The Natural Gas War (2)
Lee Jaseung welcomed his second Platinum member.
Gil Donggyu of the KG Group.
Donggyu immediately wired over the five-billion-won annual fee and the one-billion-won initiation fee.
Still as decisive as ever.
He was one of the few people Jaseung rated highly—reliable, composed, solid. Among the third-generation heirs, he possessed a rare gravity.
Having become a Platinum member, he came to Makers for the investment briefing.
"It's been a while, Jaseung."
"It has, hyung. How have things been? I hear you're about to be promoted to CEO of KG Electronics?"
Donggyu smiled. A deep, weighty laugh rolled out low.
"Haha. So you've heard. Before that happens, I need to stack up at least one more achievement."
The CEO seat at KG Electronics was as good as an official declaration that he was the Group's successor. He was simply walking the prescribed path—but Donggyu wanted to prove he had the capability to deserve it, not merely inherit by blood. Which meant he needed money. Fast results.
"By the way, the investment prospectus?"
"Here."
After signing the NDA first, Donggyu picked up the investment prospectus—and met the shocking first sentence.
Natural gas prices are going to crash, so we're going to short them?
Just looking at it made his stomach hurt. Reviewing this made him feel like a madman, but he couldn't very well back away after reading only the first line.
The next sentence, however, was even worse.
This fund will utilize leverage to establish a position of up to 2 trillion won.
Wait.
A total position of two trillion won?
Then how many times leveraged was that?
Utilizing 7x leverage in the U.S. natural gas futures market…
……Seven times leverage?
Suddenly he wanted to slam the prospectus shut.
What kind of investing has this bastard Lee Jaseung been doing? Even gambling isn't this reckless…
That was when it happened.
"Any questions?"
Jaseung's voice cut in so suddenly that Donggyu realized he had been staring a hole through the first page for far too long.
"No. Just thinking."
The same steady voice as always. Donggyu calmly turned to the next page.
Optimistic scenario projected return: 270%
Conservative scenario projected return: 100%
The moment he saw the table and graph beneath that title, his heart stopped.
T-two hundred and seventy percent?!
Under the optimistic scenario, the expected return was 270 percent. Put in a hundred billion won and you made two hundred seventy billion—three hundred seventy billion including principal.
That's exactly the amount I need!
Saliva suddenly pooled in his mouth. Even under the conservative scenario, a 100 percent return was projected. Expected returns of 100 to 270 percent.
From a minimum of double to a maximum of 3.7 times. My target amount in a single stroke…
Then a thread of reason seized the sanity that was trying to walk out the door.
No, no. It's 7x leverage. Lose even about 15 percent of the principal and everything's gone. Confirm the investment thesis and then decide. Coldly.
What followed was a surprisingly persuasive investment case—advances in shale gas technology, the surge in North American production, recent weather data analysis, storage facilities at saturation, and more.
…Judging by the content alone, it wouldn't have been strange if natural gas prices crashed tomorrow.
Then again—whether a market rises or falls, both sides always have their reasons.
With a composed face, Donggyu read the prospectus through to the end, then asked,
"How much of the raise is left?"
"A hundred twenty billion. I've already circulated the overview to all the Platinum members."
"Who else is on Platinum?"
"You and Eunchae. You got here first."
"I see."
So Chae Eunchae was in the mix.
The presence of a rival made him restless. He ran the numbers in his head.
Two hundred seventy percent returns. Factoring in fees, I'd have to put in the entire hundred twenty billion to land around four hundred billion.
And if he delayed the decision here?
The opportunity would go to Chae Eunchae.
She made money on Facenote last time, so she'll throw money in without a second thought—just like Han Juhyeong did.
If Eunchae put in fifty billion first?
His share would be only seventy billion left…
……Absolutely not!!!
This was a situation where he needed the entire hundred twenty billion just to have a shot at four hundred billion coming back. There was no room to split the pie with anyone.
I have to move before Eunchae cuts in—no, is this even right? I could lose the entire hundred billion. But it's the only chance to make four hundred billion in three months…
While Donggyu was thrashing through the dilemma, the phone on Jaseung's desk vibrated. Jaseung declined the call at once—but Donggyu had already caught the name on the screen.
Jaseung slipped the phone into his inner pocket and said,
"No need to decide right this second. Platinum members have a twenty-four-hour exclusive window anyway, so go home and think it over carefully."
In other words, he was wrapping up the meeting.
In that instant, Donggyu's heart lurched violently.
Ending the meeting already? Why? To go see Eunchae?
Gil Donggyu. Are you going to let Chae Eunchae steal this chance? A hundred billion into four hundred billion!
You could lose the entire principal. This is gambling!
But Jaseung put in a hundred thirty billion himself. More than me!
That last thought was decisive.
Donggyu said coolly,
"No need to go home and think. Let's write up the agreement right now."
"You don't need more time?"
"I don't. And you said a hundred twenty billion was left, right? I'll take all of it."
A flicker of interest crossed Jaseung's eyes. He probed lightly.
"All of it? I could be wrong, you know. Are you sure you're fine with that?"
At those words, Donggyu's heart dropped into his stomach.
W-wrong? He wouldn't actually be wrong… would he? I just agreed to the full amount—backing out now would look ridiculous.
"You're the one running it, Jaseung. Of course I trust you."
The corner of Jaseung's mouth curved with playful mischief.
"Just kidding. There's no chance I'll be wrong."
Y-you bastard!
"Hahaha. Right. I believe you."
After signing the agreement, Donggyu left at once.
Jaseung studied the contract, lost in thought.
So he needs four hundred billion.
If the fund hit the maximum return of 270 percent, it would come out to roughly that amount.
Why does he need four hundred billion? Business? Succession? Both?
Worth looking into. He added Gil Donggyu's name to the list of things to check when he went into the future.
As he was clearing his desk, the phone rang again. He checked the screen—same name.
This time he answered.
"Jaseung, I'm already on my way? Why didn't you pick up earlier?"
"I was in a meeting."
"A meeting? With who? Who else is on Platinum besides me?"
She muttered to herself, then gasped and poured the words out in a rush.
"Don't tell me—Donggyu? You met with Donggyu? There's still a seat for me, right? How much of the raise is left?"
"The raise just closed."
"……?"
Silence.
Jaseung pulled the phone away from his ear.
And then came the roar.
Makers membership.
The VIP tier was capped at eight people total, but the base Gold tier accepted members without limit. Anyone who parked a certain amount of investment capital with Makers could become a Gold member.
People who wanted access to investment opportunities but didn't want to shell out the minimum fifty billion won for the expensive upper tiers—those were the ones who deposited some capital with Makers and put their names down as Gold members.
The Gold members had assumed:
They said they were raising three hundred billion, so it'll take a few weeks at least, right?
The chance will eventually come around to me.
It would not.
"It's already closed. Shut down in twenty-four hours."
"What?"
"Cut off at the upper tiers—Black, Platinum. Remember Chae Eunchae?"
"The Loan Shark King's granddaughter?"
"Yeah. She's Platinum herself and she still couldn't get in. She was so pissed—ugh, seriously, what a personality."
"So there was competition even among Platinum?"
"Seems that way. Apparently the principal ratio this time is forty percent. Looking at how fast it closed, there's definitely something to it."
Interesting.
Interesting.
Interesting.
Eyes around the table lit up.
It was rare for a self-capital ratio to be set that high. Normally, putting in even ten percent of your own money was considered a show of confidence—and this was forty percent?
The same thought flashed through everyone's mind.
Lee Jaseung must have locked down solid information!
We have to find out where that three hundred billion went!
When a sum that large moved, the market always left a trail. It wasn't a scale you couldn't track if you set your mind to investigating. After squeezing every broker, trader, and asset manager they could find, they finally got it.
"It's natural gas futures!!"
"The Seonkang Group chairman put a hundred billion into it too!"
The room stirred.
Unlike Jaseung, who was only just starting to make a name for himself, the Seonkang Group chairman was a heavyweight who made this kind of play from time to time. With rumors already out that the Seonkang chairman had invested a hundred billion—and now Jaseung had poured in three hundred billion of his own—anyone would think the same thing.
"Natural gas futures? Is there something special going on there?"
Everyone was half out of their minds with greed. If they could just figure out what it was, they could ride the wave and make money.
"What's their position?"
"Looks like Seonkang Group went long."
"Oh! Then what about Jaseung?"
"He must have bet on the rise too, same as Seonkang. That's the market consensus."
"Could be a short, though. He shorted Facenote and made a killing, didn't he? Hard to forget a taste like that."
"Three hundred billion on a short? That's insane…"
…But then again, a thirty-billion-won membership fee wasn't exactly the act of a sane man either.
Could he actually have bet on the downside?
If both of them held the same position, that meant the information was that rock-solid. But if they were on opposite sides?
Then things get a whole lot more fun!
One of them would take a catastrophic loss, and the other would book historic returns.
A pure entertainment match for the financial world!!
They lit the fire in their eyes.
"We have to find out Lee Jaseung's position!"
The Seonkang Group chairman had heard the rumors about Lee Jaseung as well.
"A thirty-billion-won membership? The Yuseong Group kid is up to something amusing."
Up to that point, he hadn't paid it much mind.
Third-generation brats playing their little games.
That was the extent of his assessment. But once three hundred billion had been raised and serious capital started moving, he could no longer ignore where it was going.
"Where did Makers place their bet?"
"The same natural gas futures market as you, Chairman."
"Heh heh heh."
The Seonkang Group chairman's laughter filled the office. Deep creases formed at the corners of his eyes.
Not long ago, he had asked Seo Minjae to handle a trade for him and been turned down flat.
He had pressed for details on what kind of investment it was, but Minjae had refused absolutely, citing confidentiality.
"So that was Lee Jaseung. Hah. Unbelievable. Copying me."
The broker carefully pointed out,
"If we're talking timing, Lee Jaseung's investment actually came first."
"Shut it."
"Yes, sir."
In any case, the Seonkang Group chairman's mood wasn't all that bad. If anything, he was satisfied.
"Anyway, Jaseung and his crowd all piled onto the same boat, so this information must be the real thing. Tch. A hundred billion feels a little light, doesn't it? Should I throw more in while I'm at it?"
"Um… Chairman?"
The broker read the room and pointed out the problem once more.
"It's not a follow—it's the opposite."
"Huh?"
"The entire three hundred billion went into a short."
"Wh-wh-what?"
※ This work is a work of fiction. All characters, groups, place names, and events appearing herein are entirely fictional and bear no relation to any real persons or entities. Specialized knowledge described in the narrative has also been reconstructed and adapted for the story and may differ from actual information.