InkBound

CH432 | GSI

A few days later.

Standing in front of the mirror in his dressing room, Seok-won was wearing a dress shirt and tying his necktie.

As always, the tie in his hand was a silk one adorned with the Gucci logo—its smooth texture and sophisticated design matched Seok-won perfectly.

Just as he was adjusting the knot, admiring his reflection, the phone on the table buzzed.

He picked it up, glanced at the screen, and answered the call.

“Landon. What brings you to call ...

CH431 | GSI

Chairman Park Tae-hong furrowed his brow, clearly taken aback, and asked again for confirmation.

“You’re saying the Nonhyeon branch of Nasan Department Store needs to be demolished?”

Seok-won met his father’s gaze directly and nodded.

“Yes.”

Park Jin-hyung, sitting across from him, interjected with a baffled expression.

“Why would we tear down a perfectly fine building?”

“Because it’s not perfectly fine.”

“What?�...

CH430 | GSI

January 23, 1998 — The Plaza Hotel, New York.

Seated on the penthouse sofa with one leg crossed, Seok-won, dressed in a cashmere coat, was waiting for the helicopter that would take him to the airport. He was scheduled to return to Korea today.

Just then, he felt a vibration from his inner pocket. Taking out his phone and checking the caller ID on the screen, he answered.

“Hello?”

[Boss! Thank goodness. You haven’t left yet.]

�...

CH429 | GSI

While a sudden cold snap had frozen all of New York solid, the penthouse suite of the Plaza Hotel radiated a gentle warmth.

Dressed in comfortable loungewear, Seok-won stood by the large living room window, slowly tilting a mug filled with rich, aromatic coffee.

He gazed out over Central Park, now blanketed in snow from the night before.

The city was so quiet—perhaps because of the cold—that the serene winter scenery within the bustling metropolis gave him a rare s...

CH428 | GSI

The next day.

Seok-won was seated with Landon at an outdoor table of the Del Coronado Hotel’s restaurant.

The sky was perfectly clear and blue without a single cloud, and the refreshing breeze blowing in from the wide beach just ahead gently brushed through their hair.

Though the sun was strong, a large parasol shaded their table, keeping them comfortable.

Off to one side, a four-member jazz band—two men and two women—was performing smooth melodies that b...

CH427 | GSI

Del Coronado Hotel, San Diego, USA.

The golden afternoon sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, brightly illuminating the spacious penthouse living room.

Dressed in a linen casual suit accented with a hanger chief point, Seok-won sat at a long mahogany conference table with Landon and the advisory attorney on either side.

Opposite them were CEO Nick Reynolds and three of Qualcomm’s co-founders.

There were originally five more c...

CH426 | GSI

January 16, 1998.

Seok-won sat by the window seat aboard a Gulfstream IV private jet, talking on the phone with Porter, the head of Eldorado Fund’s Japan branch.

“We’ve finalized the contract to acquire all the bonds in the bulk sale for ¥114.82 billion.
Publicly, it will be announced as ¥124.82 billion, with an additional ¥1 billion added in
transaction costs.”

Leaning back in the plush seat, Seok-won smiled in satisfaction.

“You did well....

CH425 | GSI

January 15, 1998

– Head Office of the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, Chuo Ward, Tokyo.

Around a long conference table, John Porter and the staff of Eldorado Fund’s Japan branch sat across from officials of the Long-Term Credit Bank.

While the bank officials looked visibly tense, Branch Manager Porter wore a relaxed expression as he began to speak.

“Shall we take a look at the pricing?”

Executive Director Akema ...

CH424 | GSI

The very next day, just as he had expected, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Jin-woo contacted Seok-won to say the government had accepted his proposal.

It was only natural. No matter how they looked at it, the offer was all benefit with no downside for the government.

After formally signing a contract with the government, Seok-won immediately paid $200 million in advance and took delivery of the 20 tons of gold that had been collected so far.

Then, without delay, he boarded...

CH423 | GSI

“You said you got hold of the minutes from the creditors’ meeting in New York, right?”

Deputy Prime Minister of Economy Choi Jin-woo, dressed in a white shirt and red tie, asked Vice Minister Shin Seung-gi, who was seated on the sofa to his right.

“Yes. The consensus appears to be that some of the short-term debt held by domestic banks
maturing this year will be exchanged for government bonds issued by the Korean government. Additionally, they’re requesting the i...

CH422 | GSI

Seok-won turned off the shower and stepped out of the glass stall, now filled with steam.

He roughly shook the water out of his damp hair and stood in front of the mirror, revealing his firm chest and clearly defined six-pack abs.

After briefly checking his face in the mirror, he wrapped a large towel around his waist and
stepped into the dressing room.

Lining the walls were built-in wardrobes crafted with luxurious precision, as if an entire high-end department st...

CH421 | GSI

Bright sunlight poured in through the large glass window on one side, illuminating the spacious CEO’s/President office.

Sitting at an L-shaped desk, Seok-won stared intently at several monitors displaying a variety of charts, carefully analyzing the movements of global financial markets.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and his secretary, Na Seong-mi, entered.

“Sir, I’ve organized the fax we received from Japan.”

Seok-won glanced at the rather ...

CH420 | GSI

December 24, 1997

"Market’s closed!"

At Noh Hee-won’s shout, Jung Hwan-yeop stretched both arms high into the air with a loud
yawn.

“Ahhh… Another day wrapped up.”

At that moment, Choi Ho-geun, sporting a red silk tie and holding a coffee cup in one hand,
walked over and asked,

“Make any money today?”

“Heh. Do you know who you’re talking to?”

Jung Hwan-yeop twirled a pen between his fingers and...

CH419 | GSI

“Did you say broadband?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Under the curious gaze of President Kim Jae-choon and Secretary General Woo Chun-il, he responded with utmost seriousness.

“First, second, and third—it's all about broadband. For Korea to overcome the foreign exchange crisis and make a leap into the ranks of advanced nations, we must become the best in the world at broadband.”

With unwavering confidence and not a hint of hesitation, Kim Jae-choon folde...

CH418 | GSI

Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province.

After making a left turn at the intersection and driving a little further, a luxurious neighborhood of single-family homes appeared, nestled along the base of Jeobal Mountain.

Among the rows of modern upscale houses, one stood out more than the rest.

This particular residence, adorned with traditional Korean-style roof tiles on the front gate and porch, was the private home of Kim Jae-chun, the 15th President-el...

CH417 | GSI

“Did you say Modunet?”

Choi Ho-geun blinked and asked, and Seok-won nodded.

“That’s right.”

“Modunet is a high-speed internet service provider, isn’t it?”

“You know it well.”

“Our office internet is provided by Modunet.”

“I didn’t realize that.”

It made perfect sense, though—after all, speed was the most important factor when it came to
trading.

Conventional dial-up modems offered just 56 Kbps, and even...

CH416 | GSI

“Take care.”

With his wife seeing him off at the door, Oh Chang-il, a department manager in his 8th year at Hanseong Bank, stepped outside.

After walking for about ten minutes along a sloping road lined with various multi-family homes, he arrived at the subway station.

The spacious platform was already packed with office workers and students trying to get to work.

Oh Chang-il queued up and barely managed to squeeze into the second arriving train.

It was ...

CH415 | GSI

The president’s office was bathed in bright sunlight pouring through large, full-length windows.

Inside, an L-shaped desk was set up with multiple monitors.

Seok-won, dressed in a deep burgundy silk tie, sat behind the desk reviewing some approval documents.

At that moment, a knock came from outside, prompting Seok-won to raise his head.

“Come in.”

Na Seong-mi carefully opened the door and stepped inside.

“President Ko Young-il from Daheung Se...

CH414 | GSI

“Did you just say Korea Express?”

Chairman Park Tae-hong narrowed his brows and asked again, to which Seok-won responded
immediately.

“Yes.”

Korea Express, one of the core subsidiaries of the Apate Group, was a top-tier logistics company in Korea, competing for first and second place in the industry. It also operated a rental car business.

This year alone, it recorded sales of 1.15 trillion won, ranking 75th in the business world by
revenue—a true g...

CH413 | GSI

As befitting Daeseol —the day that usually sees the heaviest snowfall of the year—the entire
world had turned white from the snow that had begun falling the night before.

It was the day of the month when the entire family gathered for a meal, so Seok-won arrived
early in the morning at the family’s main house in Hannam-dong.

As he passed through the large gate, the familiar garden came into view.

Kim Hyeong-gi, who was sweeping the thick blanket of snow off th...

CH412 | GSI

Three young men sat around the office conference table, their faces grim. Scattered across the table were messy stacks of paperwork and a mug filled with cold coffee.

“Future Computer went bankrupt yesterday.”

The heavy voice of Seo Hoon-taek, CEO of Seum Technologies, echoed through the room.

The dark circles under his eyes and disheveled hair reflected just how mentally and physically exhausted he was from the company’s deteriorating situation.

Sitting on t...

CH411 | GSI

[First Tranche of $2 Billion ADB Support Confirmed for Tomorrow]

[World Bank President Promises Rapid Financial Aid with IMF by Weekend]

[Government Expands Foreign Investment Cap in KOSDAQ to 25% — ADB Support Condition Fulfilled]

[A Total of $8.5 Billion in Foreign Capital to Flow into Korea This Week via IMF, IBRD, and ADB]

[After Soaring, Exchange Rate Plummets to 1,725 KRW per Dollar!]

[Foreign Exchange Market Stabilizing with Early Second Tra...