like to ask you.”

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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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