Chapter 5

 Episode 5: Gulf War (1)

Leverage trading.

It was a risky investment method that could lead to financial ruin if not handled properly. Borrowing money to invest naturally meant that if you suffered losses, you would find yourself buried in debt.

"Master Minjae, aside from the risks involved, there are many limitations to futures trading in South Korea right now."

"Then you should go to the United States. Hwang Junghoon, submit your resignation within this month and go to the United States to establish a corporation."

"R-Resignation? Are you suggesting that I should write a resignation letter?"

For regular employees, retirement is one of the scariest things they can face. But for our dedicated team, it shouldn't be so frightening. They aren't just being told to leave, and they have a guaranteed next job waiting for them. On top of that, they've received substantial bonuses. What's so scary that they're shaking like that?

"What are you so worried about? If things don't work out with me, I'll ensure you can return to Taewoo Securities. Do you know who I am? Who's my grandfather?"

"You're Chairman Kim Taejoong's grandson."

"Rejoining the company won't be a big deal. In fact, I'll even guarantee a promotion if you come back. So, don't worry and submit your resignation tomorrow."

"I... I trust you, Master Minjae."

"Don't trust me; trust the money. You received 300 million as a bonus this time, but if the next investment goes well, the units will change."

The power of money is truly amazing. Just a moment ago, Hwang Junghoon was trembling with fear at the thought of submitting his resignation.

"I'll submit my resignation first thing tomorrow."

"But how good is your English?"

"I scored a perfect score on the English exam when I joined Taewoo Group."

My grandfather places great importance on globalization. Naturally, for those entering Taewoo Group, language skills were crucial, and especially among the elite group of Taewoo Securities employees, being proficient in English was a given.

"Don't spare any expenses. Hire a good lawyer and create a perfect investment company."

"I'll establish the company in your name."

"Don't do that. Use a paper company so that it's difficult to figure out who the owner is."

"I understand what you mean. I'll create the company with a complex structure so that it's not easily traceable to the owner."

We have four months left until the Gulf War erupts. I'd like to handle it personally, but I don't have enough time for university entrance exam preparations, so I have no choice but to send the most trustworthy team leader to the United States.

"Establish the company and, as practice, start futures trading. You need to keep your hands properly untied until August."

"I'll proceed with the investment cautiously within a risk-free zone."

"The rest of the team will stay in Korea to assist Hwang Junghoon."

I wish I could send everyone to the United States together. However, establishing an investment company is just the beginning. We need Taewoo Securities' systems and information network. Therefore, the other team members had to stay in Korea.

Well, it's just for a little while. If we can successfully manage the Gulf War investment, the U.S. investment company itself can create a system similar to or even larger than Taewoo Securities.

* * *

The Iran-Iraq War put a damper on the Middle East construction boom. Now that the war has ended, my grandfather went to Saudi Arabia personally for Middle East construction, and I closely followed him into the banquet hall.

"How is it? Can you feel the power of the Saudi royal family? You'll never see a scene like this if you stay confined to our small piece of land in Korea."

"It's almost overwhelming. They say oil is black gold, and it looks like money is overflowing for real."

"Haha, you've learned a lot about black gold, my young apprentice."

The banquet hall was truly the epitome of extravagance. Despite not being a royal banquet in the Saudi palace, it still showcased the opulence of the Saudi dynasty.

How many people can attend such an event? My grandfather, who had been tirelessly involved in Saudi construction projects since the 1980s, had earned the privilege.

"Just wait here for a moment. I'll go greet some people."

"Go ahead. I'll quietly observe."

As my grandfather briefly left my side to exchange greetings, I took the opportunity to discreetly gather information.

Why did I come all the way to Saudi Arabia?

During the Asian financial crisis, I received no assistance at all.

While my grandfather was away for a moment, I diligently turned my head to confirm personal details.

The reason I ventured to Saudi Arabia was to hook a big fish.

Thanks to my diligent observation, I spotted a massive catch. Approaching a young child who seemed barely old enough for school, I naturally struck up a conversation in English.

"Hello, I'm Kim Minjae from South Korea."

"Oh! Hi, I'm Muhammad."

Muhammad bin Salman.

A person who would become the crown prince in 20 years.

A man who could be called "Mr. Everything."

Muhammad was the man who would literally be capable of anything.

At the moment, he was just a small child, not even in elementary school yet.

"Shall we play together?"

"Really? What are we going to play?"

"I brought some toys with me. Let's play together."

I had brought various toys from Korea for this day, tailored to the whims of a five-year-old full of the desire to play.

From yo-yos to robots, it didn't take more than 20 minutes to capture Muhammad's heart.

"Wow! This is amazing!"

"I'll show you some other things too."

I kept pulling out toys from my bulging pockets, and both my grandfather and Muhammad's father were looking at us with satisfaction.

"Our Muhammad is getting along very well with you."

Muhammad's father approached me.

Muhammad's father's name was Salman.

Today's true target was none other than Salman. While it might take another 20 years for Muhammad to become the crown prince, his father, Salman, didn't have many years left before ascending to the position of crown prince.

The current crown prince met his end at an early age, which allowed Salman to rise to the position of crown prince at an early stage and eventually become the king.

Building such a connection with Salman could potentially be of great help during the financial crisis.

"Muhammad is really smart. It's so much fun to play with him."

"He's a very kind child. I'll entrust Muhammad to you today."

I had made my mark with the future crown prince.

However, just leaving a mark wasn't enough.

To solidify him as a valuable connection, I had another plan in mind.

"But that man seemed a bit strange. Earlier, he took something like jewelry, put it in a vacuum cleaner bag, and moved it."

"What are you talking about? Can you tell me more details?"

The infamous Saudi royal jewel heist.

It was an incident where a Thai janitor stole a whopping 100 kg of royal jewels, placed them in a vacuum cleaner bag, and fled to Thailand.

This incident caused Saudi Arabia to strain its relations with Thailand for 30 years. If I can resolve an incident of this magnitude, I could establish a strong connection with the Saudi royal family.

The reason for my choice to travel to Saudi Arabia was precisely this. I aimed to solve the jewel heist and thereby incur a debt to the Saudi royal family.

"I saw it. That janitor stole the jewels."

"Really? Suspecting innocent people is a serious matter."

Would I make a baseless accusation? All the information was in the profile.

[Profile]

Name: Kuriangkurai Techamong

Affiliation: Palace janitor

Noteworthy: Stole royal jewels, not yet disposed of.

I double-checked the profile and spoke louder to Salman.

"I'm sure about that person. Check the vacuum cleaner bag right now."

"Hmm... Alright, let's discuss it after the check. But be prepared in case you've wrongly accused someone."

Salman's expression changed dramatically. He glared at me, then signaled his bodyguards, who apprehended the janitor and disassembled the vacuum cleaner.

Vroom, vroom, vroom.

Various jewels spilled out of the vacuum cleaner. It was incredibly audacious—or perhaps audacious enough to not get caught yet. Salman's face turned from confusion to astonishment, causing a brief commotion.

* * *

Inside the airplane on our way back to South Korea, my grandfather couldn't stop smiling throughout the flight.

"I don't know why our Minjae is so cute. Thanks to Minjae, we've secured twice as many construction contracts as we originally negotiated."

"I was just playing with Muhammad with all my heart."

"With a little more effort, Taewoo Construction could surpass Current Construction to become the top subcontractor. Haha, isn't it all thanks to Minjae?"

My grandfather was always thirsty for the top spot. In a way, it could be seen as an inferiority complex. Unlike other chaebol families, my grandfather started as an employee and built Taewoo Group to its current stature.

Unsatisfied with that, my grandfather further expanded Taewoo Group with bold investments, and during the foreign exchange crisis, Taewoo Group rose to become the second-largest in the industry.

But there's one thing. When a financial crisis hits, the group will be torn apart, leaving nothing behind.

Strengthening the core is more important than expanding the periphery, but my grandfather was currently addicted to globalization.

It's difficult to get through to someone who's addicted. No matter how you try to reason, they're not ready to listen.

And who would dare to give advice to the person who built the group into the third-largest in the industry?

So, I can only assist from within and outside.

To do that, I need to finish my studies quickly.

Age might limit how much more I can eat, but I can earn a university degree faster depending on my efforts.

"Please don't talk to me until we arrive in Korea. I need to study."

"Sure, Minjae. Study hard."

I pulled out an SAT book.

In my previous life, I did enter a university in South Korea, but that didn't mean I hadn't considered studying abroad.

That's why I had studied for the SAT even in my previous life, and the foundation of test preparation was solving past questions.

In other words, I had already attempted the SAT I would take next year.

Of course, I didn't remember all the questions.

So, I needed to study as much as possible to make my vague memories clearer.

* * *

August has begun.

For the past four months, I've been studying relentlessly, never taking a break. I read books even while eating, and I went to sleep after reading until the moment I fell asleep.

My grandfather was worried about me in this state, but in reality, it wasn't that difficult. In my previous life, I was smart enough to pass the entrance exam for Korea University, the top university in South Korea. Plus, with some of the best teachers in Korea giving me lectures for hours on end, I could feel a sense of accomplishment.

But today, I put down the books.

It's one day before the Gulf War starts.

I made an international call with familiar hand gestures, and soon, Team Leader Han Jung-hoon answered the phone with a nervous voice.

"Have you placed your bets on the oil price surge?"

"As you instructed, I've used leverage to bet on the oil price surge as much as possible. I've already lost 300 million won in the past 10 minutes."

"Today, just think of it as a vacation and relax."

"I've bet a whopping 200 million dollars! That's over 140 billion won in Korean currency!"

"Only 200 million dollars for over 140 billion won? Wow, the exchange rate is good. And what's there to worry about? You've done well so far."

The exchange rate at the end of 1990 was only 716 won to the dollar.

You had to earn every penny you could when the dollar was cheap.

Japan's Nikkei index had fallen a whopping 30 percent in just five months, which allowed me to amass capital exceeding 140 billion won.

But that was just a practice game. The real game is the Gulf War.

"Master, it's a whopping 200 million dollars!"

"It doesn't matter if you lose it all. You can earn it back."

"...Alright. I'll keep an eye on it for now."