1988 - Auction (1)
1988 - Auction (1)
Ring-ring-ring!
My eyes opened to the alarm full of analog charm.
The same time as always, the same routine.
Click.
"......Ugh."
Only the scenery was different.
"Sleep more."
I spoke while looking at Elizabeth, who had half-opened her eyes.
"Mmm......."
She immediately closed her eyes again and fell asleep.
If I pulled back the blanket, I'd probably see her pubic area, swollen bright red, and semen dried white.
Maybe I was too rough, saying it had been a while.
Click.
The first thing I did upon getting up was check the terminal.
The green screen told me what had happened around the world last night while I was having a pleasurable time.
Checking the Bloomberg terminal, which I had imported with Goldman's help, was my newly established morning routine.
'I almost would have regretted not getting into the Nikkei.'
The closing price of the Nikkei 225 futures I entered at 23,000 points yesterday was 23,499.
Paper profit: $320,000.
Since futures are MTM (Mark-to-Market), that money should have come into my futures account as cash.
$320,000 profit in just one day from an initial $750,000.
It's not money I can withdraw and use immediately, but I understand why the derivatives market grew so rapidly in this era.
At the same time, that many people probably got wiped out.
Just taking myself as an example, a margin call would occur if it fell below 22,329.
Fortunately, the index rose by 499, but it means I could have been forcibly liquidated if it had fallen by 350 for just two days.
The people who do this tightrope walk for a lifetime are Wall Street traders, so it's perhaps natural that they're not in their right minds.
I'm already not in my right mind either.
'Nothing much else....'
After updating myself on the latest information, I went in to shower.
My whole body is filled with Elizabeth's scent.
It's only natural since we mixed our bodies non-stop.
She didn't seem to dislike it either.
That's probably why she gave me her first.
Not her virginity, of course.
Should I say it was the original duty of her womb?
She said it was her first time raw.
I don't know if it's true, but she also said she felt an orgasm for the first time yesterday.
That might be lip service, but that's not what's important.
What's important is that we both had the best night.
Well, after meeting only pot-bellied uncles every day, meeting someone her own age... it would be more strange if she didn't feel some attraction.
[If you're busy, you can go first. If not, let's at least have breakfast together before you go.]
I placed $2,100 in cash next to the note and packed my training clothes.
Soon, a personal trainer will also come from Nabi.
Even if she's a woman with whom sex is not possible.
Options aren't something that can't be changed; it's all about how you handle it.
Once I started operating the office in earnest, there was no time to rest.
I had to go to the Bahamas to set up the money laundering, and I had to consistently check the call options for Pepsico and Firestone.
Especially with Pepsico, I sensed something strange in the flow.
Not the stock price, but the rumors floating around Wall Street.
I didn't have Huminet yet, so I couldn't know for sure, but according to what I heard through Diana, it seemed like someone was targeting it from somewhere?
In the end, I had no choice but to release the premium conditions and entrust the orders to the traders.
It would be putting the cart before the horse if I missed the target while only looking for good entry points.
All I could do was pray they'd acquire a lot at the cheapest possible price (OTM).
The Nikkei 225 futures had crept up in the meantime, reaching 23,622.
The profit so far was roughly $497,000, a 66% return.
It was a sufficiently satisfying upward trend.
I spent several days busily running back and forth between overseas and domestic matters.
January 30, 1988, Saturday, 8:00 PM.
I took cash out of the storage, packed a hefty sum of $500,000 into each of two briefcases, and headed to the auction location.
It probably won't go up to $1 million, but you never know.
If there's a product I like, I can hire more.
Screech-!
I parked the car and got out.
It's a rental car, of course.
I bought one, but the waiting list was too backed up, so I borrowed this one temporarily.
"Welcome. Do you have an invitation?"
"No."
"Are you on the invitation list?"
"I expressed my intention to participate."
"Would you please move to the left passage? We will guide you after identity verification."
"Yes. Thank you for your work."
After waiting in a rather long line, I headed to the left passage I was directed to.
Most people who brought invitations were heading straight for the elevator on the right.
"For identity verification, could you please provide your address and phone number?"
"Trump Tower 45-10. 212-555-77**."
The guide blocking the left entrance took out a bundle of documents, checked my appearance against a photo, and nodded.
"Confirmed. Member-nim. I'm sorry, but bringing in items is prohibited."
I placed the two bags on the desk.
It's a deposit.
The system of entrusting that money to be used in the auction.
"To avoid congestion, we would appreciate it if you used that elevator."
"Thank you for your work."
I headed towards a small elevator in the corner that wasn't even easily visible.
On the day an auction is held, a party is always held simultaneously.
A regular party held on the top floor, inviting New York celebrities and wealthy individuals.
Auction participants enter mixed among them.
That's why members aren't suspected even if they participate in the auction.
Ding-!
Upon arriving at the 7th basement floor, I saw the door that used to be tightly shut now wide open.
I thought I'd be familiar with it since I came here quite often in the past, but no.
A Gothic-style design, different from 40 years later.
Has a certain charm.
"Welcome. Member-nim. I am the operator of Club Nabi."
"It's our second time meeting. Madam."
"Huhut. Is this your first time at an auction?"
"Yes. I've only heard about it."
"......You seemed quite knowledgeable about our club......."
"Don't worry. I heard it from someone who fully understands the importance of risk management."
That person just doesn't know the current me.
"Is that so."
"If I were such a loudmouth, I would have been eliminated during the screening in the first place. Isn't that right?"
"That's not wrong."
Even if they investigate my background, there's nothing to find, and Nabi isn't a stupid organization, so there's no reason to worry.
If they suspected me of being something like an undercover, I wouldn't have passed in the first place.
I don't really know why my screening passed so quickly either.
"It was to the extent that we couldn't trace the source of your funds, Member-nim."
"Is that so."
It seems they couldn't figure out the existence of the storage either.
"You received bonus points in the screening for being that thorough with security."
"Thank you."
"Then, let me guide you."
"Madam personally?"
"Would I be insufficient?"
"Not at all. It would be an honor."
I shook my head.
This generation's Madam is the first I've seen, but she was an incredibly dignified person.
It's not easy for a tight-fitting black evening dress to look like class rather than decadence.
"Then, I'll entrust the guidance to you."
"Please come this way."
I followed her into the private room.
A structure like a movie theater's projection booth, or perhaps a VIP room in a multiplex of the distant future.
There's a huge glass pane at the front, and everything else is covered with black walls and blackout curtains.
Along the walls, various foods and refreshments are laid out buffet-style, and what might be called a bed or a reclining sofa with a table is placed prominently in the center.
This era definitely feels more luxurious.
"Nice."
I sat in the center of the sofa and sank into it.
Madam, standing a short distance away with a faint smile.
At least it's not a bad feeling.
Honestly, I'm just a promising young person in my mid-20s with a bit of money; compared to the members here, I'd be a pyramid.
Yet, Madam volunteered to be the guide.
My evaluation must have been inflated.
Or, there was a reason she needed to observe me more.
"Something simple, mainly seafood, and a glass of wine that goes with it, please."
"Understood."
She smiled brightly and slightly bent her knees.
A polite and measured posture.
Is she from European nobility or something?
Clink.
Not long after, various seafood and wine were placed on the table, and simultaneously, a thin file was placed beside it.
It was a document containing information about the auction targets.
I examined the document before the food.
'Hmm....... Mostly 1~2 years. The effect of Black Monday?'
This is my own know-how: when there are many year-long employment types at an auction, the US economy wasn't doing so well.
When many people want seasonal, short-term, or quarterly employment, it's a boom.
I don't know if other members connect it to investments like that.
In my case, it was quite helpful.
'It seems the real economy in 87~88 was even worse than I thought.'
Understanding the real economy is more important than anything.
When you handle big money in the financial world, your sense of money gets distorted.
Financial people who can't adjust that are destined for ruin someday.
It means you should always be aware of how much overspending you're doing, even if you overspend.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
Perhaps she felt sorry that I was only checking the document, leaving the food she personally brought.
She picked up a New York specialty, an oyster, and brought it to my lips.
"This is uncomfortable."
Before accepting it to eat, I tapped the spot next to me on the sofa and spoke.
It's uncomfortable being fed while standing, isn't it?
Mainly for my mood.
"An old woman like me?"
"You don't look much past your early thirties."
"That may be true, but......."
"Then that's fine. Sit. And stick close."
"Excuse me."
As I said, she sat right next to me and pressed her thigh against mine.
"Slurp-."
Only then did I slurp up the oyster placed before my lips.
New York in this era is definitely a connoisseur item when it comes to oysters.
'Most conditions are open.'
I finished examining the document while accepting the food she handed me.
Most of the women appearing today were marked as sex possible, with even quite hardcore aspects checked.
'Sponsor, sponsor, accountant, maid, nail art? This one's a bit unique.'
Most were women seeking sponsors.
'I probably won't need to bid until the last one.'
The woman I'm targeting is the very last in order.
The women before her weren't really to my taste.
Neither their looks nor their careers.
I'd rather call Elizabeth.
"How long do you think it will take to get to the last order?"
"It depends on the auction progress speed, but we are trying to finish within two hours."
"Hmm......."
Then I have quite a bit of spare time.
"I think I'll need an escort."
"Do you need a woman suitable for your age? If it's okay if she's a bit older......."
"Madam personally?"
"Right now, I am also just an ordinary helper."
"I see."
I stretched my arm behind Madam and pulled her towards me as if embracing her.
"Huhupt-."
Her soft breasts spill out between my hands like marshmallows.
No bra, I guess.
Well, she probably had no choice wearing that kind of dress.
"Umm....... Haa-."
Just as I was getting to know her ripe body every part through touch.
[We will now begin the first quarter auction of 1988.]
An emotionless, mechanical voice, as restrained as possible, came through the speakers in the room.
Simultaneously, the lights went out, and light focused on the central stage as a woman appeared.
[Tracy Hampton. 28 years old. Please refer to page 1 for detailed information.]
The first auction target.
After looking at the woman on stage, I looked at the document.
No difference from the photo.
"Madam."
"Haa-. Yes."
"Wine."
She picked up the wine glass and brought it to her own lips.
A pro is different indeed.
She understands right away.
"Sip-."
"Slurp-. Gulp. Gulp."
Not bad wine.
"I don't know much about wine, but this is pretty decent."
"Recently, American wines have many good ones too."
"One more sip."
"Yes. Uum-."
"Sip. Tsk. Gulp."
Come to think of it, wasn't this year's grapes good?
The abnormal weather killed corn and soybeans, but it probably raised the sugar content of grapes quite a bit.
1988 Napa Valley wine.
I should stock up appropriately when I have spare money.
Nothing beats wine for increasing Huminet.