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CH12 | DI
🕑 Added 2025-02-02 02:50:00 +0000 UTCWhen it comes to rumors, the outcome isn’t the only thing that matters. Let’s assume I won this bet. I was sure the new hire would lose, but they ended up winning. Quite an impressive newbie. But isn’t that story a bit too bland? For a rumor to spread properly, you need to sprinkle some extra seasoning.
Let’s add a few lines, for example:
– The entire department placed their salaries on the line, betting that the new hire would lose.
– The pot grew to a whopping $100,000.
– I was sure the new hire would lose, but they ended up winning. Quite an impressive newbie.
A hundred thousand dollars is roughly 100 million won in Korean currency. A bet with that kind of stakes. Everyone was sure it was impossible to win and wagered all that money, but what if the newbie actually won? Don’t you feel a little itch to talk about it? Well, that’s exactly what I’m aiming for.
The seniors are hesitant to bring it up. I thought at least one of them would match the bet with their own salary, and that the others would get swept up in the excitement.
‘Did I miscalculate?’
Well, from my perspective, losing $470 million in one day means a month’s salary is nothing, but for the average person, it might be a different story. It’s not the kind of money you throw around just for fun. I was thinking about pressing the matter a bit more when—
“Take your seats, please.”
Three new people entered the meeting room: two men in their 40s and one woman in her 20s. An MD, a VP, and… an unknown woman. The seniors quickly scattered and sat down in the chairs along the wall. I was about to head that way too, when one of the seniors at the table gestured to me.
“You, sit here.”
There were five people seated at the table. That meant we were the project participants, and everyone else was just an audience. And that audience wasn’t looking at me; they were focused on someone else—specifically, the blonde, green-eyed beauty who’d just walked in last.
‘So that’s who they’ve all come to see.’
It made sense. Her appearance was almost inhuman. She was easily one of the top three women I’ve ever seen in my entire life, past or present.
“Ahem! Why don’t the two new hires introduce themselves? Just your name, school, and hometown.”
With a nod from the MD, the woman stood up first.
“Rachel Mosley. I majored in Economics at Harvard and I’m from Greenwich.”
Greenwich happens to be the neighborhood where I used to live in a previous life. It’s also one of the wealthiest areas in the U.S.
‘No wonder she smells like money.’
Just as I was deciding I should befriend her, the MD did something unexpected.
“Rachel is my neighbor as well. How’s your father?”
“He’s doing well.”
“You’re not commuting from your family’s house, are you?”
“No, I have my own place in New York.”
The MD was flaunting his personal connection with her through casual conversation. I had a feeling he’d gathered the spectators just for this moment. He doesn’t act this way with just anyone, so the answer became clear.
‘Old money, huh?’
This woman likely comes from a family that’s inherited wealth and status for generations. In medieval terms, the MD would be a noble knight, and she would be royalty. I could feel tension building in my body.
‘I have to secure this one, no matter what.’
For an aspiring fund manager like me, she’s a client I absolutely cannot miss.
People like that, the truly wealthy, are fundamentally different. In fact, it’s not easy for ordinary people to even meet someone like them. They’re raised in a world of their own. From nursery school, they attend private institutions referred to as “Baby Ivy League,” which cost over $50,000 a year. After that, they go on to the most elite private elementary, middle, and high schools, and then private universities. Along the way, they marry someone they met during that process or through connections.
What does that mean? Not only are their parents and relatives wealthy, but so are all their friends from nursery school, elementary school, high school, and university. All of their networks consist of the wealthiest people. That’s why the MD is putting in so much effort. If you reel in just one of these clients, you’ll end up connected to a whole chain of wealthy individuals.
“Next.”
Before I knew it, the private conversation was over, and it was my turn. Time to introduce myself in front of Princess Rachel.
Focus.
“Ha Si-heon. You can call me Sean. I graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School.”
“Where’s your hometown?”
Strictly speaking, it’s Seoul, but that could work against me. Most of the top-tier wealthy tend to be ultra-conservative, so there’s no benefit in highlighting the fact that I’m a foreigner.
“I’ve moved around so much that I don’t really have a place I call home. If I had to say, I was in Palo Alto before moving to Alberta.”
“Palo Alto? Silicon Valley?”
“Yes, my father ran a startup.”
It’s not a lie, but I don’t want them digging too deep. Better to keep it vague with a hint of mystery.
“He passed away.”
Even in Wall Street, people don’t pry when it comes to deceased parents. As expected, the MD cleared his throat lightly and moved on to the next topic.
“I spoke with Colton’s CEO, and they finally opened the kimono. The margins are garbage, and the stock price has been stagnant for two quarters, so they need new capital…”
The meeting officially began. This was where they shared the basic information about the project, but the MD and VP were so excited they just kept talking back and forth.
“They seem concerned about the market’s dovish trends. They want to avoid being the only ones over the skis.”
“We definitely need to go live this quarter. If we delay, the next window won’t be until at least next year…”
“That’s what we need to prevent. Let’s include the market update in the ECM, make sure the consolidation page is clean, and push the footnotes to the limit. Update the accretion/dilution based on the SOTP and FMC…”
‘Not that I can’t keep up,’ I thought, glancing sideways at Rachel. She looked stiff, completely lost.
‘Right, this is your first time hearing Wall Street talk, isn’t it?’
Wall Street has its own language. “Dove” is derived from the well-known bull-bear analogy, where “dove” signifies a weak market. “Over the skis” means getting involved too soon. There are countless other idioms and abbreviations thrown around casually.
Toward the end of the meeting, the MD smiled slyly at Rachel.
“Rachel, would you like to summarize what we just discussed?”
“Huh?”
This was a classic way to tease new hires. It was a habitual joke, but Rachel was so visibly flustered that the MD quickly realized his mistake and turned to me.
“Then, Sean?”
It felt like he was throwing me under the bus, but still, this was a chance.
“The client believes the market will definitely rebound but isn’t confident in the timing. Therefore, the market update page should highlight that the momentum to exit the bear market is already here, and the footnotes should clearly cite the sources. You mentioned referencing the previous FMC, but I haven’t seen that file yet, so I’ll need to review it before I can comment further.”
“…!”
The MD’s eyes widened slightly. I hadn’t just parroted back the conversation; I’d interpreted it in my own words.
“Is this your first time working in investment banking?”
“Yes.”
“…Impressive.”
He seemed pleased. It wasn’t anything extraordinary; anyone could do this after a few months on the job. But people tend to be impressed when a rookie does something that seems routine. Like how a five-year-old reciting multiplication tables is seen as a prodigy.
I could probably ace any further tests and move from being seen as talented to being called a genius, but—
“This project will be called Kimono. The draft should be ready by tomorrow…”
Unfortunately, the MD wrapped up the meeting quickly. Before leaving, he smiled kindly at Rachel and said,
“We’ve got back-to-back meetings this week. I probably won’t be back until Wednesday, but don’t hesitate to reach out if anything comes up.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Even if it’s something small, feel free to consult me. Think of me as a friend of your father.”
‘This… might be tricky.’
The MD was going to be out of the office for a few days. The person who should witness firsthand how amazing I am and spread the word to the wealthy would be absent. But there’s no need to be disappointed just yet. The princess, who even the MD bows to, is still in the room.
‘If rumors are going to spread, it’s better to have her do it anyway.’
Until Wednesday, my focus is on Princess Rachel.
After the meeting ended, I approached the seniors who were sitting along the wall.
“Shall we continue our conversation from earlier?”
“Conversation?”
Of course, I was talking about the bet. You guys should bet your salaries too. Let’s add some fuel to the fire.
I had hoped that maybe they didn’t bring it up earlier because they were caught off guard, but—
“Ah, let’s leave personal stuff for after work!”
“Hey, Tai! We need to guide the new hires!”
They clearly had no intention of participating. At this point, it might be more effective to just recruit voluntary participants rather than pushing too hard. So, I adjusted my plan and decided to focus on the princess for now.
“Rachel, you know where to sit, right? Sean, you take this seat for now…”
A senior assigned to the same project led Rachel and me to our seats and distributed tasks.
“Sean, while you’re doing the markup, review the FMC template. Rachel, compile the PIB and contact BIS to gather global data. Also, get the growth rates for silica and high-pressure plywood.”
“What?”
Rachel seemed flustered, so I quickly jumped in to help.
“Public Information Book and Business Information Services, right? They’re in the contact list.”
“Right, you’re sharp.”
Rachel said nothing in response. She could have at least thanked me.
‘Is she the proud type?’
Or maybe she’s just cautious. She seemed uncomfortable earlier when the MD was flaunting their connection. With the ultra-rich, you have to approach carefully. They’re acutely aware of the value of their networks. If her guard is up this high, there’s only one approach that will work.
‘Rachel has to come to me first.’
Whether it’s starting a conversation or developing a relationship beyond just coworkers, it all has to be initiated by her.
Therefore, I decided to ignore her for the time being and focus on work.
The current project is an M&A. Colton wants to acquire Asetron and asked us to evaluate whether it’s worth the buy. The product lines include silica, high-performance plastics, and high-pressure plywood. Since they asked us to reference past projects, that’s where I’ll start.
Click! Click! Click!
As I was scanning through the files stored on the server, I heard a senior’s voice behind me.
“What do you see from looking at it like that?”
This is another chance—an opportunity to show off my skills to the princess.
“The peer group comparison is unusual. I think they want us to include finished products in the market analysis, not just raw materials. For example, instead of only analyzing the silica market, we should highlight the growth potential of solar panels made using silica.”
“Are you really a newbie?”
The senior looked genuinely surprised, but this is not the time to be smug.
“This is something anyone can do.”
“No, it’s not. Even with a sharp mind, this is hard to teach. Explaining it to others is the toughest part.”
Great, keep going. Make sure our princess hears every word.
I glanced expectantly at the senior, but when our eyes met, he quickly looked down.
“Well, keep it up! No personal talk while working!”
He ran off, probably worried I’d bring up the bet again. Anyone watching might think I’m robbing people of their salaries.
Anyway, I finished reviewing the reference materials. Next, we need to coordinate tasks to avoid overlap, since there are two of us on the project. But I can’t make the first move. So, I waited, but Rachel didn’t make a move either.
‘By now, she should’ve said something…right?’
An hour passed, and we were still sitting in silence. In the end, a senior had to step in to mediate.
“Why don’t you each pick a task?”
“Which one do you prefer?”
Rachel spoke first, but it doesn’t count. She clearly did it reluctantly.
“You can choose first.”
“I don’t mind either way…”
“Then I’ll start with the silica. You can handle the plywood.”
“Okay.”
I should have gone back to looking at my screen, but Rachel’s intelligent aura, accentuated by her green eyes, caught my attention for a few seconds longer than necessary.
Sensing my gaze, Rachel turned to face me.
“Is there something else you wanted to say?”
“No, I was just going to suggest we adjust the workflow based on our progress.”
I quickly came up with an excuse and turned back to my computer screen, internally scolding myself.
‘That look of hers is a bit unfair.’
I decided not to look her way anymore. I don’t have time to be distracted by beauty. Remember, Rachel isn’t just a woman; she’s a future client who’ll bring a string of wealthy people with her.
Tap tap tap!
I focused on my work, staring straight ahead. Occasionally, I could feel Rachel’s gaze on me from the side, but I ignored it. Our relationship must be initiated by her.
But even after a few hours, she didn’t make a move.
Then, just as I started feeling hungry, I heard someone call out to her.
“Rachel! Want to grab dinner?”
“I’m heading to the cafeteria. Wanna come with?”
Two young men, probably her fellow new hires, had come by. It was only then that Rachel finally spoke to me.
“Sean, would you like to join us for dinner?”
It’s hard to count this as her initiating a relationship. A dinner with several colleagues in the company cafeteria is still just an extension of work. Rachel knows this, and that’s why she asked me.
‘Still, it’s not bad.’
Having more people around makes it easier to dig into someone’s background. Time to start learning more about our princess.
