The First Trade

Siyoon studied the three employees on his monitors with careful attention.

Yang Miyoung, Go Guhyeon, and Ahn Hyeoksu.

All of them were in their late twenties to early thirties, and the closest thing to experience among them was Ahn Hyeoksu's single year as a contract trader at another securities firm. In practice, they were fresh recruits. The nerves ahead of their first trade were written plainly across their faces.

Before the market opened, Siyoon walked them through the SST system.

"If you click Portfolio Activity at the top of the screen, you can see the current state of our capital deployment."

Click.

"As you can see, we're managing 30 billion won. This window shows your daily and monthly profit-and-loss rates. The max drawdown tracks the highest and lowest points."

Depending on their returns, the capital under management could grow — or be slashed. String a few winning days together, and the ceiling on the funds they could deploy would rise.

"Click on Positions and you can check the direction and volume of every stock we're holding. Long or short, profit and loss by ticker — all of it at a glance."

Siyoon stopped mid-explanation.

The faces on the monitors were growing visibly stiffer by the second. He'd been trying to ease the tension, but it seemed he'd only made it worse.

It must be the capital itself.

Even ten million won was enough to make a person's hands shake when trading stocks. Having just laid eyes on a figure of 30 billion, their nerves were only natural.

"Ms. Yang Miyoung?"

—Yes...

"Are you nervous?"

—It's not exactly nervousness... it's just that I've never handled a sum this large before...

Even Yang Miyoung, who had kept her composure until now, wavered slightly the moment she registered the number — a flicker passing through her eyes.

"Just think of it as a game."

—A... game?

"What we're buying and selling are numbers, not money. It'll be frightening at first, but after a few days it'll feel completely natural."

—Understood, sir.

Yang Miyoung took a small breath, and her face settled back into calm.

Five minutes until the open.

Siyoon gave a brief rundown of the stock he had selected.

"Today we're trading Juil Express. As you all know, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the Nambu Terminal redevelopment, and Juil Express has been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cited as the biggest beneficiary."

Juil Express had already surged 600 percent. The Korea Exchange had designated it a high-risk investment stock, and trading had resumed only yesterday. It closed the day down 3.5 percent.

Volume had been substantial, but a 600 percent run in such a short window led most to read the news as a spent catalyst. Most institutions and retail investors couldn't decide. Was this the end — or a new beginning?

"Ms. Miyoung?"

—Yes, sir!

"If it opens with a gap up of three percent or more from yesterday's close, buy fifty billion won's worth immediately."

—Understood.

"That should put us around 38,500 won a share."

—Yes, sir.

"If the price pulls back afterward, we add. If it falls to 36,500, buy another fifty billion."

—Yes, sir.

Scaling in had never been his style, but since this was the firm's first trade with company money, he'd decided a minimal safety net was in order.

Yang Miyoung asked,

—And if the price drops further than that... what's our response?

He hadn't planned that far. Siyoon's analysis had put the floor at 36,500 won.

"We'll discuss that if it comes to it."

—Understood.

And then the market opened.

Just as he'd expected, Juil Express set its opening price with a gap up of more than three percent from the previous session.

Siyoon fixed his eyes on the monitor.

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

Yang Miyoung's hands flew across the keyboard. She reported back to Siyoon at once.

—Average entry price 38,930 won. Fifty billion purchase complete.

Siyoon nodded, satisfied.

"Good work."

The same moment, over in Risk Management.

Jeong Chan-soo, Head of the Trading Division, had come for a visit — pulling a chair up right beside Team Leader Kwak Yong-hun's desk so they sat shoulder to shoulder.

The SST team's trading activity was streaming onto the screen in real time.

The market hadn't opened yet. Kwak Yong-hun shifted restlessly in his seat and turned to the director.

"Are you sure about this? Even granting that he's brought the company enormous returns, he's a new hire who's been here less than a year. And I hear he's working out of a warehouse, of all places. Isn't that... a bit much?"

Kwak Yong-hun could not sit still. Beads of sweat were already collecting on his bald head.

"People, honestly. You worry too much. No wonder your hair fell out."

"Director... you don't have to press on a sore spot like that..."

"Just joking, just joking. You worry about things that don't need worrying."

"How could I not? We're handing a green recruit thirty billion won to play with. And from what I hear, the man's completely off his rocker."

"Heh heh. You might be right about that."

"I don't think this is a laughing matter, sir... Director...!"

Laughing, the director draped his handkerchief over ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the bald head of the man now sweating through his shirt, then turned his full attention to the screen. Moments later, the market opened.

"Looks like he's buying now."

Fifty billion vanished from the capital account in an instant. Kwak Yong-hun shot to his feet.

"F-fifty billion...! Is the screen broken? Tell me this is a joke. Please...!"

He was nearly wailing, hunched over in agony — while the director simply let out a hearty laugh.

"Ha ha ha ha. Well, I did tell you he isn't ordinary."

"Fifty billion on a single stock? Are you serious? On Juil Express of all things? It's already up six hundred percent — what does he possibly think he's still going to squeeze out of it?!"

"Enough with the theatrics."

The director took Kwak Yong-hun by the arm and pushed him back into his chair.

Thump. Seated again, Kwak Yong-hun's eyes locked onto the screen. And slowly, his pupils began to dilate.

"This is..."

Juil Express's execution price was rocketing upward.

Executed at 42,350 won.

Executed at 43,800 won.

Profits began piling up in the SST team's account right alongside it.

Only ten minutes had passed since the open.

The SST team was already sitting on close to six hundred million won in gains. Kwak Yong-hun stared blankly at the screen and spoke in a daze.

"Is... is this even possible...?"

The director patted him twice on the shoulder, then said with a knowing smile,

"No, it isn't possible. But somewhere in this world, there's always someone who goes ahead and does the impossible."

Before anyone noticed, the lunch hour had arrived.

Siyoon addressed the faces on his monitors.

"It's lunchtime. Let's get something to eat."

Nobody moved.

After a moment, Ahn Hyeoksu answered, eyes glazed over.

—I don't think food is going to go down today, sir. Our profits... they've already passed eight hundred million.

His mouth hung open, his face slack with disbelief.

A return of +16.7 percent in the morning session alone. Eight hundred forty million won and climbing.

"Eat in shifts if you have to. Just hold the stop-loss and take-profit lines I gave you."

The most level-headed of the three was Yang Miyoung. She answered for the team.

—We'll go eat. Enjoy your lunch too, Team Leader.

"Thank you. I'll see you all shortly."

Closing the messenger window, Siyoon turned his gaze back to his trading screen and muttered under his breath.

"Scaling in really doesn't suit me."

If he'd put the full hundred billion in from the start, the returns would have been double. But this was company money, so he'd kept a Plan B in his back pocket. The regret was unavoidable.

Still, the good news was that today looked likely to finish at the daily limit.

On his way back from lunch, a large shadow fell over him from behind.

He turned — and sure enough, it was Team Leader Oh Joo-han.

"Heading back to the office?"

"Yes, sir. Did you eat out today?"

"A friend came by to see me. Got a minute for a quick coffee?"

He sent the warehouse worker on to the office, and the two of them headed for a café. Siyoon was about to order when the older man thrust out his card.

"My treat today."

"I'd honestly feel more comfortable buying."

"You little brat. When your elder buys, you say 'thank you, sir' and bow, got it?"

"Yes, yes. Thank you very much~"

Coffee in hand, they settled at a table, and Oh Joo-han looked Siyoon up and down.

"You're looking better these days?"

"In what way?"

"The way you dress."

"Ah..."

After being exiled to the warehouse, he'd worn nothing but work coveralls — now he went about in a suit and tie, no less. Though, truthfully, there wasn't much delivering to do these days anyway.

"You showed up for your first day of work looking like a walking rag rug, and now look at you — quite the dandy."

"Nothing expensive, but they're all new at least."

"Good. That's how you should dress while you're young. So... how's the work treating ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you these days?"

Oh Joo-han's eyes turned serious.

It was the same look Siyoon had seen the day he first joined Hansan Securities.

Siyoon had never confided his past to him. And yet somehow, Oh Joo-han always seemed to see straight through him. There was something Siyoon had wondered about for a long time.

"Why did you stop me when I said I was quitting?"

Back during the embezzlement scandal — if it hadn't been for Oh Joo-han, he doubted he would have stayed at the company at all. The older man thought for a moment before answering.

"Isn't that just obvious? What kind of manager just stands there and watches his own people get thrown out?"

"You could have been the one thrown out instead. I was hardly important enough to warrant that."

"Important and less important? There's no such thing. Everyone matters. Well — except Manager Kim."

Siyoon glanced at his watch, and the older man asked,

"Time to head back, I take it."

"Yes. I should get going."

As Siyoon gathered the empty cups, Oh Joo-han asked, almost casually,

"Staying at the company back then... you ever regret it?"

Siyoon rose from his seat, empty cup in hand, and answered.

"Not for a second. If you'd thrown me out that day, I doubt I'd be living the way I am now."

And he bowed his head to the older man.

Back at the office, Siyoon went straight into the booth.

He powered up the monitors and logged into the messenger, and the faces of the SST staff appeared.

—Hope you enjoyed your lunch, Team Leader!

"I did. You all eat well?"

—Yes, sir! We ate plenty!

Whatever the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠food had done, they were looking much healthier than before. All morning they'd been dazed, unable to adjust — but now they seemed to have snapped back to normal.

Juil Express had kept climbing right through the lunch hour, though the rally was no longer vertical.

He'd expected it to sprint to the daily limit right after lunch, but the climb was slower than anticipated. As he studied the screen, Yang Miyoung spoke up.

—Team Leader, what's our target price?

His original plan had been to hold until at least tomorrow. The stock had already run 600 percent, but Siyoon judged there was still more to come.

"Let's watch a little longer."

—Understood.

Yang Miyoung seemed to think the daily limit was out of reach. Siyoon thought otherwise.

And so the afternoon session settled into a sideways drift.

Unless volume exploded, it looked like the day would close out just like this.

The closing bell was drawing near.

Siyoon stepped out of the booth to grab a coffee. The moment he sat back down, Yang Miyoung's voice rang out, urgent.

—Team Leader, the price right now—!

His eyes snapped to the trading screen.

The price whipped up and down in an instant — and then, at one point, trading simply stopped.

In that instant, Ahn Hyeoksu's voice cracked through the channel.

—It hit the limit! It's at the daily limit!