Chapter 64

[Breaking News: Russia announces a moratorium on all currency exports, citing a temporary inability to pay back foreign debts. They’ve stopped repayment of all foreign debts for ninety days, and raised the exchange rate to 9.5 rubles per dollar, which is an increase of 53%. The IMF has entered into immediate talks with the Russian government regarding this issue, and Russian bonds and the ruble has greatly devalued along with their holdings among major European companies. Also, the value of currencies for major Asian countries and the price of raw materials produced by those countries has decreased…]

***

[Estimated Profit: +512%]

[Estimated Profit: +22%]

[Estimated Profit: +620%]

[Estimated Profit: +43%]

……

[Estimated Profit: +2%]

[Estimated Profit: +125%]

[Estimated Profit: +34%]

[Estimated Profit: +310%]

My accounts all have started to gain profit, and those with the highest Estimated Profit had been funds I had gambled with, trading on the margin, which meant the payouts were small. So, I needed to tally the total, but not now. Now was the time to pop the champagne, as my knights were reaping the REAL prizes. (EN: Margin trading refers to the practice of using borrowed funds from a broker to trade a financial asset, which forms the collateral for the loan from the broker.)

“It ended…New York and Isle of Man will also be frenetic now.”

***

There were shouts of shock and disbelief on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, while other financial institutions along Wall Street literally screamed in horror. Those in Jonathan Investments were screaming for a different reason, as three floors screamed Brian’s name.

It was like the chant for a batter who had hit the winning home run in the ninth inning of the World Series. Every trader was screaming Cheongsoo Kim’s name, and he was dazed because he had been more surprised than anyone else. Cheongsoo Kim felt like he had died when the breaking news came, even when it had been a time to shout for joy. The reason he felt like throwing up was due to the massive pressure he had endured, and Cheongsoo Kim looked at his subordinates. He knew some of their names, as Cheongsoo Kim read their personal newsletters. (EN: A personal newsletter is sent to the people you know i.e. the ones you find in your address book.)

Not only that, but they were all from Ivy League universities, and this floor alone held over thirty such employees. Other floors also held that many people, and when he was put in charge of twenty billion dollars in funds and over one hundred elite employees, Cheongsoo Kim felt terror rather than joy.

He had suffered through the venomous stares from his elite subordinates and had nightmares of being eaten alive by them. However, he had managed to succeed, and Cheongsoo Kim somehow stood up. He did not realize that he was crying, and everyone quieted down when his mouth opened so that his confused voice was heard across the floor.

“I had actually been waiting to study under such amazing professionals like you and am learning every day.”

Cheongsoo Kim only then realized he was crying from how wet his voice was, and they were tears of relief and not joy.

“Today’s victory was due to all of you and Jonathan. He’s the best strategist there is, and you are all heroes. Thank you for having me here.”

Applause filled the room. Cheongsoo Kim knew that humility did work here, as he had worked in New York fast-food restaurants for over five years.

“Congratulations! Brian!”

Jonathan had come from the top floor, and now everyone shouted Jonathan’s name. He waved to the employees as he remembered his first impressions of Cheongsoo Kim. He seemed defeated, as Sun said, and Jonathan could not trust him at first to manage such a large project. His credentials had been trivial, and he did not know what Sun had seen in him at all.

“I knew that Brian would be able to do this, and he is our biggest prize from this Russian finance war.”

Jonathan called Brian’s name, and the entire office erupted. Today was a day that called for such a cheer, as this was a historic victory. Today’s victory will be remembered, and economics professors would assign papers on this war to their students, and the process would be repeated through the generations.

Jonathan and Cheongsoo Kim’s eyes met, and while those in Wall Street did not use the word genius lightly, they saw each other as such.

***

Jillian was happy. Jillian had suffered much due to addiction resulting from being introduced to recreational drugs by a successful friend, and while he had small and large victories in the past, Jillian was embarrassed when he realized that this was the greatest ecstasy he had ever experienced. The chemical ecstasy had been rapturous, but that was only a temporary joy that would be followed by agonizing self torment.

However, the joy Jillian felt now was like the heavenly catharsis and vindication that came only with an amazing victory.

“Why are you so calm? Everyone would just clap if you danced around naked.”

Jessica spoke because she had watched history in the making from beginning to end. Therefore, she could not understand why Jillian acted like that when they had won using fifteen billion dollars.

“…Who are they?”

“Those that wrote the investment proposal? I’m dying to know too.”

“No.”

Jillian walked up to the open door, and all the employees in the Isle of Mann firm were screaming. He almost jumped into the mosh pit of hundreds of elite employees shouting for joy, but he returned to his office and spoke to Jessica.

“You guessed who they are. Speak.”

“…I will contact my New York friends.”

Jillian stopped her from doing so.

“I know that much already.”

“You’re concerned about them?”

“Yes, the time they joined us…”

“They were allies from the start.”

“Let’s think like that then.”

“What does it matter?”

“It’s not that. Today’s ally may be tomorrow’s enemy. We need to be cautious about them.”

“You’re going down a difficult path.”

“How much money do you think we manage? We’ll have to go against them one day or another.”

Jillian now came out of the excitement the victory had brought.

“They didn’t just dip their toe into the Russian bankruptcy.”

“They were like us and they were aggressive like hell to our shared opposition. Moreover, there may be another genius who was certain that Russia would go down.”

“Their director and his deputy, who coordinated,  were perfect.”

“I liked them. Aren’t they like us?”

“You’re being romantic. This world is more cutthroat than you think.”

Jillian grimaced, and Jessica quietly went to a corner to call her New York friends. She stood after hearing their answers and waited for Jillian to ask her. However, Jillian was concentrating on the monitor screen so much that he did not even hear Jessica’s voice. She also looked at Jillian’s monitor, which showed the data on the Russian bond selling event held in Moscow around June. A picture of Jonathan shaking hands with Russians and Silverman Sox there after buying a billion dollars in Russian bonds was shown on another screen.

Jessica realized that her boss had found the answer, and Jillian tapped Jonathan’s image on the monitor.

“It’s this guy again.”

Jillian had to acknowledge his inadequacy, as he could not have won without that investment proposal. While finance managers were said to specialize in their own fields, Jonathan was an exception. He had bought Russian bonds to salt the mine while knowing that Russia was going down. He had brought the hedge funds in with that move, and Jillian’s profit was skyrocketing. Was all this due to Jonathan? Jillian clucked his tongue and stood up.

“Did you wrap up?”

“Yes.”

Jessica rushed to open the door and step into the chaos while shouting Jillian’s name, which everyone was chanting. (EN: In case you guys were puzzled, please remember Sun set up the Isle of Man on his own, so Jillian and Jessica don’t even know that they’re working for Jonathan’s partner.  Senior partner.  ^_^ )