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CH183 | GSI
🕑 Added 2025-03-03 06:26:43 +0000 UTCThe pure white fuselage, accentuated by golden lines, gleamed under the sunlight, revealing sleek curves and exuding an air of luxury.
Chairman Park Tae-hong stared blankly at the business jet for a moment before composing himself and turning to Secretary-General Gil Sung-ho.
"Explain properly—what is going on here?"
With a deep, settled gaze, Park's voice was firm. Gil Sung-ho quickly began explaining the situation.
"Actually, this was arranged by the young master."
"Seok-won?"
"Yes."
Chairman Park furrowed his brows, signaling him to elaborate.
"A few days ago, he called me and said he had acquired a private jet as a gift for you. Since you were planning a trip to China, he wanted you to use it."
At this, Chairman Park’s face twisted in disbelief.
"Wait a moment. Are you saying he didn’t just rent that plane—he bought it outright?"
"That’s correct."
"It’s not some cheap trinket—are you seriously telling me he purchased that?"
"I was also shocked when I first heard about it, so I checked to be sure. But yes, it’s true."
"Hah."
Chairman Park let out a hollow laugh, still in disbelief.
"The aircraft is a Gulfstream IV. The base price is $25 million, but the final cost varies significantly depending on the selected options."
Upon hearing the price, Chairman Park’s expression turned furious.
"That reckless fool! Just because he made some money from investments, he thinks money grows on trees and throws it around like this?"
He looked ready to summon Seok-won for a scolding, but before he could, Secretary Gil Sung-ho pulled something out from his briefcase and handed it over.
"Chairman, please calm down for a moment…"
"Calm down? He spent $25 million on a jet he’ll barely use a few times a year! If he wanted to spend money, he should’ve bought land or buildings instead!"
"Please take a look at this."
As Chairman Park raged, raising his voice, his sharp eyes landed on the document.
"What is this?"
"It’s last Thursday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal."
"What?"
His anger momentarily subdued by curiosity, Chairman Park took the newspaper with a puzzled expression.
[Netscape's Second-Largest Shareholder Sells Stake in Block Deal]
Netscape, a dominant force in the web browser market and a pioneer of the internet age, has been breaking record highs since its Nasdaq listing, attracting immense investor interest. Recently, the company's second-largest shareholder reportedly sold their entire stake in a major transaction, causing a significant stir.
Since Netscape’s founding, this shareholder has held a 30% stake, second only to founder Tom Harper.
Even after a 2-for-1 stock split, the stock continued to rise, pushing the company's market capitalization beyond $3.6 billion. It is believed that the shareholder saw this as an opportune moment to exit.
While the exact profit remains undisclosed, the value of the shares sold via block deal and market transactions is estimated to exceed $1 billion.
Despite the news of the major shareholder's exit, Netscape’s stock price…
As Chairman Park read the article, he lifted his head, still not understanding the connection.
"What does this have to do with the private jet?"
"The shareholder mentioned in the article—the second-largest one—that’s the young master."
"What?! Are you serious?"
Chairman Park's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes, sir. As you said, he truly has an extraordinary talent for investments."
"This is… unbelievable."
Still in disbelief, Chairman Park read the article again.
"So you’re telling me my Seok-won invested in this American company, Netscape, and made a billion dollars?"
"That’s correct."
"What kind of company is this for its stock to be worth that much?"
Gil Sung-ho quickly responded.
"A web browser is an application that helps users find information and websites on the internet. This company develops, sells, and operates that kind of software."
"The internet, huh…"
Chairman Park Tae-hong, showing interest, glanced sideways at Gil Sung-ho, who continued speaking.
"Although it's a relatively new IT company, having been founded just over two years ago, as the article mentions, it not only successfully went public on Nasdaq but also rode the internet boom, causing its stock price to skyrocket. The company's current market value has reached an astonishing $3.6 billion, making it one of the most talked-about companies in the U.S. stock market."
"So, my Seok-won invested in such a company and made a huge profit?"
"I contacted our U.S. branch to investigate, and it turns out he didn't just invest—he played a leading role in founding the company and taking it public in record time."
"Hah."
Chairman Park let out another hollow laugh in disbelief.
"How much did he invest in this… what was it… Nets… whatever it's called?"
"I'm not certain, but no matter how much it was, it wouldn't have exceeded $10 million."
"Then he made over a hundred times that amount?"
"That's correct."
Gil Sung-ho replied with a smile.
Anyone hearing this might think it was a lie, and Chairman Park could only chuckle in disbelief. He was so astonished that he couldn't even find the words to respond.
"He's been going back and forth to the U.S. so frequently, I thought maybe he was hiding a woman over there. Turns out he was up to something much bigger."
Feeling a mix of admiration and frustration, Chairman Park clicked his tongue.
"The little rascal… If he came across such a golden opportunity, he could've at least given his father a hint so I could get in on it too. Instead, he just kept it all to himself? What a cunning brat."
As Chairman Park muttered to himself, Gil Sung-ho tactfully averted his gaze, pretending not to have heard anything.
Still grumbling, Chairman Park turned his head and looked up at the sleek, elegantly designed business jet standing before him.
Now that he knew it was his personal jet, it somehow looked even more impressive.
"How much did you say that thing costs?"
"With all the added options, it easily surpasses $30 million."
"Hmm. If he made a billion dollars, spending that much wouldn't even make a dent."
"Exactly."
Noticing the complete shift in Chairman Park’s attitude, Gil Sung-ho chuckled quietly.
Well, with over a billion dollars in earnings, buying a private jet didn't seem unreasonable.
In fact, compared to what he had made, it felt like an ordinary expense.
"Well then, I might as well see how good this private jet he bought for me really is."
With a smile playing on his lips, Chairman Park stepped forward lightly, as if he were about to start humming a tune.
"Welcome aboard."
As he approached, a Korean stewardess in uniform greeted him with a polite bow, her hands neatly clasped in front of her.
Chairman Park gave a slight nod before stepping onto the lowered stairs leading into the business jet.
Upon entering, his eyes were immediately drawn to the luxurious interior.
The beige seats, crafted from the finest Merino leather, and the brown-toned tables gave the cabin the ambiance of a five-star hotel lounge.
On the right side, there were four seats arranged facing each other, while on the left, a long, plush sofa could accommodate three passengers side by side.
At the front, there were three individual seats on either side, bringing the total seating capacity to ten.
The first-class seat was incredibly spacious, almost like a personal sofa, wide enough to stretch out comfortably with plenty of room to spare.
With the push of a button on the armrest, the seat could fully recline into a flat bed.
On top of that, the floor was covered with a thick wool carpet, and every finishing touch exuded luxury.
As he looked around the cabin, taking in the details, Secretary Gil Sung-ho finally reached the private bedroom reserved exclusively for Chairman Park Tae-hong. His mouth fell open in awe.
"They said everything was custom-ordered with only the finest materials to suit your taste, Chairman. Seeing it in person, it's truly remarkable."
"Well, it seems they spent quite a bit of money on this."
Chairman Park replied nonchalantly.
However, despite his indifferent tone, the slight twitch of his lips, which kept curling upward, betrayed his true feelings.
Just then, the stewardess, having closed the cabin door, approached with a warm smile and extended her hands.
"May I take your jacket, sir?"
Chairman Park removed his suit jacket and handed it over. The stewardess opened a built-in closet against the wall and carefully hung the jacket inside.
In the meantime, Chairman Park walked over to the four-seater sofa and took a seat, while Secretary Gil Sung-ho naturally settled into the seat across from him.
Manager Chu Se-young, having cautiously observed the situation, found an empty seat and sat down. He kept glancing around with a curious expression, clearly fascinated by his surroundings.
"Would you like some slippers?"
"Yes, bring me a pair."
Chairman Park nodded.
Moments later, the stewardess returned with two pairs of thick, plush slippers that looked undeniably expensive. She placed them neatly beside the feet of Chairman Park and Secretary Gil Sung-ho.
Swapping his stiff dress shoes for the comfortable slippers, Chairman Park leaned back into the cushy seat, his expression one of satisfaction.
"Not bad."
In reality, he was thoroughly pleased.
Since it was a private jet, the service from the stewardesses was far superior to that of a regular first-class cabin. But more than anything, the greatest advantage was being able to relax without worrying about the gazes of other passengers.
‘I doubt any other chairman has ever received a private jet from their son.’
Thinking about having another bragging point for the Federation of Korean Industries gatherings made his lips itch with excitement.
He felt immense pride in his son for preparing such an unexpected surprise gift. At the same time, he couldn't help but be deeply impressed by the fact that his son had earned an astonishing $1 billion in just two years through venture investments.
‘He’s managed to grow more money than I’ve made in my entire life. My own son, yet truly remarkable.’
A short while later, the Gulfstream IV business jet carrying Chairman Park Tae-hong roared down the runway and soared into the sky, heading straight for its destination—Shenyang, China.
***
Daehung Securities Headquarters, Yeouido.
As usual, the fifth-floor trading center was a chaotic symphony of ringing phones and traders shouting orders, their shirt sleeves rolled up to their elbows.
Ring-ring! Ring-ring!
"Buy 2,000 shares of Hyunwoo Motors at the current price!"
"Sell 3,000 shares of Hanse Steel at 16,600 won!"
Traders barked orders into their phones, using frantic hand gestures while hammering away at their keyboards. The intensity in the room made the atmosphere feel stifling, despite the air conditioning running at full blast.
After the relentless pace of trading, it was only when the closing bell rang that the traders, exhausted, slumped back into their chairs.
But their fatigue was quickly forgotten.
As they glanced at the giant market index board on the wall, displaying the final KOSPI index, a wave of excitement erupted.
[KOSPI: 1,013 (+29.33)]
"Whoa!"
"I can't believe we’re seeing four digits again!"
"Let's ride this all the way to the end of the year!"
After a rough start to the year, with the index in a downward spiral, the dramatic rebound bringing it back above 1,000 had everyone celebrating.
Thanks to Seok-won’s foresight, Daehung Securities hadn't suffered major losses like other firms during the market downturn. Still, the prolonged slump had been nerve-wracking for everyone, making this recovery even sweeter.
On top of that, they had followed Seok-won’s orders to bet on the rebound in advance, meaning they were now reaping all the rewards of the rising stock prices.
Choi Ho-geun, the team leader, had his tie tucked sloppily into his shirt pocket as he stared at the KOSPI index on the screen, muttering absentmindedly.
"It really went back above 1,000..."
When Seok-won had first predicted the rebound, the market had been in free fall, so it had seemed almost impossible.
And yet, within just a few months, the index had climbed back above 1,000, just as he had foreseen.
At that moment, Deputy Manager Jung Hwan-yeop sidled up to him, chuckling.
"Team leader! A day like this calls for a drink, don’t you think?"
"All you ever think about is drinking."
"Oh, come on! If we don’t drink on a day like today, when will we?"
Choi Ho-geun couldn't help but grin at the cheeky response.
"Tsk. Alright, alright. Just hurry up and organize the transaction slips and take them to Miss Hong."
"Yes, sir!"
Deputy Manager Jung Hwan-yeop playfully saluted, placing his hand on his forehead, before eagerly heading back to his desk.
"Hey, Seok-hyun! The team leader is treating us today!"
"Whoa, really?"
Judging by the way he was practically bouncing with excitement and humming a tune, the prospect of free drinks seemed to thrill him.
Just then, Hong Jae-hee approached, holding a phone receiver in one hand.
"Team leader, you have a call."
"Who is it?"
"It's the director."
Choi Ho-geun immediately stood up and took the receiver from Hong Jae-hee.
"This is Choi speaking."
[There's something I need to instruct you on. Bring the other team leaders and come up to my office now.]
"Understood, sir."
Choi Ho-geun blinked at the unexpected summons.
'What’s this about?'
Calling in all the team leaders at once meant something serious was going on.
Sensing the urgency, Choi Ho-geun quickly grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair, adjusted his tie, and briskly exited the office.
