Chapter 83

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“How’s the current situation?”

“Apple also announced they’ll do new software updates like our Kangsung.”

“When do you think ours will be ready?”

“Probably everything will be updated by tomorrow. Since we made it hastily, we’ll probably need to steadily fix bugs after distribution.”

Chairman Kang Seong-ho felt his head heating up.

He encountered an obstacle right when he was smoothly sailing while occupying the semiconductor market together with Gwangwoon.

It was an incident that burst precisely from the US CIA.

“Why do these bastards turn others’ homes upside down and cause this chaos?”

An unidentified hacking group attacked none other than the CIA and leaked classified documents, and the biggest problem among them was a document called “Vault 7.”

It revealed that the CIA made hacking programs to access all phones humanity currently uses and look at their calls, texts, usage records, etc. Anytime.

As this document spread on the internet, people fell into great shock, and all phone companies hurriedly made new security updates.

Apple and Kangsung, currently holding 1st and 2nd place in the world respectively, took the biggest hit.

Though not written in the document, conspiracy theories were spreading that they deliberately created backdoors cooperating with the US government.

“Did we really cooperate or anything like that?”

“No. We didn’t.”

“Really not? It’s not something I don’t know about?”

“Absolutely not. If we’d made backdoors, people would’ve known already. Even if you hide backdoors, they eventually come out if you keep digging. And CIA’s hacking programs don’t come through backdoors but attack the software itself, so they weren’t needed anyway.”

Hadn’t they made so much effort to revive their brand image after the battery explosion incident?

But with the most sensitive security issue bursting, they’re about to erode the brand image they barely revived.

“The media?”

“They’ve properly sunk their teeth in. All global media are tearing into this now. But there’s talk that this leak incident was intentional.”

“Intentional. What does that mean?”

“As you know, Chairman, a financial scandal called Volmageddon burst in financial markets this time. There was really much talk that the White House joined hands with Gold Reagan to pull it off.”

But now no one in the media is talking about Volmageddon.

Because everyone’s hooked on this Vault 7 and only talking about that.

“Of course, it’s just rumors.”

Rumors that the White House is involved in this incident have been circulating quite often.

That Gold Reagan took large positions before Volmageddon burst is already a fact everyone knows.

It’s probably no coincidence that this government’s core personnel happen to be filled with Gold Reagan people.

“Even so, bursting such an issue to cover up this matter is a bit..”

Chairman Kang Seong-ho didn’t think the White House would be that much of a mess.

But looking at Trent’s previous remarks and series of actions, doubting was unavoidable.

However, thanks to Vault 7, Volmageddon disappeared from people’s minds long ago.

Also, didn’t the media blame the cause of this incident on investors who thoughtlessly put money in XIV?

“But the one who profited most this time is separate.”

“Not Gold Reagan?”

“Yes. There’s a force that used Gold Reagan as prime broker to pull off a big score and disappeared. Wall Street is also all talking about that. I hear they made 4 trillion won in two days with 2 trillion won through short-term trading.”

“..?”

Chairman Kang Seong-ho soon burst out laughing with the executives.

“That sounds more like a false rumor than saying the White House burst this issue to cover Volmageddon?”

Making 2x even with hundreds of billions won in two days isn’t easy.

Even giving two years instead of two days, making 2x isn’t easy.

That’s because of volume.

No matter how big the US stock market is, operating over 2 trillion won inevitably faces volume limitations.

Then you must diversify and invest this money in various places, and they’re saying they short-term traded that in two days to make such profits.

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“Yes. But Wall Street isn’t dismissing it as simple rumors. Though Gold Reagan’s side is keeping their mouth shut, it’s true that certain forces profited with large amounts through short-term trading.”

He understood why Wall Street is noisily talking about this.

Because even they saw an abnormal situation unfold.

“Then did the White House and Gold Reagan plot that too?”

“That’s unknown. But the reason I’m telling you this story is because talk is flowing that that force is from Korea.”

“So some force in Korea plundered the US market?”

“According to talk from Wall Street, yes. They say the large force that entered using Gold Reagan as prime broker is from Korea.”

A large investment amount of 2 trillion won originating from Korea.

Abnormal behavior of short-term trading for two days with Gold Reagan as shield.

Plus absurd profitability of earning 2x and coming out without losing money.

“Wait.”

Unraveling them one by one, there was only exactly one place that could pull such crazy things.

Where was it that always profited through abnormal investments until now?

“Don’t tell me Gwangwoon?!”

“No specific name came out. But what’s certain is it wasn’t a fund.”

Then there really was nowhere to think of besides Gwangwoon.

What other Korean force besides Gwangwoon could handle such investment funds while not being a fund concept?

Even the idea of short-term trading with trillions of won, probably no one besides Jeong Jin-ho could do it.

Crazy bastard.

He’s really amazingly good at sniffing out money.

“But is this okay? Short-term trading with that amount would’ve been more than enough to shake the market, right? If not a domestic company but a foreign company did this, the US side wouldn’t just watch, right?”

“Yes. Whether they did illegal things or not. If they short-term traded with 2 trillion won for two days and made such profits, the SEC definitely would’ve taken some action. Because there’s sufficient market disruption suspicion.”

Then is Jeong Jin-ho getting arrested?

Kang Seong-ho suddenly started having all kinds of thoughts.

“But they say the SEC isn’t imposing any particular sanctions or conducting separate investigations. They just pretended to go through formal procedures, then it fizzled out.”

“They’re not still investigating internally?”

“The SEC are quite noisy guys. If something bursts, they react immediately, so if they intended to properly investigate, they would’ve definitely made a ruckus already. But seeing it this quiet.. We should see they buried it.”

“No. They plundered so much money through short-term trading, and they’re burying this?”

“Probably they also think if they dig deep into this, names they don’t want will come out.”

Even mighty SEC has names they fear.

What would that be?

“Because of the White House?”

“Yes. They say the timing when Gold Reagan organized positions and exited and when that specific force from Korea exited were strangely similar.”

Chairman Kang Seong-ho soon showed a greatly shocked expression.

“Th-then what.”

Looking back, wasn’t it also Jeong Jin-ho who sent political funds to Trent through Kangsung?

Plus during this semiconductor incident, Trent even raised Kangsung and Gwangwoon’s hands.

Suddenly things that were uncomfortable all along seemed to click into place.

“Jeong Jin-ho is really connected with the White House?”

***

The Volmageddon incident was a big issue only briefly at that time, but quickly calmed down with the Vault 7 document leak.

“Still, it’s strange. They’re not the type to not investigate just because the media isn’t talking about it.”

After our investment concluded, headquarters mobilized the entire legal team to grasp all grounds and potentially problematic elements in our investment and prepared fully.

Especially hyung-nim left a tearful loyalty and famous saying that if problems arise about this, he’ll take all responsibility himself, but..

“Really embarrassingly, there’s been no news at all.”

Ten days passed since the Volmageddon incident ended, but there was no word from not only the SEC but even Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service.

Also, though stories came out in the media that certain forces made big money short-term trading with 2 trillion won, even that disappeared buried in Vault 7.

“Isn’t that good for us? They say the best thing in financial markets is making lots of money while getting little attention.”

“That’s true, but this incident would be hard to just pass over.”

“Isn’t it because of the White House? We used Gold Reagan as prime broker.”

“Don’t tell me the SEC misunderstands that we joined hands with the White House?”

Suddenly the talk flowed interestingly.

“The timing is exquisite. Gold Reagan also happened to have taken positions. The White House is full of Gold Reagan people. Right after that Volmageddon bursts. As if waiting, Vault 7 documents leak.”

“But a mysterious force uses Gold Reagan as shield to make tons of money and leaves?”

“Yes. Anyone would see it as connected to the White House. That’s why the SEC also didn’t dig deep and covered it up.”

“Then we got lucky? We’re not connected to the White House, but it must’ve looked like we were.”

“Well. If we’re really not connected then yes, but..”

While talking well, employees turned their gazes toward me.

“President. Are we really..?”

Don’t tell me they think I’m connected to the White House?

I smiled and shook my head.

“That can’t be.”

“…”

But everyone didn’t seem to believe me.

“What about other investment agendas?”

Before useless talk came out, I changed the subject.

“Ah. Here’s a report gathering currently attention-getting fields and those companies.”

I carefully examined the report research department employees made.

Now that the amounts we handle are in trillions of won, unless big financial issues like Volmageddon arise, there weren’t many ways to greatly increase money.

So the best methods are profiting by acquiring companies like private equity funds, or diversifying amounts to various places and receiving dividends.

Or partial selling when stock prices rise.

“…”

While examining the list like that.

One thing caught my eye.

“AI?”

AI huh.

Certainly I know investment has been actively continuing as expectations about AI amplified from late last year.

But AI technology is still crude.

That’s why some people doubt.

Can technology really develop to the level where AI and humans can have everyday conversations like in movies or novels someday?

Far more people viewed it negatively than positively.

There were quite a few people mocking that they’ll have to wait at least 20 years for programs at a level that could be called AI to come out.

So AI field stocks actually weren’t a rising field.

Because there was skeptical atmosphere about commercialization for everyday life use.

Even now, isn’t the perception strong that AI is a blockhead that can’t even properly understand our words?

“That movie Her wasn’t it? They have conversations with AI and even fall in love there.”

“But is that possible right now? At least 10 years. No. What’s 10 years? It’ll take much longer, right? And even if such technology develops, could ordinary people use it?”

Like employees’ conversation, that was ordinary people’s thinking.

“…”

But when I actually tried looking for AI side stocks, only the AI field was sparkling with intuition, but there wasn’t anything catching my eye in the actual stock list.

The message this gives is one.

I should invest in AI, but there’s nowhere worth putting money among these stocks now.

“Could you ask the research department to review AI stocks again and submit a report?”

“Ah, yes.”

Reading the report again later will take a while.

Sometimes I suddenly think thoughts like this.

Will a day come when I throw a report at AI and ask it to summarize, and it smartly organizes it on its own?

***

“President. Here’s the report brought this time. They say the research side gathered only AI side stocks as you instructed. Much more than last time.”

I briefly felt dizzy seeing the thick report, but soon nodded.

“Yes. I’ll review it.”

One fortunate thing is that though there’s no AI that quickly organizes reports, I have the ability to look at reports and decide which companies are worth investing in.

I read down the report quickly, almost scanning with my eyes.

“…”

But even reading diligently, nothing hooked me.

At least if something showed in my eyes it’d be fine, but without even one such thing, I just roughly shoved data into my head.

Could it be my intuition isn’t reacting because I’m reading too roughly?

When I was thinking such thoughts.

“Close AI?”

A non-profit company established 2 years ago.

Meaning it’s not a company made for profit purposes.

It’s a place developing AI, and only exactly here was my intuition reacting.

I inquired about additional materials to the research side.

Then shortly after, a research side employee came down directly and handed me a report.

“Here are the detailed materials for Close AI you mentioned.”

“The founders here.. Are several people?”

“Yes. Among them is someone called Mylon Tusk, one of the world’s 100 richest people.”

Mylon Tusk.

Someone with about 22 trillion won in assets, operating an electric car company called Tisla.

“Currently Close AI is a non-profit company and hasn’t gone public. However, the reason it entered the stocks is because the aforementioned Mylon Tusk put out his holdings for disposal.”

“His stakes?”

“Yes. About 45% stakes, and I hear hundreds of millions of dollars went in during company establishment. But this time it clashed with AI business Tisla is developing, so he’s washing his hands and leaving this time.”

And he’s currently looking for buyers.

The problem is it’s a non-profit company, and the scale is also small with only dozens of employees, so people don’t want to buy.

“He’s selling 45% stakes for $200 million?”

“Yes. What we estimate is that more money actually went in than that. However, as buyers didn’t appear, prices naturally went down too. Above all, it’s fatal that Close AI has had no particular achievements so far.”

In other words, it’s not very attractive for investing.

Even this place is a non-profit company so expecting profits was also difficult.

“But why..?”

Why does the light show more clearly the more I talk with the employee?

Even like a fan, multiple blades seem to rotate, and a peculiar symbol was shooting out through that light, deeply embedding in my retina.

“!?”

“..President?”

“Ah. Thank you. I’ll read the materials well.”

“Yes. Then.”

I looked down at the report again.

That pattern just embedded seemed to remain like an afterimage, floating over the report.

Like it’s nagging at me.

“Right. I just need to buy it.”

Then Mylon Tusk.

Do I need to meet this person first?