April arrived.
A lot had happened in the past two months.
Due to the fallout from the Hanbo incident, President Kim Young-sam issued a public apology for his aides pressuring banks to make risky loans.
And in March, the Sammi Group, which owned Sammi Special Steel, the third-largest steel company in Korea, collapsed due to financial difficulties.
Sammi Special Steel was a stainless steel manufacturer, and stainless steel was a non-ferrous metal, worth more than ten...
I headed to my parents' house early on New Year's Day to visit our extended family.
When I arrived, my parents, Park Jong-chan and his wife, were already waiting for me, ready to go.
"I'm here."
As soon as I greeted them, my family bombarded me with questions.
"Sol, what's with that building?"
"They said it's worth 20 billion won, is it true?"
"One at a time, please. One at a time. I can't understand anything."
My father stepped forward with a ...
"Thank you for the ride. It's so much more comfortable than taking the bus."
My mother sighed from the passenger seat, and my father said with a frown,
"Do you have to go through this every holiday? Why does your sister-in-law always call you the day before and make you work? She has three daughters-in-law and inherited the entire estate, she and your brother should handle it themselves. Why do you have to suffer? This is it, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind this time."...
I instructed the executives of the subsidiary to move the headquarters and the research center.
Naturally, there was fierce opposition.
“Our key personnel might leave.”
The Silicon Valley area is notorious for high housing prices and a high cost of living, even within California.
Still, companies establish themselves there because numerous IT firms, startups, and the world’s top talents are already gathered.
There’s no place that can replace Silicon ...
Bailey Hausmann said to me,
“I’d like to exchange it for 10 percent of CarOS’s shares.”
Is that a 3 to 1 ratio?
If Iber’s corporate value is $80 billion, then CarOS’s value is $240 billion. This is more than 10 percent higher than the exchange ratio with Seosung Electronics.
Even if Samsung Electronics exercises its appraisal rights, we hold 71.5 percent of CarOS’s shares. Therefore, even if our shares decrease by 10 percent, there won’t be a signif...
Inside the VIP room of Moulin Rouge, a high-end hostess bar in Gangnam, Jeon Geon-woo and Yoo Seok-chan sat alone—without any women to accompany them.
Jeon Geon-woo slammed his glass down onto the table, irritation flashing across his face.
"That bastard Ho-geun! He made such a big deal about trusting him, and this is how he handles things? Damn it!"
Sitting across from him, Yoo Seok-chan’s expression was equally grim.
With Boseong Telecom's stock trading suspe...
“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 scand...
The Next Morning
As usual, Section Chief Jo Cheol-rae arrived at work, but his face looked haggard as if he hadn’t slept all night.
It was no wonder—an unknown intruder had disrupted his coordinated trading scheme, and Woo Ho-geun had given him an unreasonable order.
No matter how many times he thought about it, the way things had unfolded was utterly absurd. But regretting the past wouldn’t change anything now.
“I was too complacent.”
After putting down the receiver, Choi Ho-geun turned his slightly stiffened face toward the monitor on his desk.
[Boseong Telecom 26,300 ▲ 1,860]
As the operation forces drove the stock price up again through coordinated trades, retail investors who had been shaken out earlier jumped back in, pushing the stock into a full-fledged uptrend.
"It feels a bit early, but even selling here means doubling our profits. Nothing to regret."
Muttering to him...
CH393
Obtaining a second-level spell is relatively easier, as the Land of Dawn doesn’t strictly regulate this aspect, and it’s often impossible to completely control the flow of such knowledge.
Spells, being a form of knowledge, are relatively easy to disseminate, so strict regulation is often not enforced.
Even if you acquire a second-level spell, you must have the ability to learn it.
However, Rule Keys are unique entities, very scarce and ea...
The Next Day,
Hannam-dong, Seoul
As the sun hung high in the sky, Chairman Park Tae-hong, dressed in comfortable loungewear, opened the door to the master bedroom and stepped into the spacious living room.
“You’re finally up. How are you feeling?”
Madam Jo Deok-rye, who had been sitting on the sofa reading a book with bright sunlight streaming through the large glass windows, noticed her husband emerging and asked with a loo...
After finishing his call with a Hong Kong-based dealer involved in options trading, Manager Song Jong-geun set the receiver down.
Team Leader Kim Jung-sik, who had been waiting impatiently by his side, immediately pounced with a question.
“How did it go?”
A quick glance around the room showed that it wasn’t just Kim Jung-sik—every team member was staring at him with eager, expectant eyes.
“I closed all positions at 79.97 yen.”
“Wow!”
...
Quantum Fund Office, New York.
George Soros, his brown eyes calm and composed, stood with his arms crossed next to CIO Rodney, both watching the fluctuations of the USD/JPY exchange rate displayed on a massive electronic board.
[USD/JPY: 81.49] ↑
[USD/JPY: 81.51] ↑
.
.
[USD/JPY: 81.50] ↓
From behind a workstation surrounded by three computer moni...
[Who is the world’s number one richest person?]
Not long ago, Forbes announced its ranking of the world’s richest people.
Bill Gates, who was number one, was pushed down to second place, and the CEO of AMZ, Jake Byron, took his place. What’s even more surprising is that Kang Jin-hoo rose to third place.
It is the first time in history that a Korean has been named in the top 10 of the world’s rich list.
Kang Jin-hoo is the CEO of OTK Company and a major shar...
While I was half-heartedly waiting, I received a call from Kim Chan-gil.
[What should I do?]
His voice was a mixture of anger and desperation. I replied,
"What do you mean, 'what should I do'? Have you made up your mind?"
[I realized I would be a fool to stay silent any longer. I have no loyalty left for this company. I don't want to have any expectations anymore.]
I didn't know what had caused this change of heart, but I was delighted.
"Good decision...
My plan was simple.
They were worried about getting caught because the stolen scrap metal would create a discrepancy in the inventory records? Then we just had to replace it.
Not all scrap metal was the same.
There were countless grades of scrap metal, categorized by weight, composition, and alloy content, each with a different price.
The price difference depended on various factors, such as the presence of impurities and the type of alloy. This gave me an idea.
I told Kim Young-soo that I wanted to see the protest and followed him.
The protesters had occupied the main road in front of Hanbo Steel's main gate, chanting slogans. Police officers in riot gear surrounded them, wary of potential violence.
On a makeshift stage, men who appeared to be union leaders, with red headbands tied around their foreheads, were shouting at the top of their lungs.
"Wake up, you executives who ruined the company!"
"Wake up! Wake up!"
...
"Don't worry, I'm not here to cause any trouble."
I ushered a pale and trembling Lee Kang-soo into my car and said,
"It didn't take long to figure it out after your cousin gave me some information. You're trying to steal and sell Hanbo Steel's scrap metal. And to me, no less."
"…That easily?"
Lee Kang-soo was stunned. He never imagined that a mere junkyard owner would uncover his plan within days.
"Of course, it wasn't that easy. It's because we're special...
The next day, Assistant Manager Lee visited the company with a rice cooker.
"Welcome, CEO Lee. By the way, what's your name again?"
"It's Lee Jin-soo. Nice to meet you."
Lee Jin-soo placed the rice cooker on the table and said,
"This is the rice cooker I mentioned."
As he said, the rice cooker was in excellent condition.
"I can offer you up to 8,000 won per unit for this quality."
Lee Jin-soo's face fell.
"8,000 won? That's too low, isn'...
1997 arrived, but there was no sign of improvement in the Korean economy.
Businesses were struggling, and the ruling party, blaming the problem on excessive labor costs, rammed through a new labor law that allowed companies to restructure their workforce based on performance.
Workers responded with a general strike, and amidst the fierce battle between the government and labor unions, businesses became even more vulnerable.
Then, the Hanbo Group started to falter.
...
As December 1996 approached, Korea's bleak economic outlook became increasingly apparent.
Outwardly, the country celebrated its entry into the OECD((Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)), a "club for rich nations," as a sign of its ascent to developed nation status. However, internally, cracks were beginning to show.
Starting with the bankruptcy of Woosung Construction earlier that year, major construction companies that had led Korea's economic growth were cr...
“Did you just say… 80 yen?”
[That’s right.]
Holding the receiver to his ear, Team 1 Leader Kim Jung-sik couldn't hide his shock.
Meanwhile, Seok-won’s calm voice continued.
[The exchange rate is going to be extremely volatile today, but don’t waver—hold your position no matter what. Do you understand?]
“Ah… Yes, Director.”
As soon as Kim Jung-sik hung up, his colleague Song Jong-geun, who had been anxiously waiting beside him, rus...
Entering her fourth year at the company, Na Sung-mi hurried up the subway station stairs, a handbag slung over one shoulder, making her way to work.
She normally arrived 30 minutes early to prepare before her direct supervisor, Seok-won, showed up. But today, she woke up late, making her even more anxious.
Stepping out of the elevator, Sung-mi entered the office and flipped on the lights, brightening the dim room....
New York, USA – Eldorado Fund Office
As yen buy orders poured in like a flood, Tyler let out a short whistle.
"Looks like Soros is dead set on taking down the Bank of Japan today."
Standing in the back with his arms crossed, Andrew silently watched the ever-shifting yen exchange rate alongside Landon. Then, with a serious expression, he asked:
"How much has been bought so far?"
Tyler quickly tapped on his ...
It’s already been a week since I transferred to the M&A department. These days have been busy handling a live deal that came out in the second teaser.
“Sean, here.”
This guy with thick glasses is Ranton, an analyst assigned to me by Pierce. You could say he’s my personal Excel slave, my own Dobby.
“Already done?”
“This is nothing, pretty standard.”
To have results in just two hours… definitely fitting for a third-year analyst.
The next morning at 8 a.m., Pierce, who was rarely seen at Goldman, summoned me. His face looked noticeably thinner since the last time I saw him.
‘Well, no wonder.’
In my first teaser, I had included eight items with nearly expired dates. Every time he tried to sell one, he had to throw it away because the date had passed. That must have been exhausting.
“I heard there was a request for a department transfer to Healthcare,” Pierce said, his voice heavy with...
2025-02-16 02:55:00 +0000 UTC View Post“If you have any concerns, feel free to tell me.”
“Yes, thank you.”
After parting ways with Ha Si-heon, Rachel headed toward the Industrial Department.
How would it feel to be a gallery owner?
Her heart was pounding wildly. Even her steps were lighter than usual, filled with the urge to run off somewhere.
However, the moment she entered the department, her excitement vanished as if it had been a ...
2025-02-16 02:50:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe funds needed for drug development are about 50 billion dollars. Of that, 45 billion dollars are expected to go to waste. It’s inevitable. I’m planning to conduct ten clinical trials to achieve just one success. What investor would tolerate this? That’s why I devised this inertia system. The strategy is to captivate investors with an 80% return and use the remaining 20% as a tax for developing the treatment. In short, the 50 billion dollars is just a tax. What I actually need to make...
2025-02-16 02:45:00 +0000 UTC View PostFree Time.
Free enough that I wonder if this is even okay.
“Is there any other staffing to do?”
I ran over to Jeff as soon as I spotted him, but today again, he just responded irritably.
“Just stay on standby until there’s news.”
“I can handle other projects simultaneously.”
“That’s not your decision to make.”
He’s right.
Staffin...
2025-02-16 02:40:01 +0000 UTC View Post“80% accuracy?”
Ha Si-heon’s statement spread throughout Goldman.
“That’s what he said.”
“Do you believe it?”
“It’s not that I believe it, but he did predict three live deals…”
“So, he’s saying he could predict eight?”
The MD’s eyes narrowed, resembling the look one might give an adult who claims Santa Claus is real. Noticing the MD’s trust rapidly evaporating, the VP quickly defended himself.
“Oh, no, I’m just re...
2025-02-16 02:35:01 +0000 UTC View Post