Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend1.89%Report Chapter IssueChapter 1Translator: Dreamscribe
Is it now?
No. Not yet. Not yet.
I sat in front of the computer, staring blankly at the screen.
[Hey. Jin-ho. Hurry up and press it.]
[Really, you should perform a ritual, a ritual. Man.]
"Ah. Hyungs, just wait a moment."
Then the guild member hyungs who were in a voice chat with me started nagging.
[Just press it!!]
With a voice loud enough to burst my eardrums, I reluctantly clicked the mouse.
Poof~.
It was red.
That meant a junk item appeared.
"Come on. I told you. These things are all about timing!"
[Timing, my ass.]
[It's all about natural-born luck. That box was doomed from the start. You think an S-grade weapon's coming out of that?]
"I still have one left. And this time, I'm doing it my way."
[Kekeke. As if you're gonna get anything.]
[Hey. If you get it, I'll give you 1 million Gold. For real.]
"Really? I'm writing that down, okay?"
[I'm throwing in another 1 million Gold.]
[I'll bet too, so let's see if you really pull it. Youngest.]
"No matter what, I'm going to get it this time, so all of you go hunting or something."
After sending the guild member hyungs off, I stared at the screen again.
If I click the open button, this last remaining Item Box will open.
Just like before, a piece of crap item could come out, or with a very low probability, an S-grade Item might appear. But it's not time to open the box yet.
'Just a little longer… just a little more.'
I waited endlessly.
[What? Is he still doing that?]
[Crazy bastard.]
[The more you drag it out like that, the less likely it is to come out.]
"Everyone, please be quiet."
Just when the guild members were about to start coaching me again.
I felt a tingling sensation at my fingertips, a jolt that spread through my whole body.
'Now!'
Before the feeling disappeared, I quickly clicked the mouse.
[Oh? Wait. Didn't that just shimmer gold?]
[No, no way, did it actually appear? Huh? Did it?]
Looking at the golden weapon that popped out of the box, I let out a shaky breath.
This ecstatic feeling.
Anyone who hasn't experienced it would never understand.
"It came out!!"
[Kyaaaah!]
[You crazy bastard!! Did you really get it!?]
[It came out? For real? Don't bullshit. How could that come out! The odds are insane!]
"Hehe. Didn't I tell you? This Jung Jin-ho. If he say he'll do it, he do it."
The guild members all seemed mesmerized by the dazzling golden weapon I was showing off.
"Oh right. And to those who bet 1 million Gold earlier, pay up now."
[Ugh. He actually remembered that.]
[Ah. There goes all the Gold I saved up.]
"No discounts. Pay up quickly."
The guild members congratulated me and really sent 1 million Gold each.
It was a lot of money to me, but apparently not a big deal for these hyungs.
[Wow. Jung Jin-ho. You're raking it in today.]
[Isn't that weapon worth a few million if you sell it for Gold?]
[How much is this guy making today?]
"It's all thanks to you hyungs. I'll gratefully rice-farm this." (TL Note: rice-farm is a slang here which means converting game money to real money and earning that way.)
[As if you're really gonna rice-farm.]
[He's gonna blow it all leveling up and buying items again anyway.]
[Still, thanks to the youngest, we're ending the day with a dopamine blast.]
[Hey. Did you record the item pull?]
"Psh. Of course I saved it. I'll upload it in our chatroom."
[Alright. I'm logging off.]
[Me too~ good work, everyone.]
"Oh. Take care."
After sending off the hyungs, I leaned back in my chair, staring at the shimmering golden weapon.
"All of this is thanks to this ability."
It's a bit vague to call it a superpower, but how should I put it.
With things like these gacha pulls or insanely low probability enhancements, I wait until I get a 'feeling'.
It's something hard to explain in words.
A tingling sensation spreads through my whole body, and a jolt hits, like the moment has come.
If I clicked without missing that exact moment, there were really many times when an item like this would appear.
"Of course, the problem is that I have to wait endlessly."
Waiting until that feeling comes sometimes eats up an enormous amount of time.
So there were times I gave up, but today I got lucky.
You could call it a personal ability I never told anyone about.
"If only it could tell me the lottery numbers."
It was such a fleeting ability that passed by in a split second, so of course it couldn't predict lottery numbers.
But who knows.
Maybe I just don't know how to use it properly.
Or maybe I'm just deluding myself into thinking I have a special ability.
"Ah. I'm proud of myself."
Whatever the case may be.
I did it today.
A smile just naturally crept onto my face.
"You're proud? I wish I could be proud of you too."
At that moment, a chilling voice came from behind, and I jumped and turned my head in shock.
"Huh. Mom. Wh-when did you get in?"
"This kid is so absorbed in his game he doesn't even realize his mom and dad came home from work."
"S-sorry. You must've had a tough day again."
Behind Mom, Dad followed in with a grim expression.
"How long are you going to live just playing games?! Aren't you going to get a job? Other kids your age all have jobs and even live on their own!"
"...."
"Your younger sibling already has a job and is doing fine at work. But how long are you going to keep this up?"
My parents began letting out everything they had been holding back.
They weren't wrong in a single word, so I didn't talk back even once.
"Sigh. Jin-ho. We're saying all this for your own good. If our son wants to play games his whole life, I'd love to make that possible. But realistically, that's hard. We can't be around to support you forever, right?"
"...I understand."
"Jung Jin-ho. Get it together. Before you get any older."
"Dear. That's enough. He got the message."
Dad held back the words he wanted to say at Mom's urging.
"I'll believe in you one last time. Really show us you've changed now. Got it?"
With those final words, which sounded like they'd kick me out otherwise, their scolding came to an end.
"Ha...."
There wasn't a single thing they said that was wrong.
I'm 27.
I can't keep living as an unemployed man in my parents' house forever.
To be honest, it's not like I never tried.
Even if it wasn't a top university, I graduated from a university in Seoul, and I did my fair share of applying here and there.
But after getting rejected a hundred out of a hundred times, I guess my motivation broke at some point.
That was when it started.
When I picked up the game again, which I had quit for job hunting.
"I really did slack off for too long."
At this rate, I was honestly getting scared I'd become a total shut-in for life. Maybe I was finally facing the reality I had been purposely ignoring all this time.
***
[What? You're quitting the game?]
"Yes. I even thought about selling all my game items and converting them into real money, but it's not that much anyway, and I owe a lot to you hyungs, so I plan to give everything away and leave."
[Why all of a sudden? You were doing well in the game.]
[Yeah, youngest. Did we do something wrong?]
"Oh no, it's nothing like that. Actually...."
I explained my situation from beginning to end.
That I was quitting the game to focus on getting a job.
[That's...]
[Tsk. Yeah. Your parents aren't wrong.]
[That sucks. Without our youngest, what's going to happen to this dreary guild vibe? It's already just a bunch of old guys in here.]
I felt just as bad too.
But what choice did I have.
Until I get a job and secure a stable footing, I can't afford to waste time on anything else.
-Jin-ho.
At that moment, the Guild Master sent me a message separately.
Why was this hyung messaging while being in the group chat with everyone else?
-What university did you say you went to?
-Jinseon University.
-Hmm. That's a school in Seoul, right? What was your major?
-Business Administration.
Then suddenly, he started asking about my academic background.
-Then you must've learned how to work with numbers? Stuff like accounting?
-Yes. A bit.
-Good. Then instead of going somewhere else, why don't you try coming to our company?
I couldn't believe my eyes.
-Huh?
-Don't waste time with this job hunting stuff. Just come work at our company. That way you won't have to quit the game either, right?
That hyung, he always spent freely at guild meetups and drove a nice car, so I figured he must have a lot of money.
But he was a company CEO?
When we met one-on-one, he was just a warm neighborhood hyung.
-Write up your resume and send it to this email.
-Hyung. Are you serious?
-You've done really well in the guild all this time. You've got a good character. You're polite. You've managed the raid teams well in my place. I just wanted to repay you somehow. Besides, I feel like the game won't be any fun without you.
Hearing that, I felt my eyes starting to tear up for no reason.
So this hyung had noticed all my efforts.
He was usually so quiet, I had never even imagined he had these thoughts about me.
'But... what if the company's not great?'
No. Get a grip, you idiot.
Is this the time to be picky?
Even if it's a small company, what matters is getting a job.
"Let's see...."
I received the email address the guild master hyung sent me.
Still, I was curious about what kind of company it was, so I checked the domain at the end of the email address.
The moment I checked it, my eyes widened.
"...Huh?"
He's really the CEO of this place?
***
Kwangwoon Securities, one of Korea's top ten securities firms.
It had over 10 trillion won in assets under management and was categorized as a mid-sized financial company thanks to its stable financial structure.
Though it was still smaller than the major securities firms, it had pride in being one of the top ten in Korea, and above all, its biggest strength was that it was still growing.
Because of that, it was one of the dream workplaces for young people aspiring to work in finance, and the HR Team was always busy trying to find the best talent.
"Who the hell is this?"
-Name: Jung Jin-ho
-Age: 27
A Seoul university, but nothing fancy.
Only the most basic certifications.
"No Certified Investment Manager or Certified Financial Analyst either?"
It's not like we're asking for the CFA or FRM, the MBAs of the investment world.
But he didn't even have the common finance certifications everyone else includes by default.
Normally, this would be the kind of application you'd toss into the shredder while wondering what kind of confidence it takes to send something like this. But there was a problem.
"Team Leader. This came from above."
"Above? Where above?"
"The CEO's office."
"What?"
From the CEO himself?
That meant this applicant was a parachute hire.
"Was the CEO always the type to push in parachutes?"
He was known for not hiring unless someone was clearly capable, all for the sake of the company's growth.
His own skills aside, he had a great eye for people and had grown the company from the ground up to its current scale.
"But no matter how you look at it, there's nothing impressive about this guy."
It was the first time a resume had come directly from the CEO's office like this.
It was a silent command.
Get this person in, however you can.
"Could he be family?"
"Tsk. The surname's different, but still. You don't have to share a last name to be family."
Kim Moon-sik, the Team Leader, stroked his chin.
"There wasn't any instruction about where to place him, right?"
"No."
Then it meant to place him wherever we saw fit...
But what the hell are we supposed to do with someone like this?
"Put him in the Trading Department."
It might be best to place him somewhere that's mostly hands-off, doesn't have a lot of work, and is just right for coasting.
"The Trading Department? He'll probably hate it there."
"What choice do we have. He's someone pushed from the top. There's a high chance he's related to the CEO. Besides, junior traders don't really do anything, right? Just a little mock trading and some file organizing, that's it. Send him there."
A parachute hire at our company.
Well, now that the company's this big, it's about time family members start claiming positions.
"Jung Jin-ho...."
I should remember this guy's face well.
You never know.
He might become my superior someday.
Isn't it said that in a company, bloodline matters more than performance?
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Join DiscordComments1 commentLogin to CommentNewest FirstAll CommentsRefreshANAna🔍21 days agoMore optionsThis sounds interesting, I'm looking foward to the development of his lucky feeling!
Thank you Dreamscribe for the translation!00
Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend3.77%Report Chapter IssueChapter 2Translator: Dreamscribe
"...Crazy."
I gulped down my saliva as I stared at the towering, grand building.
Kwangwoon Securities.
One of the top 10 securities firms in the country.
A company so high up that someone who barely made it into a Seoul university like me wouldn't even dare to look at.
But now I was daring to step foot into that very place.
"I haven't even told my parents yet."
I couldn't believe that I was about to work at such a big and good company, and I was afraid I might just be a nuisance and get kicked out, so I only told them I was going for an interview and left the house.
"This suit feels a bit tight."
Still, since I was living under the watchful eyes of my parents, I hadn't been eating late-night snacks or even touching any junk food, so I hadn't gained much weight.
But now it seemed like I should start working out a bit.
Just climbing the subway stairs had me totally out of breath.
"Is it really okay to start work this early?"
I received a text telling me to arrive by 6 a.m., so I rushed out to catch the first subway train.
I had a brief worry that I might be the only one there and that the company wouldn't even be open yet, but that seemed to be an unnecessary concern.
When I left home, the streets in my neighborhood were completely empty, but here in Yeouido, it was packed with office workers in suits.
'Everyone's heading to work.'
It's common for securities firms to start work at 6 a.m.
They kind of have to, since the stock market opens at 9.
To get ready before that, early arrival is unavoidable.
Brrr-.
Who would be calling at this hour?
I checked the number, and of course.
It was the Guild Master who had gotten me this job.
"Oh. hyung. No, I mean, C-CEO nim?"
[Hahaha. Hearing you call me CEO nim is weird. When it's just the two of us, just call me hyung like usual.]
He gave off a chill vibe like a cold winter breeze.
[So, have you arrived at work?]
"Yes. I'm in front of the building now. But... is this really okay? I feel like I'm just going to be a burden."
[Hey. If one guy like you could tank the whole company, it's better to just shut it down. It's fine. I checked, and it looks like the HR Team placed you in the Trading Department, so as a junior trader, you probably won't have much to do.]
"That's basically just being a salary thief."
[Still, do your best. Just like you did in the guild, treat your seniors well. You know what I mean, right?]
Even if I didn't do anything, I should at least make it look like I was trying hard.
"Yes, hyung. I'll give it my all."
[Good. Welcome aboard. Our company doesn't do OT or anything for new hires. So don't expect that. You should use that time to analyze even one more piece of data.]
"Yes. I'll work hard."
[Right. I sent you your employment gift through your character's mail.]
"Huh? Could it be… the item I said I wanted before?"
[Sharp guy. Hurry up and get inside. Oh, right! If people ask how you got in, don't say anything. No game talk or anything like that. Got it? Just say you don't know.]
"Ah, yes. hyung."
[Okay, really hanging up now.]
After hanging up, I felt a bit dazed.
The Guild Master I had played games, laughed, and joked with for so long was actually a CEO in the financial world.
And that person had hired me.
Just because I was someone he played games with.
It was a story no one would believe if I told them.
I even had a flashback of how he used to scold me for failing to dodge basic patterns during raids.
"What am I supposed to do once I get inside? Should I bow my head and greet everyone?"
I had seen in dramas where people shout very loudly announcing who they are!
"No... let's not do anything stupid."
Just go quietly and try not to stand out at all.
And definitely, don't cause any trouble!
***
Each securities firm is different, but the Trading Department is divided in various ways.
There is the Prop Trading Department, which seeks high profits through short-term trading using stocks, bonds, derivatives, and the like, taking on risk by utilizing market volatility.
Then there's the Quant Trading Department, which builds trading strategies based on algorithms and data analysis and carries out thousands of trades at once through AI using high-frequency trading.
In addition, there are teams for market making, FX Trading, Bond Trading, and so on.
There were many different teams.
People usually think that these teams are working frantically from early morning, but in fact, they can still manage to have a brief tea time.
The truly chaotic time typically starts at 8:30 a.m. when the pre-opening session begins.
From then until 4 p.m., it's a nonstop frenzy with no time even to go to the bathroom.
"Did you hear we're getting a new recruit?"
"Come on, it's not the first time. Some guys leave because they can't take the performance pressure, others leave because they get high on their own success."
The stock market is a giant casino legalized by the government.
And employees there face constant performance pressure.
Some can't withstand that burden and end up leaving, while others just happened to have a few lucky breaks and think it's all their skill, so they quit to become individual traders.
That's why securities firms, especially Trading Departments, recruit new employees more frequently than other departments.
But this new recruit seemed different.
"I heard from the HR Team that he was placed here by someone up top."
"What? Are you serious?"
"Yeah. They told us not to make a big deal about it. It'll be a headache if the whole department finds out."
"Wait. If he was placed by someone up top... you mean the CEO's family?"
"Probably."
It was as if a tactical nuke had dropped into the quiet Trading Department.
At a securities firm where performance is everything.
But in the end, it's still a company, so social rules apply.
And in any company, there are inevitably parachute hires.
In fact, it was stranger that there hadn't been any until now.
"Does the Team Leader know about this too?"
"I just found out yesterday."
Team Leader Park Hong-seo answered briefly as he poured a large amount of coffee into a cup.
He usually didn't drink coffee, so seeing him fill a whole cup like that was a rare sight.
The employees in the break room sensed they shouldn't say anything and remained silent until Team Leader Park left.
"Whew. Why does Team Leader Park look so cranky today?"
"Wouldn't you be pissed too? The Trading Department is already insanely busy, and now we have to deal with some parachute hire. I've never seen that guy drink so much coffee."
He was someone who liked sports, didn't smoke or drink, and avoided even soft drinks and coffee.
But today, it seemed like something had really gotten to him.
"What if that parachute hire starts acting like a prince and causes trouble as soon as they arrive?"
"What can we do? We'll just have to grin and bear it. Or are you going to confront him? Only Team Leader Park will suffer in silence."
That's what's scary about a parachute hire.
If they rely on their backing and act arrogant, all you can do is endure it and watch.
"Wonder what he looks like. If he's hot, maybe I'll try to seduce him."
"Ha. Go ahead and give it a shot."
As they left the break room, curious about the identity of the parachute hire.
"Hmm?"
They saw a man near the office entrance looking restless and lost.
***
"...."
Team Leader Park Hong-seo glanced at Jung Jin-ho, who was standing with his hands neatly clasped.
He should have been analyzing data and checking the international news and market changes that had occurred overnight, but he had to deal with this new recruit that had suddenly dropped in.
He didn't like the situation.
Everyone has their own routine, after all.
"Is this your first time working in finance?"
"Ah, yes. It is."
"Have you done any mock investing? Do you have any investment experience?"
"No... but if you teach me, I'll do my best!"
"...."
This was a complete newbie who would need to be taught everything from A to Z.
But now he understood why the HR Team had placed that parachute hire here.
Though there's truly a lot of work to be done from early dawn, a junior trader doesn't have much to do.
It's a position mainly for running small errands, practicing through mock trading, and gradually learning from the senior traders.
That's why they stuck the parachute hire here.
Let them keep him and train him slowly however they want.
'Once he gets a bit used to things, they'll probably try to transfer him to another department.'
Let him build a little experience as a staff member, then promote him directly to a team leader position.
It was the textbook parachute route.
In other words, he wasn't someone meant to stay in this department for long.
"Senior Staff Lee."
"Yes, Team Leader."
"Jung Jin-ho here is a new employee who will be a junior trader from now on, so Senior Staff Lee, please teach him well from the side."
"Yes, understood."
Senior Staff Lee Hye-rin, who was still unaware of the terrifying identity of the new hire, was beaming with a bright smile. Likely because she was finally freed from her role as the youngest on the team.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Senior Staff Lee Hye-rin. If you have any questions going forward, feel free to ask me."
"Yes. I'm Jung Jin-ho. I look forward to working with you."
In truth, this wasn't Lee Hye-rin's first time training a newcomer.
There had already been several new recruits, but none of them lasted long and all ended up running away.
It was understandable.
You had to arrive no later than 5:30 in the morning to prepare for the briefing and set everything up for meetings.
And as time went on, the workload intensity only increased.
Since this was a place where trades were made down to the second, you had to bring the materials the seniors needed immediately, and if you hesitated even slightly, you'd be bombarded with curses for losing money because of your delay.
This was a massive casino floor where billions of won exchanged hands in a single day.
And that wasn't all.
After surviving the junior stage, the performance pressure begans, making it nearly impossible to endure with a clear mind.
"We start with coffee. Traders live on coffee. We have to get the coffee ready for them right before the meeting. Oh, and Team Leader Park doesn't drink coffee, so exclude his!"
"Got it!"
Thankfully, this new recruit was enthusiastic.
He was jotting down everything she said in a small notebook.
Her first impression of him was positive.
"There's also material prep work. Though they won't ask you to analyze or make something on your own at the start. As a junior trader, you're here more to learn than to do. So, you have to study all the briefing documents that come out every day."
"Yes!"
Even his responses were crisp and clear, and she liked that too.
As she continued explaining this and that, a small pause came.
"By the way, Jin-ho ssi, which university did you attend?"
"Ah... university?"
"Yes. It must be one of the SKY universities. Maybe we went to the same one?" (TL Note: The top three universities are called by the SKY acronym, taken from their first letters: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University)
"...Jinseon University."
"Jinseon?"
Lee Hye-rin blinked, momentarily frozen.
First came the question, where even is that?
"It is in Seoul."
"Ahh. I-I see."
How did someone who graduated from such a university get in here?
Did that university have any connection with this company?
"The meeting's starting, so let's head in."
"Ah, yes."
***
"This time the U.S. NFP figures came out much higher than expected, right? Plus, with the CPI announcement, the volatility's grown even more. What's the situation in FX?"
"The dollar index is holding strong above the 105 mark. Since the Fed hinted at a rate hike, it'll likely go even higher. In contrast, the yen is sticking to its dovish policies, so the yen is expected to weaken."
"And foreign investors?"
"This round of foreign buying is concentrated in electronics. It's starting to look overbought. For Kangseong Electronics, for example, the PER has exceeded 12x, so there might be short-term valuation pressure."
"If foreign buying continues, it'll cause losses on the opposing positions. We'll need to do some risk management. Let's take a short position and prepare a hedge. Consider ways to cover using ETFs or futures."
"Yes, Team Leader."
They were clearly speaking Korean.
But I didn't understand a single thing they were talking about.
Even so, I pretended to listen intently and jotted down all the unfamiliar terms in my notebook.
In the conference room, the team members were actively briefing and reporting, and the Team Leader gave instructions on how to time buys and sells based on those reports.
How should I put it?
It felt like watching a game.
Like a raid leader giving detailed instructions to each raid member before a raid begins.
It was oddly familiar.
"Good. Then let's survive today too."
With that, everyone quickly scattered.
I tried to follow Senior Staff Lee Hye-rin quietly, but the Team Leader called us both over.
"Senior Staff Lee. Teach Employee Jung the basics of mock trading today."
"Yes, understood."
Senior Staff Lee came over to the desk assigned to me and opened the program together with me.
"You've done a lot of mock trading before, right? I actually won a mock trading competition held by this company when I was in college. It helped build a strong resume. Have you done it too, Jin-ho ssi?"
"...No."
"Aha~. Then you must be a real hands-on type. Someone who skips mock trading entirely."
"...."
I couldn't bring myself to say I had never invested at all.
If I did, she might get another shock after already being stunned by my university background, two strikes in a row.
"Why do we do mock trading? Great question. We can't just hand company money to a junior trader and have them invest right away, right? So we give them different tasks to build experience until they become seniors. And mock trading serves as an evaluation tool."
I hadn't even asked, but she was already answering on her own.
Still, thanks to her, I now understood why they made us do mock trading.
"If you do well in mock trading, do you get promoted to senior?"
"Yes. At the end of the day, nothing else matters in a securities firm. Performance is everything. It doesn't matter how well someone analyzes data, speaks, or handles social life, whoever makes the most money is the best."
That was both the strength and the flaw of performance-based systems.
Trrrr~!
At that moment, a loud signal rang through the office.
It was the announcement that the market had opened.
"Whoa..."
Just moments ago, the office had been calm, but now it was in chaos as everyone rushed to move.
Phones were ringing from every direction, the sounds of clicking and keyboards clattering filled the room, and the monitors all around looked like an artistic display of concentrated human madness.
"This is the most awkward time for people like us at the bottom. Until a senior calls you to fetch materials, there's nothing to do. So we use this time to practice through mock trading. Let me walk you through it step by step."
In the midst of that frenzied scene, Lee Hye-rin began teaching me how to use the program from the very beginning.
But at some point, her voice stopped registering in my ears.
'Uh, wh-what's this?'
Charts I didn't understand.
A stock list I'd never seen before.
Red and blue indicators flashing endlessly.
And then, a tingling sensation at my fingertips that sent chills through my whole body.
'Why is this happening all of a sudden?'
The "feeling" was clouding my head and creating a strong impulse.
Toward a particular stock that Lee Hye-rin was showing as an example, currently glowing blue.
If this were a box for drawing items, it felt like I would absolutely pull a good item.
If it were item enhancement, I was sure it would succeed.
That powerful intuition had taken hold of me.
'W-wait a second.'
In the end, as if in a trance, my hand reached for the mouse.
Click.
The buy button was pressed.
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Login to CommentChapter 2 - Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend - WoopRead
Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend5.66%Report Chapter IssueChapter 3Translator: Dreamscribe
"Ah. Why did you suddenly press the buy button!"
"Ah."
Damn.
I screwed up on the very first day.
I was drawn by that impulsive feeling and pressed the buy button like I was playing a game.
"You even pressed it as a market order, so it got executed right away. And do you see this? What color does it look like?"
"Blue light."
"Exactly. Blue light! That means it's hitting the lower limit."
"Then what should I do?"
"Well, what can you do? It's not like you lost real money. This is a mock trading, right?"
That was a relief.
She shouted in surprise from the side, so I thought real money was being spent.
"But there's a problem. I told you earlier, right? The reason we junior traders do mock tradings is to be evaluated by our seniors. You need to perform well in the mock trading to move on to the next stage. But you bought it all...."
Lee Hye-rin was sincerely worried for me while muttering what to do.
"But it's still okay. The mock trading funds, well, you can receive them again anytime. You never know, right? This blue light could turn into a red light anytime. Then you can quickly sell it off. But it might take quite a while for it to turn red... You heard earlier, right? U.S. interest rate hike. Because of that, all the insurance stocks are dropping right now."
"Yes. I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay. When you're a new hire, you're bound to make a lot of mistakes from being nervous. I was like that too in the beginning. Of course, because of this, the senior evaluations might not be good, but Jin-ho ssi, you're just getting started, right? Cheer up."
Lee Hye-rin.
Is this person an angel?
How can someone be so kind?
It almost seemed like there was a halo shining around her.
On top of that, her innocent beauty made it feel like being in a flower garden when you were next to her....
Ah. Get a grip.
I came here to work.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't even be able to imagine having a one-on-one conversation with a beauty like this.
And to top it off, I already made a mistake on my first day at work.
'But that feeling really was intense.'
That emotion I felt while playing the game.
That sense that my special ability had activated.
It was under that influence that I pressed the buy button.
'In the game, the feedback came immediately, either success or failure.'
But the stock market was impossible to read.
Judging from what I'd seen so far, the fact that it was still showing a blue light meant I must have misread something.
Or maybe this ability had nothing to do with stocks from the start.
Maybe I didn't have a special ability at all, and I just got lucky a few times....
"Excuse me. Jin-ho ssi? I've been explaining really hard, you're not daydreaming, are you?"
"Absolutely not."
"Hmm. Just judging by your face, it seems like you are off in your own world."
"...."
Let's just focus on work for now.
This place is a jungle full of things I don't know.
But... being taught by such a beauty makes it impossible to concentrate.
***
The stock market opening time is 9 a.m.
However, because of the pre-market matching, 8:30 a.m. is considered the real start.
And while the market closes at 3:30 p.m., due to the closing call auction, the final closing price is actually determined at 3:40 p.m.
7 hours and 10 minutes.
It was the duration of a war without gunfire that lasted all day.
Especially in the Prop Trading Department, it was the busiest place in the company.
Scalping.
A high-frequency trading method that executes trades within seconds or minutes, generating profits by following rapid bid-ask fluctuations, that's what this place was all about.
Even if you held a stock, it was for no more than a week at most, and typically, you had to sell everything before the market closed to secure funds. That was the top priority.
If you wanted to do long-term investments or hold stocks longer than the short term, this department wasn't the right fit.
For that kind of work, you should go to the Asset Management Team or the Research Team.
Those departments aim for the kind of value investment and growth investment that people love so much. But Team Leader Park Hong-seo had no desire to be in such tedious and boring places.
This massive casino board where red bars and blue bars wrestled every minute and second of the day, playing a game of nerves to suck each other's money dry.
This place, where dopamine and rage surged every moment, was the source of energy in his life.
If the stock market didn't exist in this world, he definitely would have headed to a casino.
Or he would've been glued to his phone every day doing illegal online gambling.
That's why he had no interest in the dopamine-charged social media or shorts videos that everyone seemed to be obsessed with these days.
Because this was the only place where a human could fully recharge their dopamine levels.
That's the reason Team Leader Park stayed at this company.
Can't he just do it with his own money?
That's not possible.
When you have the mindset that you're doing it with someone else's money, it allows for slightly more rational judgment. But the moment you become obsessed with the idea that it's your own money, your judgment becomes clouded.
That's exactly why successful company traders often crash and burn the moment they switch to being private traders.
"Team leader. Thanks for your hard work today."
"The real work starts now. Have the staff compile the results of today's trades and calculate the profits and losses. And Deputy Manager Kim, prepare the position report. Did you check for any unusual activity?"
"Ah, yes. I was planning to submit it along with the report."
"Good. I need it as soon as possible so I can draft tomorrow's market strategy."
"Got it."
After giving orders to his team members, Park Hong-seo took a quick break and pulled out a dumbbell from under his desk.
After the market closed, lifting dumbbells to reduce muscle loss even slightly and drinking protein was part of his routine.
And tonight's dinner would be with fresh chicken breast as always...
"...."
At that moment, someone appeared, hesitating whether or not to speak as they watched his beast-like routine.
"Senior Staff Lee. Do you have something to say?"
"Ah, yes. Team leader. Sorry to interrupt while you're working out."
"It's fine. Just warming up. What is it?"
"Well, team leader..."
While teaching the newbie, Lee Hye-rin explained what had happened.
"So the new recruit who joined today 'accidentally' bought all shares of a stock? And at market price, too?"
"Yes. He seemed to have made a mistake while receiving training from me. The stock hit the lower limit today, so I was worried he might get too harsh of an evaluation...."
"I understand what you're saying. Go prepare the briefing. Keep training the newbie as well."
"Ah, got it."
Lee Hye-rin.
People say your life reflects your character, and that saying seemed to be made for her.
An angelic appearance with a kind heart.
She didn't seem to fit well in this ruthless world where people are judged solely by numbers.
'But he made a full purchase?'
Honestly, can you even call that a mistake?
He tried not to care, but that parachute hire's sudden move kept stirring his curiosity.
"Why did he buy this?"
The stock that Jung Jin-ho had bought in full was none other than an insurance stock.
A company called JoongAng Insurance, but insurance stocks aren't exactly attractive picks.
On top of that, with today's interest rate hike concerns, all insurance stocks were flashing blue.
"Was it really a mistake?"
It wasn't even real money; it was just mock trading using fake money.
If it had been company funds, it would've been a problem, but this much wasn't a big deal.
Still, an unpleasant feeling lingered.
'A full buy was a mistake?'
Even if it was a market order, he would've had to press the buy button himself.
As those thoughts kept circling, Team Leader Park Hong-seo closed his eyes.
'Enough. Let's stop thinking about it.'
After all, he's just a temporary parachute.
There's no way he'd be entrusted with a senior role when he doesn't even know the 'i' in investment, and the company would feel the same.
So let's just watch what that guy does.
He'll leave on his own eventually.
***
"Ugh. It's already this late...."
Before I knew it, it was 7 o'clock.
I had arrived at work at 5 a.m. and had been trapped in the company for 14 hours.
But the day really flew by in an instant.
"Time really goes by fast in here. Maybe it's because this place lives on speed, and we're constantly on the move."
In the early part of market hours, the two of us didn't really have much to do.
But once trading got fully underway, errands came pouring in from all directions.
Of course, I didn't know anything, so I just followed Lee Hye-rin around and learned.
"Still, Jin-ho ssi, you did really well for your first day. Of course, there was one minor mistake."
"Are you sure it was minor?"
"Well. You think they'd reflect a single mistake in mock trading into the evaluation of a newbie who just started today? Wait. Team Leader Park might... He's a very strict person, after all."
Ah. Team Leader Park.
With muscles that looked like they were about to burst out of his shirt, and an expression that, how should I say this.
He looked like one of those by-the-book officers I saw in the military.
If Team Leader Park had been my mentor instead of Senior Staff Lee Hye-rin...
'Ugh. Just thinking about it gives me chills.'
Thank you, Hye-rin nim-nim-nim!
"Well then, see you tomorrow, Jin-ho ssi."
"Ah, yes. See you tomorrow."
I blankly stared at the back of Senior Staff Lee Hye-rin as she walked away.
Honestly, the workload was even tougher than I'd imagined.
But it was understandable.
This was one of the most coveted securities firms among young rising talents.
I couldn't possibly complain about this being hard.
My mom and dad, who are working outside today to feed this unemployed son, must be having a harder time.
On top of that, the thought that Senior Staff Lee Hye-rin was my mentor gave me even more strength.
I was on my way to the subway station, about to head home.
"Uh."
I got a call from my benefactor.
I answered with a voice full of tension.
"Answering the call, CEO nim!"
[Sheesh. I told you to just call me hyung when it's just the two of us.]
"But that's not so easy to do."
[Punk. Only worked one day and already like this. So, how was it? Tougher than you thought, right? Even for a junior, trying to learn this and that must've been exhausting.]
"Haha. Who am I to say anything like exhausting? And seeing everyone working so hard made me feel respectful too. You must have been incredibly busy too, hyung, so how did you even play the game?"
[Thanks to you. When I was away on business trips or swamped with work, you took good care of the guild. Even when we did raids, you stepped up as raid leader and gave orders, it made things so much easier.]
"Oh man. I don't think I can do it like you. I feel like I'll pass out as soon as I get home."
[Look at this guy. Don't tell me you're not planning to log into the game? I've already logged in and been waiting for you.]
"Gasp. I'll be right there."
[Yeah. Everyone's worried. Saying the youngest, who used to haunt the game like a ghost, suddenly disappeared.]
"Then I better hurry even more. Please wait just a bit!"
I ran toward the subway station in a hurry.
Busy, busy.
The life of a modern man!
***
Around 6-7 AM, you can hear crying sounds here and there.
A harmony made of sighs from office workers facing another workday.
But not everyone's like that.
The traders.
On weekends when the market is closed, their hands tremble.
They're no different from gambling addicts itching to get back into the casino.
Well, there are probably exceptions.
But more than half the traders Team Leader Park Hong-seo had seen so far were like that.
All of them were dopamine junkies.
"...."
As always, Team Leader Park Hong-seo arrived early and checked through the documents.
What had happened overseas today?
He went through various checks while drinking his morning coffee no, morning protein.
"Good morning, Team Leader."
Soon, team members began arriving one by one.
"Meeting in 15 minutes, everyone. Be ready."
"Yes, sir!"
After finishing the morning briefing and revising the strategy they had set up the day before, Team Leader Park returned to his desk after giving instructions.
"...."
One minute left until the market opened.
Even after working in this field for so long, this moment always brought the most tension and excitement.
Will my strategy work?
Can I win again this time?
His fingertips were itching like crazy.
Drrrrrr-!
As the signal announcing the market's opening rang out, Team Leader Park moved his hands swiftly.
He scanned the market across the multiple monitors in front of him, and his brain began spinning like mad.
When his strategy hit the mark, the sense of accomplishment and dopamine were indescribable; on the other hand, when it missed, the anxiety was enough to make the hand holding his cup tremble.
Immersed in this world where you go from hell to heaven within just a few minutes, the closing bell always seemed to arrive before you knew it.
"Ah...."
Moments like these felt like a child unable to leave an amusement park, lingering in disappointment and emptiness when the fun was over.
"Team leader. Should I send over the data now?"
But there was no time to daze off.
Today had ended, which meant it was time to prepare for tomorrow.
"Yeah. Any anomalies?"
"Some stocks saw a fairly significant rise today. I've sent a file with the details."
"Thanks."
Team Leader Park Hong-seo checked which stocks had suddenly surged today, and which had faced unexpected declines.
Identifying the reasons behind these large fluctuations was a key part of their job.
As he scrolled down the list with a clack of the mouse wheel.
"...?"
One particular stock caught his eye.
A very familiar name.
"Wait. This is...."
Just in case, he checked the mock trading results of the new hire he had seen yesterday.
As expected.
[JoongAng Insurance +15%]
"Heh."
Team Leader Park let out a chuckle without realizing it.
15%?
In just one day?
The reason for JoongAng Insurance's sudden rise was none other than its dollar bond holdings.
Typically, insurance companies invest a significant portion of their assets in overseas bonds, and due to concerns over rising interest rates, most of them were hit with negative news, leading to widespread drops in the sector.
But today, JoongAng Insurance alone surged upward.
The reason was that their holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds were three times higher than those of their competitors. On top of that, they had a high proportion of floating-rate bonds.
So while all insurance stocks had fallen yesterday, JoongAng Insurance had also dropped along with them, but due to its unique strengths, it was the only one to hit a high point today.
And that stock was held by that parachute hire.
He even went all-in on it.
It was a shame that it was only a mock trading, but for some reason, a thought crossed his mind.
'Did he really hear yesterday's meeting and make that judgment himself?'
Yesterday, Team Leader Park Hong-seo's team had discussed the strong NFP, CPI, and dollar strength.
Probably every trader in the company had expected insurance stocks to fall.
The data supported that, and it turned out to be true.
But the parachute had discovered the hidden gem within that data all on his own.
'She said it was a mistake.'
No matter how he looked at it, it didn't make sense.
He went all-in on a single stock, out of all the countless options out there, he picked JoongAng Insurance and bought it at market price?
'...Was it really a mistake?'
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Join DiscordComments1 commentLogin to CommentNewest FirstAll CommentsRefreshCarter🔍16 days agoMore optionshaha. 6-700Chapter 3 - Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend - WoopRead
Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend7.55%Report Chapter IssueChapter 4Translator: Dreamscribe
"Ugh!"
I jolted awake like I was having a seizure.
"Wh-what time is it?"
I hurried to check the time first.
And then I let out a boiling scream.
"Aaah."
Ten minutes before the alarm.
I could have slept ten more minutes.
It was a feeling I hadn't experienced since my senior year in high school.
Should I just sleep more?
Even if it's just ten minutes?
"Ugh. What's the point of sleeping more."
The moment I closed my eyes here, I would obviously end up missing the alarm that rings ten minutes later and be knocked out straight until lunchtime.
"Ugh."
I barely managed to get up from bed.
"Ugh. I really shouldn't have played games yesterday."
I heard that office workers play games after work.
I have no idea how they live like that.
"Office workers really are amazing."
Even our Guild hyungs, returning from work at their age and still having the energy to boot up a game, it's nothing but admirable.
"At this rate, I'm going to be late."
While I was distracted by other thoughts, ten minutes had already passed.
I quickly washed my hair to get ready for work.
I just turned on the cold water in the shower and splashed it over my head while applying shampoo with one hand, done.
This way, it wakes you up properly, too.
I miss it.
Back then, I would've played games until now and then fallen into a sweet sleep.
Ah, those were the days.
After washing at super speed, I went out into the living room and saw Dad and Mom sitting at the dining table.
Wait. Why are people who should still be sleeping already awake?
Was I making too much fuss while washing up?
"Jung Jin-ho. Sit down here."
"Huh?"
"Why do you keep going out at dawn these days? Are you really going to interviews? This early in the morning?"
It finally came.
"Well... actually, I got a job."
"What? I thought you were going to interviews?"
"Yeah. I was getting ready to go to work now."
It was my third day at Kwangwoon Securities.
On the first and second day, I didn't know what would happen, so I didn't tell them I was working.
But now I could say it.
Because.
"What? Kwangwoon Securities?"
"Wait a minute. Did you say Kwangwoon Securities?"
This came out yesterday.
"What- this is a real business card?"
"Oh my. It really is a Kwangwoon Securities employee ID and even a business card? What is all this..."
Mom and Dad looked completely unconvinced.
Then Mom grabbed my hand tightly.
"Jin-ho. I'm sorry."
"Huh? All of a sudden?"
"We pressured you too much about getting a job, didn't we? But still, you shouldn't lie like this. I saw it on the news, too. Kids lying to their parents that they got a job, then secretly taking out a loan pretending it's their salary and disappearing without a trace..."
"No, what are you talking about, Mom."
"I know what kind of company Kwangwoon Securities is! How could you possibly get into such a big company!?"
Tsk.
I had no counterargument.
It was indeed a company I had no business dreaming of entering.
But I wasn't lying.
Because I really was working there.
"I don't even know where to start explaining this, but I really do work there. And I need to get going soon, Mom. The market opens at 8:30, and I've got a lot to prepare before that."
That's what being the youngest means.
Doing the grunt work so our senior traders can make a lot of money again today. That's why I couldn't be late.
"Wait. Are you really-"
"Honey. Don't you know our Jin-ho? He may not be talented at studying and always lazy, even though he played games like crazy, but he's never been a liar."
"Dad. That's supposed to be a compliment, right."
"So, son. This is really true?"
I nodded firmly.
"Yeah."
"Dad believes in you, son. If you got into that place, it means they saw something in you and picked you for a reason."
Dad looked over the business card I got from Kwangwoon Securities like it was the most important thing in the world.
"I always believed our son would do well. Hahaha."
"Thanks. But seriously, I can't be late, okay? I'm going to go finish getting ready."
"Alright. Go on and get ready. Don't be late for no reason."
I finished getting ready quickly and headed out the door.
Then Mom popped a piece of toast into my mouth.
"Don't skip your meals."
Somehow, it felt like it had been a long time since I last ate toast made by Mom.
"And we should buy a few suits. You can't go out wearing the same suit every day. Let's go buy some new ones this weekend."
Then she gave me a warm hug.
It had also been a long time since I hugged my mom.
Dad, who had been standing behind, hurried over and hugged me too.
"Take care, son."
"If things get tough, talk to us right away. Don't bottle it up. Got it?"
"Yeah."
So this is what it feels like to be acknowledged.
My heart warmed up for no reason.
"Ah, I'm really going to be late. I'll be back!"
"Okay. I'll cook something tasty, so call me when you know what time you'll be home!"
"Okay!"
I hurriedly opened the door and stepped outside.
Today, my steps were lighter than ever.
***
"Jin-ho ssi. You made it with just one minute to spare?"
"Whew. Thank goodness. I should've gotten here earlier than you, sunbae. I'm sorry."
"Hoho. It's fine. I need to set an example as your mentor, after all."
The fresh start to the morning began with organizing the briefing files.
"We were legendary busy yesterday, weren't we?"
"Yeah. I thought the first day would be the busiest, but I didn't expect there would be a day even busier than that."
"Yesterday was a bit exceptional. The market volatility suddenly surged. It's not something that happens often."
It's only his third day now.
But this new hire had a knack for the job.
Most new hires take about a month to start moving, albeit slowly, but this guy was already quick and responsive.
How should I put it?
He had a good sense.
Thanks to that, we finished the prep work quickly.
Enough to enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee like this.
"Oh right. We were so busy yesterday that I didn't even get a chance to check how the mock trading turned out. Did you happen to see it, Jin-ho ssi?"
"No. I was just chasing after you all day yesterday, sunbae."
Documents, snacks, drinks, and so on.
I ran around dragging a cart filled with all kinds of stuff.
Most people think a junior trader only belongs to one team, but that's not true.
If there's a lack of hands, you have to go around and help other teams too.
Yesterday was especially busy, and I spent the whole day running around delivering stuff from team to team.
"I just thought of something, if we keep letting it lose money like that, maybe it'd be better to sell it off now before it gets any worse. With this interest rate issue, all the insurance stocks are on a downtrend. Better to sell before the losses deepen."
"You think so?"
"Yes. I'll give you some advice on the side, so let's try to recover the losses. Let's see... the stock we bought last time was JoongAng Insurance, right? What was its closing price yesterday?"
How long had it been since I last had morning coffee in the office?
Just as I was feeling that small happiness while checking JoongAng Insurance's stock price.
"Pfft-!"
I spit out the coffee I had been drinking.
Startled, Jung Jin-ho, who was sitting in front of me, quickly brought some tissues.
"Are you okay?"
"Ji-Jin-ho ssi. Did you see this by any chance?"
JoongAng Insurance had gone up a whopping 15%.
The very stock that had been dropping along with other insurance stocks.
"Uh..."
But the expression on Jung Jin-ho's face as he looked at the screen was strange.
Should I say he was surprised? Or like he knew this would happen?
"Um, no. I'm seeing it for the first time today too. Why did it go up..."
Even his tone sounded unnatural.
Maybe it was just my imagination.
'But how did he pick just this one, out of all the other insurance stocks going down?'
It was an unbelievable coincidence.
"You really didn't know?"
"Sorry?"
"Honestly, did you already know this would go up?"
"N-No way."
Yeah, that must be it.
Everyone was yelling to sell insurance stocks, so there's no way this guy was the only one who knew something.
"Jung Jin-ho ssi."
At that moment, a heavy voice echoed through the office.
It was none other than Team Leader Park.
"Ah, yes. Team Leader nim. Good morning."
"Let's have a word. Follow me."
"Yes, sir."
Maybe it was because of their size difference, but watching Jung Jin-ho follow behind Team Leader Park made him look a bit pitiful.
Surely he wasn't called to be scolded.
Could it be the Team Leader saw it too?
***
I felt dazed.
When I bought that stock, it had been on a steady downtrend, so I thought my ability didn't work here.
Besides, I was so swamped yesterday that I didn't even check the stock price.
And now it had gone up?
"Employee Jung Jin-ho. It's your third day now. How is it? Manageable?"
"Ah, yes. Everyone's been treating me well."
"That's good. I wanted to take it slow and not give you too much work, but the market volatility was unusually high yesterday."
"It's fine. I'll work hard at whatever you give me."
Team Leader Park stared at me for a moment.
"In our team, only I know."
"Sorry?"
"That you came in through a parachute hire."
"Ah."
"Well, the rumor will spread soon enough and everyone will know."
With that, Team Leader Park took a drink from the cup in his hand.
I heard it was protein.
"I didn't really want to ask, but since we're here, I'll just ask. Are you related to the CEO?"
"No."
"No? Then why did the CEO bring you into the company? You know full well your qualifications aren't good enough to get in here."
"That's..."
Then I remembered what the Guild Master had firmly told me.
That I must never say we met through a game or anything like that.
"I'm sorry, Team Leader nim. I can't talk about that."
"..."
Now I understood why he told me not to talk.
If people heard I got in because we met through a game, how would they react?
"Alright. I won't press further. Just one more thing. What's going on with JoongAng Insurance?"
So Team Leader had seen it too.
"It was just... pure luck."
"Pure luck... Do you know what our traders' target return rates are? Between 0.1 to 1 percent. On volatile days like yesterday, we sometimes make 3 to 5 percent, but that also means taking big losses. That's why we set modest return goals. Trying too hard to chase profits can lead to bigger losses."
I had heard from Senior Staff Lee Hye-rin that the team's monthly target return was usually around 5 to 15 percent.
"But yesterday, you earned the monthly target return for each trader in just one day. Even though it was mock trading, are you saying that was really just luck? It wasn't a strategy you built based on the things we discussed in our meetings?"
"..."
I couldn't say a word.
I could barely remember what was even said during those meetings, and even if I did remember, I wouldn't have understood any of it.
Of course, I'd been studying hard.
But as a total newbie just three days in, this world of stocks was full of things I didn't understand.
Still, I couldn't suddenly say, "Actually, Team Leader nim, I have a special ability..." and start rambling.
"Hmm. So it's hard to answer that too?"
"Well..."
"Alright, I won't ask anymore. Everyone has their own tricks, and sharing them is foolish. Especially when personal performance is the priority for a trader. That was my mistake. Sorry."
"No, not at all."
"Then keep up the good work today. Even if rumors spread that you're a parachute hire, I don't think people will look at you too harshly. If you show them how hard you're working, their opinions will change."
"Yes. I'll work hard."
"You can go now. Call in Senior Staff Lee for me."
"Yes, sir."
I wasn't even getting scolded, but my heart was pounding.
Team Leader Park probably didn't mean to, but he had a presence that overwhelmed people.
It was probably because of those about-to-burst muscles.
'But what if this actually works?'
A special ability that only I have, unknown to others.
Maybe I just got ridiculously lucky.
Or maybe this ability I used only in games actually works here too.
If you think about it, the stock market is one giant probability-based gacha game.
No matter how good your data analysis is, no one can predict how things will turn out with all the randomness and volatility.
'Hope today's a little less busy.'
That way, I can test if this ability really works or not.
***
'So there really is something about him.'
Team Leader Park remained curious.
Hwang Dae-woon, the CEO of Kwangwoon Securities, is someone who hires people based purely on merit and built this small company to its current scale.
It wasn't because he was an excellent investor himself, but because he had an exceptional eye for people, that's what had brought him this far.
That's why Team Leader Park had found it so puzzling.
That such a man would bring in a parachute hire.
He had felt deeply disappointed to think that someone he respected had inserted a family member into the company like that, but now it turned out those two weren't even related.
'And he even said he can't reveal the reason-'
What a bold kid.
He says he can't tell the reason why he's a parachute hire.
And there was one more thing Park picked up from their brief conversation.
'Jung Jin-ho definitely knew JoongAng Insurance was going to rise.'
He pretended not to know, but Park's seasoned eyes, trained in this gambling den of a market, couldn't be fooled.
That would mean it was purely his own skill.
The insane boldness to go all-in on a single stock.
The insight to see a different outcome when everyone else was predicting a crash in insurance stocks.
Could it be that this kid is...
"You called, Team Leader nim?"
"Ah. Senior Staff Lee. Are all the meeting materials prepared?"
"Yes. Everything is ready."
"Good. Then I'll let our team members and the other departments know. For today, don't run around anywhere and just stay at your desk."
"Sorry?"
"You haven't had much time for mock trading because of how busy it's been, right? Take today to sit down and focus on trading practice. With Employee Jung."
"Ah... Yes. I'll do that."
He didn't know why the CEO had inserted that kid as a parachute hire.
But Jung Jin-ho.
He definitely had something.
Whether it was insight, or some insane dopamine addiction disguised as boldness.
From now on, he would find out.
Or maybe, it really was just a single stroke of luck.
Still, there's a saying that runs deep in the stock market.
[Stock trading is all about luck.]
The lucky one always wins.
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Join DiscordComments1 commentLogin to CommentNewest FirstAll CommentsRefreshCarter🔍16 days agoMore optionsvery intriguing indeed.00Chapter 4 - Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend - WoopRead
Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend9.43%Report Chapter IssueChapter 5Translator: Dreamscribe
"Heave-ho. Heave-ho."
"What are you doing, Jin-ho ssi?"
"Ah, yes. I'm warming up my body."
When the market opens, I have to drag this cart around here and there.
Lee Hye-rin once told me that.
"The two most important things in the stock market are mental strength and speed, remember?"
Mental strength is something the senior traders who directly handle trades have to manage, and we are responsible for speed. Just yesterday, I ran around so much that I almost got a cramp in my calf, and I realized how badly I needed to exercise.
Ah. But when am I supposed to exercise, anyway.
Exercising after work? That's horrible.
These days, I hear office workers all do it after work.
Does that even make sense?
Especially Team Leader Park....
"Whew."
I shook my head side to side.
Even when I lived like a game addict, I never exercised once. How could this body start working out after work now?
"Jin-ho ssi. But I don't think we'll need the cart today."
"Huh?"
"At least for today, we won't have to touch the cart."
If juniors like us aren't dragging the cart around, then who else would be?
"Team Leader already spoke to another team. So today, the juniors from the other team will be running around instead of us."
All of a sudden?
If that was the case, he should've done that yesterday... Though I shouldn't say such things, it still felt strange that this was happening.
I don't think it's because I'm a parachute hire.
"Instead, today we'll be doing mock trading until the market closes. Team Leader told us to do that. I think he's giving us a chance because of that insurance stock."
"Ah..."
"Thanks to you, Jin-ho ssi, I got a chance too. Thank you."
"No, I was just lucky, that's all."
"But was it really luck? Hm. No, it must be a trade secret. It'd be rude to keep asking, right?"
There wasn't anything I could even call a trade secret.
It's not like I had some amazing analysis skills.
'So today, we'll only be doing mock trading.'
It seemed like this would be a very important time to test my ability.
"The meeting will start soon. You should perk up your ears and listen carefully. Big securities firms like ours are always clear about their meta awareness."
"Meta?"
"Yes. Hot stocks, theme stocks, stocks of interest, skyrocketing stocks and so on. These things don't usually come from multiple directions. Most of the time, they overlap in a single sector, right? That's why it's called a meta."
Hearing a game term here felt strange.
In games too, things that become trends are called metas.
It seemed that in securities firms as well, the trend of the day was called a meta, and they would dig deep into that sector.
"Today, we'll check who plays the role of leading stock, and who benefits from it behind the scenes. That's what we check during meetings. The Prop Trading Department is the most sensitive to those things."
We prepare the materials, but in reality, we mostly receive them ready-made.
Inside the company, there's the Research Department.
There, they gather and analyze information from both domestic and international sources every day, and study how that information will affect the stock market.
Once those reports are filtered once over there, we receive them, distribute them to the team members, and make briefing materials for meetings.
"To me, all of it still looks like an alien language."
Global, by industry, by company, market trends.
These are crazy reports analyzed entirely through numbers.
How could I possibly understand them just by looking?
"Hoho. What are you saying? You're sounding weak again. Didn't you learn all of that at school? Plus, you must've gotten sick of seeing it while studying for your certifications."
"...."
I just said nothing in response.
"Oh. Looks like everyone will gather soon. Let's go in."
"Yep."
Meta awareness.
So meta awareness is important.
I perked up my ears as I reflected on Lee Hye-rin's words.
Because it was based on a trend report created by elites from prestigious universities, we could hear on the spot what today's meta was.
These were incredible pieces of information you couldn't hear even if you paid money on the outside.
"You all read the report, right? The most prominent issue right now is the EV sector. Especially, risks are growing across the entire value chain. Each of you, say one thing you know."
Ah. I don't understand a thing from the start.
"After the electric bus fire, it seems inevitable that global OEMs will have to reassess their safety standards... Especially, the price of nickel, one of the battery materials, has dropped 45% compared to six months ago, weakening the overall sector momentum. It's fallen much more than expected, Team Leader."
"Oversupply is also serious. In the case of China's LYD, even though their operation rate dropped to 60% compared to last year, inventory still exceeds 400,000 units. The ASP for entry-level models is down over 30% year-over-year. It's like they're telling us not to do business."
"But the EU and the US still have firm policies, right? A bill banning sales of new internal combustion engine vehicles from 2035 has already passed."
I kept my mouth shut and quietly followed the flow of conversation.
I listened with my ears while quickly rereading the report with my eyes.
Today's meta was the electric vehicle sector.
Even though Europe and the US have passed ultra-strong bills that will ban sales of new internal combustion engine vehicles in the future, it is said that internal combustion cars are still selling well.
Also, the US has introduced subsidy policies, and the same goes for our country.
However, due to battery fire incidents happening all over the world and the inconvenience of needing to charge, not as many people are looking for EVs as expected.
"Even if the EU and US policies are firm, to people who trade by the second, those are just meaningless promises. There's also the fear that those promises could be overturned at any time."
The Prop Trading Department is a place that does 100% short-term trading.
For them, long-term promises are nothing but illusions.
It's the same for the retail investors active in the stock market.
"Take short positions across the entire EV value chain, but manage the risk thoroughly. Hedge by selling ETFs with a high proportion of battery stocks."
"Got it. How much leverage should we use?"
"More than 2x is dangerous. Keep it conservative around 1.5x. If we get a margin call, that'll be trouble."
"What about the internal combustion sector?"
"Pick undervalued stocks among the catalyst material stocks. But don't put them all in one basket, spread it out. It might already be partially reflected."
"Then should we start by taking shorts in the morning, and go long in the afternoon? Everyone can decide the timing on their own."
"Let's do that. While watching how the trends move. This one has to be done with instinct. Just don't get greedy. I know you all haven't met the monthly performance properly this time, but if you push it, you might lose even more. Okay?"
"Yes, Team Leader."
When the meeting ended, everyone rushed out.
Team Leader gave some instructions, but I didn't understand a single thing.
Then, on the way out, one senior called out to Lee Hye-rin sunbae.
"Hye-rin ssi. Gather data on catalyst material stocks with Jung ssi and send it over to me."
"Ah, yes!"
Just as the two of us were about to go out and gather the data.
"Wait. Ask another team junior for that."
"Huh?"
"Those two have other work today, so don't assign them anything."
"Ah.... Okay. Understood."
Team Leader said that to the senior and then nodded at us.
He was telling us to hurry and jump into the market too.
***
"Phewwww-."
Lee Hye-rin's fingertips were trembling.
This feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.
She felt like a hungry ghost returning to the gambling den.
"I can't make any mistakes."
Team Leader had said it clearly.
This is an evaluation.
In other words, if she screws up here, she'll remain a junior for quite some time.
She'd just spend her days running errands, playing the role of a maid.
"It's okay. I can do this!"
Lee Hye-rin repeated that to herself.
This was the long-awaited opportunity, and she was fully prepared to seize it.
Now, once the market opens, all she have to do is click the mouse like crazy.
'But I wonder if Jin-ho ssi is doing okay.'
She tiptoed and glanced toward Jung Jin-ho in the next cubicle.
Lee Hye-rin was busily rechecking everything from the report provided by the Research Team to the catalyst material stock data and the contents of today's meeting.
But Jung Jin-ho was just sitting still, staring at his monitor as if he were frozen solid.
No matter how you looked at him, he seemed like someone who had mentally shut down because he didn't know where to start.
She guessed that insurance stock really was just a coincidence.
'Should I go help him once things calm down a bit?'
It's the senior's duty to look after the junior!
***
Just like athletes waiting at the starting line, everyone seemed to be waiting for the gunshot to fire.
Before long, a signal sound echoed through the entire company like a state of emergency alert.
It was time for everyone to charge straight ahead.
"...."
But I didn't do anything.
I'm not saying I was just standing there smiling like a cheetah.
I was literally just sitting blankly because I didn't know what to do.
'I have no clue where to start.'
If this were a probability-based gacha item, I could just stare at the item until I felt something and then pull.
Or if it were enhancement, it would be the same.
But stocks were different.
There were too many things to consider.
'I have no idea if it's going to go up right now, tomorrow, or a year from now.'
With Item Boxes and enhancement, you get immediate feedback on whether you succeeded or failed.
But stocks weren't that kind of thing.
'Let's say I bought a stock based on a gut feeling. But what if it doesn't go up until a year later?'
And there are so many stock names, I don't even know what to look at until I feel something.
It feels like trying to find a scale in a desert.
'Calm down.'
It's the phrase I always tell myself when my mind gets clouded with mental dust.
Though the problem is, I only ever used it while playing games.
Anyway, for now, I need to stay calm and go through it one step at a time without panicking.
'They said today's meta was electric vehicles and batteries.'
Let's start with that.
As Team Leader said, I should at least show that I'm working hard.
I boldly opened the report given by the Research Team.
"Hmm...."
Am I really reading Korean?
There was also a full list of stocks related to today's meta displayed on the screen, and just as Team Leader predicted, they were all showing blue.
'I think he said earlier to go short in the morning and long in the afternoon.'
Short and long positions.
How am I even supposed to take those positions and manage the risk?
Ah. If I'd known it would be like this, I should've invested alongside others and gained some experience.
'But if all of them are showing blue, doesn't that mean I absolutely shouldn't buy them right now?'
There were more EV and battery-related stocks than I expected.
But they were all flashing blue, and it looked like entering now would lead to disaster.
'Let's look for stocks with red signals and try those.'
There's a term called 'sang-tta'.
It means chasing stocks that are hitting the upper limit.
'Rather than putting money into these, it'd probably be much better to put it all into one of those.'
Let's not do what I'm not supposed to do.
Thinking that, I was about to scroll past the battery-related stocks filled with blue.
"...?"
Very faintly, but I felt a tingling sensation starting at my fingertips and spreading through my whole body.
This feeling... it wasn't unfamiliar.
"No way...."
I reopened the window I was about to close.
Then I slowly checked the stock names one by one.
Among the list full of negative numbers, the mouse wheel stopped on one.
A company that manufactures batteries using nickel as a raw material.
"...."
This intense sensation spreading so strongly that it made me swallow dryly.
It was unmistakable.
It was that feeling I knew.
'But this is....'
The loss is way too severe, isn't it?
And didn't they say that jumping into battery-related stocks right now would be a total disaster?
It sounded like there was no chance of it going up for a while.
But this strong, trembling feeling in my fingertips was telling me it was this one.
'Yeah. It's just mock trading anyway, right?'
Thinking that made me feel a bit more at ease.
Just this once, I'll trust my gut again.
Click-
I firmly pressed the buy button.
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