Golden Spoon Investor

Daehung Securities Headquarters, Yeouido, Seoul.

On the fifth floor, the trading office was bustling early in the morning, as usual.

Five wall clocks hung side by side on one wall, each set to the time of major financial hubs: New York, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

Employees who had just arrived at work powered on their computers and prepared for the day.

While Manager Choi was seated, reviewing the numbers on his thick CRT monitor, Hong Jae-hee brought over a stack of printed materials summarizing the previous night's stock market activity and placed them on his desk.

"Here are the materials."

"Thank you."

Nodding slightly, Hong Jae-hee moved on to distribute a copy to the other team members.

"Let's see…"

Sitting upright in his chair, Manager Choi sipped coffee from a vending machine as he flipped through the pages.

"Woosung is issuing CP again."

Hearing that Woosung Group, a major domestic construction company, planned to issue an additional 50 billion won in commercial paper (CP), Manager Choi frowned.

"They already have a substantial amount of debt… this seems risky."

He recalled how, just a few months ago, Woosung had borrowed over 100 billion won from financial institutions to purchase redevelopment land in Tae-pyeong-dong, Daejeon. The memory left him uneasy.

"It looks a bit concerning, but what could go wrong?"

At that time, leveraging large amounts of debt to expand businesses was considered standard practice. Despite his reservations, Manager Choi didn't think too much of it.

And why would he? Woosung Group was not only a leader in construction but also owned subsidiaries in textiles, hotels, tyres, and retail, generating over 1 trillion won in annual revenue.

It seemed unthinkable that such a large corporation could face issues.

Moreover, just a few days ago, there had been a major newspaper article highlighting Woosung Group as the top private-sector supplier of apartments that year.

As he prepared to turn the next page, Manager Choi looked up, drawn by a voice.

"Good morning, everyone."

Seok-won entered with a slight smile, wearing a tailored suit that fit him perfectly and sporting a side-parted hairstyle that made him look like a model.

"Welcome, Team Leader!"

Manager Choi and the other team members stood up to greet him as he approached.

"Everything's been fine, I hope?"

"Yes. The index has been moving sideways, but fortunately, the stocks we've invested in are steadily trending upward."

Since he had been receiving regular updates from Manager Choi while in the United States, Seok-won gave a small nod.

At that moment, Deputy Manager Jung Hwan-yeop chimed in enthusiastically.

"Our separate trades are also generating solid returns."

"Oh, I heard about that. I was told your day trading performance has been quite impressive."

"My skills are nothing compared to yours, Team Leader, but I've managed to make some profits while you were away," Jung said, grinning.

"Your flattery seems to have improved," Seok-won replied with a teasing smile.

"It's not flattery! I mean it sincerely," Jung said with mock seriousness.

"When I first came here, I remember hearing you call me the 'orange parachute.'"

Manager Choi, who had been listening, suddenly choked on his coffee and wore an awkward expression, while Jung waved his hands in denial.

"No, no! You must have misheard."

Watching Jung's flustered reaction, Seok-won couldn't hold back a laugh.

"I was just joking."

"Ah, of course, I knew that!" Jung said, laughing awkwardly and retreating in embarrassment.

Turning his attention to Manager Choi, Seok-won said, "I'm heading up to the president's office. Don't mind me and keep working."

"Understood."

Just as he was about to leave, Seok-won paused, remembering something.

"Oh, I almost forgot this."

He handed a shopping bag to Hong Jae-hee. "I felt bad for making everyone work while I was away, so I brought some small gifts."

Hong's eyes lit up as soon as she heard the word "gifts."

"Oh, Team Leader! You're so thoughtful!"

"You didn't have to buy anything," Manager Choi said, though he couldn't hide his delight.

"It's nothing big, so just share it among yourselves."

"Thank you!"

Jung eagerly bowed his head as the other team members chimed in with gratitude. Smiling, Seok-won left the office.

As soon as he was gone, Jung leaned in close to Hong, who was holding the shopping bag.

"What's in the bag?"

"Step back, Deputy!" she said, frowning.

"Come on, just shake it a bit. Is it heavy? Or light?"

Watching Jung's playful antics, Manager Choi rubbed his temples.

"Will he ever grow up?"

"Don't bother, sir. You know what he's like," said another team member, Yoo Seok-hyun, with a sigh.

"Fine," Manager Choi relented. Checking his watch, he said, "There's still 20 minutes before the market opens. Let's see what's inside."

"Yes, sir!"

Hong opened the shopping bag and placed four gift boxes, neatly wrapped, on the conference table.

"Three rectangular ones for the men, and this square one must be for you, Hong."

The unique shape of one box made it easy to distinguish.

"There are no name tags, so it seems the gifts are similar," Yoo said, picking up a rectangular box and unwrapping it.

"It's a tie."

"It looks expensive. Our Team Leader is part of a chaebol family, after all. He wouldn't buy just anything, right?"

The dark blue tie, with a subtle brand logo, exuded sophistication.

Hong, examining the logo with sharp eyes, let out a small gasp.

"Oh my, this is from a French luxury brand!"

"What?"

Jung checked the tag on the back of the tie and widened his eyes. "Wow, you're right!"

"Let me open mine," Hong said excitedly.

Her gift was perfume, also from a French luxury brand. Recognizing it instantly, she exclaimed, "This is the one I wanted but couldn't afford because it was too expensive!"

Manager Choi and Yoo, meanwhile, admired their new ties with happy expressions.

"Look at this, Hong. Doesn't it suit me?" Jung asked, already swapping out his old tie for the new one.

"It's just a tie, but it really changes your look," Hong replied.

"Right? Our Team Leader really knows how to treat his team," Jung said with a wide grin.

Amid the excitement, Manager Choi glanced over the partition to ensure they weren't attracting too much attention.

"Ahem."

Clearing his throat, he addressed the team. "The market opens soon. Let's wrap this up and get back to work."

"Understood, sir!" the team replied.

As the employees returned to their desks, Manager Choi sat at his own, sneaking a glance at the tie he had just received. Holding it against his neck, he smiled as he admired his reflection in a small desk mirror.

"Expensive things really are nice."

***

President's Office, Daehung Securities Headquarters.

As the secretary opened the door, President Choi Jin-woo greeted Seok-won warmly.

"Come, have a seat."

"Thank you," Seok-won said, taking a seat on the sofa as President Choi moved to the head seat.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Coffee, please."

Turning to the secretary, President Choi said, "Two coffees."

As the secretary left the room, Choi leaned back and asked, "I thought you'd take a few days off, but you're back already. Aren't you tired?"

"I've been away for over two weeks. I needed to return quickly."

"Did everything go well in the U.S.?"

"Thanks to your support, I achieved satisfying results."

"That's good to hear," Choi said with a nod. "The stock market has been sluggish, as you might have noticed."

"Yes, I'm aware."

President Choi smiled meaningfully. "Everything has played out exactly as you predicted. Your market insight never fails to amaze me."

"I was just lucky."

"Haha, no need to be modest with me."

When the coffee arrived, President Choi took a sip and added, "By the way, I heard the Chairman transferred part of his Daehung Venture Capital shares to you."

"Yes, he told me yesterday."

Though surprised, Seok-won had expected it and accepted the news calmly.

"The fact that he gave me venture capital shares instead of something larger, like securities, probably means he's still evaluating my capabilities," he thought.

He also recalled how his older brother, Park Jin-hyung, had already been granted some shares in Daehung Textile, the group's core company, the previous year. By comparison, this didn't seem like a particularly large transfer.

"It's also likely the Chairman is drawing a clear line—giving me venture capital shares while signalling that the main group will go to my brother," Seok-won mused.

He wasn't particularly ambitious about inheriting the group, and in truth, he preferred having the lines drawn early. It would prevent potential disputes between siblings later over succession.

"His plan to promote my brother to the president of Daehung Textile at the end of the year likely serves the same purpose," Seok-won thought, dismissing his musings as President Choi Jin-woo continued speaking.

"The Chairman has high expectations of you."

"I still have much to learn," Seok-won replied modestly.

"You've been doing an excellent job. If you continue as you are now, there shouldn't be any difficulties in the future," Choi said warmly, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

Choi picked up his coffee cup again, taking a sip, as Seok-won spoke in a measured tone.

"There's something I'd like to discuss."

"Feel free to say anything."

Facing Choi directly, Seok-won continued seriously, "While I was in the U.S., I secured a significant new fund."

Choi raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You achieved results even while abroad? Impressive. The more funds we manage, the better, as the fees add up. That's excellent news."

Choi then joked with a smile, "I trust this isn't another enormous sum like the Chairman's previous deposit, is it?"

"It's a bit more than that."

"…!"

Choi froze, his coffee cup still in mid-air. Blinking in disbelief, he asked, "What did you just say?"

"I said it's larger than the sum the Chairman entrusted."

The Chairman's deposit had been a staggering 15 billion won. For this new fund to surpass that was almost unthinkable. Choi's astonishment was evident.

"Exactly how much did you secure?" he asked, setting his coffee cup down on the table.

"100 billion won," Seok-won replied evenly.

"A hundred!"

Choi's voice involuntarily rose, his eyes wide.

"Are you telling me you brought in 100 billion won?"

"That's correct."

Choi stared at him, stunned, unable to find the words to express his disbelief. Moments later, he grabbed his coffee cup and took a sip—only to immediately cough violently as the hot liquid burned his throat.

"Cough, cough! Hot!"

Seok-won quickly pulled out a tissue from the table and handed it over. "Are you alright? Please use this."

"Thank you," Choi muttered, using the tissue to wipe his mouth and the coffee stains on his shirt. Still recovering, he stammered, "So… you're saying you secured 100 billion won while in the U.S.? Seriously?"

"Yes. The funds will be deposited into our team's account within three days," Seok-won replied calmly.

"Haha, this is unbelievable," Choi said, letting out a half-nervous laugh. He shook his head, trying to process what he had just heard. After several deep breaths, he leaned forward and asked, "How in the world did you bring in such a large sum? It's not the Chairman's money again, is it?"

The sheer size of the amount made such a misunderstanding reasonable. Seok-won shook his head firmly.

"No, it's not."

"Then where on earth is this money coming from?" Choi pressed.

Remaining composed, Seok-won replied with an explanation he had prepared in advance. "It's part of a hedge fund allocation I secured through a mentor's referral while I was in the U.S."

The hedge fund he was referring to, of course, was the Eldorado Fund.

"A mentor… would that be Professor Philip Frank from Harvard?" Choi asked. Chairman Park Tae-hong had often boasted about how Seok-won was a cherished student of the Nobel Prize-winning economist Philip Frank, to the point that Choi immediately made the connection.

"That's correct."

"Ah, that makes sense. If it's Professor Frank, such a recommendation would be entirely plausible," Choi said, nodding in understanding.

Of course, Philip Frank had no idea about this arrangement. Still, knowing that Choi wouldn't confirm it directly, Seok-won shamelessly maintained his facade.

"After all the work I did for him on research papers, I figure I've earned the right to use his name once or twice," Seok-won thought wryly.

As Choi marvelled at how deeply connected Seok-won must be to his mentor, Seok-won continued playing along with his fabricated story.

"You must have made quite the impression on him," Choi remarked. "It's no small feat to bring in that kind of funding, even as a favoured student."

"Yes, I suppose so," Seok-won replied with a polite smile, though inwardly, he thought, "He's too fond of me—it's been more trouble than it's worth."

Professor Frank's frequent calls had become such a nuisance that Seok-won sometimes regretted giving him his personal number.

"You continue to surprise me, Seok-won," Choi said, his admiration evident. "With this new fund, may I assume you plan to manage it through our team?"

"Of course," Seok-won confirmed. "Will that be acceptable?"

"Acceptable? It's fantastic! With 100 billion won under management, the fees alone will be substantial. Why would I say no?"

"As expected," Seok-won replied with a nod, his calm demeanour unchanged.

"Then I'll take that as approval," he said.

"Is there anything else you need?"

"No, we have everything we need for now. The market has probably opened by now, so if there's nothing further, I'll take my leave."

"Yes, you'd better get back to your team."

With a slight bow, Seok-won stood and left the office.

Left alone, Choi Jin-woo sat in his chair, staring blankly at the now-empty sofa where Seok-won had been sitting moments before.

He muttered to himself, "The only thing I can say is… he's extraordinary."

TL/n - 

Commercial paper is a short-term, unsecured debt instrument issued by corporations, typically to meet their immediate funding needs such as payroll, inventory, or other short-term liabilities. It is issued at a discount to face value and matures in a short period, typically ranging from a few days to 270 days.