Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Soft Investment acquires 20 percent of Jalnolja.
The largest amount in Korean startup history: 1.6 trillion won.
Soft Investment values Jalnolja at over 8 trillion won.
The goal is for Jalnolja to grow into a global integrated leisure platform worth 20 trillion won…
Plans for a NASDAQ listing… (omitted)
All eyes are on whether the genius investor, Chairman Sung Jeong-ui’s magic, will succeed.
The press releases simultaneously issued by Soft Investment and Jalnolja, followed by the flood of articles, left netizens astonished.
“Jalnolja really worth 8 trillion?”
“Wow, I should have bought Jalnolja stock when I booked a motel through it.”
“Right? But I don’t regret having fun.”
“Psychological consolation?”
“Any beneficiary stocks from Jalnolja?”
“Of course.”
“Which ones?”
“If you want to know, five hundred won.”
“Old man. Just sell chickens.”
“Old man?!!”
The beneficiary of Jalnolja’s investment boom was Mirae Securities. It was because of the shares Mirae Securities held in Jalnolja.
Information only insiders knew.
This information quickly spread through stock communities and rumors.
Mirae Securities’ stock price also began to twitch as trading volumes increased.
I watched the flood of Jalnolja news with a satisfied feeling.
In fact, CEO Yang Jin-su had informed me in advance, so I already knew everything.
As soon as the negotiations ended, CEO Yang called me to convey the atmosphere there.
What he heard from the negotiations was a continuous series of surprises.
The reactions of those around when 8 trillion was mentioned, and Chairman Sung Jeong-ui’s hearty laughter as he immediately accepted the amount he was told.
That part genuinely surprised me as well.
Because I sensed the aura, I was confident that Jalnolja’s valuation would reach 8 trillion won.
But I never imagined it would be accepted so cheerfully and readily. I thought there would be several rounds of negotiation, yet he accepted it immediately…
Chairman Sung Jeong-ui truly was a legendary investor.
Also, his courage to decide on an investment approaching 2 trillion won in less than three minutes was astonishing.
The fact that Chairman Sung personally came to negotiate was also remarkable.
And he reportedly showed considerable interest in me.
The surprising part was that Chairman Sung asked CEO Yang if the reason he valued Jalnolja at 8 trillion was because of me, Kim Deok-su.
That meant he already knew about me.
When CEO Yang confirmed, Chairman Sung was somewhat astonished that my insight aligned with his own. He said he really wanted to meet me.
“Ha, if he comes, I’ll meet him.”
Ah, am I too arrogant?
I just thought, what if he actually comes?
At that moment, the team leader sprang up from his seat.
“What? The stock hit the limit!!”
Looking at the monitor, Mirae Securities’ stock had indeed hit the upper limit.
“Thanks to Kim Deok-su’s efforts, Mirae Securities has hit the upper limit for the first time since its founding!!”
The team leader boasted.
Then Manager Choi added,
“Thanks to Kim Deok-su’s efforts, we hit the first-day jump and might even hit three consecutive upper limits.”
“Oh, come on. You guys, stop it. It’s embarrassing. We’ll look bad in front of the other teams.”
“Embarrassing? The stock went up because of you. They should be thanking you, not the other way around.”
“The team leader is right. Everyone holds our company’s stock, so they’re grateful to you. And thanks to you, our securities employees will receive year-end bonuses, so why would anyone be jealous? Throwing stones at a goose that lays golden eggs. Anyway, Deok-su, everyone will thank you.”
“Ah, come on. That’s impossible.”
“You’ll see. Soon, your desk will be full of thank-you letters and gifts.”
“Team leader, that’s ridiculous. I’m not an idol.”
“No, just wait and see.”
I listened to the team leader’s exaggeration with one ear. I was also relieved that only our team kept achieving remarkable results. That’s why the bonuses weren’t in billions, but tens of billions. So jealousy would be a natural reaction.
I couldn’t take the team leader’s words at face value, but it was a relief nonetheless.
Then the team leader asked me,
“By the way, Deok-su, how did you predict that Soft Investment would value Jalnolja at 8 trillion won?”
His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Well… that’s because of the aura.”
When I met CEO Yang Jin-su, I imagined selling 10 percent of the shares for 100 billion won. I could sense the rich jasmine aura at that point. And even at 200 billion… eventually up to 800 billion. Above that, I couldn’t sense any aura.
Thus, 800 billion was the optimal selling price.
If they bought my 10 percent stake for 800 billion, Jalnolja’s valuation would be 8 trillion.
Probability 100 percent. The aura never lies.
“Huh?”
“It’s a secret, team leader.”
“Pfft.”
The team leader rolling his eyes was cute.
“I’m joking. From the start, I considered it a global service platform. Plus, we considered a NASDAQ listing. Setting the conditions that way, the valuation came out to around 8 to 10 trillion.”
“Global!! As expected, Deok-su is different.”
“That’s right. Our Deok-su thinks globally.”
It wasn’t a lie. Just the order of cause and effect was reversed.
The aura predicted Jalnolja’s valuation at 8 trillion, so I thought about the reason carefully. I concluded that the service had to expand globally, not just domestically, for the 8 trillion valuation to make sense.
“Everyone free tonight? Let’s have a drink.”
“Of course. But team leader, how much will our stock rise? Three consecutive upper limits at most?”
The manager asked, and the team leader answered with a dismissive expression.
“Three? At least five consecutive upper limits.”
“Huh? Five? Isn’t that too much?”
“You’ll see soon.”
Ah, right. The performance bonus!
I wondered how much I would get. As soon as I thought of it, words of disbelief escaped my mouth.
“Crazy!!!”
“Deok-su, why? Is something wrong? Nothing bad will happen today.”
“No, wait a minute.”
I calculated in my head.
Selling the shares would bring 800 billion. Deducting the principal of 20 billion leaves 780 billion in net profit. Thirty percent of that is my bonus. That’s… 234 billion.
That’s not all.
The team bonus is 30 percent of the total profit, with 20 percent of that my bonus. Thirty percent for Manager Choi, fifty percent for the team leader.
My bonus: 280.8 billion!
Manager Choi: 70.2 billion!
Team leader: 117 billion!
“Have you all thought about your bonuses?”
“Huh? Bonus? Oh right, how much will it be?”
“Yes…”
Both of their eyes widened in unison.
“Cr-crazy!!”
“C-could it be!!”
They reacted like me, frozen, barely breathing.
“Team leader, manager! Are you okay?”
“Phew…”
“Haa…”
They must have been briefly breathless. If I hadn’t called out, they might have suffocated. Well, the amount was enormous.
Mirae Securities hit the upper limit for five consecutive days.
Afterward, it continued to rise, was listed as an investment warning stock, and eventually trading was suspended for a day.
On the day it first hit the upper limit, we had a rare company dinner. Since it was Friday, we partied until dawn.
On Saturday, I collapsed like a corpse.
Kim Tae-sung watched Mirae Securities’ stock with a smile. He tried not to, but the corners of his mouth lifted.
Kim Deok-su.
The Midas hand.
The goose that lays golden eggs—or rather, the one that creates them—a giant. He admired his daughter for bringing such a talented person.
“If only she weren’t my daughter…”
Kim Tae-sung shook his head.
A daughter is like an outsider.
If she inherited, it would be like giving the company he nurtured to someone else.
Kim Tae-sung looked somewhat regretful.
Knock. Yu Jae-chul, CEO of Mirae Securities, entered.
“Chairman, 800 billion has been deposited.”
“Phew… I knew it would come, but I still can’t believe it.”
“Same here.”
“Chairman Sung Jeong-ui is extraordinary. Even as a top industry player, he invested trillions in a startup that hasn’t turned a profit yet.”
“Yes. But astonishingly, Chairman Sung seems interested in Kim Deok-su.”
“What?”
Kim Tae-sung’s eyebrows shot up.
He sensed a rival eyeing his precious treasure.
“We can’t let him take him.”
“Of course.”
“We must give Kim Deok-su wings.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I’d like to promote him to head of asset management… but he feels burdened. We’ll set up a TF team and appoint him as leader. Include traders and analysts as members. No, let him choose himself.”
“Yes, Chairman. How many members?”
“The number? Kim Deok-su should decide. Convince the other team leaders. Being promoted immediately is hard to accept.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“I could push it, but that would harm him. Team leaders might ostracize him. Of course, then I’d deal with them immediately.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll persuade them well.”
“Good.”
But Kim Tae-sung remained uneasy. The promotion was too radical.
“How’s Yu Seong? Still with you?”
“Yes, he’s here and sitting.”
“Huh, surprising. I thought his pride wouldn’t let him last a day.”
“Yes, I thought so too. But he’s sitting and working hard.”
“Working?”
“Probably just surfing the internet.”
“Rumor says Yu Seong played a key role when Kim Deok-su shorted Edison SB.”
“What? Yu Seong? Don’t tell me that.”
Kim Tae-sung didn’t believe it, but secretly hoped it was true.
He hoped Yu Seong would join under Deok-su, set aside his pride, and learn.
“Appoint Yu Seong as a regular employee.”
“Huh? He’s a manager…”
“If he doesn’t like it, he can resign.”
He must be trained strongly.
Inadequate, rebellious, full of pride. Otherwise, Yu Geon will take everything. Yu Geon will lead the group, but Yu Seong must also secure his share. That’s the heart of a parent.
No child is painless to a parent, even one’s own ten fingers.
Yu Jae-chul, CEO of Mirae Securities, called the heads of asset management and teams 1 through 8 to his office.
Waiting for them, his expression hardened.
He expected intense opposition.
With the chairman’s backing, he decided any objectors would be removed.
Soon, the team leaders arrived.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
“I have a difficult request.”
“Go ahead.”
“It’s about Kim Deok-su from Team 9…”
Yu Jae-chul gauged their reactions. Naturally, tension stiffened their faces.
“I want to discuss something with you.”
The team leaders nodded and exchanged glances.
Yu Jae-chul expected strong resistance.
No choice.
If the temple is unpleasant, the monk must leave.
Those who dislike or cannot accept it will have their contracts terminated.
Usually kind, today he was resolute.
“You probably expected this. I understand your dissatisfaction. It’s unpleasant. You’ve been new employees for years, then assistants for years… accepting this is hard. But there’s no choice. If the temple is unpleasant, the monk must leave. Understand?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
The senior team leader asked in confusion.
“It’s about promoting Kim Deok-su. He’s not even a year in the company…”
“Oh, Kim Deok-su? We actually discussed this last week.”
Discussion?
They’re trying to preempt me.
Yu Jae-chul decided not to be outdone.
“Speak.”
“We thought about creating Asset Management Division 2 centered on Kim Deok-su.”
“What? What does that mean?”
Yu Jae-chul couldn’t believe his ears. Unrealistic.
“Asset Management Division 2?”
“Yes. In short, it’s a proposal to promote Kim Deok-su to a division head level.”
Completely opposite of expectations.
“Ah, no, I was planning to appoint him as TF team leader.”
“No, at least division head level. Even executive level is fine. Performance rules here. With Kim Deok-su as head, he’ll deliver greater results, and we’ll get bigger bonuses too.”
“Ah, still…”
The team leaders spent the day fiercely persuading Yu Jae-chul.
The CEO called me.
He instructed me to form a TF team. The TF team could invest in futures, options, bonds, oil, real estate—anything. He gave me personnel files of all Mirae Securities employees to choose traders and analysts.
I returned to my desk and imagined being in a team with each person.
From a few, I could sense their aura. People beneficial to me.
Then I saw a familiar face.
Kim Yu-seong, manager—or rather, employee.
I almost skipped over him, but imagining being in the same team, I noticed something.
“Hmm.”
A strong aura hit my nose.
It was inexplicable.