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CH144 | GSI
🕑 Added 2025-02-18 05:48:13 +0000 UTC“What the hell is going on?”
Chairman Woo Yong-gap, sitting in the highest seat, glared at Chief Secretary Jeon Hae-cheol, who was seated on the left sofa, his face full of irritation.
“There’s a company called Boseong Telecom whose stock prices have recently skyrocketed. It appears that several high-ranking securities firm employees were involved in stock manipulation using borrowed-name accounts.”
“Those damn bastards! As if the presidential slush fund scandal wasn’t already enough of a headache, now they go and cause this mess!”
His voice boomed through the room, revealing just how furious he was.
“The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) immediately halted trading and launched an aggressive raid. Given their actions, it’s likely they have already secured significant evidence.”
“They wouldn’t go that far unless they were confident in their findings. If they turn up empty-handed after making such a big move, they’d be in serious trouble themselves.”
Leaning back in his seat, Woo Yong-gap spoke in a cold, measured tone.
“Before this situation escalates, fire everyone involved and make sure this is treated as the personal misconduct of a few employees, with no connection to the company.”
However, Jeon Hae-cheol hesitated instead of responding immediately. He carefully gauged the chairman’s reaction before speaking cautiously.
“There’s… a problem.”
“A problem?”
Chairman Woo’s eyebrows shot up as he fixed his gaze on Jeon Hae-cheol.
“It seems that Director Woo is involved in this matter.”
“……!”
Woo Yong-gap’s eyes widened in shock as his voice grew sharper.
“You mean the eldest one?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That damn fool!”
Upon hearing the confirmation, Chairman Woo slammed his palm onto the sofa’s armrest, his face contorting with anger.
“Are you certain he’s involved?”
“I heard it from a senior official in the FSS, so it’s not just baseless speculation.”
“That bastard…”
As Woo Yong-gap’s face turned red with fury, Jeon Hae-cheol continued.
“The media hasn’t caught wind of this yet, but if it comes to light that Director Woo orchestrated the stock manipulation, things will become significantly more complicated.”
A third-generation chaebol being linked to stock manipulation was exactly the kind of scandal that would capture the public’s interest.
Not only would it tarnish the conglomerate’s image, but it would also be an immense humiliation for Woo Yong-gap himself.
He could already picture the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) members whispering behind his back, ridiculing him. The thought made his anger surge even further.
“Ugh…”
Suddenly, Woo Yong-gap clutched the back of his neck, grimacing in pain as his blood pressure spiked.
Alarmed, Jeon Hae-cheol jumped to his feet.
“Chairman! Are you all right?”
Rushing to his side, Jeon Hae-cheol anxiously examined Woo Yong-gap’s complexion, his face filled with concern.
“Damn it… Hoo, hoo…”
Woo Yong-gap leaned back against the sofa, breathing heavily as he tried to steady himself.
“Haah… I’m fine. My blood pressure just spiked for a moment.”
“I’ll call Dr. Choi right away.”
“There’s no need to make a fuss over this.”
Woo Yong-gap cut him off, his face twisted in irritation.
“More importantly, bring that bastard here immediately!”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
At this rate, Woo Yong-gap would collapse before even seeing his son’s face.
Jeon Hae-cheol cast a worried glance at him before nodding and stepping out of the room.
Left alone, Woo Yong-gap slammed his fist onto the sofa’s armrest.
“Things were finally quiet for a while, and now he pulls this kind of stunt?”
His entire body radiated fury as he gritted his teeth.
***
Swaaah—
Cool water cascaded from the showerhead, streaming over Seok-won’s broad shoulders and chest before trickling down.
Thanks to his consistent workouts, his sharply defined abs looked as if they had been meticulously sculpted.
His high-bridged nose and chiseled jawline only amplified his masculine allure, and the silhouette reflected on the transparent glass wall—water trickling down his toned frame—resembled a masterpiece crafted by a skilled artist.
Turning off the shower, Seok-won stepped out of the booth and grabbed a towel to dry himself.
Standing in front of the mirror, he quickly dried his hair with a blow dryer and applied some men’s skincare lotion. The result was his usual clean-cut, polished look.
After changing into comfortable clothes, Seok-won walked over to a mini fridge in the corner of the room, pulled out a can of beer, and cracked it open.
With a deep gulp, the cool, refreshing sensation traveled down his throat, instantly washing away the fatigue of the day.
“Phew… Nothing beats a beer after a shower.”
Humming a tune, he took another sip while gazing at the left wall.
Hanging there were two paintings: Shot Sage Blue Marilyn and Coca-Cola Bottles, both by Andy Warhol.
He had acquired them during a trip to Europe when he went to purchase an MP3 patent. Stopping by Switzerland, he had met with the then-owner of the pieces, securing them for $41 million.
“I still can’t believe I have the originals hanging in my room.”
Since he had admired these works even before his regression, the experience was particularly meaningful.
Shot Sage Blue Marilyn held special significance among Warhol’s silk-screened prints, which were often mass-produced and thus less rare.
“In other words, it has history.”
As its name suggested, the Shot Marilyn series consisted of five differently colored Marilyn Monroe prints, stacked together and then shot with a gun. Only three of them escaped being pierced by the bullet—his painting being one of them.
On top of that, Andy Warhol himself had been shot in an assassination attempt, barely surviving the ordeal, which added yet another layer of intrigue to the artwork’s history.
When a piece combined rarity with an extraordinary backstory, its value only skyrocketed.
“Twenty-seven years from now, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn will sell for $195 million at Christie’s auction in Manhattan.”
By that estimate, acquiring both paintings for less than $50 million was an absolute steal.
“Not that I ever plan on selling them.”
Seok-won sipped his beer with a satisfied expression as he admired the paintings.
He only had two for now, but he wondered how great it would be if he could acquire more of Andy Warhol’s works just as easily.
Just as he was indulging in the rare feeling of contentment, the vibration of his phone on the desk broke the silence.
With his free hand, Seok-won picked up the phone and answered.
“Yes.”
[It’s Landon, boss.]
“I thought you were off sailing to Puerto Rico on your new yacht after getting your bonus. What’s the occasion?”
Seok-won had made significant profits through his recent investments and had generously rewarded the employees of the Eldorado Fund.
Landon, who had received a hefty $10 million bonus along with Andrew, had immediately purchased a sleek yacht.
[I wanted to call before I left to share some good news.]
“What is it?”
[The securities registration statement we submitted to the SEC for the IPO was approved today.]
“Really?”
Seok-won’s face lit up. He had been waiting for this news.
[The offering price has been set at $28 per share, just as you wanted.]
“Goldman Sachs actually earned their fee this time.”
Landon’s voice carried a hint of concern.
[It’s great that the IPO is confirmed, but I am a bit worried about us agreeing to take any unsold shares in the offering.]
“That won’t be an issue. You don’t need to worry.”
[Let’s hope so.]
“When’s the listing date?”
[It’s not finalized yet, but it should be decided within the next month.]
“I’m already looking forward to seeing Netscape debut on NASDAQ.”
This wasn’t just about his first venture capital investment finally bearing fruit. It was the start of the dot-com bubble that would send global stock markets into a frenzy for years to come.
Then, suddenly recalling a past conversation, Seok-won smirked.
“By the way, you haven’t forgotten our bet, have you?”
[What bet?]
“When I first invested in Netscape, we bet $100 on whether the company’s valuation would surpass $1 billion within three years.”
Landon let out an Ah! as he remembered.
[Now that you mention it, I do recall… I can’t believe you still remember that.]
“Of course. It was an important bet.”
Seok-won grinned mischievously.
“With the IPO, including the newly issued shares, Netscape’s market cap will exceed $1.6 billion. That means I won the bet, right?”
[Technically, the IPO hasn’t happened yet. If the stock underperforms on its debut, all this excitement will be for nothing.]
“So you want to wait until the listing day? Fine, if that’s how you want to play it.”
[Honestly, I’d rather lose the bet and pay you $100 if it means the IPO is a success.]
Seok-won confidently declared,
“The moment trading begins, the stock price will skyrocket. So make sure to have a crisp $100 bill ready for me on listing day.”
[Consider it done. Oh, and there’s one more thing I need to report.]
Adjusting his grip on the phone, Seok-won replied,
“Go on.”
[You remember the knock-in knock-out options we were offering to Japanese financial institutions and corporations?]
“Yes, what about them?”
[A few companies started showing interest last week, and now both Itochu and Mitsubishi Corporation have expressed their intent to sign option contracts.]
“Are you serious?”
Seok-won’s eyes gleamed.
[Yes, sir.]
Itochu and Mitsubishi were two of Japan’s top five trading conglomerates, known as the sōgō shōsha.
“It makes sense. With the Cabinet and the Bank of Japan caving to hedge fund pressure and lowering interest rates, the yen’s strength is likely to continue. They must be looking to hedge their forex risks.”
[For general trading companies and exporters involved in forex transactions, large currency fluctuations are always a major headache.]
“No doubt.”
With the yen surging in a short period, export giants like Toyota and Sony were suffering. Their profits were shrinking, and their price competitiveness was weakening, causing significant damage.
The general trading companies were no exception—they were taking losses as well.
Despite knowing this, the Japanese Cabinet and the Bank of Japan continued to pour billions of dollars into the foreign exchange market even after effectively surrendering to hedge funds. However, the yen’s strength showed no signs of subsiding.
“What’s the contract size they’re looking for?”
[Combined, the two companies are aiming for about $300 million.]
Seok-won’s expression showed slight disappointment.
“That’s not very big.”
Considering the stature of those two companies, the amount was rather modest.
[It’s their first time signing a contract like this, so they’re being cautious. But depending on the situation, they might increase the amount. More importantly, given the current climate, other companies are likely to follow their lead.]
It was always the same—everyone hesitated at first, but once someone took the plunge, the rest would rush in.
Holding the phone to his ear, Seok-won gave a slight nod.
“Well, you can’t expect to fill your stomach in one bite. A lot of companies must be worried about exchange rate fluctuations, so push the sales pitch more aggressively.”
[Understood.]
Glancing at the schedule on his desk calendar, Seok-won smirked slightly.
“I’ll be attending Netscape’s listing ceremony, so I guess we’ll be seeing each other in the U.S. next month.”
[I’ll be looking forward to it.]
After continuing their conversation for a while longer, Seok-won finally ended the call and set his phone down.
Feeling pleased that both the Netscape IPO and the options sales were progressing smoothly, he popped open a second can of beer.
“Beer tastes even better today.”
On days like this, drinks just went down effortlessly.
With that thought, Seok-won took a sip of the cold beer, savoring the moment.
