Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Translation: Godtl
"Son, you're going to work at this hour?"
"Yeah. There's something I need to keep an eye on overseas today, so I'm heading in for the evening shift. It's morning over there right now."
"What about dinner?"
"I was just planning to grab a sandwich at the office."
"At least have a proper meal before you go. I made braised short ribs."
I stopped in my tracks, having intended to make do with something simple at the office as usual.
Somehow, the delicious aroma was practically vibrating in the air.
Whatever else might be uncertain, there was no way I could pass up my mom's braised short ribs.
"If it's Mom's braised short ribs, I absolutely have to eat before leaving."
"That's right. A solid meal will help you work better."
As I devoured the heaping plate of braised short ribs, I kept letting out involuntary sighs of satisfaction.
"I've been to plenty of high-end Korean restaurants, but none can compare to Mom's braised short ribs."
This wasn't just empty praise because she'd cooked it—I meant every word.
"Seriously, what's your secret, Mom? How is the sauce this delicious? Is there some special recipe you use?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? I just use the store-bought sauce from the supermarket."
"...?"
I nearly dropped the piece of meat I was holding.
"Mass-produced sauces made by corporate food scientists taste way better than anything homemade."
It felt like the shock a child experiences upon learning Santa Claus doesn't exist—that kind of red pill moment.
But the undeniable truth remained that these ribs were packed with Mom's love for our family. Perhaps that was the real MSG—more flavorful than any sauce.
That's what I chose to believe.
"Jin-ho, are you going to work because of that?"
Just then, Dad—who'd been eating as enthusiastically as I was—pointed at the TV screen.
The evening news was broadcasting major international headlines in bold text:
[UK: Brexit Deadline D-5]
＊＊＊
"It's confirmed then? The EU is granting an extension?"
"Yes. We've secured a firm promise. However, given external perceptions and inevitable public scrutiny, they'll need to maintain appearances of thorough deliberation. They plan to announce the extension when we reach D-1."
Prime Minister Theresa May let out a sigh of relief.
Two years had already passed since Brexit was decided by public referendum.
The aftermath had forced the previous PM to resign, putting May in power.
Yet despite her pledge to conclude Brexit within a year, the situation remained unresolved.
Public sentiment within the UK was reaching a boiling point.
"The opposition, the media—what's wrong with them all? Why are they so desperate to tear me apart? If I hadn't brought negotiations this far, we'd already have a no-deal Brexit and the country would be in chaos!"
No one wanted to finalize Brexit more than May.
But even though the referendum had decided Brexit, executing it wasn't so simple.
Because of what's called a no-deal Brexit.
What is a no-deal Brexit?
Literally, it means the UK immediately leaving the EU without any negotiated agreements.
The problem? EU nations would immediately slap retaliatory tariffs on the UK, and all existing EU-UK connections would be severed at once.
This was why even May—who'd boldly taken office to implement the people's will and resolve Brexit—couldn't bulldoze her way through.
Because if they actually followed public sentiment into a no-deal Brexit, the damage to Britain would be unimaginable.
"The opposition must know these consequences perfectly well, but they're all blinded by power..."
Both the opposition and media understood what no-deal would bring.
Complete catastrophe.
Yet they kept pressuring the Prime Minister and ruling party.
All to boost their own approval ratings.
Isn't this how it works everywhere?
Whatever the ruling party does, the opposition attacks.
"But this time, you must conclude negotiations no matter what. The EU has made it clear this will be the final extension."
"So you're saying we should just go for a no-deal Brexit?"
"We understand very well how deeply unjust this must feel for you, Prime Minister. The opposition and the media may be vilifying you as the EU's loyal lapdog, but we know that's not the truth. Yet whether it's true or not doesn't matter. What matters is how the public perceives it."
The opposition and press were framing Machi as the Prime Minister who acted as the EU's obedient dog.
But Machi was dealing with pragmatic realities.
If he actually followed their demands, it would lead straight to a no-deal Brexit—which would be nothing short of opening the gates to hell for Britain.
He was currently negotiating with the EU to the fullest extent precisely to prevent that outcome.
"Even if I skillfully navigate the negotiations and reach an agreement, they'll just find another excuse to attack me, won't they?"
"Even if you handle the negotiations smoothly and adeptly, they'll still nitpick, saying you've done the EU another favor."
"Then what if I actually push for a no-deal Brexit?"
"Then you may go down in history as the worst Prime Minister we've ever had."
"Sigh... Had I known it would come to this, I never would have taken this seat..."
The moment Brexit was decided by referendum, the next Prime Minister's position was destined to be a poisoned chalice. And since Machi had knowingly drunk from it, he had no right to complain.
"Above all, France's influence is the main reason these negotiations have been delayed. While things have stabilized somewhat now, the protests were so intense that they couldn't even come to the negotiating table."
Within the EU, Britain, France, and Germany had wielded the greatest influence.
But with Britain leaving, France and Germany were effectively forced to take the lead in the EU. And among them, France—which had been playing the primary role—had been unable to attend negotiations due to the riots spreading like wildfire.
This had delayed the negotiations, and despite being fully aware of the circumstances, the opposition had relentlessly attacked Prime Minister Machi.
"So they can attend now?"
"Yes. President Péron has raised the white flag and surrendered, after all. Moreover, the foreign corporations that were pressuring Péron from all sides have backed off, so the protests have naturally died down."
That part was a bit concerning.
"But is it true that foreign corporations orchestrated the protests?"
"While they didn't directly incite the protests... it's undeniable that they amplified the scale of the demonstrations through social media. The French government believes they manipulated public sentiment to force the withdrawal of the digital tax."
No wonder President Péron, who had been puffing out his chest and vowing to crack down on foreign corporations, had suddenly tucked his tail between his legs.
There was a reason for everything.
Even Péron couldn't withstand such an onslaught.
"France is pathetic. For a government to be shaken so easily just because corporations attacked them..."
"This isn't something to take lightly. This incident has proven that corporations controlling social media can manipulate public opinion and incite people at will."
"That's correct, Prime Minister. This is a matter that demands serious attention. Especially regarding the corporation at the center of the French riots—Gwangun."
"Gwangun?"
"Yes. They're currently the most influential financial group globally, and they're utterly ruthless. If there's profit to be made, they'll stop at nothing. They were also the ones who profited the most from the French riot protests."
Rumors suggested that a certain entity had invested over 6 billion euros and reaped enormous profits.
And Gwangun was the prime suspect.
"They're probably scrutinizing this Brexit situation closely as well."
"You think they might use this as an opportunity to make money?"
"Yes. As I mentioned earlier, they're the kind of corporation capable of anything. And we still don't know the full extent of their network. We need to keep them in check now."
An unpredictable corporation capable of anything.
For the British government, they were an extremely dangerous entity.
"But they haven't done anything to us yet. Can we really just start restraining them out of the blue?"
"If we can get the ruling and opposition parties to agree and establish regulations on foreign corporations..."
"What I'm saying is, do we even have the bandwidth to worry about that right now? The UK financial market isn't in danger at the moment, is it? In fact, I've heard stock prices are rising because of expectations that Brexit might be canceled altogether. Tell me—is there anything that company could do to cause us trouble right now?"
"Well... probably not at the moment. Unlike France, we haven't introduced any controversial legislation, nor are there any protests happening."
In other words, even the mighty Gwangun couldn't do anything to negatively impact the UK economy right now.
The financial markets were that frozen.
"Then let's table that issue for now. Brexit is far more important to us. If negotiations go wrong, the political careers of everyone in this room are over. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Yes, Prime Minister."
The EU, wary of public opinion, had announced they would extend negotiations at the last minute, so the situation was progressing smoothly for now.
Meaning, there was no room to divert attention to foreign corporations.
They were already walking on thin ice as it was.
'At worst, what could a bunch of money-grubbers even do?'
＊＊＊
"Most analysts believe it's unlikely to come to a no-deal Brexit."
"Really?"
"Yes. A no-deal Brexit would be the absolute worst-case scenario. No matter how much the opposition and public opinion pressure us, choosing a no-deal Brexit would be like deciding to all go down together."
The British public seemed to attack the Prime Minister every single day.
As if demanding a no-deal Brexit.
You'd think the markets would be in turmoil, anticipating an actual no-deal scenario, but instead, the UK market was rising.
Because they knew.
That the Prime Minister would never, ever allow a no-deal Brexit.
He might withdraw from Brexit entirely, but he wouldn't make such an extreme choice.
"That's why the UK stock market is gradually rising."
"Poor Prime Minister, honestly."
"What can you do? He knew what he was getting into when he took the position."
Through my intuition, I saw a vision—Britain finally passing Brexit and being liberated. If that happened, buying related stocks would be the smart move.
But something felt off.
Even after reviewing the research reports, my intuition didn't spark.
"These are all stocks that will rise if Brexit passes, right?"
"Yes. We've carefully selected only the most relevant ones."
Then why wasn't I reacting?
My vision clearly showed Brexit passing—so why?
Could the stocks be wrong?
"Chairman, the research team has sent another report. They've reviewed and refined the stock selections."
I went through the revised research, but still, nothing resonated with my intuition.
As I hesitated over the selections, the employees grew uneasy and quietly asked,
"Chairman... should we have them redo the list again...?"
Then it suddenly hit me.
What if my intuition showed me Brexit passing—but was actually demanding something else when it came to stock selection?
"This time, bring me the opposite stocks."
"Huh? Opposite, meaning...?"
Manager Seo blinked rapidly before gasping in realization.
"Y-You think a no-deal Brexit might happen?!"
"A no-deal Brexit? Th-That's impossible, isn't it?"
I didn't believe a no-deal Brexit would happen either.
But since my intuition wasn't responding, I had to check.
"H-Here you go."
Soon, the employees brought another report.
This time, it was a scenario assuming a no-deal Brexit.
My intuition had clearly shown me that Brexit would pass.
So even if I looked at this report, I doubted anything would change—but.
"!?"
The exact opposite of what I expected was unfolding before my eyes.
The moment I opened the report, flashes of light flickered all over the pages, so intense I had to squint.
'What in the world is going on?'
My intuition had told me Brexit would pass, so why was it now reacting to stocks that would benefit from a no-deal Brexit?
"······."
And among them, one in particular was shining the brightest.
Normally, I would've checked it without a second thought and moved on, but now that I'd built up considerable financial knowledge, my hand simply wouldn't move.
'Really? You're seriously telling me to bet on this?'
But my intuition kept ringing like an alarm, tormenting me until I checked it. In the end, I circled the stock with a bold mark.
"P-President. A-Are you seriously betting on this? I mean, really?"
Chief Seo, who had supported me more than anyone and followed my orders without question.
Yet today, even his eyes trembled like he'd been struck by an earthquake as he alternated between staring at me and the circled stock.
＊＊＊
There were financial institutions that represented—no, dominated—the global financial markets, or more accurately, the world economy.
Gold Reagan, JP Mason, Bank of America, Whiterock, and so on.
Among them, Deutsche Bank, once a major player, had vanished into history.
Precisely at the hands of Gwangun.
Though these companies still held responsibility over the global financial markets, Reynolds Bale no longer believed they were the ones truly shaking the world's economy.
The times had changed.
Ever since Gwangun—an entity beyond conventional standards—had emerged, the landscape of the global financial markets had shifted.
Even if Gold Reagan still led in terms of assets, sheer quantity wasn't what mattered.
What mattered was quality.
Who was leading this financial trend?
That was Gwangun.
Which was why Bale had always kept a meticulous eye on Gwangun's movements.
"But... what? Where did Gwangun put their money?"
"Deep OTM."
Deep Out of The Money.
A gambling-like put option, expiring on average within 72 hours.
A bet that the British currency would drop below 10% within that timeframe—akin to pure gambling.
But honestly, the idea of the British exchange rate plummeting 10% in that span was absurd.
A 10% drop in Bitcoin or stocks was within acceptable bounds.
But for the British currency to fall below 10%? That would be a national catastrophe.
"That's not all. They're indiscriminately pouring money into futures on major economic indices and all sorts of financial products. As if Britain is going to collapse tomorrow."
That was why it made no sense.
Right now, Gwangun was mobilizing all its funds under the assumption that Britain was about to fall.
Why the hell was Gwangun doing this?
If anything, British stocks were rising on expectations that Brexit would be revoked...
"······!"
Right then, a thought flashed through Reynolds' mind, and he shot up from his seat.
"A no-deal Brexit is coming!"
But Gold Reagan had already confirmed the information.
There would be no no-deal Brexit.
Though an extension announcement hadn't been made yet, negotiations would be prolonged.
Meaning Brexit would happen one way or another.
'But what if that information was wrong?'
What if there was no extension, and a no-deal Brexit was truly on its way?
And right now, Gwangun—whose predictions had never once been wrong—was bombarding Britain with massive capital.
What could that possibly mean?
"Don't tell me... our intel is actually wrong?"
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Reynolds bolted out of the room.
If Gold Reagan's information was wrong, and Gwangun's was right...
Then Britain was about to face an unprecedented disaster.