Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 213

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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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213. What kind of trouble is he trying to cause now?

Rodney, Chief Investment Officer of the Quantum Fund, sat alone at his desk in an office where towering Manhattan skyscrapers were visible through expansive windows.
With his hair neatly combed back and arms crossed, Rodney monitored the movements of major indices on four monitors installed on his desk—the Dow Jones 30 Industrial Average, the S&P 500, the New York Composite Index, and finally the NASDAQ.
As all four indices bottomed out and rebounded sharply, rapidly recovering the losses from the past few days, Rodney stroked his chin with one hand and murmured softly to himself.

“An index that fell to 600 suddenly bounced up 14 points in one breath. The stock market really does seem incredibly strong.”

No matter how severe the shutdown had been as a major negative factor, for the stock market to be this hot and yet for Seok-won to boldly place short bets revealed once again that his audacity was no ordinary thing.

“That kind of boldness and drive is precisely what allowed him to hit the jackpot multiple times until now.”

His investment instincts were remarkably accurate, but what Rodney truly acknowledged most was the sheer audacity to act boldly without fearing risk.
Yet this time, the goddess of fortune who had always stood beside him seemed unwilling to smile upon Seok-won and the Eldorado Fund.

“If the Federal Reserve had cut the benchmark rate as everyone expected instead of holding it steady, the bet might have succeeded. What a shame.”

As a senior figure in the industry who had watched Seok-won’s meteoric rise as Wall Street’s newest star, generating enormous profits, Rodney felt a pang of regret at his failure.
Yet on the other hand, he also felt relief wash over him.
Since he had been consumed by subtle jealousy and competitive spirit whenever George Hamilton showed interest, he could not help but feel these conflicting emotions simultaneously.
Just then, the intercom buzzed and the Female Secretary’s voice came through the speaker.

[Ian has arrived.]

Rodney cleared the wandering thoughts from his mind and stretched one arm to press the intercom button.

“Tell him to come in.”
[Yes.]

Soon, with a light knock, Ian, the Chief Manager, opened the door and entered.

“You haven’t left for the day yet.”
“I was planning to leave right after watching the market close.”

Since Christmas break began tomorrow and the stock market would close just four days after that, everyone was filled with year-end sentiment.
The stock market, which had fallen for several days due to the prolonged shutdown and concerns about the Federal Reserve holding rates steady, had successfully rebounded and was rising sharply, which contributed to this atmosphere.
As Rodney rose from his seat and moved to the sofa, Ian naturally took a seat across from him.

“Where are you planning to spend Christmas this year?”

Rodney, seated comfortably with one leg crossed, initiated the conversation with casual small talk.

“I seem to recall hearing that you always go to warm Puerto Rico around this time.”
“You have a good memory. However, the shutdown hasn’t ended yet, and my eldest son, who was admitted to Yale University, has returned home, so we’ve decided to spend this year together as a family at home.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, didn’t you say your eldest son got into Yale?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”

Ian answered with a proud expression.
Yale University was among the most prestigious universities in America, being part of the Ivy League, so his pride was well-founded.

“Weren’t you also an alumnus of Yale?”
“Yes, that’s right.”

Rodney asked as if suddenly remembering, and Ian nodded his head.

“It must be even more gratifying to have your son attend the same university.”
“He was accepted to Harvard and Cornell as well, but when he said he’d follow me to Yale, I was honestly surprised and delighted.”

Rodney, having children of his own, could fully empathize with such feelings.

“But what brings you here?”

Then Ian’s relaxed expression immediately tightened, and he spoke in a notably serious tone.

“Are you planning to maintain your S&P 500 futures short position as is?”

Rodney, who had been deliberating on this very matter, leaned back against the sofa’s backrest and asked.

“We haven’t entered the loss zone yet, have we?”
“No, but if the index rises just 8 more points from here, we’ll start incurring losses.”

Rodney spoke while slightly smacking his lips.

“Considering how strong the index rebound has been, once the Christmas holidays end, we’ll easily break through 622 and continue climbing.”
“It’s possible we could even surpass the previous high before the market closes this year.”

Given the optimistic sentiment pervading the stock market following the Federal Reserve’s rate cuts, it was entirely plausible.

“If we don’t liquidate quickly, the losses could become substantial.”

Rodney, who had been pondering for a moment, narrowed his eyes and asked.

“Has the Eldorado Fund shown any unusual activity?”
“I can’t say for certain, but based on the stock prices of the shorted positions, there’s no sign they’ve changed their stance yet.”
“Hmm. I see.”

Watching Rodney, Ian leaned forward in his seat.

“However, if the index continues to rebound like this and they want to maintain their position, they’ll need to deposit a substantial amount of additional margin soon.”
“They might already be receiving margin calls.”

Rodney nodded and tapped his fingers rhythmically on the armrest of the sofa, lost in thought.
But since he too assessed the likelihood of the index falling again as low, his deliberation didn’t last long.
Having resolved to liquidate his position, Rodney looked up and issued instructions to Ian before him.

“Once the Christmas holiday ends and the market opens, liquidate the entire position immediately.”

Ian, who had been secretly worried that Rodney might stubbornly insist on holding, immediately brightened.

“Understood.”

I was bothered by the fact that the Eldorado Fund continued to maintain its position, but by any measure, this round was Seok-won’s investment failure.

‘He’s been on a winning streak all this time, so it’s about time he stumbled over a stone.’

If the S&P 500 index continued climbing past its previous highs, Seok-won would have no choice but to abandon his stubbornness and proceed with short covering.
If arrogance from his past great successes hadn’t clouded his judgment, he was smart enough to act before losses became unbearable.

* * *

The next day, 11 Wall Street, New York.
In front of the New York Stock Exchange, famous for its ancient Greek-style marble exterior, a beautiful female reporter stood holding a microphone, delivering her report to the camera.

“Bolstered by the Federal Reserve’s surprise interest rate cut announced by the FOMC on the 19th, massive buying pressure has flowed in, sustaining an upward trend centered on large-cap blue-chip stocks. Bond buying has also been strong, with the 30-year U.S. Treasury yield falling 0.09 percentage points from the previous day… However, some experts predict that while the surprise rate cut has enabled the market to rebound, further gains will depend on negotiations over the balanced budget agreement. This is Debra reporting from the New York Stock Exchange.”
“Okay. Good work.”

A cameraman wearing a thick jacket and sporting a heavy beard looked up and spoke.

“Yan. I think my last line got cut off. Could we do it one more time?”

The cameraman called Yan grimaced slightly.

“Do you know this is already the ninth take?”
“It’s really the last one, so just shoot it one more time.”

Debra, a freelance journalist, pleaded while gripping the microphone with both hands.
When Debra, with her brown hair and considerable beauty, spoke that way, people usually just went along with it, but even Yan couldn’t help himself today.

“I appreciate your dedication to work, but spare a thought for me too. If I get home late on Christmas Eve, my wife and daughter will throw me out.”

As Yan spoke with one hand on his hip, looking troubled, Debra couldn’t push any further.

“Fine.”

Yan sighed with relief and removed the camera from the tripod as he spoke.

“Don’t you have any plans today, Debra? On a day like this, you should be on a date with a guy at some fancy place.”
“I broke up with my boyfriend recently.”
“Oh no.”

Debra glanced sideways with a slight snort and turned her head away.

“Sorry. I forgot.”
“Forget it. I don’t even want to think about that bastard again, so don’t bring it up.”

A week ago, I’d heard that while Debra was away on a two-day business trip, she’d caught her live-in boyfriend in bed with a woman he’d met at a club and broke up with him on the spot.
Her expression had been so fierce that even Yan, who had nothing to do with it, felt his knees go weak.

“Ahem.”

Yan cleared his throat awkwardly while gathering equipment, and Debra helped with the withdrawal preparations.
As she was loading light luggage into the van’s back seat, a vibration buzzed from her pocket.

[XXX-XXXX]

The moment Debra saw the number displayed on the pager’s LCD screen, her eyes sparkled.

“Yan! Just give me a moment to make a quick call.”

Yan loaded a large ENG camera bag into the van and replied.

“You know how brutal the parking fees are here, right? Hurry back!”
“Got it.”

Debra glanced around before heading toward a nearby payphone booth.
She picked up the receiver with one hand, fished out some coins, and dialed the number displayed on her pager.
The line rang, and within moments, someone answered.

[Yes, Plaza Hotel front desk. How may I assist you?]
“Sarah, it’s me.”

The cheerful hotel receptionist paused briefly before continuing naturally.

[Good evening, ma’am. The item you requested last time arrived today, so I called to let you know.]

Debra’s grip tightened on the receiver, her face tense.

“So the Eldorado Fund representative really came to the hotel?”
[Yes, that’s the item you mentioned. It arrived yesterday, but I was off duty so I couldn’t confirm it right away.]

As a fourth-year journalist, Debra had cultivated multiple sources throughout the city, and Sarah, a front desk employee at the Plaza Hotel, was one of them.

‘Finally!’

Debra bit her lip hard, barely suppressing the urge to cry out in triumph.
Though the Eldorado Fund representative had become a hot topic due to George Hamilton’s remarks as the Quantum Fund representative, the discovery that this mysterious figure frequently visited the Plaza Hotel Penthouse had been pure chance.
It was information Sarah had carelessly let slip during a drinking session months ago, which Debra had swiftly seized upon.

‘Any good story ideas lately?’
‘Hmm… not really.’
‘You know, like famous celebrities living scandalously in penthouses.’
‘Ha. The VIP who comes to our hotel penthouse has nothing to do with that. He’s incredibly handsome with impeccable manners, and he tips so generously that the housekeeping staff fights over who gets to service his room.’
‘Really? Now I’m curious. Who is he?’
‘The Eldorado Fu… Ah, damn it.’

On Wall Street, the Eldorado Fund was as hot as LTCM itself, so landing an exclusive interview would be a major scoop.
That’s why I’d repeatedly asked Sarah to let me know the moment he checked back into the Penthouse.
But after hearing nothing for a while, I’d half given up—until finally, the opportunity had arrived.

“I’m heading over right now.”
[You know the price of the equipment, right?]
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure nothing gets left behind.”
[Then if you need anything else, just give me a call anytime.]

Just then, the coins I’d fed into the payphone ran out.
Debra hung up the receiver and, her face flushed with excitement, stepped out of the phone booth and headed back to the van.
Yan, who was already sitting in the driver’s seat with all the equipment loaded, looked at her and spoke.

“Debra? Get in quick.”
“Sorry, Yan.”

Debra opened the passenger door and grabbed her handbag from where it lay on the seat.

“Something came up that I need to take care of. Besides, we’re done here anyway, so you head home on your own.”
“What? Where are you going?”
“To chase down a scoop.”

Yan furrowed his brow as he looked at her.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Anyway, see you later! Oh, and tell Megan to have a good Christmas.”

Debra shut the car door firmly and waved.

“Hey, wait—”

Left alone in the van, Yan watched Debra’s silhouette disappear into the crowd through the rearview mirror, his expression one of bewilderment.

“What kind of trouble is she cooking up now?”

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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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