Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 6

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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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6. If you find this unacceptable, we can consider this contract void.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Separated by the Charles River, Harvard and MIT—two of America’s most prestigious universities—stood facing each other.
Founded in 1636, Harvard University was the oldest and most esteemed institution in the United States, sprawling across an expansive campus centered around Harvard Yard, comprising over a hundred buildings both grand and modest.
As an institution that had produced eight American presidents and countless luminaries, the pride that current students and alumni felt toward their alma mater was extraordinary.
This deep sense of kinship formed the foundation of an alumni network that spread like a spider’s web throughout American politics and finance, allowing anyone bearing the Harvard name to fasten the first button of success in society far more easily than their peers.
The reason I, having returned to the past and possessed this body, continued attending Harvard rather than abandoning it was precisely this.
Freshmen admitted to Harvard spent their first semester in dormitories located in Harvard Yard, then selected one of the twelve residential houses where they lived until graduation.
Of course, living in a dormitory wasn’t strictly required, but most students chose to reside on campus.
As such, it was no exaggeration to say that the foundation of Harvard alumni connections began in the dormitories.
Kirkland House, located near the Charles River, was one of several residential houses within Harvard’s campus, housing over a thousand students.
This floor of the stately dormitory building, constructed in Gothic style with red brick and arched windows.
In a double room with single beds, desks, and wardrobes on opposite walls, a man with disheveled brown hair sat on the floor.
The man, who looked like a typical nerd in his stretched-out t-shirt and glasses, was named Roy—my roommate.
His youthful face appeared to be at most twenty-two or twenty-three years old, yet his eyes grew remarkably intense whenever he assembled computer components.

“Alright, one down!”

Amid a scattered array of power supplies, Intel CPUs mounted on motherboards, and various cables strewn across the floor, Roy held up his screwdriver triumphantly.
While various manufacturers like Apple and IBM sold personal computers, they were prohibitively expensive for students with shallow pockets.
So many students purchased components and assembled their own computers rather than buying finished products.
However, not everyone possessed the skill to assemble a computer, so Roy took commissions and built them for others, earning a tidy side income.
As he skillfully tightened the screws on the case and wiped its surface clean, someone knocked on the dormitory door.

“It’s open, come in.”

Assuming it was the person who’d commissioned the assembly, Roy answered without getting up, simply raising his voice.
The door opened, and two East Asian men dressed incongruously in formal suits for a college campus entered the room.
They were employees from the Daheung Group’s American branch, sent to find me on Chairman Park Tae-hong’s orders.
The middle-aged man wearing horn-rimmed glasses was Son Dong-sung, the branch director, and the slightly younger man beside him was Yang Se-jung, an associate.

“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”

When Yang Se-jung spoke in English, Roy finally looked up and turned around.

“Huh?”

Roy recognized them immediately and spoke up, since the same two men had handled matters during a shooting incident a month prior.

“Are you looking for Luke?”

Luke was Park Seok-won’s English name.

“Yes, we are.”
“He’s not in the dorm right now.”
“Has he gone to class?”
“No. He said he had something to take care of and wouldn’t be back for a while. That was several days ago.”

The unexpected answer caught both Yang Se-jung and Son Dong-sung, the branch manager standing beside him, completely off guard.

“So you’re saying the young master isn’t at school right now?”

Son Dong-sung asked urgently, but Roy’s expression remained indifferent.

“Probably not.”
“Do you happen to know when he might return?”
“How would I know?”

Roy answered dismissively, clearly finding it tedious to deal with the two men.

“If there’s nothing else, please leave. As you can see, I have work to do.”

Roy gestured toward the computer he’d just finished working on with a screwdriver.
Only then did Son Dong-sung notice the scattered items Roy had left around while working.

“Ah. We apologize for the intrusion.”

Son Dong-sung and Yang Se-jung left the room, leaving Roy waving them out behind them.
After passing through the spacious hallway with its ornate ceiling decorations and exiting the dormitory building, Yang Se-jung glanced at his superior and asked.

“What do we do now?”

Son Dong-sung let out a troubled groan in response.
They had come on Chairman Park Tae-hong’s orders to meet with Park Seok-won, but the man himself wasn’t here—an awkward situation indeed.
Moreover, even his roommate claimed not to know where he’d gone.
Son Dong-sung exhaled deeply and rubbed his face with his palm.

“I should report to Seoul first.”

* * *

Manhattan, New York, USA.
A 54-story skyscraper with white marble cladding covering its entire exterior stood in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, roughly a ten-minute walk from Central Park.
It was the headquarters of Salomon Brothers, one of America’s five largest investment banks.
Park Seok-won stepped out of the black Cadillac Escalade and entered the expansive marble-floored lobby through the grand revolving doors, briefcase in hand, alongside Landon.
When they approached the information desk at the rear wall, where the Salomon Brothers logo was prominently displayed, a slender female receptionist greeted them.

“How may I help you?”
“I have a meeting scheduled with Cox. Could you please confirm it?”

The receptionist glanced at the memos attached beneath her desk, then straightened up with a professional smile.

“I’ll have him come down shortly. Please have a seat on the sofa and wait.”
“Of course.”

As the receptionist picked up the intercom, the two men settled onto the cream-colored sofa in the lobby.
Landon, observing the Salomon Brothers employees and visitors moving busily through the lobby, lowered his voice slightly as he spoke to Park Seok-won across from him.

“Are you truly determined to proceed with this investment?”

Unlike the worry etched across Landon’s face, Park Seok-won nodded with composure.

“That’s why I came all this way.”
“Of course, but… you could lose everything in a single stroke.”
“Conversely, if the bet pays off, we’ll hit the jackpot.”

Landon couldn’t fathom what Park Seok-won was banking on, watching him smile with such unwavering confidence.
After waiting for some time, a pleasant-looking Caucasian man in his mid-thirties approached the sofa where they sat.
A well-mannered white man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties walked toward the sofa where the group was seated.

“Yes.”
Yes.

When Seokwon answered, the white man handed over his business card with an appealing smile.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cox, head of derivatives at Salomon Brothers.”

Park Seok-won smoothly retrieved a luxury-branded business card holder from his inner jacket pocket and exchanged cards with Cox.

“Park Seok-won.”

The business cards he’d had made before coming to New York featured a refined design—dark navy complemented by gold lettering.
Park Seok-won then gestured to Landen beside him and made the introduction.

“This is my legal counsel who will be assisting with this matter.”
“Landen.”

Landen also handed over his card and exchanged greetings with Cox.
Cox accepted the cards with proper courtesy, gave both men an appraising once-over, and guided them forward with practiced hospitality.

“Please, come with me to the conference room.”

The two followed Cox into the elevator and ascended to the conference room on the upper floor.
The room was modestly appointed and appropriately sized, but what truly commanded attention was the view.
Through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows directly across from the entrance, the densely clustered skyscrapers of Manhattan stretched out in full view—a vista that promised to be spectacular with the city’s glittering nightscape once darkness fell.
In the conference room, where an elongated table had been positioned, a middle-aged Caucasian man with dark hair and a younger Latino man rose to greet them as they entered.

“This is Paulson, our department’s division head.”

Cox gestured first toward the middle-aged man dressed in a fine custom-tailored suit.

“I’m Paulson.”
“Park Seok-won. Please, feel free to call me Mr. Park.”

As Park Seok-won grasped his hand in a firm handshake, Paulson’s lips curved into a subtle smile.

“I must confess, I’m somewhat surprised—you’re far younger than I anticipated.”
“Is that so? But age shouldn’t be an issue when conducting business.”

Park Seok-won’s unflappable composure and light deflection of the remark clearly impressed Paulson, whose eyes gleamed with interest.

“A fair point indeed.”

After completing his introductions with Pablo, the Latino attorney, Park Seok-won took his seat alongside Landen at the designated spots.
On the conference table, glasses with paper covers and bottles of Evian water were arranged in front of each seat.

“If you’d like something else to drink, please let me know. I can also prepare cookies or chocolate if you’d like.”

Paulson made a light joke, mentioning that when meetings ran long, everyone’s blood sugar would drop and they’d start craving such things.

“That won’t be necessary.”

When I declined, Paulson nodded with an unhurried expression.

“Then let’s get straight to business.”

As I nodded and turned my head to the side, Landon withdrew a thin folder from his briefcase and placed it before Paulson.

“This is the contract summarizing our terms.”

Since Paulson had already received and reviewed a copy beforehand, he merely skimmed through it before passing the folder to Pablo on his left.
Then he spoke, looking at me.

“You want to open a pound futures account and a physical leverage account, I understand.”
“That’s correct.”
“I heard you wanted a 10x leverage contract, but I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

I hadn’t expected the negotiation to be easy from the start, so I maintained a composed demeanor without any visible change in expression.

“What’s the reason?”

Paulson answered with a tone that was gentle yet resolute.

“This is our first transaction together, and more importantly, as leverage increases, so does the burden on our end.”
“A 10x leverage contract isn’t such an exceptional condition. I thought one of Wall Street’s most prestigious investment banks would have the nerve for it, but it seems that’s not the case.”

Though I’d provoked him openly, Paulson, seasoned by years on Wall Street, responded with composure.

“One billion dollars is hardly a small sum, is it? And frankly, since this is our first transaction, there’s no reason for us to assume risk on your behalf.”

Paulson looked at me and offered a compromise.

“We could go up to 5x leverage. Would that work for you?”

The moment I heard his words, I shook my head.

“The leverage I need is ten times.”
“Very well. Then we can offer you up to six times. This is our final proposal.”

Paulson spoke in a polite but businesslike tone.

“I doubt you’ll find better terms elsewhere.”

He seemed perfectly content to walk away from the deal.
Normally, someone in my position would show signs of desperation, but I didn’t.
Instead, as if I’d anticipated this exact response, I presented a new proposal without so much as a flicker of expression.

“It’s a matter of creditworthiness, then?”
“I won’t deny it. If this transaction concludes successfully, we can help you access the leverage terms you desire in future dealings.”
“What if we do this instead?”

Paulson leaned back in his chair, gesturing for me to continue.

“We set the leverage at ten times, but increase the commission to 7%, with two months’ worth paid upfront.”
“….”

Though I’d added 1% more to the commission than initially proposed, Paulson’s expression remained unmoved.
But at what came next, his eyes lit up and he straightened in his seat.

“And if we add a provision allowing Salomon Brothers to demand additional margin whenever the pound rises 8% from the average selling price, you’d have nothing to lose, would you?”
“You’re proposing a margin call threshold of 8%?”
“Exactly.”

A margin call was the practice of demanding additional collateral when losses occurred from price declines in leveraged spot and futures positions.
If an investor failed to meet a margin call properly, the counterparty bank or brokerage could liquidate the position and terminate the contract at their discretion.

“Even if the contract were liquidated, losses wouldn’t exceed the 100 million dollars we’d deposit as collateral.”

As I’d laid out, even if losses occurred, Salomon Brothers could cover them with the collateral I’d provided, and they’d pocket a substantial commission on top. There was no downside for them whatsoever.
After a brief whispered exchange with Cox beside him, Paulson straightened his gaze and spoke with renewed seriousness.

“If we set the margin call threshold at 7%, I’ll consider it.”
“8%. If you can’t accept that, we’re done here.”

But Park Seok-won drew a firm line, making it clear he would not yield an inch.
Paulson, who had swiftly completed his calculations, smiled and appeased him—not with casual words, but with an attitude that suggested he would genuinely abandon negotiations and walk away.

“Since you’ve made such a concession, we’ll take a step back as well. We’ll proceed with the contract under the terms you’ve just proposed.”

He presented himself as though making a great concession, having already weighed every profit and loss.
Park Seok-won inwardly scoffed, but his expression betrayed nothing as he smiled and clasped the hand Paulson extended.

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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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