Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 329

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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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329. We absolutely cannot sell dollars right now.

“We’ve arrived.”

Manager Choi Ho-geun, seated in the back, pulled out his wallet and handed a ten-thousand-won note to the Taxi Driver in front.

“Keep the change.”
“Oh, thank you so much.”

As he opened the car door and stepped out, the Taxi Driver popped the trunk and helped unload the luggage.
The schedule had run longer than planned, and with various gifts collected along the way, two large suitcases and a backpack had accumulated.
Once the taxi departed, Manager Choi Ho-geun shouldered his backpack and wheeled both suitcases into the lobby of his apartment building.
The elevator that happened to be on the ground floor carried him upward, revealing the long corridor of a typical apartment hallway.
Manager Choi Ho-geun paused before his front door and pressed the doorbell with a slightly quickening heart.
Moments later, his wife’s voice came through the intercom speaker.

“Who is it?”
“It’s me, honey.”
[Oh my. Is that you?]
“Yes.”

Hurried footsteps rushed toward the door, which swung open to reveal his wife, Go Jeong-suk, greeting him with a radiant smile.

“Welcome home!”

The familiar scent of home that greeted him from the entrance naturally drew a smile to Manager Choi Ho-geun’s face.
Only now did it truly feel like he had come home.

“Where are the children?”
“They’re still at school at this hour.”
“Ah, that’s right.”

Manager Choi Ho-geun scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.
His wife then cast a sidelong glance and spoke with a hint of disappointment.

“You come home after months away and only ask about the children? It seems you didn’t miss me at all?”

Upon seeing his wife standing with her arms crossed, wearing an apron, Manager Choi Ho-geun’s instincts as a married man triggered an immediate alarm.
Sensing he was about to get thoroughly scolded on his first day back home, Manager Choi Ho-geun hastily tried to appease her.

“That’s not true. You know how much I’ve missed you.”
“Hmph. I don’t believe you.”

Cold sweat beading on his forehead, Manager Choi Ho-geun suddenly remembered the item Seok-won had given him, and his expression brightened with recognition.

“Come on. I’m serious. Just wait a moment.”

Manager Choi Ho-geun immediately opened the large suitcase he’d purchased in the United States and retrieved the paper bag he’d tucked inside.

“Here. Take this.”

Go Jeong-suk, who had been deliberately pouting to tease her husband, widened her eyes upon seeing the paper bag emblazoned with the prominent Gucci logo.

“My goodness! What is this?”

Seeing his wife’s immediate interest, Manager Choi Ho-geun responded with unmistakable pride.

“What do you think? I went to a department store in New York, thought of you, and decided to splurge on it.”
“Really?”
“Of course. They said it’s a new release that hasn’t even launched in the domestic market yet.”

Manager Choi Ho-geun spoke with confident shoulders, as if he hadn’t hesitated for a moment.

“Unbelievable! Since when did you become so thoughtful? Giving me such a tasteful gift.”

As his delighted wife pulled a box from the paper bag, Manager Choi Ho-geun silently apologized to Seok-won in his heart.

‘I’m sorry, sir.’

In truth, he’d never even visited a Gucci store—Seok-won had arranged everything—but as long as his wife was happy, wasn’t that what mattered?
As his wife opened the box, a rich brown leather handbag emerged, its distinctive Gucci print and gleaming gold Horsebit hardware catching the light.

“Oh my! How beautiful.”

His wife clasped her hands together and let out a delighted squeal, then rushed to the mirror, her face beaming as she held the handbag in her hands, draped it over her shoulder, and paraded it about like a fashion show.

‘If I’d known she’d be this happy, I should’ve bought her a bag or two long ago.’

Choi Ho-geun stood awkwardly, watching his wife’s elated expression, lost in thought.
In truth, someone of Choi Ho-geun’s position had more than enough financial means to gift his wife a luxury handbag once a year on occasions like anniversaries or birthdays.
But the reality was that between being consumed by work and prioritizing the children, he’d simply neglected to pay attention to his wife.
Even when he’d brought back gifts this time, he’d picked up several extra items for the children beyond what was requested, yet for his wife he’d bought nothing but cosmetics.
That’s why he felt even more apologetic, and at the same time grateful to Seok-won for thinking to bring the luxury bag.

“This isn’t too expensive, is it?”

His wife asked, her eyes sparkling like a young girl’s, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she clutched the bag to her chest.
Choi Ho-geun cleared his throat awkwardly and feigned indifference.

“It’s a bit pricey, but it’s something I can afford.”
“Honey….”

Choi Ho-geun quickly turned his head away, avoiding his wife’s tender gaze.
Seeing her expression of genuine emotion, he felt an inexplicable pang of conscience pricking at him.
Soon his wife rustled as she carefully placed the bag back in its box, then approached him with a shy smile.

“I’ll go wash up quickly, so just wait a moment.”
“Huh?”

Choi Ho-geun, who had been about to ask for food since he was hungry, looked at his wife in bewilderment.

“The children won’t be back from school for a while yet, so this is our chance.”
“No, wait. I just got here and I’m exhausted. Let me eat first….”

But his wife paid him no mind and instead winked at him playfully.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

As if a pink heart were floating behind those words, goosebumps erupted across his spine.

“W-wait, honey! The flight was tiring and I haven’t even bathed yet.”
“Then shall we bathe together?”
“…!”

Choi Ho-geun’s face drained of color as he desperately shook his head, but his wife had already turned away.

“It’s been so long since we’ve felt like newlyweds. I’ll draw a bath for you, so just undress and get in.”

With that, my wife hummed a little tune as she disappeared into the bathroom.
The moment the sound of running water grew loud from the bathroom, Manager Ho-geun collapsed onto the sofa like a puppet with cut strings.

“Why. Why is this conversation developing this way?”

Though I’d only just arrived home, an overwhelming urge to leave again surged through me.

***

Hannam-dong, Seoul.
A black Mercedes sedan glided to a stop before the tall-gated residence.
As the Attendant Secretary quickly opened the car door, Chairman Park Tae-hong and his eldest son, President Park Jin-hyung, stepped out from the back seat.
Crossing the spacious lawn and entering the main house, Mrs. Jo Deok-rye, adorned with a pearl necklace and dressed in a light housecoat, stood alongside Seok-won to greet the two men.

“You must be exhausted.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong nodded and turned his gaze toward his second son beside him.

“You’ve arrived.”
“Yes. I trust you’ve been well.”
“I’m always the same.”

With those words, Chairman Park Tae-hong removed his shoes and stepped inside.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you too, brother.”

Seok-won gave a casual greeting to President Park Jin-hyung, who followed behind, then warmly patted his shoulder in response.

“Did you wrap up your business in the United States well?”
“Reasonably well.”

President Park Jin-hyung spoke with an easy smile, unburdened by worry—his younger brother was the type who managed things competently on his own, requiring no assistance from him.

“Mother must have prepared an entire spread of dishes knowing you were coming.”
“Exactly. When I saw all that food laid out, I thought it was some kind of celebration.”
“Ha ha. That’s why I took a digestive beforehand.”

Unlike brothers from other chaebol families, the two conversed amicably as they made their way to the living room together.
Shortly after they sat down at the dining table side by side, a lavish spread of dishes arrived, just as Seok-won had mentioned.
Park Tae-hong and his two sons, who had finished their evening meal in warm harmony while praising the Gunsan Housekeeper’s culinary skills—which seemed to improve with each passing day—then moved to the Study Room.

“Please have some tea.”

After the Gunsan Housekeeper set down warm tea before the three men and left, Park Tae-hong clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“I prefer coffee, but whenever I’m home, she insists I drink this instead.”

Park Tae-hong picked up the ginger tea with a displeased expression.

“She’s only concerned about your respiratory health, Father.”

At his eldest son’s laughing remark, Park Tae-hong snorted dismissively.

“Everyone leaves when their time comes. Why should I live without eating what I want, as if I’m going to live a thousand years?”

It wasn’t just ginger tea—she served him cinnamon, schisandra, jujubes, and bellflower, along with every other tea reputed to be beneficial, and occasionally even foul-smelling herbal medicines, which was certainly a trial for the one consuming them.
Yet watching him grumble while still sipping the ginger tea without asking for coffee instead showed that Park Tae-hong was, after all, a man utterly devoted to his wife.

‘Still, he does everything Mother asks of him without complaint.’

Seeing how well they got along, Seok-won smiled faintly to himself.
Setting down his teacup and leaning back, Park Tae-hong spoke to Seok-won in a somewhat subdued voice.

“You must have heard that Samoh Group declared bankruptcy and entered court receivership a few days ago.”
“Yes.”

Samoh Group had begun by manufacturing edible oil, expanded through the timber business, then ventured into shipping and specialty steel, growing into a major conglomerate.
Following Hanwha Group’s collapse, even Samoh Group—ranked 26th in the business world—declaring bankruptcy intensified fears of a chain reaction of insolvencies throughout the financial sector.
Particularly since Samoh Group operated Uni Department Store in Busan, Park Tae-hong felt this bankruptcy strike even closer to home.

“Though they had accumulated significant debt from reckless business expansion and the specialty steel market downturn, they had secured 700 billion won in liquidity by selling their specialty steel equipment to Pohang Steel last year, so I thought they were stable. Their sudden bankruptcy was truly shocking.”

Park Tae-hong nodded slightly at his eldest son’s account.
Then, as was his habit, he took a cigarette from the wooden box on the table, placed it between his lips, and lit it.

“It’s all a consequence of the market liquidity drying up after Hanwha Group’s collapse.”

In fact, Samoh Group had significantly reduced its debt ratio to 100% through restructuring over the past two years.
Yet when banks, saddled with trillions of won in loans to the now-bankrupt Hanwha Group, tightened credit and refused to extend maturity dates, Samoh Group had no choice but to collapse.
Seok-won, who had foreseen this outcome, spoke with calm resignation.

“The real misfortune for Samoh Group was that they happened to have Ilhan Bank as their primary banking partner—the same bank that Hanwha Group relied on.”

Park Jin-hyung, observing his younger brother across from him, asked with a grave expression.

“Will these difficult circumstances continue for a while longer?”

Park Tae-hong, too, watched with curiosity as he held a cigarette between his fingers, waiting for Seok-won’s answer.
Under the weight of both their gazes, Seok-won spoke with absolute conviction.

“The real crisis hasn’t even arrived yet. This is merely the rain and wind that precedes the typhoon.”

Both Park Jin-hyung and Park Tae-hong started in alarm, their eyebrows shooting upward.
Park Tae-hong, who had been leaning back in his chair, straightened up abruptly and pressed further.

“Are you saying an even greater typhoon is coming?”

Seok-won nodded gravely.

“Yes. Do you think only these two groups that have already defaulted are facing liquidity crises? I’m certain it’s far more widespread. Considering that most domestic companies have pursued reckless expansion and facility upgrades riding the wave of the three-low boom, there are countless groups carrying time bombs waiting to detonate.”

Park Tae-hong nodded in agreement, his expression grave.

“Your second son is right. If you hadn’t dissuaded me, we would have massively increased our debt by expanding the China manufacturing plant.”
“Exactly. Just thinking about what would have happened if we hadn’t heeded Seok-won’s counsel back then makes me shudder.”

Park Tae-hong himself would sometimes wake in the dead of night, clutching his chest at the mere thought of those days.
Had he ignored Seok-won’s warnings and pushed ahead with the China factory expansion, he would not be able to sleep peacefully now, burdened by debt problems.
Park Tae-hong gazed at his second son with gentle eyes and spoke.

“Which is why I’m considering this—the exchange rate is favorable, so I’m thinking of converting some of the dollar reserves we’ve set aside and using them to pay off part of the loans coming due next month. What do you think?”

Hearing this, Seok-won furrowed his brow and asked.

“Is the bank demanding repayment?”
“Not exactly. They said that if we make a partial repayment, they could set the additional interest rate—which has risen significantly during the maturity extension—at a lower level.”

With the cascade of corporate defaults driving up lending rates far beyond their previous levels, it was an enticing proposal.
But Seok-won shot back with unwavering conviction, as if there was nothing to deliberate.

“No. We absolutely cannot sell dollars right 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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