"As soon as your transfer is complete, your bonuses will be deposited into your U.S. accounts. With a total of 1.4 trillion won, that cos out to 140 billion won. Since there are four of you, each of you will receive 35 billion won."
"T-That's… too much."
"This will be the last ti bonuses are distributed this way. From now on, paynts will be performance-based. And since I plan to recruit more people, you'll have to compete to stay on top."
Once you've caught a fish, there's no need to overfeed it.
From now on, high perforrs would earn more, while those who contributed less would earn less.
"Performance-based… So, the bonus will depend on our results?"
"Exactly. So, work hard."
"We'll give it everything we've got!"
Their eyes burned with determination.
Nothing motivates people like money.
"Now, shall we discuss our next investnt?"
"Where do you plan to invest next? I've already compiled a list of promising opportunities."
Team Leader Han must have had plenty of free ti lately.
After making a killing in oil, there wasn't much for him to do.
He had continued trading futures, as I instructed, but the profits weren't as impressive as before. So, he must have spent his free ti researching.
"I noticed oil is missing from your portfolio."
"This war has no clear end in sight. I believe the oil market will stagnate for a while. In this situation, investing in oil won't be profitable."
The others nodded in agreent.
Not just them—most investors worldwide probably felt the sa way.
"But I believe we'll get one more opportunity."
"Are you saying oil prices will skyrocket again?"
"There's no way oil prices can go any higher. They're already insane."
"Then how exactly do you plan to invest in oil?"
"Think of Japan's economic bubble. Don't you think oil prices are in a bubble right now too?"
"That's true, but as long as the war continues, the bubble won't burst."
"The mont the U.S. steps in, this war will end instantly. And when the oil bubble bursts, it will plumt even faster than it rose."
The Gulf War was essentially a showcase of U.S. firepower.
Faced with overwhelming force, Iraq had no chance, and the war ended far more quickly than anyone expected.
Of course, very few people saw this coming.
Even Team Leader Han was skeptical.
"But the U.S. already lost in Vietnam. Sheer firepower and resources alone won't guarantee victory."
"Vietnam was a civil war. Is this war a civil war?"
"No, it's a war between nations."
"Then does Iraq have jungles like Vietnam, where they can wage guerrilla warfare?"
"There's no such thing as a jungle in the Middle East."
"Exactly. This is a war that ends the mont the U.S. unleashes its firepower. It's the perfect stage for an Arican firepower showcase."
It was an obvious conclusion.
But at the ti, doubts about U.S. military strength still lingered due to the humiliating loss in Vietnam.
Moreover, Iraq had fought Iran for eight years, so it was natural for people to assu this war would also drag on.
"So, you believe oil prices will drop?"
"Of course. The war will end quickly. And even though there's a war, oil supply hasn't actually been disrupted, has it?"
"That's true."
"Then what's there to think about? The mont news breaks that the U.S. is entering the war, short-sell oil imdiately."
"Are we… using leverage again?"
"Obviously!"
The team visibly flinched.
As experienced traders, they knew the risks of leverage all too well.
"What, don't you have the heart of a beast? Why are you all so scared?"
"But if the war doesn't end quickly, like you predict, we could lose everything."
"Then we'll just make it back. Listen up—this isn't Taewoo Securities, where stability is the priority. I take on all the risk. Your only job is to figure out how to maximize profit."
"Understood. I'll draft a proposal for shorting oil."
Team Leader Han agreed surprisingly quickly.
After making two consecutive successful bets, his trust in had solidified.
"The U.S. probably won't intervene until next year, so there's no need to rush. In the anti, get familiar with the U.S. market. Start making so smaller investnts—we can't just let $2 billion sit in a bank account."
"Understood. We'll start with market research."
Team Leader Han gathered the team.
He efficiently assigned research tasks to each mber.
I knew I had picked the right person.
He didn't beco the CEO of Korea's top investnt firm for nothing.
If I hadn't snatched him up first, he would have eventually founded his own firm and run it independently.
In a way, I had stolen his future.
That ant I had to offer him an even greater opportunity to build imnse wealth.
* * *
A few days later.
I was fully imrsed in SAT prep with the help of a college admissions consultant.
I also worked with an essay specialist, writing one essay per week.
It was an insanely busy ti, not just for , but also for my dedicated team.
"You all look exhausted. I take it you've been busy?"
"…Young Master, I finally understand the saying, 'You suffer when you leave ho.' Without Taewoo Securities' system, even gathering small pieces of information takes an insane amount of effort."
"Why are you making it sound so complicated? Just ask for more employees."
"You're right! We need more staff."
"Then hire about 50 people. If we offer top industry salaries, we'll attract plenty of talent."
"Are you sure? On Wall Street, 'top industry salaries' start at millions per year."
Millions?
Did they already forget that they just received tens of millions in bonuses?
Then again, just recently, they were working for a re 20 million won a year, so I suppose it makes sense.
"As long as we're hiring talent worth that salary, it's fine. Bring the resus as soon as they co in."
"You plan to review them yourself?"
"Talent is everything in business. We can't just hire anyone. Oh, and make sure they attach a photo with their application."
In the U.S., attaching photos to resus is illegal.
But I needed them to properly assess the candidates.
"I'll consult our legal team to ensure there are no issues before collecting resus."
"If we process the applications through our Korean branch, there shouldn't be any major problems."
"Understood. I'll handle it that way."
There was no shortage of people eager to break into Wall Street.
But the competition was fierce—only the best of the best made it through.
I was confident there were plenty of talented individuals who had the skills but not the connections to break in.
And I was right.
* * *
Even though SAVE Investnts had been around for less than six months, a surprising number of applications ca in.
"Young Master, we've received 130 applications so far. Here are the resus and photos."
"That's more than I expected. How many people do we actually need?"
"At least 10, but the more, the better."
"Leave the resus. I'll take a look later."
I pushed the resus aside and focused on the photos.
A photo alone could tell more than any resu ever could.
'As expected, Wall Street is different. Their base skill levels are impressive.'
Most applicants had at least B-grade skills in one or more areas.
But I wasn't looking to build just any investnt firm—SAVE Investnts would be the best in the world.
I needed only A-grade talent or higher.
"Oh! A-grade in analytical skills? Hired. A-grade in math? Investing is just a numbers ga—this one's in. Ohhh! Another A-grade!"
As expected, the bigger the pond, the bigger the fish.
Back in Korea, I had waited for hours in front of Taewoo Securities just to find three A-grade talents, including Team Leader Han.
But here, on Wall Street, A-grade candidates were everywhere.
A total of 20 people.
But finding S-grade talent was a different story.
There was only one.
And their skillset was… unusual.
'S-grade in social skills? What the hell do I do with that?'
Did it matter whether I had an imdiate use for them?
An S-grade talent is an S-grade talent.
'I'm not letting soone like this slip away to my competitors.'
I handed over the 21 resus I had sorted through to Team Leader Han.
He glanced at the stack, then asked,
"Are these the first-round finalists? Should we proceed with second-round interviews?"
"Interviews? What for? Just hire them all."
"All 21 of them? The current office is barely big enough for 10 people."
"Then find a new office. Or better yet, buy an entire building."
Team Leader Han's expression changed.
He didn't say it out loud, but his face scread: "Typical chaebol heir—has no clue about the value of money!"
"Co on, we're making money in the trillions. What's one building in comparison?"
"For now, I'll lease the office next door and expand. If our oil investnt pays off next year, then we'll consider purchasing a building."
"That works. Just make sure you choose carefully—we don't want to buy just any random building."
"But are you really hiring 20 people without even an interview?"
"Do we really need one? I can tell just by looking."
"…Understood. I'll send out the offer letters imdiately."
"No rush. They can't start until the office expansion is done, anyway."
With that, our hiring push was mostly complete.
With 21 new hires and our existing 4 staff, our total headcount had grown to 25.
Still not enough.
But that was only because our company's na wasn't well-known yet.
That would change with ti.
As long as we kept winning in the market, people would co to us.
* * *
Ti in Arica flew by.
No matter how efficiently I used each of the 24 hours in a day, it was never enough.
From 5 AM, I was drilled by my consultants, preparing for SATs, language exams, and essays without a single break.
And just like that, 1990 ended, and 1991 began.
Today was January 17th—the day the legendary Operation Desert Storm would begin.
"We're all set, right?"
"Yes. The entire team is executing the oil short-selling strategy."
For the first ti in a while, I dropped by SAVE Investnts.
There was no way I could focus on studying today.
"As soon as U.S. forces are deployed, oil prices will plumt. Let's just take a clean 2x profit and get out."
"But if oil prices surge instead, our $2 billion margin deposit will be wiped out instantly."
"That won't happen. Trust ."
As always, we had maxed out our leverage.
If things went sideways, billions could vanish in an instant.
The entire staff was on edge, nervously sweating over their terminals.
But really—what difference would it make?
The bet was already made.
Now, all we could do was wait for the results.
But just waiting was boring—Click! I turned on the TV.
"The Gulf War news should be breaking any mont now."
"Isn't war information classified? Will it really hit the news this fast?"
"The governnt will push it out on a massive scale. They want to show the world just how powerful Arica's military really is."
And just as I finished speaking, breaking news flashed across the screen.
[The world's first stealth fighter, the F-117, has pierced the heart of Iraq. B-52 bombers and Tomahawk missiles have devastated the Iraqi capital.]
Iraq—a nation that had fought Iran for eight years.
That war ended in a ceasefire, but many saw Iraq as the real victor.
Despite suffering heavy losses, Iraq had stockpiled an enormous amount of war materials.
And yet, in just one day, the country was reduced to ruins.
As images of Iraq's obliterated cityscape were broadcast across the world, oil prices began to shake.
TL/n -
Operation Desert Storm was the combat phase of the Gulf War (1990–1991), led by a U.S.-led coalition against Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait. The operation took place from January 17 to February 28, 1991, and resulted in Kuwait's liberation.
Why Did the Gulf War Happen?
On August 2, 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, claiming it as Iraq's territory.
The UN condemned the invasion and imposed economic sanctions on Iraq.
A U.S.-led coalition of 35 nations demanded Iraq withdraw from Kuwait.
Iraq refused, leading to military intervention.
Phases of Operation Desert Storm
1. Air Campaign (January 17 – February 23, 1991)
The war started with a massive airstrike against Iraq's military infrastructure, command centers, and air defenses.
The U.S. and its allies conducted over 100,000 sorties (air missions).
The goal was to cripple Iraq's military and force a surrender.
2. Ground Offensive (February 24 – February 28, 1991)
After six weeks of airstrikes, coalition forces launched a 100-hour ground assault.
The coalition, including U.S., UK, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, overwheld Iraq's forces.
Iraq's Republican Guard was defeated, and Kuwait was liberated within days.
Iraq's forces retreated, setting Kuwaiti oil fields on fire as they fled.
Casualties
Coalition: Less than 500 killed.
Iraq: 20,000–35,000 troops killed.
Iraq agreed to a ceasefire on February 28, 1991.
Saddam Hussein remained in power, leading to future tensions (including the 2003 Iraq War).
Sanctions and No-Fly Zones were imposed on Iraq, leading to further conflicts.
Reviews
All reviews (0)