Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 417

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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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417. All Four

“Have a good day at work.”

Oh Chang-il, a department head at Hansung Bank with eight years of service, left home escorted by his wife to the entrance.
After walking about ten minutes along a sloped street lined with row houses of various sizes, the subway station came into view.
The spacious platform was already packed with office workers and students heading to work.
Oh Chang-il, who had waited in line, barely managed to squeeze onto the second train that arrived.
Standing among the densely packed crowd during morning rush hour, he felt his breath catching in his throat.
At least winter made it bearable, but in summer, the heat and sweat emanating from everyone around him made the subway a living hell.
After four stops, a group of students rushed off, and finally there was a bit more breathing room.
Oh Chang-il moved toward the window seat where it was slightly more comfortable and gripped the handrail.
Going through this every morning had drained him; his shoulders sagged with exhaustion.
As Oh Chang-il exhaled a sigh, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the newspaper being read by a salaryman in his late thirties sitting directly in front of him.

[Large-Scale Layoffs Announced at Troubled Financial Institutions]

Oh Chang-il couldn’t tear his eyes from the headline printed in bold, large letters.
Until now, Korea had never experienced layoffs.
It had been taken for granted that once you graduated and joined a company, you would work there until retirement.

‘But the foreign exchange crisis has changed everything completely.’

At the behest of the International Monetary Fund, layoffs and the legalization of temporary worker dispatch systems had been confirmed under the guise of financial industry modernization.
Upon hearing this news, not just Oh Chang-il but all bank employees were greatly unsettled.
At first, they thought it couldn’t be true, but when the layoff law actually passed through the National Assembly, anxiety about potentially losing their jobs overwhelmed them.
On top of everything, Hansung Bank, where Oh Chang-il worked, had merged with Ilhan Bank due to the foreign exchange crisis, creating an unsettling atmosphere.
With rumors circulating that layoffs could actually be implemented, work became impossible to focus on.
Around him, people whispered that layoff lists had already been drawn up, that thousands would be dismissed, and everyone anxiously wondered if their own names might be on that list.
Every time such rumors reached Oh Chang-il’s ears, he trembled with anxiety inside.
He still hadn’t paid off the mortgage on his apartment, and with the economy in poor condition, finding new employment wouldn’t be easy. If he really did get laid off, he had no idea what he would do.
Recalling his wife’s bright, innocent face as she saw him off without knowing anything, Oh Chang-il found himself exhaling a deep sigh.

“Sigh.”

Just as the subway arrived at Euljiro Station, his destination, Oh Chang-il retrieved his briefcase and exited before the doors closed.
He emerged from the station at a brisk pace and headed up to the Personal Credit Assessment Department at the Headquarters.
Though it was still early, just past 8:10 a.m., most of the staff had already arrived.

“Manager, you’re here.”
“Good morning.”

Acknowledging the greetings, Oh Chang-il set his briefcase on his desk, then removed his coat and jacket together, hanging them on the rack behind him.
As he settled into his chair, Hwang Ju-hyung, a deputy with a slightly receding hairline and thick eyebrows, leaned his upper body over the partition that reached to his waist and spoke to him.

“Manager, have you heard the rumors?”
“What rumors?”

Oh Chang-il replied listlessly as he opened a file folder he’d been looking at yesterday.

“They’re closing the branch offices in Hyochang-dong and Sinsa-dong.”

Oh Chang-il paused and looked up at Hwang Ju-hyung.

“Really?”

Hwang Ju-hyung nodded at his gaze.

“Yes. I met with some colleagues from my cohort yesterday and had a drink. One of them in the Planning Department mentioned it.”
“Hmm.”

Oh Chang-il let out a low sigh without realizing it.
The Hyochang-dong branch, where he had worked for about two years during his early days, was one of the oldest and most historically significant branches among Hansung Bank’s locations.
With strong performance always ranking in the top 30, the news of its closure was undeniably shocking.

“What’s the reason?”

Trying to suppress his surprise, he asked about the reason for the closure, and Hwang Ju-hyung answered immediately.

“Both locations have Ilhan Bank branches nearby, the ones we’re merging with this time. Since there’s no need to operate two branch offices so close together, they’re consolidating all the redundant branches.”
“I see.”

Oh Chang-il understood the necessity of streamlining redundant branches for efficient management and had anticipated it to some degree.
Yet now that branch closures were actually beginning, he felt an inexplicable sense of frustration and unease.

“Both of our branches are significantly larger and better located than Ilhan Bank’s. Shouldn’t we be closing their branch instead of ours?”

Hwang Ju-hyung pouted and vented his frustration.
Oh Chang-il shared the same sentiment, but as a middle manager, he couldn’t very well join in criticizing the bank’s executives, so he deliberately gave a brief, evasive response.

“The higher-ups must have their reasons.”
“But still….”

Hwang Ju-hyung glanced around cautiously and lowered his voice.

“I heard they’re planning to lay off over five thousand people before Christmas. If this happens, doesn’t that mean it’s really going to happen?”
“Stop spouting nonsense and get back to work.”

Oh Chang-il frowned and shut down Hwang Ju-hyung’s speculation.

“Did you finish the proposal I asked you to organize yesterday? Wrap it up this morning and bring it to me.”
“Y-yes! I’m almost done!”

Hwang Ju-hyung scrambled to respond and quickly ducked below his partition.
Watching him, Oh Chang-il clicked his tongue and turned his gaze back to the documents spread before him.
But the words wouldn’t focus in his mind—only the talk of layoffs kept circling in his thoughts.
They said anyone with five or more years of service was a target, and even if they claimed they’d cut low performers first, with five thousand positions being eliminated, he couldn’t shake the anxiety that he might be included.

“Sigh.”

Finally, Oh Chang-il exhaled softly and closed his file folder.
He’d thought about going to the break room for a cigarette since he couldn’t concentrate anyway, but then he remembered the morning briefing was coming up, so he smacked his lips and remained at his desk.
Just then, Lim Su-ho, whose belly protruded slightly, entered the office with a bright expression as if something good had happened yesterday.
Rather than heading straight to his seat, he stood in the middle of the office and clapped his hands lightly.

“Alright, everyone! Pay attention.”

As Oh Chang-il and the staff lifted their heads from their desks to look at him, Lim Su-ho raised his voice slightly.

“You all know the National Assembly passed the layoff bill.”
“…Yes.”
“Yes.”

When Manager Lim Su-ho finally uttered the word “restructuring”—a term everyone had been whispering about—all eyes widened with the grim recognition that the moment they’d been dreading had arrived.
The office atmosphere plummeted in an instant, yet Manager Lim Su-ho pressed forward without hesitation.

“You’re all probably anxious about whether your names might appear on that list. I understand—I felt the same way.”

If restructuring were to proceed, those with higher seniority and larger salaries—particularly managers who weren’t union members—would likely be the first to face termination.

“But now you can all rest easy. Our bank will have zero layoffs.”

The employees, who had been wearing expressions of despair, suddenly erupted in surprised murmurs at this unexpected announcement.
Among the bewildered staff, Oh Chang-il rose to his feet and asked.

“Manager, is that really true?”
“It is.”

Manager Lim Su-ho nodded emphatically, his face breaking into a broad smile.
He then turned to address all his subordinates with further explanation.

“I heard from the Executive Vice President that the Eldorado Fund, which has acquired management rights, has promised 100% employment continuity with zero layoffs. Instead, there will be personnel reallocation and training for new responsibilities.”

Though departmental reorganization and job training lay ahead, the employees were overjoyed at the prospect of not being forced out during these difficult times.

“I was so worried about getting laid off—what a relief.”
“Tell me about it. I couldn’t even tell my wife, and I’ve been agonizing over this alone.”
“I thought an American fund would be ruthless, but I guess I was wrong.”
“This is truly fortunate.”

Watching his subordinates chatter away with brightened faces, Manager Lim Su-ho indulged them with unusual leniency.

“An official notice will be posted by this morning at the latest. So rest assured and focus on your work!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Understood!”

The employees responded with vigorous affirmations, their faces awash with relief.
Manager Lim Su-ho, himself appearing to have shed a great burden, smiled and retreated into his office.
The employees, who had been holding their breath in fear of imminent restructuring, suddenly burst forth with animated conversation, their joy overflowing.
Oh Chang-il felt the heaviness that had weighed on his chest moments before evaporate entirely.

‘When I get home after work today, I should pick up some fried chicken—the kind my wife loves.’

With his spirits lifted, I found myself humming a tune without realizing it, approaching my work with a considerably lighter heart.
And just as Lim Su-ho had mentioned, by morning, notices regarding 100% employment succession along with surplus personnel redeployment and training programs were posted on the internal bulletin board and at each branch office.
Upon seeing this, not only the employees of Hansung Bank and Ilhan Bank but also the staff of the four Finance Companies being merged celebrated with cheers and great joy.

* * *

After a knock, Choi Ho-geun entered through the door and approached my desk, bowing respectfully before straightening up.

“You called for me.”
“Come in. Please wait just a moment.”

I signed the approval documents with my fountain pen, then rose from my seat and gestured toward the sofa in the center of the President’s Office.

“Let’s talk over there.”
“Yes.”

As I walked around the desk and settled into the seat of honor in the middle, Choi Ho-geun naturally took his place on the sofa to my right.

“The investment performance has been quite impressive.”

As I crossed one leg, Choi Ho-geun offered a slight smile.

“Just as you predicted, as the exchange rate that had surged dramatically begins to decline gradually, the stock market is also showing signs of attempting a rebound.”
“However, the exchange rate hasn’t stabilized completely yet, and with companies continuing to default, there will be fluctuations until year’s end.”
“I share the same assessment.”
“Still, from next year onward, the market will gradually establish a foundation and begin recovering. Let’s maintain our positions.”

At this positive outlook, Choi Ho-geun’s eyes gleamed as he asked.

“How high do you expect it to climb?”

I smiled gently at his eager gaze and replied.

“Given how sharply the market fell, the recovery will be equally steep and substantial. If foreign capital that has withdrawn returns, I believe we could easily surpass the previous highs and climb even further.”
“So you’re saying a major bull market is coming.”
“That’s right.”

At my confident demeanor, Choi Ho-geun responded with a slightly flushed face.

“Since you mention it that way, President, I’m already looking forward to seeing how much the stock market will rise.”

Watching him brim with excitement, I thought he was a born stock trader as I spoke.

“I called you here despite your busy schedule because there’s a stock I want to add to our buy portfolio.”
“Which one is it?”
“Modunet.”

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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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