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CH60 | DI
🕑 Added 2025-03-23 04:15:01 +0000 UTC“You agreed to such an absurd condition?” Gerard asked with a face of disbelief.
It wasn’t unreasonable.
With a clause requiring a penalty payment of 50 billion dollars, there was no way I would have agreed.
But I had also prepared a response to this.
“My obligation under the contract is not to develop a cure but to ‘cooperate’ faithfully. I figured as long as I pretend to make an effort, there wouldn’t be a need to pay the penalty.”
“Such an absurd condition…”
“Rachel has set up her own safety measure. She’s nailed it so I can’t just pull out recklessly.”
Both were silent for a while.
But there was no trace of doubt in their eyes.
Instead, they seemed to admire the fact that the princess, risking her life on goodwill, had devised such a clever plan to hold onto the thriving unicorn.
Rachel, ever so smart, had taken a rather clever step.
“Hmm, I see,” Raymond nodded with a deep sigh.
“If I persuade Rachel to break the contract, what would be your position?”
“As I mentioned, if you invest 500 million dollars on my behalf and compensate for the time and effort appropriately, I will not be involved anymore.”
Raymond’s brow furrowed at my words.
“So, you’d sever ties with my daughter just for money…”
His look turned cold.
It means he can’t trust someone who easily betrays a friend for money.
This needs an explanation.
“Our relationship was originally based on financial interests.”
“Wasn’t there a friendship?”
“Friendship arises from sharing common interests and understanding and empathy based on these. But we have no such common interests or empathy. The only connection, the Castleman disease, is also tangled up in money. If that benefit disappears, we’re just strangers with no ties. Well, even if the contract is destroyed, we’ll maintain that level of relationship.”
Complex emotions clouded the faces of Raymond and Gerard. It seemed they doubted whether I would really distance myself from precious Rachel just for money.
This is understandable.
As I’ve said before, she’s a beautiful woman with a kind heart and a hefty wallet.
What man would refuse her?
My lack of interest in her is consistent.
I value money more.
Money over friendship, money over a beauty.
There’s no more powerful or persuasive motive than this.
Even if they don’t believe my words now, over time, as they observe me, they’ll come to realize the truth of my words.
But that’s a concern for the distant future.
For now, I’ve succeeded in handling the immediate important matter.
Ha Si-heon and Rachel entered the Castleman Foundation together, but it was ultimately Rachel’s choice.
This frame is very important.
It shows how meaningful this project is to Rachel.
This makes it harder for Gerard to recklessly interfere. Not just interfering, both should provide support like legal advice or networking if Rachel requests.
Finally, I can fully utilize the resources Rachel mentioned.
This has settled any misunderstandings related to Rachel.
“By the way, was this the reason you called me today?”
I changed the flow of the conversation and refreshed the topic. The discussion about Rachel was just preliminary work.
My real purpose for being here was twofold.
One was to dig up information about Theranos, and the other was to block Gerard’s investment recovery.
It’s time to move on to the main topic.
“I’ve heard about the Genesis matter,” Raymond shifted the topic to my recent investment performance.
“The returns were quite impressive.”
“Thank you.”
“I heard you didn’t diversify the funds at all.”
Now my investment capability has come to the center of the conversation. From here on, I need to prove my investment strategies and insight.
“I was confident that the stock I believed in would generate close to a 600% return. The expected returns for the other stocks were too low to justify diversification.”
“What if your judgment had been wrong?”
“I was 100% confident in this case. That’s why I put all the money in it.”
“Such certainty is impossible.”
“But I was certain, and as a result, I hit the mark.”
“……”
“My strategy is high-risk, high-return. There is a psychological burden to bear, but it guarantees high returns. This investment method should only be evaluated based on its profitability. It’s not suitable for investors who prioritize stability.”
Not diversifying certainly carried a high risk.
But that was merely a psychological burden, not resulting in actual losses.
Feeling uneasy is a natural part of a ‘high-risk, high-return’ strategy.
Formal questioning continued for a while.
Then Raymond asked with a sharp look, “But why specifically include a clause that locks up the funds for three months?”
This was a question about the redemption condition I introduced.
‘It seems he wanted to ask about this from the start.’
Raymond’s expression made it clear.
The questions exchanged so far were merely procedural.
His real intention was this.
I had included terms in the contract overwhelmingly favorable to me.
If redemption is rushed, it allows me free use of the funds.
It seems he wanted to check if it was a trap set to exploit investors.
I answered as seriously as possible, “It was a safety measure to prevent sudden outflows of funds. If an unexpected redemption crisis occurred, it could disrupt all plans at once. It was a mechanism introduced for risk management.”
This is a common risk management technique.
I explained it as a natural precautionary measure, but Raymond unexpectedly asked, “Would you have imposed the same conditions if the investor wasn’t Gerard?”
This is… a very pointed question.
It implies that I targeted Gerard from the start.
In other words, it reveals his suspicion that I had a bad motive from the beginning.
Raymond’s piercing eyes were scrutinizing me.
‘Normally, denying it would be standard…’
If I responded that way, immediate pressure like ‘If it wasn’t targeted, allow redemption now’ would surely follow.
In short, it’s a trap.
Knowing this, I couldn’t fall for it.
I looked Raymond straight in the eye.
And after catching my breath, I opened my mouth.
“No.”
“If not…”
“As you said. The clause was necessary because the investor was Gerard.”
“……”
I could feel Raymond’s confusion.
I deliberately gave an answer that would provoke his suspicions.
“Why was it necessary because it was Gerard?”
“At that time, it seemed that Gerard had made his investment decision purely out of emotion.”
Raymond’s eyes were cold, but I confidently continued my explanation.
“Emotions are inherently short-lived. I figured he would regret and want to pull out within a week. That’s why I put in the three-month clause.”
“Why specifically three months?”
“I expected the stock price of Genesis to rise during that period. I thought it would be beneficial for both Gerard and me if the funds were tied up until then.”
“But it exploded in just one month, not three.”
Raymond narrowed his eyes, but I shrugged nonchalantly.
“I didn’t anticipate that.”
“Are you expecting me to take that at face value?”
“Even the committee analyzing the data didn’t predict this outcome. It would be strange if I knew more.”
“… …”
Yes, I must not forget.
The Genesis new drug candidate is an unprecedented case where it passed with only half of the test scored.
“Under normal procedures, it would have taken about three months. I only created the clause based on the average.”
“Is this a coincidence?”
“Yes.”
The current redemption timing is purely coincidental.
It couldn’t possibly be a trap I intentionally set.
Because no one knew Genesis would explode within a month.
“……”
Raymond fell into deep thought for a moment.
I just silently waited for his judgment.
All investors are calculative.
But from a client’s perspective, this calculative attitude can breed suspicion of deception.
It’s important to dispel these concerns.
“Is your ultimate goal to make money?”
Raymond’s next question made the corners of my mouth rise involuntarily.
I’ve heard this question a lot in my previous life.
It’s the absolute criterion by which real wealthy people select their investment managers.
“Of course, it’s not just about chasing money.”
“Then why do you do it?”
“Just, because it’s fun.”
That’s the right answer.
Investors distrust fund managers who only pursue profits.
Because such people don’t last long.
Money, as you earn more of it, brings diminishing satisfaction.
Invest a million to make ten million?
Your life significantly improves.
Thus, when the amounts are small, happiness, accomplishment, and dopamine are secreted more, making investing fun.
But what if you invest one trillion and make ten trillion?
There will be no significant change in one’s personal life.
Once money becomes excessively abundant, it eventually turns into just meaningless numbers.
Those who lose their motivation at that point are bound to fall.
A commonality among those who survive long on Wall Street.
They don’t invest just for the sake of money.
They do it because the act of investing itself is enjoyable and thrilling.
Investing is a grand strategy game.
It’s not just about understanding stock prices, but reading the actions of all market participants.
Based on this, you strategize, attack, set traps, or lure opponents.
It’s fun because of the process.
It’s the same reason humans play games, play chess, and solve puzzles.
Of course, money is important.
But it shouldn’t be the ultimate goal.
Investors prefer this kind of answer.
Would you invest in a runner who enjoys running or one who only runs for the prize money?
The one who enjoys it has a significant advantage.
They will invest more time and effort, and even in adversity, they won’t give up easily.
“Hmm, I see.”
Raymond nodded.
I could see a slight rise at the corners of his mouth.
With this, I had passed the basic test of capacity and reliability as a fund manager.
I was just about to prepare to move on to the real business.
“By the way, have you considered changing jobs?”
Raymond suddenly broached the subject.
“One of my clients is setting up a family office, and they’re looking for a fund manager. In my view, you’re the perfect fit.”
This was… unexpected.
A scout at this timing.
