Rose was just as surprised by Ellie’s sudden arrival.
Ellie sat down next to me.
“Hello, you must be Rose McDowell? It’s nice to meet a celebrity I usually only see in fashion magazines, especially in a place like this.”
Rose quickly composed herself and smiled.
“Nice to meet you.”
Then, looking at me, she said, “I see you have a thing for models. In that case, I think we’d get along just fine.”
Looks like that’s how it appears.
I set her straight. “She’s not a model, she’s a lawyer for Golden Gate.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Ellie leaned forward and said, “I have a question for you too. Where did you learn that bad habit of hitting on other people’s boyfriends?”
“Are you talking to me now…”
Before she knew it, Ellie’s expression had turned terrifying. Rose, who looked like she was about to get angry, quickly shut her mouth, seemingly overwhelmed by Ellie’s intensity.
“What are you doing? Usually in situations like this, wouldn’t you jump up and run away?”
“Y-you’re a real piece of work!”
Even as she said that, she did exactly as Ellie said, jumping up and running out of the restaurant as if fleeing. While walking away in a hurry, she twisted her ankle and almost fell to the ground.
It was like watching a scene from a reality show. Surely there aren’t cameras around, are there?
I was half surprised and half delighted. “What brings you here without a word?”
Ellie narrowed her eyes and looked at me. “I came to keep an eye on you, just in case something like this happened.”
“Huh! Really?”
Then Ellie smiled brightly. “Just kidding. I happened to have a business trip to headquarters, and I volunteered to come because I also wanted to see Jin-hoo.”
“Ah, I see.”
So that’s why she came to New York.
“Anyway, I’m impressed. You didn’t fall for a blonde bombshell who’s seduced even famous Hollywood actors.”
“……”
It wouldn’t have happened, but if I had fallen for it, it would have been a disaster.
I said decisively, “Bombshell? She’s not even half as pretty as Ellie.”
“Hmm, really?”
“Of course.”
Ellie smiled, brushing her hair back. She’s not just pretty, she’s full of charm. And lovely too.
Hearing her story, she said she had just arrived and came straight here. When she called the penthouse from the lobby, Taekgyu told her I was here.
“Were you drinking alone?”
“Yes. I was just about to finish this and get up.”
“Then let’s get up now.”
“Huh?”
“We’re going on a date.”
“Aren’t you tired if you just got off a plane?”
“It’s okay. I have the energy for a date.”
For reference, Ellie’s stamina is better than mine.
“Where do you want to go?”
“Shall we go to Times Square?”
“Sounds good.”
***
I woke up to the alarm.
Through the glass wall of the bedroom, I could see the towering skyscrapers and panorama of Central Park. It really hit me that I was in New York.
Ellie was already washing up and getting dressed. Her stunning figure caught my eye. I was quietly admiring her when we made eye contact as she was putting on her blouse.
“Kyaa! What are you doing? How can you just wake up and stare at me without saying anything?”
“Because you’re too beautiful.”
Ellie quickly fastened her blouse buttons. “Jin-hoo, hurry up and get ready too.”
“Okay.”
After washing up and getting dressed, I went out to the living room, and Taekgyu was already there.
Breakfast was set on the table. The menu was salad and Eggs Benedict.
We had a light breakfast with coffee and got into the prepared car.
“See you later.”
“Okay.”
Ellie got out at Golden Gate headquarters, and Taekgyu and I headed to a stately building nearby.
We were guided in by security. The exterior of the building looked like it was built during the Renaissance, but the interior was state-of-the-art. Lights were embedded in the ceiling, and the walls were full of electronic displays and monitors.
It was my first time here, but it felt somehow familiar.
That’s because this place is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) located on Wall Street. It’s the world’s largest stock exchange and the center of world finance.
Taekgyu glanced around inside. “I feel like I’ve seen this place on the news a lot.”
“It’s on all the time. Especially when stock prices plummet.”
When crises or events like Brexit happen, pictures of brokers gripped by panic are plastered all over the newspapers.
In case of crisis or disaster, they even close the market. It’s a measure to prevent unstable situations from immediately affecting the financial market. Recently, they closed for a week when the Big One occurred.
The reason we came here today is to ring the Opening Bell that announces the market opening.
When there are newly listed companies, the representative comes out and rings the Opening Bell, but on days when there are no listed companies, they hold an event inviting famous people or VIPs to ring the Opening Bell.
At my explanation, Taekgyu said as if something came to mind, “Didn’t President Gak-ha come here once and ring it before?”
“Probably.”
“But President Gak-ha is probably lying on the cold prison floor right now, resenting you.”
“……”
Why are you bringing that up now? Let’s stop talking about President Gak-ha.
Anyway, back when I was working part-time in a university club and investing in stocks with the 1 million won I earned, who would have imagined that I would be ringing the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange?
Before the event, I exchanged greetings with exchange officials. They subtly expressed their wish that Caros Holdings and M Pizza, etc., would be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Just because a company is registered in a certain country doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be listed on that country’s exchange. Korean companies are listed on foreign exchanges, and conversely, foreign companies are listed on KOSPI or KOSDAQ.
Usually, they consider which exchange to list on, taking into account capital market laws and regulations, investor accessibility, and size.
The more excellent listed companies there are, the larger the exchange becomes and the more fees it earns. That’s why various exchanges are competing to attract unlisted global companies.
Naturally, the larger the exchange, the easier it is to attract funds. That’s why many large Chinese companies list on the New York or Hong Kong Stock Exchange rather than domestically. (Alizini is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and WeChat and Xiaomi are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.)
But I don’t know if there will be a time for listing. The reason for listing on the exchange, that is, an Initial Public Offering (IPO), is to raise investment funds.
But we have so much money that it’s not really a problem. In fact, companies that do not have difficulty raising investment funds deliberately delay their listing time. That way, they can sell their shares at the best possible price.
Hundreds of people were gathered inside the exchange ahead of the opening. Their ages ranged from people my age to elderly people with white hair. Mostly men, but there were women too.
This place isn’t like a brokerage branch where anyone can enter. Only people with trading licenses can enter. Therefore, just being here means you can be considered the top elite in the financial world.
At one point, my dream was to become a successful stockbroker and set foot in the New York Stock Exchange.
Leaving Taekgyu, who dislikes showing his face to the media, behind, I stepped up alone to ring the Opening Bell.
Of course, the market doesn’t actually open because you ring the Opening Bell. It’s just ringing the Opening Bell to coincide with the market opening time.
The market would open automatically even if you didn’t ring it.
I rang the Opening Bell in time for the market opening. The bell rang loudly, and people applauded all at once. Camera shutters clicked everywhere.
Indices and stock prices moved on the electronic displays and monitors. Perhaps due to expectations of a trade war resolution, the index started up almost 1 percent.
Brokers quickly checked the electronic displays and shouted out quotes.
Instead of leaving immediately, Taekgyu and I watched the scene for a while.
“It’s like a marketplace.”
“It is a marketplace.”
This is the most important market in the world. The items being traded are stocks, not goods, and the transaction amount is astronomical, that’s all.
It’s a strange thing to think about.
It’s just numbers changing on a screen, but people cheer and sigh while watching it.
Buildings, cars, smartphones, etc., are visible. They are created by industrial capital. But financial capital is not visible to the eye.
Whether it’s stocks, bonds, or money, it’s just numbers displayed in an account. But those numbers can cause a perfectly good factory to go bankrupt and someone’s home to be foreclosed on.
That must be the power of finance.
Suddenly, this thought came to me. If there is someone who can control these numbers, could it be said that they dominate the world?
After leaving the New York Stock Exchange, we looked around Wall Street. The bodyguards followed at a slight distance.
I wore a hat pulled down low and sunglasses. There were many people dressed similarly, and there were a lot of Asian tourists, so no one paid attention to us.
“Are you going to Golden Gate?”
“No. I have someone to meet.”
Coming here reminded me of someone.
I don’t know his name. All I know is his workplace and face. I don’t know if I can find him with just this, but there’s no harm in checking it out.
“You only know his workplace and face? Where does he work?”
“JP Morgan.”
“That’s a famous financial company.”
“Yeah. I’m going without an appointment, so I don’t know if they’ll let me in.”
“Isn’t your face a free pass anywhere?”
“Maybe?”
Well, surely they wouldn’t turn away the CEO of OTK Company at the door.
“Who is it anyway?”
“Well… oh! I think that’s him.”
I was surprised to see the person walking towards us.
He was in his early 40s. A blue-eyed blond Caucasian man. He was wearing a perfectly fitted black suit and carrying a briefcase. He was walking quickly while talking on the phone, as if he had an urgent appointment.
“……I’ll meet you there and explain. I’m doing my best. I explained that part well to the client. Yes. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”
I quickly approached him and spoke to him.
“Excuse me.”
He was walking and talking on the phone and didn’t even notice me approaching until he turned his head.
“What is it?”
I asked him. “You work for JP Morgan, right?”
“Yes, I do. What’s the matter?”
So, it is him.
I said, happily, “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
He scanned me up and down. “I don’t know what it is, but I’m not interested, so ask someone else. I’m busy, so excuse me.”
I blocked his path as he tried to walk away. “No, just a moment, please. I just wanted to say hello.”
He frowned slightly. “Look, do I look like I have that much free time?”
If a stranger from Asia came up to him like this, it would be annoying. But what if it was an acquaintance from Asia?
I took off the hat and sunglasses I was wearing.
“You’re on an important call, and you’re already busy as it is… Huh!”
He looked at my face with an unbelievable expression.
“S-surely not Kang Jin-hoo? Oh! My god.”
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
Taekgyu asked me in a low voice, “Who is this guy? Do you know him?”
I whispered his identity to Taekgyu. Then Taekgyu looked extremely pleased, grabbed his hand, and shook it vigorously.
“Wow! Nice to meet you! I can’t believe we’re meeting here like this. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Ah, yes. I, I’m also glad to meet you.”
He shook hands, but still looked utterly bewildered. “But do I know you?”
I had never actually met him, but I knew him from before.
It was none other than the man who was next to me when I saw the vision of the Big One. The gold Rolex on his right wrist was still the same.
According to the vision I saw, he was in Palo Alto when the Big One hit and lost his life there. But due to preparations for the earthquake, mandatory business closures and evacuations began, and business trips would naturally have been canceled.
I thought he would be alive, but I’m so glad to see him in person like this.
“What’s your name?”
“Barnes Willis.”
“If you have time, would you like to have a cup of coffee?”
At my words, he beamed. “M-me?”
“Do you have an appointment right now?”
“Ah, yes. I was on my way to meet my team leader…”
“Give me your phone.”
I took his phone. Fortunately, the call was still connected. When I put it to my ear, a voice flowed out.
[Hey! Who are you talking to? Kang Jin-hoo? Surely you don’t mean that Kang Jin-hoo?]
“Who is this Kang Jin-hoo you’re talking about?”
[The guy who made a killing during Brexit, that’s who.]
“Yes. I am that Kang Jin-hoo.”
[What? Yes? Really?]
“Hello, this is Kang Jin-hoo. I met Mr. Barnes Willis on the street and was going to have a cup of coffee, would you like to join us?”
Then the other person replied enthusiastically, “[O-of course! I’ve been wanting to meet you!]”
I smiled and said, “Great then. Coffee’s on me.”
thanks to chapter