Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 53

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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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53. Are you really showing me such audacity right now?

After leaving the president’s office first, I headed to the Elevator to return to my desk, pressing the button for the fifth floor.
As I stood against the left wall watching the floor numbers change on the display, the slowly descending Elevator stopped at the seventh floor, and a young boy with an innocent appearance stepped inside.
The boy, who appeared to have just graduated from high school, wore a worn baseball cap pulled low over his head and carried a crudely wooden delivery tray in one hand.
Inside the tray were several pairs of men’s dress shoes, and the moment I saw them, I felt a familiar sense of déjà vu.

‘So this is a shoe-shining boy.’

It appeared he was on his way back after collecting shoes that needed polishing from the offices.
Before my regression, I had also gone around neighboring companies collecting shoes in the same manner, so I recognized it immediately.
While I was lost in thought, briefly recalling old memories, the Elevator arrived at the fifth floor.

“Aren’t you getting off?”

The boy glanced at me with curiosity, wondering why I remained motionless even though the doors had opened.

“Oh.”

Only then did I realize I had arrived at the fifth floor, and I pressed the close button.

“Sorry. I pressed the wrong button.”
“Yes, sir.”

The boy quickly dismissed it and looked ahead.
Shortly after, when the Elevator arrived at the first floor, the boy gave a slight nod and stepped out first.
I watched him for a moment, then followed him out of the Elevator.
As if possessed, I crossed the lobby and exited the building, catching sight of the boy’s back as he entered the Shoe Repair Shop in a location far too familiar to me.
It was the very Shoe Repair Shop where I had settled my life before my regression.

“How is this possible….”

I muttered in astonishment.
Of course, when I first returned to Korea and started working, I had gone back to where the Shoe Repair Shop used to be, but there was nothing there at that time.
Yet in just a few days, it had appeared like this.
Without realizing it, I found myself drawn toward the Shoe Repair Shop.
The young boy, whom I had seen in the Elevator moments before, was organizing the shoes he had brought when he sensed my presence, and he turned around with eyes slightly widened.

“Huh?”

At the puzzled look, I reflexively opened my mouth.

“I’d like to have my shoes shined. Can you do it right now?”
“Oh, yes. There are no customers at the moment, so it should be fine, but…”

The Young Boy glanced down at the shoes I was wearing and tilted his head.

“But your shoes are so clean. Do you really want them shined?”

I lowered my head to look down at my shoes, my expression turning awkward.
It was because of old habits—I always polished them myself whenever I had a spare moment, maintaining them so meticulously that they gleamed without a speck of dust.

“No, I misspoke. The heels seem a bit worn, so I wanted to have them replaced.”

The Young Boy looked at me as if I were a suspicious person, then suddenly waved his hand toward the back.

“Sir!”

As I turned around, a Middle-aged Shoemaker approached, wearing black work sleeves on both arms and a work apron stained with shoe polish.

“Did you bring all the shoes?”
“Yes. I left them over there.”

The middle-aged man smiled warmly and gently ruffled the Young Boy’s hair.

“Good work. But who is this person?”
“He came to have his shoe heels replaced.”

At the Young Boy’s words, the Middle-aged Shoemaker glanced at me standing motionless, then lowered his gaze to my shoes.

“I should check the condition first. Would you mind showing me?”

As the Middle-aged Shoemaker stepped into the narrow Shoe Repair Shop, the Young Boy quickly brought over a plastic chair.

“Please sit here.”
“Thanks.”

There was something peculiar about watching someone so perceptive and resourceful—it felt like glimpsing my younger self, and the sensation was oddly unsettling.
As I changed into three-striped slippers and settled into a chair, the middle-aged shoemaker examined my shoes from every angle.

“These are in excellent condition. You must take very good care of your shoes.”

After decades in this trade, he could assess the maintenance status at a glance.
To the middle-aged shoemaker’s eye, these were premium shoes—the leather and sole were maintained so flawlessly they looked almost brand new.
When I smiled without speaking, the middle-aged shoemaker set the shoes down and spoke again.

“To be honest, they don’t really need resoling yet.”

Most craftsmen would pretend not to notice and do the work anyway to earn money, but the fact that he was being so forthright suggested he ran an honest business.

“I just thought I’d replace them while I’m here.”
“Well, if that’s what you’d like. It should take about twenty minutes—is that alright?”
“Yes. I’ll wait here.”

The middle-aged shoemaker nodded and skillfully pried off the worn heel with his pincers.

“Have some coffee while you wait.”

The young boy I’d seen earlier appeared with a paper cup of coffee.

“You’re quick on the uptake.”
“Hehe.”

The young boy wiped his nose and found a spot in the corner of the Shoe Repair Shop, then began assisting the middle-aged shoemaker with his work.

“This place was empty not long ago. Did you just open recently?”

I struck up a natural conversation while watching him work.

“I used to run my business in an alley in the back, but I moved out front this time.”

The middle-aged shoemaker replied while positioning the new heel and tapping it lightly several times with his hammer.

“So you’ve been in this neighborhood for a while?”
“I started this work when I was young, and I’ve been on Yeouido for about ten years now.”

The middle-aged shoemaker pointed with his hammer toward the Young Boy sitting in the corner.
Since the Securities District of Yeouido had been established not long ago, one could call him an old-timer of sorts.
As the middle-aged shoemaker finished replacing the heel and brushed away the dust as a courtesy, I quietly asked a question.

“Have you ever heard the name Kim Gwang-seop among the people who shine shoes around here?”
“Well, I’m hearing that name for the first time.”

The middle-aged shoemaker tilted his head in confusion, then turned to the Young Boy and asked.

“Have you heard of him?”

The Young Boy, who had already taken a seat beside me and was dusting off other customers’ shoes with a brush coated in shoe polish, shook his head.

“No, I haven’t.”
“Ah, I see.”

I swallowed an emotion I couldn’t quite name—whether it was disappointment or relief.

“All done.”

Just then, the middle-aged shoemaker placed the shoes neatly in front of me and spoke.
I stood up, slipped on the repaired shoes, and smiled faintly, satisfied with the workmanship.

“That looks great. How much do I owe you?”
“Two thousand won.”

I pulled out a ten-thousand-won bill from my wallet and handed it over.
As the middle-aged shoemaker fumbled through the pocket of his apron searching for change, I waved my hand and spoke.

“Keep the change.”
“Oh, sir!”

The middle-aged shoemaker called out behind me as I turned and walked away, but I pretended not to hear and headed into the building without looking back.
Entering the lobby, I gazed down at the glossy tip of my shoes with a bitter expression and muttered to myself.

“It seems the people from before my regression simply don’t exist in this world.”

Both the Young Boy and the Shoe Repair Shop owner were people I had no memory of.
And judging by the fact that they didn’t even know his name, there was a strong possibility that he never existed at all.

“Going back to the past and entering someone else’s body—it all feels like a lie anyway.”

Besides, if the same entity existed in two places simultaneously at one point in time, that could create serious problems.

“Perhaps it turned out for the best.”

It was regrettable that I could never see my beloved wife and daughter again, but the last lingering thread of attachment and sorrow toward my past had now completely vanished, leaving me with a strange sense of lightness.

“Yes. From now on, I’ll forget the past and look only forward.”

With that resolve, I stepped into the Elevator that had just arrived.

* * *

That evening.
A black Mercedes sedan glided to a stop in front of the Park Family Residence, enclosed by its tall walls.
As the attendant seated in the passenger side quickly opened the rear door, Chairman Park Tae-hong stepped out.

“It’s still sweltering even though the sun has set.”

They called it a tropical night, and even in the evening, the oppressive heat clung to everything—sweat beaded on skin without the slightest movement.
Crossing the Garden, thick with the scent of grass and leaves, I entered the main house where my wife, Jo Deok-rye, and the Gunsan Housekeeper were waiting to greet me.

“Welcome home.”
“Where’s the second son?”

As if on cue, Seok-won descended the second-floor stairs and approached, bowing his head.

“You’ve arrived, sir.”

Seeing that Seok-won was home, Chairman Park Tae-hong turned to address his attendant.

“You’re dismissed.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The attendant bowed respectfully and offered his greetings to Jo Deok-rye and Seok-won as well.
Then he handed the briefcase in his hand to the Gunsan Housekeeper and departed.

“Have you eaten?”
“I had a meal with Representative Do.”
“Did you have something to drink as well?”
“Just a bottle of sake as an aperitif. I’m sweating a bit—must be the heat.”

Park Tae-hong decided to shower first and headed into the bathroom.
After washing thoroughly and changing into comfortable clothes, he sat at his desk in the Study Room as he always did.
Just as he was about to pull a report from his briefcase and read it, Jo Deok-rye knocked and entered carrying a tray.

“Why are you working instead of resting?”
“There are a few things I need to look over.”

It was Park Tae-hong’s habit to handle the remaining work for an hour or two after returning home before going to bed.
Jo Deok-rye, as if she had anticipated this, set down a cold beverage she had prepared in advance on the desk.

“I’ve mixed some honey into ginseng tea. Since you’ve been sweating outside, you need to replenish your glucose.”
“Thank you.”
“And take breaks from your work now and then.”
“I understand.”

When he looked at her with an expression asking her to stop nagging, Jo Deok-rye cast a reproachful glance.

Knock, knock.

At that moment, Seok-won opened the door and, seeing Jo Deok-rye inside, spoke.

“Oh, you’re both here together.”
“What is it?”
“I have something I’d like to tell Father.”

Jo Deok-rye then gestured for him to come in and said.

“Then I’ll be going. You two have a private conversation.”

Seok-won waited until his mother left the Study Room with the tray, then closed the door behind her.

“Sit on the sofa.”
“Yes.”

Park Tae-hong set down his teacup, circled around the desk, and settled into the center seat. Seok-won then took his place on the left sofa.

“So. You said you had something to discuss?”
“Yes.”

Seok-won placed the thin folder he’d brought in front of Park Tae-hong.

“What’s this?”
“It’s the settlement report for the investment capital you provided last time.”
“You’re bringing this already? It hasn’t even been a month since I gave you the money.”

Seok-won shrugged his shoulders and replied with composure.

“You realize profits when they materialize—holding onto them longer doesn’t necessarily mean earning more, does it?”
“That’s true enough.”

Park Tae-hong nodded slightly and picked up the folder before him.

“Your expression suggests considerable confidence. Let me see just how much you’ve made.”

Park Tae-hong had already received a report from Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho about the remarkable results achieved by perfectly timing the trades, so he opened the folder with eyes brimming with anticipation.
As he scanned the contents, Park Tae-hong couldn’t help but emit a subtle gasp at the profit margin exceeding twelve percent.

“As noted in the settlement report, I purchased stocks at their lowest point and sold them, generating 1.9 billion won in profits.”
“….”
“After deducting the agreed-upon performance bonus, your final profit comes to 1.33 billion won.”

Park Tae-hong lifted his gaze and, deliberately concealing his surprise, asked in return.

“You earned 1.9 billion in a single week?”
“When the pound sterling collapsed, I made even more than that. Well.”

Observing his second son’s demeanor—whether it was confidence or arrogance, Park Tae-hong couldn’t quite tell—he was inwardly astounded.
Of course, on the other hand, he felt satisfied having once again confirmed Seok-won’s exceptional abilities.
Park Tae-hong spoke without letting his face betray anything.

“So you haven’t forgotten, despite all that self-assurance.”
“I told you that you wouldn’t regret it.”

Park Tae-hong watched as I flashed a grin, my teeth gleaming, and offered stern counsel with a grave expression.

“You seem to have a knack for moving money around, but don’t grow arrogant. You must always remember that even monkeys fall from trees.”
“Yes, I understand.”

Park Tae-hong, concerned I might become intoxicated by one or two successes and lose my humility, felt inwardly relieved to see no such signs.

“I should be able to return the principal along with the profits by tomorrow.”

Park Tae-hong paused briefly in thought before speaking.

“There’s no need for that.”
“Pardon?”
“Keep the money with you. Manage it as you see fit.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. Why do you lack confidence?”
“Of course not. If you’re entrusting it to me, I’m delighted.”
“Then do as I say.”

Observing Park Tae-hong’s demeanor, I ventured to add something.

“You do realize this time I should receive a management fee in addition to the profit bonus, correct?”
“What are you talking about? The conditions are different from last time.”

Park Tae-hong’s brow furrowed slightly, but I remained composed.

“Last time you were merely leaving it temporarily, but this time you’re formally delegating fund management. The conditions have to be different.”

Park Tae-hong stared at me with a look of disbelief, and I lifted my chin defiantly.

“If you’d rather not, you don’t have to entrust it to me.”
“Are you showing me audacity right now?”
“Not at all. I’m simply demanding fair compensation.”
“What an impudent fellow.”

Park Tae-hong slapped his knee and spoke.

“Fine! But if the results are poor, you’d better be prepared.”
“That won’t happen, so don’t worry.”

I couldn’t fathom what gave him such unwavering confidence.
Park Tae-hong found himself both exasperated and oddly impressed by the man’s self-assured demeanor.

“Send the contract to Gil Seong-ho tomorrow.”
“Yes, I’ll take care of it.”

Park Tae-hong drained the ginseng tea his wife had prepared, then arched one eyebrow above the rim of his cup.

“Is there anything else you need to discuss?”
“That’s all. I’ll be on my way then.”

Seok-won rose from the sofa with a polite farewell, wishing him a good night’s rest, and stepped outside.
Alone at last, Park Tae-hong released the tension from his expression and let out a low, mirthless chuckle.

“That fellow. The more I see of him, the more impressive he becomes.”

Park Tae-hong reopened the folder Seok-won had left behind, meticulously reviewing its contents, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

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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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