Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 291

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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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291. I believe it absolutely should not be done.

Eldorado Fund Headquarters, Manhattan, New York.
Landon Shore, seated at his desk reviewing documents, covered them as Andrew entered through the knock, adjusting his purple necktie and suspenders, and spoke.

“Have a seat there.”

Andrew then moved to the sofa where warm sunlight streamed through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and settled in. Landon rose from behind his desk and took the center seat, crossing one leg over the other.
With a smile playing at his lips, Landon opened his mouth to speak.
With a smile on her face, Landon Shore opened his mouth to speak.

“Did you see the additional measures Sumitomo Corporation announced regarding the copper speculation scandal?”
“You mean the emergency borrowing of 100 billion yen from affiliated banks and the plan to resolve losses by liquidating their securities holdings?”
“That’s right.”

Landon nodded slightly and continued.

“The fact that they rolled out additional measures in just four days shows Sumitomo Corporation was in quite a rush.”
“The stock price had plummeted to 731 yen—literally on the verge of being cut in half. They had every reason to be desperate.”
“True. Right after the announcement, Sumitomo’s stock hit bottom in after-hours trading and has been rebounding. The remedy worked perfectly.”

Andrew shrugged and picked up the thread.

“Beyond that, today Moody’s, the credit rating agency, maintained Sumitomo Corporation’s A1 rating, citing that they possess 7 billion dollars in securities they can immediately liquidate—far exceeding the anticipated losses. That likely had a significant impact as well.”
“That would explain it. Thanks to that, U.S. Treasury prices took a sharp hit.”
“Most of Sumitomo’s securities holdings are U.S. Treasuries, after all. If a massive volume of sales were dumped on the market at once, it would inevitably harm the Treasury market.”

Landon nodded in agreement.

“Even a nation can’t predict how Treasury prices will fluctuate. They probably dumped their positions first and asked questions later.”
“I would have done the same.”

Having already completed his position liquidation under Seok-won’s orders, Landon spoke with ease.

“I hear the copper market panic is settling down?”
“The consensus is that the decline was excessive relative to the actual impact, so panic selling has dried up. The shock from this incident appears to be resolving around this level.”

Landon Shore leaned back against the sofa, nodding in agreement.

“Copper prices that were trading at $2,654 per ton collapsed all the way down to the $1,900 range in one fell swoop. The decline was truly massive.”
“A considerable number of market participants must have gone bankrupt as a result.”

At Andrew’s words, Landon Shore offered a wry smile.

“That’s just how it goes—where there are winners, there are losers. It’s unavoidable.”
“Indeed.”

Andrew replied with equal composure.
Wall Street was a colossal gambling arena where a single bet could transform someone into an extraordinarily wealthy person, yet just as easily, one could lose everything in an instant and plummet to ruin.
And these two men understood such dynamics better than most.

“When I see things like this, it’s truly remarkable, isn’t it?”

Landon Shore stroked his chin thoughtfully as he spoke.

“What do you mean, sir?”
“Your boss. I thought he was liquidating positions far too quickly, but the moment we exited completely, Sumitomo Corporation’s stock rebounded like clockwork, and both copper futures and spot prices stopped their collapse. On top of that, he predicted precisely that US Treasury bonds would fall. Every time I witness this, I’m left with nothing but admiration.”

Andrew, sharing the same sentiment, shook his head slowly and clicked his tongue.

“Exactly. I pride myself on having considerable experience on Wall Street, but I’ve never once seen anyone time their entries and exits as flawlessly as the boss does.”
“I know it sounds absurd, but every time something like this happens, it’s as if the boss can see the future and place his bets accordingly. Like someone who already knows everything that’s about to happen.”
“Ha ha. I sometimes think the same thing.”

Andrew burst into hearty laughter as he spoke.
Though both men spoke in jest, neither realized they had struck upon the precise truth.

“By the way, have you finished calculating how much profit we made from this investment?”

Landon Shore asked as if the thought had just occurred to him, and Andrew straightened his shoulders before responding.

“Excluding all expenses, we earned 7.92 billion yen from short selling, and 720 million dollars in profits from copper futures and spot positions. Additionally, though the investment is still ongoing, we should be able to earn at least another 100 million dollars or more from Treasury bonds.”

At this, Landon Shore’s face broke into a broad smile.

“That comes to nearly 1.5 billion dollars.”

Andrew also threw out a playful joke with a grin.

“At this rate, I can expect a summer bonus, right?”
“You know he rewards performance generously. Don’t worry—the amount that comes in will exceed your expectations.”
“I’m already looking forward to that bonus.”

Andrew spoke with anticipation written all over his face.
Landon Shore felt the same way, and if he received the bonus this time, he was thinking of purchasing another villa in Nice, France—a place he and his wife had fallen in love with during their vacation last summer.

‘My wife will be thrilled.’

Since she loved decorating homes, she’d probably be excited to go shopping for interior design items.
Then he could simply lie on the beach under the warm sun, sipping a cold beer and enjoying a leisurely vacation.
Landon, smiling contentedly at the fleeting fantasy, soon turned to Andrew and spoke.

“Transfer 300 million dollars from the profits to the boss’s account, and have us accumulate about 100 million dollars worth of Apple stock.”

Andrew tilted his head, asking with a puzzled expression.

“You already hold a 10% stake, yet you’re buying another 100 million dollars worth of Apple?”

Until now, Wall Street investors viewed Apple as an unstable company—one that might collapse at any moment, let alone ever become the world’s largest by market capitalization.
So it was only natural to find it strange that a major shareholder already holding 10% would invest an additional 100 million dollars.

“If you’re planning to invest further in IT, wouldn’t it be better to purchase Cisco or Microsoft stock rather than Apple?”
“I made that same suggestion, but he said Apple has greater long-term growth potential.”

Andrew furrowed his brow, unconvinced.

“If it were a matter of buying at a low price due to a stock collapse, I could understand, but Apple having greater growth potential… honestly, I find that hard to agree with.”
“To be honest, I’m skeptical too, but…”

Landon Shore spoke with an enigmatic expression.

“Yet the boss has never been wrong in any prediction he’s made so far.”
“…That’s true.”
“The odds aren’t particularly high, but somehow I have a feeling his bet will pay off this time too.”
“…”

Though still skeptical, Andrew couldn’t easily refute me when he recalled that my win rate had been a perfect 100% thus far.
Instead, he seriously pondered in his mind whether there was something about Apple that he had overlooked or failed to see.

“So when I receive my bonus this time, I’m thinking of setting aside a portion to buy some Apple stock myself.”
“Are you serious?”

Andrew asked with wide eyes.

“Who knows? Maybe the hidden potential of Apple that the boss predicted will truly explode and become a comfortable retirement fund for me.”

As I spoke with a smile, half-joking, Andrew paused to think for a moment before nodding.

“Then I should buy some Apple stock too.”
“You as well?”
“Since the jackpot might hit as you say, I’ll consider it buying a lottery ticket.”

Andrew answered lightly with a shrug.

“Do as you wish. Just don’t blame me if things go wrong.”
“Of course not.”

* * *

Sitting alone in the ondol room of the Ojin-am Annex, I rose from my cushion as the sliding door opened with the sound of footsteps.
Guided by a madam dressed in a fine hanbok, Woo Chun-il, Secretary-General of the New Era National Council, entered the room alongside a man in a gray suit.

“President Park, you arrived early.”

Secretary-General Woo Chun-il, speaking warmly, stepped aside and introduced the man who had come with him.

“Allow me to introduce you. This is Chairman Kim Jae-chun of our party.”

As I approached Chairman Kim Jae-chun, I bowed respectfully and straightened up.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Park Seok-won.”

Chairman Kim Jae-chun, of modest height with a stern impression, regarded me quietly for a moment before extending his hand and speaking with a dialect-tinged accent.

“I heard you’ve been quite helpful to me, and I wanted to meet you sooner to express my gratitude. But various matters came up and delayed things.”
“Not at all. You must be busy with your political work. I’m simply grateful you’ve made time for this.”

Seok-won grasped the other man’s hand with a respectful yet dignified bearing.
Seeing this, Kim Jae-chun gave a subtle nod of approval, and Woo Chun-il, the secretary-general standing beside him, smiled and interjected.

“Why don’t we continue our conversation while seated?”
“Indeed.”

With the madam’s assistance, Kim Jae-chun removed his outer jacket and settled first onto a plump silk cushion.
Woo Chun-il followed suit, taking the seat beside him, and Seok-won naturally positioned himself across from them.
As if on cue, two waiters in bow ties appeared with a large low dining table laden with dishes, set it in the center, and withdrew.

“Allow me to pour for you.”

The madam, whose beauty rivaled that of many film actresses, lifted a pristine ceramic pitcher and smiled coquettishly as she poured clear Andong soju into the three glasses.

“Shall I call the attendants?”

Woo Chun-il then spoke to the madam.

“Let’s talk first, and we’ll call them in a moment.”
“Of course. I’ll step out for now, so please call when you’re finished.”

The madam, reading the room perfectly, closed the sliding door behind her as she left, and Kim Jae-chun spoke first.

“Since we’ve met like this, it must be fate. Let’s share a drink together.”

He raised his glass, and Seok-won, along with Woo Chun-il, picked up their glasses and clinked them lightly together.
Watching Kim Jae-chun drain his glass in one go, Seok-won tilted his head slightly and emptied his glass completely as well.

“You drink with spirit. Ha ha.”

Kim Jae-chun laughed at this display and picked up the pitcher.

“Here, have another.”

Seok-won cupped his glass with both hands, and Kim Jae-chun filled it generously.
Seok-won then took the pitcher and refilled the empty glasses of Kim Jae-chun and Woo Chun-il.

“I’ve heard so much about you from Secretary-General Woo that even though this is our first meeting, it feels like we’ve known each other for years.”

Kim Jae-chun spoke with a gentle gaze fixed upon him.

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir—a pillar of Korean politics.”
“Don’t be so stiff. Speak freely with me.”
“Of course.”

Even as I responded, I kept my guard up internally.
Politicians were all like foxes aged decades old—if you took everything they said at face value, you’d inevitably get burned.

“As I mentioned earlier, I’m grateful for your help during difficult times.”
“Not at all. I’m the one who’s grateful for your assistance while I was facing hardship.”

Then Kim Jae-chun suddenly spoke as if remembering something.

“By the way, was the dispute with Donghae Group resolved smoothly?”
“Thanks to your concern, we were able to settle it amicably.”

Of course, from Donghae Group’s perspective, they gained nothing and suffered a one-sided, massive loss—but there was no reason to bring that up here.

“Good to hear. For domestic companies to resort to such despicable methods to steal each other’s businesses instead of helping one another—Chairman Woo’s greed went too far.”

Kim Jae-chun took a sip from his glass and turned to Woo Chun-il, the Secretary-General seated beside him.

“How is the case progressing where Chairman Woo’s son obtained an illegal loan from an affiliated credit union to acquire Midopa Department Store?”
“I understand the Prosecution has completed their investigation and indicted him in court while he remains in custody.”

Kim Jae-chun spoke with a deliberately stern expression.

“Such a vicious crime—exploiting his status as a member of the owning family to lay hands on ordinary people’s money—must not result in a lenient sentence through hired defense counsel.”
“I will continue to monitor the situation closely.”

Secretary-General Woo Chun-il glanced at Seok-won as if to make sure he was listening to this.
Having made his point, Kim Jae-chun turned his attention back to him and spoke.

“I never forget those who help me in difficult times, so if you face any hardship in the future, speak with Secretary-General Woo here about anything.”
“Your words alone are more than enough gratitude.”

Despite his youth, Kim Jae-chun found himself nodding inwardly at Seok-won’s appearance—modest and thoughtful, just as he’d heard—and took a genuine liking to him.
After exchanging various light pleasantries to ease the atmosphere, Kim Jae-chun broached a topic that had recently become the subject of considerable discussion.

“By the way, you’re aware that the government is attempting to join the OECD, aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
“There’s been quite a bit of talk about it both within and outside the party. What’s your view on the matter?”

Unlike Kim Jae-chun, who posed the question casually, Seok-won deliberated seriously over how to respond.
After a moment, he answered in a grave tone.

“I believe we absolutely should not pursue it.”

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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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