"Ah! I just had a great idea. What about this?"
Usually, when he says something like this, it's nonsense. This time, however, I have a bad feeling about it.
"What is it?"
Taek-gyu's idea was simple.
"I'll provide the capital. You use your superpower. We'll invest and split it 50-50. What do you think?"
"Wow…."
Using foresight to split the earnings 50-50? It was such a tempting proposal that it piqued my interest. However, investing inevitably comes with losses, no matter how certain it seems.
No one invests to lose money, yet the reality is that there are more people who lose money than those who make it.
"What if we lose? Do I have to pay half of it back?"
"Do you have any money to pay back? It'd be out of our hands."
That's true. In reality, if we lose a significant amount, I wouldn't have any way to pay it back. In the end, we'd split the profits, but Taek-gyu would bear the losses alone.
Is it really okay to make a deal like this?
"This is gambling with money."
If possible, I would love to do it.
However, there's a significant problem. Even if this is a superpower as Tae-ykyu said, there's no guarantee that what we see will be 100% correct. Maybe it's just randomly showing futures with a relatively high probability.
Could I truly invest based solely on the holograms in front of me?
In investing, information needs to have a solid source and evidence. Without that, any information is practically useless.
Even though I've been right so far, what if I'm wrong next time?
Just because all the swans I've seen are white doesn't mean there aren't any black swans in the world.
If my predictions are wrong and we lose billions, can we really handle that situation?
But on the flip side, what if the superpower is real?
If it's true, as Taek-gyu said, this is a tremendous opportunity. I have the superpower, and Taek-gyu has 13 billion won.
Couldn't we make an enormous amount of money simply by predicting and investing?
While I hesitated, Taek-gyu boldly extended his right hand.
"My friend, take my hand. If you grab this, we're investing together."
"What if I don't grab it?"
"Then we'll never see each other again."
I alternated my gaze between Taek-gyu's face and his outstretched hand.
After a moment of contemplation, my phone suddenly rang.
Ding ding!
It was Min-young, a fellow classmate. I answered the call.
"Hello."
[I'm going to drink with senior Gi-hong in Hongdae later. Do you want to come? He said he'd like to see you since you're back from the military.]
Ki-hong was the head of the business department when I enrolled. He was well-liked for his good nature, and juniors admired him regardless of gender.
I had quite a friendship with him, as we participated in club activities together.
I hadn't seen him since I went to the military, but I heard he graduated and got a job at KYB Investment Securities.
"When should I come?"
[Let's meet at a pub near the school in an hour.]
"Okay."
I looked back at Taek-gyu and said, "I have an appointment right now, so let's talk in detail after I get back."
As I slowly stepped back, Taek-gyu panicked and shouted.
"Hey! Don't go!"
________________________________________
As I entered the underground bar, Min-young and Kyung-il were already seated.
Min-young waved his hand.
"Hey! Sergeant Kang!"
"I'm a reservist now."
Kyung-il smiled and asked, "How long has it been since we last saw each other? Was the military worth it?"
I shared my honest opinion. "You'd better not go."
It had been almost two years since I last met these classmates.
Still, thanks to regular contact with Min-young, I knew a bit about what had happened in the department during that time.
Across from me sat two first-year female students I hadn't seen before.
"Who are they...?"
In response to my question, Kyung-il said, "Oh! Let me introduce you. They are freshmen who just joined this year. This is Kang Jin-ho, our fellow classmate who just got back from the military."
The girls stood up and bowed their heads as they noticed me.
"Hello, senior."
"I've heard a lot about you from Min-young sunbae."
The tall girl with dyed blonde hair was Shin Yu-ri, and the shorter girl with a bob haircut was Hwang Ji-hye.
Even considering my recently diminished height after leaving the military, both were quite pretty.
Due to the nature of the business department, which has a significantly male demographic, female students are welcomed.
Compared to Min-young, who had dressed casually, Kyung-il had styled his hair with wax, looking sharp.
Kyung-il lowered his voice as he spoke to Yu-ri. "Drink slowly, Yu-ri."
"Yes, senior."
"When you become a sophomore, you'll have Professor Kim Myung-jun's lectures. Let me give you some advice about his teaching style..."
Despite the fact that he had barely managed to pass his own courses, he was now fussing over a female junior's classes. I couldn't help but feel proud of my classmate.
"What about senior Ki-hong?"
"He's a bit late due to some work. Let's drink among ourselves for now."
Kyung-il poured soju into my glass.
"Are you thinking of resuming studies next year?"
"I'm considering it."
The family situation and tuition issues have been completely resolved. I have no problems resuming my studies.
It would be better to get back to school and graduate as soon as possible, right?
We clinked our glasses and talked about everything we had missed. Just as my glass was empty and I was about to pour more soju, another hand grabbed the soju bottle first.
"I'll pour it for you."
Yu-ri poured soju into my glass.
"Oh, thanks."
"I'll have a drink too."
I poured some soju into her glass.
"You drink well."
Kyung-il, who was drinking at a similar pace, was already getting tipsy and babbling nonsense. Ji-hye also seemed a bit drunk, her eyes half-closed.
However, Yu-ri looked mostly fine, except for her slightly flushed cheeks.
"I can handle up to three bottles of soju easily."
Kids these days really do have impressive drinking capacities.
As I continued to drink on an empty stomach, I quickly felt the effects of the alcohol.
After about 30 minutes of laughter and chatter, a man in his late twenties, wearing a suit and tie, walked in.
Min-young quickly raised his hand.
"Over here, senior!"
"How have you all been?"
Seeing him dressed in a suit after only seeing him in a club jumper felt different. In a good light, he looked like a professional, but in a bad light, he resembled an uncle.
Ki-hong, our senior, sat down and said, "Wow! It's been a while, Kang Jin-ho. Did you have a good time in the army?"
"Yes."
"You should've at least contacted me when you were on leave, you rascal."
I smiled.
"You were busy with work, right? Have you been well?"
"Just getting by."
Min-young filled Ki-hong's glass with soju.
"You're better off than the other seniors who haven't found jobs. Isn't the financial sector cutting back on new hires these days?"
Ki-hong gulped down the soju in one shot, looking tired.
"That's true. Corporate Banking is somewhat better, but Investment Banking will likely reduce new hires next year compared to this year."
Banks generally fall into two categories: Commercial Banks and Investment Banks.
Commercial Banks generate profit through deposits and loans, while Investment Banks generate profit by raising capital for investments.
In Korea, the former is simply referred to as a bank, while the latter includes securities companies or asset management firms.
Ki-hong, who works at KYB Securities, is certainly part of the latter.
"These days, the atmosphere in the company is shaky with all the restructuring and layoffs."
Kyung-il asked, surprised, "Layoffs? But KYB Securities is doing well, right?"
"What good does that do? KYB Securities is merging with Duri Securities. With the second and fourth largest securities firms merging, we'll be number one in the industry once the merger is complete. It's great for the creation of a large IB, but it's not good news for employees. There will definitely be layoffs afterward. Employees with overlapping duties will have to be reassigned or leave voluntarily."
"Aren't you fine as a new employee?"
Layoffs usually happen first among the higher-paid employees with more years in the company.
Securities firms generally don't have long careers compared to other occupations. By the time one reaches their 40s, it's not easy to keep a position.
"They're even accepting voluntary resignations from new employees, so I'm worried about that. The work isn't as fun as I thought."
"If you quit, where will you go?"
"I'll look into private equity. I've always been interested in M&A."
Private Equity Funds differ from regular public funds in that they receive large investments from a small number of investors to acquire companies.
Min-young sighed.
"I thought getting a job was the end of it, but it seems it's not that simple."
"Exactly."
After finishing his story, Ki-hong downed another shot of soju.
The expressions on Min-young and Kyung-il's faces darkened. Hearing this kind of news naturally leads to worries about employment.
During the boom years when the economy was good and the stock market was thriving, it was said that business students were snapped up even before graduation—or rather, even before they graduated.
But that was a long time ago.
The shadow of youth unemployment that has loomed over South Korea in the 21st century has also affected the financial sector.
Most transactions are now computerized, and the need for personnel has been decreasing. Ki-hong is a fortunate case as he successfully landed a job right away.
There were many seniors who ended up going into entirely different fields or delaying graduation due to a lack of employment. To avoid that, it wouldn't be enough to start job hunting now.
As the drinking session that started with soju progressed, beer was added, and we began mixing them together.
When drunk, Ki-hong had a tendency to become talkative. True to form, with his face turning red, he began to spill out more opinions.
"After the Korean War, the manufacturing industry grew brilliantly. There are dozens of well-known companies, like Seoseong Electronics and Eunseong Motors. But is there even one financial company that foreigners would recognize among the banks, securities firms, or fund companies?"
"None."
"On the other hand, international investment banks like Fitch, Moody's, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Golden Gate are encroaching on the Korean market. What's the representative company of Korea?"
Min-young answered, "Seoseong Electronics."
"That's what everyone says. But honestly, is Seoseong Electronics a Korean company?"
"The chairman is Korean. It's listed on KOSPI."
"Then what about Alibaba, a Chinese trading company? The CEO, Ma Yun, is Chinese, but the company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. What about the Riet Group? Many of its subsidiaries are listed on exchanges, and most of its sales happen in Korea, but the chairman is a Korean-Japanese and the holding company is in Japan.".
"That's..."
Ki-hong scoffed.
"Foreigners hold 53 percent of Seoseong Electronics' shares. Foreign investment banks, sovereign wealth funds, private equity funds, and pension funds share half of the market cap. Is it only Seoseong Electronics? One-third of the exchange is owned by foreigners. Despite this, every year during the season, the media keeps talking about how much foreigners are pocketing in dividends and capital gains."
"Since they invested, isn't it natural for them to take a profit?"
At my words, Ki-hong nodded.
"Exactly. That's what I wanted to say. Who owns the dozens of towering buildings in Yeouido? The hotels along the Han River? The franchises like Heungbu's stew, Lydia Coffee, and Master Pizza that are everywhere in neighborhoods? They're all owned by foreign capital. Even the QB Beer we're drinking now!"
Kyung-il, who had been mixing soju and beer, hiccupped and said, "Isn't QB Beer a Korean brand?"
"Just because it tastes bad doesn't mean it's Korean beer! The Jusan Group sold it to KRR, a British private equity firm, and KRR sold it to the TM Consortium five years later, making a fivefold profit."