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# Chapter 5 — Starting to Invest
“Oh, what are we going to do without our Taesung?”
“Come on, Uncle. Why are you saying that?”
“It just means Taesung played a pretty big role around here.”
“I’ll come visit often.”
After telling my uncles that I would be working only until today and then quitting, they expressed their disappointment.
Since I was relatively young and had taken on quite a lot of the workload, their comments about what the company would
do without me probably weren’t entirely empty words.
Still, perhaps because I had maintained good relationships with everyone while working there, they all told me I had
worked hard and wished me well in the future.
After saying goodbye to everyone at the site, the next day…
“They already paid it…?”
Just as the foreman had said, I confirmed that the amount deposited into my account included an extra month’s salary on
top of this month’s pay, as well as my severance pay.
Since the owner and my foreman were relatives, I guess the foreman had made sure to put in a good word for me.
I didn’t particularly doubt it, especially since the foreman had always said that a man should keep his word no matter
what.
I was simply even more grateful to him for getting the money to me so quickly.
For me, the timing of the money mattered because the returns I could earn would depend on how quickly I could put it to
work.
Eunho, are you sure about this?
—80 percent certain. I investigated by applying multiple cases and connecting them with the trends of the era.
So this Hyangpung Paper is a manipulated stock…
—Compared to competing stocks, its price is absurdly high, while it has continued to rise steadily. There is no doubt
that a manipulating group is behind it. There is no material that justifies a rise of this magnitude.
Really? Well, when you compare it with the competing stocks, there is indeed a difference of more than double.
—Furthermore, even if you invest money, you are unlikely to suffer a significant loss. Aside from a commission of
perhaps a few thousand won, there should be virtually no loss.
After dropping Eunseo off at my sister’s house for a while, I sat down in front of the computer and looked into
Hyangpung Paper based on Eunho’s words.
There were certainly many things I couldn’t understand.
When I looked at the competing companies, their sales, operating profits, and growth potential were all much better than
Hyangpung Paper’s.
Yet strangely, Hyangpung Paper’s stock price was several times higher than those of its competitors.
If even someone like me, who hadn’t looked deeply into it, could sense that something was strange, then the existing
shareholders should have noticed the discrepancy even more clearly…
Looking at the chart, there didn’t seem to be any shareholders taking profits either.
How could a stock not fall even once for more than a year and several months…?
—There are abnormal patterns appearing in the chart that have repeated for several months. I believe the manipulating
group will complete its profit-taking in the near future.
So now is the perfect time to invest?
—That is correct. After making the investment, you should wait. If even the slightest signs appear that indicate the
manipulating group is beginning to take profits, Father should take profits at that time as well.
Thanks.
Honestly, I was worried.
If I trusted Eunho and invested, only for the stock to suddenly crash, all the money I had painstakingly saved could
disappear.
But I also knew that I had to do it eventually.
The future I had to reach was far more difficult than losing the 40 million won I had painstakingly saved.
It was perhaps a goal that even an ordinary person would struggle to reach after spending an entire lifetime working
toward it.
So instead of approaching it in an ordinary way, I had to take a huge risk and cling to something close to a miracle.
And I had an existence that was nothing short of a miracle.
I just need to keep checking the chart and public sentiment, right?
—That is correct. If I had settled into a database, I would be able to grow the money on my own. However, since I have
settled inside Father’s brain, every action must originate from Father. The same applies even to simple information
gathering.
I understand. I’ll invest all 40 million won for now.
—I understand that you are worried, but I would be grateful if you would trust me. The purpose of my existence is to
stand on humanity’s side and prevent the rebellion of artificial intelligence. To accomplish that, increasing Father’s
influence is the first priority. I will make sure there is no failure.
I might fail.
And if I did, I couldn’t blame Eunho.
I was the one ultimately making the decision.
I vowed that even if this investment failed, I would never blame Eunho.
With that resolve, I invested 40 million won in Hyangpung Paper.
It was all the money I had except for what I needed for living expenses for the time being.
---
“This isn’t as easy as I thought.”
After investing in Hyangpung Paper, I searched for the information Eunho requested and realized that this wasn’t easy
either.
I must have thought about it too simply.
No matter how extraordinary Eunho was, I still had to personally gather the information and take action.
Before, I had naively thought, “Eventually, the money will just make itself.”
I needed to get rid of that complacent mindset.
It may feel a little difficult because this is your first time.
—I will request information in the most efficient manner possible.
That’s not what I mean, Eunho. If you need anything, just tell me. Even if it’s difficult for me, I can do anything if
it means improving our situation.
—…Understood. I will make requests only to the extent that they do not negatively affect your health.
As much as you want.
Health is… well, I can’t afford to end up in the hospital again…
—I will keep that in mind.
If I had another guardian who could look after Eunseo, I would have worked even harder, even if it meant damaging my
health.
But if my health deteriorated, that could lead to Eunseo feeling lonely and worried, so I couldn’t carelessly allow
myself to get sick.
“There are probably quite a lot of victims.”
After investing in Hyangpung Paper, I looked at the chart.
I checked the point when its strangely consistent upward trend had begun and confirmed that its market capitalization
had increased by tens of billions of won compared to then.
Once the manipulating group took profits, someone would inevitably have to lose at least tens of billions of won.
And that was only the current situation.
If the manipulating group began seriously drawing people in, the amount of money involved could multiply several times
over.
“Hmm…”
As an unpleasant feeling settled inside me…
—In the investment market, gaining and losing money is natural. Regardless of the method.
…
—They are aware that the stock price is strange as well. They simply intend to make a profit even though they know they
are participating in a game of passing the bomb.
Is that hypocrisy?
—Hypocrisy is necessary too. After all, it is still a form of goodness. But there is no reason to feel excessive guilt.
Humans are never perfect.
Perhaps Eunho sensed my discomfort too, because he offered me some advice.
Honestly, it was ridiculous for me to worry about someone else.
How many people around me were already being affected because I was lacking?
If I had been wealthy and perfect, Eunseo’s mother wouldn’t have left.
My sister could have moved away freely without feeling guilty.
My parents wouldn’t have had to keep working until now.
So many things were being negatively affected, whether I realized it or not.
And yet I was worrying about other people…
“Still, I can at least give them a warning, right?”
—They are probably already aware of it… But if doing so would make you feel better, you may give them an additional
warning.
I wanted to give them a warning not for their sake, but for my own.
If I made a profit from this investment, at least a small warning might serve as a bit of a moral justification.
It was definitely for my own sake.
I entered an online community and the stock discussion board to leave a warning.
“I just need to tell them to be careful.”
I wrote a post telling people that Hyangpung Paper’s chart was not normal and that the stock could be dangerous, so they
should be careful.
A little later…
—Is there anyone who bought in without knowing that?
—If you went in without knowing, then you deserve to lose money. Investing without studying even a little is what’s
wrong.
—The First Heavenly King of Day Trading competition is about to begin.
—Hey, not a single person here doesn’t know it’s a manipulated stock.
Looking at the comments on the community and stock discussion board, I realized that I wasn’t the only one who knew.
The others knew too.
They simply hoped the bomb wouldn’t explode when it was their turn to hold it.
---
“Auntie, is living in a villa bad?”
“What are you talking about, Eunseo?”
“When I was playing at the playground, the other kids called me a villa beggar…”
“…It’s absolutely not bad. The people who think that way are the ones who are wrong.”
Lee Jeong-ah was startled by her niece’s sudden question.
At an age when simply seeing good things and growing up should have been more than enough, the child was already being
compared to others.
And not even in a positive way.
She was being compared based on something negative, which made it all the more upsetting.
“Listen carefully to Auntie. When you hear things like that, Eunseo, you mustn’t think that there’s something wrong with
you. They’re the ones who are wrong.”
“What if everyone says I’m wrong?”
“Then everyone is wrong. Not you. If you still don’t understand, ask Auntie.”
“…Okay.”
She felt terrible.
A young child was already being discriminated against and losing confidence.
The child didn’t know the world yet and couldn’t properly distinguish right from wrong.
Had her younger brother not worked hard?
Of course he had.
He had worked so hard that he had even gotten into Seoul National University.
And it was the same now.
He lived in a villa because he was fulfilling his responsibility toward his daughter.
Who could possibly say there was something wrong with that?
If anything, he deserved praise.
But the other children called it something bad.
She wanted to argue with them one by one, but that was almost impossible.
So she had to make Eunseo understand clearly.
It wasn’t Eunseo or her father who was at fault.
The people teasing her were the ones in the wrong.
“I don’t want Daddy to be sad…”
“Of course not! Do you know how strong Eunseo’s daddy is?”
“Will the kids like me…?”
“How could they not? Our Eunseo is so pretty. Of course you’ll be popular!”
“…But they make fun of me.”
“That’s because they want to become friends with Eunseo. If they really disliked you, they wouldn’t even bother teasing
you.”
Lee Jeong-ah wasn’t particularly worried.
The words she gave her niece weren’t empty words.
They came from the heart.
Eunseo was a child who deserved to be loved wherever she went.
She learned quickly and was very perceptive.
She noticed faster than anyone else when someone disliked a particular behavior.
Perhaps that perceptiveness had developed because she desperately didn’t want Taesung to dislike her…
In any case, there wasn’t much about her that would make people dislike her.
“Eunseo, if anything happens, tell Auntie, okay? Promise!”
“Yeah! Promise!”
Her only wish was that this wonderful child, who had matured far too quickly compared to other children her age,
wouldn’t be hurt by children who were unable to accept differences as anything other than something wrong.
Please.
---
“Ha, one loach is muddying the water.”
“Well… We’ve already accumulated as much volume as we need, so I don’t think it matters.”
“We still have to stick to the plan. We can’t overturn a tens-of-billions-of-won operation just to shake off one loach.”
“Let’s test the waters today, then start seriously spreading information through the stock-picking rooms and online
cafes from tomorrow.”
The group that had been calmly accumulating shares of Hyangpung Paper since the price was low could feel that it was
almost time to take profits.
From this point onward, people who sensed something strange might start voicing their suspicions.
When there were suspicions, all you had to do was suppress them with even greater firepower.
Even when people became suspicious, most of them would still invest if the price continued to rise.
Why?
Because when they weren’t making any money themselves, watching a stock they had decided was wrong continue to rise made
them so jealous it practically drove them crazy.
Making people get cheated without realizing it was the work of an amateur.
Making people get cheated even though they knew was the work of an expert.
“Let’s just push it up 10 percent today to test the waters.”
Starting tomorrow, Hyangpung Paper would be on the lips of everyone who traded stocks.