Chapter 9

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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If you ask who makes the most money at a securities firm, most would say the executives.

“But that’s not true at all. Of course executives get more in fixed income, but prop traders make much more in incentives.”

Today too, the start of the day was Chief’s vitamin-like voice.

She seemed possessed by a sense of mission to pass on all kinds of tips to her assistant, and continued speaking.

“So prop trader grades exist at every securities firm.”

“Grades?”

“Yes. When you were in school, they ranked you by grades, right? Securities firms are the same.”

Prop traders also have rankings, and they compete within that.

Now I understand why everyone’s nerves are so sharp and they’re desperate to devour each other.

“Low-grade prop traders handle less money. Since the capital they move is low, even if they raise their return rate a lot, the incentives they receive are low, right? On the other hand, top-grade prop traders move considerable capital. They receive huge incentives even if they earn just a little.”

It varies by securities firm, but at Gwangwoon Securities, the minimum amount of money one prop trader moves is 1 billion won.

That was the minimum unit.

“So prop traders with good performance sign separate contracts, and at other large securities firms, prime-grade prop traders easily exceed 10 billion won in annual salary.”

“Wow. 10 billion? Just in salary?”

“I’m telling you, hundreds of billions is basic? The key thing to note here is that there’s a reason they get paid that much. They earn hundreds, thousands of billions for the company, so of course they get paid that much, right?”

There was a reason why students from prestigious universities jump into prop trading.

An annual salary in the 10 billion won range.

It was an amount I couldn’t grasp at all.

“But our country is at a weak level. Look at America. There are legendary prop traders there who received thousands of billions in incentives.”

“Th-thousands of billions.!”

“Hoho. It’s really an amazing world, right?”

No wonder people say stocks and real estate are the best.

A world where you earn that much money by clicking a mouse.

“Then what grade is our team?”

“We’re probably just normal grade. From what I know, the higher the floor, the higher the grade. Look, the derivatives office is on the highest floor, right? Situations vary, but on average, derivatives traders are the type that make the most money among prop traders.”

“They earn that much?”

“Yes. Those people’s monthly salary is much more than our annual salary, so that says it all. Next up are quant traders. They make algorithms with AI and do high-frequency trading, but I don’t know much about that either.”

The world of stocks is truly complex and mysterious.

But because the compensation is so huge, it seemed structured so you can’t help but have fantasies about it.

A game where there are doormats at the bottom, and only the top 1% eat the big money.

“Everyone here? Let’s start the meeting a bit early today.”

“Ah, yes!”

The team leader gathered all our team members in the conference room.

But two juniors just like me that I occasionally ran into while running errands were entering the conference room.

“These are the new junior traders joining our team. As you all know, several seniors resigned due to this incident and one team collapsed. We brought the friends who were there to our side.”

So there are 4 juniors?

Maybe work will get easier?

“Team Leader. Didn’t you say new seniors are also coming today?”

“Right. But they’re not coming new. We’re promoting existing juniors.”

“What?”

Promoting juniors?

Wait. Does that mean.

“Employee Jeong, Chief Lee. From today, you two will be promoted from junior to senior.”

“Whaaaat!?”

Chief Lee Hye-rin and I froze on the spot.

Senior?

This suddenly?

“W-wait a moment, Team Leader. These juniors to senior? Chief Lee Hye-rin has some experience, but honestly even that’s too fast. But even Employee Jeong Jinho? Isn’t this too radical a promotion? Even looking at all securities firms, there won’t be such super-fast promotion!”

Deputy Manager Yang Mi-ju’s voice was thoroughly angry.

But I understand.

Even I don’t know what’s going on, so what about Deputy Manager Yang Mi-ju and the other traders?

“There’s a reason for that. Like how Employee Jeong’s return rate in the mock investment conducted over the past few days was the best on our team.”

“Team Leader. That’s mock investment. It’s completely different from real investment, so you’re promoting him just because that was briefly good?”

“It’s already decided. You all know. In the end, this field is all about return rate. And with the team collapsing, the capital we have to handle has increased. Do you know what that means? Our team’s incentive gets higher.”

“Then all the more.”

“Stop. It’s already decided.”

When Team Leader Park spoke in a sunken voice, the team members couldn’t protest anymore either.

In that heavy tension, Team Leader Park spoke to us two.

“Employee Jeong, and Chief Lee. You see those two seats set up over there?”

“Ah, yes.”

“That’s a desk set up for you two. The equipment team employees will explain in detail how to use each function, so listen and learn well.”

It still didn’t feel real.

Are we really becoming seniors?

“Think of today as an adjustment stage, just learning how to do it. You don’t need to run from today. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s really start the meeting. Oh right. And Employee Jeong. From today you’re not an employee but a chief. And Chief Lee moves up to deputy manager.”

“!?”

“T-Team Leader!”

“Now. Let’s start the meeting. Did you forget? We’re now pulling in money from other teams too. If you want to make lots of money, focus.”

It was a meeting where a storm had swept through.

————————————————————————————————————————

“For now, we’ve installed a total of 6 monitors. If you need more, please contact the equipment team.”

The equipment team employee began explaining my new desk step by step.

“The two main monitors are dedicated to the HTS program. You can trade by putting up real-time charts and order books. The left dual is for news feeds and research reports. The right dual is set up for monitoring market trends and sector-by-sector fluctuation rates.”

“There’s so much.”

“Yes. Prop traders have to move even a second faster. We also changed the keyboard to a specially made one. Orders go in with one shortcut key.”

The employee pointed to F1 through F12 on the keyboard.

“Buy order is F1, sell is F2. And so on. We set it up like this. If you click everything with the mouse one by one, you’ll miss the timing. Until you get used to it, we recommend sticking a keyboard shortcut chart next to you.”

A dedicated keypad was already installed on the desk. It was to quickly input numbers.

“We also expanded the fiber optic network separately because orders can pile up when trading volume explodes. We also optimized monitor response time. Even 1ms late won’t do.”

I nodded but was breaking out in cold sweat.

Using such cutting-edge equipment to do actual trading.

It was on a different dimension from mock investment.

“Lastly, we also set up alert sounds to prevent order mistakes. When order volume is larger than usual, or when quotes are abnormal, a warning sound will ring, so please note that.”

“Ah, yes.”

“At first everyone finds it difficult, but you’ll get used to it soon. Then I’ll be going.”

I never used dual monitors that everyone used even when gaming.

There are 6 monitors here.

But Team Leader uses 9.

I feel like 3 would be enough, so what screens does he have up that he needs 9?

“Jinho. Did you finish hearing the explanation?”

“Ah, yes. Chief. No. Deputy Manager!”

“Ugh. Don’t do that. I’m shy.”

Two people who thought they’d run around like dogs today like other juniors, but suddenly became seniors and ended up sitting in front of such expensive equipment.

“Don’t be too scared, Jinho. We can definitely do well. Like when we did mock investment, we just have to do the same thing!”

“.Deputy Manager. Your legs are trembling right now.”

“Eek.”

Does the guild leader know I became a senior?

Maybe if he knew, he’d jump in surprise?

But seeing there’s no word, maybe he doesn’t know well what’s happening below.

“Chief Lee. Employee Jeong. No. Should I call you Deputy Manager Lee and Chief Jeong?”

Then Deputy Manager Yang Mi-ju approached us with a sharp voice.

“You two. The company atmosphere is like this, and you’re smiling? Plus, aren’t you thinking? When the team leader said he’d promote you to senior, you should have absolutely refused saying it can’t be. You grabbed at it?”

Her venomous eyes were telling of her uncomfortable mood right now.

“I can’t acknowledge you two. And you know, right? The money we receive differs according to our team’s performance. But if our performance gets wrecked because of you two, I really won’t let it go. You understand what I mean?! So even now, if you can’t do it, go to the team leader and tell him. To retract it.”

I’ve felt this since last time, but Deputy Manager Yang strangely seems to vent all her daily frustration on Deputy Manager Lee Hye-rin.

Since I’m next to her, it feels like she’s beating us as a set.

I understand.

A new employee who just arrived is getting promoted to senior, so it must be an eyesore.

Plus in prop trading where team performance is at stake, all the more.

But Deputy Manager Lee Hye-rin is someone who made a lot of effort to become a senior.

While working as a junior with me, she never once slacked off.

If there’s something I don’t know, she kindly teaches me, and she takes the initiative to do work.

She was a person with a heart like an angel as much as her face.

It was sad to see someone putting down such a person that much.

“Deputy Manager. I understand well. I think you can stop now.”

“What?”

“Team Leader said it, didn’t he? This field ultimately evaluates by return rate. So don’t worry. We’ll also prove it with performance. So we won’t become a burden to this team.”

Deputy Manager Yang Mi-ju looked at me as if absurd.

“Ha. Go ahead and do well. It’s also good to quickly realize what not knowing your place means.”

Deputy Manager Yang returned to her seat irritably.

“J-Jinho. Why did you do that? You didn’t have to.”

“Sorry. I got emotional too. Because it seemed like Deputy Manager Yang has been bullying only Deputy Manager Lee since last time.”

“It’s okay. Isn’t that what working life is?”

“But we’re in trouble. I said we’d prove it with performance. What if I ruin everything?”

“Hoho. I believe in you, Jinho. You showed your skills during mock investment too, right? You’ll definitely do well. Fighting! Let’s survive today!”

I also clenched my fist tight just like Hyerin who was cutely clenching her fist.

And I took a deep breath and sat down.

During mock investment, I wasn’t really scared even betting money recklessly, but now having to do that with real money, I already feel a chill down my spine.

‘Ah. I spoke too boldly for nothing.’

But the water is already spilled.

Then I have no choice but to really show it with return rate.

Plus don’t I have one special ability that others don’t know?

‘Let me see. The amount I have to operate is. Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands.’

1 billion?!

I never even thought they’d throw 1 billion at me right from the first day.

In my entire life, I never saw or touched money like 1 billion won.

I didn’t even see it in games.

‘I heard from Deputy Manager Lee earlier that the minimum amount for prop traders is 1 billion.’

Mock investment didn’t even give 1 billion.

But as soon as I become a senior, they throw real 1 billion won and tell me to move it?

‘Is this company out of its mind?’

————————————————————————————————————————

“Ugh. Annoying.”

Deputy Manager Yang Mi-ju gulped down cold water.

What on earth is Team Leader thinking?

Those two suddenly to senior?

If those two mess up the investment, it all directly connects to the team’s performance?

There are incentives from individual performance, but incentives from team performance can never be ignored either. But if team performance breaks because of those two.

“Then I really won’t let it go!”

Plus talking back to a senior like heaven.

So rude.

“Deputy Manager Yang~. You seem quite prickly today?”

“If you came to scratch my nerves, get lost.”

“No. Deputy Manager Yang seems particularly sensitive to Chief Lee. No. She’s deputy manager now, right? To Deputy Manager Lee. Deputy Manager Lee is about due to move up to senior, right?”

“What do you mean due? She’s still far off. And what’s with that new employee? How can such super-fast promotion happen?”

“As expected, Deputy Manager Yang didn’t know.”

“What?”

The deputy manager from another team looked around briefly, then spoke quietly.

“That new employee. He’s family with the CEO.”

“Wh-wh-what!?”

“Originally only team leader level knew, but I heard from a friend in HR. Now it makes sense, right? Why such radical personnel action came out.”

“W-wait. Then, did I just mess with a royal family member?”

“Well, as if they’d hold a grudge over just that. You didn’t say anything harsh, right? I hope there’s no lingering resentment. Then I’ll go first. Have a good day today~!”

“..”

Deputy Manager Yang just stared blankly into space like that.

“Deputy Manager Yang. The market’s about to open, aren’t you going? Deputy Manager Yang?”

She seemed dead while standing.