1988 - 1st Quarter (2)
1988 - 1st Quarter (2)
February 16, 1988.
"Aah. So good......."
"It's right to be happy, isn't it?"
"Yes. It'll be my first time on a plane."
We were on a medical transport plane, transferring Ara's younger sister, Lily Berry.
She was a very cute-looking child.
A platinum blonde, blue-eyed Caucasian, not blood-related to Ara.
Ara's parents, thinking they were infertile, adopted Ara, and then unexpectedly had a second and then a third child.
But they didn't discriminate and loved them all equally, so they must have been good people.
Enough for Ara to not run away and sell her body to take responsibility for her siblings.
"Aah....... Hoo. Hye......."
"It's not that."
The doctors, the nurses, even the caregiver who had been looking after Lily until now, reportedly couldn't understand what she was saying.
Naturally, I didn't know what she was saying either.
But Ara was different.
Ara understood everything she said, amazingly so, the moment Lily opened her mouth.
Perhaps her quick perception was born because of her sister.
"What is she saying?"
"It's nothing."
Ara said, slightly avoiding my eyes.
"Oo......."
"She says it's not."
Lily's mouth moved very subtly.
Is she smiling?
I'm not sure.
Seeing her like this, it's a bit pitiful.
Just a ten-year-old, such a cute little kid having to lie in a hospital bed and receive care for her whole life.
"I can pay for it."
"Forget it."
Ara checked my expression, then promptly bowed her head.
The cost for transferring Lily was roughly $25,000.
It was a rather excessive expenditure for employee welfare.
But it wasn't an overwhelmingly burdensome amount either.
I'd get it back with coins anyway.
"I can earn that much quickly."
This morning, before boarding the plane, Firestone announced it was selling its tire business unit to Japan's Bridgestone.
Seeing that reminded me.
The Japan Invasion.
The incident that caused quite a social stir, with Japan, which had only been buying real estate and buildings, now taking over American companies.
Of course, Japan would lose something for about the next 30 years, so it remained just a tempest in a teapot.
That's why I hadn't remembered it sooner.
'But wasn't it the entire company that was acquired, not just the tire business unit?'
Is it acquired later?
In the future, Firestone was definitely a subsidiary of Bridgestone.
Not by splitting off a business unit to create a merged company like now.
'I'll know if I just watch.'
I don't think paying for Lily's transfer costs will increase Ara's loyalty.
She might be grateful now, but people tend to forget as time passes.
"......Boss."
"Hmm?"
Smooch.
Ara grabbed my face and gave me a short kiss.
See, her perception is really quick.
"Thank you."
Not with words, but with action.
Had she remembered that?
"Oo-. Ooh-."
Lily's eyes went wide, and the doctor and nurse also looked at us with pleased smiles.
"I'll borrow your sister for a bit. We have some things left to do."
"Nuh-uh."
"That means it's okay, right?"
"Yes."
"Then bring the documents and follow me."
Ara had gathered the information printed at the airport before departure.
And after entering the lounge right next to it.
Click.
She locked the door.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The lounge was only separated by thin partitions, so much so that even the machine sounds from the next booth were all audible.
"If we make a sound, we'll be caught immediately."
I whispered into Ara's ear.
She didn't answer.
She just quietly bent down and undid my belt.
"You want to do it with your mouth?"
"I practiced. Do you prefer the lower part?"
"Then both."
I sat on the makeshift bed.
Ara knelt before it and took off my underwear as well.
"Thank you. Hahm-."
As soon as the warm tongue and mucous membrane touched, my dick hardened and began to swell, filling her mouth.
The act of gratitude felt incredibly good.
February 29, 1988.
'Notification?'
Just as I was about to open the door to commute to BE's office as usual.
A bell-shaped icon with a red dot appeared before my eyes.
What's going on all of a sudden?
"Boss?"
"It's nothing. Let's go in."
I entered the office and sat on the sofa.
Ara went to prepare coffee as she always did.
'Status Window.'
───────────
<Traits>
[A-0 Gene]
[- Empty -]
[- Locked -]
[- Locked -]
.
.
.
[- Locked -]
Held Assets: $13,561,200
Roulette Count: 1
───────────
"Huh?!"
Assets, which were around $7 million, suddenly became $13.56 million.
And simultaneously, a roulette count appeared.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Let me think for a moment."
"......?"
I don't know which stock it is, but I know there was a change in the market just a moment ago.
That's not urgent.
I can find out quickly just by turning on the Bloomberg or Reuters terminal.
'Is $10 million the trigger?'
One roulette count added per $10 million.
It's not certain yet, but that's the most plausible assumption.
'So, what the hell is this roulette.......'
The moment I thought that, a real roulette appeared before my eyes!
Two of them, at that.
Spin, spin, the wheel.
Its form was so tacky that I instinctively frowned.
And why are there so many sections?
It was a roulette split so finely you couldn't even count them all.
'This is......?'
But its contents weren't as tacky.
[A-8 Gene]
[B-0 Gene]
[C-9 Gene]
Genes that seemed special, like my longevity gene.
[Swordmaster]
[Immune]
[Gun Fu]
[Perception]
[Analysis]
[Emission]
[On/Off]
And other traits whose purpose couldn't be guessed from the name alone.
There were names that, while not magic, seemed comparable.
The 21st century, no, the end of the 20th century, and a Swordmaster?
'Not just the traits.'
There were two roulettes.
Next to the roulette showing those traits, there was another roulette similarly divided into many sections.
'Limited-time, what the fuck.......'
There, times were written for each section.
Starting from 1 hour up to permanent.
The longer the time, the smaller the section.
Why on earth is it like this?
'I'll know if I spin it.'
There's no point worrying about it anyway.
I have no information, no plan.
I spun the roulette.
No sound was heard.
It just rotated fiercely, then gradually slowed and stopped.
[Acquired <Analysis>.]
So the Status Window can talk too!
Of course, that was all.
No response came from pressing it or trying to talk to it.
I guess that's also like a notification window.
Anyway, Analysis?
Does it let you know more accurate details about a stock, like specifics?
More than Bloomberg?
Doesn't seem bad.
The trait is decided for now.
This time, the duration roulette spun.
And.
[1 hour]
[Finally acquired <Analysis (1 hour)>.]
A result that was all too obvious was selected.
It was the biggest section, so statistically it's natural.
'What to do.......'
I thought while looking at the Bloomberg terminal.
I don't know exactly what kind of trait it is.
There was no reaction when I pressed it.
Probably a structure where you can see detailed contents if you equip it in an empty slot.
Should I try using Analysis on a stock I haven't entered yet among the open events, like Coppers?
I thought that, but then shook my head.
It's only for 1 hour.
To experiment, I need preparation first.
"Ara."
"Yes."
"Was there any change in the stock we entered?"
Click. Taptaptap.
Ara began inputting commands into the terminal with skilled hands.
"Ah! A breaking news came out that MySize has entered as the white knight for Featherated. The tender offer price is $74.3 per share."
I see.
So that's why the assets increased.
"The pre-market stock price?"
"$73.4."
"Connect me to Goldman Sachs."
"Understood."
Then I should tidy that up and then test the trait.
- This is Bruce from the Sales Department. How can I help you?
"Arthur Kim from BE."
- Hello! Mr. Arthur! Is it about Featherated?
"That's right."
Now MySize and Kemp will fight tooth and nail, but I don't know the process.
Since it doesn't remain in my memory, it seems only arbitrageurs got fat and left.
"I want to liquidate."
If I wait, I might gain a tiny bit more profit.
But that probably isn't a rise worth waiting for.
- Huh? Seeing the two companies doing PR battles, they seem to have staying power.
"I'm satisfied with this much. You have to escape when you have staying power."
- Well, it's not an unusually large volume anyway.......
"What about Goldman taking it?"
- I'll connect you to the Risk Arbitrage Department.
"The Sales Department isn't taking it?"
- 3,180 contracts exceed our department's discretion.
Bruce is probably forcing a bitter smile, isn't he?
If the volume had been a bit smaller, he would have stepped in the middle and eaten a fat incentive.
"And I'm thinking of rolling over the Nikkei."
- One moment.
The profit from the Nikkei so far is $2.21 million.
Adding the $750,000 margin and $750,000 defensive cash, the total balance is $3.71 million.
The profit rate is 295%, the asset-based profit rate is 147.6%.
A pretty good profit.
- Total $3.71 million. How would you like to roll it over?
"The same, 10x leverage."
- Understood. The estimated contract count is 172 for now.
"I'll leave that to your department."
- Then I'll connect you to Arbitrage. I'll relay the Nikkei order.
"Yes. Thank you for your work."
The call was promptly transferred to the Arbitrage Department.
There was no violent price adjustment like at Merrill Lynch.
Since orders were given and received so much everywhere, there seemed to be set prices and models.
It seems I'll need to hire employees for BE Holdings soon.
The time is approaching when I need to directly control prices and orders.
"What is a rollover?"
Ara blinked and asked.
It seems she had finished sending the telex and listened to my call.
"You know derivatives have expiration dates, right?"
"Yes. For futures, it's usually 3 months, right?"
"That's right. The futures I hold now expire in March. Selling those and buying the next expiration, the next month's contract."
It's not just derivatives; extending loan maturity is also called a rollover.
It's easier to think of rollover as just pushing back a set schedule.
"I see."
Ara took out her notebook and started writing.
Tii-. Zzt-. Zzt-.
At that moment, the fax started moving.
It's probably the statement sent by Goldman Sachs after liquidation.
───────────
FEATHERATED 6M CALL SCALE-IN (0%~30% LADDER)
Total Cost: $500,000
Spot 35.875 -> 72.50
Value: $9,553,551
P/L: +$9,053,551
───────────
The final profit is $9.05 million.
Just seeing the number makes me full.
Even though it was a block deal, the profit rate is a whopping 1,810%.
Why do people rob banks?
You can just regress.
"Master! Congratulations!"
"Thanks."
The amount is satisfying, and the fact that I didn't have to exit in a complicated way makes it even more satisfying.
I received Ara's congratulations and a kiss.
Although I used to give incentives to employees every time I made a profit like this.
That was a result I achieved alone, so it should be fine.
Then, should I use the trait to analyze the next investment target?
'Use Analysis!'
......Nothing happens.
'Equip?'
───────────
<Traits>
[A-0 Gene]
[Analysis] - Remaining Time 59:58
[- Locked -]
[- Locked -]
.
.
.
[- Locked -]
Held Assets: $13,311,200
Roulette Count: — 0 —
───────────
So that's how you use it.
I opened Analysis and examined its contents.
And.
'It's not for stocks?!'
I could tell it was a trait slightly different from what I thought.
"What's wrong?"
"No, um......."
[Ara Berry]
I scratched my head while looking at the text floating above her head.
The Analysis trait was an ability to analyze people.