In Mexico, a large-scale capital flight of foreign funds began to be triggered. It was because a crisis regarding the Mexican peso had been caused. On this day alone, the money that left the Mexican central bank was 6 billion dollars.
However, that was only the beginning. On the 22nd, Mexico expanded the fluctuation range of the exchange rate against the US dollar and carried out another devaluation measure. In early 1994, it was 3.1 pesos per dollar.
When Han Gyeong-yeong signed the contract with Goldman Sachs, it had already dropped to 3.5 pesos. No one on Wall Street expected that the new government, which won the general election in August, would devalue the peso. Early next year, if my memory is correct, it will reach 7 pesos per dollar before the maturity date arrives.
We had made a profit of over 50 times with a single gamble. ― Mu-hyeok, you were right. Han Gyeong-yeong's voice was trembling.
"Hah......"
A sigh escaped me without me realizing it. Even if I knew the future, I couldn't help but be nervous. The tension released in an instant. ― When do we liquidate?
"Let's wait until January." ― Phew......
Now I'll really do whatever you say. Just tell me when to liquidate.
"Okay. I'll call you again later. Keep a close eye on it." ― Yeah.
Got it.
It's an emergency situation until we liquidate. Don't worry about that. The call with Han Gyeong-yeong ended.
Perhaps because the tension was released, sleepiness washed over me. 'If it goes according to the original history, we should make a profit between roughly 15 billion and 20 billion dollars.' While thinking about the profit earned, I fell asleep without realizing it.
Goldman Sachs headquarters.
"What on earth is going on here!"
The Financial Director, Tommy, kicked open the door to Peter's room and entered. Peter, who had been spacing out, suddenly jumped up from his seat.
"What do you mean something happened to the peso!"
"The Mexican government has devalued the peso."
Tommy, whose face turned as white as a sheet of paper, placed a hand on his forehead.
"How much is it right now?"
"It's still 4 pesos because the market hasn't reacted yet. But we don't know how far it will drop by tomorrow."
"The contract you signed back then was for 5 pesos, right?"
Peter asked with a trembling voice.
"Could he have possibly expected that something like this would happen?"
"That's nonsense. How could such a newly formed hedge fund company know something we didn't! How much did we take on?"
"We sold half to our clients, and the other half we......"
"Hah......"
Tommy let out a heavy sigh.
"Has there been no contact?"
"Yes. Not yet."
"How much do you think it will drop?"
Peter, who had been calculating in silence, carefully opened his mouth.
"At least 5 pesos, at most 7 pesos."
"Let's wait. If it drops beyond 5 pesos, you contact him first and ask to liquidate. It's the contract you brought in, isn't it."
Tommy spoke as if casually shifting the blame onto Peter.
"But the contract was done by you, Director......"
"What are you talking about. It was signed under your name."
However, the next day, another devaluation of the peso was announced. They could no longer just pass the blame to each other. With a large scale of dollars already having left Mexico, to have another devaluation.
No one could stop the fall of the peso. In the end, Tommy gave Peter the order to contact Han Gyeong-yeong. ― Hello. Peter spoke in a welcoming voice before James's voice even finished.
"Hey~ James! It's me, Peter." ― Oh, Peter!
Long time no see. What's going on?
"That...... that contract from back then." ― Hmm?
What contract?
James acting ignorant was detestable, but he couldn't show it. It was because the gazes of all the executives in front of him were directed at him.
"I mean the peso. When are you going to liquidate? Since you've made a profit, you should slowly liquidate it." ― Ah!
There was that. But there's still time left until maturity, right?
"There's about a month left. But you don't know what will happen. Liquidate it around this point. This is advice as a senior who has been on Wall Street for a long time."
Laughter could be heard from beyond the phone Peter was holding. ― Hey, Peter. I still haven't forgotten the look in your eyes when you mocked me back then. What do you mean senior.
Let's see each other in January. With those words, the phone was hung up.
"James! James!"
Peter called out to James desperately, but of course, the other party who hung up the phone had no response. Half out of his mind, he regained his senses at the call of an executive.
"What did he say?"
"Yes?"
"Did he say he would liquidate?"
"That......"
"You frustrating man. Hurry up and speak."
"He hung up, saying we should see each other in January."
The executives' laments covered the office.
"What are you going to do now?"
When Tommy asked as if reprimanding him, Peter raised his head and glared at him.
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Then who should I ask? Isn't it the contract you brought in."
"Ask the crazy Mexican government. What they were thinking to do such a thing. And Tommy, you're the one who signed the contract. Don't try to pass it off onto me."
"What?!"
The Chairman, who had only been listening from the seat of honor, clicked his tongue. Tommy, who was about to say something, closed his mouth.
"Who signed the contract is not what is important. Can you fix this?"
Both Tommy and Peter could not answer. How could they fix this matter.
"Peter, you are fired. And Tommy, you are fired too. Aren't you the ones who have to take responsibility for this matter."
At the Chairman's fierce words, Peter decided to accept his fate. Simply nodding his head and leaving the office, Peter returned to his team. Under the resentful gazes of his team members, he could not bring himself to say anything.
"I'm sorry."
The new year of 1995 dawned. The fall of the peso continued even as the new year arrived. ― Brother, let's liquidate now. Dump it all.
"Okay! Wait."
Han Gyeong-yeong was excited by Kim Mu-hyeok's instructions. A day passed since the liquidation began.
"Mu-hyeok, liquidation is finished!" ― The profit?
"Originally it was 26 billion dollars, but when we finished liquidating, it dropped by about 1 billion dollars. 25 billion dollars." ― You worked hard.
Take a rest for a while, Brother. You left the stock investments to the employees, right?
"Yeah. I don't have the capacity to pay attention to that as well." ― Yeah, stocks are ultimately just something to show others.
You did well. Brother, you focus on futures and options. It will start again soon.
Rest well and manage your physical condition.
"Can't I go to Korea and rest?" ― No. You absolutely cannot come to Korea for the time being.
At Kim Mu-hyeok's firm words, Han Gyeong-yeong let out a sigh and ended the call.
"Hehehe."
Leaning his head against the chair and spacing out, Han Gyeong-yeong absolutely could not hold back the laughter that kept leaking from his mouth. He couldn't forget the changed expressions of the people who had mocked him just until last summer. 'Did you know?
Did you really expect that something like this would happen from over 6 months ago?' It was the question of the executive who came to deal with him instead of Tommy and Peter, after they quit the company. 'I am not a god, how would I know that.
Everyone knew that the peso was overvalued, didn't they? I just bet on that and won.' Han Gyeong-yeong answered like that.
After finishing all the liquidations, he was able to leave the Goldman Sachs headquarters while mocking them in reverse.
"......What on earth is that guy Mu-hyeok's true identity?"
Han Gyeong-yeong, who had been snickering and laughing, muttered while looking at the empty air.
I sat on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. No matter how much I knew the future, when the prediction hit exactly right, I couldn't keep my body upright properly due to the joy. Yes, this is it.
25 billion dollars. Even calculated at the current exchange rate, it's 20 trillion. If calculated when the IMF crisis breaks out and the exchange rate rises to 2,000 won, it was a whopping 50 trillion.
'Is Grandfather's wealth more than mine?' A chuckle escaped me without me realizing it. It was still only the beginning.
Among the many opportunities that will come in the future, only a single one had passed by. In a fight between me who knows the future and the financial companies who simply predict the future, I could never lose. How could I lose in a gamble where I start knowing the opponent's hand before it even begins.
"Section Chief."
Section Chief Ma, who had been waiting outside the door, opened the door and came in.
"I am going to meet the Myeon District bosses one by one, so please set up the appointments. How is Cheon Su-man doing?"
"There are no particular movements."
There is no way that person would continue to stay still. Was sending him to a foreign country the wrong choice?
"We can't inflict fear in Australia, can we? I mean the pain that Cheon Su-han is feeling."
Right now, Cheon Su-han was in a state where he had almost lost his mind. In the end, unable to endure the fear, he attempted suicide, but even that failed because of the people in the same room.
"Killing him is possible. But doing it in the exact same way is difficult."
"Phew...... What about running him over with a car?"
"He hardly ever comes out of the house. And even if he does come out, it will not be easy. Because the Chairman's eyes also exist there."
I quietly clicked my tongue. Grandfather was the problem. Grandfather also knew about Cheon Su-han's condition, but he never once brought that up to me.
However, killing had a slightly different weight to it. At the very least, while Grandfather was alive, I did not want to give him any more pain. Because I also know what the pain of losing a family member is like.
"Let's just watch for now. There will be some movement. Because he is absolutely not a person who will just give up like that."
"Understood."
Just because he could never enter Korea again, I had no intention of forgiving him. A few days later. I visited Viper No Ik-seon's office.
The arrogance he had when we first met had vanished without a trace.
"Now that Boss Cheon is gone, it feels real, doesn't it?"
There was no reaction even to my disrespectful speech.
"Say something. Do you realize reality now?"
"If I have been rude all this time, I apologize."
"If I didn't need Boss No in my plans, I would have made you like Hammer. There won't be another time I give you an opportunity, so judge well."
"Understood."
I should end the whip around here, and give a carrot too.
"You said you have no intention of going out into the light, right?"
"That is correct."
"Good. Then slowly collect the loans you gave out, and don't make any new loans for the time being. Collect all the funds by next year."
"Pardon?"
Boss No had a puzzled expression at the sudden words to fold his private loan business.
"Government policy will change. You need to separate the funds before that. Since you said you have no intention of going out into the light, you will have to go deeper into the shadows."
"Understood. If it is an order, I will follow."
"It might be hard to understand, but as time passes you will be able to understand my words. I will leave those shadows to Boss No." "Thank you."
A sense of relief appeared on Boss No's face. I threw a question like a test.
"Have you ever been contacted by Boss Cheon?"
The answer returned immediately.
"He contacted me before he left the country. I hung up the phone while telling him not to contact me."
"This is the last time. If you plot or act on something I don't know about even once more, at that time you won't even be able to retire like Hammer. Keep that in mind."
With those words, I stood up from my seat.
"You are close with the loan sharks in Myeon District, right?"
"Pardon? Yes. I am close with most of the people who do private loan business in Myeon District."
"Continue building your friendships with them."
"Understood."
I came out of Boss No's office and got into the car. Section Chief Ma, who usually never had a habit of asking something first, only then looked back and asked.
"Is there a reason you must go out of your way to keep someone you cannot trust?"
At those words, I wore a slight smile and looked at Section Chief Ma.
"The Myeon District bosses have been rolling in this field for decades. The connections and people they have built up over that time are not small. I don't know how long it would take to raise someone like that again from now, so if a piece that can be used just by threatening him volunteers to go into the shadows, it is a thankful thing."
"Is that so. Understood, Boss."
Section Chief Ma was silent again. The car slowly began to move. I leaned back against the seat and organized my thoughts.
In 2002, the Money Lending Business Act will be created, but at that time, Japanese funds were already waiting after finishing all preparations. It was the moment private loans and private financing became subordinate to the Japanese. However, this time, I was planning to pull that timing forward a bit through lobbying, and preempt them.
No matter how much private financing enters the institutional system, the private loan business does not completely disappear. Since Boss No himself said he would stay in the shadows, I planned to leave that work to Boss No, and entrust one lending company each to the remaining two bosses.
"We have arrived. Boss."
At Section Chief Ma's words, I ended my thoughts. When I got out of the car, Boss Shin Seong-il approached and bowed.
"Young Master, have you arrived."
Behind Shin Seong-il, who was bowing politely to me, his subordinates were standing in a line. For a moment, I had to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from being agitated. A man who was slightly bowing his head at the back of Shin Seong-il.
'Why is that bastard here?'
< The Result of the Bet. > The End