Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 197

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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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197. If this succeeds, Wall Street will be turned upside down once more.

Gimpo Airport arrivals hall.
Even on a weekday afternoon, the high-ceilinged arrivals hall bustled with crowds of people.
Each time a passenger emerged pulling a travel suitcase, families and relatives waiting to greet them rushed forward, embracing one another with laughter and warm welcomes scattered throughout the terminal.
Among those crowds stood a man in a gray suit constantly checking his watch—Oh Sang-hyun, a trusted associate of Woo Ho-geun.
Standing beside a family holding a small placard, Oh Sang-hyun spotted Woo Ho-geun, whose thick eyebrows and sharp features were unmistakable, just emerging from the arrivals area, and quickly moved around the waist-high metal barrier to approach him.

“Welcome back, Executive Director.”

Woo Ho-geun, who had been exiled to the Hong Kong branch under disciplinary suspension due to the stock manipulation scandal, had been summoned by Chairman Woo Yong-gap just days ago and was now returning to Korea for the first time in a long while.
Removing his sunglasses and holding them in his hand, Woo Ho-geun watched Oh Sang-hyun bow respectfully and immediately blurted out a response.

“Executive Director?”
“Yes.”

Oh Sang-hyun quickly opened his mouth to answer.

“As of yesterday, you’ve been promoted to Executive Director of the Headquarters.”
“Executive Director, huh….”

It was the goal every office worker dreamed of, the executive promotion commonly referred to as “earning your stars.”
Yet Woo Ho-geun showed no particular enthusiasm, speaking with a listless expression.

“I figured I’d get Vice President at least, but just Executive Director? The old man is really stingy after all.”

His tendency to complain without easily being satisfied remained unchanged.
Oh Sang-hyun, sensing the mood, stood awkwardly before naturally shifting the conversation by taking hold of the suitcase handle.

“I’ve had a car waiting outside, so let’s head out.”
“Right.”

Woo Ho-geun nodded and followed Oh Sang-hyun out of the airport terminal with an arrogant demeanor.
The autumn air had grown crisp with the changing leaves, and it felt particularly cold after having spent so long in the warm climate of Hong Kong.
Woo Ho-geun slowly approached and climbed into the luxury sedan that had pulled up, immediately departing the airport and heading toward downtown Seoul.
Seated in the back with one leg crossed, Woo Ho-geun turned his gaze toward Oh Sang-hyun in front and asked a question.

“So your father was summoned by the Prosecution for questioning.”

At that, Oh Sang-hyun glanced at the driver gripping the steering wheel beside him, then turned his body back to respond.

“Yes. He was summoned to the Prosecution along with Chairman Moon of ST Group last week for questioning.”

Woo Ho-geun, leaning back against the seat with his arms crossed, clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Two in-laws of a former president standing side by side at the Prosecution’s photo line. There’s no greater humiliation than this.”
“….”

Faced with such blunt remarks, Oh Sang-hyun didn’t know what to say and fell silent.
Woo Ho-geun paid no mind to his discomfort and snorted softly with derision.

“Then again, since he’s already divorced from his brother-in-law, technically they’re not even in-laws anymore.”

Unlike ST Group, when the civilian government took office and began dismantling the military regime, Chairman Woo Yong-gap had the foresight to divorce his daughter from her husband, severing ties with the former President No.
Nevertheless, it was undeniable that he had significantly expanded his business during his tenure by leveraging the former President No’s influence, so he couldn’t escape the Prosecution’s investigation.

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

In response to Woo Ho-geun’s question, Oh Sang-hyun opened the glove box in front of the passenger seat and retrieved a document envelope from inside.
He then handed it to Woo Ho-geun sitting in the back and spoke.

“Despite having spent a long time at the Securities Supervisory Board—a place rife with corruption—he’s remarkably honest, so much so that it’s hard to find his kind these days.”

Woo Ho-geun, taking the document envelope, let out a derisive laugh and retorted.

“There’s no one in this world who doesn’t have dust when shaken.”
“Just as you say, when I conducted a thorough background investigation, I found something that caught on.”
“Is this it?”

Oh Sang-hyun, still turned back in his seat, nodded his head.

“Yes. About four years ago, he asked a college senior who was a department head at Saebbit Bank to help get his cousin hired.”

At that, Woo Ho-geun’s eyes gleamed with interest, and a slight smile played at the corners of his mouth.

“You used your influence to get relatives hired at the bank.”
“I merely provided some convenience for them to apply during the open recruitment period. It’s difficult to characterize that as exerting pressure.”

Yet Woo Ho-geun smiled coldly.

“Whether it becomes a problem or not depends entirely on how you frame the narrative.”

Woo Ho-geun possessed more than enough power and wealth to do exactly that.
As I opened the document envelope and withdrew its contents, a copy of the resume belonging to Choi Bok-rak—my cousin working at Saebbit Bank and a director at the Securities Supervisory Board—emerged, along with background investigation materials on the bank executive who had facilitated his employment.

“Since you had the audacity to provoke me, you’ll pay the price.”

Woo Ho-geun murmured coldly as he slowly reviewed the documents.
Then, lifting his gaze, he spoke to Oh Sang-hyun, the director seated in the passenger seat.

“Proceed with the plan as is.”
“Yes, understood.”

After returning the documents to the envelope, Woo Ho-geun leaned back against the plush seat and gazed leisurely at the Han River flowing gently beyond the car window.

* * *

New York Plaza Hotel.
I sat on the penthouse living room sofa, gazing down at the expansive Central Park through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, reading today’s Wall Street Journal.

[U.S. Federal Government Shutdown Ends
The federal government shutdown, which lasted a week beginning on the 13th amid disputes over raising the federal debt ceiling and implementing balanced budget pledges, has ended today.
Due to the brink-of-cliff confrontation between the Republican-controlled Congress and the White House, over 800,000 federal employees, excluding essential personnel, were placed on unpaid leave, creating chaos across the entire United States…]

“Are you all prepared?”

Turning my head to the side, I smiled as I spoke to Landon Shore approaching me.

“I told you that wasn’t necessary.”
“Still, since you’re returning to Korea today, I should at least see you off.”
“Really, it’s fine.”

Landon Shore naturally settled onto the empty right sofa and glanced at the newspaper I had placed on the table.

“I see you were following the shutdown resolution article. I was worried the standoff would drag on, but I’m relieved it’s been resolved, even if it took longer than expected.”
“Do you really think so?”
“…?”

Seok-won leaned back with one leg crossed, continuing his thought.

“The government was able to resume operations by passing the thirty-day temporary spending bill, but that’s merely a temporary patch. The situation hasn’t been fundamentally resolved at all.”
“The shutdown caused significant disruption, and public opinion isn’t favorable. Surely the federal government won’t shut down again.”

Landon Shore, despite their disagreements, viewed the situation optimistically—believing the White House and the Republican Party would ultimately reach a compromise.
But Seok-won’s perspective was different.

“Under normal circumstances, perhaps. But we’re heading into the next presidential election. Neither side will back down easily.”

Landon Shore’s nose bridge wrinkled slightly as he absorbed this.

“Are you saying this budget resolution will become a prelude to the presidential race?”

Seok-won nodded slightly and spoke.

“Exactly. The Republican Party will attempt to undermine President Davidson while establishing the foundational framework for a balanced budget to slow government debt growth—then tout it as their achievement in the presidential election.”
“….”
“Meanwhile, President Davidson will refuse to compromise or yield easily, determined to dispel the negative image of inconsistent policy and indecision, and to demonstrate strong leadership.”
“Hmm….”

Landon Shore pondered the words for a moment, then his expression hardened.

“Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”
“I hope my prediction is wrong and negotiations conclude within thirty days, but if another shutdown occurs, the situation will become extremely grave.”
“You’re saying the shutdown period could extend even longer?”

It was a grim forecast given that shutdown resolution articles had just been published, yet Seok-won spoke with unwavering conviction.

“As I mentioned, since control of next year’s presidential election hangs in the balance, both sides will undoubtedly maintain a tense stalemate and engage in a relentless tug-of-war without concession until the very end.”
“The federal government shutting down for just a week has already caused tremendous disruption. If a longer shutdown occurs, it would truly be catastrophic.”

Landon Shore’s eyebrows narrowed as he regarded Seok-won with a worried expression.
Then Seok-won continued, his demeanor turning notably serious.

“The next shutdown will have a far greater impact on the stock market than this one.”
“Pardon?”

Landon Shore’s eyes widened at my sudden statement.
Contrary to the concerns of many experts, when the shutdown occurred, the U.S. stock market, which had dipped slightly, quickly rebounded and actually rose during the federal government closure period.
Gold, the quintessential safe-haven asset, had also fallen in an unprecedented manner.

Many dealers and brokers who had bet on short stocks and long gold positions had to pack up their losses with tears of blood.

So it was understandable that he found it puzzling when I said the next one would deliver a shock unlike this time.

“Everyone knows that unless both the White House and the Republican Party are truly insane, they’ll compromise adequately before the situation becomes critical. That’s why even with a shutdown this time, the stock market wasn’t severely impacted.”
“That’s correct.”

Landon Shore nodded in agreement.

“But what happens if a week or ten days pass without any agreement and the standoff continues?”
“…Then anxiety will gradually begin to creep in.”
“The longest shutdown on record so far has been seventeen days, hasn’t it?”
“That’s probably about right.”

I gazed at Landon Shore with calm, settled eyes and posed the question.

“What if the shutdown continues beyond seventeen days, breaking the record for longest duration, with no signs of negotiation whatsoever?”
“…!”

At this dire hypothetical, Landon Shore swallowed hard without realizing it.

“As investors watch the Ministry of Finance’s coffers gradually empty, won’t the worst-case scenario cross their minds—that the United States might face a sovereign default?”
“Default? No one in their right mind would let it come to that.”

Landon Shore gasped, his voice rising involuntarily.

“Of course, I don’t think it will actually reach that point either. But the moment investors harbor even a shred of such anxiety, the market will be severely shaken.”

Landon Shore, quick to grasp my meaning, nodded heavily.

“Because uncertainty is the market’s greatest enemy. Once even one or two people start withdrawing their money, it spreads like a contagion and becomes unstoppable.”

Watching this, Seok-won’s lips curled upward in a subtle smirk.

“On the contrary, it’s an opportunity for us as well.”
“Are you thinking of short selling?”

Seok-won gave a light nod with a glance.

“If no agreement is reached on the budget and debt ceiling increase by November, I’ll have Andrew place short bets on the stocks of the top ten companies in the S&P 500 in advance.”
“What scale are you considering?”

At that, Seok-won broke into a wide grin, baring his teeth.

“Let’s go bold and use leverage to put in 20 billion dollars.”

When it came time to make a move, Seok-won was bolder than anyone else.

“Phew! Short selling S&P 500 stocks is practically shorting the entire United States itself. My heart’s already racing just thinking about it.”

As Landon Shore wiped his brow dramatically, Seok-won shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve made even bigger bets than this. Why are you getting worked up over something like this?”
“No matter what, the opponent is different this time.”

Landon Shore shook his head, clearly unable to keep pace.
Just then, Bodyguard Bockus approached with quiet footsteps and spoke.

“Boss. The helicopter has arrived.”
“Ah. Is that so?”

Seok-won’s expression turned reluctant.

“It’s time for me to leave now.”

Rising to his feet, Seok-won left the Penthouse and ascended to the helipad on the Hotel rooftop with his entourage.
There, a Bell 412 twin-turbine helicopter awaited him.
Seok-won, wearing dark Ray-Ban sunglasses, extended one hand and spoke.

“Then I’m counting on you to manage the New York Office while I’m away.”
“Rest assured, sir.”

Landon grasped his hand in return with an equally radiant smile.
After exchanging a brief handshake, Seok-won turned and boarded the helicopter alongside Bockus.
Moments later, the helicopter’s engine roared to life, its rotor blades spinning slowly as it built thrust, then lifted gracefully from the helipad.
Climbing swiftly to altitude, the helicopter crossed above Manhattan’s towering skyscrapers before vanishing into the white clouds beyond.
Standing alone on the helipad, Landon gazed pensively in the direction the helicopter had disappeared, murmuring to himself.

“Short betting in the United States.”

It was a move no one but the boss could conceive.

“If it succeeds, Wall Street will be turned upside down once more.”

Landon’s lips curved upward with anticipation as he spoke.

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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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