InkBound

CH447 | GSI

When lunchtime came, the female employees’ lounge tucked into one corner of the Daehung Securities building in Yeouido buzzed with chatter.

Along the walls, metal lockers allowed them to store personal belongings, and the modest space had nothing more than a cloth-covered sofa and a table, with not a single window.

Still, it was one of the few places where the women could gather comfortably, away from prying eyes, and relax.

“Ah, seriously! Did Choi have a fight with his...

CH446 | GSI

[USD/JPY: 139.87 (▼1.54)]

A spacious office with thick carpets covering the floor.

Seok-won sat alone at a white, L-shaped desk positioned to catch the sunlight. He wore a crisp white dress shirt and a silk tie adorned with the Gucci logo.

His gaze was fixed on the multiple monitors displaying stock charts and exchange rate graphs.

The yen, which had been steadily falling, was now approaching 140 per dollar. Seok-won ran a hand over his clean-shaven ...

CH445 | GSI

Kremlin, Moscow – Conference Room

The high ceiling, adorned with gilded patterns, and the heavy oak panels lining the walls reflected the glory of the Russian Empire in all its splendor.

Around the long, polished mahogany table sat President Ivanov at the center, flanked by Prime Minister Yevgeny Popov and Central Bank Governor Andrey Sinichin.

The air in the room, wide and imposing as it was, felt heavy, mirroring the gravity of the situation Russia now f...

CH444 | GSI

Long Island, New York, LTCM Headquarters.

A heavy atmosphere filled the office as CEO Jacob Wisemann and Arthur Engoron, head of the arbitrage department, sat on the sofa.

“Contrary to our expectations, the Russian government bond spread has widened further, resulting in a $500 million mark-to-market loss,” Engoron reported, his voice troubled.

Wisemann, face set in a grim expression, responded.

“The Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff unilaterally...

CH443 | GSI

Moscow, Russian Federation Government Headquarters.

“What did you say?”

Igor Korotchenko, Chief of Staff, furrowed his brows and straightened his upper body, making the employee standing at the desk shrink back nervously.

Just over thirty, Korotchenko was far too young to be serving as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister. Hailing from a rural area 400 kilometers from Moscow and largely inexperienced in the ways of the world, he leaned back in his chair ...

CH442 | GSI

The front door, lavishly decorated with expensive natural marble, opened silently. Seok-won stepped out of the luxury villa, accompanied by his assistant, Han Ji-sung.

He wore a perfectly tailored, custom-made suit that emphasized his frame, every line precise and impeccable, his stride exuding confidence.

Park Joon-sung, who had been waiting by a Mercedes-Benz luxury sedan parked at the entrance, bowed deeply as Seok-won appeared.

“Good morning, sir.”

Seok-won smi...

CH441 | GSI

“This is Nasan Department Store, Nonhyeon branch.”

At the words of Son Jae-gyu, director of Midopa Department Store, Seok-won lifted his face behind his Ray-Ban sunglasses to look up.

The eight-story department store building standing before him had a respectable appearance.

But the ivory exterior, which not long ago would have been adorned with large, famous brand advertisements, was now completely bare, and the glass doors at the entrance, once bustling with customers,...

CH440 | GSI

“Did you just say you’re going to short Russian government bonds?”

Unlike Landon, who couldn’t hide his shock, Seok-won answered calmly.

“Yes.”

“It’s true that Russia’s situation hasn’t been great recently, but considering that, bond prices have already fallen significantly. Even if we entered now, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to gain…”

Landon continued cautiously, gauging Seok-won’s reaction.

“Moreover, Russia’s fiscal defi...

CH439 | GSI

As the eastern sky turned a deep red with the rising morning sun, dewdrops formed like jewels on the branches of garden trees where fresh green shoots were sprouting, catching the sunlight and sparkling brilliantly.

Amid the chirping of busy little sparrows, Chairman Park Tae-hong rose early, as usual, and stepped out of the master bedroom.

“Chairman, you’re up.”

He acknowledged the greeting from Mrs. Gunsan, who wore an apron, with a casual nod.

“Bring me a cu...

CH438 | GSI

Seok-won sat on the sofa of his Tokyo penthouse, conversing with John Porter, the branch manager.

“Today the yen fell slightly to 128.10 against the dollar,” Seok-won said, setting down his teacup.

Porter, seated on the sofa to his left, responded immediately.

“The Japanese government pressured exporters like Sony and Toyota to convert their foreign-earned dollars in large amounts, which drove the exchange rate down.”

Seok-won leaned back, crossing one leg.

CH437 | GSI

Haneda International Airport, Tokyo, Japan.

A Gulfstream IV private jet, painted in a two-tone of Noter Blue and Crystal White, slowly taxied across the wide apron and came to a stop.

A moment later, the door opened, and Seok-won emerged, wearing a cashmere coat and Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Behind him, Han Ji-sung and his bodyguard, Baucus, followed closely.

John Porter, the head of Eldorado Fund’s Japan branch, who had come to greet him, smiled broadly a...

CH436 | GSI

The president’s office was decorated simply but with an understated elegance that reflected the owner’s taste.

Seok-won sat behind a large L-shaped desk, wearing a white dress shirt with a gold pin securing his silk tie.

As always, the desk was covered with monitors displaying a tangle of graphs and numbers. Sunlight streaming through the window highlighted the contours of Seok-won’s high nose bridge and sharp eyes.

Leaning back against the plush chair, Seok-won was fl...

CH435 | GSI

Yongsan, Ministry of National Defense Headquarters.

Inside the spacious office, behind a large desk, the South Korean flag and the Ministry of National Defense flag with a red background stood alongside a presidential portrait mounted on the wall.

Minister Ahn Yong-guk sat at the center, flanked by Army Chief of Staff Choi Jin-seok and 2nd Field Army Commander Cha Ji-hwan, who were seated on a sofa.

Tea cups rested on the table, but no one had touched them, ...

CH434 | GSI

On a small bunk in the dark cabin, Woo Ho-geun lay alone.

Squinting against the sunlight pouring through the round porthole, he turned his head this way and that before finally forcing his heavy eyelids open.

“Ugh… my head.”

Clutching his skull with one hand, he pushed himself up, a stabbing headache making him feel as if he’d been drinking all night.

His mouth was as dry as a desert, and his mind, still foggy as if the alcohol hadn’t fully left his system, d...

CH275 | Heir

The Blue House was a remarkably closed-off space.

Of course, it was understandable—South Korea was still technically a nation at war. But the place looked more like a fortress than a residence.

A building cut off from the world.

Anyone visiting the Blue House for the first time would naturally feel overwhelmed.

But not me. I had been to far more isolated places—

The White House in the U.S., the Kremlin in Russia.

So I walked confidently toward the venue...

CH274 | Heir

Just as I was getting used to the lavish décor of the chairman’s office, my phone rang.

It was a call from David.

“Boss! The acquisition of DHL’s U.S. freight transport division is complete.”

“It took a bit longer than I expected.”

“You said it wasn’t urgent, so I deliberately stalled the negotiations. Kept them on edge a bit, and they lowered the price on their own. We sealed the deal for 30% less than our projected cost.”

Even in the midst of...

CH273 | Heir

I arrived at Captain Kang’s office before anyone else.

Until Captain Kang and Team Leader Han showed up, I quietly prepared a modest little party by myself.

Though “prepared” was a stretch—it was just a few cans of beer and my favorite snack.

“Sir! I’ve finally made it back to Korea!”

“Wow, look at you—clean haircut and everything. Back on Wall Street, you looked like you had a bird’s nest on your head every day.”

“How could I come back to...

CH272 | Heir

I hadn’t stepped outside the hotel even once in the past week.

During that time, I thoroughly reviewed detailed profiles of numerous AIG employees. I was surprised to find that the company had far more outstanding talent than I had initially expected.

I sent the list I compiled over the week to Team Leader Han.

As soon as I sent the list, I received a call from Han, and his voice betrayed a hint of unease.

"I just checked the email."

“You’ll see that I’ve...

CH271 | Heir

Captain Kang’s office.

After wrapping up the meeting with the Vice Minister of Finance and the President of KDB at the Korean-style restaurant, I headed to the office with Captain Kang.

“Are you telling me you sold an insurance certificate worth over 100 trillion won for just 25 trillion?”

“If the payout had been guaranteed, that policy could’ve been worth 200 trillion won, not just 100.”

“That just doesn’t make sense to me. Did the government pressure ...

CH270 | Heir

While I was away on a business trip to the U.S., much had changed in Korea.

Taewoo Group continued its steady growth without any major disruptions, but the broader situation in Korea was different.

“Vice Chairman, the conservative bloc has won the presidential election.”

“That was expected, given the results of the last local elections. Everyone predicted the conservative primaries would be more intense than the general election itself.”

A new administration ha...

CH269 | Heir

The merger and acquisition process was finally complete.

The fruits I wanted to harvest hadn’t fully ripened yet, so I needed to give them more time. That gave me the perfect excuse to return to Korea.

I arrived at Incheon Airport with the Director of Planning.

A crowd of dozens of bodyguards was waiting for us.

“Vice Chairman, things might get a bit hectic. There’s a large group of reporters and people gathered at the arrival gate.”

“Sounds like our sc...

CH268 | Heir

Chairman’s Office, Citi Group

I had come at Dimon’s formal invitation.

The place had a chaotic atmosphere, likely due to the ongoing interior renovations.

"Looks like you're aiming for a vibe similar to that of a Fintech bank."

"To change the rotten old atmosphere, you have to start with the interior design, don’t you think?"

"With the complete overhaul of the executive team, I suppose the company culture will change quickly too. I didn’t expect things to...

CH267 | Heir

A price negotiation that felt like it would never end.

But then Dimon delivered the final blow that brought it all to a close.

“If SAVE Investment can’t acquire AIG, our fintech bank will immediately file an insurance claim for the policies we hold with AIG.”

“Hm… Understood. Then the Treasury will step in to ensure that SAVE Investment can acquire more than 70% of AIG’s shares at the price of four dollars. We’ll also hold the current executives accountable, st...

CH266 | Heir

A closed-door meeting was underway at the Federal Reserve headquarters.

President Bush wasn’t in attendance today, but that didn’t diminish the weight of the meeting.

In fact, it meant he had handed over full authority to the Fed and the Treasury.

It was a clear signal: he would not interfere, and the two bodies should resolve the issue through mutual agreement.

Besides the government officials, only two outsiders were present at the meeting:

Myself and Dimon...

CH265 | Heir

The world’s largest financial group, CITI Group.

Each of its executives held enormous influence.

Wherever they went in the world, just being a CITI Group executive guaranteed them top-tier treatment.

But in the boardroom, their demeanor was meek — like lambs before a beast.

“I’m not here as chairman for you all to mess things up! If you have a voice, then speak up!”

The only person yelling in the boardroom was Sandy Weill.

Though he had stepped do...

CH264 | Heir

A massive logistics warehouse.

In stark contrast, only a small number of employees.

And compared to the employees, a multitude of automated systems working nonstop.

Jeffrey proudly raised his voice as he showed me around the warehouse.

“What do you think? It’s not fully automated yet, but this setup cuts labor costs by over 30%.”

“Quite a variety of technologies are in use here.”

“The most helpful equipment is the forklift robots. Once the produ...

CH263 | Heir

The subprime mortgage dish was nearly cooked.

Now it just needed to simmer, and while it did, I had other matters to take care of—starting with a visit to Apple's headquarters in California.

"Kim! I heard you were in the States some time ago. What took you so long to come by?"

"I had prior engagements I needed to take care of. Have you been well?"

"I’ve been doing better than ever."

Steve looked noticeably thinner.

Even at a glance, he didn’t lo...

CH262 | Heir

Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C.

Since it was Saturday, most of the staff weren’t at work.

But outside the building, dozens of vans were standing by, and numerous security personnel were guarding the premises.

To enter the building, I had to go through dozens of body checks.

Only after that was I allowed into the most heavily secured area of the building.

“Vice Chairman Kim, welcome. You must’ve had a hard time coming all this way.”...

CH261 | Heir

U.S. Embassy in Seoul.

Since I held honorary U.S. citizenship, I was able to enter the embassy after only a minimal set of procedures.

“Ambassador Chris, it’s been a while.”

“I sincerely apologize for summoning such a busy person to the embassy. But the matter is so urgent, we had no choice.”

“If you say it’s urgent, are you referring to the situation in the U.S. real estate market? I’ve heard about the mortgage companies going bankrupt one after an...

CH433 | GSI

Seok-won slipped off his shoes and stepped into the private room, guided by a female staff member through the sliding door that opened smoothly.

Seeing him, Choi Bok-rak—who had arrived earlier and was waiting—rose to his feet.

“You arrived before me. I’m sorry for being late, Assemblyman.”

“Not at all. I just got here ahead of schedule.”

Choi Bok-rak had secured a seat in the National Assembly without contest after receiving the

New Era People’s ...