The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 4



Only Krnovel

Episode 4. bubble(2)

March 27, 1990.

Japan’s loan cap system was implemented.

The intention was to prevent real estate price increases by strengthening lending regulations.

Although it was a good intention, it ended up signaling the end of the bubble economy.

As expected, the bomb exploded and Mr. Master’s team lost their senses.

“Team leader, the Nikkei index fell by about 10 percent in one day. And real estate prices are also unusual.”

“Japanese bond prices are falling!”

Team leader Han Jeong-hoon analyzed the overwhelming influx of information.

Because he had excellent analytical skills, it didn’t take long for him to come to a conclusion.

“Just as you said, a bomb really exploded in Japan.”

“Then will the Nikkei index really fall by half as you said?”

“Maybe so.”

“Then is it really possible to make more than 10 times more profit?”

“Not only 10 times, but even 20 times is theoretically possible.”

Team leader Han Jeong-hoon quietly tapped on the calculator.

Since we invested 22 billion won, 20 times the amount is 440 billion won!

He swallowed without realizing it and fell down on the chair.

“Is this the bloodline of a chaebol family? “440 billion won.”

“How many years of salary do I have to earn to earn that money?”

“Our annual salary is 20 million won. “If you work until you die and are reborn, you won’t be able to earn that money.”

In this day and age, my dream job was a securities company.

Although they received a higher salary than large companies, they only earned 20 million won.

Of course, bonuses were received based on performance, but they were not in the hundreds of millions.

“But how did you find out this information? “This is information that even the securities firms don’t know about.”

“Could it be that you received information from the Taewoo Economic Research Institute? “Otherwise there is no explanation.”

“If the Economic Research Institute found out such information, why didn’t our securities firm respond?”

“Because the risk is high. “You’re investing with your pocket money, so there’s no need for risk management.”

Team leader Han Jeong-hoon felt that what he said was not persuasive.

However, if we did not do this, we could not accept profits exceeding 400 billion won.

Team leader Han Jeong-hoon, who had been spread out on his chair for a moment, suddenly stood up and called his team members together.

“What do you all want to do? Are you going back to the securities firm?”

“… … Honestly, I want to stay here. “It was my first time doing something that felt like work.”

Employee Lee Dong-hoon, who was in his first year at the company, said hesitantly.

Most of the work he did was changing ashtrays and delivering coffee.

Although I had always learned the work of my seniors, I felt a greater sense of accomplishment because it was my first time doing something like this in earnest.

“I want to stay here too. If you want to make 20 times your profits while working at a securities firm, isn’t there any other way than through illegal operations? “There’s no reason to go when you can legally play on the big board.”

“I will stay for now. “I don’t have to run around to get approval, and I feel like I’m working on Wall Street.”

“Then let’s just take what’s left.”

A dedicated team of four members, including team leader Han Jeong-hoon.

It was the beginning of a choice that would change their fate.

* * *

The end of April.

I confidently visited my grandfather’s study.

“Is my dog ​​here? “I don’t have time to play with my dog ​​because I’m on a business trip.”

“Everyone in the world knows that Grandpa is busy, right?”

“Hehe, sorry.”

My grandfather was really busy moving around.

There was no country from Europe to the United States that did not go to Taewo Group, calling for its globalization.

As someone who knows very well what the end of globalization will be, I really wanted to stop it.

“Grandpa, please receive a gift.”

“Did my dog ​​write a letter for money?”

I handed out the envelope.

My grandfather took the contents of the envelope and smiled broadly.

“It’s a certificate of passing the qualification exam!”

“Look at your grades too. “I got a perfect score.”

“Hehe, it’s very grand.”

My family has been lacking in acting skills for generations.

My grandfather must have already found out that I passed the exam a few days ago.

It is easy to find out whether the chairman of a large company ranked third in the business world passed the qualification exam.

You must have been waiting for me to speak first.

So, instead of going to work today, he was waiting in the study until I came to visit him.

“Grandpa, starting tomorrow, I’m going to start preparing for the American university entrance exam.”

“already? Instead of taking a break this year and starting next year?”

“There is not enough time. If you want to enter college next year, starting now is not enough.”

“Hehe, what’s so urgent? “Is someone chasing you from behind?”

Whoever is chasing me, it’s because of the group’s bankruptcy.

Whenever I see my grandfather who is so relaxed, my heart feels tight.

There is not much time given.

“It’s because I want to graduate from college quickly and work with my grandfather.”

“My puppy is very special. Let’s see. What should I give as a gift for passing the qualification exam? “Can I give you some pocket money?”

From now on, grandpa’s pocket money has no meaning.

When initial capital was insufficient and pocket money was needed, the initial capital problem was solved thanks to the Japanese bubble.

It’s time to worry about things other than money.

“I want to go on a trip as a gift.”

“When you say travel, where are you talking about?”

“I heard you are going to Saudi Arabia this time. Can I follow you there too? “I really want to visit the Middle East.”

“Hehe, my dog ​​wants to go, but can’t I take him anywhere? “But you’re so busy studying, do you have time to travel?”

“Do not worry. “I made all plans to study on the plane.”

“Then let’s do it. “I’ll tell Director Choi everything, so let’s go to Saudi Arabia together.”

In fact, it is a tight time to study.

Nevertheless, the reason I wanted to go to Saudi Arabia was because of my connections.

You have to build up your network from a young age so you can use it when you need it.

* * *

Not long after my grandfather went to work.

A group of four securities men, called Mr. Master’s dedicated team, were called to the house.

The purpose was to receive a report on the profits earned from the Japanese bubble crisis.

“Come and sit down. Everyone’s faces are very hurt.

“There was no time to rest as we tried to make a profit.”

Realizing profits was not an easy task.

They must have worked all night to receive money from foreign insurance companies, securities firms, and banks.

In particular, among the insurance policies, there was one issued in the United States, and I heard that Team Leader Han Jeong-hoon personally traveled to the United States.

“Now, shall we settle the account? Team leader, please start the briefing.”

“Hmm, let’s start settling the accounts. First of all, the expected profit is 478 billion won. It is expected that all profits will be realized before the second quarter of next year, and the total amount of profit realized currently is KRW 121 billion.”

They are definitely outstanding people.

Even though I provided the information, this is a dedicated team that analyzed the information on their own and realized maximum profits.

“Very good. “As per the contract, I will pay 1% of the realized profit as a bonus to my team members.”

“Um, are you sure? “1 percent is over 1.2 billion won.”

“If four people split it, it would be roughly 300 million won each. However, we can’t send you money to a Korean account, so everyone should open an account overseas. “Everyone knows how, right?”

“It’s not difficult to open an account, but are you really giving me 400 million won as a bonus?”

There are so many doubts.

Actually, in this era, the annual salary of an assistant securities man was around 20 million won?

I guess this reaction comes because I earned money in a few months that would be difficult to earn even if I worked all my life.

“The settlement ends here. Please provide the data in report format. “Then shall we begin the next investment?”

“Are you saying this again?”

“Why do you hate it? ah! “You want to go back to the securities firm.”

“Oh, no! “I want to be with you, Master.”

After all, the power of money.

This is a dedicated team whose loyalty has significantly increased since they were given a bonus of 300 million won.

Just by looking at the burning eyes, I could feel the will to make the next investment quickly.

“The next investment is in the Middle East.”

“Speaking of the Middle East, is it related to the Chairman’s visit to Saudi Arabia this time?”

“It’s not really related. “You all know that the atmosphere in the Middle East is ugly these days, right?”

“Are you talking about the war between Iran and Iraq?”

Iran and Iraq fought a long war from 1980 to 1988.

Both countries poured all their efforts into the war without gaining anything, and ended up with huge debts.

The situation in Iraq was especially serious, and I pinpointed that and asked Team Leader Han Jeong-hoon about it.

“Iraq has incurred more than $500 billion in debt due to the war. Will it remain silent?”

“An agreement to end the war was reached through the mediation of the UN, but are we really going to start another war?”

“500 billion dollars is equivalent to 500 trillion won. “It is an amount that would not be strange at all even if a coup took place inside Iraq.”

The team members nodded quietly.

Perhaps because he made a lot of money by investing in the Japanese bubble, he was listening carefully to what I was saying.

To others, I was just a high school student, but to the members of the dedicated team, I was not just a child, but a third-generation chaebol and leader with excellent insight.

“Then do you expect Iraq to go to war again?”

“Who does Iraq hate the most now?”

“Isn’t it Iran? “I think the resentment is deep as we’ve been fighting for eight years.”

“No. “In the first place, I hate a colleague who betrayed me more than an enemy.”

“When you say betrayed colleague, are you really referring to Kuwait?”

Iraq’s biggest supporter in the last war was Kuwait.

However, as the war stalled, Kuwait cut off funding.

“Do you think Iraq could have won the war if Kuwait had continued to help? So Kuwait will seem more hateful than Iran.”

“Are you saying that you hate a sister-in-law who stops you more than a mother-in-law who hits you? But would you go so far as to start a war?”

“Iraq is shaking right now. Historically, in order to unite a shaky internal one, you tend to create external enemies.”

In fact, it was difficult for anyone to predict what the Middle East would be like now.

Because I knew what the future would bring, I was able to strongly advocate for war, and because I was a loyal team member, I did not object much.

“Are you saying that we should proceed with investments in anticipation of war between Iraq and Kuwait?”

“Yes. “Iraq and Kuwait have a Gulf, so we can call it the Gulf War.”

War makes money.

Moreover, if that war was the famous Gulf War, it goes without saying.

Anyone could make a lot of money if they could predict when a war would start, who would win, and when it would end, and I was the only one who knew that information.

“Let’s create an investment portfolio.”

“Everyone knows that when a war starts, oil prices soar, right?”

“Are you thinking about futures trading? “Futures trading is the highest risk investment.”

Team leader Han Jeong-hoon voiced his concerns.

He was a stock marketer who prioritized safety over risk.

Well, gifts are dangerous.

10 billion won can become 0 won in one day, and in the worst case, you can die under an astronomical amount of debt. However, on the other hand, the futures market was a miraculous market where 100 million won could become 10 billion won.

“The time of war I expect is early August. At that time, we pull up the leverage as much as possible and bet on a rise in oil prices. Until then, recover as much of the money you invested in the Japanese bubble as possible.”

“Now oil prices have stabilized. “In Saudi Arabia, we are even planning to increase production.”

“So now is the right time. As soon as the war begins, oil prices, which have fallen, will skyrocket. It’s a business where you can eat at least two to three times more. “If I invest with maximum leverage, how much more can I do?”

“… … In theory, up to six times more is possible.”

“Then I can have 12 portions left over.”