Clever Living (3)
“No, so what’s going on?”
Cha Ba-da grumbled at me, prying relentlessly. After pretending not to know for a good while, turning my head away sharply, I finally tossed out a casual suggestion.
“Well… just. How about transferring to our school?”
“...Why?”
“It’s fun. Seems like you need a decent power base for real entertainment. Think about it—top chaebol kids splitting the school and fighting over it. Sounds fun, right?”
Cha Ba-da let out a sigh.
“Sigh… So that’s what you meant. You really live for the thrill, huh. You timed your visit when they were around for that reason too?”
“Nah, not that. Whether that water sprayer’s here or not, what do I care.”
The water sprayer nestled in my arms shivered with a faint tremble. Hey, stay still.
“Then why’d you take a direct hit from water you could’ve dodged?”
Hmm. Why did I let that water drench me on purpose…? Build-up for sweet revenge later. The black-hearted villain hides her power… you know the trope. It wasn’t that I couldn’t dodge. Really.
‘Tch, I even brought Seo Ji-yeon along on purpose, but she didn’t take the hint…’
I debated spilling it but trusted Ji-yeon and held back. Oops… forgot she’s still a middle schooler. Ugh. No point kicking my feet now and regretting ‘I should’ve acted differently’—not cool.
“Oh, by the way, Ba-da. What were you guys talking about back there?”
“What? You didn’t know?”
As if I would. Sure, I had a rough idea this time since I came prepared, but normally? No clue. Zero interest.
“Nah. I don’t hang with your crew, do I?”
“...Crew? Kinda harsh, but it’s where all the chaebol kids gather.”
“Sounds the same to me.”
I shrugged and stroked the water sprayer.
“There, there, drink up more, Eun-ah. You seemed to love the water earlier—fill ‘er up.”
“Y-yes… okay…”
I filled the trembling sprayer to the brim. Phew, too bad it wasn’t something stickier than water.
Ba-da wrinkled her nose but didn’t stop me. The sprayer wasn’t the ringleader, but her personality was rotten enough anyway.
“This meetup’s for study abroad stuff… and experiential learning.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Ilsan Group set it up, and it’s a golden opportunity. The family elders said go broaden your horizons on Wall Street.”
Figured. Rich families always love study abroad trips. I grinned and whispered,
“Lemme guess? Alpha Fund?”
Ba-da’s eyes went wide.
“...How’d you know?”
Because… I’m the final sign-off on that deal. I was floored when I saw Ha Young-il’s email from the States.
The rumor that Alpha Fund had ties to Daeha Group circulated quietly among chaebol circles, centered on Ilsan Group. Conversely, most chaebols had no idea. Obviously, no adult was spilling that to kids this young. And even if they knew, they’d still hate me. These kids… they thought they were special, but they were just ordinary brats.
“Whoa! It’s the bull!”
The kids rushed to touch the Charging Bull, Wall Street’s icon.
“Man, those horns are huge.”
“Hehe. Hey, check this out—the bull’s balls.”
The kids chattered happily in the heart of American finance. Adults droned on about broadening horizons, but kids were kids. Few cared about that stuff.
“Still, good thing we know someone here. Dad said Brother Chang-ho made this possible.”
A smug boy from Ilsan Group—roughly fourth in the industry rankings—bragged excitedly outside Nomura Securities’ New York branch. Ugly face; I hated him. Ignoring him, I scanned the place.
One thing he said rang true, though.
‘First time here this life. Alpha Fund this afternoon, so memorize now.’
Plus, a name I’d seen on news popped up unexpectedly. No idea Ilsan’s heir apparent, Seon Chang-ho, was here. At this point in time, he was at Nomura, huh.
-Pat pat.
“...Uncle? Hello?”
Leaning against a pillar, Seon Chang-ho was lost in thought. He didn’t react even as I approached—deep in it.
“...Something’s up. Alpha Fund, Ha Young-il, Daeha Group… Hmm…”
‘...What the?’
Startled, I backed away and circled behind. Today’s boring routine had its payoff. Gotta ban this guy from entry for a while.
“Didn’t they say Alpha Fund has some Koreans? I think I heard that once…”
“Nah, probably a mix-up. If there were, they’d come out to greet us, right? Money aside, curiosity alone.”
“Yeah, makes sense.”
With some high schoolers in the group, Alpha Fund treated them seriously—potential clients in three years. Wall Street had plenty of young folks anyway, and Alpha Fund had a weird soft spot for Koreans. No racism or awkwardness for me during the tour.
-“Eek!”
Well, except suspicious water drenchings on some guy.
‘Hmph, don’t swing that sprayer recklessly.’
After a few pranks, eyes turned weird my way.
“...Ha-yeon, ease up.”
Cha Ba-da whispered.
“What? What’d I do?”
I shrugged dramatically, and she shot back with trusting eyes.
“Because it’s you, Ha-yeon. You pulled something.”
Do you trust me too much? Feels nice, though.
“Fine, got it. I’m bored anyway—heading out.”
“...Okay.”
Good enough bonding with Ba-da? Yeah. Judging our trust solid after hours, I made an excuse and slipped away.
-Dash.
Then bolted to meet Ha Young-il. Bodyguards subtly joined, escorting me. Here on Wall Street? Time for business.
-Creak.
Opening the door revealed a familiar sight.
“Hi hi! Long time no see, Young-il.”
Ha Young-il, Wall Street legend-in-making, nodded with a smile.
“Long time, miss. Shocked when I heard you were coming. Unique tastes as always. The kids don’t know?”
“Nope, of course not. Hehehe…”
I giggled, anticipating their shocked reactions—worth hiding my power.
“Just sightseeing this time?”
He asked cautiously. Every visit brought big news, so he assumed. Prejudice. I decided to reinforce it.
“Of course not! Ahaha, found something fun.”
-Rustle.
I pulled a slim envelope from my guard.
Madoff Fund
Wall Street’s famed fund. Currently ~$5 billion AUM. Ha Young-il knew it well.
“...Madoff Fund? Solid outfit, isn’t it? Unlike typical hedge funds, low risk, steady returns…”
Right. That’s the rep now. Meaning it’s fake. Steady returns in any market? Impossible. Amazing, right? A $5 billion Ponzi! By 2008, $65 billion—the biggest ever. In my hands now.
‘Ahh, thrilling. Way better than playing with brats.’
But suspicion only—no proof yet. I smiled brightly at Ha Young-il.
“So I dug into it. Remember the pound short? Madoff sat it out.”
“...Yeah?”
“Suspicious. Obvious money-maker, and he skips? Ex-Nasdaq chair? Heard where he invests?”
He tilted his head. Madoff still looked legit. Wall Street’s leverage madness made passivity seem solid. A twinge of conscience? He questioned,
“Hard to buy… But Madoff must source funds somehow. He’s a broker too…”
I jabbed the papers with my finger.
“That’s why we check. Not just me thinking this.”
Buffett’s famous dot-com line: When the tide goes out, you see who’s swimming naked.
-“I checked last time—no tide needed, everyone’s naked. Buffett’s a liar.”
No one interprets it that literally. Metaphor for bull markets. Stocks soar regardless in bubbles, but post-burst, only solids survive. But think: Even solids sink without swimming. If someone’s on a hidden platform? Tide out, mechanism exposed. They’ll stand puzzled, looking down at the swimmers.
A few months later. Newspaper articles dropped. My Wall Street extensions probed tentatively.
“Whew, nice. Gotta play in the deep end.”
Pieces laid. Time to read the board. Off to teach Wall Street about ‘proper living.’