Chapter 1 - Chapter 1
Chapter 1
translator PennyWorth
Chapter 001: The Black-Haired Investor Awakens as a Superhuman
==========
That day, my head suddenly started thinking on its own.
It was as if it was drawing on all the brain's abilities to their limit.
In the sense that latent possibilities were awakened, I defined this phenomenon as...
'Awakening.'
* * *
I was breathless and my head felt like it was splitting.
It was my third year as a prop trader at Goldman Sachs.
I had endured it by working 90 hours a week.
「 Equity Derivatives Trading Strategy: January 2020 Week 3 Performance Report, Hyun-woo Na 」
This report was filled with mistakes and failures from the past few weeks.
"Lack of risk management..."
It wasn't just a simple work result. It was a painful document that would determine my career.
In the past few weeks of trading, I had lost over $50 million of the company's money.
I had wiped out all the money I had contributed to the company in the past two years with this failure.
So, was I at break-even now?
Not at all.
Considering the salary and bonuses I had received, my contribution had plummeted below average.
I was full of expectations of shedding the junior label as I entered my third year, but this defeat could ruin everything.
Now the company would soon put me on trial.
This is Goldman Sachs.
A place where performance speaks for everything.
"No way."
I had to write the report perfectly. But it felt like an indictment recording my sins, and writing each line was a torment.
And the next day.
What was coming finally came.
The team leader declared that he would put my report on the meeting agenda.
It was a public execution.
My colleagues who were jealous of me openly sneered.
Among them was Victor Harlan, a Princeton alumnus who had started with me since our intern days.
In particular, a dangerous thought crossed my mind regarding him.
I must be crazy.
Otherwise.
There's no way I'd think of dragging even him down with me since I'm dying alone.
Not in the way we do things, but in a primal way.
During the meeting.
The team leader brought up my report and began to point out my mistakes one by one.
"Even though tech stocks broke through their previous highs and continued to rise, what was the reason for sticking to a short position? Did you completely ignore the market's bullish signals?"
The team leader's voice was calm, but the coldness within it froze me.
I was being driven further and further into a corner.
"I thought there could be a correction at any time if the overbought state continued."
It was after I finished answering.
Victor interjected.
"That was Hyun-woo's misjudgment."
It's him again.
He's been gradually pressuring me, empowered by the team leader's favoritism that started sometime ago.
Now he's openly baring his teeth.
He continued to spit out.
"Maintaining an excessively short position even though the market wasn't in a risk-off mood was a really dangerous decision."
His sneering gaze was fixed on me.
It was obvious that he intended to solidify his position by taking advantage of my downfall.
One of his cronies chimed in and stepped forward.
"That's right. Especially not adjusting the position during the earnings announcement period was fatal."
I gritted my teeth at the continued offensive.
"I think it was the worst decision at the best timing."
This is a world where you are evaluated only by results.
That's right. I failed.
There was no excuse.
Because numbers are ruthless and never lie.
In front of everyone, I was a defeated soldier.
And this was now a people's court.
All the strategic mistakes and lack of judgment that were unfolding before my eyes were being thrown at me one by one like punishments.
But on the other hand, I felt a sense of relief.
Because here, they don't even give the person who's going to be kicked out a chance to stand trial.
'Ah... I'm spared from being fired.'
My heart was still heavy.
In front of me, the team leader was still watching me with his sharp eyes.
I had to open my mouth to shake off that uncomfortable gaze. I had to instill in the team leader the perception that I was still a useful talent.
"I admit that I neglected risk management. To be specific..."
I took a breath and tried to continue speaking.
But the team leader didn't wait.
"Stop. So what's your plan for the future position?"
Isn't the team's position to ride the steadily rising market and seize the remaining opportunities?
'Yeah. That would be right.'
It was the moment I was about to answer accordingly.
'What, what is it?'
It was so sudden.
Crack!
A strange noise echoed in my head.
Crack. Cracking―
At the same time, I felt a hot heat spreading from deep within my brain.
Then, one faint dot seemed to shine, and soon dozens, hundreds of lights soared through the darkness.
That's what happened.
Like the stars in the night sky exploding, an intense radiance...
Began to pour into me.
* * *
I couldn't gauge how much time had passed.
When I came to my senses.
I was still in the conference room.
"Do you need time to organize? What were you doing all day yesterday?"
The team leader's questioning pierced sharply.
I finally realized what I was doing here.
I was on trial.
Fortunately, the team leader seemed to be giving me a chance to make up for my mistakes, and the last situation was that he asked about the next position.
I couldn't believe that no time had passed since then.
I had definitely lost consciousness.
I had a strange experience of lights pouring into me.
'What the hell was that?'
"Hyun-woo!"
I came back to reality at the team leader's raised voice.
The fact that I had to answer about how to take the next position flashed through my mind.
The defeated soldier who had been defeated miserably after going against the market trend thought that he should ride the market trend even now.
The team leader would be expecting that too.
But.
Crack!
Suddenly, many thoughts and images flashed in my mind.
Even the data I had casually overlooked came back to me vividly.
As if stars suddenly appeared in the dark night sky, all that information poured towards me.
Cracking― Cracking―
It feels like the bioelectricity of each and every neuron is vividly felt.
The moment all of that merged.
I came to one conclusion.
'No way. Why didn't I know this?'
'This is it! This was it!'
A thrill that felt like piercing through a secret that no one else had noticed at once wrapped around my body.
"Aren't you going to come to your senses? I'm asking you about the next position."
Ignoring the sarcasm coming from nearby, I stared straight at the team leader.
There was no need to hesitate.
I guessed what the result would be, but too much conviction was with me. I said in an instant.
"The next position is the same as now. However, instead of waiting for the market correction, I expect a huge Black Swan. So I want to increase the risk even more."
"What!"
The team leader jumped up from his seat, but couldn't stop me.
"That's what I said. It means I'm going to maintain my point of view and increase the risk even more."
The conference room was instantly filled with silence.
The team leader's face was mixed with shock and anger.
Victor looked at me with a bewildered expression, then soon swallowed his laughter.
The other colleagues were also speechless.
"You haven't improved at all!"
The team leader couldn't suppress his anger and got up from his seat. His large hand roughly grabbed a pile of documents.
Throwing the documents at me, the team leader shouted.
"You're fired! Get out of here right now!"
I packed my bags without a chance to make excuses.
But my conviction didn't waver in the slightest.
'...I'm sure.'
The pneumonia that occurred in Wuhan, China, will turn into a pandemic.
That's right.
Wuhan pneumonia will hit the world hard.
* * *
It was when I was passing through the shopping district and arrived at the 34th Street subway station.
My phone rang.
The name that appeared on the screen was Mom.
It was rare for my mom to call at this time.
A slight anxiety flashed through my mind.
I hesitated because I was worried that my current situation would be revealed in my voice.
Eventually, I answered the phone.
< Son? >
But my mom's voice sounded more urgent and anxious than usual.
I took a deep breath and answered as calmly as possible.
< I'm going home now. What's wrong? >
< Nothing's wrong, son? >
Mom's question was filled with deep concern. It was as if she was convinced that something had happened to me.
< What do you mean nothing's wrong? What's wrong with you, Mom? Why did you call all of a sudden? >
The answer I heard from my mom a moment later completely froze my heart.
< Your grandfather passed away. Are you really okay? >
'Grandfather...'
My heart sank at the sudden news of my grandfather's death.
< Are you okay, Mom? >
< No, no. I don't mean that kind of okay. I mean, are you sick or... seeing things... or anything strange? >
'Strange things... Ah!'
Suddenly, the strange experience I had during the meeting came to mind.
The huge light that poured in.
And even the suddenly expanded insight.