Chapter 14: Ripple's Rise and a Day Off
Chapter 14: Ripple's Rise and a Day Off
Ripple is rising too fast.
When Ripple reached the 800 won range, I thought it had hit its peak.
‘It rose too quickly.’
Seeing people's greed in full swing, I decided not to sell and to wait.
I decided to risk a certain degree of price drop.
‘Even if there's a correction, it won't lose all its gains.’
While I spent three days working hard at the office to forget about crypto, the ophthalmology conference was held over the weekend.
“Director Myeong-won said he's playing golf with some acquaintances in Cheongna at dawn tomorrow.”
“Then someone needs to drive him there and back. Who wants to go?”
“I'll go.”
“Is there a good kalguksu place on Yeongjong Island? Director Shim Ho-young said he's craving some.”
“I think I know a place. I'll go pick it up.”
From morning until 2 AM.
As a sales employee, I wasn't involved in the conference's proceedings, but I spent a busy weekend running various errands.
While those three days passed, Ripple broke through 1,000 won.
It continued to rise steadily even as other coins faltered.
< Cryptocurrency Craze: Ripple Surges 8,000% Since Start of Year >
< Cryptocurrency on Fire: Quantum Jumps 130% in a Single Day >
< Government Regulation a Boon for Ripple, Continues its Rally >
< Cryptocurrencies Fall in Tandem, Only Ripple Holds Strong >
Ripple had always been stagnant, to the point people would say they'd been ‘tricked by Ripple again.’
‘Does this even make sense?’
Even Bitcoin and Ethereum were stalling, yet Ripple was on a frantic tear.
The graph was trending upward, and its market cap was catching up to other coins.
- Let's gooooo!
- Ripple, let's go!
- It's starting to run. Get on the Ripple train now.
- The ride on Ripple is smooth ~^^
- The Ripple driver has arrived.
- All I see on the crypto forums is Ripple.
- Proof of Ripple profits.
- Vroom vroom vroom.
On the cryptocurrency forums, Ripple investors were ecstatic.
‘Just where is the end of this greed?’
I'd bought Ripple for 230 won, less than 300 won per coin, so my fifty-million-dollar investment had tripled in a week.
‘This is insane. Truly...’
No wonder they call it a money printer.
I was watching, thinking that crypto was the final boss of capitalist greed, when...
< Bitcoin is the King, But Altcoins Deliver Overwhelming Profits >
< Ripple's Endless Rally, Continues Upward Trend Despite Government Crypto Regulations >
< Ripple's Solo Run, Renews All-Time High >
< Crypto Exchange: “Invest at Your Own Risk.” Ripple Up 60% >
< Ripple Jumps Over 50%, a Rally Led by Korea >
A flood of articles related to Ripple poured in.
Ripple, which had dipped slightly to the 930 won range after the government announced additional regulations, shot up 60%—555 won—in a single day.
Sixty percent in one day.
Our country's stock market has a daily price limit, but no such restriction exists for cryptocurrency.
‘I'd hoped Ripple would rise, but...’
Honestly, I never expected it to climb this fast, this dramatically.
- I'm so jealous I couldn't buy Ripple.
- Ripple 1 dolla Ripple 1 dolla Ripple 1 dolla
- When I bought Ripple at 590 won, someone asked me why I was buying that lol
- Ripple is hitting the jackpot today lol
- Thank you, Ripple.
A state where fear had been devoured by greed.
I remembered a wise saying my late father left me during a game of Go-Stop.
“You haven't made money just by winning. You've only made money when you get up from the table with your winnings.”
Everyone is happy when they're making money.
There's no thrill quite like it.
But once you start losing, once you've eaten into your principal and blown a significant portion of what you had...
That's when the wailing begins.
* * *
Among my coworkers, the ones who started crypto were Kim Sang-gi, Team Leader An, and two other employees.
Hearing the news and success stories from colleagues, people started dipping their toes in one by one.
“I bought it because I trusted Assistant Manager Kim. Ripple is a real golden goose.”
“It's amazing watching Ripple climb.”
“Timing! And the patience not to sell just because it went up a little. I quadrupled my money in a week.”
“I never knew Assistant Manager Kim was so good at crypto.”
Now, it was hard to find an employee in the company who wasn't into crypto.
Even the female employees had apparently started.
They came up to the rooftop for a coffee break.
“Assistant Manager Kim. Recommend a coin for us!”
“Well... crypto is risky.”
“But the rumor is you're amazing at it?”
“...Until recently, Ripple was a good bet, but now that it's risen so much, I'm not so sure.”
I didn't need to say anything.
From overseas crypto news to government regulations...
It wasn't just our company; employees from other companies in the building were also engrossed in crypto talk.
The company rooftop had become a space for sharing information about crypto.
‘The human indicators are multiplying.’
* * *
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
It was the end of the year, and with work slowing down after the weekend's ophthalmology conference, the company gave us a few days off.
A day off after a long time.
I was looking at Ripple's chart on the exchange site and searching for information.
Ka-talk!
I opened it, thinking it was the group chat with my colleagues.
- Han Chae-won: I have something to say.
It was a sudden message from my ex-wife.
- Han Chae-won: I know you must have had a hard time after our divorce.
I hadn't had a hard time.
Compared to my married life, I was incredibly happy.
When I lived with her, I was always anxious about how she would take every little thing I said.
She would often lash out with unexpected reactions to things I said with good intentions.
After the divorce, I slept soundly every night, like a log.
My married life had taught me that stress can kill a person.
Even the middle ear infection that was so severe pus would leak out while I slept had completely healed.
Lately, I'd been doing CrossFit. It was tough at first, but now my body felt light enough to fly.
- Han Chae-won: I've been thinking a lot.
- Han Chae-won: Marriage was a first for both of us, so I think we made a lot of mistakes. You lived alone for a long time, and you didn't have parents.
- Han Chae-won: I should have been more understanding about that. I think I was too lacking in empathy.
‘What on earth is she talking about?’
Honestly, I didn't feel a surge of anger reading her messages.
I was just a bit baffled, my feelings for her having completely cooled.
The saying that exes are worse than strangers must have been coined for people like Han Chae-won.
- Han Chae-won: Let's meet today. I have something important to talk about.
I didn't have to think about my decision.
‘Why would I meet her?’
Whatever she had to say, it would just leave me feeling frustrated. It was a waste of time, too.
Ka-talk!
I was about to block Han Chae-won when I saw it was from someone else.
- Jo Soo-ah: It's a day off today, what are you up to?
Jo Soo-ah.
Bright, kind, pretty, and popular.
Since the rumor spread that I had a lot of money, the female employees have been nice to me, but someone who was nice to you when you were poor is a truly good person.
I sent a reply.
- Kim Shin: At home.
- Jo Soo-ah: Are you alone?
- Kim Shin: Yeah.
- Jo Soo-ah: Are you going to be home all day?
- Kim Shin: I'm going to the department store this afternoon. There's a lot of stuff I need for the house.
I'd moved, but filling the house with necessary items was a chore in itself.
- Jo Soo-ah: Oh, really? Are you going with anyone?
- Kim Shin: I was just planning on going alone.
- Jo Soo-ah: I don't have anything to do either. Can I tag along to the department store?
Suddenly, I remembered something Han Chae-won had said.
That no woman who lived with me would ever be happy.
- Kim Shin: Yeah. Want to meet at 4 PM?
- Jo Soo-ah: Yes. I'll get ready right away.
- Kim Shin: I said let's meet at 4.
- Jo Soo-ah: Ah... I'll be there by 4.
* * *
Dressed in a tracksuit, I drove my car to the department store.
Something I'd always wanted to do.
“This way, sir.”
The parking attendant guided me to a good spot.
I arrived thirty minutes early and waited in front of the lobby.
Countless people walked by.
‘I guess I'll have to get used to department stores now.’
Even though my net worth had rapidly grown to 300 million dollars, I still had a common man's mindset at times.
It had only been a month since I'd become wealthy.
The time since I'd sold my Bitcoin and cashed out was even shorter.
The department store's lavish interior, the prices of the goods for sale.
I was thinking that a month was too short a time to change the poverty mentality ingrained to my very bones when...
“Oppa.”
Thinking it was a familiar voice, I turned my head and saw Jo Soo-ah.
Her soft hair flowed down her back, and she was wearing a white padded jacket.
You could call it my type.
I preferred this kind of comfortable attire over sophisticated women's clothing.
Perhaps because of her outfit and light makeup, she looked as pretty as a college student.
“Hey. But you just called me oppa...”
“We're outside the office. Can't I call you oppa?”
She used to call me Senior before I became an Assistant Manager, so the change in title didn't really matter.
“Call me whatever you're comfortable with. Let's go.”
“Okay.”
I headed to the department store's home living section with a cheerful-looking Jo Soo-ah.
‘I spent a lot on the car, but... can I really bring myself to spend money here? Won't I just end up browsing and then looking for the cheapest prices online?’
Even with 300 million dollars, ten thousand won is still ten thousand won.
Just because I have a lot of money doesn't mean I want to spend it recklessly.
As I wandered through the home living section, I touched a duvet.
“Whoa.”
“Assistant... Oppa. What is it?”
“Soo-ah. Look how soft this duvet is. Feel it!”
I had a thing for soft, light blankets.
When I lived in the semi-basement, they had to be heavy and thick to block out the cold.
But this one was so light and soft, and they said it was even made with advanced antibacterial and anti-dust mite materials.
“I'll take three of these blankets.”
Buying a duvet I liked was incredibly satisfying.
‘This was an excellent choice.’
The next place we went was the electronics department.
“Whoa.”
“Oppa?”
“A vacuum cleaner. I've always wanted to try a cordless one.”
After only ever using a broom, operating a cordless vacuum in the store was a whole new world.
“So this is what it feels like.”
In the electronics department, I bought a television, a refrigerator, a dryer, a washing machine, a vacuum cleaner, a cordless vacuum, and an air purifier.
What I felt as I spent money was that money was, indeed, a good thing.
‘Even spending like this, my fortune doesn't shrink.’
My investment decisions were what mattered; everyday spending didn't affect my wealth.
“Are you bored just watching?”
“No. It's fun.”
When I was setting up house with Han Chae-won, I had to match everything to her taste.
But Jo Soo-ah showed interest even in items she wasn't familiar with.
Still, there was nothing for me to choose in the department store's tableware section.
Whether the dishes were made in England, France, or Germany, what difference did it make to the taste of the food?
‘Then again, it's not like Han Chae-won cooked often anyway.’
She spent millions of won on pots and plates, promising she'd cook delicious meals for the rest of our lives.
Kimchi fried rice, clam doenjang jjigae, steamed tofu, soy sauce and egg over rice.
I think I ended up cooking my bachelor-style meals for her more often.
“You must be hungry from walking around. Want to get dinner? What kind of food do you like?”
“I like meat.”
A steakhouse in the department store.
After a delicious meal, I drove her home.
She lived in an officetel near the company, so I parked in the parking garage and walked her right to her door.
“Get home safe.”
Jo Soo-ah hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Okay. I had fun today.”