A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 15

Silence continued for a while even after Chairman Lim Man-seok left the conference room.

President Lim Do-hyun let out a quiet breath and ended the meeting.

"We will stop here for today. Please submit the response plans for each department by tomorrow."

The executives stood up all at once, bowed, and left the conference room.

After a while, only President Lim Do-hyun and Managing Director Lee Tae-jun remained in the conference room.

Lim Do-hyun stood up and slowly walked toward the window.

At that moment, Lee Tae-jun followed and spat out some words.

"Isn'

t the Chairman really going too far? This crisis isn'

t even your fault, President, so how could he tell you to take responsibility. This is nonsensical."

Lee Tae-jun was filled with anger in anyone'

s eyes.

He did not hide his emotions, as was his temperament.President Lim Do-hyun laughed shortly while looking out the window.

"When was he ever not like that? My father is originally that kind of person. Responsibility to others, credit to himself. That'

s been his whole life."

Lee Tae-jun clenched and opened his fists, unable to swallow his anger.

"Still, it'

s too much. This is a crisis for the entire company. If he'

s not going to help, he shouldn'

t say things like that."

President Lim Do-hyun slowly turned around and met Managing Director Lee Tae-jun'

s eyes.

"Don'

t try to understand. Even I, as his son, cannot understand my father. How could I know that dark heart."

Deeply suppressed resignation and a cold sneer were also harbored within his words.

"Don'

t worry. Don'

t we have what we prepared?"

At Managing Director Lee Tae-jun'

s words, President Lim Do-hyun nodded with a fishy expression.

"How much profit did we take this time?"

Lee Tae-jun looked around once and then answered quietly.

"I'

ll have to calculate exactly, but it'

s roughly about 110 billion won."

Lim Do-hyun laughed small upon hearing that.

"Good, with those funds, we'

ll be able to sufficiently prepare for the next move."

The eyes of the two men shone.

***

While Taeseong Construction was noisy, I, Lim Hyunjun, was having breakfast leisurely with my family.

Neat side dishes and warm seaweed soup were placed on the dining table.

Vice Chairman Lim Do-kyung, my father, spoke.

"Our son is on vacation, should I send you abroad or somewhere?"

I took a large scoop of rice, put it in my mouth, and shook my head.

"I'

m busy during this vacation because of studying. I'

ll go on a trip later, slowly."

My mother, Madame Kang Ji-yeon, who was listening to those words, tilted her head slightly and spoke.

"Studying is good too, but during school years, you should also hang out with friends and play a bit. You won'

t be able to play if it'

s not now."

I looked at my mother and smiled softly.

"Yes, Mom. I'

m getting along well with my friends too."

After finishing the meal with my parents, I thought to myself before returning to my room.

'

They are such warm people that I wonder if it'

s okay for me to be loved this much.'

My current self, Hyunjun, was the model student itself, but it wasn'

t like that before.

Even when I used to cause trouble all the time, my parents embraced me warmly.

I knew that if there was a child who acted like a rascal to that extent, it would be natural to get angry several times as a parent, but they always tried to understand me.

In fact, no matter how much of an adult someone is, their arms tend to bend inward for their child, but they also scolded me sternly when I did something wrong.

They always loved their son while wishing for me to grow up properly.

That was their own way of loving their child.

Of course, the original Hyunjun seemed not to have noticed, but my current self understood their hearts sufficiently.

I prepared to go out, packed my bag, and came down to the lower floor.

Vice Chairman Lim Do-kyung had already gone to work and was not there.

I spoke to Kang Ji-yeon, who was sitting in the living room drinking tea.

"I have an appointment for lunch today, so I'

ll be out."

"Okay, it'

s quite hot. Be careful not to get heatstroke."

"Yes, I'

ll be back."

I left the house with a smile.

I took the subway with familiar steps and headed somewhere.

It was the HJ Partners office.

I was just about to meet CEO Choi Seo-jun, who returned to the country yesterday.

As I entered the office, cool air greeted me.

Entering the representative'

s office directly, I felt the familiar coffee scent.

"CEO. Have you come?"

Choi Seo-jun stood up and greeted me warmly.

I nodded, approached, and sat in the seat.

"You'

ve worked hard, CEO Choi. How is the US?"

"I would'

ve suffered a bit if I had stayed longer. The food didn'

t really suit my palate."

I laughed loudly.

"Foreign food is like that. You can eat it once or twice, but it'

s greasy."

"That'

s right. I'

m not the type to be picky with food. But later, I got tired of it and ended up looking only for Korean restaurants."

The two of us made various jokes and then got to the point.

Choi Seo-jun opened his mouth first.

"It would have been big trouble if I hadn'

t sold when you said, CEO. It was truly perfect timing. I still feel my heart tremble when I think of the day after we sold."

I gave a faint smile and shrugged my shoulders.

"Shall I say I was lucky. What can I do about the oil price suddenly plunging?"

"That'

s right. Because Saudi suddenly announced a production cut, the market froze in an instant. Phew. The day we sold became the peak. If we hadn'

t sold that day, we would have seen huge losses instead of profit."

I, Lim Hyunjun, nodded and took a sip of the coffee prepared in advance.

The sweet coffee lingered in my mouth and made me feel good.

"It'

s a relief that the result is good."

"I was really surprised. At first, I thought it might be too early a sale... I couldn'

t help but marvel at your insight, CEO."

I laughed lightly and changed the subject.

"How is Kevin Lee doing?"

"He'

s adapting better than I thought. He'

s also consistently receiving alcohol addiction treatment well. Lately, he even goes to the lab often. He was revising the algorithm he made."

"Good. That person has a natural talent, so if you just create a good environment, he'

ll do well on his own."

Choi Seo-jun nodded as if agreeing with my words.

"What do you plan to do with the US side in the future?"

"First, since Kevin has returned, let'

s have him take charge of the new business team. Please make it an autonomous structure. So that it can move centered around developers. Also, receive only minimal reports."

"Yes, I understand."

I nodded and continued.

"After you sold, CEO Choi, I put 100 billion of the profit back into derivatives betting on the fall of oil prices. I set the leverage at 20 times. I'

m sorry for not telling you in advance."

Choi Seo-jun looked at me with surprised eyes.

"You put that amount of money back in?"

"Yes, about 100 billion won. I thought it would fall significantly once anyway, but the timing was a bit fast. Shall I say that was also lucky?"

Choi Seo-jun swallowed hard.

Then he opened his laptop and checked the account.

In fact, after selling, he hadn'

t been able to pay attention at all because he was finishing work in the US.

Moreover, it was because I had no separate instructions to invest.

Soon, Choi Seo-jun let out a strange sound in surprise.

I, Lim Hyunjun, read through the newspaper, acting as if I didn'

t know because I thought he might be embarrassed.

"Gasp. CEO, how did this happen?"

"......"

The amount Choi Seo-jun checked last after selling was around 140 billion won, including the profit.

However, the amount currently stamped on the account was money that had multiplied several times.

"...540 billion won."

Choi Seo-jun opened his mouth in surprise and stared at me blankly.

I, with a smile, said calmly as if it were no big deal.

"I was really lucky. The oil price plunged overnight."

A high school student who says such things as if it were nothing.

Choi Seo-jun, perhaps unable to believe it at all, just blinked his eyes before bursting into laughter like a crazy person.

Then he asked me.

"CEO, I'

m asking because I'

m sincerely curious. Do wealthy people get some separate information or something?"

It was a joking tone, but his gaze looked sharp in some way.

I put down the coffee I was drinking as if it were nothing and opened my mouth.

"Haha, there'

s nothing like that. It'

s just that I'

m lucky."

Fortunately, Choi Seo-jun did not notice that my fingertips, as I roughly glossed it over, were trembling minutely.

Although it was called a coincidence, the situation that fit perfectly every time like a ghost was clearly strange.

My heart was even nervous while Choi Seo-jun was doubting.

'

...Phew, I should be careful in the future.'

I felt as if I had been caught, but on the outside, I looked very composed.

Who would believe that a person sees the future if they make eye contact?

I braced my heart again.

If anyone found out about this ability, it would only be a matter of time before I became a crazy person.

While I drank coffee with a composed face, Choi Seo-jun checked the numbers before his eyes once more.

540 billion won.

It was a profit difficult to believe even by common sense.

To see it simply as being lucky, the timing and investment strategy were too sophisticated.

To think the person who achieved this was a mere high school student.

Choi Seo-jun marveled inwardly while looking at me.

'

Just how can he make this kind of decision at that age?'

Instantaneous judgment.

Insight that pierces through the market.

And even the courage to bet that big money without hesitation.

It was at a point where even the word genius was insufficient.

If the courage was at this level, he even looked forward very much to what kind of work I would do in the future.

If it were a normal person, I had done something that they wouldn'

t have even been able to attempt because of fear, as if it were nothing.

Choi Seo-jun felt an unknown thrill at that sight.

Of course, derivatives were dangerous and shouldn'

t be touched.

That'

s why Choi Seo-jun had been worried, but I had said.

"If you can'

t invest this time, you'

ll probably regret it. It'

s something you can'

t do if it'

s not now."

Just as I said, it was an opportunity that wouldn'

t come again if it wasn'

t then.

Who else could multiply investment funds this perfectly in a short period?

Choi Seo-jun thought there was no one but me, no matter how much he thought.

He was curious about the future of the high school student sitting and reading the newspaper calmly as if nothing were wrong.

A strange emotion arose deep within Choi Seo-jun'

s heart.

Even though they were leading the company together and going toward the same goal, the path I was walking looked like a point that a normal person could not reach.

And he might be accidentally accompanying me at the beginning of the legend I was creating.

If he walked the path with me, it seemed like he would be able to see a world he hadn'

t experienced until now.

'

...I don'

t want to let go.'

Choi Seo-jun resolved deep in his heart.

And he muttered like a monologue.

"Just what is in your future."

I, who was reading the newspaper without hearing, raised my head and met eyes with Choi Seo-jun.

I gave an awkward smile.

Then Choi Seo-jun asked aloud.

"CEO, what is your next goal?"

My pupils sparkled as I looked up while folding the newspaper.

A future that no one has reached was contained in those eyes.

"CEO Choi, do you like Iraqi food?"