Golden Spoon Investor

The vast public parking lot along the Han River was eerily desolate, with only a handful of cars scattered across its expanse. The absence of people and the heavy, overcast sky created a chilling atmosphere, as if snow might start falling at any moment.

Breaking through the darkness, a bright pair of headlights illuminated the area as a BMW drove into the lot.

The vehicle traced a wide arc before pulling up beside a lone white Accent sedan parked off to the side.

As the engine shut off and the headlights dimmed, the silence of the night quickly reclaimed its hold.

Then, a shadowy figure emerged from the Accent. After briefly scanning the surroundings, the figure slipped into the BMW.

The moment the door closed, Seok-won, seated in the driver's seat, turned his head and spoke.

"I thought this would take longer, but you finished sooner than expected."

Wearing a black jumper, Lee Cheol-gyun met his gaze with an expressionless face.

"They were so dirty, it only took a little shake for the dust to come pouring out," he replied.

Unzipping his jacket halfway, he retrieved a folded document envelope and handed it over.

Seok-won switched on the overhead light and pulled out the contents, while Lee Cheol-gyun continued.

"Yoo Jun-ho from Sechang Daily is already notorious for his weakness for money and women, but Director Bae Sang-yoon from the Financial Supervisory Service? He's on a whole other level."

A smirk played at the edge of Lee Cheol-gyun's lips.

"He's been taking bribes from corporations in exchange for turning a blind eye to fraudulent accounting. Not only that, but recently, he accepted money from a company under investigation for insider trading and helped sweep the whole thing under the rug."

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, he added, "And this is the guy overseeing the stock market? It's like leaving a cat in charge of a fish shop."

Indeed, Director Bae's corruption wasn't just a matter of minor misdeeds. He had amassed multiple luxury apartments and commercial properties in Gangnam under both his and his family's names—an impossible feat for a government official living on a standard salary.

As Seok-won flipped through the documents, his eyes narrowed at a familiar company name.

"Did Director Bae have a hand in Yuchang Information & Communications' IPO?"

He lifted his gaze, and Lee Cheol-gyun nodded.

"That's right. Last year, during the external audit review before their listing, the FSS discovered that they hadn't written off their outdated inventory. But Bae took a bribe to cover it up."

"Hmm… I see."

Seok-won let out a thoughtful hum, eyes darkening as he absorbed the implications.

Yuchang Information & Communications was a mid-sized company with just under 300 employees, specializing in the production of video, audio, and telecommunications equipment.

It had gone public in December of the previous year, and thanks to the recent internet boom, its stock had been performing exceptionally well.

Despite being a relatively small company, Seok-won still remembered its name. That was because the firm that had handled Yuchang's IPO was none other than Donghae Peregrine Securities.

This could turn into something very interesting if I play my cards right.

A subtle smirk curled at the corner of his lips as he entertained the idea of entangling Director Bae Sang-yoon and Donghae Peregrine Securities in the same trap.

Sliding the documents back into the envelope, Seok-won nodded toward Lee Cheol-gyun.

"Open the glove compartment."

Lee Cheol-gyun reached out and pulled it open, revealing a thick paper envelope neatly tucked inside.

When he took it out and unfolded it, he found it packed with neatly stacked ten-thousand-yen bills, their weight alone enough to make an impression.

Pulling out one of the bundles, he turned to Seok-won with a questioning look.

"This seems like more than we agreed on."

Seok-won responded nonchalantly.

"Consider the extra a bonus for a job well done."

It was quite a generous sum for a simple bonus, but understanding it as hush money, Lee Cheol-gyun accepted it without further question.

"Well, if you're offering, I'll gladly take it."

As he placed the cash bundle back into the envelope, Seok-won spoke again, his voice calm but deliberate.

"I have a proposal for you."

Lee Cheol-gyun narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Another job?"

"No. I like the way you work. Why not quit freelancing and come work under me?"

The unexpected offer made Lee Cheol-gyun pause for a moment before he pulled a bored expression.

"You should know—I don't come cheap."

"Name your price."

Looking to avoid trouble, Lee Cheol-gyun deliberately threw out an exaggerated figure.

"At the very least, I'd need a big one."

Considering that the average annual salary at the time was less than 15 million won, the amount he was suggesting was more than six times that.

But Seok-won didn't even flinch.

"I'll give you 200 million won."

Lee Cheol-gyun's eyes widened in shock as he straightened up in his seat.

"...Are you serious?"

"Of course."

Seok-won flashed him an easygoing smile.

Lee Cheol-gyun, though trying to keep his composure, was clearly taken aback by the offer. Just as he was trying to process it, Seok-won continued, pressing his advantage.

"I'll give you an advance of 100 million tomorrow, and the rest at the end of the year. Sound good?"

Watching Seok-won push forward without hesitation, Lee Cheol-gyun's expression hardened.

"And what exactly do you expect me to do?"

"Same as now. Gather the information I need and report it to me."

"If that's all, wouldn't it be simpler for you to just hire me when you need me?"

Seok-won's voice turned serious.

"There will be sensitive, confidential matters. Having you as my man means I can trust you completely."

Glancing at the silent Lee Cheol-gyun, he added with a slight tilt of his head,

"And more than anything, I like your skills. I want you on my team."

After a moment of contemplation, Lee Cheol-gyun sighed and shrugged.

"If I knew you were going to offer this much, I should've asked for more."

As he accepted the deal, Seok-won let a faint smirk cross his lips.

"You do know there's no take-backs, right?"

"Well, I never thought I'd get roped in like this."

Lee Cheol-gyun let out a soft chuckle and glanced sideways at Seok-won before asking,

"So, does this mean I'll have to wear a tie and show up at an office now?"

"If you want, I can arrange a position for you."

At that, Lee Cheol-gyun waved a hand dismissively with a sly grin.

"I'll pass. I'm more suited to working on my own."

* * *

The next day

Dressed in a gray cashmere coat and carrying a leather briefcase in one hand, Seok-won pushed open the door to the executive office suite.

As soon as he entered, Na Seong-mi and another female secretary, who had been seated at their desks, quickly stood up to greet him.

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning."

Returning their greetings with a smile, Seok-won glanced at Na Seong-mi, who was wearing a neatly tailored two-piece suit.

"A cup of hot coffee, please."

"Right away."

Stepping into his office, he set his briefcase down on the desk and shrugged off his coat, hanging it in the wardrobe.

Even though it was already February, the cold still held its grip on Seoul—it had even snowed the day before.

Still, this is better than the time when global warming pushed temperatures up so high that even autumn leaves became a rare sight.

Having experienced bizarre weather like sudden tropical downpours and unseasonably warm Novembers with temperatures reaching 20°C, Seok-won found the crisp winter air oddly refreshing.

Taking a seat, his eyes landed on the neatly arranged stack of morning newspapers and documents awaiting his review.

As was his habit, he picked up the newspaper first and began scanning the front page when a knock sounded from outside.

"Excuse me."

Na Seong-mi entered, carrying a tray.

As she set down a steaming cup of coffee, the rich aroma of freshly brewed beans filled the room. Seok-won looked up at her and asked,

"What's on my schedule today?"

"Aside from the executive meeting in the afternoon, there's nothing else on the agenda. Also, the secretary's office at Daeheung Textile called to relay that President Park Jin-hyung would like to have lunch with you whenever you're available."

"I don't have any lunch appointments tomorrow, do I?"

"No, sir."

"Then let's arrange to meet at the Japanese restaurant in Walkerhill Hotel. Confirm with him, and if he agrees, go ahead and make the reservation."

"Understood. Anything else you'd like me to handle?"

"No, that's all. You can go now. Oh, and thanks for the coffee."

Na Seong-mi gave a slight smile, bowed politely, and stepped out of the room.

Once the door closed, Seok-won took a sip of coffee, set the cup down, and turned to the next page of the newspaper.

A particular article in the economy section caught his eye.

[Saechang Telecom Launches New CDMA Trial Service]

Saechang Telecom, the second mobile communications provider, will begin trial services for Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile phones starting today in Seoul, Daejeon, and the greater metropolitan area. This comes ahead of its official launch of commercial services on April 1.

CDMA, which South Korea has adopted as its wireless personal communication system (PCS) standard, is an advanced mobile communication technology developed in collaboration between U.S.-based Qualcomm and local companies and researchers. With its commercialization now a success, expectations are running high.

Saechang Telecom plans to continue its first-phase trial service until the end of this month, followed by a full rollout for the general public starting next month...

"Now that I think about it, this was when the mobile communication era truly began."

At this point, mobile phones were still a rare sight, and most people carried pagers instead.

However, starting next year, city phones—basic devices capable only of making outgoing calls—and affordable PCS phones would flood the market. Within just a few years, even high school students would be carrying mobile phones, with nearly half of each classroom owning one.

"The speed and scale of mobile phone adoption in just two or three years... I doubt there's another case like it anywhere in the world."

Koreans' willingness to embrace new technologies and their love for cutting-edge gadgets had undoubtedly laid the foundation for the country's rise as an IT powerhouse.

"Of course, that also led to flops like the city phone."

The city phone, a mobile device designed solely for outgoing calls with no ability to receive them, was an odd concept.

However, back then, nearly everyone carried a pager, and long lines at public phone booths were a common sight as people waited to check voice messages or return missed calls.

"It got to the point where people fought over phone booth usage—and even murders happened because of it."

This situation led to the creation of the city phone.

The idea was simple: relay stations were installed at public phone booths, allowing the devices to use existing landline infrastructure. Since they relied on public phone networks, incoming calls weren't possible—only outgoing calls could be made.

Reminiscing about the past, Seok-won chuckled.

"The signal range was so short that you'd see groups of people huddled around public phone booths, city phones in hand. It was a ridiculous sight."

In hindsight, it was laughable, but at the time, the low call rates and affordable device prices made city phones incredibly popular—so much so that they briefly outperformed established telecom providers.

"Of course, the bubble burst just as quickly."

With its inherent limitations, the collapse was inevitable.

His mind had wandered down memory lane, but the dawn of a new technological era always meant one thing—an opportunity to make money.

Tapping his fingers on the desk as he gathered his thoughts, Seok-won reached for the intercom and pressed a button.

[Yes, sir?]

"Call Manager Choi Ho-geun from the Treasury Division. Tell him to come to my office immediately."

[Understood.]

Leaning back in his chair, Seok-won glanced at the CDMA trial service article again and murmured to himself,

"When there's money to be made, you can't just let the opportunity pass by."