Chapter 9
Chapter 9
I tilted my head at the unexpected scent I had caught.
Until now, I had only been able to detect scents related to money.
I had never smelled a scent connected to a person.
It was incomprehensible.
To make sure I wasn’t imagining things, I looked at the application forms again.
As I thought about who would be good to join our team, a pleasant scent reached me once more.
“Hmm…”
I had been pondering over the people when the scent appeared.
‘…Is my ability to sense scents getting stronger?’
Perhaps that was why scents were now coming from other areas as well.
‘The important thing is that the sources of these scents have always helped me.’
I read the applications carefully.
Park Seong-ho, 32 years old.
KAIST, Department of Mathematics.
Quant Analyst.
Prop Trader.
But what exactly is a Quant Analyst?
I asked the team leader.
“What is a Quant Analyst?”
“They analyze the stock market using mathematics, statistics, and computer programs to devise investment strategies.”
“Understood.”
I lowered my head again and reviewed the rest of the applications.
I thought about how it would be if we brought each person onto our team.
I could catch their scents once again.
Choi Choong-sik, 38 years old.
Economics major.
Prop Trader.
What struck me about this person was less about his skills and more about his appearance.
‘Thirty-eight? He looks like fifty.’
Other than his presbyopia, he seemed fine.
His career was impressive as well.
I recommended these two.
“I think Park Seong-ho and Choi Choong-sik would be good.”
The team leader read through the documents I had given her. A wrinkle formed on her forehead again.
“Really, just these two?”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t heard of them…”
“Don’t you think it’s okay?”
“No, thanks.”
I took a deep breath, thinking of the two of them again, just in case.
The pleasant scent was still there.
But it was different from the usual scent.
‘What is this?’
Was the range of scents expanding?
It was subtle yet sweet, like lilac or freesia.
I frowned and leaned forward, inhaling deeply to catch the scent more clearly.
The team leader looked slightly embarrassed at my behavior.
“Hmm, hmm. Deok-su.”
“Yes?”
She stepped back a little, wearing a somewhat awkward expression.
“Uh, is it… not good?”
“Huh? What?”
“Your scent, is it not pleasant?”
“??”
What did she mean?
“You were sniffing around me just now, scrunching your face.”
“Ah…”
“Someone gave it to me as a gift, but I guess it doesn’t suit me.”
“Team leader, you wear perfume too? I thought you only smelled like sweat before.”
Suddenly, the atmosphere turned tense.
“What? Sweat?”
She opened her eyes wide, flaring with anger.
“Ahahaha. It smells nice. Lemon, right?”
“It’s lilac.”
“Why are you wearing perfume you never wear? Do you have a date today?”
“What? A da-date? No.”
Seeing her flustered looked about right, so I didn’t waste the opportunity.
“And your outfit is very different from usual too.”
“Different how?”
She usually wore high-waist skirts in black, gray, or navy, paired with white blouses.
Today, however, she was wearing a bright beige floral wrap dress.
It was the kind of outfit women usually wear for a date.
“You’re usually stuck in dull gray or funeral-black tones. Today… it’s a bit cheesy, but looks much better. Hope your date goes well.”
I teased Team Leader, or rather, Lieutenant Colonel, with a smile.
A chill ran down my spine.
The team leader clenched her fist, trembling.
“D-dull, f-funeral? C-cheesy? Hey! Kim Deok-su, you brat!”
Startled, I avoided her deadly gaze and looked at the monitor.
The tension behind me made my shoulders shrink.
“Deok-su… be careful.”
Her icy voice stabbed at my heart.
Back at her desk, Kim Yuri slowly read the two applications Deok-su had given her.
The histories of the two people were not bad.
Park Seong-ho had a data-driven investment style, while Choi Choong-sik relied on instinctual trading, emphasizing gut feelings.
They were like oil and water, difficult to mix, but if they complemented each other, they would form an unstoppable combination.
And it could be a great opportunity for Deok-su too.
If he learned the strengths and weaknesses of both styles from them, he could become the best investor.
At that moment, she worried.
Could Deok-su get along with both of them?
Looking at the rough face of Choi Choong-sik, she became more concerned for her subordinate, Deok-su.
‘He has to get along with Deok-su…’
Kim Yuri chuckled softly.
Deok-su was not yet a full-time employee.
If he didn’t place first in the mock investment competition, joining the company would be out of reach.
And with the team, it was up to Deok-su to adjust to the seniors, not the other way around.
It was basic office etiquette.
At that moment, Kim Yuri realized she was making a big mistake.
She had almost decided to choose the two people Deok-su recommended without her own judgment.
“Why am I doing this?”
She had only asked for his opinion, but she found herself swayed into choosing the two.
She knew the reason.
It was because of Deok-su’s outstanding investment skills.
Even if it seemed somewhat illogical, choosing people was ultimately like making an investment.
Careful consideration would improve team morale and results.
That was why she asked Deok-su.
He had never failed in a single successful investment. Deok-su had shown astounding, almost miraculous results.
A 100 percent win rate!
With someone like him, he would likely make the best choice in selecting team members.
Kim Yuri returned her gaze to the documents.
Nothing in the documents seemed particularly bad. But documents alone could not fully reveal a person.
‘I need to find out more.’
She picked up the phone, started dialing, then put it down.
She would get more information by going directly to ask.
“Deok-su, I’ll be stepping out for a bit.”
“Yes.”
Kim Yuri went to the HR (Human Resources) Director’s office.
The HR Director was the highest-ranking person in the personnel department of Mirae Securities.
He would know the two candidates well.
She knocked on the door.
“Director, this is Kim Yuri from Team 9.”
“Come in.”
Kim Yuri bowed as she entered. A brief greeting passed, and she got straight to the point.
“I have something to ask.”
“What is it?”
“We are recruiting new team members for Team 9. I think Park Seong-ho and Choi Choong-sik would be good. I wanted to know more about them.”
Hearing this, HR Director Baek Ho-cheol raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“Did you say Park Seong-ho and Choi Choong-sik?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“No, not a problem… if you’re not busy, have a cup of tea first.”
“Yes.”
Director Baek personally made instant coffee and offered it to Kim Yuri.
“Drink.”
“Thank you.”
Seated on the office sofa, Baek sipped his coffee first and asked,
“Did Team Leader Kim Yuri select the two people herself?”
She decided to tell the truth. Baek was trustworthy.
“No. It was our intern, Kim Deok-su.”
“Intern??”
He looked astonished.
“I asked because he seems intuitive. And even I thought they weren’t bad.”
“That intern’s intuition is remarkable. Hmm… Kim Team Leader, can you handle both of them?”
“They both have strong personalities,” Baek explained.
“So they might clash?”
Baek nodded.
“Well, if the results are good, you’ll have to manage them.”
“It won’t be easy, but if handled well, they could produce astonishing results that shake the company.”
“Interesting. That’s promising,” Kim Yuri’s eyes sparkled.
“So they’re good people?”
Baek nodded.
“Can you explain more?”
This time, Baek shook his head.
“You need to make your own judgment. Selecting people and managing them to produce results is your responsibility.”
“But sir, you can at least give basic information.”
Kim Yuri pouted in disappointment. Baek smiled kindly.
“Yuri.”
“Yes.”
“You still want the Mirae Group, right?”
“Yes… I just don’t want to be excluded from succession because I’m a woman. I think capable people should lead the group.”
“Right. Ability is most important. A foolish manager will ruin the company in less than a year. And the key skill for leading Mirae Group is personnel management. Choosing the right people is essential.”
“…”
“So I cannot teach you. Yuri, you must gather opinions, judge, and decide yourself.”
“Understood.”
“Do you feel disappointed?”
“I don’t know. I’ll go now.”
“Alright. I’ll tell you one thing. Not now, but they were once the most promising people. Not just in Mirae Securities, but in Yeouido.”
“……!”
Kim Yuri left the HR office.
On her way back, she thought,
‘In Yeouido… how did Deok-su choose them? Does he have some kind of miracle?’
She couldn’t understand it. She just felt baffled.
The moment Kim Yuri left, HR Director Baek Ho-cheol clicked on intern Kim Deok-su’s file.
There was nothing special.
Good school, older age, no certifications.
How he precisely chose those two was beyond comprehension.
“What about his investment performance?”
As HR Director, he could track interns’ mock investment results in real time.
Seeing Deok-su’s account, Baek’s eyes widened.
“Fifty percent?”
He had ranked first among the interns.
Checking his trades, his astonishment eased.
A profit made in just a single trade.
He had thought it might be luck.
“Kim Deok-su… a lucky one,” he thought, deciding to keep an eye on him.
A few days passed.
Salario’s stock price fluctuated up and down.
“Team Leader, did you sell Salario?”
“Not yet.”
“Did you buy more?”
The team leader raised her eyebrows.
“New team members will soon join. Park Seong-ho and Choi Choong-sik. Support them well.”
“Aren’t those the people I recommended?”
“Yes. Let’s hope your intuition is right again. You’ll be doing most of the work anyway.”
She had surely reviewed everything thoroughly before deciding. But since the scent came from their applications, it meant they would be helpful.
I was curious to see what kind of people they were.
“Finished everything for today?”
“Yes.”
“Shall we start?”
The team leader and I planned a short study after work.
It was to quickly improve my lacking financial knowledge.
Today’s topic was short selling and short squeezes.
Since Salario was related, it was good to understand it in more detail.
The team leader explained short selling, and I asked questions.
True to her Harvard background, she answered fluently without hesitation.
“You really know everything, Team Leader.”
“Do you think your questions are too basic?”
“Well, hitting me with facts like that hurts a bit.”
“You need to hurt to grow fast. I’ll hit you often.”
“But in short selling, you have to buy stocks to repay them. Can you sell more than the issued shares?”
“Korea strictly forbids that by law. In the US, it doesn’t matter.”
“Really? So in the US, theoretically, you could short more than 100 percent of the issued shares?”
“In theory, yes.”
“Okay.”
“By the way, Salario fell again today due to short selling. Down 3 percent so far. I don’t care, but what about you?”
“Me? I’ll hold.”
“Hold? Why?”
“I sensed a very strong smell of money.”
“Money smell? Tch, can’t even smell perfume properly.”
The team leader chuckled.
“Alright, let’s wrap up and go home.”
“Yes.”
As I tidied my desk and prepared to shut down the computer, the team leader urgently called me.
“Deok-su! Come, quickly!”
“Why?”
“Hurry!”
I ran to her desk.
She was pointing at one of the eight monitors.
The monitor showing the financial news was flashing urgent breaking news.
Salario Ramshima, FDA approved.
FDA approval?
What would happen now?