Chapter 21
Chapter 21
When the thought of investing in Jalnolja crossed my mind, I could smell that pleasant fragrance again.
"So… this means if I invest in Jalnolja, I’ll gain something."
I wanted to invest.
If a startup investment succeeds, it can return at least ten times the original capital, sometimes even a hundred times.
The real difficulty with startup investments is the low success rate.
An extreme high risk, high return field.
Out of ten startups, you would be lucky if even one succeeded. The probability of success was not even ten percent.
"But for me, the story is different."
Thanks to my ability to smell fragrances, I could immediately tell whether the company I was considering investing in would succeed or not.
The fragrance only appeared when something would benefit me.
"So in my case, it’s zero risk, high return."
Still, there was one problem.
"Jalnolja is a growing startup, but since it’s still a startup, recovering the investment is difficult."
Normally, to recover an investment, you have to make an exit. And exits usually occur when the company gets listed on the stock market.
When the invested company gets listed on KOSDAQ, the investor sells their shares and recovers the funds.
"Another case is selling the pre-IPO shares to another investment firm…"
That was at least another way to recover the investment a bit faster.
In any case, for these reasons, the investment period usually had to be set for at least a year or more.
"This is troubling…"
I slowly inhaled again.
A floral fragrance made every cell in my body seem to smile.
"Huh? This… feels a bit different from the one I smelled during Samjin Semichem."
I searched through my memory and recalled the fragrances I had smelled until now.
"What was it… ah! GameHub!"
It was definitely the same fragrance I smelled during GameHub.
Back then with Samjin Semichem, the rose scent had been strong. But this one was more intense and sensual. Yet this fragrance…
"I’m sure of it!"
It was definitely the scent I smelled at the perfume store last Saturday when I went there with Team Leader.
"The name was… jasmine, right?"
Jasmine was a strong and sensual floral fragrance.
Knowing the name of the scent after smelling it at the perfume store was helpful.
At first, all the fragrances I had smelled until now felt similar.
But now I could clearly distinguish the differences between them.
"Did my ability get stronger?"
Because I smelled them often?
Or was there another reason?
Maybe it was because I had smelled the perfumes at the store on Saturday and learned to distinguish them.
All kinds of questions came to mind.
But thinking about it now wouldn’t give me the answer, so I decided to pass on it for the moment.
In conclusion, investing in Jalnolja would benefit me.
The problem was that recovering the funds would take too long. I needed to think carefully about whether to invest or not.
"The contract has been fully stamped. Now you just need to transfer the payment."
The real estate agent said while looking at me.
"Yes."
I took out my phone and opened the banking app.
I entered the number three billion.
Once I pressed the transfer button and sent the money, the house would be mine. Buying my own home for the first time felt strangely emotional.
To send three billion at once, I had already adjusted my transfer limit with the bank beforehand.
The moment I pressed the transfer button, an alert rang.
The man checked his phone.
Looking at his expression after confirming the account, regret and bitterness seemed to cross his face.
"If it’s not rude, may I ask you one question?"
"Yes."
"With this… will your funding problem be solved?"
"...No."
The man hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
"I hope things work out well for you. Jalnolja is a good app. I believe it will succeed."
"Thank you. Your encouragement gives me strength."
The man stood up, greeted Deoksu, and left.
"It’s a bit unfortunate… but let’s not rush."
Even though I smelled the fragrance, startup investments required much more careful examination.
After a while, we also left the office.
"Thanks for helping today. I’ll buy you a beer. Let’s go."
"Sure. Then I’ll leave my car at home first."
"Your house is nearby?"
Team Leader stretched her arm and pointed toward a luxurious house a short distance away.
"Over there."
"...That’s really close."
"Wait here. I’ll be back quickly."
Team Leader got into her car and headed toward her house.
Living just a hundred meters away from my workplace superior.
Rather than feeling burdened, I was curious about what kind of things might happen in the future.
Kim Yuri got into her car and drove toward her house.
Looking at Deoksu through the side mirror, an excited smile appeared on her face.
She never expected him to move this close.
When he said he wanted to move to Hannam-dong, she had hoped he would live closer to her house. But she never imagined it would actually happen.
"What will happen now?"
Her heart pounded with excitement.
After parking in her house’s garage, she went up to her room, fixed her makeup, and changed into the clothes Deoksu had bought for her.
For a moment, she tried to leave the room but went back inside again.
She sprayed the fragrance Deoksu liked, the one that made him feel good when he smelled it.
This time she sprayed only a little.
The subtle scent was its charm.
Leaving the house, she walked toward Deoksu. Her steps looked incredibly light.
Team Leader and I went to a small beer bar nearby.
We refreshed our throats with cold draft beer.
"Thanks to you, Team Leader, I was able to get a great house. You even helped with the contract. I’m really grateful."
"It’s nothing. What did I even do? It’s all your luck."
"Still, without you I probably couldn’t have found a house like that."
"Really? Then treat me well from now on."
"Yes, I’ll serve you with loyalty."
Team Leader burst into laughter at my playful remark.
"Do you like the clothes you bought the other day?"
"Yes, I like them. People say they suit me."
"Wear them often."
"Often? Why?"
Team Leader widened her eyes and stared directly at me.
I couldn’t avoid her gaze.
What should I say?
"Wh-why? Well… because they look pretty."
"Pretty?"
"Ah, the clothes. The clothes are pretty."
"Tsk. I thought you meant something else."
My face felt hot, so I quickly changed the subject.
"Team Leader, what do you think about Jalnolja?"
"Jalnolja? Honestly I don’t know that company very well. Why?"
"I was thinking about investing."
"Is there a special reason?"
"It feels like a service that targeted a niche market well. Before this app existed, there wasn’t much information about motels. But after Jalnolja appeared, it became easy to choose good motels. Because of that, many people make reservations through the app. That means it has strong growth potential."
"Ha, sounds like you’ve been to a lot of motels. You seem to know quite well."
"I used them often."
"Often?? What a proud thing to say… must’ve been very nice."
"Huh?"
Seeing her pouting lips and slightly sulky expression, it seemed like she misunderstood something. I had mentioned this before when we signed the house contract with the Jalnolja CEO. Maybe she didn’t hear it.
"Ah, don’t misunderstand. I didn’t go with a girlfriend. It was when I was in the military. You know how terrible the motels near our base were. But after Jalnolja started showing reviews, they improved a lot."
"You went when you were in the military…?"
"Yes. But were you jealous?"
"J-jealous? Why would I be… Anyway, you’re saying Jalnolja has high growth potential?"
Team Leader hurriedly changed the topic.
"Yes."
"Startup investment isn’t bad, but…"
"The risk is high and it’s hard to recover the funds, right?"
"Exactly. You understand it well."
"I’ve been studying a lot lately."
"Good job."
Team Leader smiled.
"So I was thinking, what do you think about analyzing it properly?"
Since I smelled the fragrance, I couldn’t just ignore it.
After drinking briefly with Team Leader, I returned home.
My parents had finished their restaurant work and were eating chicken and beer.
"Son, you’re home? Eat some chicken."
"It’s okay. I’m full."
"Still, try one piece."
"It’s a new brand that opened recently. It might be the best one we’ve eaten lately."
My father had a very picky and sensitive taste. If he said it was good, then it really was good.
I picked up a piece of chicken and took a bite.
It really was delicious.
"It’s good."
"Want a glass of beer too?"
"Yes, just one."
Father brought a cup and poured me some beer.
"Shall we toast?"
"Yes."
Our glasses clinked.
My parents’ faces were full of smiles.
Their son’s investment had succeeded, the restaurant business was going well, everything seemed to be going well.
I was watching them with a warm feeling when suddenly—
"Hmm hmm… hmm."
Mother sniffed around me.
"What is it?"
"I smell perfume. You were with a woman, weren’t you? That team leader we saw before?"
"Huh? Ah… well, that’s true but…"
"So it’s a green light between you two? That’s great. Every time she came to our restaurant I wondered what kind of man such a doll-like pretty girl would date. And to think it would be my son."
"Ha…"
I shook my head.
Apparently we were already dating now.
By tomorrow we’d probably be married, and the next day we’d have two kids.
My mother’s imagination was astonishingly rich.
"I have something to tell you."
When I subtly changed the topic, Mother smiled with a strange expression.
Misunderstanding was her freedom, so I left it alone.
"What is it?"
"It’s about the house."
"Ahem… I think we talked about this before. You don’t need to buy one yet."
Father said.
"That’s true, but a really good house came up for urgent sale. If we don’t buy it now, we’ll miss it. If you really don’t want to move, I’ll rent it out."
"No, it’s fine. We should move. If you don’t like the new house, you can stay here."
Mother said.
"Wh-what are you saying?"
"You said you didn’t want to move."
"When did I say that? I just felt sorry about Deoksu spending money… Is the house… good?"
"Yes."
I showed them the photos I had taken earlier.
Their mouths dropped open.
"S-such a nice house!"
"I’ll renovate it soon. Then we’ll move."
"Well done!"
Mother clapped her hands with a bright smile. Father asked cautiously.
"Th-then… when are we moving?"
"I’ll set the date as soon as possible."
My parents smiled brightly. Seeing their smiles made me feel good.
Just as earning money was fun, spending it also felt rewarding.
I woke up early in the morning and ran while breathing the cool dawn air.
After running for about an hour, I arrived at the company.
I washed up in the shower room and went up to the office.
No one had arrived yet.
I looked at my desk.
At first there were only two monitors. Now there were six.
Seeing them reminded me again that although I was a rookie, I had become a full-fledged prop trader.
"Good morning!"
Team Leader arrived, and soon after Manager Choi came to work.
After finishing our individual tasks, we started the morning meeting.
We checked domestic and international economic trends and reviewed indicators such as exchange rates and oil prices.
Then Team Leader looked at me and nodded slightly.
It was a signal for me to speak.
"I’d like to hear Manager and Team Leader’s opinions. What do you think about investing in a startup that has strong growth potential but is currently experiencing temporary funding difficulties?"
"Startup investment? For prop traders, the exit period is too long. It would take at least two years."
Manager Choi said.
"That’s right. And the risk is too big. The success probability isn’t even one in ten."
Team Leader added.
Both of them had negative opinions.
"For prop traders like us, risk is more important than return. Longevity is what matters in this field. Startup investment is something investment advisory firms or venture capitalists do. We make our living through stocks, futures, and options."
Manager Choi said, and Team Leader nodded.
"Yes, exactly. A caterpillar should eat pine needles."
"Then why did the startup topic suddenly come up?"
"Because Deoksu said he wants to invest."
"Deoksu?"
Manager Choi’s eyes trembled.
"Deoksu, Manager Choi also seems to think it’s not a good idea. For now, how about focusing on domestic and international stocks?"
I understood.
They were probably worried because I was still not fully experienced even in stock investing.
At that moment Manager Choi spoke again.
"Team Leader, wait a moment. Deoksu is interested in startup investment, right?"
"Yes."
"Then of course we should review it seriously."
"But just a moment ago you said the risk was too big."
"That’s the general perspective. Deoksu is an exception."
"An exception? Wow… just a moment ago you were talking about risk and exit periods."
"A simulation investment return of forty-three thousand times. And the one who earned seventy billion in less than two months through convertible bond investment is Deoksu. How could we ignore such an investor’s opinion? Absolutely impossible. Deoksu, what company are you thinking of investing in?"
"It’s a motel reservation service company called Jalnolja."
"A motel reservation service? We’ll have to examine it in detail, but it doesn’t sound bad. Are you certain about investing?"
"It’s not confirmed yet, but I want to review it."
"Really? Then I’ll ask people from investment advisory firms, venture VCs, and some angel investors I know. If you need any materials, let me know."
"Wow, Manager. Are you mobilizing your entire network right now?"
"Of course."
"I feel like you trust rookie Deoksu more than me, the team leader. This is complete discrimination."
She said it jokingly. She didn’t actually seem upset.
"Ahem, it’s not discrimination… Deoksu has the best return rate among us, doesn’t he? We can’t ignore the opinion of the person with the best instincts. We should follow it. And thanks to Deoksu, we received huge bonuses. We should help him."
"Alright then. Let’s gather research materials today and share them. We’ll hold a meeting after the market closes."
After the market closed, the meeting began.
Using the materials gathered by Team Leader, Manager Choi, and me, we carefully examined Jalnolja’s current situation.
Thanks to the certainty given by the fragrance, my decision came easily.
"I think we should invest."
"Good."
"Then shall we set an appointment for tomorrow?"
"No. Let’s go visit them now."
"Now?"
"Yes."
I stood up from my seat.