Chapter 285

The Invisible Hand (3)

If the current Richard Hammond sees money as a toy, the past Son Jin-hyeok treated it as a bothersome object.

Like an album tucked away in a corner because there was nothing to do with it.

He couldn’t bear to throw it away, so he kept it, but while packing for a move, he was like, “Oh, this was here?”

He was like a house cat, content as long as he was full and warm. His lack of desire, almost like a neutered cat, was similar too. Even the way he could play alone all day with just a ball was similar.

Even now, knowing what he lacked, it’s hard to fully understand his nature. Money, luxury, women—he treated them all like dirt.

As the fatigue from a long flight gathered in his eyes, Hong Ki-jun pinched the bridge of his nose, and Hammond’s thoughts barged in.

“Then wouldn’t it be better to reduce it from a year to six months? If we’re going to stop it with just that amount of money, we need to make the market healthy in advance.”

Hong Ki-jun nodded.

“I’ve done the calculations, but it shouldn’t be insufficient, right?”

“If we move quickly, the amount isn’t that important. Especially if it’s in the billions.”

Hong Ki-jun’s head moved up and down again.

Capital is like a magnet gathering iron filings. Money clumps together, and even small change rushes to where the big money is, forming a mountain in no time.

“Three months. We need to plant it early, as you said.”

“If that’s the boss’s will, I’ll do my best. But an absolute breakwater role is impossible. You know that, right? We only buy useful ones.”

That’s obvious.

In times of crisis, even the nation mercilessly cuts off weak companies. There’s no reason for an investment firm to enter just to lose money. Even investments based on humanitarian grounds don’t involve losing money.

“It’s not just about the companies gaining strength by entering early. The wave will inevitably weaken. But those who break under the storm, there’s nothing we can do.”

“That’s something we can’t help, as you said.”

Jin-hyeok didn’t even say to save everyone.

He only asked to prevent families from committing suicide, fathers from becoming homeless, and friends from starving and freezing. He just asked to prevent those who would run away saying they’d survive alone.

Then, shock absorption should be enough.

“Still, if the ankles hold strong, the body won’t fall. Other companies will hold on too. So we’ll inject just enough dollars to keep the ankles from drowning, just enough to hold them.”

“That’s also right, boss.”

Breakwater.

Based on the one-year prediction from the Saint Economic Research Institute, 2 billion dollars should be enough. We added another 1 billion dollars.

We’ll plug in the blood pack before the blood runs out. Plenty.

When anxiety is detected, foreign capital tends to flee. But what if RB Investment, a giant investment firm that has spread funds worldwide, pours 3 billion dollars into the Korean market?

Huh, maybe we don’t need to pull out? They’ll start to wonder. At least half will stay.

‘Even if a bailout situation arises, we should lower it to a cold level, as Jin-hyeok said. After all, as long as Hammond is here, the money won’t disappear.’

Oh my, what a waste-, he would’ve said. If he were an ordinary returnee.

If a foreign exchange crisis hits and the fixed exchange rate is lifted, the dollar’s value will triple. That, that, that-! Because of that romantic shadow, we’re about to miss a great opportunity-.

But Hong Ki-jun isn’t a frog playing only in the Korean well.

Only those playing in the well worry about exchange rates. With companies all over the world, why worry about exchange losses?

“Boss, if that time comes, will you threaten the US and the world?”

“Of course. If the exchange rate rises too much, it’s no fun for me either.”

“So that’s why you make all the important products in Korea? You’re not planning to export if the exchange rate rises?”

It just turned out that way. Hong Ki-jun muttered in Korean.

It was the result of imitating Jin-hyeok in the past and accepting Jin-hyeok’s current opinion.

Team Leader Son Jin-hyeok had suggested withdrawing overseas factories early.

The factory withdrawal led to the liquidation of overseas subsidiaries…

‘Come to think of it, Yong-rak, who was the head of the overseas subsidiary, also returned and went to the legal team at the electronics division.’

The future value of the technology lost outweighed the saved taxes and labor costs. Even if the market was temporarily opened to grow, as long as borders exist, foreign governments would eventually act in some exclusive way… It was a report that considered both quantitative and qualitative aspects.

‘No country opens its market out of goodwill.’

The old Chairman Hong Ki-jun chuckled at the un-businesslike expression.

He was the type to use words closer to insults in reports without hesitation.

A neutered pervert insult artist.

Watching Hong Ki-jun lost in thought, Hammond smiled brightly.

“We have to stop it somehow. I don’t want the boss to become a public figure.”

Then he looked at him with expectant eyes.

“Boss, what about the rest of the billions?”

“You play with it. There’s a place to use it, so grow it a lot.”

“Should I just buy a few companies in the US? There are a lot of companies set up by weirdos.”

“Even if you buy them, leave the management rights. That’s how motivation works.”

“Old school! Boooss!”

Hammond’s eyes sparkled.

Even when he first entrusted 50,000 dollars as a test, he lit up like a kid who got a toy car. He’s a year older than Hong Ki-jun, so he must have been around thirty-six at the time.

To Hammond, money wasn’t money.

This fat man with a child inside saw money like building blocks in a board game. His values and approach to assets were so different that even Hong Ki-jun couldn’t step into Hammond’s world.

“What will you use it for after growing it?”

Maybe because he’s like a child, Hammond never stops asking questions.

He reminds me of a friend’s daughter who followed me around chattering every time I went to the countryside.

“It’s not for me to use.”

“Then who will use it?”

“Steve.”

“Ah-ha-.”

Will the questions stop now…

“Boss. Are you really planning to build a space station?”

…Nope, they won’t stop.

“We have to. Absolutely.”

“What are you going to do with a space station?”

“We have to keep moving forward.”

Hong Ki-jun was sparing with his words.

Answering the endless questions of a bearded 12-year-old made him feel like he was aging.

“Won’t it take a long time? The space station you’re envisioning is on a different level from the Russians’, right?”

“We have to look 30 years ahead. The sooner we move, the sooner it’ll come.”

“The boss’s scale is unimaginable. Only Richard would understand.”

I never thought I’d be involved in such things. Hong Ki-jun smiled bitterly.

Once you start moving ahead, you have to keep it up. Whether it’s running or fighting, you don’t wait for pursuers. Only perverts do that. Like a neutered house cat pervert insult artist…

“Isn’t Korea lacking in manpower?”

“Nonsense. The two research institutes aren’t there for nothing.”

“The space I see is a bit different. To pioneer something, you need idiots on a different level than me.”

Though his expression was childishly bright, his tone was enough to catch Hong Ki-jun’s attention.

“Yeah. It won’t be easy.”

“This is something I’ll only tell you, boss, but I know some idiots. They were fired from the Pentagon and NASA-.”

“You said I was your only friend?”

“I didn’t say they were friends. Richard doesn’t make friends with idiots.”

“Idiots are useless.”

Spending time together makes Hong Ki-jun feel like a child too.

In thoughts and speech.

“They’re smart. They’re idiots because they got fired for doing weird things.”

“What did they do?”

“The one from NASA pointed out problems in the space shuttle design and fought with the director. You know that shuttle, right? Last year, it went boom- in the stratosphere.”

Boooom-!

Hammond made a gesture of an explosion with his hands.

“The one from the Defense Department changed the Russian nuclear launch codes. He said, ‘Even if we launch, they won’t be able to.’ We almost had a war.”

“One’s stubborn, and the other’s a lunatic. I like them. Bring them. As many as you want. It might not be the best, but it’ll help.”

Only then did Hammond smirk.

“Richard knows what the boss is thinking. You’re not going to use them directly, are you?”

“Of course not. We have to teach them. You can’t trust and go with someone whose starting point and destination are different.”

“Agreed. Let the idiots do what they enjoy and make money, and the boss extracts the technology. The boss is a born manager.”

What’s with this glutton flattering me? Hong Ki-jun muttered as he habitually scanned the wall with his eyes.

Then he shook his head and checked his wristwatch. What kind of office doesn’t have a wall clock?

“Is today the day for the 200m semi-finals and finals?”

“Yeah. It might have started by now. Why? Do you like that stupid game too?”

When Hong Ki-jun didn’t respond but nodded, Hammond fiddled with the TV remote.

[Johnson-! Cuba’s Garcia! Jeff Williams, and Belgium’s Patrick Stevens are heading to the finals!]

Hah, American broadcasts don’t add the country name when introducing American athletes.

Watching the results of the men’s 200m semi-final Group A, Hammond asked.

“Ah! Boss, you know, right? The one from Korea, Son.”

“Hmm. A very close friend.”

“He entered the country with your daughter. Was that your intention?”

Hammond, the only employee Hong Ki-jun allows private conversations with besides family and friends, didn’t hide his curiosity.

It seemed like he intended for them to meet since he went to find young Jin-hyeok, but he didn’t think that far, so it wasn’t intentional. The Olympic trip was unexpected…

“No. The kids meeting was the work of the invisible hand. It’s not something I can force.”

“Ooh-, invisible hand? I thought the boss didn’t like the words those philosopher bums use?”

Hong Ki-jun chuckled at Hammond’s humor.

Not all words are the same, man, he muttered.

[Actually, Group A was Johnson’s solo run. How about Group B?]

[It’s interesting that the medalist candidates are all in Group B. It’s almost suspicious that the invisible hand gathered the competitors for Johnson.]

This guy, that guy, they’re all using “invisible hand” like it’s a catchphrase.

Goddess of luck, goddess of victory, invisible hand, hand of God, what else…

The idioms that pop up every Olympics.

[Group B has medalist candidates Frank Fredericks, Ato Boldon, Michael Marsh, Obadele Thompson, and Jin-hyeok Son.]

[Michael Johnson was the favorite. Until Son appeared. But when the curtain was lifted, Son wasn’t alone. Oh my! The other athletes started going crazy after Son appeared!]

[You’re talking about the elimination of the UK’s Linford Christie, right?]

[Yes-. The young athletes who were expected to fall short of Linford wiped him out in the half-track. The top seed in the heats eliminated in the quarter-finals! Linford’s record wasn’t bad either. This is the greatest advantage of fair competition.]

[Upward leveling?]

[Absolutely. That’s the true power of sports! Making everyone healthy!]

[Now, let’s start the semi-final Group B race.]

Tap- tap tap-.

Hong Ki-jun, who had been alternating between the TV and the table, tapped the table with his index finger.

Hammond, who had been lazily watching the TV with sleepy eyes, turned his head.

“Boss? Are you nervous?”

Hmmm-.

Hong Ki-jun straightened his upper body and took a deep breath.

“Steve’s there…”

“Yeah. He is.”

“Let’s remove the H from the family name.”

“Got it.”

He was an eccentric, refusing any intervention or nagging in asset management, but in other areas, if it was Hong Ki-jun’s request, he wouldn’t argue.

“But boss.”

“Yeah?”

“You said there are no secrets from Richard.”

“I swear.”

“You said Steve isn’t a fictional character. He’s not like Jesus or Hammond’s girlfriend, existing only in belief. You said he exists in reality.”

“That’s true.”

“Then why don’t you show him? Why have you never shown him?”

“What?”

Hong Ki-jun feigned innocence with a nonchalant face.

“Steve’s hand. No, now it’s Son. Who is that? Is it the invisible Son? RB is a company I handle, but on paper, Steve is my boss.”

“You’ll meet him soon.”

Hong Ki-jun smiled and pointed at the TV with his chin.

[Gooo-!]

[Semi-final Group B! They’re off! Aaaaah! Soooon! Unbelievable! Untouchable! Unstoppable! Invisible! He’s different from the start!]

[Oh- god-! Even the great Fredericks and Boldon can’t catch up. The race is decided even before the curve.]

[Jesus Christ! Insane speed! It’s like watching a final race!]

[Gooo-!]

[Wow-! Brilliant! World-wide!]

[19.45! Breaking the world record, he’s heading to the final!]

[It’s so amazing. I’m at a loss for words. It’s a talent from heaven.]

[Son, roaring like a barbarian towards the sky that gave him talent! Korea!]

Hammond, who didn’t understand Hong Ki-jun’s chin gesture, scratched his thick belly while lying sideways.

Raymond, who said there were no secrets from him, didn’t answer and just watched the TV, making him feel both disappointed and awkward.

“Umm-, yeah. He runs well. I don’t like guys like that. If you stay still, you don’t get out of breath or muscle pain, so why run so hard?”

[Kyaaaa-!]

Hong Ki-jun burst into laughter silently, his shoulders shaking.

The lazy panda Hammond and the roar of Son Yoo-jin from the TV strangely harmonized, tormenting his sight and hearing.

‘Why run? That guy runs to live. No, he ran to live.’

A talent from heaven?

It’s talent, but no one gave it to him.

Yeah, it’s called talent.

Another name for memories engraved in the soul.