Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 266

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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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266. They need to learn that while entering was easy, leaving won’t be.

Saseong Securities Trading Floor, Yeouido, Seoul.
Amid the constant flood of real-time stock price fluctuations and information streaming through densely packed terminals, traders seated at desks equipped with at least two or three monitors each were frantically conducting transactions via computer and telephone.

“Donghae Oil at 42,200 won—sell 1,000 shares! That’s right.”
“70,650 won… no, 700 won—buy 1,300 shares of Midopa Department Store!”

The stocks attracting the heaviest volume of buy and sell orders were, unsurprisingly, Midopa Department Store and Donghae Oil, the hottest M&A plays in recent weeks.
The frenetic trading floor finally exhaled when the bell signaling the end of Saturday morning’s session rang out.

“Ugh.”

Ko Byung-chu set down the handset he’d been gripping throughout the trading session, slumping in his chair with an expression completely drained of energy.

“God, I’m exhausted.”

Woo Jung-hyuk, seated beside him, spoke in an equally weary tone.

“Ever since Daheung announced the reverse M&A while accumulating Donghae Oil shares, it’s been absolute chaos.”
“Tell me about it.”

Ko Byung-chu reached for the mug on his desk, took a final sip, and grimaced at finding it empty.

“It’s like this even though it’s Saturday and only the morning session is open—I’ll be dead by Monday.”
“Not just Monday. Mark my words, next week’s going to be like this the entire time.”

Ko Byung-chu found the prospect likely enough to feel a chill run down his spine.

“Sigh. I’m already dreading coming in next week. Maybe I should just burn through some of my accumulated vacation days.”
“Then the manager will hand you a resignation letter first.”
“Yeah, probably.”

As Ko Byung-chu sighed and slouched deeper into his chair, Woo Jung-hyuk spoke encouragingly.

“Stop talking nonsense and finish up those transaction slips. Let’s head out and grab some chicken and a cold beer.”

Ko Byung-chu’s face brightened as he asked eagerly.

“That sounds great! Are you buying?”
“What are you talking about? I bought last week, so it’s your turn this time.”
“Ah… right, that’s true.”

Ko Byung-chu’s shoulders sagged as he scratched the back of his head.
Just then, Do Jin-han, seated across from him, suddenly popped his head over the monitor and interjected with characteristic cheerfulness.

“There’s a new Mother-in-law’s Seasoned Chicken place in the back alley. How about that?”
“Whoa! You scared me, you bastard!”

Ko Byung-chu, still seated, placed a hand over his chest and let out an indignant shout.
Since Do Jin-han was a junior colleague they got along with well, Woo Jung-hyuk let out a soft chuckle and replied.

“Yeah. You come with us too.”

Do Jin-han playfully mimicked a salute and winked with one eye.

“I’ll wrap things up quickly and escort both of you seniors.”
“Sounds good.”

Though I made a face of distaste at the man’s cloying cuteness, at least it gave us all a good laugh and a chance to lift our spirits.
Ko Byung-chu glanced back at the stock price charts for Midopa Department Store and Donghae Oil displayed on the monitor, then shook his head slowly.

“Anyway, both stocks are absolutely insane. How much higher do you think they’ll go?”
“If I knew that, I’d have made a killing and gotten out of this business already. Why would I still be here?”
“Yeah, fair point.”

Woo Jung-hyuk shrugged as he tidied up the trading slips and miscellaneous papers scattered across his desk.

“Both have far exceeded their fair value, but as long as the M&A issue remains alive, they’ll keep climbing, won’t they?”
“To win the shareholding battle, you need to hold every single share you can. Damn, if I’d known earlier, I could’ve made a fortune. What a waste.”

Securities company employees were prohibited from trading stocks.
But even at this time, it was routine for everyone to secretly conduct transactions through relatives’ accounts, and it was an era when people turned a blind eye even when they knew.

“At this rate, the sun will set on us. Let’s wrap up the trading slips and head out for some beer.”
“Okay.”

Pressed by Woo Jung-hyuk’s urging, Ko Byung-chu, who had been dragging his feet, hurriedly began organizing his trading records for the day.
Just then, the Manager—his receding hairline a testament to stress-induced hair loss—rushed onto the Trading Floor clutching a sheet of paper, his voice booming across the room.

“Everyone stop what you’re doing and get to the Conference Room right now!”

The traders, who had been preparing to leave, turned to stare at the Manager with bewildered expressions.

“Manager, what’s going on?”

Ko Byung-chu rose from his chair and asked.
The Manager’s face was rigid as stone. He swept his gaze across the murmuring traders and clenched his teeth hard.

“Damn it. A bomb just went off.”
“A bomb?”
“Yeah. The director and executives of the Securities Supervisory Authority took bribes and turned a blind eye to Yuchang Information & Communications’ accounting fraud—and that’s not all. They even covered up investigations into a company accused of insider trading!”

The Trading Floor erupted in chaos at the Manager’s words.
The traders who had been preparing to head home furrowed their brows and sat back down at their desks.

“Damn it. Early leave is off the table.”
“Those bastards at the Securities Supervisory Authority should know better. I always knew something like this would blow up.”
“Yuchang Information & Communications? Isn’t that the company that went public recently and tripled in value?”
“I bought that stock just recently. I’m going to lose my mind.”

Curses and complaints erupted from all corners as everyone anticipated overtime.
Under normal circumstances, the Manager wouldn’t have made such a fuss over other stocks.
But many of the companies implicated in this corruption scandal alongside Yuchang Information & Communications were stocks that had surged dramatically over the past few months and held substantial positions in their portfolio—which was why he had hastily convened this emergency meeting.

“Stop gossiping and get to the Conference Room so we can discuss countermeasures!”

Ko Byung-chu let out a groan as he watched the Manager’s rigid figure disappear toward the Conference Room.

“My chicken and beer….”

Ko Byung-chu, who had been looking forward to a refreshing draft beer, thrashed about in disappointment.
At that moment, Woo Jung-hyuk beside him contorted his face and spat out a curse.

“Damn it! Why did it have to be Yuchang Information & Communications?”
“How much of your portfolio is in it?”
“I rode the information technology wave and heard the earnings would be solid this year, so I increased my position significantly. This is driving me insane.”

As Woo Jung-hyuk pressed his forehead in despair, Do Jin-han beyond the partition also wore a pained expression.

“The rumor sheet also mentions Seonjin Leather, which we bought just this week. What do we do?”
“You too?”

Looking around, it wasn’t just the two of them in dire straits.
More than half the traders were gripping their heads in anguish.

“Damn it. The Securities Supervisory Authority bastards have caused chaos everywhere.”

* * *

Mapo Daeheung Group Headquarters.
Park Tae-hong, seated in the center of the sofa, finished reading the rumor sheet that had turned the Yeouido Securities District upside down over the weekend, exhaled slowly, and looked up.
Gil Seong-ho, the Chief Secretary, and his older brother Park Jin-hyung, the President, were equally astonished.
After setting down the rumor sheet in his hand, Park Tae-hong internally shook his head at the sight of his second son sitting calmly despite dropping such a bombshell without warning.

‘He’s my own son, but I can only say he’s truly remarkable.’

Having marveled inwardly, Park Tae-hong composed himself and spoke.

“So the Securities Supervisory Board chairman and senior executives systematically accepted bribes and committed misconduct, and Donghae Peregrine Securities is deeply involved in it. Is that right?”
“Yes.”

As Gil Seong-ho and Park Jin-hyung looked on with curiosity, Seok-won gave a small nod.

“It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say they didn’t just participate—they orchestrated the entire scheme from the beginning.”
“To that extent?”

Park Tae-hong leaned forward in his seat.

“As the rumor sheet shows, Donghae Peregrine was the lead underwriter for every company listing involved in the misconduct.”
“I see.”

Seok-won brought his teacup to his lips and explained matter-of-factly.

“From the underwriter’s perspective, the higher the offering price, the larger their cut. So they’d be tempted to massage the accounting books just to push the offering price up. The major shareholders feel the same way.”
“The underwriter also has to absorb a certain volume at listing. To sell it without taking a loss, they’d need to inflate the company’s valuation and drive up the stock price even more.”

Park Jin-hyung interjected with his own assessment.
Watching him grasp the full picture from just a brief explanation, Seok-won nodded inwardly.

‘He’s the eldest son, but he was clearly marked as the successor early on and received proper management training.’

Seok-won thought this while letting the gazes of the three men wash over him without reaction.

“Exactly. And that’s also the secret behind how Donghae Peregrine Securities, as a latecomer, managed to solidify its position in the industry by stringing together successful IPOs.”

At that, Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho let out a low whistle.

“I’ve been puzzled by their growth trajectory, even considering they partnered with Peregrine, the renowned Hong Kong securities firm. So there was this kind of scheme hidden behind it.”
“They had no intention of building the company properly—just resorting to these cheap tricks. The rot runs deep. Tsk, tsk.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue in disapproval.
But Seok-won set down his teacup with a gentle smile.

“Thanks to that, we’ve been given the opportunity to cripple Donghae Peregrine Securities, which has been leading the acquisition of Midopa Department Store shares, making it difficult for them to proceed with further hostile M&A.”
“Hmph. That’s true enough.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong let out a quiet snort.
At that moment, Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses, his eyes gleaming.

“If it becomes clear that Donghae Peregrine Securities is connected to the corruption scandal, the already negative public sentiment will deteriorate further.”
“And if we add to that by resurfacing the stock manipulation scheme orchestrated by Woo Ho-geun, putting the moral character of the Donghae Group owner’s family under scrutiny, we can make the atmosphere increasingly favorable to us.”
“Woo Ho-geun—you mean Chairman Woo’s eldest son?”

At Chairman Park Tae-hong’s question, Seok-won gave a small nod.

“Yes. Last year, he attempted stock manipulation using a company called Boseong Communications, but when it was exposed, he fled to Hong Kong to avoid investigation. Now he’s returned and is serving as an executive at Donghae Oil.”

Hearing this, Park Jin-hyung’s memory seemed to click into place, and he made a small sound of realization.

“I remember hearing at a gathering that Woo Ho-geun had suddenly gone to the Hong Kong branch, and I wondered why. So that’s the story behind it.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong exhaled coldly through his nose.

“It seems the wealthy all share the same cunning streak.”

Like father, like son—Woo Yong-gap’s boy was clearly cut from the same corrupt cloth.

‘My sons, on the other hand, have turned out remarkably well.’

Chairman Park Tae-hong gazed at his eldest son, who steadfastly held his ground, and his second son, who consistently exceeded expectations, with eyes full of quiet pride.

“But how did you come to know such a thing?”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho asked with evident admiration.
Chairman Park Tae-hong and President Park Jin-hyung were equally curious about this very point, their eyes alight with interest.

“I was fortunate.”
“What do you mean by that?”

Chairman Park Tae-hong furrowed his brow as he asked.
Seok-won, who had anticipated such a question, offered his prepared response.

“It was me who sabotaged Boseong Communications that Woo Ho-geun was working on.”
“What?”
“It wasn’t intentional, but when I was a department head at Daehung Securities, I spotted what looked unmistakably like a market manipulation scheme. So I decided to have a bit of fun and turned the tables on them—and it just happened to be Boseong Communications.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong sat stunned for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter.

“Ha ha ha! Such a thing happened? What an incredible coincidence!”

He slapped his knee, his expression one of pure satisfaction.
It was only natural—Seok-won had essentially taught a lesson to the eldest son of Chairman Woo Yong-gap, who was scheming to seize control of Midopa Department Store and swallow the entire group whole.

“Through a Securities Supervisory Authority employee I connected with at that time, I learned of the misconduct involving Donghae Peregrine Securities.”

Seok-won deliberately glossed over the details, keeping his explanation vague.
While there were some inconsistencies, nothing particularly crucial emerged, so all three men simply let it pass without pressing further.

“When things are meant to work out, they unfold in the most unexpected ways. It truly seems heaven itself is aiding our group.”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho spoke with a bright expression.
Chairman Park Tae-hong nodded in agreement, his face breaking into a wide smile.

“Luck played a role, but if my second son hadn’t made such a sharp judgment and responded with such quick reflexes, none of this would have been possible.”
“Absolutely. This is all thanks to Seok-won.”

Park Jin-hyung, the president, also chimed in with an admiring gaze fixed on his younger brother, completely free of any jealousy.
He couldn’t help but acknowledge how Seok-won had detected Donghae Group’s hostile takeover moves faster than anyone else and handled the situation with such practiced ease, as if he’d prepared for it all along.
Though Gil Seong-ho, the Chief Secretary, didn’t show it outwardly out of consideration for Park Jin-hyung, the eldest son, he was inwardly itching to applaud.

“If the situation unfolds according to your plan, Donghae Group will have no choice but to abandon their attack on Midopa Department Store. So what are you thinking for the next move?”

Chairman Park Tae-hong asked with noticeably greater ease.

“They’ve caused us considerable damage—both emotionally and materially. We can’t simply let them walk away just because they’ve decided to stop fighting.”
“Exactly! Well said.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong nodded in agreement, and the other two men followed suit.
Seok-won’s eyes gleamed coldly, like a predator eyeing its prey.

“They came in as they pleased, but they need to learn that leaving won’t be so easy. And I intend to extract full compensation for the damages.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong broke into a radiant smile at the answer that pleased him so thoroughly.

“Just hearing that already fills me with anticipation.”

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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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