Rose was just as surprised by Ellie’s sudden arrival.
Ellie sat down next to .
“Hello, you must be Rose McDowell? It’s nice to et a celebrity I usually only see in fashion magazines, especially in a place like this.”
Rose quickly composed herself and smiled.
“Nice to et you.”
Then, looking at , she said, “I see you have a thing for models. In that case, I think we’d get along just fine.”
Looks like that’s how it appears.
I set her straight. “She’s not a model, she’s a lawyer for Golden Gate.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Ellie leaned forward and said, “I have a question for you too. Where did you learn that bad habit of hitting on other people’s boyfriends?”
“Are you talking to now…”
Before she knew it, Ellie’s expression had turned terrifying. Rose, who looked like she was about to get angry, quickly shut her mouth, seemingly overwheld by Ellie’s intensity.
“What are you doing? Usually in situations like this, wouldn’t you jump up and run away?”
“Y-you’re a real piece of work!”
Even as she said that, she did exactly as Ellie said, jumping up and running out of the restaurant as if fleeing. While walking away in a hurry, she twisted her ankle and almost fell to the ground.
It was like watching a scene from a reality show. Surely there aren’t caras around, are there?
I was half surprised and half delighted. “What brings you here without a word?”
Ellie narrowed her eyes and looked at . “I ca to keep an eye on you, just in case sothing like this happened.”
“Huh! Really?”
Then Ellie smiled brightly. “Just kidding. I happened to have a business trip to headquarters, and I volunteered to co because I also wanted to see Jin-hoo.”
“Ah, I see.”
So that’s why she ca to New York.
“Anyway, I’m impressed. You didn’t fall for a blonde bombshell who’s seduced even famous Hollywood actors.”
“……”
It wouldn’t have happened, but if I had fallen for it, it would have been a disaster.
I said decisively, “Bombshell? She’s not even half as pretty as Ellie.”
“Hmm, really?”
“Of course.”
Ellie smiled, brushing her hair back. She’s not just pretty, she’s full of charm. And lovely too.
Hearing her story, she said she had just arrived and ca straight here. When she called the penthouse from the lobby, Taekgyu told her I was here.
“Were you drinking alone?”
“Yes. I was just about to finish this and get up.”
“Then let’s get up now.”
“Huh?”
“We’re going on a date.”
“Aren’t you tired if you just got off a plane?”
“It’s okay. I have the energy for a date.”
For reference, Ellie’s stamina is better than mine.
“Where do you want to go?”
“Shall we go to Tis Square?”
“Sounds good.”
***
I woke up to the alarm.
Through the glass wall of the bedroom, I could see the towering skyscrapers and panorama of Central Park. It really hit that I was in New York.
Ellie was already washing up and getting dressed. Her stunning figure caught my eye. I was quietly admiring her when we made eye contact as she was putting on her blouse.
“Kyaa! What are you doing? How can you just wake up and stare at without saying anything?”
“Because you’re too beautiful.”
Ellie quickly fastened her blouse buttons. “Jin-hoo, hurry up and get ready too.”
“Okay.”
After washing up and getting dressed, I went out to the living room, and Taekgyu was already there.
Breakfast was set on the table. The nu was salad and Eggs Benedict.
We had a light breakfast with coffee and got into the prepared car.
“See you later.”
“Okay.”
Ellie got out at Golden Gate headquarters, and Taekgyu and I headed to a stately building nearby.
We were guided in by security. The exterior of the building looked like it was built during the Renaissance, but the interior was state-of-the-art. Lights were embedded in the ceiling, and the walls were full of electronic displays and monitors.
It was my first ti here, but it felt sohow familiar.
That’s because this place is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) located on Wall Street. It’s the world’s largest stock exchange and the center of world finance.
Taekgyu glanced around inside. “I feel like I’ve seen this place on the news a lot.”
“It’s on all the ti. Especially when stock prices plumt.”
When crises or events like Brexit happen, pictures of brokers gripped by panic are plastered all over the newspapers.
In case of crisis or disaster, they even close the market. It’s a asure to prevent unstable situations from imdiately affecting the financial market. Recently, they closed for a week when the Big One occurred.
The reason we ca here today is to ring the Opening Bell that announces the market opening.
When there are newly listed companies, the representative cos out and rings the Opening Bell, but on days when there are no listed companies, they hold an event inviting famous people or VIPs to ring the Opening Bell.
At my explanation, Taekgyu said as if sothing ca to mind, “Didn’t President Gak-ha co here once and ring it before?”
“Probably.”
“But President Gak-ha is probably lying on the cold prison floor right now, resenting you.”
“……”
Why are you bringing that up now? Let’s stop talking about President Gak-ha.
Anyway, back when I was working part-ti in a university club and investing in stocks with the 1 million won I earned, who would have imagined that I would be ringing the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange?
Before the event, I exchanged greetings with exchange officials. They subtly expressed their wish that Caros Holdings and M Pizza, etc., would be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Just because a company is registered in a certain country doesn’t necessarily an it has to be listed on that country’s exchange. Korean companies are listed on foreign exchanges, and conversely, foreign companies are listed on KOSPI or KOSDAQ.
Usually, they consider which exchange to list on, taking into account capital market laws and regulations, investor accessibility, and size.
The more excellent listed companies there are, the larger the exchange becos and the more fees it earns. That’s why various exchanges are competing to attract unlisted global companies.
Naturally, the larger the exchange, the easier it is to attract funds. That’s why many large Chinese companies list on the New York or Hong Kong Stock Exchange rather than dostically. (Alizini is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and WeChat and Xiaomi are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.)
But I don’t know if there will be a ti for listing. The reason for listing on the exchange, that is, an Initial Public Offering (IPO), is to raise investnt funds.
But we have so much money that it’s not really a problem. In fact, companies that do not have difficulty raising investnt funds deliberately delay their listing ti. That way, they can sell their shares at the best possible price.
Hundreds of people were gathered inside the exchange ahead of the opening. Their ages ranged from people my age to elderly people with white hair. Mostly n, but there were won too.
This place isn’t like a brokerage branch where anyone can enter. Only people with trading licenses can enter. Therefore, just being here ans you can be considered the top elite in the financial world.
At one point, my dream was to beco a successful stockbroker and set foot in the New York Stock Exchange.
Leaving Taekgyu, who dislikes showing his face to the dia, behind, I stepped up alone to ring the Opening Bell.
Of course, the market doesn’t actually open because you ring the Opening Bell. It’s just ringing the Opening Bell to coincide with the market opening ti.
The market would open automatically even if you didn’t ring it.
I rang the Opening Bell in ti for the market opening. The bell rang loudly, and people applauded all at once. Cara shutters clicked everywhere.
Indices and stock prices moved on the electronic displays and monitors. Perhaps due to expectations of a trade war resolution, the index started up almost 1 percent.
Brokers quickly checked the electronic displays and shouted out quotes.
Instead of leaving imdiately, Taekgyu and I watched the scene for a while.
“It’s like a marketplace.”
“It is a marketplace.”
This is the most important market in the world. The items being traded are stocks, not goods, and the transaction amount is astronomical, that’s all.
It’s a strange thing to think about.
It’s just numbers changing on a screen, but people cheer and sigh while watching it.
Buildings, cars, smartphones, etc., are visible. They are created by industrial capital. But financial capital is not visible to the eye.
Whether it’s stocks, bonds, or money, it’s just numbers displayed in an account. But those numbers can cause a perfectly good factory to go bankrupt and soone’s ho to be foreclosed on.
That must be the power of finance.
Suddenly, this thought ca to . If there is soone who can control these numbers, could it be said that they dominate the world?
After leaving the New York Stock Exchange, we looked around Wall Street. The bodyguards followed at a slight distance.
I wore a hat pulled down low and sunglasses. There were many people dressed similarly, and there were a lot of Asian tourists, so no one paid attention to us.
“Are you going to Golden Gate?”
“No. I have soone to et.”
Coming here reminded of soone.
I don’t know his na. All I know is his workplace and face. I don’t know if I can find him with just this, but there’s no harm in checking it out.
“You only know his workplace and face? Where does he work?”
“JP Morgan.”
“That’s a famous financial company.”
“Yeah. I’m going without an appointnt, so I don’t know if they’ll let in.”
“Isn’t your face a free pass anywhere?”
“Maybe?”
Well, surely they wouldn’t turn away the CEO of OTK Company at the door.
“Who is it anyway?”
“Well… oh! I think that’s him.”
I was surprised to see the person walking towards us.
He was in his early 40s. A blue-eyed blond Caucasian man. He was wearing a perfectly fitted black suit and carrying a briefcase. He was walking quickly while talking on the phone, as if he had an urgent appointnt.
“……I’ll et you there and explain. I’m doing my best. I explained that part well to the client. Yes. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”
I quickly approached him and spoke to him.
“Excuse .”
He was walking and talking on the phone and didn’t even notice approaching until he turned his head.
“What is it?”
I asked him. “You work for JP Morgan, right?”
“Yes, I do. What’s the matter?”
So, it is him.
I said, happily, “Can I talk to you for a mont?”
He scanned up and down. “I don’t know what it is, but I’m not interested, so ask soone else. I’m busy, so excuse .”
I blocked his path as he tried to walk away. “No, just a mont, please. I just wanted to say hello.”
He frowned slightly. “Look, do I look like I have that much free ti?”
If a stranger from Asia ca up to him like this, it would be annoying. But what if it was an acquaintance from Asia?
I took off the hat and sunglasses I was wearing.
“You’re on an important call, and you’re already busy as it is… Huh!”
He looked at my face with an unbelievable expression.
“S-surely not Kang Jin-hoo? Oh! My god.”
“Yes, nice to et you.”
Taekgyu asked in a low voice, “Who is this guy? Do you know him?”
I whispered his identity to Taekgyu. Then Taekgyu looked extrely pleased, grabbed his hand, and shook it vigorously.
“Wow! Nice to et you! I can’t believe we’re eting here like this. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Ah, yes. I, I’m also glad to et you.”
He shook hands, but still looked utterly bewildered. “But do I know you?”
I had never actually t him, but I knew him from before.
It was none other than the man who was next to when I saw the vision of the Big One. The gold Rolex on his right wrist was still the sa.
According to the vision I saw, he was in Palo Alto when the Big One hit and lost his life there. But due to preparations for the earthquake, mandatory business closures and evacuations began, and business trips would naturally have been canceled.
I thought he would be alive, but I’m so glad to see him in person like this.
“What’s your na?”
“Barnes Willis.”
“If you have ti, would you like to have a cup of coffee?”
At my words, he bead. “M-?”
“Do you have an appointnt right now?”
“Ah, yes. I was on my way to et my team leader…”
“Give your phone.”
I took his phone. Fortunately, the call was still connected. When I put it to my ear, a voice flowed out.
[Hey! Who are you talking to? Kang Jin-hoo? Surely you don’t an that Kang Jin-hoo?]
“Who is this Kang Jin-hoo you’re talking about?”
[The guy who made a killing during Brexit, that’s who.]
“Yes. I am that Kang Jin-hoo.”
[What? Yes? Really?]
“Hello, this is Kang Jin-hoo. I t Mr. Barnes Willis on the street and was going to have a cup of coffee, would you like to join us?”
Then the other person replied enthusiastically, “[O-of course! I’ve been wanting to et you!]”
I smiled and said, “Great then. Coffee’s on .”
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