Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 215

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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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215. Unfortunately, that’s how it is.

Debra stood before the main entrance of the Plaza Hotel, repeatedly glancing at her watch with an anxious expression.

“We only have ten minutes left. Why isn’t he here yet?”

That morning, she had approached in workout attire to secure the interview, but now she was impeccably dressed in a neat gray long coat, a blouse, and an H-line skirt with a slit, her makeup flawlessly applied.
Just as Debra, consumed with anxiety, began tapping her feet restlessly, a yellow taxi pulled up and stopped in front of her.
The moment Debra saw Yan emerge from the back door with his camera bag, she rushed toward him and called out.

“Yan! Why are you so late?”

Yan frowned and shot back a reply.

“You know today’s a holiday, right? And you’re suddenly asking me to come out on Christmas? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get from Jersey City to Manhattan? How could you say something like that?”

His tone carried a hint of irritation, as if he’d already caught an earful from his wife at home.

“I’m sorry. But this is an exclusive story we absolutely cannot miss.”
“Sigh. I suppose there’s no helping it.”

Seeing Debra bow her head in apology, Yan’s expression softened.

“So the head of the Eldorado Fund really agreed to do an interview?”
“That’s what I’m telling you.”

She nodded quickly and hurried Yan along.

“We don’t have time for this. We need to set up the lighting and microphone, install the camera—we have to go upstairs right away.”

Yan let out a deep sigh, adjusted his heavy camera bag across his shoulder, and waved the receipt he’d received from the taxi driver.

“The taxi fare from New Jersey to here was brutal, so you’re covering it.”
“Once we land this interview, the bureau chief will process the expenses without question. Don’t worry about it.”

Debra grabbed Yan by the collar and hurried into the hotel.
Upon entering the lobby, where a towering Christmas tree reached nearly to the ceiling, Debra crossed the marble floor directly toward the front desk opposite her.
Four hotel staff members in uniform stood at the desk, and a blonde male employee smiled at Debra as she approached with Yan, speaking to her.

“How may I assist you?”
“I have an appointment with a guest staying in the Penthouse. Could you please confirm it?”

The male employee then asked cautiously.

“If I may ask, what is your name?”
“Debra.”

As she spoke, she placed a business card embossed with the CNBC logo on the front desk.

“Please wait a moment.”

After examining the card, the male employee picked up the receiver and called the Penthouse.

“Your guest has arrived. Shall I send them up? Ah. Yes. I understand.”

Debra deliberately ignored the glances the male employee kept casting her way, feigning composure.
But internally, she was tense with anxiety, dreading the possibility that he might have changed his mind and decided against the interview.
After all, his initial agreement to the interview had seemed almost like a whim, so it wouldn’t have been surprising if his mood had shifted in the meantime.

‘Please!’

Fortunately, the male employee who set down the receiver was still smiling.

“I’ll escort you to the Penthouse. Is the person behind you part of your party?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. This way, please.”

The male employee stepped out from behind the desk and guided the two toward the private elevator on the left.
Though the private elevator was larger and more ornate than the others, when they stepped out on the top floor, it was as though they had entered an entirely different world—the sight was dazzling.
Instead of the ordinary corridor with guest room doors lining both sides, the Penthouse floor was adorned with elaborate floral arrangements and paintings that were clearly expensive, and a subtle fragrance permeated the air.

“This way.”

The male employee pointed to the left and spoke.
Debra, mouth agape and eyes wandering, gave Yan a light nudge with her elbow before following the employee’s lead.
True to its status as one of only five penthouses in the five-star Plaza Hotel, the entrance featured grand double doors crafted from premium solid wood.
When the male employee rang the bell, a clicking sound soon echoed from within as the lock disengaged, and the door swung open to reveal a powerfully built Black Man.
It was Bockus, Seok-won’s bodyguard.
Confronted by his imposing frame and piercing gaze, Yan instinctively shrank back and whispered.

“Debra… you really did get permission for this, right?”
“Of course I did.”

Debra, whom they had already encountered that morning, smiled awkwardly and waved her hand.

“Ah. Hello.”

Bockus, having assessed both visitors with a sweeping glance, silently stepped aside to usher them in.
The moment Debra and Yan crossed the threshold into the penthouse, their attention was instantly captured by the sweeping vista of Central Park visible through the expansive living room windows.

“Wow…”

The view was breathtaking enough to draw gasps of admiration.
With Central Park spread like a painting beside him, Seok-won sat on the sofa in a white dress shirt, absorbed in reading documents—a scene worthy of a magazine spread.
Bathed in the cascading sunlight that made his face radiate with particular brilliance, Seok-won lifted his gaze to regard the two visitors and spoke.

“You’ve arrived right on time.”

Debra, who had been gazing at Seok-won in a daze, snapped back to attention the moment their eyes met.

“Oh! Yes! Thank you again for agreeing to this interview.”

For the second time since that morning, Debra failed to maintain her professional composure and fumbled through her words, internally wishing she could bang her head against a wall.

‘He looks like some Hollywood heartthrob actor. How is that face supposed to belong to a Wall Street investor?’

Most major fund executives and Wall Street investors were typically middle-aged men of considerable years, yet Seok-won appeared remarkably young—even accounting for the youthful appearance common among Asians.

‘If he walked outside right now, he’d probably be handed modeling agency business cards left and right. And that height too…’

As Debra murmured inwardly, her gaze caught sight of the toned, muscular chest subtly visible through the loosely unbuttoned dress shirt, and her face flushed slightly.

‘He certainly works out diligently.’

It made sense—he’d mentioned exercising whenever he had a spare moment, whether at the hotel fitness center or in Central Park.
Just then, Yan beside her nudged me with his elbow, whispering in a low voice.

“Debra. What are you doing?”
“Why? Why what?”
“I told you to sit down.”
“Oh! I’m sorry.”

Only then did Debra, realizing she’d been lost in thought again, apologize hastily and settle onto the empty sofa to her left.
Noticing Debra’s unusually flustered demeanor, Yan tilted his head curiously before beginning the camera setup.
As Yan unfolded the tripod and installed the camera, Debra sat on the sofa and stole a glance at Seok-won.
Seok-won, reclined with one leg crossed, showed no particular tension despite this being his first interview—his expression remained composed and serene.

“Ahem. Well… I’m sure you felt it was rude this morning. Thank you for making time for us despite that.”

Debra cleared her throat lightly and spoke first.

“You seem to realize it was rude.”

As Seok-won answered indifferently and extended his hand, she looked at him with confusion.

“Wasn’t the condition that you’d show me the questions first before asking anything?”
“Oh. Yes. Of course I should show you.”

Only then understanding his intent, Debra rummaged through the shoulder bag beside her and pulled out the question sheet.
The paper was filled with handwriting directly penned in, making it obvious it had been hastily prepared.
Seok-won slowly reviewed the densely listed pre-written questions before asking Debra.

“Do you have a pen?”
“Yes.”

Debra immediately pulled a fountain pen from her pocket and handed it over.
Though it bore various scratches, the design was quite elegant—a Montblanc fountain pen.

“It looks like an old piece.”
“It was my father’s. He gave it to me as a gift when I got into university.”
“You received a wonderful gift.”

With that, Seok-won set the pre-interview questionnaire on the table and drew lines through the questions in rapid succession.

“These are difficult to answer, and there are far too many besides. Let’s narrow it down to about ten questions.”

Debra’s face fell as she spoke.

“That’s too few. Couldn’t you allow just a few more?”
“If you’re unhappy with it, we can end the interview here.”

At Seok-won’s curt and resolute tone, Debra frantically waved both hands.

“No! Ten questions is perfect—not too drawn out and wonderfully concise. Ha ha ha!”
“Good.”

Seok-won nodded and returned the questionnaire and fountain pen to her.
Debra, unable to ask even half of her prepared questions, sighed inwardly, but since the other party held all the cards, there was nothing she could do.
In the meantime, Yan finished setting up the camera and basic lighting, and they immediately began recording the interview.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

As Yan, with his face pressed against the camera viewfinder, gave the signal, Debra picked up the microphone and delivered her opening remarks.

“Today we’re speaking with the CEO of the Eldorado Fund, which has recently become a major topic of conversation on Wall Street.”

Unlike her fumbling moments before, Debra in front of the camera was a consummate professional.
Her voice was crisp and penetrating, her diction precise, and her eyes gleamed with unmistakable clarity.

“First, would you like to introduce yourself to our viewers?”

Seok-won then gazed at the camera with ease and spoke in fluent English.

“I’m Park Seok-won, CEO of the Eldorado Fund.”
“You’re from Korea, correct?”
“That’s right. Some people occasionally confuse it with North Korea, but I’m from South Korea, which is an ally of the United States.”

Seok-won chuckled lightly as he made the quip.
Debra, who had expected him to conduct the interview with a stiff demeanor throughout, was inwardly taken aback but continued forward.

“Could you start by giving us a brief introduction to the Eldorado Fund?”
“The Eldorado Fund is a company that invests in assets across the globe.”
“Not long ago, George Hamilton, the legendary Wall Street investor and founder of the Quantum Fund, testified at a congressional hearing and caused quite a stir when he mentioned that someone had made even greater returns on yen investments than he had.”

At Debra’s supplementary explanation, Seok-won offered a wry smile.

“I think that statement might be slightly inaccurate.”
“Oh my. Why is that?”
“If you only consider currency gains, that might be true, but Mr. Hamilton also sold knockout options beforehand and earned substantial additional profits from that, so wouldn’t it be more accurate to say he made more than I did?”

Debra then asked, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Since you’ve brought it up, I have a question. I’ve heard that the Eldorado Fund also made significant profits recently from currency options in Japan—is that true?”
“To be precise, knock-in knock-out options.”
“Some say that Japanese export companies that entered into option contracts suffered major losses due to excessive penalty clauses. What are your thoughts on this?”

Though the topic could have been sensitive, Seok-won responded with composure and without any change in expression.

“Since these options are designed to hedge currency risk, it’s only natural that each party to the contract bears certain penalties. And when you look at the circumstances at the time and the specific contract terms, there were actually considerable advantages for the Japanese companies.”

With his interlaced fingers resting on his lap, Seok-won’s calm voice continued.

“If that hadn’t been the case, the Japanese companies wouldn’t have voluntarily entered into the option contracts without anyone forcing them. The reason we made substantial profits while it became a misfortune for the Japanese companies is simply because the yen, which had been climbing steeply, suddenly reversed course and plummeted.”

Though this was clearly his first media interview, Debra found herself secretly astonished at how skillfully he conducted himself, showing not a trace of nervousness.

‘What is this. He really can do anything.’

Even with prior practice, she doubted she could perform this well.

“I see.”

Debra smiled brightly and naturally transitioned to the next question.
As the interview continued, before long only the final question remained.

“We’re already at the last question.”

Debra spoke without hiding her reluctance to see it end.

“What’s your outlook on the future of the American stock market?”
“If someone has spare capital, I’d say they should invest even a mere hundred dollars into the stock market—I believe it’s fundamentally sound over the long term.”

Debra’s eyes gleamed as she caught the deliberate emphasis on the word “long term.”

“So you’re saying the short term looks unfavorable?”

Seok-won nodded in response.

“That’s correct.”

Debra, who had been slightly disappointed by the mundane content of this hard-won interview, suddenly sensed a newsworthy angle and leaned forward in her seat.

“Could you elaborate on why you feel that way?”
“As everyone knows, it’s due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. Wall Street seems to view it as a minor noise that will be resolved quickly, but my assessment differs.”

Debra immediately pushed back.

“There was a stock decline due to the shutdown, but didn’t the market rebound following the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut rates?”
“Of course it did.”

Seok-won acknowledged this while his voice took on a more serious tone.

“However, while the rate cut is certainly positive, the fundamental issue—the shutdown itself—remains unresolved.”
“But I understand there’s widespread opinion that the White House and Congress will reach a compromise by year’s end.”
“That’s merely optimistic speculation. The shutdown is still ongoing, and I believe an agreement won’t come easily. We may very well witness the longest federal government closure in history.”

Debra’s expression shifted to one of genuine surprise at this outlook, so contrary to market consensus.

“You truly believe that?”
“Unfortunately, I do.”

Seok-won nodded gravely.

“That’s why we’ve positioned a portion of our fund portfolio in short positions.”
“!”

Her eyes widened at this unexpected scoop.

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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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