Manhattan, New York.
Dressed in a cashmere coat and carrying a leather briefcase in one hand, Landon stepped into the office. As he walked past the desk near the entrance, he flashed a playful wink at his secretary.
"Good morning, Cassie."
The red-haired Cassie greeted him with a bright smile.
"Good morning! Judging by that smile, you're in a good mood today."
"Aren't I always?"
Landon turned toward his office but glanced back at her before heading inside.
"Make me a strong coffee, will you?"
"The Korean instant coffee, right?"
"Yeah. That sweet stuff is just perfect for me."
Cassie nodded in agreement.
"I tried it once, and now I can't stop drinking it either."
"Right?"
"Go ahead and settle in. I'll bring it right over."
As Landon listened to her reply, he grabbed the doorknob and pushed open the door to his office.
A spacious room with plush carpeting unfolded before him.
True to his preference for clean, modern aesthetics, the interior was sleek and minimalist. But a closer look revealed that every single piece of furniture—from the desk to the sofa, the bookshelves, and even the smallest office supplies—was top-of-the-line.
Setting his briefcase on the desk, Landon shrugged off his jacket and coat, hanging them neatly in the wardrobe.
Then, almost instinctively, he strolled over to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Beyond the expansive glass, the deep blue East River stretched out before him, and in the distance, the iconic Statue of Liberty stood tall.
It was a breathtaking sight.
Every time he stood there, arms crossed, taking in the vast, open view, he felt a surge of exhilaration in his chest.
This was his morning ritual—arriving before the New York Stock Exchange opened, soaking in the skyline, and methodically planning his day.
Considering New York's notorious traffic, commuting from his mansion outside Manhattan was no easy feat.
But unlike the average worker stuck in endless gridlock, Landon had a far more elegant solution.
He simply boarded the corporate helicopter.
His firm, Eldorado Fund, offered exceptional perks—but if he had to pick his favorite, it was hands-down the private chopper for executives.
Of course, with over $10 million in salary and bonuses last year, Landon could easily afford a personal helicopter.
But if given the choice between spending his own money or enjoying a company-sponsored luxury, the answer was obvious.
More than anything, it was about what the perk represented—a recognition of his value to the firm.
Flying over Manhattan's towering skyscrapers, looking down at the traffic-clogged streets below, he felt the difference between himself and the rest of the world more clearly than ever.
"Not bad for a Texas country boy."
Landon murmured to himself, suddenly recalling the first time he had met Seok-won years ago.
At first, he had dismissed him as just another lucky rookie who had hit the jackpot.
He expected Seok-won to squander his fortune on booze and women, blowing through his newfound wealth in record time. Best-case scenario? He'd go broke and disappear. Worst case? He'd end up dead from a drug overdose or a botched robbery—the kind of tragic headlines that weren't exactly uncommon for lottery winners.
So Landon's skepticism wasn't unreasonable.
But Seok-won had shattered all expectations.
In less than five years, he had taken his lottery winnings and turned them into an empire, becoming one of the most talked-about figures on Wall Street.
It was already an incredible feat, but for Landon—who had witnessed every step of the journey up close—it was downright unbelievable.
Even standing right beside him, Landon often found himself stunned at what Seok-won managed to pull off.
"Everything he touches turns into a jackpot. He's got the Midas touch, no doubt about it."
Looking back, deciding to join forces with Seok-won was the best decision of his life.
If he had stayed in Texas, grinding away as a lawyer, he never would have dreamed of making this kind of money—let alone living a high-flying life, doing business on a global scale.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Cassie walked in, placing a warm mug on his desk.
"Here's your coffee."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
She gave him a quick smile before stepping out.
Landon leaned back in his chair and stretched.
"Alright, time to get to work."
Waiting on his desk were today's edition of the Wall Street Journal and a comprehensive overnight market report, detailing key movements in the global forex and stock markets.
He picked up the mug, blew on the hot coffee, and took a careful sip.
That signature sweet taste hit his tongue, instantly waking up his senses.
Ever since Seok-won introduced him to Korean instant coffee, Landon had been hooked.
Now, he kept a stash in his office and made sure to start every morning with a cup.
"Perfect as always."
Straightening his posture, Landon flipped through the reports, scanning the numbers and trends with sharp focus.
He was about halfway through when the intercom buzzed, followed by Cassie's voice over the speaker.
[Mr. Andrew is here to see you.]
Still holding the report in one hand, Landon reached over and pressed the button.
"Send him in."
[Yes, sir.]
A moment later, the door opened, revealing Andrew, the senior chief, dressed in a crisp white dress shirt with suspenders over his shoulders.
Landon smirked.
"Figured you'd be stopping by. Have a seat."
"Yes, sir."
Andrew nodded and took a seat on the sofa, facing Landon with a serious expression.
Without wasting time, he got straight to the point.
"I assume you've heard the news—President Clinton just vetoed the budget bill passed by Congress."
Leaning back against the sofa, Landon rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Of course. The bill slashed funding for his key social and welfare programs, plus it transferred Medicaid control to individual states. There was no way the White House was going to accept that."
"Exactly."
Even before the vote, President Clinton had made it clear that he intended to veto the bill.
Landon set down his coffee.
"How's the futures market reacting?"
"No major movements yet. The market seems more sensitive to comments from the Bundesbank president about supporting the dollar and the announcement of a general strike in France."
Landon smirked.
"So, just like last month's shutdown, everyone assumes the White House and the Republicans will wrestle for a few days and then move past it without much trouble."
Andrew let out a dry chuckle.
"Well, after what happened last time, it's no surprise. Plenty of dealers and traders who shorted the market ended up packing their desks."
"Right. If it weren't for the boss's call, even we would have gone short."
"Who would've thought the market would keep climbing even with the federal government shutting down? Just thinking about it still gives me chills."
The dot-com frenzy and excess liquidity had driven stock prices up, but the real shocker had been gold. Normally a safe haven in times of uncertainty, gold hadn't surged—it had plummeted, catching Wall Street off guard.
Andrew continued, "Considering last time and the likelihood of a Fed rate cut mid-month, if it weren't for the boss's call, I would've gone long too."
He shrugged as if stating the obvious.
"Most of Wall Street thinks the same way. That's why there's no reaction to the veto news."
"Exactly."
Landon's lips curled into a knowing smirk.
"But if the boss is right—if the shutdown drags on and turns ugly instead of resolving quickly—panic is going to hit hard."
Andrew met his gaze, his expression just as knowing.
"The moment optimism flips into fear, everyone will start dumping their stocks like crazy."
"And when that happens, those of us who already went short will hit the jackpot—again."
Neither of them even considered the possibility that Seok-won's prediction might be wrong. His calls had been spot-on time and time again.
Andrew reached into his pocket, pulled out a folded sheet of paper, and smoothed it out on the table.
"Here's yesterday's S&P 500 top ten by market cap."
Landon picked it up.
The names were instantly recognizable—global giants, ranked in order.
1. GE
2. Exxon
3. Coca-Cola
.
.
.
.
9. Microsoft
10. IBM
There were occasional shifts in ranking, but the companies themselves rarely changed.
Landon nodded slightly, folded the paper back, and handed it to Andrew.
"Proceed as planned."
"Understood."
With a confident nod, Andrew took the paper, tucked it back into his pocket, and stood.
"The market's about to open. I should get going."
"Yeah."
As Andrew left and headed toward the trading floor, his face lit up with anticipation.
Like most traders on Wall Street, Andrew thrived on risk. He was always chasing the next big win.
This moment—standing on the edge of a massive bet, adrenaline surging through his veins—was when he felt most alive.
* * *
[We have initiated short selling as per your instructions, starting today.]
In his room at his family's Pyeongchang-dong estate, Seok-won held his phone to his ear while monitoring New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ movements on his Bloomberg terminal.
"Since we're targeting large-cap stocks, their prices don't seem to be dropping significantly yet."
[Two billion dollars is a hefty sum, but these are massive companies. Plus, we've only just begun shorting. It'll take some time to see a real impact.]
"True. The daily trading volume for the top ten S&P 500 stocks alone easily exceeds several billion dollars."
[Still, given the size of our sell orders, movement should start soon.]
Despite concerns over a second U.S. government shutdown, most stocks remained strong. However, GE and the other nine stocks targeted by Eldorado Fund's short-selling campaign were beginning to show weakness. That alone was proof that their actions were making an impact.
"Proceed as planned. Keep me updated on any changes."
[Understood.]
Ending the call, Seok-won reviewed the market once more before heading downstairs.
Just as he reached the bottom, Mrs. Gunsan, the housekeeper, emerged from the kitchen carrying a trash bag.
"Is my father in his room?" he asked.
"No, I saw him head to the study earlier."
"Alright, thank you."
Seok-won made his way to the study, knocked lightly, and carefully opened the door.
Inside, Chairman Park Tae-hong sat on the sofa, wearing magnifying glasses as he examined a document. Looking up, he asked,
"What is it?"
"I have something to discuss. May I have a moment?"
"Alright. Come in and sit."
The chairman gestured toward the empty sofa with a slight nod before taking off his glasses and studying his son with a measured gaze.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"I have a proposal for you."
"A proposal?"
His brows furrowed slightly as he repeated the word, prompting Seok-won to nod.
"Yes."
Sensing that this was something significant, Chairman Park's expression grew serious as he locked eyes with his son.
"Let's hear it, then. What exactly are you proposing?"
"I want to acquire Daeheung Venture Capital."
"...!"