Chapter 16: Is it normal for the gold profit rate to be this high?
| |Stock Name| | |Profit/Loss (KRW)| | |Balance Quantity| | |Purchase Price| |
| |Gold 99.99K| | |2,788,887,042| | |135,478| | |59,050| |
| |Category| | |Profit Rate| | |Evaluation Amount (KRW)| | |Current Price| |
| |Cash| | |35.21%| | |10,788,887,042| | |79,840| |
“What, when did this happen?”
Just two months ago, the profit rate was clearly around 9%, but now it has inexplicably changed to an unbelievable 35%.
With an investment of 8 billion won, my net profit was around 2.8 billion won.
This was the money I had earned in a little over three months.
“Unbelievable…”
I couldn’t close my gaping mouth as I stared at the phone screen incessantly.
“With 10.8 billion won in liquid assets, 1 billion won for the nursery land purchase, and 2 billion won for the officetel… so my total assets would be…”
I had roughly around 13.6 billion won after deducting the car and miscellaneous expenses.
Starting from 10 billion won, it had increased by nearly 40% in less than a year.
“Gold truly is the lifeline of my life.”
Feeling my confidence in gold grow even stronger, I called Mr. Kim Seon-gi again.
“Mr. Kim? Are you done with the meeting?”
[Yes, it just finished. Have you checked it?]
“Yes, I did. But is it normal for the gold profit rate to be this high?”
[It’s unlikely. It’s not for nothing that it’s considered a safe asset. Gold is an asset with a relatively small range of fluctuations, but as the value of the dollar plummets and news of wars breaks out here and there, money is pouring into gold at an alarming rate.]
“Is it okay to sell this now?”
[Are you sure? It might be better to hold on to it a bit longer. There’s a chance it could go up further….]
“I’m already quite satisfied with this amount. After all, nothing lasts forever. There’s no telling how far this boom will last.”
[Song Sajanimeun… You’re truly impressive. It’s really not easy to control that thing called ‘greed’. I’m learning a lot from just watching you.]
“Hahaha. You’re making me blush. Is there any tax I need to pay separately?”
[No. If it were a gold ETF or fund there would be a 15.4% withholding tax on dividend income, but the KRX gold exchange is tax-exempt on capital gains. You’ll only have to pay the transaction fee, which is around 0.3%.]
“That’s good to know. Alright, I’ll contact you again soon.”
[Yes. Congratulations once again.]
As soon as I hung up the phone, I immediately placed a sell order for all of my gold holdings.
It would take at least three days to convert the proceeds from the sale into cash.
“I should buy a building.”
It seemed like a waste to leave such a large sum of money in a savings account.
I decided that I should purchase a decent commercial building to generate cash flow.
I immediately called Kim Jung-nam, director of “Namyo Chilse Real Estate” right away.
“Chief Kim, are you available to talk?”
[Of course! Boss Song’s call is something to wake up for, even from a deep sleep.]
His blatant flattery was a bit too much, but strangely, I didn’t feel any sense of repulsion.
I guess that’s part of being talented too?
“I’m calling because I have some extra money and I’m thinking of buying a building.”
[Oh! What type of building are you looking for?]
“I’m looking for income-generating property. I want to receive rent to generate cash flow.”
[Do you have any budget in mind?]
“Hmm…”
Scratching my chin, I pondered for a moment before stating the amount I had in mind.
“I think somewhere around 5 to 6 billion won would be just right.”
[Well… I think that amount would be enough to purchase at least a small building.]
Kim Jeong-nam swallowed his surprise at the unexpectedly large amount, but he quickly regained his composure and asked calmly in a professional tone.
[Do you have any specific areas in mind?]
“Not really, but I would definitely prefer it to be in a busy area. Chief Kim, could you please put together a list for me? Let’s schedule a day to go look at some properties together.”
[Of course. I’ll compile a list of exceptional properties and get in touch with you.]
“Yes, please do. I’m counting on you.”
With that, I turned a profit of 2.8 billion won in the bustling lobby of the library, and having placed an order to purchase a building for 6 billion won, I hummed a tune and started people-watching again.
“Dae-woon oppa!”
With a cheerful wave, a female student approached from a distance.
She had a charmingly petite face and a small but well-proportioned figure, the kind of petite body that guys find attractive.
It was Kim Joo-hee, whom I had first met during orientation and had become quite close with since then.
As the floral-patterned hem of her dress fluttered in the wind, the attention of all the male students nearby instantly shifted to Joo-hee.
I could feel their envious and jealous stares directed at me.
‘Don’t be fooled by her looks, you guys.’
Contrary to her cute and innocent appearance, Joo-hee had a rather outspoken personality.
“Why are you so late, huh! I thought I was going to starve to death.”
“Hehehe. Sorry, sorry. The professor said he just had one thing to say, but I didn’t expect it to turn into a whole lecture.”
Joo-hee, who had sat down next to me, patted my back and glanced around.
“Has Yoo-jin unnie and Ga-haeng oppa not arrived yet?”
“They said they would be here soon, but they just left a while ago… Those two are hopeless. There they come.”
In the distance, two young men and women approached with hurried steps, breathing heavily.
“Heh, sorry for being late, hyung. Ugh, it’s all because of Yoo-jin.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re the reason we’re late because you always drag your feet.”
Ga-haeng and Yoo-jin, who were always bickering whenever they met, were close friends of the same age who also took care of each other in crucial moments, making it hard to tell if they were enemies or best friends.
Either way, they were interesting guys to watch.
“Stop arguing! Let’s grab some food first. It’s already…”
Checking the time on his wrist, it was 12:20 PM. The next class was at 2 PM.
If they hurried, they had time to eat and chat at a cafe.
After having a hearty meal at a nearby budaejjigae 1Budaejjigae is army stew, which is a popular Korean dish restaurant, we went to our regular cafe, which we used as our hangout.
The four of us slouched on the plush sofas, each holding a glass of iced Americano in our hands.
“Ugh… Why is keeping up with schoolwork so tough?”
Ga-haeng’s complaint was met with nods of agreement from Yoo-jin and Joo-hee, as they wearily nodded along.
“I agree, the students here are on another level… Back at my old school, getting an A+ was a breeze, but here everyone works so hard that it’s so overwhelming to keep up.”
“Hehehe. But isn’t that a good thing? That you’re holding your own among such students.”
“It’s nice, I guess. I remember when I first got my student ID, I kept taking it out of my wallet and looking at it, but now I don’t even look at it anymore.”
And so, the four of us spent our time chatting about all sorts of trivial things.
Most of it was meaningless chatter, but our hearts felt more relaxed and joyful than ever.
“I’m nervous about the Human Resource Management class.”
“No kidding, Professor Min is really tough. I heard he’s famous for giving out a strict grade.”
Human Resource Management was a class that all four of us took together.
“There’s no way to get out of it since it’s a major requirement. Sigh.”
“He said he’ll announce team assignments today and that he told us to form our teams in advance. We’ll be in a team, right?”
At Yoo-jin’s words, Ga-haeng nodded as if it were obvious.
“Of course. Let’s show what transfer students are capable of.”
“Sigh…”
Just then, Joo-hee let out a deep sigh.
“Why the sigh? Joo-hee, did you find a different team? If so, you don’t have to team up with us. Seriously.”
Startled by Ga-haeng’s words, Joo-hee waved her hands frantically.
It seemed like the sigh had just slipped out without her realizing it.
“W-What are you talking about? Of course, I’m in a team with you guys.”
“But why such a deep sigh? Is there something wrong?”
“Sigh… Actually…”
Joo-hee’s explanations were like this.
A guy in their Human Resource Management class had been acting friendly towards her lately and kept pestering her to team up for the upcoming assignments, even after she had politely declined.
“In that case, you should just firmly reject him.”
“I did! But he doesn’t give up. He keeps blabbering nonsense about how he’ll guarantee an A+ if you join his team and you won’t even have to do anything. It’s really annoying!”
“That’s crazy. Who does he think he is?”
“I don’t know. He says his dad is CEO of a mid-size company and he claims he can solve any assignment for us. Ugh… He’s kind of weird.”
Wrinkling her white, round forehead, Joo-hee shuddered.
“Man, is his dad that great? What a joke.”
After unleashing a barrage of insults at the suspiciously flirtatious guy, it was already close to 2 o’clock, and we headed to class.
***
Management Building, Room 201.
Buzzing
The classroom was bustling with student chatter, perhaps because the professor hadn’t arrived yet.
Clatter
Soon, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with thin-framed glasses and neat pomade style walked in.
It was Professor Min Dong-won, the Human Resource Management professor.
The noisy classroom fell silent under his sharp gaze and cold demeanor.
Known for his harsh personality, extremely difficult exams and assignments and stingy grading, he was nicknamed the “Min of the Lion” among the students.
“I’ll take attendance.”
With his cool voice, attendance was taken, and the class began immediately.
Although he had a notorious reputation, Professor Min Dong-won’s lecturing skills were remarkably excellent.
He not only explained concepts in an easy-to-understand way, but also brought in real business cases, making his lectures more engaging.
Professor Min Dong-won, who had been engrossed in his lecture for some time, glanced at the clock on the wall.
“Today’s class will end here. I’ll announce the team assignment. Teams should consist of a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 5 members. If you have preferred team members, form your team first. If some of you are unable to form a team, I’ll randomly assign you to one.”
At that moment, a male student raised his hand.
“Professor, what’s the assignment?”
“You’re quite eager, aren’t you, student? I was about to explain that.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Embarrassed, the guy who scratched his head quietly took his seat.
“Since the course is called ‘Human Resource Management,’ each company must have various benefits and treatments for its employees. Each team will select one company and create a presentation on the benefits and treatments that are available there, as well as how these affect the employees.”
Murmurs arose from the students.
“Sounds easy, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. Nowadays, you can find that stuff just by searching the internet.”
Perhaps hearing the students’ whispers, Professor Min Dong-won adjusted his glasses and added,
“The evaluation criteria will prioritize ‘initiative’ and ‘reliability.’ The information found on the internet may lack reliability.”
“Professor! Does that mean we should go directly to the company in person?”
In response to someone’s courageous question, Professor Min Dong-won responded expressionlessly,
“That would also be a good approach. Whether you conduct an ‘interview’ in person or have a ‘phone call,’ that’s up to you. I will only judge based on the final results. Keep in mind, this assignment will have the most significant impact on your grades.”
With that, Professor Min Dong-won opened the door and walked out, seemingly indicating that no further questions would be tolerated.
As if a dam had burst, students began to gather and chatter with excitement.
“Ugh. This assignment looks really tough, doesn’t it?”
“What exactly are we supposed to do? Even if we can’t get the full picture, we at least need to meet someone from the HR department, right?”
“Hey, hey. I know a guy who works in the HR department of a medium-sized company. Anyone want to team up with me?”
“Oh! Please take me with you, hyung. Please.”
As the sounds of teams being formed echoed everywhere, Ga-haeng-i and Yoo-jin, who were seated in the front row, turned their heads towards me.
“The four of us will form a team, right?”
I nodded in agreement, as if it was obvious.
“Of course we are. Are you okay with that, Joo-hee?”
“I’m more than okay with it. Hehe, as long as it’s with unnies and oppas, I feel confident….”
At that moment, a dark shadow loomed behind Joo-hee.
“Joo-hee, have you formed a team yet?”
