Chapter 16

"Hey, don't dwell on it, just sort everything out tomorrow."

"Alright. If you don't sort things out tomorrow, you know we'll never see it again."

"That..."

"What's up? Are you hesitating? Don't make strange excuses because of some random rumor, just organize everything tomorrow. Haven't you heard that stocks should be treated as extra funds? And yet you took out a card loan? Your parents are working hard to support someone like you, while you're out there making reckless decisions."

Lim Gyu-chan usually had a calm demeanor, but Im Gyu-chan was always the most intimidating when things got heated. The other friends also paid attention to Lim Kyu-chan's reaction.

Kim Hee-yeol spoke in a subdued voice, as if he wanted to hide his face.

"Because I have a reliable source..."

"Where did you hear this so-called reliable source? Who said it?"

Hee-yeol Kim stammered in response to Lee Sang-hoon's inquiry, casting a quiet glance at Lim Gyu-chan.

"I know about the stock bulletin board. I heard people discussing it there. They were very confident. There's a prominent individual there who emphasized its reliability, mentioning that a large securities company was involved and had made a significant investment. Think about it. It's not just any firm, it's one of Korea's top securities companies. Wouldn't it be trustworthy if such a reputable institution was involved?"

"Oh, and one more thing. Stop fretting and sell everything tomorrow. I'll cover the losses, so don't worry about it. We'll sell everything tomorrow. In fact, I'll come over to your place tomorrow, and you'll sell it in front of me. If you lose any money, I'll give you the entire amount in cash on the spot, so sell everything and clear your debts. Got it?"

Lee Jun-hwan sat next to Kim Hee-yeol, put him in a headlock, and playfully teased him. Kim Hee-yeol was immobilized by Lee Jun-hwan's antics.

"Heeyeol, do you want to face the wrath of all us brothers?"

As everyone seemed to be getting things sorted out, they ordered more drinks and enjoyed their reunion. Although they had seen each other just a few days ago during their last gathering, it felt like it had been a long time.

Hee-yeol Kim refrained from discussing anything else, knowing his friends were thinking of him and looking out for him. The atmosphere of the drinking party had shifted, as usual.

Nova 

Lee Sang-hoon grimaced as he took a sip of his beer.

In the morning, I had become aware of the potential risks involving IC U-Calls from a book. Later, in the afternoon, Gyeong-un mentioned the name IC U-Calls. Finally, in the evening, Kim Hee-yeol informed me that numerous names were already circulating on the internet.

It seemed like something was brewing at IC U-Calls, and as a result, I feared that many individuals, like Kim Hee-yeol, might become unwitting victims.

The taste of the beer in my throat seemed even more bitter than usual.

"Follow me."

Lee Sang-hoon's eyes flew open at the sound of the ringing phone, and he glanced at the clock. 9:10. It had been a while since someone had called to wake him up from oversleeping.

"Hello."

Lee Sang-hoon answered the phone with a groggy tone. An urgent voice crackled over the line.

"Hey. Sang Hoon. What's going on?"

Lee Jun-hwan's voice came through the handset.

"What are you doing at this hour? What's going on?"

"Hey, wake up quickly. This is strange. Why is this happening?"

Lee Jun-hwan's urgent voice reached Lee Sang-hoon, who rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed.

"What? What do you mean it's strange?"

"I'm at Heeyeol's place, and we're trying to sell stocks, but we can't. Heeyeol is upset because the price has dropped significantly from yesterday, and he can't sell even though he wants to. What's going on? Get up and check it out."

"Are you saying it's some kind of glitch again? Hold on. I need to get up and turn on the computer."

Lee Sang-hoon made the call, turned on the computer, and launched the HTS. Once the HTS was up, he typed IC Ucalls into the search box and checked the quote window.

"Damn. What is this?"

"Why? What's happening?"

Lee Jun-hwan asked urgently when Lee Sang-hoon swore over the phone. Lee Sang-hoon realized that he had misread the stock listing. IC Ucalls was at its lower limit.

"I understand now."

"What?"

"The lower limit means that the stock opens at its limit price and can't be sold. I think this is a circuit breaker."

"So you're unable to sell it?"

"Not right now. I can't sell it. Even if I try, there are no buyers for it."

"Oh, this is crazy. It's a nightmare, really. How can I not sell anything?"

"There's nothing I can do. I can't sell it at the moment. I'll look into it and get back to you. Right now, all I can do is wait while the stock is at the lower limit and hope for the best."

Lee Jun-hwan's sigh came through the phone line.

"Got it. Please find out and call me. I'm going out for breakfast with my little one. Despite this mess, I managed to hit the right timing. It's insane."

Hurriedly, Lee Sang-hoon checked the charts and quickly got ready, heading to the library. As he perused the books, he felt like he couldn't find the solution.

Dashing into the library in his slippers, Lee Sang-hoon opened a book without pausing to catch his breath or sit down.

"Please. Let there be a change. Please."

Having experienced numerous occasions where the writings in the book remained the same, Lee Sang-hoon silently prayed as he turned the pages. If the book didn't have the answer, he felt helpless.

"[IC Ucalls reached a high of 28,800 won in mid-April, but recorded a lower limit the next day. It briefly went below the lower limit, but quickly reverted back and closed in the positive zone, indicating resistance to the decline seen in March]"

"It's changed. Thank goodness."

Luckily, it seemed like Lee Sang-hoon's prayers had been answered as the information regarding IC Ucalls had changed. He quickly perused the updated details.

"The decline started to stabilize for about two months, and it tested around 28,000 won, close to its previous high. This rebound occurred as many investors bought stocks in large volumes, riding on the trend of foreign securities firms in May. There was a sense of optimism surrounding IC Ucalls in the market, but it was later revealed to be a facade orchestrated by forces propping up the stock price."

"What? It goes up to around 28,000 won in May? They're suggesting that I should hold on for at least a month. How am I supposed to do that? It's somewhat reassuring, so I believe it could reach 25,000 won."

After reading through the details, Lee Sang-hoon called Lee Jun-hwan.

"Hey, it's Sang-hoon. Jun-hwan, I've checked."

"Okay. How can I sell this?"

"Listen to me. The stock will continue to drop until the morning after tomorrow. However, don't sell it yet. I believe it'll stabilize around 25,000 won. Understand? It's 25,000 won."

"When will it reach 25,000 won? Currently, it's still around 24,000 won. Can it go up to 25,000 won?"

"It's possible. Heeyeol won't be able to handle it when things get too chaotic for him, so stay on top of things and stay calm. Understand? I'll gather more information and update you later. Remember, it's 25,000 won."

"So you're saying I can sell it for a better price than it is now, right? Okay then. I trust you completely and will wait."

"Okay. Trust me."

Lee Sang-hoon shouted and hung up the phone.

According to the information, the stock was expected to reach around 28,000 won in a month, so Lee Sang-hoon hoped to recover up to 25,000 won in a few weeks or less. Quietly, he continued reading more books.

"The news that foreign securities firms purchased IC Ucalls in block deals prompted individual investors to make significant purchases through large credit transactions, leading to a monumental decline when the stock tumbled later. Not only did individual investors suffer, but securities firms that provided credit loans, various backers who provided funds for acquiring IC Ucalls, and foreign securities companies all suffered substantial losses. Even current securities firms found themselves in an unusual situation, making order mistakes during the sharp decline."

"Credit loan? That's what it is...I've heard that term quite often, but I need to look into it."

Lee Sang-hoon recalled the unfamiliar term before resuming his reading.

"The stock set a record for the second-longest consecutive lower limit in history with 13 consecutive days, dropping from 26,000 won to 5,300 won. IC Ucalls' streak of consecutive lower limits surpassed Luho's record of 11 consecutive days."

"13 consecutive days at the lowest limit?"

Lee Sang-hoon's eyes widened. It had felt like hell even with Luho, but this stock had plunged for two extra days. It was akin to venturing into a river of death, with no respite for the weary.

As he perused the written details, it appeared that nearly everyone involved in the stock market, including individuals, securities companies, Changtosa, and foreign securities firms, were impacted. It seemed like an unfortunate event in which the majority of those who had entered the stock market were affected.

"It seems like I touched a nerve. I'll take a look."

Despite this, Lee Sang-hoon felt hopeful about the potential rise to 25,000 won.

Upon finding a chair and sitting down, he let out a sigh.

"Wait. Isn't it that the lower limit is set the day after tomorrow, and then it rises? Do I dare say I have a strategy in place for that too?"

The memory of dining with Luho resurfaced. Just like during the Luho era, he believed that he could make gains with IC Ucalls. A wry smile formed on Lee Sang-hoon's face.

Upon returning home, he checked the IC Ucalls quotes once more. The stock price was still at the lower limit.

"Will the lower limit continue tomorrow? It starts the day after tomorrow. How much will it be?"

Lee Sang-hoon grabbed his calculator and punched in the numbers.

The current share price was 23,600 won. If it hit the lower limit twice more, it would decrease to around 17,000 won.

"If it rises from 17,000 won to 25,000 won, that's a gain of 8,000 won per share. With about 150 shares, that's a potential profit of 1.2 million won? 1.2 million won?"

Lee Sang-hoon took a moment to close his eyes and compose himself as he encountered the prospect of an unexpectedly immense profit. It was an opportunity to convert nearly 50% of his investment into returns in just a matter of days. He grappled with a psychological conflict, debating whether to capitalize on this chance or simply overlook it.

It wasn't due to a lack of trust in the book's contents. His faith had been solidified during the Luho era and with the recent IC Ucalls information he had previously encountered. On the contrary, he pondered if he should continue his stock studies if the premise of relying solely on books was sustained. Nonetheless, he was determined not to neglect his studies, considering the possibility that the book might not continue to disclose vital information.

The internal conflict plaguing Lee Sang-hoon's thoughts was multifaceted. According to the book's information, it was evident that numerous individuals would be adversely affected. In such a scenario, he experienced a conscientious pang of regret, questioning the morality of his involvement and hesitation to take advantage of a potentially advantageous situation.

His father had suffered significant losses due to Luho, while his best friend, Kim Hee-yeol, was now entangled in the predicament with IC U-calls. While the idea of financial gain appealed to him, a brief wave of remorse swept over him as he considered the suffering of others.

Momentarily troubled, Lee Sang-hoon quickly gathered his resolve.

"Forget it. I need to focus on my own well-being for now. If not me, someone else would have benefited. Once things improve, then I can assist others. Let's proceed with that mindset."

Lee Sang-hoon steeled his resolve with determination.