Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Risk Management Director Kim Yuseong tilted his head.
“What’s going on here?”
The trading volume of KS Semiconductor had suddenly exploded.
Volume was a turning point.
Either a surge or a crash.
“If what hyung said is right, then it should crash…”
Kim Yuseong called his brother again to ask one more time.
“Hyung, KS Semiconductor’s volume just exploded. What do you think will happen?”
“Ha! I already told you. KS Semiconductor has no future. In that situation, if the volume suddenly surges, what does that mean? Obviously a crash. They probably failed to develop that next-generation semiconductor, the HBM or whatever it’s called. Soon KS Semiconductor’s credit rating will drop, and the bankruptcy crisis will become reality.”
“You’re sure?”
“You don’t trust your brother?”
“N-no, of course I trust you. Actually, there’s something I should tell you. I made a bet on KS Semiconductor’s stock price.”
“A bet? With who?”
Kim Yuseong explained everything to his brother.
After hearing the whole story, Kim Yugeon’s face filled with a sly smile.
He didn’t bother hiding it.
After all, his younger brother was too oblivious to notice his intentions.
Since his brother had moved exactly as he wanted, he should praise him.
“Well done, Yuseong. You might actually be able to drive Yuri and Kim Deoksu out with your own strength. That’s how you do it. You can do it. And later you’ll have to help me a lot.”
“Of course, hyung. Just leave it to me. I’ll do my best. No, I’ll give it my soul.”
“Right. By the way, isn’t that Kim Deoksu completely insane? Putting fifty billion won entirely into KS Semiconductor.”
“He probably thinks his luck will last forever. But hyung, if KS Semiconductor crashes… short selling could be pretty fun.”
“That’s right.”
Thinking about short selling, Kim Yuseong felt slightly regretful.
He had reliable information.
But short selling could only bring a few dozen percent returns at most.
Of course that wasn’t small, but he wanted something bigger.
Then he remembered how Kim Deoksu had hit the jackpot in the simulation trading with SCP put ELW.
“Hyung, what about ELW?”
“If it works out, at least a hundred times.”
“Then it would be rational to invest as much as possible. KS Semiconductor crashing is certain anyway.”
Kim Yugeon didn’t try to stop his brother.
Derivative products were meant for hedging, but he was investing in them like an idiot.
That couldn’t be called investing.
It was gambling.
Money won from gambling was always lost eventually.
If he succeeded big this time, he would never get rid of the habit of trying to hit the jackpot again.
Just like gambling always ended in ruin, Yuseong would eventually lose everything.
That was exactly the kind of younger brother Kim Yugeon wanted.
A penniless beggar he could control however he liked.
Controlling someone like that would be as easy as eating cold porridge.
“Hyung, when I make money, I’ll treat you properly.”
“Forget the treat. Just help me a lot. You’re the only one I can trust.”
A crooked smile spread across Kim Yugeon’s lips.
“Of course, hyung. Just trust me.”
Kim Yuseong hung up the phone with a bright smile.
He had never succeeded before, but this time felt different.
His brother’s information gave him confidence.
Kim Deoksu had succeeded with luck.
There was no reason he couldn’t succeed as well.
His confidence shot through the sky.
With this trade, he might finally be able to stand tall in front of his father.
Kim Yuseong quickly searched for ELW.
He began buying KS Semiconductor put ELWs without hesitation.
From strike prices lower than the current price to those close to it, he bought everything without thinking twice.
After finishing the trades in an instant, he looked out the window.
The blue sky seemed to reflect the bright future ahead of him.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
His brother asking for help.
That probably meant he would entrust him with managing one of the group’s affiliates.
Thinking about it made his lips stretch into a long grin.
“How many will he give me?”
His heart pounded with anticipation.
Meanwhile, after hanging up the phone, Kim Yugeon mocked his brother’s excitement.
That guy really thinks everything is too easy.
He couldn’t just sit still while Yuseong made money.
Kim Yugeon decided he should also buy KS Semiconductor put ELW.
One or two hundred million won would be fine for fun.
If it worked out, he could easily make at least five times the money.
Before placing the order, he decided to confirm one last thing.
Soft Investment, as a global investment company, had a world-class information network.
They gathered information much faster than others.
“Find out what happened with KS Semiconductor’s next-generation semiconductor research. As quickly as possible.”
He gave the order.
Less than thirty minutes later he received an answer.
“They succeeded in developing the next-generation memory, high-bandwidth memory semiconductor HBM. They’re planning mass production soon.”
“What? Is that reliable information? It didn’t come directly from KS Semiconductor, did it?”
“No. The information came through AMD, which is jointly developing HBM with them. They’re planning to announce it soon.”
“…Damn it.”
“I’m sorry. The information came late.”
“No, it’s fine. Thank you.”
Kim Yugeon immediately opened the trading system.
He searched for KS Semiconductor call ELWs and placed a massive buy order.
After completing the purchase, Kim Yugeon briefly thought of his younger brother Kim Yuseong’s face.
Then he erased the thought immediately.
His brother’s investments didn’t matter to him at all.
In fact, the more his brother failed, the better.
The only thing that mattered in Kim Yugeon’s mind was whether something benefited him or not.
As I watched the monitor, my heart began pounding.
Because of KS Semiconductor’s trading volume.
Explosion.
It had increased more than three times compared to yesterday.
A surge in volume didn’t tell you whether the price would rise or fall.
But it clearly signaled a critical turning point.
Either a major surge or a major crash was about to begin.
And only I could clearly know which direction the stock price would move.
“It’s going to surge…”
I muttered to myself.
“Huh? What did you say?”
Manager Choi reacted to my muttering.
“Oh, KS Semiconductor. The volume exploded. I think it’s about to surge.”
“When volume explodes, it’s either a surge or a crash… You’re betting on a surge?”
“Yes.”
“I see. The reason… No, never mind.”
Manager Choi almost asked the reason but stopped himself.
“You think it’ll surge?”
Team Leader asked as well.
“Yes.”
“Hmm. I see…”
After my answer, she only nodded without saying anything.
She also didn’t ask for the reason.
Both of them simply stared at their monitors with thoughtful expressions.
Although the volume had increased more than three times, the stock closed down 0.5 percent.
Before the market opened the next day, Manager Choi called me.
“Hey, Deoksu.”
“Yes.”
His cautious tone made it clear he wanted to say something important.
“Listen… I’m sorry to ask this, but can I get into KS Semiconductor too?”
“…What?”
“Deoksu!”
This time it was Team Leader.
“I also want to get in…”
“You too, Team Leader?”
Manager Choi and Team Leader both wanted to buy the stock following me.
The feeling was strange.
It didn’t feel bad at all.
Manager Choi had once been a highly recognized trader in Yeouido.
Team Leader was the best prop trader in Mirae Securities.
Thinking that those two wanted to follow my trade made my shoulders straighten slightly with pride.
No.
You had to stay humble in this field.
It wasn’t time to get carried away yet.
“Of course. We’re on the same team. Honestly, it’s even better if both of you join. The buying pressure will increase, and the stock price will rise even more.”
“Well… that’s true.”
“And actually I wanted to recommend it first, but I thought it might seem presumptuous if a rookie said that.”
“No, not at all.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m happy as long as we all succeed together.”
“Thanks for understanding. If I get good information later, I’ll share it.”
“Yes, Manager.”
I felt like I had grown a little closer to him.
Prop traders usually didn’t share information.
The competition was too intense.
But our team was different.
Especially those two.
They always checked my reasons for buying and selling and taught me different strategies.
Because of that, we naturally began sharing our trade ideas.
Suddenly I grew curious.
“But what if the stock drops?”
“I don’t think it will. But if it does, everyone takes responsibility for their own investment.”
“That’s right. They say all responsibility in investing lies with the investor.”
Manager Choi and Team Leader said.
“And if it rises?”
“Then of course we’ll treat you. We’ll be making money thanks to you.”
“That’s right. Loss is my fault. Profit is thanks to you.”
It was a very unfair conclusion, but it still felt good.
Since the volume had exploded, the timing for a surge couldn’t be far away.
When would it happen?
“Uh, Deoksu!”
“It… it exploded!”
The wait wasn’t long.
The sideways price suddenly surged as a massive wave of buying entered the market.
The stock jumped twelve percent in an instant.
KS Semiconductor current price 27,700 won.
My purchase price had been 25,100 won.
Just moments ago I had been down two percent.
Now it had turned into a ten percent profit.
“Ahhh! It worked!”
“Yes!!”
Team Leader screamed while Manager Choi clenched his fist.
I also stared at the monitor, feeling an exhilarating rush like dopamine exploding through my entire body.
But I didn’t show it.
Seeing my calm expression, Manager Choi clicked his tongue.
“Wow, Deoksu. You don’t even flinch at this kind of rise. You’re like a stone Buddha.”
“N-no, I’m happy too.”
“Maybe this level still isn’t enough for you?”
“….”
“You’re scary…”
Manager Choi said with a laugh.
To be honest, that thought wasn’t entirely wrong.
I had smelled the same cool and refreshing eucalyptus fragrance from GameHub here.
It felt like a reversal was coming, something that would flip the situation and bring massive profits.
“Since the surge happened after the volume exploded, it should go much higher, right?”
Both of them agreed.
“Of course.”
“Definitely.”
Ten minutes before the market closed.
A decisive announcement appeared from KS Semiconductor.
KS Semiconductor successfully develops and mass produces the world’s first high-bandwidth memory HBM with ultra-high speed, high efficiency, and low power consumption.
The stock hit the upper limit.
It would be more accurate to say it was on fire.
The next day KS Semiconductor’s stock surged again.
The day after that it continued rising more than ten percent.
Especially because they had succeeded in a technology that Samhyeon Electronics had failed to develop, the market’s expectations grew even higher.
In response, Samhyeon Electronics tried to pour cold water on the excitement.
HBM semiconductors are expensive and may face reliability issues. Demand will likely remain low. Such high specifications are unnecessary for now.
The industry leader’s criticism slowed KS Semiconductor’s rise for a moment.
The market began doubting whether HBM technology would truly become widespread.
“Maybe we should sell now.”
“I was thinking the same.”
Manager Choi and Team Leader shared the same opinion.
But I didn’t think it was time yet.
So I imagined selling.
As expected, I couldn’t smell any fragrance.
It was still time to wait.
“I’ll wait a little longer. Both of you can take profits if you want. The stock has already risen fifty percent.”
“That’s true… You’re holding?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll realize my profits. I’m not a stone Buddha like you. If I stay longer, my heart might give out.”
“I’m holding.”
Manager Choi sold.
He probably secured around fifty percent profit.
Team Leader and I continued holding.
A few days later, after moving sideways for a while, KS Semiconductor surged again.
Because of breaking news from the United States.
AMD signs exclusive contract for KS Semiconductor HBM. Will purchase the entire initial production after mass production begins. Estimated deal size at least 300 million dollars.
AMD was a CPU manufacturer and the only company capable of challenging the dominance of Intelra in the CPU market.
Thanks to this news, the stock surged once again.
In just two weeks, it had risen 110 percent.
Stocks were driven by expectations.
The market now believed that KS Semiconductor, once the underdog, might surpass Samhyeon Electronics and become the industry leader.
Just like the refreshing and exhilarating scent I had smelled with GameHub, maybe KS Semiconductor, the perennial second place, could actually defeat Samhyeon Electronics.
The fragrance seemed to be telling me that would happen.
I kept checking the stock price of KS Semiconductor while waiting for the right time to sell.
Until now there had been no special signal.
But just now, that cool and exhilarating fragrance flowed through my nose and spread throughout my body.
“Now!”
I immediately began selling.
“Team Leader, I think this is the selling timing.”
“Really? Okay. I’ll sell in parts too.”
“Yes!”
About an hour later Team Leader shouted.
“Sell complete! It’s done.”
I didn’t know how much she had invested, but she must have earned more than a hundred percent profit.
At that moment something she had once said to Kim Yuseong flashed through my mind.
Blessings come to those who believe.
Her words had been right.
I focused on selling again.
Instead of selling everything at market price, I carefully watched the chart and the order book, selling little by little.
After three hours of selling, I had cleared all my shares.
When I turned my head, Team Leader was no longer there.
Her position had been smaller than mine, so she must have finished earlier.
“Whew… even selling isn’t easy.”
After trying to sell while watching timing, I realized just how amazing day traders were.
At the same time, I felt curious about experiencing the world of scalping and short-term trading someday.
My body was still hot with excitement.
I wanted a cold coffee, but I didn’t feel like moving.
It would be nice if someone brought it to me.
“Here. Iced Americano, double shot.”
Team Leader handed me a coffee with a smile.
Her smiling face looked beautiful.
“Oh, Team Leader. Thank you.”
“I should be the one thanking you.”
The cool, bitter coffee slid down my throat and cooled my body.
After calming down, I checked my account.
The profit was over fifty-five billion won.
Jackpot.
I thought about the performance bonus.
“More than fifteen billion…”
A shiver ran through my entire body.
But what about taxes?
Thinking about taxes made my stomach ache, but there was nothing I could do.
I would just have to minimize them legally.
I leaned back comfortably in my chair and slowly spun around.
I could feel it again.
I had truly become a successful trader.
“Ah, right!”
There was something I had promised to do if KS Semiconductor’s stock rose.
Removing an obstacle.
Kim Yuseong was crying.
Tears and mucus covered his face.
“Ha… damn it.”
He checked his account again.
He had to confirm the unbelievable situation.
More than two billion won had turned into just twenty million.
And if it reached expiration, even that would become zero.
At least he should save what little was left.
Kim Yuseong immediately sold all of his KS Semiconductor put ELWs.
They were only worth five won each, and even then they didn’t sell easily.
Because KS Semiconductor’s stock price had risen too much.
He called his brother to ask what he should do.
“I told you to keep it small! Why didn’t you listen to me and did whatever you wanted… I told you several times it might go down but could also rise. And you call yourself the Risk Management Director? You can’t even manage risk. Tsk tsk.”
All he got was scolding.
His brother had insisted it would definitely fall.
Now he was changing his words.
It was absurd.
But getting angry wouldn’t change anything.
He just stared blankly at his account.
Then there was a knock and the door opened.
“Who is it?”
“Hello. I’m Kim Deoksu from Asset Management Team 9.”
The moment Kim Yuseong saw Deoksu, his eyes froze.
Until that moment, he had completely forgotten about the bet he had made with Kim Deoksu.
And then the memory of the bet surfaced in his mind.