Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Chapter 014 of the Black-Haired Investor Awakened as a Superhuman
==========
When you fail, blame others; when you succeed, it's all your own doing.
That's how most people think.
Even if you pile stacks of money in front of them.
How many of those who participated in this investment will be genuinely grateful to Jason?
Jason doesn't need to be grateful to me either.
If he makes a lot of money from this investment, it's because he's good at it.
Well, he might resent me right now…
'No, maybe he doesn't even have the energy for that.'
* * *
Goldman Sachs prop trading team office.
The monitor screens displayed not only financial data like stock prices.
Bloomberg's visualization data showed the speed of Wuhan Pneumonia infections like a stock chart.
The data was designed to analyze the situation in countries around the world, but all the traders' screens were fixed on the situation in Korea.
The infection rate chart in Korea was drawing a desperate upward curve.
It had been like that since the New Heaven and Earth cult incident.
62, 146, 346, 1146, 2377…
The number of cases in Korea increased exponentially day by day, and now, at the end of February, it had broken another thousand.
"3,150 people? Is this country going to collapse?"
Eric's voice echoed in the silence of the office.
"Has anyone met Hyunwoo recently?"
Eric raised his voice in a serious tone.
The team members who knew what that question meant momentarily checked each other with wary eyes.
Then, a cynical laugh came from the corner of the office.
Victor muttered with an indifferent expression.
"That moron is at it again from the morning. Doesn't he know shame?"
Some team members stifled their laughter at Victor's sneer, which was filled with contempt.
The conflict between the two, which had been going on for almost a month, had become a show.
At first, the point of interest was how Eric would react and respond to Victor's harsh insults.
Now, the point of interest had shifted to Eric's increasingly slick demeanor, as if he didn't care at all.
"We all know Hyunwoo is Korean. Victor, you must have met him? No wonder…"
Eric chuckled softly and stared at Victor.
Everyone's eyes followed Eric's gaze to Victor.
Victor removed his hand from the keyboard and began to massage his wrist.
It gave the impression that he was calming his emotions before making a decision, but most people noticed that it was a prelude to violence.
Even in the tense atmosphere, many expectant eyes were constantly watching them.
Finally? Finally, today?
While the team members exchanged glances silently, Eric's expression gradually hardened.
Then, Victor quietly got up from his seat.
His movements were smooth and quiet, but they felt more threatening to Eric than any storm.
It seemed that the escalating conflict would end here.
Victor's footsteps were directed towards Eric.
Eric's Adam's apple bobbed noticeably, and his eyes, aware of the narrowing distance, quickly filled with panic and fear.
The moment the distance between them narrowed enough to turn into a scene of violence.
Eric couldn't bear Victor's wolf-like eyes and his ferocious atmosphere, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
But Victor passed by Eric.
Pfft, hahahaha―
Loud laughter began to erupt.
Everyone was watching Eric's frightened figure, trembling with his eyes closed.
He looked exactly like a scared mouse.
"Ha, haha…"
Eric opened his eyes slightly and looked around awkwardly.
But there was no response or even a small voice in return.
The show was over.
The cold gazes had now shifted to their real work.
The market was expected to fall sharply again today.
The office became quiet again, as if time had been turned back for the first time.
In the silence, only the sound of typing on keyboards and clicking mice occasionally began, and Victor's footsteps continued into the Team Leader's private office.
"The personal attacks on Hyunwoo are incessant. Eric is ruining teamwork."
Victor expressed his dissatisfaction.
"You should stop now, too. You need to know that if it becomes public, it will inevitably affect your performance evaluation."
"I have no intention of losing to that moron. But if you tell me to be patient, Team Leader, I will."
Victor was convinced that if one of them had to leave, it would be Eric.
"But if you allow me, I'll make him have no choice but to leave on his own."
"It sounds like you're trying to orchestrate something in our office? Do you think I'd allow that?"
"That's the only way I won't have to see that again here. Whether he goes to Hong Kong or London, I'll make sure he can't set foot on Wall Street."
"Not on our desk. Let me ask you something."
The Team Leader rested his chin on his hand and scanned Victor up and down.
"Princeton's alumni love can't be this strong, can it? Why are you protecting Hieon so much?"
"Hyunwoo, you mean?"
Eric sneered, not caring about the Team Leader's gaze.
"That guy is an even bigger idiot than Eric. What would I gain from protecting someone like that? If you knew what kind of stupid things Hyunwoo is doing, you wouldn't say that to me, Team Leader."
"If you're talking about the fighter brawl incident, I know about it too."
The industry was too small, just like the few blocks of Wall Street.
The Team Leader recalled the scam-like act that Hyunwoo had committed and clicked his tongue bitterly.
It wasn't because he felt sorry for the fighters who were caught up in it.
They were just losers who had never been on the major stage, and even if they had, they wouldn't have lasted long before being kicked out.
How much money could come out of those guys' pockets anyway?
The Team Leader felt bitter and incomprehensible about Hyunwoo's situation, where he had to resort to such small amounts of money.
With that career, he could have joined another company with good conditions.
"Hyunwoo is an idiot who can't even pull off a scam properly. I'm not the kind of guy who would protect someone like that.
I just can't stand working in the same space as those morons."
"I understand. I'll consider the Eric matter positively."
"Thank you."
"And."
"Yes."
The Team Leader took a moment to think before opening his mouth again.
"Hyunwoo isn't as bad as you think. Even though he left like that, he was the most promising of you guys. There must have been a reason. A reason why he had to resort to small money."
"Whatever the reason, the fact that he resorted to small money tarnishes the dignity of all of us."
Victor replied as if he couldn't forgive Hyunwoo. He continued.
"I'm sorry for causing a commotion from the morning."
Victor's polite attitude and posture were reminiscent of a soldier.
Victor wasn't actually from the military, but he always maintained this attitude in front of the Team Leader.
Emphasizing top-down command.
Making quick and clear decisions.
An organizational approach was ingrained in them.
As if showing why Wall Street valued such backgrounds, a satisfied smile spread faintly across the Team Leader's lips.
"I was just worried that it would affect your performance evaluation."
"I know. I'm always grateful for that."
"Then one more thing."
"Yes."
The Team Leader took out the documents one by one.
Corporate finance department, asset management department, lending department, research department, legal department, risk management department, communication department within Goldman Sachs.
The target point of the various materials from a total of 7 departments was directed towards one place.
"Sofaie is trying to acquire a Hong Kong company called Eight Securities. We received a request for cooperation and there was no reason not to accept it. You. You went to Hong Kong often as a summer intern during your Wharton days, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Review it."
The Team Leader's words were short.
It didn't take Victor long to grasp the deep meaning hidden in the Team Leader's casual words.
What it meant that documents from various departments that couldn't be seen in the prop trader team were piled up in the Team Leader's office.
And what it meant to ask him to review it.
Victor's eyes, filled with admiration and emotion, shook rapidly.
'The Team Leader has finally decided to move upstairs. Finally, me too.'
Just as Victor's posture became even more upright.
The Team Leader took out another file from his desk drawer and placed it on top.
[ Global Innovation Replacing Traditional Banks, Sofaie's Future Growth Strategy ]
"It's really excellent."
The Team Leader ran his hand over the cover of the file again, as if trying to convey the emotion he had felt to this young junior.
"It will be a great learning experience for you too."
* * *
The Team Leader's words were true.
Victor felt like he had opened his eyes to a new world after reading the report on Sofaie's growth strategy.
Victor, who had previously only valued numbers and results, realized the importance of strategic thinking and creative solutions through the report.
In-depth insights analyzing market trends and competitors' movements.
The report clearly interpreted the meaning of each data point and creatively presented ways to seize future growth opportunities based on it.
The world was indeed wide.
He felt a sense of pride in the fact that he was also in a world teeming with such genius strategists.
Then, suddenly, his anger flared up again.
"What the hell is that idiot doing…"
The sudden downfall of his rival, whom he had been constantly stimulating for six years from Princeton University to Wharton, made him angry several times a day.
To go out and do nothing but handle small money and tarnish his reputation.
For the elite of the world's finance, like themselves, being a trader was just one of many paths.
They could become bankers at major global investment banks.
They could become members of prestigious hedge funds.
They could work as strategists at asset management companies or management consultants.
Of course, they could also walk the path of managers at large corporations in various countries around the world and Fintech companies like Sofaie.
There were countless paths open if they wanted to find them, but Hyunwoo was throwing away those many possibilities for a small amount of money.
Because this industry was full of morons like Eric, it was easy to make someone a moron whenever they gathered.
'He knows how small the industry is, and he's doing that?'
Victor's gaze shifted to the monitor screen.
He didn't hesitate and immediately started to take action.
This was because he hoped that Hyunwoo would also feel the same realization and pride through this report, which contained the intelligence of the industry's geniuses.
So he wanted Hyunwoo to get out of the swamp and appear in front of him again.
Victor felt that the past six years he had fiercely competed with him were too unfair for Hyunwoo to collapse so absurdly on his own.
Finally, the send button was pressed.
Send!―
[ You idiot. I hope you realize something after seeing this.
- Google Drive Link:
(Global Innovation Replacing Traditional Banks, Sofaie's Future Growth Strategy) ]
A reply came from Hyunwoo immediately.
[ What kind of situation is it now that you're leisurely looking at that kind of thing? ]
'That kind of thing? I went to the trouble of taking care of him, and he's an idiot…'
Victor was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even speak for a moment.
To call this treasure, which contained the intelligence of the industry's geniuses, that kind of thing.
But he couldn't immediately retort.
Hyunwoo's words weren't necessarily wrong.
Wuhan Pneumonia was engulfing the world too quickly.