Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 45

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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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45. Something like the Real Name Financial System would be quite a significant shock.

Go Young-il, a lean-framed executive director at Daeheung Securities, passed through the corridor with a hardened expression and entered the President’s Office on the 10th Floor.

“Welcome, Director.”

Go Young-il acknowledged the Female Secretary’s greeting with a slight nod and asked her a question.

“Is the President inside?”
“Yes. Please wait just a moment.”

The Female Secretary rose from her desk, excused herself to Go Young-il, stepped into the President’s Office, and returned moments later with her response.

“He says you may come in.”

Upon hearing this, Go Young-il immediately moved forward, passed the Female Secretary who had stepped aside, and entered the inner office.
Choi Jin-woo, the President, who had been seated at his expansive desk, tilted his head slightly, appearing somewhat taken aback by the sudden visit.

“What brings you here?”
“I’ve come to report something to you.”

Noticing from Go Young-il’s rigid expression that something unusual had occurred, Choi Jin-woo gestured toward the sofa in front of him and offered him a seat.

“Please, sit.”

Once Go Young-il had settled onto the sofa, Choi Jin-woo rose from his desk, walked around it, and took the seat of honor before asking a question.

“What would you like to drink?”
“That’s not necessary.”

Upon hearing this response, Choi Jin-woo’s brow furrowed slightly.
It sounded as though Go Young-il had something so urgent to convey that he didn’t even have time for tea.

“Very well. Tell me what this is about.”

Go Young-il then explained the purpose of his visit to Choi Jin-woo.

“This morning, I received a report from Park Team Leader regarding the investment fund management plan.”
“I expected it would take about a week to grasp the operations, but he’s quick—must be because he’s young.”

President Choi Jin-woo, his expression grave, turned his gaze toward Director Go Young-il, who sat across from him, and asked.

“Looking at your face, it seems there’s something that doesn’t sit right with you.”
“He’s applied for a credit loan using 5 billion won in investment funds as collateral.”

At this unexpected revelation, President Choi Jin-woo tilted his head in confusion.

“Did you say a credit loan?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What does he plan to do with the borrowed funds?”
“He intends to engage in short selling.”

At the mention of short selling, President Choi Jin-woo’s brow immediately furrowed.

“Do you know what’s even more absurd?”
“….”
“The stocks he plans to short include Korea Electric Power and the top five companies by market capitalization.”
“Hmm.”

As President Choi Jin-woo, arms crossed, let out a low murmur, Director Go Young-il launched into an impassioned tirade, his expression one of utter disbelief.

“Short selling in a bull market like this is already outrageous, but targeting the top five companies by market cap? This is absolutely insane.”

It was entirely understandable that Director Go Young-il would react this way—shorting the most market-cap-heavy stocks with the best price performance during a sustained bull market was nothing short of reckless.
President Choi Jin-woo, too, could not conceal his bewilderment.
Director Go Young-il, his face hardened, leaned forward in his seat and spoke with an urgent appeal in his voice.

“Regardless of how much autonomy he’s been granted in investment decisions, this outcome is painfully obvious. We cannot simply stand by and watch.”

President Choi Jin-woo uncrossed his arms and looked at Director Go Young-il.

“Are you suggesting we apply the brakes and prevent the short selling?”

Upon receiving his gaze, Director Go Young-il immediately nodded.

“Yes, sir. If we allow this to proceed, not only will he squander the operating funds, but the company will suffer considerable losses as well.”

Since I was investing against the market, if I short-sold stocks and they rose instead, the losses would be entirely mine to bear.
Of course, if the shorted stocks fell, I’d make substantial profits, but the problem was that no one believed the companies I wanted to sell would actually decline.
With anyone else, I would have immediately told them to stop, but since it was Park Seok-won, I couldn’t do that.
Director Go Young-il couldn’t apply the brakes on his end either, which was why he’d come to find President Choi Jin-woo.
However, since Chairman Park Tae-hong had personally guaranteed discretionary authority over the investments, President Choi Jin-woo couldn’t give an immediate answer either.
President Choi Jin-woo, who had never imagined such a massive blunder would occur right after arrival, stroked his chin with one hand and muttered.

“This is quite a predicament.”

If I followed Chairman Park Tae-hong’s instructions, I’d have to let it be, but the scale of what Park Seok-won was attempting to do was simply too large.
Frankly, even if the short-selling resulted in massive losses, Park Seok-won, being part of the owning family, would only face criticism from Chairman Park Tae-hong—and that would be the end of it.
But that wasn’t the case for President Choi Jin-woo and Director Go Young-il.

‘No matter what the Chairman said, if the losses are significant, my career will inevitably suffer.’

Since it would be difficult to hold Park Seok-won accountable, there was a high likelihood that someone else would end up taking the fall.
After deliberating for some time on what to do, President Choi Jin-woo finally opened his mouth with a cautious expression.

“This doesn’t seem to be a decision we should make at our level.”
“Then what do you intend to do?”
“I’ll need to inform the Chairman.”

Director Go Young-il immediately agreed with enthusiasm, as this was the only way to reduce responsibility in such a difficult situation.

“That’s an excellent idea.”

President Choi Jin-woo, still seated on the sofa, turned his body to the side and pressed the keyphone button installed on the side table.

[Yes, President.]
“Connect me to the Chairman’s Office at Headquarters.”
[Understood.]

President Choi Jin-woo straightened in his seat and pondered how best to convey the message while waiting for the call to connect.

* * *

That afternoon.
As the Elevator doors opened, I stepped out and walked briskly down the familiar corridor—I’d been here several times before.
Upon entering the anteroom, Lee Chae-yeon, dressed in a navy two-piece suit, recognized me first from near the door and greeted me.

“Oh my! Welcome.”

At that, the other secretarial staff members who had been working at their desks quickly rose to their feet and bowed their heads.

“Please come in.”
“It’s been a while, everyone.”

I responded with a smile to the staff members who greeted me in unison, then gestured toward the inner door.

“The Chairman is in, right?”

At that, Choo Se-young quickly stood up and hurried over.

“Yes. He’s been waiting for you.”
“Got it.”

As I nodded, I suddenly remembered something and spoke to Choo Se-young.

“By the way, I’ve been meaning to tell you this when we met.”
“Me, sir?”
“You took the graduation photos so beautifully. Thank you.”
“Oh! You mean those.”

Choo Se-young answered with a bright smile.

“I did work hard on them, so I’m really glad you’re pleased with them.”
“They turned out so well that they could rival professional work. My mother was very satisfied with them too.”
“Your mother praised them as well, then.”

Choo Se-young beamed with delight at having his efforts recognized, his face radiating joy.
At that moment, Jung Yun-kyung, who had been standing at her desk, adjusted her horn-rimmed glasses with one hand and cast a sharp, piercing gaze.

“Choo Se-young, what are you doing? The Chairman is waiting inside.”

Behind her curt, clipped words, an echo of “get your act together” seemed to ring out like a phantom sound.
Choo Se-young swallowed hard and hastily stepped aside.

“Oh goodness! Please go right in.”

It was a scene of a mouse before a cat—utterly defenseless.
I suppressed a smile and moved forward, knocking lightly before opening the door and stepping inside.
In the spacious Chairman’s Office, Chairman Park Tae-hong, dressed in a white dress shirt, sat on the sofa with Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho, waiting for me.

“Come here and sit down.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong, seated in the place of honor, turned his head to look at me, then gestured with his chin toward the sofa.
I exchanged a nod with Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho on my left, then took the empty seat across from him.
Lee Chae-yeon, who had followed me in, asked carefully.

“What would you like me to prepare for drinks?”
“Bring coffee.”
“Understood.”

After Lee Chae-yeon closed the door and left, Chairman Park Tae-hong, who had been sitting with one leg crossed, spoke to his second son in a deliberately angry tone.

“You bastard. Was this what you wanted investment discretion for—to pull something like this?”

I had sensed the reason roughly from the moment I received the summons, so I responded calmly without showing any sign of intimidation.

“It seems President Choi called you.”
“That’s right! He said you were planning to short-sell with 5 billion won—is that true?”
“No.”
“What?”
“The 5 billion is collateral. I’m planning to obtain a credit loan and short-sell 10 billion won.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong, who had been listening carefully thinking something might have been miscommunicated, suddenly contorted his face at my explanation.

“Are you playing word games with me right now?”

Despite Chairman Park Tae-hong’s angry expression, I answered with an unruffled demeanor.

“That’s not it. I’m simply telling you the facts as they are.”
“You little bastard!”

Just as Chairman Park Tae-hong was about to raise his voice, there came a knock at the door.

“Excuse me. I’ve brought the coffee.”

Lee Chae-yeon, carrying the tray, sensed the tension in the air and stopped in her tracks.

“Ugh.”

Park Tae-hong, the Chairman, made a pained sound and gestured with his hand for her to leave quickly.
Lee Chae-yeon, reading the room, set down the coffee cups one by one on the table and hurried back out.
Only after the door closed did Gil Seong-ho, the Chief Secretary, speak quietly.

“The young master must have his reasons for acting this way. Perhaps we should hear his explanation first.”

Park Tae-hong pressed his temple with one hand as if struck by a migraine, his eyes narrowing into sharp slits as he fixed his gaze on Seok-won.

“You’re not unaware that foreign capital is flooding in and the domestic stock market is in a bull run.”
“No, sir.”
“And yet you want to short sell despite knowing this?”

Under his probing stare, Seok-won answered calmly.

“Because we can make substantial profits that way.”

Park Tae-hong furrowed his brow in disbelief and turned to Gil Seong-ho, who sat on the left sofa.

“Listen, Chief Secretary Gil.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Short selling makes money when stock prices fall, doesn’t it?”
“That’s correct.”
“So how exactly do you expect to profit in a bull market like this?”

As Gil Seong-ho struggled to respond, his expression troubled, Seok-won interjected.

“It’s simple. Just as you said, stock prices will soon fall.”
“You just said the domestic market is in a bull run—how can you claim prices will fall!”

Park Tae-hong struck the armrest of his sofa hard with his palm, his voice thundering like lightning.
Gil Seong-ho also stared at him with an expression of disbelief.
With not only the flood of foreign capital but also increased exports and expectations of economic recovery driving stock prices, trading volumes, and customer deposits to surge, it was only natural that most analysts predicted the bull market would continue through the second half of the year.

‘In reality, next year the composite stock index will surpass 1,000 points again, and the market will enter a prolonged boom for years to come.’

Seok-won met Chairman Park Tae-hong’s gaze directly, his voice taking on a serious edge.

“It’s undeniable that Korea’s economy and stock market are riding a major uptrend.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“The market will continue climbing, but no matter how favorable conditions are, it’s impossible to rise without any turbulence along the way.”
“…?”
“Just this past week alone, the index hit its yearly high and then dropped roughly thirty points, showing signs of correction for several days now.”
“That’s simply the market catching its breath after climbing relentlessly without pause—nothing more than that.”

Seok-won nodded at Chairman Park Tae-hong’s rebuttal, accepting his point gracefully.

“You’re right. But when the market catches its breath, it also means market participants are growing uneasy about stock prices that have surged so dramatically.”
“….”

The composite stock index, which had hovered around 610 just two years prior, had now surged nearly two hundred points to exceed 800—hardly surprising to call it overheated.

“If a major shock hits under these conditions, what do you think would happen?”

Seok-won continued, watching Chairman Park Tae-hong’s brow furrow slightly.

“Before anyone can calculate how the fallout would spread, they’ll all dump their stocks first and ask questions later.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong then countered with an indifferent expression.

“For your scenario to play out, it would take something extraordinary. How could you possibly know whether such a shock will come or not?”

As Chairman Park Tae-hong’s thick brows shot upward sharply, Seok-won spoke in a measured, deliberate tone.

“The Real Name Financial Transaction System would be quite a significant shock, wouldn’t 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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