Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 93

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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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93. Feel free to contact me anytime—it doesn’t matter to me.

The next day.
After two weeks away from the office, I settled into my expansive desk and began reviewing the documents that had accumulated during my absence.
I read through the text with focused intensity, occasionally pausing to jot down notes on important sections or tapping the papers lightly with my fingertips as I mulled over the contents.
My lowered lashes cast faint shadows beneath my eyes from time to time, while my cleanly shaven jaw traced a sharp, defined line.
Combined with my unblemished, flawless complexion, I could have been mistaken for a sculpture.
In contrast, my broad shoulders and the muscular forearms visible beneath my rolled-up shirt sleeves exuded a deep, commanding masculinity that formed a perfect complement to my face.
As I worked quietly alone, the only sound the rustle of turning pages, someone knocked on the door from outside.

“Come in.”

I lifted my gaze from the documents, and Hong Jae-hee entered carrying a tray.

“Team Lead. Please have some coffee.”
“Thank you.”

Hong Jae-hee approached with a smile and set a glass of iced coffee on my desk.

“I’ll enjoy it.”

I straightened my posture and took a sip of the coffee, then tilted my head slightly as I noticed Hong Jae-hee seemed to have something on her mind.

“Hmm.”

Under my questioning gaze, Hong Jae-hee’s cheeks flushed slightly. She raised one hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke.

“I’m wearing the earrings you gave me as a gift today. How… how do they look?”
“They suit you beautifully.”

I complimented her as I observed the delicate earrings glimmering softly against her ears.

“I’m glad you like them.”
“Every time I see them, I’m in awe of how beautiful they are. I keep wondering if I really deserve something this nice.”
“They weren’t that expensive.”
“Well, they’re not luxury brand, but it’s still quite a renowned brand. And it’s not easy to find such a beautiful design—you certainly have excellent taste, Team Lead.”

Hong Jae-hee, the sole woman on my team, enjoyed dressing well, and her expression now radiated genuine delight at receiving a gift that perfectly matched her preferences.

“I noticed last time that you seemed to want earrings, so I picked up a nice pair. That way, I can keep enjoying your delicious coffee in the future, right?”

As Seok-won spoke with a light laugh, Hong Jae-hee looked at him with eyes full of emotion.

“My goodness. You even remembered such a detail and took care of it… Team Lead Seok-won, you’re so thoughtful and considerate.”
“Ha, thank you for saying so.”
“Oh, and the other team members were absolutely delighted when they saw the gifts you gave them.”
“That’s good to hear.”

While I was away, I had purchased bottles of premium liquor as gifts for the team members who had diligently carried out my instructions and kept the office running smoothly, distributing them accordingly.
Since I had given alcohol to the other male employees, I had chosen earrings as a gift for Hong Jae-hee instead.

“Then I’ll be heading out.”

As Hong Jae-hee said this, I had just finished reviewing the documents and picked up the folders I’d set aside, handing them to her.

“I’ve already reviewed these, so please pass them on to Manager Choi.”
“Yes.”

Hong Jae-hee took the folders and left the office.
Just as I leaned back in my chair, thinking I might take a brief rest, and was bringing the cool iced coffee back to my lips, the telephone on the corner of my desk rang.

“There’s no time to rest, even for a moment.”

Muttering softly, I set the glass down again and reached out with one hand to pick up the receiver.

“Yes. This is Park Seok-won.”
[Team Lead Park. It’s me.]

At the familiar voice of President Choi Jin-woo, I adjusted my grip on the receiver.

“President. What brings this call?”
[I have something to discuss with you. Do you have a moment to come up?]
“I’ll be right there.”
[Good, I’ll be waiting.]

After ending the brief call, I set down the receiver and murmured to myself.

“It seems he wants to talk about the resignation matter.”

Guessing the gist of his purpose, I straightened the rolled-up sleeves of my dress shirt and rose from my seat.
Then I retrieved the jacket hanging on the coat rack behind me and put it on.
After fastening the buttons and tidying my appearance, I left the office.

* * *

“President, Park Seok-won is here.”
“Tell him to come in.”
“Yes, sir.”

After the Female Secretary left, Seok-won entered shortly after.

“Welcome.”

Choi Jin-woo rose with a smile to greet Seok-won.
Coming around his desk, Choi Jin-woo exchanged a light handshake with him and gestured toward the sofa with one hand.

“Have a seat.”
“Thank you.”

Seated in the place of honor, Choi Jin-woo gazed intently at Seok-won, who sat on the sofa to his right, and asked.

“Did you wrap up your business in the United States without any issues?”
“Yes. Thanks to your consideration, I completed my tasks without any problems.”
“That’s a relief then.”

Choi Jin-woo himself didn’t know exactly what Seok-won was doing, frequenting the United States as he did.
However, seeing that Seok-won traveled to and from the United States with Park Tae-hong’s approval, he assumed it was some confidential matter involving the owner and refrained from prying deeper.

“An acquaintance brought back some fine pu-erh tea from China as a gift. Would you care to try some?”
“I would be grateful to taste it.”

Choi Jin-woo, still seated, turned slightly and pressed the intercom button on the side table next to him.
Moments later, the Female Secretary, dressed in a two-piece suit, entered and stood at attention, asking respectfully.

“You called for me?”
“That pu-erh tea I received last time—do you remember it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Bring two cups of it.”
“Understood.”

As the Female Secretary departed with a brief acknowledgment, President Choi Jin-woo regarded me with a renewed gleam in his eyes.

“We first met when you were still studying at Harvard University, and that was already two years ago by the calendar. Time truly flies.”

President Choi Jin-woo traced through his memories, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“I thought you were an exceptional talent from our first meeting, but you’ve delivered results far beyond my expectations ever since.”
“It’s all thanks to you, sir.”
“You accomplished this entirely through your own efforts. I haven’t done anything to help.”
“No matter how well I might have identified an opportunity, I couldn’t have achieved these results without your trust and willingness to entrust the investment entirely to me. So it truly is thanks to you, sir.”

My decision to form a separate team and conduct independent investments had already been determined at the level of Chairman Park Tae-hong.
Moreover, since I had been the one to secure most of the funds currently under management, it was fair to say that President Choi Jin-woo had contributed very little.
Yet seeing how I elevated his standing, President Choi Jin-woo gazed at me with warm, gentle eyes.

“I appreciate you thinking that way.”

Just then, the Female Secretary entered carrying a tray and set steaming teacups before me and President Choi Jin-woo, then withdrew.

“Try it and see if it suits your taste.”

I lifted the smooth, white teacup and first inhaled the subtle fragrance that wafted upward.
Then I slowly tilted the cup and took a sip, gave a small nod of approval, and set it down.

“Well?”
“The aroma is deep and the flavor is rich. This seems to be a truly premium product.”

At that, President Choi Jin-woo chuckled with satisfaction and spoke.

“I don’t know much about tea, but I’ve heard that Fuwan is quite renowned even among pu-erh teas.”

Thanks to Manager Oh, who was both Yeouido’s most talkative person and a walking encyclopedia, I had picked up quite a bit of knowledge about pu-erh tea, so I naturally continued the conversation.

“If it’s truly Fuxing Chun, then it’s a premium grade of pu-erh tea—what they call antique pu-erh.”
“Oh, is that so?”

Seeing Choi Jin-woo’s interest piqued, I elaborated further.

“Antique pu-erh refers to tea that’s undergone at least thirty years of natural fermentation. The longer it ages, the more nutrients it accumulates, and the deeper its flavor and aroma become.”
“So this tea has been aging for decades, then.”
“If it’s genuine Fuxing Chun, it would have been produced between 1920 and 1930, so yes.”

Choi Jin-woo gazed down at the pu-erh in his teacup once more, then broke into a hearty laugh.

“Haha. Thanks to you, I’ve gained some new knowledge. I didn’t realize you were so well-versed in tea.”
“I’ve only picked up bits and pieces here and there, so it’s hardly worth boasting about.”
“No, that’s quite impressive.”

I smiled faintly, recalling an incident with Manager Oh from long ago.
That day, he’d skipped work and was sitting idly in the Shoe Repair Shop, lowering his newspaper when he suddenly brought up the subject.

“Hey, did you see this article?”
“What did you read?”
“A single cake of Fuxing Chun sold for 300 million won at an auction held in Hong Kong not long ago.”

Tea leaves compressed into round or rectangular cakes were called “cakes.”

“300 million won? That’s remarkable.”
“But do you know what’s even more astounding?”
“What?”

Manager Oh showed me a photograph of pu-erh tea that appeared alongside the article in the newspaper.

“In the early nineties, an identical Fuxing Chun cake like the one that just sold was worth only 300,000 won.”
“Really?”

My eyes widened, and Manager Oh nodded emphatically.

“Yes. A client who did business in China used to bring them as gifts, so I know. Just as Britain is famous for black tea, they’re renowned for tea as well.”
“Surely you don’t mean the tea in that photograph is the same one?”

Seok-won, who had been working on the shoes, paused and looked up with an expression of disbelief.
Manager Oh then let out a deep sigh, clutched his head with both hands, and groaned in anguish.

“Yes! That’s right! Damn it, I brewed some back then and tasted it, but it didn’t suit my palate, so I gave it to another employee. Oh, I must be out of my mind!”
“A 300-million-won tea… You really made a mess of it, didn’t you?”
“Are you mocking me right now?”
“No, sir. I’m genuinely in awe. Who else has ever tasted a 300-million-won tea?”
“I’m going to lose my mind. Seriously.”

Manager Oh stuck out his lower lip and beat the ground in regret.

“Damn it! If I’d known this would happen, I should have bought tons of pu-erh tea back in China and stockpiled it. Then I’d be rolling in money by now.”
“You couldn’t have known the prices would skyrocket back then. The bus has already left the station, so regretting it won’t help. Just try to forget about it.”
“Is it really that easy to do?”

As Seok-won recalled Manager Oh’s anguished writhing and cries, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him.

‘Wait, if I remember correctly, this is supposed to be the lowest point for pu-erh tea prices.’

The skyrocketing prices of pu-erh tea, with some commanding hundreds of millions of won, had begun after wealthy Chinese entrepreneurs, who had accumulated enormous fortunes through economic development, started viewing the ownership and consumption of vintage pu-erh as a status symbol.

‘If I play this right, it could turn into a pretty lucrative business.’

Moreover, it could serve as an excellent gift when conducting business in China later—killing two birds with one stone.
At that moment, Choi Jin-woo leaned back in his chair and spoke, pulling Seok-won’s attention away from his musings.

“I asked to see you because there’s something I wanted to tell you in advance.”
“….”

Though Seok-won could guess what was coming, he remained silent and listened.

“I’m not sure if the Chairman gave you any advance notice, but I’ll be leaving the company at the end of this month.”
“I heard you’re becoming Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology.”

Choi Jin-woo spoke as if he’d expected Seok-won to already know.

“So you already knew.”
“Yes. It’s unfortunate, but I hope you continue to thrive wherever you go next.”
“Thank you.”

I offered a polite and refined greeting, and Choi Jin-woo appeared equally satisfied.

“Still, I regret that you’re leaving when there’s so much more I could learn from you, sir.”
“Ha ha, what are you saying? Looking at what you’ve accomplished so far, it seems I should be the one learning from you instead.”
“Not at all. I still have many shortcomings.”

I answered humbly, then broached the subject carefully.

“Would it be all right if I continued to reach out for your advice even after you leave?”

I wasn’t merely offering flattery—I genuinely possessed exceptional talent that had surprised him on multiple occasions.
When such a person demonstrated such careful consideration in wanting to maintain our connection, Choi Jin-woo felt genuinely pleased.

‘He’s truly become someone of substance.’

Choi Jin-woo’s eyes softened, and he nodded readily.

“I don’t mind at all. Feel free to contact me anytime.”
“Thank you.”

I smiled with genuine delight.
Chairman Park Tae-hong would certainly maintain his relationship with Choi Jin-woo, but independently cultivating a personal connection with him as well would prove invaluable when the IMF crisis arrived.
Choi Jin-woo seemed pleased by my reaction and spoke with a warm expression.

“If you’re free this evening, shall we have dinner together?”
“I’d be delighted.”

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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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