Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 411

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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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411. Whose son is he? I’m truly impressed.

Seoul Gwanghwamun Government Complex Building 1.

“It’s done! The exchange rate that surged to 2,067 won per dollar is collapsing.”

Jung Ji-hoon, the Financial Policy Director, burst through the door and shouted loudly.
At his words, Choi Jin-woo, the Deputy Prime Minister of Economy, and Shin Seung-gi, the Vice Minister, both sitting anxiously on the sofa, let out sighs of relief.

“Phew. Watching the rate climb past 2,000 won was eating me alive—I thought I’d turn to ash. Now we’re saved.”
“Indeed. Every time the exchange rate rose, I felt my blood draining away.”

Vice Minister Shin Seung-gi also wiped the worry from his face and replied with relief.

“Even knowing the Eldorado Fund would step in, my heart was in my throat. I feel like I’ve aged a decade in these past hours.”

One mistake could have forced the nation to declare bankruptcy—it had been a terrifying moment where every second felt like an eternity of tension.

“How are the currency speculators reacting?”

Deputy Prime Minister Choi Jin-woo looked up and asked Director Jung Ji-hoon.

“The moment the Eldorado Fund poured in over 4 billion dollars at once, they panicked. They didn’t dare to resist and frantically covered their short positions by buying back the won they’d sold.”
“To deploy such a massive sum all at once—even a hedge fund would have been terrified.”

Vice Minister Shin Seung-gi chimed in agreement with Deputy Prime Minister Choi Jin-woo’s admiration.

“Exactly. He was confident he could crush the speculators, and it seems he had every reason to be.”
“Ha! That Park—I knew he’d have the skill to humble those currency speculators beautifully.”

Deputy Prime Minister Choi Jin-woo nodded vigorously, unable to hide the joy spreading across his face.
Vice Minister Shin Seung-gi then leaned forward and spoke.

“While we have this momentum, why don’t we announce that we’ve arranged to receive the second tranche of 8.5 billion dollars from the IMF and other international financial institutions ahead of schedule? That would completely break the speculators’ will to fight.”
“That’s an excellent idea.”

Choi Jin-woo, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, instructed Jung Ji-hoon with unmistakable enthusiasm.

“Release a press statement to domestic and international media immediately. Drive a wedge into the falling exchange rate.”
“Understood, sir.”

Jung Ji-hoon responded with vigor and promptly turned to leave the office.
Watching him go, Choi Jin-woo leaned back into the plush sofa, murmuring with satisfaction.

“Thinking about those currency speculators who tormented us now facing their comeuppance… it feels like a decade-old knot in my chest has finally loosened.”

A genuine smile—one I hadn’t worn in ages—spread across my face.

* * *

Seoul Mapo Daeheung Group Headquarters.

“Yes. I understand.”

Park Tae-hong set down the receiver, seated at his expansive mahogany desk.
The furrow between my brows smoothed away, and a soft chuckle escaped my lips.

“Ha. That boy.”

Pride in my younger son’s capable handling mingled with relief that my earlier worries had been unfounded.
Still wearing a satisfied smile, I heard a knock before Jung Yun-kyung entered.

“Seo Jin-hyung, the Finance Director, has arrived.”
“Show him in.”

I resumed my composed expression and replied.

“Yes, sir.”

Moments later, Seo Jin-hyung appeared in a gray suit, visibly anxious.
I immediately grasped the reason for his visit but deliberately concealed it as I asked.

“What brings you here?”

Seo Jin-hyung approached the desk, bit his lip tightly, and spoke with urgency.

“The exchange rate that surged to 2,000 won is breaking down and falling sharply now.”

Park Tae-hong suppressed the laughter threatening to burst from within as he heard the expected news, then spoke.

“I’m aware.”

At his calm response, Seo Jin-hyung’s complexion darkened further.
He seemed to think Park Tae-hong didn’t know how drastically the exchange rate had plummeted, and anxiety spread across his face.

“It’s dropped nearly 200 won at once and has come down to 1,730 won now.”
“When I checked just a moment ago, it was 1,800 won. This collapse is terrifying.”

Yet despite his words, Park Tae-hong’s demeanor was as though he were observing someone else’s affairs.
Then Seo Jin-hyung, growing impatient, blurted out urgently.

“We’ve lost a full 337 won from the peak. Shouldn’t we hurry to exchange dollars before it drops further?”

Unlike Seo Jin-hyung, who couldn’t hide his anxiety about the exchange rate falling further, Park Tae-hong remained composed.

“We exchanged at below 1,000 won per dollar, so strictly speaking, we haven’t incurred a loss yet.”
“Of course, that’s true, but….”

Park Tae-hong raised one arm and cut off Seo Jin-hyung mid-sentence.

“We’ve already converted all the dollars, so don’t worry.”
“The exchange rate is falling at an alarming pace… What?”

Watching Seo Jin-hyung blink in surprise, Park Tae-hong smiled at the corners of his mouth.
Then he spoke with a hint of pride.

“I was worried too, so I just contacted Seok-won and he said he’s already finished the currency exchange.”
“Is that truly the case?”

As Seo Jin-hyung asked in return, trying to suppress his surprise, Park Tae-hong nodded his head.

“Yes. He converted all the entrusted funds at the peak of 2,067 won.”
“…!”

Seo Jin-hyung, the financial director, widened his eyes once more in astonishment.
He had exchanged dollars at the absolute peak, as if he had known the exchange rate would fall, so there was no helping his amazement.
Unaware that Seok-won was the very architect behind the plummeting exchange rate, Seo Jin-hyung could not contain his admiration at the exquisite timing of the currency conversion.

“How on earth….”

Watching Seo Jin-hyung, too stunned to form words with his mouth agape, Park Tae-hong wore a smug expression.

“I told you that fellow has a natural talent for making money.”
“Exchange rates are truly difficult to predict. To sell at precisely the peak like this—I can only say it’s remarkable.”

Seo Jin-hyung shook his head in admiration.

“Heh heh.”

Park Tae-hong made no attempt to conceal the smile escaping his lips, his mouth corners twitching upward.

“He says he’ll deposit the converted funds into the group account within two or three days, so keep that in mind.”
“Yes. But with such substantial currency gains, the amount should be….”

Watching Seo Jin-hyung calculate mentally, Park Tae-hong spoke first.

“It comes to roughly 843.6 billion won, he said.”
“Gasp!”

Upon hearing the figure, Seo Jin-hyung let out a breathless sound.
It was a natural reaction—in mere months, through operational returns and currency gains, he had nearly tripled the principal investment.
Park Tae-hong felt genuinely pleased inside, but deliberately tossed out the words as if it were nothing.

“With this much, we won’t need to worry about funds for a while.”

Seo Jin-hyung responded with an enthusiastic expression.

“Beyond just operational capital, we could even resume the investments we’ve had to postpone during our austerity measures.”
“Ha ha ha. That’s right.”

Park Tae-hong, laughing with genuine pleasure, leaned back in his chair with an air of ease.

“Thanks to the second one, we’ve got some breathing room, but the economy is still sluggish and liquidity is drying up. For now, let’s maintain the status quo and observe the situation a bit longer.”
“Understood.”

Seo Jin-hyung, the CFO who gave a brief reply, glanced cautiously before speaking in a measured tone.

“Your investment acumen seems quite exceptional, sir. Rather than keeping the group’s surplus funds in deposits or bonds, what if we allocated a portion to have the younger chairman manage it?”
“You’re suggesting we entrust fund management to the second son?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Hmm.”

Park Tae-hong, considering the reasonable proposal, crossed his arms and fell into contemplation.

“Until now, we’ve managed our cash reserves through deposits, trusts, and bonds. There’s the advantage of being able to withdraw quickly whenever needed, but as you know, the interest rates aren’t particularly generous.”
“The returns are indeed meager.”
“On the other hand, if we entrust it to the younger chairman, even if we don’t see returns like this time, a 20 to 30 percent profit would be far more advantageous.”

Seo Jin-hyung pressed forward with his persuasion, apparently shocked by the results of entrusting funds to Seok-won.

“That’s true, but with investments, it’s difficult to guarantee profits every time.”

Park Tae-hong displayed a more cautious stance, but Seo Jin-hyung didn’t back down easily.

“That’s precisely why I’m suggesting only a portion, not everything.”
“I see.”

Park Tae-hong was the person who best understood Seok-won’s investment prowess, so naturally he’d entertained similar thoughts before.
But investments always carried risk.
If he entrusted money and suffered losses, it would create difficulties not only for himself but also for his second son.
Especially since these were group funds, there was the risk of the matter escalating into accusations of embezzlement and breach of fiduciary duty by the controlling family—making him all the more cautious.
Yet when Seo Jin-hyung broached the subject first, his interest was rekindled.
Moreover, seeing how Seok-won had generated foreign exchange gains and significantly increased the group’s surplus funds strengthened his confidence.
Even the cautious Seo Jin-hyung appeared completely captivated by Seok-won’s exceptional investment abilities, transcending the fact that he was the controlling family.

“Chairman.”
“Wait a moment.”

Park Tae-hong, exercising the restraint befitting a group chairman and reconsidering rather than making an impulsive decision, suddenly furrowed his brow.

“Everything’s fine, but the management fee is exorbitant. Taking 20 percent—the boy’s like a highway robber. I suppose I should be grateful he’s giving us a family discount at that rate.”

At his grumbling remark, Seo Jin-hyung, the financial director, offered an awkward smile.

“The management fee isn’t cheap, but it still generates returns more than sufficient to justify the cost, doesn’t it?”
“Tsk. Well, that’s true enough.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong wore a sullen expression before breaking into a quiet chuckle.

“So I can’t really find fault with it.”

As Chairman Park Tae-hong subtly began boasting about his second son, Seo Jin-hyung played along, pretending not to notice.

“It’s not as though we’re paying a flat fee regardless of performance—we only pay when there are actual returns. In that sense, it’s quite favorable to us. And it also shows his confidence in delivering results.”
“Exactly.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong nodded in agreement.

“For now, I’ll discuss entrusting the surplus funds with the other executives and make a decision.”
“Understood.”
“If there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.”

Seo Jin-hyung bowed slightly and turned to leave the Chairman’s Office.
Once the door closed, Chairman Park Tae-hong, now alone, leaned back against the plush chair and let a satisfied smile spread across his face.

“Eight hundred billion won… The losses we suffered from the foreign exchange crisis have been completely recovered in one stroke thanks to my second son.”

Indeed, Midopa Department Store, the group’s flagship subsidiary and reliable cash cow, had seen its sales plummet due to the economic downturn, causing the entire group’s performance to collapse.
Despite implementing austerity measures, substantial losses had been inevitable.
But thanks to Seok-won, the group had generated billions in non-operating profits, delivering an earnings surprise with a significant surplus compared to the previous quarter instead of losses.

“Hehe. Whose son is he—I’m so proud I could burst.”

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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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