From the moment 1 billion won piled up, the atmosphere was that the game was over.
It’s natural to think that way. To win, I need to accumulate 993.56 million won, but how can an ordinary college student come up with that kind of money?
Chae Myeong-ho looked at me and said, “Do you think I trusted my parents? Don’t be mistaken, senior.”
I nodded my head.
“I know. MCK Wholesale is yours, right?”
Chae Myeong-ho inherited 87 percent of MCK Wholesale shares by paying a gift tax of 1 million won during his elementary school days. After that, MCK Wholesale grew at an incredible speed by monopolizing the food supply to Master Chicken. It was a typical tactic of concentrating all work for a legal inheritance.
A bottle of sauce that can be bought for just 20,000 won in stores becomes 30,000 won through MCK Wholesale. Even if the price of raw chickens in the market drops, the price of chickens supplied by MCK Wholesale continued to rise.
However, franchisees couldn’t purchase ingredients separately. All ingredients must be purchased through MCK Wholesale according to the franchise agreement.
Franchisees had no choice but to purchase expensive ingredients with tears in their eyes.
In short, MCK Wholesale grew by absorbing the profits that franchisees should have originally had.
Thanks to this, even though it is still unlisted, the company is known to be valued at over 20 billion won.
To think that he inherited a company worth 20 billion with just a gift tax of 1 million – indeed, Korea is a great country.
How much cash could he possibly mobilize in a short period? The likelihood is probably between 1 to 2 billion at most.
“So when exactly are you going to show me how fun this is?”
“Just wait a moment.”
I got up from my seat. Then, Yuri asked, “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to consult with a major loan company and come back.”
As I left the bar, I called Sangyeop senior first.
[Ah, Jinhoo.]
I got straight to the point.
“How much cash can we mobilize immediately at K Company?”
[Around 350 billion.]
“What about more than that?”
“If we use the stocks we hold as collateral, we could go up to 1700 billion.”
I realized I might be able to buy Master Chicken outright.
Perhaps sensing something unusual, Senbae Sangyeop’s voice turned serious.
“Why? Is it something bad?”
“No, it’s something fun. I will send Taekgyu over there now, so please follow my instructions.”
After giving instructions, I hung up the phone. Then I called Taekgyu this time.
“Can you come over now?”
“No. I’m busy playing a game.”
“Stop that and help me.”
“What’s the matter?”
I briefly explained the situation, and his attitude changed instantly.
“I’ll come right away.”
“You said you were busy playing a game?”
“I find that more exciting than playing games. Hold on, my friend.”
After ending the call, I returned to my seat.
This time, Kyeongil asked.
“What’s up with the big company?”
“They approved the loan, just have to wait a bit.”
“How much did you borrow?”
I pointed to 1 billion and said, “Much more than this.”
Chae Myeong-ho laughed as if in disbelief, and the others had similar expressions.
Of course, unless it’s a loan shark, it’s impossible for a college student to borrow more than 1 billion.
But what if OTK Capital steps in?
While others anxiously watched, I chatted and drank beer.
From the start of the game, I wasn’t particularly concerned about Chae Myeong-ho; instead, it was Yuri who I was concerned about. For some reason, Yuri seemed completely unconcerned.
Would I really do everything that guy asks me to do if I lose?
There’s no need to keep a promise just because you made it; it’s not inherently binding.
So, did I never intend to keep the promise from the beginning?
It doesn’t seem likely. It’s more like believing that I will win or feeling like there are other options.
Time continued to pass.
Chae Myeong-ho looked at the phone on the table and said, “There’s 30 minutes left.”
“Now is about time for it to come.”
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a small car with a game character stuck on it arrived in front of the pub. Taekgyu got out of the driver’s seat, swung open the pub door, and shouted as he came in, “I have arrived, my friend!”
The unusual character who suddenly appeared in the pub made it quiet inside.
“Why are you so late?”
“The traffic was a bit heavy.”
Yuri nudged my side slightly and asked.
“Who are you?”
“I’m a friend who lives together.”
Upon hearing that, Yuri quickly got up and politely bowed her waist.
“Hello. I’m Shin Yuri, a junior of Jinhoo sunbaenim.”
Taekgyu was pleasantly surprised.
“Oh! You’re Shin Yuri? Nice to meet you, I’m Oh Taekgyu.”
“Yes, nice to meet you too. I’ve heard a lot about sunbae Jinhoo.”
“I’ve also heard a lot about Jinhoo.”
“Feel free to speak comfortably.”
They exchanged greetings affectionately, as if they were siblings meeting after a long time.
Taekgyu asked me, “So, who is the son of the chicken headquarters known for bullying?”
I pointed ahead.
“Him.”
Taekgyu glanced at Chae Myeong-ho and remarked, “Looks very much like a chicken. But can we expel a flower swallow-like kid who barely makes a living selling chicken?”
“If you feel sorry, you can order some chicken later.”
“No, I’ve quit Master Chicken.”
Chae Myeong-ho’s expression twisted slightly.
“So, what’s the favor?”
“He’s following behind. Ah, he’s arrived.”
A black SUV stopped. Three men got out as the door opened – a man in his early 40s wearing a suit and glasses, and a young man in a security uniform with “SECURITY” written on it. Each of them carried a black Boston bag in their hands.
The man in a suit approached and greeted me, “Nice to meet you. I’m Yoo Sung-moo, the manager of the Golden Gate Gangnam branch.”
“Oh! Nice to meet you.”
I stood up from my seat and grabbed his hand.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from my older sister. She mentioned you were a senior at our school.”
“Haha, that’s correct. It’s been a while since I visited near the school. I heard from the CEO and brought what you requested.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
Two Boston bags were placed on the table.
I unzipped the Boston bag.
“Now, let me show you something fun.”
Shuffle!
A pile of grey bills poured out onto the table. A total of 500 bills. The guy stacked 50,000 won bills, but these are 100-dollar bills.
“A total of 500 million dollars.”
I asked the branch manager without a meteor shower.
“What is the current exchange rate?”
“It’s 1,108 won.”
I said to Chae Myeong-ho.
“Heard that? Then it’s 5.54 billion won. Add 6.45 million won to make a total of 5.54645 billion won. If you can stack 4.54546 billion won in the next 17 minutes, you win. Otherwise, submit your withdrawal letter tomorrow.”
Chae Myeong-ho was so shocked he couldn’t speak.
“T-That can’t be real. This can’t be happening…”
“If you can’t believe it, see it for yourself.”
I picked up one stack of bills and threw it in front of him. The manager, came forward, picked up the bills, and examined them.
The branch manager handed him a business card.
“This money was just taken from the Golden Gate vault. In case of counterfeit bills, Golden Gate will take responsibility.”
The roaring sound spread out.
“Did you hear? It’s Golden Gate.”
“It’s the world’s largest IB.”
“How on earth…?”
No matter how one may have a 20 billion-won company, it is impossible to arrange 4.54546 billion won in cash within 17 minutes.
Taekgyu watched the situation with a look of approval.
As time nearly ran out, Taekgyu counted down while looking at the phone timer on the table.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…”
Suddenly, everyone in the pub started singing together.
“Oh! Four! Three! Two! One!”
Beep beep beep!
As the countdown ended, the phone rang.
I looked at Chae Myeong-ho and said,
“It was nice meeting you today; let’s not see each other from tomorrow.”
Crash!
Chae Myeong-ho slammed the table with his fist and stood up abruptly.
“What’s your deal? Why are you treating me like this?”
“And why are you behaving like that?”
He shouted as if in agony,
“Damn it! What did I do wrong?”
Before I could say anything, Taekgyu stepped forward and reprimanded him,
“Do you still not know what you did wrong? Your chickens are so small-sized! If you had a conscience, you should use grade 10 chickens, but I suspect you are using grade 9. You recently raised the price by 2,000 won, and now I’m so annoyed I can’t order anymore. You shouldn’t do that if you think about the chicken people nationwide. Got it, you chicken-like punk?”
Translate:
“······.”
What’s this supposed to mean?
I thought, but surprisingly, some seemed to empathize. When someone started clapping, everyone followed suit.
Clap clap clap!
I gently patted Chae Myeong-ho’s shoulder, who was standing there dazed, and offered words of comfort.
“Life is all about real actions, buddy.”
“······.”
In the end, he couldn’t take it anymore and abruptly left the place. The men behind him hastily packed 1 billion in 007 bags and vanished.
Golden Gate staff also packed the $5 million on the table into Boston bags. This had to be taken back and deposited in the Gangnam branch vault.
I generously handed over the 6 million won I had drawn to Gwadae.
“Don’t collect club fees today, use this. The rest we’ll use for the next gathering.”
“Oh, thank you, senior.”
As I tried to leave with Taekgyu, Seon-ah grabbed my arm.
“What’s going on?”
“What?”
“Where did that money come from?”
I pointed at Taekgyu.
“My friend has a lot of money.”
Then I added one more thing.
“I have more.”
***
Whether he dropped out or not, Chae Myeong-ho didn’t show up at school the next day. Even if he did, he’d probably be too embarrassed to show his face.
Senior Gyuwon apologized to me, feeling sorry. Understanding his feelings as someone who had been through a similar situation, I readily accepted his apology.
As expected, the rumor spread like wildfire.
My name became known throughout the entire school, including the Business School, Humanities College, Engineering School, and Arts College.
We met Senior Sangyeop after a long time, enjoying steaks as we chatted. Upon hearing my story, Sangyeop burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! I should have been there too. The expressions must have been really worth seeing.”
Taekgyu nodded.
“It was really fun. I almost missed a great sight for playing games.”
We clinked our glasses.
“If Senior had come, the kids would have gone crazy.”
In fact, the biggest issue at the school currently is not me but Senior Sangyeop.
Once a legend at Korea University, Sangyeop from the Math Department lived as a homeless person on campus after withdrawing his housing deposit and made over 3 billion won by investing the money, and so on.
But the end of that legend was a downfall. He lost his entire fortune due to a failed options investment, accrued debts, eventually fleeing the school from creditors, and fading from everyone’s memory.
The person who had once hit rock bottom suddenly emerged as a CEO running a multi-billion-won investment company. If that’s not a remarkable turn of events, what is?
Presently, K Company was thriving remarkably well. The value of the 24 domestic startups he had invested in skyrocketed about a year ago. Some companies shined in the B2C market, gaining wide recognition among the public, and received acquisition and investment proposals from large corporations and private equity funds in abundance.
But that’s not all. The separate 6 billion won investment made by Senior Sangyeop now exceeded 300 billion won.
Management strategies often vary depending on the size of capital. Concerns about whether Sangyeop could handle tens of billions of won in capital were unfounded.
With a large sum of investment in hand, Sangyeop dived into any opportunity that could turn into money, regardless of stocks, futures, or options, just like a seasoned gambler.
His actions resembled those of a master gambler. Meanwhile, I subtly shared occasional hints of foresight, disguising the facts thoroughly as if I heard them elsewhere.
Sangyeop meticulously analyzed the information I shared, applied his own methods to invest, and reaped profits exceeding fiftyfold within a year.
Long-term investment may be uncertain, but it’s rare to find someone who can profit this much from short-term investments.
I don’t even possess any special abilities like others, yet I managed to achieve this level of success. Even Hyunjoo praised my skills, mentioning that she hadn’t seen anyone with such talent even within the Golden Gate.
Though I provided the capital and foresight, it was Senior Sangyeop who truly grew the company to this extent. Perhaps even if I had tried myself, I couldn’t have done it as well.
One year after the establishment of K Company.
I fulfilled my promise and gave Senior Sangyeop 2% ownership of K Company. Considering that K Company’s value now exceeds 1 trillion won, it’s as if I’ve received over 200 billion won.
A small office with no employees in the beginning now resembles a proper investment firm. Over time, we’ve continued to hire more employees, and currently, we have a total of 15 staff members, including office workers.
When a consulting firm on the floor above us moved out a few months ago, we decided to expand by leasing that space as well.
Senior Sangyeop asked, sipping his beer, “So, what’s the real reason you wanted to see me?”
“Just wanted to see your face.”
“Your expression tells me otherwise. What’s going on this time?”
I put down my drink and said, “I have a feeling that something significant is about to happen soon.”
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