Chapter 48: Bubble Collapse (1)

Eastern European companies began full-scale privatization in the early to mid-1990s.

However… in order for me to stably swallow those companies, I need to take out money in advance and move it to Europe. This is because I need to acquire the companies in the form of a merger with a sound local company, not a speculative American capital.

Unlike in the past, now that I have Alpha Fund, it’s relatively easy to launder money through a Swiss bank, but still, the money will be tied up for several years.

In other words, I’ll be short of money.

‘This is why I’m working non-stop even at the end of the year.’

Christmas, December 25, 1989, when Romania finally achieved freedom. After returning from my grandfather’s house, I pressed my eyelids and soothed my tired mind.

“…You should take a break, Miss. Your nanny is worried.”

Ugh.

I glanced in the mirror and saw a haggard pretty girl. I haven’t been able to sleep lately because I have so much to do, going to Eastern Europe and catching up on missed classes.

“…Maybe I should.”

I let out a deep sigh and dragged my feet to bed.

“Sihyeon… tell them I can’t go to Daeha Securities tomorrow. I’ll leave the 26th and 27th to Ha Jusung, so I’ll see them on the 28th…”

-Thud.-

Lee Sihyeon changed my clothes as I lay in bed like a dead person.

“I told you not to sleep in bed with your clothes on… Come on, spread your arms… Heave-ho. Yes, yes, that’s it.”

“Ugh… static electricity.”

It’s inconvenient for women to have long hair… but I don’t want to cut it short because long hair is prettier.

“Why are you overworking yourself like this?”

Sihyeon said, stroking and tidying up my messy hair.

“It can’t be helped… The Japanese bubble will burst soon. When the Japanese Ministry of Finance announces its policy in early January, the Nikkei index will plummet.”

It’s still difficult to touch Japan, but anyway, if the index plummets, I’d be a fool not to short it. There’s nothing like this for generating cash.

Short selling, Japanese bubble, the lost decade…

I lay in bed blankly and thought about Japan’s bubble burst.

‘Did the Nikkei index drop 15% in January? … It’ll probably drop a little less because I triggered it early. Still, I think I can make about $100 million…’

100 million dollars.

100 billion won.

How many companies in Eastern Europe is this? If I invest in Russia, I can monopolize the gas industry…

Ah.

I can’t stand it.

-Thump.-

Suddenly, adrenaline surged. My pupils dilated and my heart pounded.

F*ck, this isn’t the time. Am I tired? Of course, my feelings are the most important thing in the world…

But now, this madly beating heart was calling me!

“Miss…? Weren’t you going to sleep?”

“Ha, I can’t stand this. Why was I tired? Sleep is for the dead!”

And I don’t die.

-Whoosh.-

I took off the pajamas that Sihyeon had put on me and put on a white shirt and a black suit again. Sihyeon, who received the pajamas, looked at me with an empty expression for a moment.

“Wait. You’re not going out now, are you? It’s 11 p.m.?”

I opened the refrigerator, roughly grabbed the sandwich that Sihyeon had left over, put it in my pocket, and quickly straightened my clothes.

“What are you doing? Quickly get dressed and come out! No, don’t get dressed, just grab your clothes and run out!”

I glanced back, shouted at Sihyeon, and put on my shoes. Sihyeon, who was half-naked and hurriedly followed me, grumbled with her hands full of clothes.

“Why, huff. Whew… At least, tell me… Whew.”

“Sihyeon, let’s go!”

Yen bills flickered in my eyes. It was time to pick up the money Japan had lost!

“…Sigh, I really think my life is getting shorter because of you, Miss. I understand.”

Vroom.

The black sedan flickered its lights and sped off down the road.

***

-Munch munch.-

I was rolling around at Daeha Securities headquarters, chewing on a sandwich.

“…That’s mine.”

“Oops. Ah, it doesn’t taste good.”

I ate it to fill my stomach, but it wasn’t to my taste. I have a more luxurious taste.

“Then give it to me… My breakfast…”

“Huh? Why are you still like that?”

I looked at Sihyeon with wide eyes. Lee Sihyeon looked at me resentfully and grumbled.

“It’s because of you, Miss! Who made me drive in the middle of the night? I, I’m going to eat a late-night snack too. Hot seolleongtang…”

“What are you talking about, you’ll gain weight. If you eat late-night snacks, you’ll gain weight. Don’t you know that, our Sihyeon?”

Lee Sihyeon stared at the sandwich wrapper in my hand. The tendons on her strong forearms bulged.

…I was going to say something because the sandwich tasted bad, but I’d better stop here.

I patted her shoulder and said admiringly.

“Okay, you can rest now, Sihyeon. You did well. You have to work again tomorrow, so get a good night’s sleep.”

She let out a deep sigh and lay down roughly on the sofa.

“Yes…”

“Not there, sleep in my bed. You’re fine now, but when you’re thirty, your back will break?”

Sihyeon, who hesitated next to the bed and changed into her pajamas, looked around awkwardly as if it was strange to be in pajamas at the company, and then quietly lay down in bed.

“Okay, okay. I’ll be up all night, so don’t worry.”

“…What are you going to do in the middle of the night like this?”

“Because it’s night here, but it’s different in New York? Did you forget that the stock market is open 24 hours a day?”

If it’s a department that only looks at the domestic market, you only need to work during the hours when the market is open, but if the scope expands overseas, working at night is not an option, but a necessity.

The market I’m aiming for this time is the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan, but since most of my money is held by Alpha Fund, I have to contact New York.

About an hour passed like that.

Around the time when Sihyeon fell asleep, an employee in charge of overseas affairs at Daeha Securities saw me and greeted me curiously.

“Oh, what brings you here, Miss? And on Christmas night.”

“I came to work because I had a fun idea.”

“…”

The employee’s face momentarily stiffened and then relaxed.

“Ahaha, I understand. Then shall I call the president?”

“No, no, it’s okay. It’s a holiday, so Jusung ahjussi should rest too. By the way… aren’t you resting? I thought overseas affairs would be closed today because it’s Christmas.”

“Ah, I’m on duty. I lost at rock-paper-scissors…”

Oh, poor thing.

“Hmm… wait there for a moment. Yippee.”

In the meantime, I rummaged through the belongings of Sihyeon, who had fallen asleep, and found my wallet.

“Here, a gift. A bonus of 3 million won.”

It would be a problem if it was too much, so I only put in a little.

“Oh! Th, thank you. Miss.”

The employee’s face, which was grinning with his back bent, no longer showed any signs of fatigue.

“Ahaha, I wondered why I was so unlucky lately. I see, it was lucky that I was on duty today.”

“Yes, yes, I’m lucky. The people next to me are lucky too. Hehe, right?”

I smiled brightly, stood on my tiptoes, and patted the employee’s shoulder.

“Oh, of course. Thanks to you, Miss, the company has grown so much. Joining Daeha Securities is the greatest reward of my life, really.”

The employee, who thanked me several times with a grateful bow, brought me a bundle of candy and drinks that I like, and then returned to the duty room.

-Rustle.-

I licked a Chupa Chups with my tongue and sucked on it.

The candy was delicious enough, but…

The memory of the employee who was happy to receive the bonus remained more in my memory than the sweet sensation of this candy.

‘I’m proud.’

This is what it’s like to spend money.

***

-Click clack.-

I stood in front of the computer and looked at the screen all night. I slept for about 6 hours yesterday and the day before, but… in front of the excitement close to lust that enveloped my body, fatigue was a secondary problem.

“It went up a little less here, and semiconductors are very severe.”

I muttered and scribbled a lot in my notebook. The difference between the approximate stock prices I remembered from the past and the current stock prices was written down, and all kinds of ideas were scattered with question marks.

Next to it were the financial statements of Japanese companies that I had pulled out just in case, but they weren’t very helpful.

Overvaluation and undervaluation were meaningless. The enormously accumulated bubble crushed all indicators and made the stock price rise like crazy.

And the bursting of that bubble is the beginning of the 90s.

“Futures? Would options be better… Should I just leave the short position to Youngil and go to the extreme? Sigh….”

“Ugh… Miss, stop…”

Lee Sihyeon reacted to my soliloquy, waved her arms in her sleep, and mumbled.

Only then did I look at the clock, and the hour hand was pointing to 4 a.m. It was a time when Ha Youngil hadn’t yet received the contact I sent, so there was nothing to do but make plans.

An employee who cared for me brought a heater, but it was still incomparable to the warmth of my room.

…It’s a bit cold.

When I looked in the mirror, I saw a girl who had thrown off her coat in the heat and was wearing only a thin, overfit white shirt. Not to mention the bloodshot eyes from staring at the screen.

‘It’s pretty… but it looks cold.’

Come to think of it, it was winter now.

The heat suddenly subsided.

“Ugh, ah… Achoo!”

Ugh. C-cold.

I crawled into my own bed and hugged my secretary tightly, warming my shivering body.

‘J-just let me rest like this for 5 minutes…’

In an instant, my consciousness faded.

I shouldn’t do this…

Chirp chirp.

A sparrow came to the window without notice and chirped.

Chirp chirp chirp.

The breaking morning sunlight was penetrating the dusty window and gently caressing my cheek.

“It’s… morning.”

Tsk.

This is why a child’s body is no good.

I puffed out my cheeks, shook my head, and got up energetically.

“Early bird wake up!”

The early bird catches the worm.

I have to get up quickly and diligently.

Yes, yes.