The Taste of Power

Thankfully, it wasn't a dream.

Even better — this policy announcement came with real substance behind it.

Click!

The moment he tapped the article, the full details appeared.

What caught his eye in the long article was the timing of the investment.

The 2-trillion-won spending was slated to kick off immediately, starting next year.

That the announcement had singled out solar power by name was welcome news for Siyoon as well.

Jinju Energy — the company he'd invested 5 billion won in.

That company's core business was precisely solar development.

Ten minutes had passed since the article went live.

And already, Jinju Energy's movement was anything but ordinary.

The stock, which had fallen into the 7,000-won range, had recovered to the 8,000s, and Siyoon's account had swung back into the black.

"This is just the beginning."

That afternoon.

Jinju Energy was still climbing.

Up 11.1 percent from yesterday's close, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠its price had pushed all the way to 8,730 won.

Siyoon's returns, stagnant for so long, were finally on the rise too.

He pulled his eyes away from the profits on his monitor to find Choi Tae-wook and Kim the Associate deep in a serious conversation.

"When a policy gets announced like this, all the theme stocks related to that policy shoot up sharply."

"Theme stocks?"

"Right. A theme can form off short-term news or an event, there are theme stocks tied to politicians, and when the government makes a policy announcement like today's, every related stock rises together."

"Ha ha... that's a bit much for me."

"Bank interest rates are so low these days. Trust me, it'll be worth knowing, hyung-nim."

Choi Tae-wook, with his extensive trading experience, was giving Kim the Associate advice on personal finance.

Watching the two of them, Siyoon spoke up.

"If you don't have plans tonight, should we have a team dinner?"

"A team dinner?"

Choi Tae-wook asked, widening his eyes.

"Kim the Associate has been here a whole week and I feel like I haven't looked after him properly. Anything you particularly like to eat?"

"Ah... I'm fine with anything, really."

"He loves samgyeopsal!"

Choi Tae-wook answered for him.

"Got it. I'll book a pork belly place, then."

"Yes! Thank you!"

The two of them lit up over something so trivial.

Watching them, thoughts crossed Siyoon's mind in waves.

Is this what they call having a social life?

In high school he had been an outcast in the truest sense of the word, and in college he'd made himself one by choice. It was no different after joining Hansan Securities. No one ever got close to Siyoon, and Siyoon never wanted them to.

Meeting a friend named Bang Yo-han had at least given him someone he could open up to, but that hadn't changed the fact that his life was a solitary one.

Just then, something Assistant Manager Min had said came back to him.

Something had definitely changed since he'd come down to the basement warehouse. The fact that his fortune kept growing was part of it, too.

After work, at the pork belly restaurant.

Sizzle—!

The meat was cooking over the grill.

As Siyoon grilled it, Kim the Associate awkwardly reached for the tongs.

"Let me do that, sir."

"No. I'll grill. You and Tae-wook eat up before it all burns."

"Then we'll dig in! Thank you for the meal!"

Soon, drinks were flowing along with the food.

He'd set up this dinner himself, but having never actually experienced a company gathering, the whole moment felt foreign to Siyoon.

I'm a warehouse manager, granted a humble one, so I suppose it's on me to say a few words. Siyoon raised his glass.

"There was a time people pointed fingers at warehouse work as a dead-end posting, but that's never going to happen again. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠If you need anything, tell me. If someone from another department looks down on you, tell me that too. I'll make it right, however I have to."

"'Make it right,' you say..."

He probably couldn't fire anyone, but reprimanding them should be within reach. He had the Division Head as a powerful backer now, after all.

"Anyway, if anything's giving you trouble, say so immediately. Don't force yourself to grit your teeth over nothing. Kim the Associate — congratulations on joining us. Tae-wook, I'm counting on you going forward. Alright — cheers."

"Cheers!"

They were tipping their glasses back when it happened.

A group of familiar faces walked into the restaurant — Team Leader Ju Ji-myung of Derivatives, along with several of the other team leaders.

Spotting Siyoon, Ju came straight over.

"Oh? Director Kang. Having a team dinner?"

"Yes. We just got a new employee in."

"Ha! I was planning to buy you a drink, but I guess tonight's not the night. Instead, let me cover the tab — don't pay when you leave, just go."

"No, really. I appreciate it, but no."

"Appreciate it, shmeciate it. I'd feel uncomfortable if I didn't do at least this much. I saw they serve whiskey here, so I'll send a bottle over — everyone have a glass."

And with that, Team Leader Ju moved on.

This time, the FX team leader approached Siyoon.

"Director Kang, was it? We crossed paths briefly at that meeting, but I never had a chance to say hello. I'm Yoo Sung-tae."

He held out a business card.

Why would this person give me a business card?

Left with no alternative, Siyoon fished his own card out of his wallet and handed it over.

"Kang Siyoon."

"Right. Different departments, but we're still the same company — I figure it's good to stay on friendly terms. If there's ever anything I can help with, reach out anytime. I'm happy to lend a hand."

"......"

What could the FX ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠desk possibly need from me?

As the team leaders drifted away, Kim the Associate asked, puzzled.

"Director... do you happen to have personal connections with Hansan Securities' executives, too?"

From Kim's perspective, the team leaders' warmth had to be baffling. Siyoon was a warehouse worker — about as far from the securities side of things as one could get.

When Siyoon didn't answer, Choi Tae-wook spoke up.

"I don't know all the details, but one thing's certain — our Director is an incredible man. The Division Head came down to the warehouse in person before, you know. Isn't that right, Director?"

Maybe the alcohol was doing its work, but Choi Tae-wook was saying things tonight he never would have otherwise.

And honestly, it wasn't wrong.

Compared to the past, the Siyoon of today was, if anything, a completely different person.

Siyoon lifted his glass.

"Don't worry about it. Just drink."

Days passed, and Jinju Energy's movement stayed largely flat.

Sitting at his desk staring at the monitor, Siyoon sank into thought. The small caps on KOSDAQ were showing plenty of gains, but Jinju Energy — the leader of the pack, in theory — wasn't moving much at all.

It should have hit its daily limit by now.

Far from a limit-up, it was practically treading water.

Today was Friday. If the market closed out this listlessly, there was no telling where next week would take it.

He brought up everything he'd analyzed onto the monitor — past issues involving Jinju Energy, its charts, its financial statements.

The solar generator Jinju Energy had developed earlier this year already outperformed the technology of the major conglomerates, unit for unit of capacity.

Even by the most recent quarter, the company carried a light debt load, and its operating structure had held steady without any reckless expansion. By every measure, it was rated a stable company.

"Then why...?"

The government policy had been announced. The theme itself was rising. And yet Jinju Energy alone showed no response.

However he turned it over, there was only one reason.

There was no expectation that Jinju Energy would be one of the beneficiaries.

The theme's momentum was holding, but unless a concrete catalyst emerged proving Jinju Energy would be the government's pick, it risked being left out of the rally entirely.

Should I cut my losses now, even at this stage?

The silver lining was that he was sitting on roughly 100 million won in profit so far.

And yet, exiting now felt like a waste, somehow.

He decided to watch a little longer.

On the way back from lunch with the staff.

Choi Tae-wook was earnestly explaining the current KOSDAQ landscape to Kim the Associate.

"When a theme like renewable energy rallies across the board like it is now, it's worth hunting for the stocks that haven't moved yet."

"Ah..."

"Let's see. A stock that hasn't risen yet... that would be Jinju Energy. The news is out, the company's solid — if it's not moving, that's a bad sign. In cases like this, it can end up left behind by the whole theme."

He didn't want to hear it, but he couldn't help hearing it.

With 5 billion won riding on Jinju Energy, the words couldn't have stung more if they'd been aimed straight at him.

Had Choi Tae-wook excluded Jinju Energy from his own investment candidates, too? He was still turning the question over as they walked when Choi Tae-wook stopped mid-step.

"Huh? There's a news flash. Renewable energy theme beneficiaries... Jinju Energy?"

Siyoon stopped walking too.

And his eyes locked onto Choi Tae-wook's phone.

"Jinju Energy? What is it?"

"Oh — an article just dropped. It looks like Naeil Economy Broadcasting ran a story about the beneficiaries."

"......!"

Siyoon hurriedly pulled out his phone.

The moment he went online, the article was right there.

Thanks to the Naeil Economy broadcast, article after article was going up simultaneously. The coverage included expert opinions that Jinju Energy and a handful of other stocks would be chosen by the government.

If a story like this is making the front page...

He pulled up the stock app in a rush.

The order book on his screen was flickering and shifting by the second.

Jinju Energy, which had been treading water, was finally riding the theme's upward surge.

From here, a limit-up was a foregone conclusion. If not today, then Monday — it would hit the ceiling no matter what.

The profits so far were sweet enough on their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠own.

"The game's over."

Murmuring to himself, Siyoon dialed a number.

"Hi. I'm the one who signed the officetel lease with you a while back."

"No, I'm calling about a listing I saw. The 20th floor of Libert Hangang."

The agent's reply was flustered.

"That's exactly why I'm calling. I'm thinking of buying it."

A 73-pyeong residential-commercial unit listed in the 4-billion-won range.

By now, buying it outright wouldn't put so much as a dent in him.