Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 2

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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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2. Congratulations on becoming a billionaire.

Ring! Ring!

Inside a darkened Hotel room with thick curtains drawn.
A young man lying on a spacious twin bed reached out one arm and fumbled for the receiver at the sound of the phone ringing loudly.

“Hello.”

His voice was deeper than usual, still heavy with sleep.

[Mr. Park. It’s 8:30 AM.]

A young Hotel receptionist greeted him through the receiver and informed him of the time.
Recalling that he’d requested a wake-up call at the front desk yesterday, the man brushed back his tousled hair and replied.

“Thank you.”

He threw off the sheets and rose from the bed, walking to the window and pulling the curtains wide open.
Sunlight poured in, instantly flooding the dark room with brightness.
He squinted reflexively, gazing up at the cloudless sky.

“Beautiful weather.”

The view from the Hotel window was a refined cityscape.
After briefly admiring the outer landscape—modern high-rise buildings lining the streets in a single panoramic view—the man turned and headed toward the bathroom.

Splash—

After washing himself under the cascading water, he turned off the faucet and stepped out of the glass shower enclosure.
As he dried his hair and body with a large towel, his eyes caught the mirror affixed above the sink.
Reflected in the mirror was a handsome man with sharp features, standing over six feet tall with dark, defined eyebrows.
From his broad shoulders down to his waist, his physique formed a perfect inverted triangle, and his toned muscles were the kind any man would envy.
Staring at his reflection for a long moment, the man murmured softly.

“It’s already been a month, but it still feels like a dream.”

The memory of pushing away the mother and child who had frozen in place, unable to dodge the oncoming car, remained vivid.

‘I’m going to die like this!’

As the BMW bore down on me with terrifying speed, I squeezed my eyes shut, resigned to death.
But when I regained consciousness, I found myself not in the afterlife, but in a hospital.
At first, I thought I’d been blessed by fortune and miraculously survived, but that wasn’t it at all.
Astonishingly, I had been transported not to 2027, but to 1992—the past—and now inhabited the body of a complete stranger.
When I realized this truth, I nearly lost consciousness again, literally.
In fact, the shock was so overwhelming that I actually did faint, causing quite the commotion for a while.
When I came to again, the original body’s memories flooded in relentlessly, leaving me wracked with severe fever and splitting headaches for an entire day.
After that ordeal, I found myself living a new life with the memories of two people swirling in my mind.

“So I’m a third-generation chaebol heir….”

The original body’s owner was Park Seok-won, the second son of the Daeheung Group’s owner.
The Daeheung Group, which had begun as an agricultural and fisheries business, had—like all the conglomerates of that era—started by merging flour mills and textile companies, and had since expanded into distribution, leisure, and finance, establishing itself as a mid-tier group ranked 30th in the business world.
Park Seok-won, the second son of Chairman Park Tae-hong who currently led the group, had been studying abroad in America, enrolled in the business administration program at Harvard University.
Then one unlucky day, he was shot in the chest by an armed robber he happened to encounter on the street.
He was rushed to the hospital, but he never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead—until my soul entered his body and brought it back to life.

‘Gasp…!’

As I was being wheeled toward the morgue, I suddenly gasped for breath and opened my eyes, causing the hospital staff to jump back in absolute terror.

‘Oh my God!’
‘The corpse is coming back to life!’
‘D-doctor! Get the doctor!’

Doctors and nurses came rushing in, grabbed me, and ran every test imaginable, yet they found absolutely nothing wrong.
Remembering the chaos that erupted in the hospital that day, Park Seok-won offered a wry smile.

“Well, since things have come to this, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

At first, I was utterly bewildered and couldn’t comprehend how such a thing could happen, but now I’ve regained my composure and accepted the situation.
I was able to come to terms with it so quickly because my original life—alone after losing my wife and daughter—held little attachment for me.

“Whether God took pity on me and granted me a second chance, I don’t know, but this time I’ll live without regrets.”

Kim Gwang-seop—or rather, the man who was now Park Seok-won—clenched his fist tightly as he made this vow to himself.

* * *

Park Seok-won changed into a crisp white shirt and casual suit, then left his room and descended to the first-floor lobby.
In one corner of the elegantly appointed lobby, its floor laid with natural marble, sat a lounge area with sofas and tables—where a blonde Caucasian man immediately rose to his feet upon seeing Park Seok-won.
The man’s name was Landon Shore, dressed in a gray summer suit with a blue tie, his hair slicked back with gel.
He was the lawyer assigned to assist Park Seok-won today.

“Good morning.”

I grasped Landon’s extended hand, his face wearing a smile, and spoke fluent English.

“Have you been waiting long?”
“Not at all. I just arrived myself.”

In my past life, I couldn’t speak English at all, but upon absorbing the memories of this body’s original owner, I naturally became fluent in both English and Japanese.

‘I suppose I can think of it as a privilege granted upon returning to the past and receiving a new life.’

Landon rolled up his sleeve to check the watch on his wrist, then looked at me.

“We have a bit of time to spare. What would you prefer?”
“Let’s head out right away.”
“Very well.”

As we passed through the glass doors held open by the doorman and stepped outside the Hotel, a powerfully built Black man approached us.
When I glanced at him, Landon stepped forward and spoke.

“He’s the Bodyguard I hired.”
“….”
“If word of your winning gets out, troublesome hangers-on will swarm you. It would be wise to keep him nearby, at least while you’re in Austin.”

It was sound reasoning, so I gave a small nod.
Then Landon pointed toward a black Cadillac Escalade that slowly pulled up and came to a stop before us.

“Shall we?”

I stepped through the door the Bodyguard opened and climbed into the back seat of the Escalade alongside Landon.
The Escalade glided away from the Hotel’s main entrance and, after driving for a while, arrived at the Lottery Commission Headquarters building located downtown.
Our party entered the expansive lobby, decorated with gray-toned artificial marble, and proceeded directly to the information desk on the left.

“How may I help you?”

Landon Shore answered on behalf of the female employee’s inquiry.

“I have an appointment with Urban. My name is Landon Shore.”
“Please wait a moment.”

The female employee checked the memo before her and soon looked up again to speak.

“You can take the elevator over there and go up to the seventh floor.”

Landon Shore thanked her and then guided Park Seok-won beside him.

“Let’s go.”

The group took the elevator as the female employee had instructed and ascended to the seventh floor of the building.
As the doors opened and they stepped into the corridor, a dignified-looking Caucasian man with neatly combed brown hair greeted them, having apparently received advance notice from below.

“Mr. Shore?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Urban, the one you spoke with on the phone.”

Landon Shore shook hands lightly with Urban and then introduced Park Seok-won with a respectful demeanor.

“This is my client.”

Urban shifted his gaze and quickly assessed Park Seok-won with a searching look before breaking into a gentle smile.

“I was curious to know who the fortunate winner was. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”

Park Seok-won shook hands with Urban and gave a light nod.

“Your English is quite fluent. Do you happen to reside in Texas?”
“No. I happened to purchase the winning ticket while traveling.”

Urban’s mouth formed an expression of surprise.

“Ah, I see. You truly are a man of fortune.”

Urban’s expression turned admiring as he remarked that the odds were even lower than being struck by lightning while passing by.

“I apologize for the lengthy explanation. There are several procedures required to claim your winnings, so please follow me.”

Urban led the way, guiding Park Seok-won and his companions to a separate reception room.
After leaving the Bodyguard to wait outside, the reception room greeted them with an air of sophistication, decorated with soft cream-colored carpeting and refined interior design.

“First, could you show me the winning lottery ticket?”

Urban spoke while looking at Park Seok-won and Landon Shore, who sat across from him.
Park Seok-won retrieved the Powerball ticket from his inner pocket and handed it over. Urban examined the winning numbers printed on the ticket with a careful gaze.

“1, 2, 3… 12, 22. All seven numbers match.”

Normally, if there were no winners in this draw, the jackpot would have rolled over to the next drawing.

‘In the very next drawing, only two numbers would differ, and the same numbers would produce another winner—an incident so significant it sparked manipulation allegations even in America for a while.’

Park Seok-won had happened to see this episode featured on a TV reenactment show, and it had stuck with him. Whenever he played the lottery for fun, he would occasionally use those same numbers.

‘I never imagined it would help me in this way.’

The winner of the jackpot exceeding 200 million dollars in the next drawing had suddenly found himself with an uncontrollable sum of money. He spiraled into gambling, women, and drugs, squandering his fortune recklessly, and within less than two years, he died from a drug overdose.
Thinking about it, the fact that Park Seok-won had reduced the next drawing’s jackpot was probably a better outcome for that person as well.
Urban meticulously verified the ticket, even checking the barcode to ensure it wasn’t counterfeit, then straightened his posture.

“I’ll need identification for verification purposes. Do you have your ID with you?”

Park Seok-won, having already received advice from Landon Shore, promptly handed over his passport.

“You’re Korean?”
“Yes. I’m currently enrolled at Harvard University. As I mentioned earlier, I’m only in Texas for a brief vacation.”
“I see.”

When Harvard University was mentioned, a flash of surprise crossed Urban’s face.
Harvard, the flagship institution among the Ivy League schools, was a prestigious university that no American would be unfamiliar with.
Urban quickly composed himself and, without further probing questions, began explaining the process for claiming the winnings.

“As you know, even if you’re not a U.S. citizen, you can claim your winnings since you purchased the lottery ticket in the United States.”

Park Seok-won nodded, indicating he understood.

“However, even as a foreigner, you must pay federal and state taxes on your winnings….”

Urban continued with a knowing smile.

“Our state of Texas doesn’t impose taxes on lottery winnings, so you’ll only need to pay federal taxes.”

This tax exemption was precisely why he had traveled all the way to distant Texas instead of Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Harvard University was located, to purchase the Powerball ticket.

“To claim your winnings, you’ll need a bank account with a financial institution in the United States. Do you have one prepared?”
“You can deposit it into this one.”

Urban examined the Wells Fargo passbook he had been handed and asked.

“You can receive your winnings as a lump sum or as an annuity spread over 29 years. Which would you prefer?”

Park Seok-won answered immediately without the slightest hesitation.

“I’ll take the lump sum.”
“In that case, the highest tax rate will apply, and you’ll need to pay 37% in taxes. Is that acceptable?”
“That’s fine.”

Watching such a substantial amount disappear in taxes, Urban felt a pang of regret, even though it wasn’t his money.
However, since how to claim the winnings was entirely the winner’s decision, Urban refrained from asking further.

“As you’re aware, the jackpot has rolled over multiple times without a winner, and since you’re the sole winner, your winnings are quite substantial.”

Urban continued with a smile on his face.

“After deducting federal taxes from the total prize of 190 million dollars, you’ll receive approximately 119.7 million dollars.”

Calculating at the current exchange rate of 780 won per dollar, that amounted to 93.4 billion won in Korean currency—an astronomical sum.
Considering that the average monthly salary for a Korean office worker in 1992 was less than one million won, one could grasp just how enormous this amount truly was.

“Then I’ll proceed with your winnings claim right away. Oh, and as a matter of principle, the winner’s identity is made public, so your name, place of residence, occupation, and age will be released to the media.”

Though Park Seok-won would have preferred to keep the fact of his winnings hidden, knowing that disclosure was mandatory, he gave a small nod.

“I can’t avoid the photographs, but I won’t be doing any interviews. That should be acceptable, right?”
“Hmm, well… I understand.”

Faced with such an unyielding stance, Urban reluctantly acquiesced, his expression tinged with disappointment.
With a colossal jackpot approaching nearly 200 million dollars, the Lottery Commission desperately wanted maximum publicity, yet they couldn’t force the winner, Park Seok-won, to do something he refused.
Shortly after receiving the call, Park Seok-won posed before the assembled reporters, holding an enormous panel displaying “$190,000,000” and had his photograph taken.
After completing all the formalities, by the time he left the Lottery Commission Headquarters by car, it was well past noon.

“Well, it’s all finished now.”

Landon Shore offered his congratulations from the adjacent seat.

“Congratulations on becoming a billionaire.”
“Thank you.”

Park Seok-won, now unburdened after completing such a monumental task, offered a faint smile.

“With such an enormous sum arriving soon, do you have any plans for what you’ll do with it?”
“I’m thinking of making some investments.”

Landon Shore responded with evident surprise at this unexpected answer.

“Most winners typically think first about purchasing grand mansions, impressive sports cars, or yachts to enjoy life. Your answer is quite surprising.”

Park Seok-won smiled silently, his thoughts drifting to the immense wager about to unfold.
The prospect of stepping into that colossal gamble that would shake the entire world filled him with electrifying excitement and anticipation.

“Ah.”

Then, suddenly, his family back in Korea crossed his mind.
Once today’s photograph appeared in the newspapers, it wouldn’t be long before his father, Chairman Park Tae-hong, learned of his lottery win.

“He’ll find out eventually anyway. It would be better to tell him first….”

Park Seok-won wrapped his hand around his mouth with a somewhat awkward expression and let out a small groan.

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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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