The Taste of Success

Siyoon checked his purchase order shortly after.

The sheer size of the order — three billion won in a single sweep — made Jain Tech's stock price shudder for a moment. But the surge he'd anticipated never quite materialized.

News of Jain Tech securing new funding should have acted as a strong catalyst, yet the market remained strangely still.

No rush.

Good news typically gets priced in the instant it breaks, but with small and mid-cap stocks, it can take days for the price to climb as the initial selling pressure wears off. And the KOSDAQ as a whole was in a downturn right now. With no telling when Jain Tech's earnings would be reflected in the price, a delayed market reaction was entirely possible.

He lost himself in the news and the charts, and before he knew it, it was six in the evening.

"Let's head out," Siyoon said to Choi Tae-wook. "Time to go home."

"Yes, sir!"

A leisurely weekend arrived, and with it, home appliances began trickling into Siyoon's officetel. Weekdays left him no time to receive deliveries, so everything he needed had been scheduled for his days off.

"The fridge should go right here. And the air conditioner over in that corner, please."

The unit was about sixty square meters, but with no separate bedroom it felt open and made efficient use of every corner. Once everything was in place, only one final item remained — the one he'd been waiting for.

A 100-inch TV and a home theater system.

Four million ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠won in total. For Siyoon, who had always loved music and movies, these were the purchases he'd agonized over the most.

The cheap speakers he'd been using were tossed out, their replacement taking up residence in their place. A year ago, spending millions of won would have given him pause. Now, it barely registered.

"All done, sir."

Once the installer finished and left, Siyoon did a slow lap around the officetel, then finally came to a stop in front of the window.

The forest of Yeouido high-rises spread out before him in a single sweeping view. In the distance lay Hangang Park, and above it, the sky stretched out in a brilliant blue.

It was a rented officetel, but the feeling it gave him was unlike anything before. Compared to the goshiwon rooms and tiny studio apartments he'd lived in all his life, this place was practically heaven.

Jeombak-i had somehow made his way onto the sofa.

Woof woof!

"What? What is it?"

The robot dog's gaze was fixed on the 100-inch TV. He seemed to be barking at Siyoon to turn on the shiny new screen he'd just brought home.

As an AI robot, Jeombak-i was constantly monitoring his surroundings. Through his cameras and sensors he detected any physical change in the environment, keeping watch even over whether his owner's living space was safe.

A high-performance companion robot, complete with an alarm system that would sound off in case of fire or flooding.

"You watch TV, too?"

Still talking, Siyoon settled onto the sofa and switched it on. The moment he logged into Netflix and started a movie, immersive 3D sound filled the living room like a private cinema.

So this is what earning money is for, huh?

A modest flex, but a satisfying one in its own way.

And so Siyoon spent a long while glued to the screen, Jeombak-i at his side.

The next day, Siyoon headed to a famous Hanwoo beef specialty restaurant in Yeouido — so popular on Sundays that a reservation was practically mandatory.

"I have a reservation under Kang Siyoon."

"Of course. Right this way, sir."

Following the hostess into a private room, he opened the menu — and the prices were no joke. But price aside, he'd never been much of a beef eater, and he had no idea what any of the cuts actually were.

"Which one here is the tastiest?"

"Every cut has its own distinct flavor, sir, but the ones our guests order most often are the salchisal — the rib cap — and the tosrisal, the juicy sinew cut from the shank."

"Then I'll take those. And bring a drink that goes well with them."

"Of course. Though, as for the price range..."

"Don't worry about the price. Just pick something appropriate."

"Very good, sir."

The server withdrew, and moments later his phone buzzed on the table. It was Bang Yo-han. The man had landed back in Korea, and they'd agreed to meet here.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"You here yet?"

"Yeah, just now. The restaurant's called Woojung, right?"

"That's right. Just come on in."

"Uh... is this really the place? Did I go to the wrong address?"

Even after arriving, Bang Yo-han hesitated at the entrance. He couldn't possibly imagine that the place where Siyoon was waiting would be a luxury Hanwoo beef house like this.

"It's Woojung, so come in. I'm starving."

"Okay..."

When Bang Yo-han finally appeared in the private room, he stared at Siyoon with saucer-wide eyes. A year since they'd last met — but his reaction was less joy than sheer disbelief.

"What the hell are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you in a place like this?"

"Am I not allowed to eat beef? It's not going to collapse, so sit down."

"Whoa..."

Bang Yo-han sat down across from him, mouth still hanging open.

"I ordered ahead, so the food should be out any minute."

"Don't tell me... you ordered beef?"

"What else would I order at a beef restaurant, chicken?"

While ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Bang Yo-han gawked, the server slipped in and began grilling meat on the tabletop brazier.

Sizzle—!

Right on cue, a man who looked like the general manager entered with a bottle of wine and glasses, and launched into a pitch.

"This is an Opus One Overture 2022. Its smooth tannins make it the perfect pairing for the Hanwoo you'll be enjoying today. I promise it won't disappoint."

Once the manager poured the wine and slipped out, Bang Yo-han lunged straight for the menu.

"Dude... this bottle is 600,000 won?"

"Really? Well, it's expensive, so I'd better enjoy it."

"Are you... okay? Like, are you feeling dizzy? Seeing things that aren't there?"

"Quit talking nonsense and eat."

Siyoon raised his glass and took a long sip. He'd had the 10,000-won stuff from the convenience store before, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and sure enough — the expensive bottles really did taste different.

Even halfway through the meal, Bang Yo-han still couldn't wrap his head around it.

"What is this? Did you win the lottery? They said you moved to Yeouido, and I thought no way it was real."

"Not the lottery. I just lived hard, and now I've got some money."

"Lived hard? Doing what, exactly, how hard?"

Bang Yo-han was his only friend, his closest one at that — but Siyoon couldn't lay out the whole story. Plenty of friendships had crumbled over money. He'd decided to keep quiet about the inheritance for now.

"How do I put this... let's just say heaven paid me a prize for all my suffering?"

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"Tell me about it."

With that, he picked up a piece of meat and shoved it into Bang Yo-han's mouth.

"Mmph! Okay, it's good. It's genuinely good. It just melts in your mouth?"

"Right? Let's eat until we're stuffed."

After the meal, Siyoon took Bang Yo-han back to his officetel. He had something to give him.

The moment he stepped inside, Bang Yo-han's eyes went wide all over again at the view outside the window.

"Whoa... the night view is insane. Absolutely insane."

While he stood marveling, Siyoon retrieved something from the fridge and carried it over to the window.

"Now what's this?"

"Can't be hogging all this ourselves. It's for your parents."

"My parents?"

"A Hanwoo gift set and a red ginseng set. Not the cheap stuff — premium brands, so they won't turn their noses up at it."

Bang Yo-han stared at him in silence, eyes huge.

"I used to eat at your place all the time back in college. Calling it repayment feels too formal, but I figured my conscience would feel a little lighter if I at least did this much."

"You..."

Bang Yo-han slowly looked around the officetel. His eyes kept drifting back to the high-end furniture and appliances Siyoon would never have bought in the past, the cozy home theater setup in the corner.

"You actually... made it, huh?"

Stunned by the transformation, there was something almost moved in Bang Yo-han's expression. Their entire college years had been one long stretch of hardship for Siyoon — and now, in the span of a single year, he was a completely different man.

Siyoon walked to the window and quietly watched the headlights of the cars streaming along the distant road.

"Is living like this success? Then it's not bad, this whole 'success' thing."

Bang Yo-han still wore a dazed expression.

Monday morning, and Siyoon clocked in at the warehouse office.

Perhaps because it was the start of a new week, the outbound requests had piled up considerably. After checking the deliveries, he printed out the paperwork, handed it to Choi Tae-wook, and said, "The research team requested a lot of monitors today. We need to finish the deliveries before noon, so let's move together."

"Oh, no, sir. I can handle it on my own..."

"On your own, you'll end up worn out by the afternoon again. Do it my way."

"Y-yes, sir."

They wheeled out the cart and began stacking monitors for delivery. Choi Tae-wook headed up first.

"I'll go on ahead!"

"Go ahead."

While loading monitors onto the cart, Siyoon glanced at the time. The market had been open for over an hour.

Studying the prices on his phone screen, he tilted his head.

"Still flat, huh."

Plenty of good news had broken, and days had already passed — yet Jain Tech was still drifting slightly lower, trading in the red through the morning session.

"Hmm..."

Technical analysis was difficult at this stage. There was no meaningful buying pressure yet, and no movement from foreign or institutional investors. He'd need to wait a little longer before he could judge anything.

Siyoon slipped his phone into his pocket and went back to stacking boxes.

Meanwhile, at that very moment —

In the division head's office, Team Leader Oh Joo-han opened the door and stepped inside.

"Good morning, Division Head."

"Come in. Good timing."

The division head had called Oh in to check on the Jain Tech buying operation.

"Just as you instructed, we opened a long position on Jain Tech through Deputy Head Shin."

"What's the size?"

"Ten billion won. We bought in installments over an hour, and the average entry price came out respectable."

"Good. Well done."

"But... may I ask why you suddenly ordered the Jain Tech buy...?"

When Oh asked cautiously, the division head answered without a hint of hesitation.

"You saw the filing yourself, didn't you? Jain Tech's capital raise announcement."

"I did confirm that, but the rights offering hasn't even been allocated yet... If the paid-in capital increase falls through, the stock could actually plummet instead..."

While Oh fretted, the division head wore an expression of utter confidence.

"Stop worrying. That kid has good instincts. I'm expecting big things from him this time, too."

"You mean... him?"

"Kang Siyoon."

"......!"

At the division head's words, Oh couldn't hide his shock.

"I talked to him face to face, and it was obvious. The kid's a born gambler — that stone-faced look, that flat way of talking... He might just become a legend of Hansan Securities one day."

"Division Head..."

Oh Joo-han still wasn't sold on Siyoon.

The division head crossed his arms and murmured to himself.

"We'll see soon enough. How the results turn out."

Sihoon ended up having a late lunch with Choi Tae-wook. A rice-and-side-dishes restaurant in Yeouido was buzzing with office workers.

"Two doenjang set meals coming up!"

Once the rice and side dishes arrived, Siyoon said, "Eat up, and let's power through the afternoon."

"Yes, sir! You enjoy your meal too, Team Lead!"

They were deep into their meal when an outburst erupted from a nearby table.

"Whoa~ so that's what happens when it finally moves?"

"It was dead quiet this morning. What the hell? Talk about out of nowhere."

"Ha, I almost got into that stock and bailed at the last second. Total bust for me today."

They looked like traders from another brokerage, their eyes all glued to the TV mounted on the wall.

Curious, Siyoon turned toward the screen. The financial news was profiling a few stocks.

Jain Tech...?

Siyoon shot up from his half-finished meal.