Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 19

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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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19. It probably won’t take that long.

After finishing my morning classes, I arrived at the Bookstore by bicycle, situated a short distance from the Lecture Building.
Entering the building constructed with charming red brick, I made my way to the newsstand along one wall with practiced ease and picked up today’s Wall Street Journal.
After paying, I ordered a cranberry chicken sandwich and an iced Americano for lunch at the Cafeteria attached to the Bookstore, and Rafael, the server, grinned and struck up a conversation.

“Hey there. Word about you’s been spreading all over Campus.”
“Word?”
“Yeah, you won that championship match yesterday. Congratulations on becoming champion.”

It was strange—only a day had passed, yet I couldn’t fathom how far the rumors had already spread.
I scratched the back of my head and replied with an embarrassed expression.

“It’s not really that big of a deal…”
“What are you talking about! You crushed MIT’s arrogance. The guys who were at Moby Dick yesterday said they witnessed an incredible match—they’ve been talking about it all day.”

Rafael placed a plate of food on the pickup counter and winked at me.

“It’s on the house today. I can’t very well charge a champion, can I?”
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

I couldn’t refuse such kindness, so I accepted the tray and headed out to the outdoor tables.
The Street Fighter 2 tournament from yesterday had apparently been a much bigger sensation than I’d anticipated—not only in the Dormitory but even during this morning’s lectures, students I’d only known by sight began acknowledging me and offering congratulations, leaving me overwhelmed.
Like waking up to find myself a star overnight, I’d become completely famous across Campus in a single day, and the feeling was bewildering and surreal.

‘It’s a bit awkward, but thinking about the future, it’s not a bad thing at all.’

Sitting at the outdoor table with my backpack beside me, I took a long sip of the iced Americano and murmured softly.

“I never could have predicted I’d meet that person there, even yesterday.”

I pulled a business card from my wallet and stared intently at the name written on it.

[Amar Cuff]

The man who would become America’s first Black president seventeen years from now.
I’d known he attended Harvard Law School, but I’d unfortunately assumed he’d graduated last year and that I’d have no chance of encountering him on Campus.

“Now that I think about it, he also set a record at Harvard Law School as the first Black editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review.”

Seeing this, I understood that the saying “a promising sapling shows its nature from the very beginning” didn’t emerge without reason.
He had since moved to Chicago, working as a civil rights attorney while teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.
Recalling my conversation with Amar Cuff, I murmured to myself.

“He came to Harvard on business, and upon hearing about the finals of the game tournament between Harvard and MIT, he sought me out. It’s truly an unexpected stroke of fortune.”

Since he would one day be the master of the White House, I had already written his name high on my list of connections to cultivate in the future.
Yet to forge this bond so serendipitously was nothing short of fortunate.

“Roy certainly proved useful after all.”

With a quiet chuckle, I carefully placed the business card Amar Cuff had given me back into my wallet.
There would come a time when I could leverage this connection, but that lay in a distant future.
For now, there was something far more pressing that demanded my attention.

“Let’s see.”

Taking a bite of my sandwich, I spread open the Wall Street Journal and searched for articles about Britain.

[London Stock Market Rebounds Beyond Black Wednesday’s Nightmare
As of September 30th local time, the London Stock Market, which had plummeted in shock from Black Wednesday, has regained stability and continues its upward trend.
The FTSE 100 Index closed at 3,086.40, up 1.6% from the previous day.
Today’s rise stems from growing expectations that, despite the pound’s sharp decline following the British government’s announcement of withdrawal from the ERM, the economy is showing signs of stability contrary to initial concerns.
Indeed, export-oriented companies are demonstrating significantly improved performance, driving the stock market’s rebound.
While the exchange rate has not yet reached a point of reassurance, it shows signs of bottoming out and regaining stability.
Meanwhile….]

As expected, the London Stock Market was recovering swiftly from Black Wednesday’s shock without reaching the worst-case scenario.

“Already up twenty percent.”

Since the FTSE 100 Index had been at 3,233.80 points just before the crash, it seemed it would recover smoothly to that level under these conditions.
Having accumulated positions near the bottom, simply holding them guaranteed enormous profits.

“I could continue holding, but to maximize gains, I should liquidate at an appropriate level.”

Pondering when would be the right time to exit, I turned the newspaper to the next page.

* * *

Mapo Daeheung Group Headquarters.
At the sound of a knock, Chairman Park Tae-hong looked up from the documents spread before him at his expansive mahogany desk.

“Come in.”

As Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho entered through the door, Chairman Park Tae-hong gestured toward the sofa with a tilt of his chin.

“Have a seat there.”
“Yes, sir.”

At the weighty tone, Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho settled onto the left side of the leather sofa, a folder of documents held in one hand.
Chairman Park Tae-hong closed the report he’d been reviewing, rose from his chair, and moved around the desk to take the seat of honor, then posed his question.

“Did the negotiations conclude smoothly?”
“Yes.”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho extended the folder he’d brought forward and continued.

“As I reported, we’ve reached final agreement to acquire a 30.44% stake at 20,200 won per share.”
“The acquisition price came to 114.2 billion won, correct?”
“That’s correct.”
“And we added a 30% control premium on top of that?”
“Yes.”
“I heard Saseong paid 50% above market price when they acquired International Securities recently—you negotiated well.”
“In exchange, we’ve agreed to separate the express cargo division along with a 10% stake in Gangnam Express Bus Terminal that headquarters holds, and transfer both to Taesan.”

Since Chairman Park Tae-hong had already received and approved this information, he showed no particular reaction as he opened the folder.
He slowly reviewed the final agreement document inside, and finding nothing amiss, gave a small nod and looked up.

“So excluding the physical assets being transferred, the cash we need to pay out comes to 79 billion won.”
“Yes.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong set the folder down on the table and leaned back against the sofa cushion as he spoke.

“There shouldn’t be any issues arranging the acquisition funds.”
“Our primary bank has committed to providing the full amount of the acquisition capital.”
“What interest rate did you negotiate?”
“They’ve agreed to lend us the acquisition funds at 9%, which is lower than the standard corporate loan rate.”
“That’s not a bad arrangement at all.”

Considering that standard corporate loan rates easily exceeded 10%, this was indeed favorable.

“I’m somewhat reluctant to part with the Gangnam Express Bus Terminal stake, but since it’s been operating at a loss anyway, I see this as an opportunity to divest.”

Having resolved his thoughts, Chairman Park Tae-hong addressed Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho.

“Proceed with the contract as planned.”
“Understood, sir.”
“And don’t forget to grease the wheels with the government beforehand to ensure the acquisition proceeds smoothly.”
“You can rest assured.”

Even if both parties reached an agreement, if the government decided to obstruct the deal, it would be disastrous. Thus, preliminary measures were essential.
Hoping that the newly acquired securities firm would become a growth engine for the group, Chairman Park Tae-hong continued an in-depth discussion with Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho about the follow-up measures for some time.

* * *

New York, United States. John F Kennedy International Airport.
As the automatic doors slid open, passengers streamed out in a rush.
Among the crowd, I moved forward with a white shirt beneath a generously cut jacket, pulling a carry-on in one hand.
Pausing momentarily in the middle of the bustling, expansive lobby to glance around, someone waved and approached me.

“Sir! Over here.”

It was Landon Shore, the lawyer who had assisted me in Texas.

“It’s been a while.”

I extended my hand with a warm smile.
Although I had established an investment firm under the name Eldorado, I was still a student, making it difficult to remain in New York indefinitely.
Moreover, as I operated the company, there were various matters requiring attention, so I needed someone to handle them on my behalf.
After careful consideration, I proposed to Landon—someone I had already worked with and trusted, whose work ethic I appreciated—that we collaborate, and the results were evident before my eyes.

“Is that all your luggage?”
“I’ll only be here for a few days anyway, so I packed light. If I need anything, I can just buy it.”
“True enough. Too much baggage makes traveling quite inconvenient.”

Landon Shore nodded in understanding, then gestured toward the man standing behind him.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce him. He’s one of the employees I hired when opening the office.”

A Caucasian man in his early twenties with a lean face and average height.
Though they appeared to be around the same age, the tension in his demeanor was evident—he knew Seokwon was the company representative.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Mason Acott Jr.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Seok-won.”
“Yes! I look forward to working with you, sir!”

Mason quickly shook hands and bowed respectfully.

“He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania last year and interned at Salomon Brothers. Quite a capable fellow.”

Landon Shore interjected with a hint of pride, as if showcasing his own discerning eye.

“Good. Let’s do our best together.”
“Yes. I’ll work hard.”

At Mason’s enthusiastic response, Landon Shore chuckled and spoke.

“I’ve got a car waiting outside. Shall we go?”

Mason, quick on the uptake, promptly grabbed the handle of the suitcase Seokwon was holding.

“I’ll take care of the luggage.”

After handing over the suitcase, Seokwon followed Landon Shore’s lead through the crowded lobby and out of the terminal.

Shortly after, the Cadillac Escalade carrying the group pulled away from the airport terminal and merged onto the broad highway heading toward the city.

“Shall I take you to the Hotel first?”

At Landon Shore’s question from the seat beside him, Seokwon shook his head.

“I’m not particularly tired, and I’m curious to see how it’s been decorated, so let’s head straight to the office.”
“Understood.”

Landon Shore tapped lightly on the shoulder of the driver’s seat as he spoke to the Black driver.

“To the Manhattan office.”

After driving for quite some time, the Escalade crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, famous for its beautiful Gothic-style arched pylons, and entered Manhattan.
The moment we stepped into Manhattan with its towering skyscrapers packed densely together, the first thing that greeted us was an enormous traffic jam.

“It’s always like this here.”

I remarked, watching the congested vehicles crawling slowly through the car window.

“Don’t even mention it. This is actually relatively good right now. During rush hour, it’s absolute hell.”

Landon Shore shook his head with a completely exasperated expression.

“I can imagine.”
“That’s why the Wall Street moguls commute by private helicopter instead of sitting in traffic.”

Now that he mentioned it, I recalled seeing helicopters frequently flying back and forth during my last stay in New York, morning and evening.

‘So those were all privately owned.’

After all, for someone at the level of a Wall Street magnate, time is money.
Using a helicopter would be far more advantageous than being unnecessarily trapped in a car like ordinary people.

“That sounds pretty good. I need to earn more money quickly and get one myself.”
“Ha ha. Surely it’s already well within your reach if you set your mind to it.”
“Not at this level yet.”

I chuckled and pointed with my finger at the tall skyscraper visible outside the car window.

“You’d need to own at least one skyscraper in Manhattan before you could casually commute by private helicopter.”

Landon Shore inwardly clicked his tongue at the casual way I mentioned owning a skyscraper in Manhattan, a place famous worldwide for its exorbitant real estate prices.

“If you purchase the building, we can simply relocate our office there as well.”
“Of course we should. It probably won’t take long.”

His expression suggested this was far more than a casual jest.
Landon Shore found himself recalling every capability Seok-won had demonstrated thus far, and despite his initial skepticism, he couldn’t help but wonder if such a thing might actually come to pass.
As Seok-won, a faint smile gracing his lips, admired the Manhattan skyline, the car that had been stalled in traffic began to move forward once more at a leisurely pace.

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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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