Golden Spoon Investor

In front of the New York Stock Exchange, where a massive American flag hung prominently.

Dressed smartly in a pantsuit, Debra stood in front of the camera, microphone in hand, delivering her report.

"Before the market opened today, GE announced that it had placed an order worth $4 billion for passenger aircraft from Boeing.

GE stated that this purchase was part of its strategy to expand the aircraft fleet of its subsidiary, GE Capital Aviation Services, in response to the surging global demand for airplanes.

Experts believe that this deal will further strengthen the collaboration between GE and Boeing, as GE is a major supplier of engines for Boeing's aircraft.

Additionally, positive earnings reports from Motorola and GM have helped ease the shock from last Tuesday's Black Tuesday, which was triggered by concerns over corporate earnings."

"Okay! That was great."

At the cameraman Jan's cue, Debra lowered her microphone.

"Jan, let's get one more shot with the Charging Bull statue in the background before we go."

Jan checked his wristwatch and nodded.

"Cutting it close if we want to get back to the studio before rush hour, but sure, let's do it."

As he detached the ENG camera from the tripod, Jan suddenly looked at Debra as if something had just occurred to him.

"You know, it's really crazy when you think about it."

"What is?"

"The CEO of Eldorado Fund."

Debra, who had been checking her phone for messages while it was off during filming, hesitated and looked up.

"He mentioned in that interview that he was shorting the S&P 500. To be honest, I kept a straight face, but in my head, I thought he was completely insane."

Debra nodded slightly, understanding his reaction.

"Well, back then, the market was so bullish that even the government shutdown couldn't stop the rally. It's not surprising you thought that way."

"Exactly! And yet, here we are—who could have predicted this kind of crash in just two weeks?"

"Yeah, no kidding."

What Jan didn't know was that Debra was fully aware of the million-dollar bet between Seok-won and John Miller, CEO of P&P Partners, at the charity gala.

Watching the market climb relentlessly had made her increasingly nervous.

To make matters worse, the federal budget deal had finally been reached, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. That brief dip in the market had vanished, and stocks had surged again, making her lose all hope.

"At that point, I really thought there was no chance..."

Never in her wildest dreams did she expect the market to plunge more than 50 points on the final day of the bet.

"Even now, it still feels unreal."

A subtle smirk appeared on Debra's lips as she thought to herself.

Just then, Jan, holding the ENG camera in one hand, gave her a jealous look.

"While everyone else was getting wiped out, Eldorado Fund must have made a fortune with their short positions, huh?"

"Most likely."

"Damn it, I should've placed a bet too."

Jan let out an exaggerated sigh, then glanced at her with a knowing expression.

"You went on a Christmas date with him, right? Haven't been in touch since?"

Seeing the expectant look in Jan's eyes, Debra couldn't help but feel exasperated.

"I already told you—we're not a thing. Stop wasting time and let's go get that B-roll footage."

"Oh, oh—wait for me!"

With a playful glare, she turned on her heel and strode off. Jan hurriedly grabbed the tripod from where it was propped against the wall and rushed to catch up with her.

At the same time, Seok-won was lounging on the penthouse sofa, receiving a report from Landon on the results of their short position.

"We covered all our shorts by this morning and completely closed out the position."

"It must've been tough to fill an order that big—$20 billion worth—in less than three days. Well done."

Dressed in a light gray cashmere turtleneck and tailored dress pants, Seok-won gracefully uncrossed one leg, set down his teacup, and asked,

"How much did we make?"

Landon grinned, flashing his white teeth as he replied,

"The declines varied by stock, but most fell even more than the S&P 500 index itself.

Our final return was 16.4%, and after expenses, our net profit came to $3.54 billion."

"Not bad at all."

Seeing the satisfaction on Seokwon's face, Landon continued,

"And as per your instructions, we've also gone long on S&P 500 futures."

"What's our average entry price?"

"600."

"The index closed at 580 today. That's a bit high, isn't it?"

"With the size of our position, we didn't really have a choice."

Landon glanced at Seok-won carefully, gauging his reaction. Seok-won simply gave a small nod, letting it slide.

"Fair enough. Even with the S&P 500's high trading volume, absorbing a $40 billion order in just a few days isn't exactly easy."

"That's exactly right."

As Eldorado Fund aggressively absorbed the market's supply, the S&P 500 index continued to plummet, but in stark contrast, the S&P 500 futures market saw a sudden surge in prices.

For the trade to be profitable, the S&P 500 needed to rise at least 20 more points, but Seokwon didn't seem the least bit concerned.

"It'll rebound soon and break its previous high. As long as we've secured our target volume, that's all that matters."

"But given the severity of Black Tuesday, wouldn't a V-shaped recovery be difficult?"

Leaning back against the sofa, Seok-won smirked confidently.

"Sure, the market panicked because of Apple, but GE and Motorola just posted strong earnings today. Once investors see that, they'll start bargain-hunting, and we'll get a relief rally."

Landon nodded in agreement.

"You're right. Despite the earlier fears, corporate earnings turned out better than expected, and stock prices have fallen too far."

Seok-won had noticed that the U.S. stock market, particularly Nasdaq, had climbed even higher and faster than he remembered—only to crash even harder.

'That must be because of my interference.'

The more influence he gained, the stronger these market fluctuations would become.

'I'll need to be even more cautious and meticulous from now on.'

Having made up his mind, he smoothly moved on to the next topic.

"How's the trading team under Andrew's lead doing?"

Landon grinned, his voice laced with pride.

"Maybe it's because of the prizes you offered, but the team went all in on trading—and they've already made a killing. They sold off their positions early and are now buying back stocks at the bottom. According to Andrew, they'll easily clear $50 million in profit."

Seok-won's expression showed clear satisfaction at Andrew and the fund team's outstanding performance.

"In that case, I should go ahead and order the Rolex watches."

"Yes, that'd be a good idea."

Landon, still smiling, suddenly remembered another matter.

"Oh, right. We've finalized all negotiations regarding the Trump Company and the Plaza Hotel acquisition."

"So all that's left is signing the contract?"

"Yes. It seems Trump Company's financial situation is worse than we thought—they're eager to close the deal as soon as possible."

"Since we're buying the hotel outright with cash, there's no reason to delay. Let's sign the contract tomorrow."

"Understood."

Seok-won took another sip of his tea before asking,

"Will Donald Trump be there in person for the signing?"

"For a $350 million deal? I'd assume so."

"Then I'll attend as well. Make the necessary arrangements."

Landon was momentarily surprised—Seok-won usually let him handle contracts as a representative.

Still, there was no reason to object, so he simply nodded.

"Understood."

After discussing a few more details, Landon left the penthouse. Now alone, Seok-won sank deeper into the sofa, lost in thought.

'How can I strengthen my relationship with Donald Trump now that we've made this fortunate connection?'

Just then, the sudden ringing of his phone interrupted his thoughts.

Seok-won picked up the device from the table.

"Yes, this is Park Seok-won."

[Mr. Park, it's me.]

Hearing the voice of Rodney, the CIO of Quantum Fund, Seok-won's face lit up with a pleased expression.

"Ah, Mr. Rodney. This is our first call since we met at the year-end party."

[First of all, congratulations on your successful short bet. You really hit the jackpot again.]

Rodney's cheerful tone carried genuine praise.

Receiving such recognition from a man destined to become one of Wall Street's legendary investors gave Seok-won an odd sense of satisfaction.

"Thank you."

[Honestly, I never expected the S&P 500 to collapse this much in just one day. It was astonishing.]

"My prediction was correct, but I was also extremely lucky this time."

[They say luck is a part of skill, after all. Oh, and by the way—thank you.]

"...Excuse me?"

Seok-won raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?"

[Haha. Thanks to you, I shorted the S&P 500 futures as well and made quite a handsome profit.]

Seok-won smirked and playfully quipped,

"Then shouldn't you be paying me a commission?"

[I'll treat you to a fancy dinner anytime—just say the word.]

"I'll hold you to that."

After a shared chuckle, Rodney got to the real reason for his call.

[The reason I reached out today is that Miller sent over a $1 million check, just like he bet he would.]

Miller could have sent it directly to Seok-won, but instead, he had Rodney handle it—clearly, his ego was bruised.

[I was thinking of donating it to NRDC in your name. What do you say?]

"I'd appreciate that."

[Consider it done. And I mean it—I'll take you out for dinner. Just let me know when you're free.]

"Alright, I'll take you up on that offer."

[You must be busy, so let's talk again soon.]

With that, Rodney ended the call.

Seok-won set down his phone, imagining how frustrated Miller must have been after losing their bet.

"He even called me just to rub it in… Serves him right. Maybe he should choose his battles more wisely."

A satisfied chuckle escaped his lips.

Taking a sip of his now lukewarm coffee, Seok-won muttered to himself,

"Now that all the big stuff is taken care of, it's probably time to head back to Korea."

Not only had he secured massive profits from his short bet, but this trip had also led to an unexpected connection with Donald Trump, a man who would one day become the President of the United States.

This U.S. visit had turned out to be far more rewarding than he had ever anticipated.