Golden Spoon Investor

"Deputy Hwang, did you finish the proposal we talked about yesterday?"

Chief Manager Shim Jong-su of Bluehole Venture Capital's Planning Department, a man with a stocky build, walked into the office holding a document folder in one hand as he asked.

"I just need to wrap it up."

Deputy Manager Hwang Moo-sung, who was sitting at his desk, turned his head to answer.

"We need to report it to the Executive Director tomorrow morning. Finish it quickly and bring it over."

"Understood."

After hearing the reply, Chief Manager Shim walked over to his desk by the window, took off his jacket, hung it on the coat rack, and pulled out his chair to sit down.

Meanwhile, Hwang Moo-sung continued typing away at the keyboard, skillfully working to finish the report.

As he focused intently, a sudden roar of cheers erupted from the hallway.

"What's going on out there?"

Hwang paused, hands hovering over the keyboard, his face full of curiosity.

Glancing outside, his colleague Kwon Il-jun shrugged and said, "Sounds like it's coming from the Asset Management Department. Must be some good news."

"What kind of good news?"

When Hwang frowned in puzzlement, Kwon leaned back in his chair and began to explain.

"You know the company sold off all of its shares in Gold Bank, right?"

"Of course. Not long after the sale, Gold Bank's stock price collapsed, and it caused a huge stir for a while."

It wasn't just a dip—it was a crash. From a high of 20,745 won per share, the stock plummeted below 8,000 in an instant. As the largest shareholder, Bluehole Venture Capital faced suspicions that they had deliberately inflated the price and then pulled out first.

However, the shares had been sold well below the peak, and more importantly, Seok-won himself, the company's owner, revealed the sale in a press interview. Thanks to that, suspicions of stock manipulation were quickly dispelled.

"They say the sale brought in massive profits. Maybe they even got bonuses out of it."

Kwon Il-jun spoke with envy written all over his face.

"I heard they pocketed hefty performance incentives last quarter too. Must be nice."

Inside the company, the Asset Management Department was practically the object of admiration.

With salaries that ordinary employees couldn't even dream of—and fat performance bonuses each quarter—it was no surprise.

Still, this time the huge profits had come from a smart venture investment by the company itself, so it felt a little unfair that the Asset Management Department would be the ones to get bonuses.

"Well, I am kind of jealous… but what can we do? Let's just focus on our work."

Even so, when Hwang Moo-sung reminded himself that the Asset Management Department was responsible for generating more than half of the company's revenue, he smacked his lips and pushed the jealousy aside.

He was just about to resume finishing the report when Choi Soo-yeon, a fellow member of the Planning Department, burst into the office with a flushed face.

"Big news! It's huge!"

Interrupted yet again, Hwang wrinkled his brow in irritation.

"What are you making such a fuss about?"

Other employees, and even Chief Manager Shim Jong-su sitting at his desk, looked at her with annoyance.

But Choi Soo-yeon paid no attention and shouted excitedly.

"They're saying we're getting a special bonus this week! And it's two hundred percent of our base salary!"

At the mention of a bonus, Deputy Manager Hwang Moo-sung, who had been frowning in irritation, instantly brightened.

"What do you mean, all of a sudden?"

Chief Manager Shim Jong-su, who had already stood up from his seat, now showed great interest as well.

"It's nowhere near the end of the year. You must've heard wrong."

"Exactly."

"What kind of bonus when we haven't even done anything?"

The other department members all looked on in confusion, as if asking what she was talking about.

"I'm telling you, it's true! The company made a huge profit from the Gold Bank investment. That's why the Chairman ordered a special bonus to be given to every employee."

As Choi Soo-yeon squealed and practically hopped in place, her colleague and fellow new hire, Kwon Il-jun, widened his eyes.

"Seriously? You sure it's not just for the Asset Management Department?"

Even Hwang Moo-sung gave her a doubtful look.

Chief Manager Shim seemed just as skeptical. Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he muttered with a tone of forced indifference, "There's been no announcement, and this is the first I've heard of it. Are you sure about this?"

"Oh, come on! Why is it so hard to believe me?"

Choi pounded her chest lightly with her small fist, looking as though she'd been treated unfairly.

"No one said anything, and then suddenly there's a bonus? Who would believe that?"

"Exactly. The Asset Management Department is special, sure, but if it's for all employees, the total amount would be huge. What kind of company would do that?"

At Hwang's words, Kwon, who sat beside him, nodded in agreement.

"It was a sudden order from the Chairman, that's why the announcement hasn't gone up yet."

Choi shot them a sharp glare as she replied, her eyes flashing.

"And how exactly do you know that, Miss Choi?" Shim asked, bewildered.

"Heh. Don't you know the women's network spreads news faster than light?"

Placing her hands proudly on her slender waist, Choi replied with confidence.

"I heard from a colleague in the Finance Department. The order came down so suddenly that everyone there dropped what they were doing and started working on the bonus payments."

Since the information had come from Finance, the chances of it being true were extremely high.

"Ohhh, now this is sounding a lot more believable."

Kwon Il-jun's eyes lit up as he turned to Deputy Manager Hwang Moo-sung.

"A bonus we weren't even expecting—this is like free money falling from the sky!"

"Tell me about it."

Hwang nodded, still looking a little dazed.

"Wooah!"

"Jackpot!"

The other employees, who had stopped working to listen in, finally realized they were really going to receive a bonus. Excited cheers broke out across the office.

"Miss Choi, didn't you just say the bonus was two hundred percent of our base salary?"

"That's right."

When Choi Soo-yeon confirmed it, Kwon clapped his hands and grinned from ear to ear.

"Perfect timing! I was about to max out my credit card this month. Saved!"

All around, the air buzzed with voices full of excitement and anticipation.

Everyone was already thinking about how they would spend their bonus, their faces glowing with barely contained delight.

Even Deputy Manager Hwang couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face at the thought of unexpected money landing in his lap.

"Miss Choi."

"Yes, Chief Manager?"

Chief Manager Shim Jong-su sidled closer, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"About that bonus—will it go straight into our salary accounts?"

"Well, from what I heard, since they already pulled the funds from the bank to distribute, it looks like it'll be paid in cash."

"Really?"

Shim's eyes gleamed as his lips curled upward in a smile.

"And why do you ask?"

"Ahem, nothing at all."

Quickly schooling his expression, Chief Manager Shim clapped his hands together, glancing around at his subordinates.

"Alright! Enough chit-chat, back to work, everyone."

The employees responded with voices that sounded twice as bright and cheerful as usual.

"Yes, sir!"

"Understood."

Grinning from ear to ear, they all returned to their desks, and even Choi Soo-yeon, who had brought the happy news, trotted back to her seat.

Everyone wore smiles of joy, but two people in particular looked especially pleased.

Chief Manager… could it be?

You too?

Chief Manager Shim Jong-su and Deputy Manager Hwang Moo-sung exchanged a knowing look.

It wasn't just the bonus itself that thrilled them—it was the fact that it would be handed out in cash, tucked neatly into envelopes. Both men couldn't hide the chuckles bubbling up from their throats.

***

Shhhhhh—

Warm water poured from the showerhead, cascading over Seok-won's head.

When he finished, he wrapped his damp body in a towel and stepped out of the glass shower booth.

Wiping the steam from the bathroom mirror with his hand revealed his well-built physique.

Broad shoulders and firm muscles, honed through consistent training, looked as if a master sculptor had carved them with meticulous care—balanced and flawless.

After drying himself off and toweling his hair, Seok-won left the bathroom and walked into his dressing room.

The U-shaped dressing room displayed his wardrobe neatly organized.

Every article of clothing, sorted by type and color, was either a luxury brand or a custom-made piece crafted from the finest fabrics—a perfect reflection of his wealth and refined taste.

After pondering briefly over what to wear, he chose a white silk dress shirt and a navy striped suit.

Buttoning the shirt to the collar, Seok-won then selected a simple yet elegant leather-strapped watch from the glass showcase and fastened it to his wrist.

The display case was filled with watches worth tens or even hundreds of millions of won—his personal hobby and collection.

As the cold metal touched his skin and he tightened the strap, the vibration of his phone buzzed.

Picking it up from the table, Seok-won checked the caller ID.

His eyes flickered for a moment before he pressed the call button to answer.

"It's me."

On the other end, Landon—calling from New York—spoke with excitement in his voice.

[The earnings report for Bank One was just released, Boss.]

"Judging from your tone, the results didn't meet expectations, did they?"

[Hahaha! That's right. Overall, the numbers came in worse than market expectations. Most shocking of all, First USA's profits dropped by a staggering five hundred million dollars compared to the previous quarter.]

First USA was Bank One's credit card subsidiary and the second-largest card issuer in the U.S. after Citigroup.

[There had been rumors beforehand suggesting the results wouldn't be good, but no one expected them to be this bad. That's why the market's reaction has been so shocked.]

With over sixty-four million members, First USA was Bank One's core business and a vital source of revenue—so the shock was understandable.

[Ah, but with you, Boss, it seems not everyone was caught off guard.]

Listening to Landon's banter, Seok-won adjusted his grip on the phone.

"How is the market reacting?"

[It's pure shock, Boss. The earnings report itself was bad enough, but with such a negative guidance for the next quarter, the stock price is now down 23% in after-hours trading.]

"What exactly did they say to cause that?"

[They admitted that due to intensified competition in consumer finance and credit cards, along with customer attrition, profitability would be difficult to recover in the near term. Naturally, investors are deeply disappointed.]

"Considering that Bank One and First Chicago had expected the greatest synergy in that very segment, it makes sense."

[Exactly. Soon, securities firms will start issuing negative forecasts for Bank One based on these results. It'll be difficult for the stock to avoid a prolonged slump.]

Seok-won, phone pressed to his ear, gave a slight nod.

"If their negative guidance proves true and next quarter's results fail to recover, with losses mounting further, the stock will take another major hit."

[Are you saying you expect results even worse than the guidance they just lowered?]

Without hesitation, he replied.

"Yes. Considering the intensifying competition in the credit card market, it's far more likely that losses will grow larger than shrink."

Since Seok-won had already predicted the previous earnings shock with precision, Landon had no doubts about his judgment.

[In that case, we should maintain our short position until the next earnings release.]

"Do that. No—expand the position further."

[I agree. It looks far more likely to fall further than to rebound from here.]

If his memory served correctly, the stock had plunged to less than half of its peak price—meaning there was still plenty of room to profit.

[There's one more report I need to give you.]

"Go on."

[It seems something unusual is happening in Moscow.]

"What do you mean?"

[There are rumors that President Ivanov secretly summoned a famous Dutch neurosurgeon to the Kremlin for surgery.]

"Is that certain?"

[Branch Director Pavlovich also gathered information from multiple channels and concluded that the rumor is very likely true.]

"Hmm. I see."

From that, Seok-won realized that with President Ivanov stepping down due to health problems, the time was nearing for Vladimir Putin to emerge as the nation's top power.

[As rumors about President Ivanov's poor health spread through Wall Street, Russian bonds and stock prices are falling again. For risk management, shouldn't we consider liquidating at least part of our position?]

Seok-won hesitated briefly, then shook his head.

"No. Leave it as it is—and if the prices fall further, buy even more Russian assets."

[You're telling me to increase our position when risks are flaring up again?]

Landon, surprised by the unexpected instruction, asked again.

"Yes. If President Ivanov steps down, the unstable Russian political situation is more likely to stabilize, not worsen. This isn't a bad sign—it's an opportunity."

Seok-won spoke with unwavering confidence.

[But without a clear successor, wouldn't Ivanov's inner circle fight for power and plunge the situation into deeper chaos?]

"I see it differently. If panic selling erupts, don't miss the chance—scoop up everything you can."

His firm words silenced Landon's concerns, and he agreed to follow the order.

[… Understood.]

After ending the call, Seok-won set his phone down and murmured quietly:

"Ivanov's inner circle may place the weakest candidate, Putin, into the prime minister's seat as they check one another—but soon enough, they'll realize what a grave mistake they've made."