InkBound

CH466 | GSI

A red carpet covered the floor of the hotel meeting room, where two young men with black hair sat stiffly, waiting nervously for someone to arrive.

They were far more accustomed to hoodies and jeans, but today was different. Today, they were here to seek investment for their startup, and so they had squeezed themselves into suits that felt awkward and ill-fitting.

The man they were about to meet was none other than Seok-won, a legendary angel investor well known even in Silicon Va...

CH465 | GSI

A few days later.

The torrential rain that had poured down until yesterday had vanished as if it were a lie, revealing a flawless blue sky without a single cloud.

Inside a massive hangar at Sheremetyevo International Airport, a Gulfstream IV business jet, painted in a sleek two-tone livery, stood in all its majesty.

The cabin, laid with thick carpeting soft enough to walk barefoot on and decorated with refined interiors, housed Seok-won in a light sky-blue shirt, seated acro...

CH464 | GSI

“As instructed, we converted the Gazprom and Yukos bonds into equity, securing 35% and 30% stakes, respectively.”

Seok-won sat cross-legged on the penthouse sofa where he had been staying, listening to Landon’s report on his arrival in Moscow a few days earlier.

“Except for Alrosa, all the other companies have also agreed to convert their bonds into equity,” Landon continued, opening a folder that contained a document summarizing the shareholding ratios he had acquired...

CH463 | GSI

In the center of the elegantly furnished chairman’s office, Chairman Park Tae-hong sat on a European-style sofa, flanked by his eldest son, President Park Jin-hyung, and the group’s senior executives.

With a cigarette held between his fingers, Park Tae-hong exhaled a cloud of white smoke and turned his gaze to Secretary Gil Sung-ho, seated to his left.

“Is it time yet?”

Gil Sung-ho rolled up his sleeve, checked the watch on his wrist, and replied promptly.

...

CH462 | GSI

In the spacious royal suite, Seok-won, neatly dressed in a suit, sat across from Vladimir Putin, whose sharp eyes radiated intensity as he settled into the plush leather sofa.

Through the wide windows, a cruise ship drifted along the river, and beyond it loomed the striking sight of the Russian Federation Government Building with its gleaming white façade.

But neither man spared it a glance—their attention was fixed solely on each other.

Seok-won was t...

CH461 | GSI

“I’ll personally instruct the relevant department not to drag things out and to handle this matter quickly. You needn’t worry.”

“Thank you.”

Hearing President Ivanov’s words, spoken with visible satisfaction, Seok-won smiled as he replied.

Then President Ivanov burst into a hearty laugh that filled the entire office and said warmly,

“President Park, you are the friend who helped Russia in our most difficult times. If you ever need anything, come to ...

CH420 | Heir

The next day.

Since I had a dinner appointment with Assemblyman Choi Jae-seok, I tried to get through as much work as possible in the morning, even skipping lunch to review reports from each affiliate.

While I was buried in paperwork, Vice Chairman Han suddenly burst through the door, holding out his phone with an excited look.

“Chairman, we’ve hit the jackpot.”

“What is it? Did some stock skyrocket?”

“It’s Yugobin. Right now, it’s t...

CH419 | Heir

The current administration opposed government-led big deals.

However, it did not block privately initiated ones, and so a major deal was struck to resolve the succession issue of the Samsung Group.

The merger of Samsung Bio and Samsung Trading.

Samsung Trading, the core of the Samsung Group, merged with Samsung Bio, an affiliate under Vice Chairman Oh Yong-jae.

Since the value of Samsung Bio had risen significantly, Vice Chairman Oh was able to secure a large numbe...

CH499 | GSI

Inside a private room of a luxury Korean fine-dining restaurant, a serene landscape painting hung on the wall, softly illuminated by ambient lighting.

The refined yet elegant interior set the stage for Seok-won, seated calmly at the low table. A silk tie with a golden pin accent lent a touch of distinction to his attire. With a composed expression, he lifted a teacup to his lips.

As the freshly steeped aroma spread, the deep flavor lingered pleasantly on his palate. Setting the ...

CH498 | GSI

Choi Ho-geun entered the office with a clipboard in hand, glancing around at his team.

“Have you finished the settlement?”

At the desk cluttered with several monitors, Yoo Seok-hyun, sleeves of his white shirt rolled up, lifted his head and replied,

“It’s almost done.”

“Me too,” another voice chimed in.

The responses were steady, but something still felt off.

Tilting his head, Choi Ho-geun scanned the office and soon noticed one desk sit...

CH418 | heir

Until mid-January, the Chinese stock market continued to fall.

Even though Taewoo Group was repurchasing shares to cover its short positions, the stock price kept declining.

“The distrust toward the Chinese market is stronger than I expected. I thought buying back shares would halt the downward trend, but that’s not the case.”

“Most of the financial firms in the Financial Tower have followed our lead and begun the liquidation process. However, thanks to Wall Stree...

CH417 | Heir

January 4th saw a massive crash in the Chinese stock market.

Two days had passed since then.

On January 5th and 6th, the market experienced small fluctuations, with minor rises and falls, leading many to believe that the crash was over.

But the major crash was far from finished.

The market had only been catching its breath for two days, and as soon as it reopened, the circuit breaker was triggered again—just ten minutes into trading.

“Chairman, the marke...

CH416 | Heir

The start of the New Year, 2016.

In Captain Kang’s office, a vice chairman joined him for a New Year’s gathering.

“How large is the rental car company you manage, Captain Kang?”

“It’s the largest in South Korea. We have branches in all regions, including Jeju Island, and a total of 250,000 vehicles are registered.”

Captain Kang had a knack for business.

He wasn’t particularly skilled in management, but the employees who followed him were outs...

CH415 | Heir

Bin Salman concluded his three-day schedule and returned to Saudi Arabia.

Not long after his departure, Vice Chairman Han delivered some excellent news.

“ The diabetes treatment has officially been approved by the FDA!”

“That should have a positive impact on Centurion’s stock price.”

“It already rose by more than ten percent just this morning. And this increase came even before the fact that the drug is also effective in treating obesity became widely k...

CH497 | GSI

Busan, Yeongdo District — Hojin Heavy Industries, Yeongdo Shipyard.

This was the very place where, in 1937, Korea’s first modern shipyard was established. It was also where the nation’s first dry dock was built and where the historic construction of the first Korean-made steel vessel—a 390-ton ship—took place.

Beyond that, this shipyard achieved numerous other milestones: building the first export vessel, domestically produced warships, refrigerated ca...

CH460 | GSI

The Next Day

The Mercedes sedan carrying Seok-won entered the Kremlin, its red walls looming around them.

The car came to a stop in a wide courtyard paved with dark brown stones, situated in front of the Terem Palace, which serves as the presidential residence.

As Baucus opened the car door, a white man in a suit approached.

“Welcome. My name is Marknotov from the President’s Secretariat. His Excellency is waiting, so I will guide you directly to h...

CH459 | GSI

East Hampton, Long Island, New York.

Even in this area, long renowned as an affluent enclave, stood the mansion of George Soros, a Wall Street titan.

A private beach, shielded from prying eyes, stretched directly in front of the property, while tall, densely planted trees formed a natural barrier around the estate.

Adjacent to the mansion was not only a private golf hole but also a luxurious 115-foot yacht moored nearby, ready for fishing trips at a moment�...

CH458 | GSI

Inside the Blue House presidential office, with the steep cliffs of Inwangsan visible through the window, President Kim Jae-chun looked up from the large wooden desk at Chief Secretary Woo Chun-il, who was standing before him.

“So, the Daehung Group wants to acquire the Gimpo reclaimed land and Korea Express?”

“That’s correct. These are massive deals, totaling 1.2094 trillion won and 1.5 trillion won, respectively.”

Hearing the amounts, President Kim’s expression...

CH457 | GSI

Thursday, September 24, 1998.

In the CEO’s office, where the wide East River could be seen flowing gently beyond the panoramic windows lit by bright sunlight, Seok-won sat on a leather sofa with his legs crossed.

On either side of him, Landon and Andrew sat with relaxed expressions, while on the heavy wooden table before them, cups of coffee filled the air with the rich aroma of roasted beans.

As usual, Andrew—wearing his trademark suspenders—spoke fir...

CH456 | GSI

The following morning, the tenth-floor conference room of the New York Federal Reserve once again filled with Governor Chris Murphy and the heads of Wall Street’s biggest banks.

The meeting, which resumed early in the day, dragged on without pause, even through lunch, which was delivered to the room so discussions could continue.

Surrounded by portraits of former New York Fed governors, the exhausted bank chiefs slumped in their chairs, looking like drained batteries with no pow...

CH455 | GSI

September 22, 1998.

In the heart of Wall Street, the world’s financial center, stood the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Unlike the glittering skyscrapers towering high around it, the building’s overall appearance was stark and unadorned. Completed in 1924, it was a structure of historical significance.

Beneath it, carved into solid granite bedrock, lay a vault that housed the largest collection of gold bars in the world—thousands of tons in total. 2025-09-07 16:25:19 +0000 UTC View Post

CH454 | GSI

Monday, September 21, 1998.

The entire Wall Street was wrapped in suffocating tension as the opening bell approached.

Shocking news had spread over the weekend: Jacob Wisemann’s LTCM, once celebrated like a rockstar on Wall Street for years, had lost half its assets due to failed investments in Russian government bonds.

Adding to the unease, the Asian and European markets, which had opened earlier, were already showing significant turbulence.

Traders...

CH453 | GSI

September 4, 1998.

Seok-won sat back on a soft leather sofa, one leg crossed over the other, wearing a custom-tailored suit that fit him perfectly.

Through the wide panoramic window beside him, the East River shimmered under the sunlight, and beyond it the Brooklyn skyline stretched out like a painting.

On one wall of the executive office, finished with the finest materials, hung a 1982 piece by the famous Black artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, titled Untitl...