Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 476

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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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476. Is the situation really that bad?

Early morning.
Oh Chang-won, a manager at a major corporation, left his home as usual and headed toward the Subway Station.
The staircase and interior of the station teemed with office workers commuting and students heading to school.
Watching the long lines of people, Oh Chang-won couldn’t help but sigh at the thought of enduring the packed morning commute once again.

“Ugh.”

Remembering that his cigarettes were running low, he made his way to a kiosk on one side of the platform.
Oh Chang-won pulled a five-thousand-won bill from his wallet and raised his voice toward the elderly kiosk owner who was watching television.

“Two packs of Dis.”

The aged kiosk owner took the bill with practiced ease and handed over two packs of cigarettes.

“Here you go.”

As Oh Chang-won tucked the cigarettes into his suit pocket, he spotted a newspaper stand directly in front and picked up a copy.

“Please ring this up as well.”
“Sure thing.”

After collecting his change from the kiosk owner, Oh Chang-won joined the shortest queue among the gathered lines.
He rolled up his sleeve to check his wristwatch and was relieved to see he had plenty of time—no risk of being late to the office.
With a somewhat bored expression, Oh Chang-won glanced absently at the front page of the newspaper in his hand when his eyes suddenly widened at the headline.

[Government and Hansan Group Played by Rothschild Fund]

Beneath the boldly emblazoned article title was a large black-and-white photograph of Brian Peterson, chairman of the Rothschild Fund, beaming with a bright smile.

“What is this about?”

Startled by the sensational headline, Oh Chang-won examined the article carefully.
The strike at Manyoung Machinery, a subsidiary of Hansan Group, which the government had forcibly dispersed using police power, had become a major political issue, drawing his attention all the more.

“The Rothschild Fund, tasked with improving Hansan Group’s finances, promised a ten billion dollar bridge loan investment but has only brought in three billion so far? And not only did they misappropriate the Seoul Debt Adjustment Fund—which was established with taxpayer money—like it was pocket change, but they also funneled 198.6 billion won into Hansan Group affiliates they themselves invested in… This is like entrusting a cat with fish!”

Having read only a portion of the article in the newspaper, Oh Chang-won felt his breath catch at the sheer audacity of the Rothschild Fund’s conduct.
Then, upon learning that they had received debt forgiveness of 3.95 trillion won from banks that had received public funds, and were attempting to sell off four major Hansan Group subsidiaries at rock-bottom prices to foreign buyers, his indignation erupted.
Not only Oh Chang-won, but all who encountered the exclusive story published in the Kumsung Daily News were deeply outraged by the Rothschild Fund’s contemptible and duplicitous behavior.
In the midst of dark and difficult days brought on by the cascade of bankruptcies and massive layoffs stemming from the IMF crisis, the public witnessed the shameless true face of foreign speculative capital laid bare, and the anger they had suppressed burst forth—a tide of condemnation rose fierce and unrelenting.

* * *

“I’ve brought your coffee.”

With the rich aroma of freshly ground beans, Na Seong-mi set the cup down on the desk.

“Thank you.”

After Na Seong-mi smiled and closed the door behind her, I leaned back in my chair and returned my attention to the newspaper I held, finishing what remained to be read.

“The way they filled two entire pages with this story—the newspaper clearly recognized it as a scoop that would capture the nation’s attention.”

Since the IMF crisis, the people had endured foreign media’s mockery about popping champagne too early, watching helplessly as foreign speculative capital poured into Korea, tearing apart solid companies piece by piece and acquiring them at bargain prices.
Against such a backdrop, the Kumsung Daily News’s exclusive story could not help but seize the public’s interest.
The editor-in-chief, anticipating a major success, had doubled the usual print run, yet the papers sold out instantly as word spread—a clear indication of the prevailing sentiment.
I set down the newspaper with a cold smile.

“They were siphoning money left and right, preparing to sell off companies at rock-bottom prices, and suddenly the brakes have been applied. By now, the Rothschild Fund must be in complete chaos.”

Just then, my phone vibrated. I picked it up from the corner of my desk.
It was Choi Bok-rak, who had received his party nomination and become a National Assembly member with my assistance in the last by-election.

[I’m here.]
“I was just about to call you, actually.”
[I’m planning to raise an urgent interpellation regarding the Rothschild Fund during the National Assembly plenary session beginning shortly, just as you mentioned.]

I felt a spark of interest flash across my eyes as I asked.

“Won’t it look like a ruling party member attacking the government?”

Choi Bok-rak answered without hesitation, his tone resolute.

“Even if they’re from the Ruling Party, pointing out what’s wrong is wrong—that’s something I believe benefits not just the people, but the Blue House and the government as well.”

While such principled convictions were indeed my nature, there was also a calculated undercurrent: by taking the lead in criticizing the government at precisely the moment when public interest and outrage were about to boil over, I could dramatically elevate my insufficient public recognition.
Without such calculation, even if Seok-won had asked, I would have moved reluctantly at best—never with such active enthusiasm.

“You speak wisely.”
“After reviewing the materials you sent, I discovered that the Rothschild Fund claimed to invest 600 billion won while acquiring management rights of Manyoung Machinery from Hansan Group, yet actually invested only 189 billion won. And then they procured the remaining 316 billion won in acquisition funds through domestic banks including the Industrial Bank. Truly shameless operators.”

Coming from the Securities Supervisory Service, I had little difficulty discerning the Rothschild Fund’s schemes.

‘That’s precisely why I selected Representative Choi Bok-rak as the speaker to publicize this matter heavily in the National Assembly.’

Wasn’t pinning that gold badge on Representative Choi Bok-rak exactly for moments like this?
And with foundational knowledge in place, he could explain far more logically than other National Assembly members how the Rothschild Fund was duping the Korean government and draining the people’s tax coffers.

“If Representative Choi’s efforts frustrate the Rothschild Fund’s attempt to sell Hansan Group subsidiaries at bargain prices, you’ll be preventing massive national wealth from hemorrhaging away.”

At my subtle flattery, Choi Bok-rak responded with an energized voice.

“That would indeed be meaningful work for me.”

Then murmurs erupted from behind him, and Choi Bok-rak hurried to continue.

“Oh dear. The main session is about to begin, so I must end this call.”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll contact you again next time.”

After ending the call, I set the phone back down on the desk.
Then I lifted my teacup and took a sip of coffee that had grown lukewarm in the interim, murmuring softly to myself.

“With this, the government won’t be able to simply stand by and watch the Rothschild Fund’s behavior. They thought they could easily plunder us, but now their calculations have fallen apart. They’ll be quite frustrated.”

* * *

Long Island South Hampton, New York.
The elegantly appointed master bedroom lay shrouded in silence.
Beyond the drawn curtains, the faint sound of waves drifted through the window.
Chairman Peterson lay sprawled across the spacious bed in European silk pajamas, lost in deep slumber.
Beside him, his wife slept soundly with an eye mask secured in place, her breathing shallow and rhythmic.
Then, piercing through the stillness, a sharp telephone ring shattered the quiet.

Ring! Ring!

The jarring sound jolted Chairman Peterson awake, his face contorted in displeasure as he pushed himself upright, while his wife stirred restlessly beside him, turning away before rolling back to face the opposite direction.

“Mmm… why aren’t you answering it?”
“All right. Go back to sleep.”

Chairman Peterson patted his wife’s shoulder reassuringly, then glanced at the wristwatch he’d left on the nightstand.
11:30 p.m.
Unless it was truly urgent, few would dare call at such an ungodly hour.
An ominous premonition flickered across his mind, causing Chairman Peterson to furrow his brow slightly.
He reached for the cordless phone, which continued its insistent ringing.

“Hello.”

The moment he answered in a sleep-laden voice, Ha-wol, the branch director in Korea, cried out urgently.

[Chairman! We have a serious problem!]

The abrupt, breathless words made Chairman Peterson’s brow crease deeply.

“Speak clearly. What exactly has happened?”
[A Korean media outlet has published an exposé revealing that we never invested the full bridge loan as promised and are attempting to sell off Manyoung Machinery and other Hansan Group subsidiaries at fire-sale prices.]
“Is that actually true?”

Chairman Peterson’s face hardened as he posed the question, and Ha-wol responded immediately.

[Yes, sir. Moreover, the National Assembly has also leveled accusations that we improperly utilized the Seoul Debt Adjustment Fund under our management and violated our commitment to full foreign investment when acquiring management rights to Manyoung Machinery.]
“Damn it all!”

As this unexpected catastrophe erupted after everything had been proceeding smoothly, Chairman Peterson reflexively cursed under his breath.

[If we’re not careful, the sale plan could face serious setbacks.]
“What nonsense are you spouting? I’ve already scheduled a meeting with the prospective buyer!”

Ha-wol flinched as I barked out in fury, hesitating visibly.

[But if things proceed this way, the creditor consortium could withdraw their debt forgiveness promise. Continuing with the sale under these circumstances would be futile, wouldn’t it?]

Ha-wol was right—if the debt forgiveness amount shrank below what we’d originally negotiated or disappeared entirely, there was no point in pursuing the sale negotiations at all.
I furrowed my brow and pressed my fingers against my temples as I asked.

“Is the situation really that dire?”
[Since this just unfolded, we need to monitor how things develop further, but it doesn’t appear to be in our favor.]

From the darkness in his voice, I could easily infer that the Korean situation was worse than anticipated.
Just when we were so close to the finish line, everything had suddenly fallen apart. I let out a groan of frustration.

“Ugh.”
[They’re currently denying the exposé article as misinformation, but it’s only a matter of time before the discrepancy between the promised investment amount and the actual sum comes to light.]

Still holding the phone to my ear, I ran my other hand roughly through my hair and replied irritably.

“I’m heading to the office right now. Get me a precise assessment of the situation.”
[Understood.]

I ended the call and set the phone down so forcefully it seemed I might shatter it, just as my wife stirred awake beside me, regarding me with a worried expression.

“Has something gone wrong at the company?”
“It’s nothing.”

But contrary to my words, my flushed face made it abundantly clear that something had indeed erupted.
My wife hesitated as if to say something, but in that moment, I rose from the bed.

“I need to head to the office, so you get some more rest.”
“At this hour?”

Without answering, I picked up the watch from the nightstand, fastened it around my wrist, and turned toward the dressing room to change.
My wife sat on the bed, watching my retreating figure with eyes full of concern.

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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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