Chapter 18

"Hey, Sang-hoon. What should we do? I feel like selling. Huh? Selling it."

Lee Sang-hoon sighed as he observed Kim Hee-yeol struggling beside him. He was aware of his own fragile mental state, but the stark reality of stock trading exposed just how susceptible his mindset truly was. IC Ucalls displayed a brief surge followed by a decline, leaving him uncertain about his next move. His hands trembled as he struggled to properly light a cigarette.

Seated in a chair within Kim Hee-yeol's room, Lee Sang-hoon observed his perplexed friend.

"Sang Hoon, are you sure things will turn around? This seems terrible. I'm feeling anxious too."

Lee Junhwan eventually brought Lee Sang-hoon to Kim Heeyeol's house as he continued to worry about him. Lee Jun-hwan lacked the confidence to guide Kim Hee-yeol, who was struggling mentally. Although Lee Sang-hoon only witnessed the predicament, he empathized with Lee Jun-hwan.

"Okay, hold on. Things will improve."

"Will it really bounce back?"

Kim Hee-yeol, peering out from under his hands, looked to Lee Sang-hoon. With a reassuring nod, Lee Sang-hoon gestured, seemingly injecting renewed confidence into Kim Hee-yeol.

"Hang in there. Endure. And once it reaches 25,000 won, you must sell unconditionally. If you resist selling and persevere, you'll be next in line."

"Okay. I promise to sell once it reaches higher. Please hang in there. It's at 19,000 won now. How is this happening?"

Lee Sang-hoon was similarly taken aback.

IC Ucalls, which had surged to 22,000 won, had now begun a steady decline. Today, it plummeted by more than 10%, falling to the 18,000 won range. The rapidity of the downturn left him feeling powerless. Hee-yeol Kim and Jun-hwan Lee urgently reached out to Lee Sang-hoon.

While Lee Sang-hoon across the surface maintained an air of composure, internally he was grappling with the same consternation. The severity of the decline documented in the book was no laughing matter. Thirteen consecutive lower limits, plummeting from 26,000 won to 5,300 won without respite. It was a severe decline. Kim Hee-yeol's 5 million won credit card loan potentially represented just a fraction of its original value—a mere 1 million won.

Furthermore, Lee Sang-hoon's own investment of 2.5 million won into IC Ucalls remained at risk. While he could manage at the current 17,000 won range, a further plunge to the 5,000 won range would reduce his investment by a third. Maintaining emotional composure was easier said than done when financial stakes were so precarious.

Nevertheless, Lee Sang-hoon remained resolute and unfazed.

"I've set up a reservation to sell at 25,000 won. Let's break free from this fixation on the computer and get some fresh air. Why let a mere stock get the better of you? Just take this step and close your brokerage account immediately."

"I can't help but look at it. It's unsettling. But if I manage to get through this once, I solemnly pledge to close my account."

"Stop looking at it. What will change if you do? It's consistently the same. So, just let it reach 25,000 won and move on. Jun-hwan, stay away from Heeyeol's place and leave it to him. Let him handle his own situation. No one else can resolve it in perpetuity, can they?"

As he spoke, Lee Sang-hoon observed Kim Hee-yeol. Kim Hee-yeol nodded in agreement.

"Okay. I'll handle it myself. Jun-hwan, head out, and Sang-hoon, stick around. I'll handle this on my own."

Lee Sang-hoon patted Kim Hee-yeol on the back and promptly left. Lee Jun-hwan extended his hand to beckon Lee Sang-hoon back, but he knew there was no point in trying to persuade him.

Bothered by negative thoughts looming over Kim Hee-yeol's place, Lee Sang-hoon had been longing to leave as soon as possible. The pessimism was contagious. Even though he wasn't directly responsible for IC Ucalls' negative impact, as an investor in the stock, Kim Hee-yeol's tales of woe were impacting his previously steadfast resolve. Lee Sang-hoon wanted to distance himself from the aura of negativity and left Kim Hee-yeol's residence without a backward glance.

As if following a ritual, Lee Sang-hoon made his way to the library. He needed to visit daily to curb his unease and stay informed. Even if the book's contents remained unchanged, he felt compelled to visit daily out of sheer curiosity. Upon opening the book, he made an unexpected discovery.

"Eh? It's different."

He hadn't expected it, but the content had unexpectedly changed. More precisely, the section that was previously blank had now been filled in. With keen interest, Lee Sang-hoon perused the newly written section.

"The reason for IC Ucalls' drastic decline was the unscrupulous behavior of employees at foreign securities companies. A Korean-American employee from a foreign-affiliated securities company illicitly received a sum of 100 million won from accomplices and instructed his company to purchase IC Ucalls' stocks. In Japan, the Asian headquarters took his words at face value and invested around 5 billion won in IC Ucalls. Rumors regarding the overselling of stocks by foreign securities companies investing in the company's future value began to circulate, resulting in widespread panic and massive financial losses for numerous individuals. Despite this, only the Korean-American employee faced repercussions, while the foreign securities companies who actually bought the stocks went unpunished. The damage incurred by this incident is estimated to be around 50 billion won, but in reality, individuals active in the stock market faced damages several times greater than this figure."

"Wow, this is unbelievable. No consequences? Just because the employee did it? I'm going to replace it.

This whole situation is a farce. Lenders running away from other lenders? It's like a bad comedy.

And to add to all of this, there were rumors about the KOSPI crashing? Is the KOSPI really crashing?

Lee Sang-hoon, reading as if engrossed in an intriguing novel, felt disappointed that the article abruptly ended at the mention of the KOSPI crash. From Lee Sang-hoon's perspective, he was actually hoping for a drop in the KOSPI. It had risen too much. Every stock was booming to the extent that it was overwhelming. Lee Sang-hoon found it challenging to make purchases as the highs continued to break.

Retroactively, shipbuilders were reminiscent of the dot-com bubble era. In the case of US shipbuilding, it was exceeding 200,000 won.

After resolving his regrets and returning home, Lee Sang-hoon checked the stock price of IC Ucalls through HTS. Since he intended to sell it for 25,000 won, he only checked the closing price—staring at it in the midst of fluctuations could be unsettling.

The stock closed at 20,100 won. Thus, IC Ucalls, which experienced a 10% decline, ultimately ended with a drop of about -2%, recapturing the 20,000 won mark in the last minute. This appearance led to a considerable resistance at 17,000 won."

"Isn't it that there's no indication of a foreign securities company purchasing it yet, and there hasn't been a significant decrease? Then let's go for it. My target is 25,000 won."

Lee Sang-hoon rearranged the information in his mind and closed HTS with determination. At this moment, stocks were of utmost importance to him, but joining a company took precedence.

"I can't do it here... I don't have the TOEIC here."

Only the stock-related companies were considered, and there were fewer options than expected. Lee Sang-hoon gradually lowered his gaze. The search extended beyond investment advisors to include private offices. Lee Sang-hoon wasn't particularly concerned about the salary. Currently, he needed proof of employment and experience. Even if the salary wasn't substantial, he first sought a place where he could gain experience.

"Future and current research institute? Laboratory?"

He sought employment at a place with the title of Research Institute. The qualifications seemed low, almost nonexistent. Despite having a license in a privileged category, he submitted an application under the pretext of seeking a person with stock trading experience.

"Well, whether the company is close or not..."

Lee Sang-hoon applied wherever he could.

"Sang-hoon is incredible. Truly remarkable. I'm so impressed. Wow, this kid is something else."

"Do you know me? If my mind was about to explode, I wouldn't be able to do anything. I'm completely irrational. Despite Jun-hwan acting alone, Sang-hoon still didn't move. He said, 'I believe and endure.' It's charismatic. I was crying and going crazy, but I didn't change my expression. Achieved 25,000 won. It only took a week... It's really uncanny."

As Lee Jun-hwan praised Lee Sang-hoon to Lim Gyu-chan and Park Sung-jin, Lee Sang-hoon continued to be praised, with Kim Hee-yeol speaking without pause, as if he had a motor in his mouth.

"How did you know that? You hadn't mentioned that you were investing until now. When did you become so enthusiastic?"

Lim Gyu-chan looked at Lee Sang-hoon as if observing a mysterious creature and asked. Lee Sang-hoon simply laughed at the sight and raised a brow.

"Just... if I mentioned stocks, would you still be here? I only invested a small amount. Then, Heeyeol found out because his child had an accident. It's nothing extraordinary."

"Hey, this is important. If there's something good, let us know before anyone else. Let's make some money together."

"Not that much. I'm still learning. I'm not qualified to advise others."

Lee Sang-hoon modestly mentioned his lack of expertise, but Kim Hee-yeol interjected.

"No, when Sang-hun is involved, this exceeds the level of an amateur. It's professional. Who could have imagined that the guy who previously invested at 17,000 would rise to 25,000 won? You should have seen Sanghoon then. Right, Junhwan? Sang-hoon was incredible, right?"

"I couldn't even speak. It was like something out of a movie. Just endure it. After saying that, I turned around and left, but there's some force there. This guy is amazing."

"Come on, don't be so modest. Why does it feel so unreal? It's making me queasy."

Even Lee Jun-hwan joined in and praised Lee Sang-hoon. He had never received such treatment from his friends, so the words of admiration buoyed his spirits. He struggled to reject their praise, but he couldn't hide the pride in his heart.

"This isn't so bad."

Although he hadn't pursued money, for a moment, it felt like he was floating in the sky as his friends nodded in approval.

"If you come across anything valuable, don't forget to share it. Understand?"

"Okay, okay. Let's drink."

Lee Sang-hoon raised his glass with a face unable to contain his laughter.