“Big One” brought about significant changes in the industrial landscape, and companies had to rethink their strategies accordingly.
Apple originally planned to release the iPhone Z at the end of September, but it was delayed by nearly three months and finally launched just before Christmas last year. Similarly, CarOS also postponed its new car launch by several months, releasing it now that the new year has begun.
It is true that CarOS possesses the most advanced autonomous ...
As both Landon & Andrew exchanged bewildered glances, Seok-won sat calmly in his seat.
Then, Andrew asked in a firm voice,
“You're not planning to attack the Bank of Japan like George Soros did, are you?”
At the shocking question, Landon swallowed dryly and looked at him with a tense expression.
Although its status had recently declined significantly due to the bursting of the economic bubble, the Bank of Japan still held influence and position on par with ...
One New York Plaza, Manhattan,
New York, United States.
The bright sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the spacious office of Eldorado Fund. Beyond the glass, the deep blue East River flowed leisurely, reflecting the light.
Seok-won sat in the middle of a sleek leather sofa, with Landon and Andrew on either side.
Dressed in a navy-striped suit accented by a neatly folded pocket square, Seok-...
January 23, 1995, Monday
Singapore International Monetary Exchange (SIMEX).
The bustling trading floor hummed with its usual frenetic energy.
Traders, clad in brightly coloured jackets denoting their firms, gestured wildly, their shouts reverberating through the cavernous space, making it almost impossible to hear oneself think.
Amid this whirlwind of activity, Brad Cooper sat in the Barings Bank pit, silently observing the chaos a...
CH383
Royce panicked; he didn’t have 50,000 magic stones.
He knew Case was greedy but hadn’t expected such avarice.
Case, coldly, said, “Can’t pay? Your cargo could easily cover it.”
“Sir, please wait. I need to discuss this; 50,000 is too much,” Royce pleaded.
“Discuss? Forget it. I’ll inspect your cargo for issues.”
Case and his men headed to the lower deck, unchallenged.
They were North Slope city offici...
New York City, USA
Through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of an upscale restaurant, Manhattan's dazzling skyline stretched out like a living painting. The interior, adorned with antique touches, exuded a luxurious charm, reflecting the sophisticated atmosphere typical of a place frequented by the upper crust.
On a small stage tucked in one corner, a jazz singer in a sparkling gown stood beneath soft lights, crooning a slow, soulful tune into a vintage stan...
Afternoon
The sun was shining warmly as a loud voice echoed near the entrance of the golf club's clubhouse, and a group of men strolled inside.
They were none other than Woo Ho-geun, the eldest son of Donghae Group's chairman Woo Yong-gap, and his friends.
Perhaps because it was a weekday afternoon, the clubhouse was nearly empty and quiet.
The three of them, moving with familiar steps, settled at the table right next to the large glass windows offering the best vi...
The essence of stocks lies in the companies themselves, and companies continuously generate value.
Just because someone bought Samsung Electronics for 1 million won and sold it for 2 million won, doesn’t mean the person who bought it later lost 1 million won.
This is because Samsung Electronics announces new products every year and earns money to distribute to its shareholders.
The stock market is an open market, and it’s entirely possible for all participants to prof...
Singapore International Monetary Exchange (SIMEX)
"Whoa!"
"The Nikkei is rising!"
"Is this just a dead cat bounce?"
"No, the rebound is way too strong for that."
"You're right."
As traders murmured in confusion over the sudden market reversal, someone finally revealed the reason behind it.
"The Japanese government just announced a massive reconstruction plan!"
"A staggering 2 trillion yen!"
"……!"
Realiz...
CH381
The airship was docked at the plaza, with figures moving on it, likely patrol guards.
Helag followed Sam to a warehouse area, filled with large storage buildings, each packed with various goods.
Sam managed this warehouse area, wielding significant power, attracting many who sought his favor.
With Sam leading, no one questioned Helag.
The warehouse guards glanced at Sam’s companion and looked away.
Sam led Helag into a large w...
"Here’s your order—two bowls of banquet noodles!"
A middle-aged waitress, wearing an apron, placed two steaming bowls of banquet noodles on the table, generously topped with beef, egg, carrots, zucchini, and seaweed garnish, along with a few side dishes.
"This is what you call a hearty meal?"
Team leader Choi Ho-geun grumbled as he stirred the noodles with his chopsticks.
Sitting across from him, Song Jong-geun, who had come along for lunch, casually added an e...
Andrew couldn't hide his bewilderment at the unexpected order and asked again.
[Did you say to liquidate the position?]
Unlike the startled Andrew, Seok-won responded in a calm voice.
"That's right."
[The crash has only just begun. If we wait, prices will drop even further. Isn’t it too early to sell?]
Andrew cautiously expressed his opposition, but Seok-won didn’t waver in his decision.
"No. Now is the right time to sell."
[….]
Se...
January 17, 1995
Tokyo Stock Exchange, Chuo Ward, Tokyo, Japan
The vast trading floor, filled with traders waiting for the market to open, was suffocating with tension.
More than a hundred traders huddled in front of their booths, their faces grim as they monitored breaking news on the earthquake through TV broadcasts and Bloomberg terminals.
With aftershocks still rumbling and the full extent of the damage gradually coming t...
Oh Byeong-jun, Graduate of Korea University’s Department of Business Administration.
He successfully broke through the tough job market and landed a position at CS Retail. He had secured his dream job at a major company, but his work life wasn’t exactly enjoyable. The work was hard and there was a lot of it. Spending the whole day traveling between retail stores was exhausting.
As a new employee, his salary was only around 3.3 million won. After paying rent and living expens...
Kobe, Japan – January 17, 1995
Tsuji had worked late into the night and only managed to fall asleep past midnight. But something felt off, waking him from his slumber.
“What...?”
Still lying in bed, he turned his head, but his small eight-tatami-mat apartment, shrouded in darkness, was eerily silent.
Reaching out, he grabbed his wristwatch from the nightstand and checked the time—5:40 AM.
In just a short while, he would have to wake ...
January 3, 1995
As the first trading day of the year approached, Seok-won gathered the senior employees of the trading department for a meeting.
"Last year, the KOSPI Index soared into four-digit territory, continuing its unstoppable rise. However, this year, the market is likely to be much more challenging."
"……?"
Seok-won’s words drew puzzled expressions from the executives. Experts, the government, and the media were all forecasting a brig...
I rushed back to the company and headed straight to my office.
I had already called Park Jong-bum and Maru on my way back, so they were waiting for me in the office.
"Sir, you're back."
I ignored their greetings, tossed my coat onto the coat rack, and said,
"It's an emergency."
"What happened? Weren't you at Hanyang University to check on the sampling technology?"
I hurriedly explained what had transpired at the university, and their faces turned seri...
"So this is Hanyang University."
I buttoned up my coat against the biting winter wind and entered the campus.
"It's winter break, but it's deserted."
Only a few students were scattered around, making the campus feel empty.
The memory of not being able to go to college due to my family's financial situation flashed through my mind. I felt a pang of nostalgia just stepping onto the campus.
"I never imagined I would come here like this. Well, it doesn't matter....
"Wow, there are four rooms! Dad, can I have this one?"
"Oh my, oh my, look at the spacious kitchen! We could play soccer in the living room!"
After dropping off Park Jong-chan at the airport, it was time to explain everything to my parents.
To prove the success of my business, I invited them to the company over the weekend for a tour. The final stop was a luxurious villa overlooking the Han River that Maru had chosen and purchased.
"Are you sure we're supposed to l...
The long-awaited morning arrived.
I donned my finest suit and got into the Mercedes-Benz S-Class I had bought secondhand, specifically for today.
"Damn, this is expensive."
To be honest, I could have bought it a long time ago.
The goods were still pouring in, and the electronic scrap I delivered every month was like a gold mine, bringing me a fortune.
To put it lightly, I could buy this car with two days' worth of profit.
But I had refrained from buyi...
We received an upfront payment of 700 million won and returned to the hotel.
It was time to fulfill my promise to Park Jong-bum.
"Let's be honest. Shares or cash?"
"I want shares."
"Alright. How much do you think is appropriate?"
Park Jong-bum thought for a moment and said,
"Honestly, I'm not sure. Of course, the more the better, but it's a bit awkward for me to name a specific amount."
"Okay, let's rephrase the question. What do you think Chun...
"Hmm, so this is Japan. It's subtly different from Korea."
The scent of a foreign land filled my senses, lifting my spirits.
I had booked my flight to coincide with the arrival of the goods we shipped by sea. The containers should be on a truck heading to the Japanese smelter by now.
"It's Naoshima Smelter, right? The one we signed the contract with?"
"Yes, that's right."
I lowered my voice and asked Park Jong-bum,
"Team Leader Park, how far up the ch...
We successfully implemented documented transactions, although we didn't gain any immediate financial benefit from manipulating the secondhand goods price list.
Our sales were increasing rapidly, and once we surpassed 5 billion won in monthly sales, we would be on par with any other major wholesaler handling large corporations' waste.
That took care of the secondhand goods side of the business for now.
"But we can't just sit around and wait for the sales figures to accumul...
Revenue is the money a company earns from selling goods or services.
For example, if you sell a 100-won pen, 100 won is recorded as revenue. However, if you spent 90 won on raw materials, labour costs, distribution costs, etc., the actual money left over is 10 won.
This 10 won is the profit.
In a normal situation, profit can never exceed revenue. In industries with relatively low costs, such as games or software, profits can exceed several tens of percent, but most manufa...
After school, in the training room, we were receiving feedback on today’s practice match.
Devon spoke while Jack and I listened attentively.
“Listen while you exercise.”
Sure, why not? It didn’t seem like a bad idea to combine training and feedback.
The problem, however, was the intensity of the workout.
“Did you see how terrible your defense was?”
“Ughhh!”
“Gaaah!”
“Can’t you hear the coach talking? Shut your mou...
“Ah, I feel a cough coming on.”
Jack discreetly excused himself, pretending to head to the restroom.
Devon, clueless about what was going on, simply blinked in confusion.
What was the question again?
Oh, right. Something about why there were so many Ultimate-brand clothes.
“I just really like this brand.”
“Just liking it means you can buy all of it?”
“It’s a bit tricky, I’ll admit.”
“Did you get them through reselle...
It was my first time watching a match played by second-years.
Contrary to my expectation that it would be boring.
“Go for it!”
“Cut it off!”
“Pass!”
The game’s tempo was incredibly fast.
Flash! Smack!
Throwing their bodies to collide was just the basics.
Thud! Roll-roll.
Even if players were sent sprawling across the field, no one batted an eye.
A brutally aggressive and dynam...
And the moment our bodies collided.
“……!”
My vision shook violently.
It felt like throwing myself against a utility pole…
Is this even a person?
Bang!
Jack lunged in right after, but—
“Ugh!”
It was Jack who let out a groan, as expected.
“What are you doing? Just attack all at once!”
Sure, I crashed into him without knowing earlier… but this time, I was fully aware it was a human utility pole.
Af...
“Catch him!”
The words felt as though someone besides Devon had also caught up to me.
But I didn’t let them distract me.
The footsteps behind me still had a sense of leisure to them.
When I didn’t panic,
“Oh ho, not bad,” a glimmer of curiosity flickered in my opponent’s eyes.
I pretended to glance left, as if I were about to pass the ball.
Whoosh—Bang!
Then I darted in the opposite direction.
This alone wouldn’t...
"The Chief Secretary is here, Chairman."
Chairman Park Tae-hong, who had been reviewing approval documents at his spacious mahogany desk, straightened his posture at the words of his secretary, Jung Yoon-kyung.
"Let him in."
"Yes, sir."
Not long after Jung Yoon-kyung left, Chief Secretary Gil Sung-ho entered the room, dressed in a gray suit.
Chairman Park took off his reading glasses and placed them on top of the documents before gesturing toward the sofa in fron...
2025-02-03 03:40:00 +0000 UTC View Post