Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Translation: Godtl
"Ughhk!"
I jerked my eyes open as if having a seizure.
"Wh-what time is it?"
I hurriedly checked the time first.
And then let out a boiling scream.
"Aah."
Ten minutes before the alarm.
I could've slept ten more minutes.
It was a feeling I hadn't experienced since my third year of high school.
Should I just sleep more?
Even just ten minutes?
"Ugh. What's the point of sleeping more?"
The moment I closed my eyes here, it was obvious I'd miss the alarm ringing ten minutes later and pass out straight through until lunchtime.
"Gnngh."
I barely managed to get up from my spot.
"Ugh. I really shouldn't have played games yesterday."
They say office workers come home from work and still play games.
I have no idea how they manage to live like that.
"Office workers really are amazing."
Even the older guys in our guild—I couldn't help but respect their stamina for turning on games after coming home from work at that age.
"I'm gonna be late at this rate."
While lost in thought, ten minutes had already slipped by.
I quickly washed my hair to get ready for work.
Just turning on the cold showerhead and dumping water straight over my head while applying shampoo with one hand—that was all it took.
This way, I wake up properly too.
Ah, nostalgia.
Normally, I'd have been gaming until this hour and fallen into sweet slumber.
Ahh. The good old days.
After washing up at lightning speed, I stepped into the living room to find my dad and mom sitting at the dining table.
Wait. Why are they already up when they should still be asleep?
Did I make too much noise while washing up?
"Jeong Jin-ho. Sit here."
"Huh?"
"Where have you been sneaking off to at dawn lately? Are you really going to interviews? At this ungodly hour?"
Ah. Here it comes.
"Well... actually, I got a job."
"What? You weren't going to interviews?"
"Yeah. I was getting ready for work just now."
It's my third day at Gwangun Securities.
On the first and second days, I couldn't tell them I was working because I wasn't sure how things would turn out.
But now I could.
Because—
"What? Gwangun Securities?"
"Wait. Gwangun Securities?"
Because this came out yesterday.
"What the—this is a real business card!"
"Oh my, oh my. It really is a Gwangun Securities employee ID and even a business card? What in the world is all this...?"
Mom and Dad wore expressions of utter disbelief.
Then Mom suddenly grabbed my hand tightly.
"Jin-ho. I'm sorry."
"Huh? Wh-what's this all of a sudden?"
"We pressured you too much about getting a job, didn't we? But you shouldn't lie like this. I've seen the news. These days, kids lie to their parents about getting jobs, take out loans pretending it's their salary, then disappear without a trace..."
"No. What are you talking about, Mom?"
"I know what kind of company Gwangun Securities is! How could you possibly get into such a huge corporation!?"
Tch.
I couldn't think of a rebuttal.
Truth be told, it was indeed an unimaginable company for someone like me to enter.
But I wasn't lying.
I really do work there.
"I don't even know where to start explaining, but I really do work there. And I need to get to work now, Mom. The market opens at 8:30, and I have a lot to prepare before then."
That's what being the junior is all about.
Doing all the grunt work so our Senior Traders can make loads of money today. That's why I can't be late.
"No. You're still—"
"Honey. Don't you know our Jin-ho? He may not have been talented in studies and slacked off playing games, but he's never been one to lie."
"Dad. That counts as praise, right?"
"So, son. This is really true?"
I nodded my head firmly.
"Of course."
"Dad believes in you. If you got in there, it must mean they saw something in you worth selecting."
Dad examined the business card Gwangun Securities had given me as if handling the most precious thing in the world.
"Dad always believed you'd do well. Hahaha."
"Thanks. But I really can't be late, okay? I need to get ready now."
"Alright. Hurry and get ready. No need to be late."
I finished preparing quickly and stepped outside.
Mom shoved a piece of toast into my mouth as I left.
"Don't skip meals while you're out."
Somehow, it felt like ages since I'd last eaten toast made by Mom.
"And we should buy you a few more suits. You can't wear the same one every day. Let's go get new ones this weekend."
Then she gave me a warm hug.
It had also been so long since I'd last hugged Mom.
Dad came scurrying over from behind and joined the embrace.
"Have a good day, son."
"If it gets too hard, tell us right away. You shouldn't bottle those things up. Understood?"
"Yeah."
So this is what it feels like to be acknowledged.
My heart swelled with an inexplicable warmth.
"Ah! I'm really going to be late. I'll be back soon!"
"Alright. Mom will make something delicious, so call when you're about to leave work!"
"Okay!"
I hurriedly opened the door and stepped outside.
Today, my footsteps felt lighter than ever before.
＊＊＊
"Mr. Jin-ho. You barely made it with one minute to spare?"
"Whew. Thank goodness. Though I should've arrived before you, sunbaenim. My apologies."
"Hehe. It's fine. As your mentor, I should set a good example."
The refreshing morning began with organizing briefing files.
"We were swamped yesterday, weren't we?"
"Right. I thought the first day would be the busiest, but I never imagined there'd be days even crazier than that."
"Yesterday was unusually hectic. The market volatility suddenly spiked—that's why. It doesn't happen often."
Just my third day.
Yet this rookie had a knack for the work.
Most new hires take nearly a month before they start moving with any semblance of efficiency, but this guy was sharp from the get-go.
How should I put it?
He had good instincts, I suppose.
Thanks to that, we could wrap up preparations quickly enough.
So much so that we could even enjoy the luxury of a cup of coffee.
"Oh, right. We were so busy yesterday I didn't even get to check how the mock investments turned out. Did you happen to look, Mr. Jin-ho?"
"No. I was too busy following you around yesterday, sunbaenim."
Documents, snacks, drinks—you name it.
I was hauling a cart loaded with all sorts of things, running back and forth.
You'd think a junior trader would only be assigned to one team, but that's not the case.
When short-staffed, you have to rotate between teams to help out.
Yesterday was especially chaotic—I was darting from team to team, just making deliveries.
"Just occurred to me—rather than letting those losses pile up, maybe we should cut our losses now before it's too late. With this interest rate fluctuation issue, all the insurance stocks are trending downward. Better to minimize the damage."
"You think so?"
"Yes. I'll guide you through it—let's try to recover what we've lost. Let's see... Last time we bought Central Insurance, right? What was its closing price yesterday?"
How long had it been since I last had morning coffee in the office?
Just as I was savoring that small happiness while checking Central Insurance's stock price—
"Pfft—!"
Lee Hye-rin spat out the coffee she was drinking in shock.
Jeong Jin-ho, who was sitting across from her, startled by her reaction, quickly grabbed some tissues and handed them to her.
"Are you okay?"
"J-Jin-ho. Did you see this?"
Central Insurance had surged a whopping 15%.
That very stock which, along with all other insurance stocks, had been on a downward trend.
"Uh..."
But Jin-ho's expression as he looked at the screen was peculiar.
Should it be described as surprised, or as if he'd expected this all along?
"No. This is my first time seeing it today too. Why did it rise...?"
Even his tone sounded somewhat unnatural.
Maybe it was just her imagination.
'But how did he pick this one stock out of all the insurance stocks that were falling?'
It was an unbelievable coincidence.
"Did you really not know about this?"
"Huh?"
"Honestly, did you know this stock was going to rise?"
"Th-that can't be."
It must just be a coincidence, right?
When everyone was in a frenzy saying all insurance stocks were doomed, there was no way this guy alone could have known something.
"Jeong Jin-ho."
At that moment, a deep voice echoed through the office.
It was none other than Team Leader Park.
"Ah, yes. Team Leader. Good morning."
"Let's have a talk. Come with me."
"Yes, sir."
Perhaps because of the sheer size difference between the two men, Jin-ho following behind Team Leader Park looked somewhat pitiful.
Surely he wasn't being called in to be scolded...?
Had the Team Leader seen it too?
＊＊＊
I felt dazed.
When I bought that stock, it had been on a continuous decline, so I thought my ability wasn't working.
On top of that, I was so busy yesterday that I didn't even have time to check the stock price.
But now it had risen?
"Employee Jeong Jin-ho. It's only your third day—how is it? Managing okay?"
"Ah, yes. Everyone's been very kind."
"That's good to hear. I wanted to take it slow and teach you properly without overloading you, but yesterday's market volatility was unusually high."
"Not at all. I'll work hard at whatever you assign me."
Team Leader Park stared at me intently.
"In our team, only I know."
"Huh?"
"About you being a parachute hire."
"Ah."
"Well, rumors will spread soon enough anyway."
As he spoke, Team Leader Park took a sip from his cup.
I'd heard it was protein.
"I wasn't planning to ask, but since we're here—are you related to the CEO?"
"No."
"No? Then why did the CEO bring you into the company? Honestly, you must know your qualifications aren't up to par for this place."
"That's..."
At that moment, I remembered the Guild Leader's stern warning.
Never mention that we met in a game or anything like that.
"I'm sorry, Team Leader. I can't tell you that."
"..."
Now I understood why he told me not to say anything.
If people found out the CEO hired someone he met in a game, what would they think?
"Fine. I won't pry further. But one more thing—what's the deal with Central Insurance?"
So the Team Leader had seen it too.
"It was... just luck."
"Just luck... Do you know what our traders' target profit margins are, Jeong? 0.1-1%. On highly volatile days like yesterday, we might make 3-5%, but losses can be just as steep. That's why we keep our targets conservative. Pushing too hard for profits can lead to even bigger losses."
From what Deputy Lee Hye-rin told me, the team's monthly profit target was around 5-15%.
"But yesterday, you single-handedly hit the monthly target assigned to each trader in just one day. Even if it was a mock investment, do you really expect me to believe that was luck? Did you not formulate your own strategy based on our meeting discussions?"
"..."
I couldn't say anything.
Not only did I barely remember what we'd discussed during the meeting, but even if I did recall, I wouldn't understand any of it.
Sure, I'd been studying hard.
But for a newbie only three days in, the world of stocks was an ocean of unknowns.
Still, I couldn't very well blabber, "Actually, Team Leader, I have this special ability—"
"Hmm. Is this another difficult question to answer?"
"Well..."
"Never mind, I won't press you further. Everyone has their own trade secrets, and sharing them would be foolish. Especially for traders where individual performance is paramount. My mistake. Sorry about that."
"Oh, no, not at all."
"Then keep up the good work today. If rumors spread that you're a parachute appointment, people might look at you sideways. But if they see you working hard, their perceptions will change."
"Yes, sir. I'll do my best."
"You can go now. On your way out, call Manager Lee for me."
"Yes, sir."
Even though I wasn't being reprimanded, my chest trembled unnaturally.
It wasn't Team Leader Park's intention, but he had an overwhelming presence.
Probably due to those explosive muscles of his.
'But what if this really works?'
A special ability only I possess, unknown to others.
Maybe I was just insanely lucky—or perhaps this ability, which I'd only used in games, actually functioned here too.
When you thought about it, wasn't the stock market just one massive probability-based gacha game?
No matter how skilled you were at data analysis, no one could predict how random events and volatility might alter outcomes.
'I hope today's less busy.'
Then I could test whether this ability was real or not.
＊＊＊
'So there really is something to him.'
Team Leader Park had always wondered.
Hwang Dae-un, the CEO of Gwangun Securities, was a strict meritocrat who had built this small company into its current size.
He hadn't risen this far because he was a great investor—his real talent lay in spotting talent.
That was why Team Leader Park found it so puzzling.
That such a man would pull strings for a parachute appointment.
He'd been deeply disappointed, having always respected the CEO, only to learn the appointee wasn't even family.
'And he can't even explain why.'
Bold kid.
Claiming he couldn't disclose why he'd been parachuted in.
There was one more thing he'd gleaned from their brief exchange.
'Jeong Jin-ho definitely knew Central Insurance would rise.'
The kid might act clueless, but you couldn't fool eyes seasoned by years in this gambling den.
Meaning it was entirely his own skill.
That insane audacity to go all-in on a single stock.
The insight to see possibilities everyone else missed when they predicted the insurance sector's collapse.
Could it be... this kid is...?
"You called for me, Team Leader?"
"Ah, Manager Lee. Are the meeting materials ready?"
"Yes, all prepared."
"Good. I'll inform our team and other departments, so don't wander around today—just stay at your desk."
"Pardon?"
"You've been too busy lately to do much mock trading, right? Consider it an evaluation. Today, focus solely on trading practice. With Junior Trainee Jeong."
"Ah... Understood."
He still didn't know why the CEO had parachuted the kid in.
But Jeong Jin-ho—
There was definitely something there.
Whether it was insight or reckless dopamine addiction disguised as boldness.
He'd find out soon enough.
Or perhaps it was just a lucky streak.
But wasn't there a saying that cut to the heart of the stock market?
[Stocks are a game of luck]
The lucky ones take it all.