Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 111

111. The 33rd. On the Border of Winter and Spring, Beginning and End (3)

Standard Capital New York Headquarters.

From morning, Min Joo-hyung sat in front of his computer monitor, taking large bites of a sandwich.

“Hoo…”

Min Joo-hyung, chewing the sandwich, sighed. Joo Seung-bin, at the opposite desk, lowered his coffee when he saw this.

“What’s wrong, Deputy Manager?”

“It’s already December. When did we get here?”

Seeing Min Joo-hyung’s gloomy face, Joo Seung-bin tilted his head.

“I know. With the CEO’s personality, he would have called us already…”

“Right? We were assigned here in September last year. It’s been a year and three months.”

“Time has flown by.”

“Our skills have improved as much as time has passed. I don’t know about Wall Street, but in Korea, few can beat us.”

Joo Seung-bin nodded, smiling at Min Joo-hyung’s nonchalant words. It was the confidence gained from rigorous training at Standard Capital. Others who came with him smiled or chuckled.

“I want to go back and shake up Yeouido [the financial district of Seoul]… I wonder when they’ll call us, tsk.”

“I know, right? I want to go back and put those other guys in their place.”

“I know, right. Ah–”

After smacking his lips, Min Joo-hyung looked at Joo Seung-bin and nodded, then shoved the sandwich into his mouth.

Joo Seung-bin’s eyes widened as the sandwich halved instantly. Min Joo-hyung busily traded stocks while chewing.

Time passed, and at 8 PM, Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin, along with the other 20 from Hae Dong Securities, turned off their computers and prepared to leave. A familiar voice reached them as they organized their desks.

“Charlie! Jason!”

Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin turned toward Claire’s voice.

“Yes, Boss.”

“Come to the conference room as soon as you’re done. Now.”

The twenty men’s eyes sparkled. The nuance in Claire’s instructions suggested the thing they had eagerly awaited.

They quickly organized their seats and entered the top-floor conference room. As the twenty Asian men sat down, Claire, at the head, began.

“I have news. First, sign the non-disclosure agreement.”

They signed the agreement and passed it to Claire.

“Tell us, Boss.”

“Hae Dong Group, your hometown, contacted us. They want you back to start. Hae Dong Securities.”

Everyone nodded, trying to remain calm, but excitement was evident.

No matter how well Standard Capital treated them, people long for their hometowns, and aren’t they more inclined to be a head of a snake than a tail of a dragon? Claire smiled.

“Looks like you missed it a lot.”

“No, Boss.”

“It’s okay, Boss.”

Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin composed themselves and bowed, but Claire showed no displeasure. Weren’t these people who would help her friend ‘John Davidson Lee’?

“Johnny and Mr. Cho apologized for not paying attention because they were busy with business expansion.”

“Johnny, Boss?”

Min Joo-hyung wondered who Johnny was. Mr. Cho was likely Cho Young-chan, but who was Johnny? Claire smiled embarrassedly, making an ‘oops’ expression.

“It’s Director Lee Sung-min, Chairman Lee Dae-soo’s eldest grandson. He’s Standard Capital’s most important talent.”

“Yes?”

Not only Min Joo-hyung but also Joo Seung-bin and the others were dumbfounded. The eldest grandson, cherished by the chairman, was a key figure in Standard Capital? It was the first time they’d heard this.

“Johnny is the best talent in our company. He designed important projects, from the Mexican Peso speculation to the Yen appreciation speculation. This is in the non-disclosure agreement, so don’t disclose it.”

The twenty men were stunned. That young kid designed a project that swindled hundreds of billions of dollars from the world’s second-largest economy? Was that even possible?

“Is that true, Boss?”

Claire smiled and answered Min Joo-hyung’s question.

“Of course, Charlie. Johnny’s intuition is as sharp as yours.”

Having received the answer, Min Joo-hyung looked at Joo Seung-bin, his partner. Receiving his gaze, Joo Seung-bin spoke.

“Then the risk management ability…”

“It’s as outstanding as yours, Jason. Think carefully about why Johnny indirectly invested in the US stock market through CMA [Cash Management Account] after becoming the largest shareholder of Hae Dong Investment & Securities, considering even the political issues within Korea.”

Receiving Claire’s question, Joo Seung-bin immediately answered.

“Is it because of scrutiny from Korean political circles or other groups?”

“A nail that sticks out gets hammered. That idea is Johnny’s. I guarantee it.”

The twenty men nodded at Claire’s assertion.

Hae Dong Group was small then. To grow Hae Dong Investment & Securities while avoiding scrutiny from political and business circles, indirect investment was the answer.

They also knew that only Lee Sung-min, with the chairman’s absolute trust, could come up with and execute such an idea. Wasn’t he the one who brought them to Hae Dong Securities and sent them here?

“When you return, Hae Dong Group, much larger than before, will welcome you. Don’t forget you were members of Standard for a while, and work hard. Contact us if you need help.”

###

After Claire’s announcement, Min Joo-hyung, Joo Seung-bin, and others left the company and went to a pub.

“What do you guys think about stock options?”

At Min Joo-hyung’s question, Joo Seung-bin answered reluctantly.

“I think we received too much. I thought that young kid was just showing off, so I accepted it, but thinking about what I heard from the boss today… Hoo…”

Joo Seung-bin had never imagined Lee Sung-min would be so capable. Designing two currency speculations was enormous, but if ‘etc.’ was attached, how amazing and high his standards must be?

“It was poison, damn it.”

Min Joo-hyung drank his beer as if complaining, and the others sighed and drank. Nevertheless, their hardened eyes suggested they were thinking.

***

Cho Young-chan and I sat on the sofa, drinking milk tea brought by an employee.

“Thank you, CEO.”

“Thank you for what? I was wondering when to call those friends, but I’m grateful Director Lee brought it up, haha.”

Cho Young-chan received my request, made 20 minutes ago, and called Claire to send Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin back to Korea.

Cho Young-chan, laughing and drinking milk tea, opened his mouth.

“We handled it because we were on the same wavelength, but why send all those friends to the Hong Kong branch?”

“According to headquarters, mainland Chinese companies will be listed on the Hong Kong stock market next year. The Hong Kong stock market will rise, and the Hang Seng Index [a stock market index in Hong Kong] will also rise.”

“Then… are you trying to make a move in the Hang Seng Index futures?”

As expected, Cho Young-chan was sharp. His intuition and knowledge, shown when he suggested investing CMA mainly in the S&P 500, were incomparable to mediocre investment & securities presidents.

“Yes. I wasn’t aiming for that, but since the timing is right, I’d like to invest in Hang Seng Index futures.”

Listening to my opinion, Cho Young-chan hummed.

“Are you seeing a more serious problem erupting next year?”

“Yes. I heard from my uncle that Vice Chairman Jang Ho-min is frequently meeting with the heads of Han-go Group’s main creditor banks and politicians from the ruling party. It’s only a matter of time before Han-go Group collapses.”

“Everyone’s out of their minds. If Han-go Group collapses, it’s not just a problem that will end there…”

Cho Young-chan shook his head, his face filled with contempt for the high-ranking officials only looking at what’s in front of them.

“A chain of bankruptcies will begin. Rolling futures in Hong Kong prepares for the aftermath. If possible, I’m thinking of not only futures but also options trading.”

“Are you going to pull as much as possible from Hong Kong? By having those friends do it?”

“Yes. I don’t know how much I’ll bring, but I’m thinking of scraping together even one more dollar.”

There will be no mistakes. I have to be careful of the butterfly effect, but if even the ‘Hong Kong Project’ succeeds, Hae Dong Group will have all the cards to lead the newly formed board after the IMF [International Monetary Fund crisis, referring to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis].

After I told him the big picture, Cho Young-chan pointed out the most important problem.

“What about the funds to roll in Hong Kong?”

“First, I’m thinking of investing 110 million dollars. It seems appropriate to divide it with 50 million dollars from Securities, and 30 million dollars each from Trading and Investment & Securities.”

Cho Young-chan’s eyes widened at ‘first’. Although it was small compared to the money he had earned for the family and the group, he had a hunch the amount could increase.

“I understand. I’ll discuss the funding issue with the Chairman, Chief Ko, and my brothers and take care of it. Let’s leave out the word ‘first’.”

As expected, he’s a man who works perfectly with me. Cho Young-chan and I emptied our morning milk tea with mischievous smiles.

***

Min Joo-hyung, Joo Seung-bin, and the other twenty people who received the notice from Claire finished their handover and farewell party and returned to Korea. A few days later, Cho Young-chan, Park Tae-jin, and I prepared a dinner for them.

“Everyone worked hard! You suffered while learning from afar!”

“No, CEO! Thanks to you and Director Lee, we had a valuable experience, haha!”

“Deputy Manager Min is right, CEO. We had a precious experience we couldn’t have gotten even with money, haha.”

Whether it was Min Joo-hyung’s hearty laughter or Joo Seung-bin’s gentle laughter, all twenty members of Hae Dong Securities, including the two, were satisfied. I looked at them and opened my mouth.

“Everyone worked hard! Eat as much as you want!”

“Yes, Director!”

The twenty men answered loudly, and I quietly said to Cho Young-chan.

“CEO, make a toast once…”

“Yeah… okay… I guess I have to.”

Cho Young-chan, who answered quietly, raised his glass.

“Okay, everyone, fill your glasses! There’s no better day than today!”

At Cho Young-chan’s cheerful shout, everyone filled their glasses with new beer and raised them high.

“To Hae Dong Securities!”

“Cheers!”

Clink!

Everyone lightly clinked their glasses and emptied their beer in one gulp.

“Kuh! Good! I’m so happy to be playing with you guys that I feel like I’m rejuvenating! Euhahaha!”

“Hahahaha!”

The laughter subsided, and Cho Young-chan took out a pipe and lit it with a match.

“Let’s talk while smoking one each.”

“Yes, CEO.”

While Cho Young-chan puffed his pipe, the men, including Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin, put cigarettes in their mouths and lit them. It was like some kind of Tabakskollegium [a historical smoking club].

As they exhaled smoke, the room became hazy, and I exchanged glances with Cho Young-chan and Park Tae-jin. Having exchanged signals, Cho Young-chan called Park Tae-jin.

“Director Park.”

“Yes, CEO.”

“Give what we prepared to these friends.”

“Yes.”

Park Tae-jin immediately put out his cigarette, took out documents from his bag, and handed out ten copies each to Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin.

Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin passed the documents to the side, leaving only the ones with their names, and the others did the same.

“As you can see, your positions and duties are written. Deputy Manager Min Joo-hyung, Manager Joo Seung-bin.”

At Cho Young-chan’s call, the two answered promptly.

“Yes, CEO.”

“Deputy Manager Min is a Director, Manager Joo is a Department Head.”

“Thank you, CEO!”

“I’ll work hard!”

The two, whose eyes widened, answered loudly and bowed.

“The rest will also be promoted by one rank. The organization is small now, so we have to maintain the current personnel, but if new recruits come in and your performance supports it, we’ll continue to raise it.”

Looking at Cho Young-chan’s smiling face, the remaining eighteen shouted loudly.

“Thank you, CEO!”

“Okay, okay, stop with the greetings. The important thing is from now on. Everyone, look at the documents first and then talk.”

At Cho Young-chan’s suggestion, everyone turned the cover to the back and looked at the contents. The fastest reactions came from Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin.

“CEO?”

“Director?”

Following the two, they raised their heads and looked at me and Cho Young-chan without finishing reading. As their faces flushed, Cho Young-chan said.

“Director Lee and I have no intention of settling for the present. I even said regrettable things and had you, who are like my children, study outside, so I can’t let you rust, can I? So.”

Cho Young-chan stopped and turned the pipe upside down, shaking it into the ashtray. Only after knocking the pipe like a judge knocking a gavel did Cho Young-chan speak.

“Everyone, take a few days off and go to Hong Kong. Show off your skills there until Director Lee and I call you. Got it?”

At Cho Young-chan’s instructions, everyone’s lips curled up.

Even though it might be a small stage for them, who had been flying around like Tarzan in New York, the jungle of capitalism, Hong Kong is also a global financial market. Everyone looked at me, Cho Young-chan, and Park Tae-jin with satisfied expressions and answered loudly.

“Yes, CEO!”

“It’s good to be cool. Director Lee, Director Park, and I only grabbed the big picture. You guys will directly judge and execute the details on the spot.”

To make them show their skills in Hong Kong, the three of us only pointed out the main points in the report. As the company grows and the affiliates increase, it becomes difficult for me to control everything, so I had to sort out the good from the bad on this occasion.

Cho Young-chan, pleased with their flushed faces, gave me a look. Receiving his look, I said to Min Joo-hyung, Joo Seung-bin, and others.

“The project to be promoted this time is one in which Hae Dong Securities is at the center, and Hae Dong Trading and Hae Dong Investment & Securities are supporting the funds. It’s an absolutely infallible project, so I hope you use your stock options now.”

It was practically coercion, but if they had been hinted at through Claire, they would believe in my skills. Claire, who is like the sky to them now, said that she trusts me.

“I have something to say before that.”

“Go ahead.”

Min Joo-hyung, who raised his hand, opened his mouth.

“We will reduce our stock options by half.”

‘How can this be?’

At the unexpected answer, Cho Young-chan, Park Tae-jin, and I looked at Min Joo-hyung with wide eyes. Were they going to kick their own fortune?

Looking at us puzzled, Joo Seung-bin spoke.

“It’s something we all agreed on. We’ll only take half of the stock options, Director.”

“That’s right, Director.”

“It’s enough to receive only half.”

I was dumbfounded by the voluntary reduction. I raised my hand to calm the atmosphere and asked.

“Why? I gave it to you because it’s a company you’ll be growing?”

“Because we thought it was too much for us, Director.”

“That’s right, Director. We didn’t know you were such a person, and our greed was too much.”

Only after hearing similar answers from others did I know the reason.

‘The shock of what I leaked through Claire was too great. Giving stock options and sending them to the US for training, will it all be in vain?’

The reason I gave these people 1 percent of the stock options and sent them to the US for training was to entrust them with the overall management of Hae Dong Securities. But…

‘The thing I did to make them believe in me made them feel intimidated…’

It seemed like what I leaked about myself through Claire became unnecessary. I sighed inwardly and stared intently at Min Joo-hyung and Joo Seung-bin with a firm expression.