Chapter 27

Deputy Jang briefly glanced at Lee Sang-hoon before turning his attention back to the monitor. He reached for a cigarette and, biting down, stated, "I did it. Just go. If you stay, you'll witness worse things. This is the medicine department now."

Lee Sang-hoon also lit a cigarette, noting that his excited heart wouldn't calm down without it.

"Why doesn't Jang leave?" he asked.

Jang turned and replied with a wry smile, "Me? I can't leave even if I wanted to. I didn't attend a prestigious school like you, Sang-hoon. My appeal was rejected. I didn't take my studies seriously, so I ended up in this unconventional place. But you know the advantage of this place?"

Savoring a deep drag from his cigarette, Jang exhaled slowly, as if he had spent decades living with cigarettes, like his father.

After letting the cigarette smoke settle for a moment, Jang continued, "The pay is better here. In fact, it's more accurate to say that the incentives are high because we work on commission. Sang-hoon, how much do you think I make in a month? Two hundred? Three hundred? Guess."

Taken aback by the sudden question, Lee Sang-hoon could only gaze at Jang. Despite her lightly made up face, she looked no more than her mid-twenties. However, when she talked about her salary, he had no idea how much it really was. Although her face appeared youthful, her eyes told a different story.

After another puff from his cigarette, Jang answered with a somber voice, "I make five hundred a month. About two days a week, I just watch TV or try to pass the time. At my age, I could have gone elsewhere and earned that much, don't you think?"

"Isn't money important? I don't like this. What's the use of earning five hundred or a thousand? If I were to earn two hundred, I would be in a comfortable place."

Deputy Jang gazed at Lee Sang-hoon with sorrowful eyes at his words, her face seemingly on the verge of tears. Lee Sang-hoon, accustomed to seeing her stoic expression every day, couldn't conceal his discomfort at witnessing Jang's sadness. He pondered whether he should offer her a break, sensing her imminent emotional distress.

"I have a mother. My alcoholic father passed away when I was in high school, and my mother raised me alone. Even when my father was alive, my mother was solely responsible for our livelihood. After graduating from high school, I worked to ease our situation, but then my mother was diagnosed with cancer. Now, I'm a bit overweight..."

Tears rolled down Jang's cheeks. She didn't cry or show any sign of distress. Her face remained impassive as she continued speaking in a calm tone, ensuring her tears would go unnoticed if one were to listen solely to her voice.

"The cancer has advanced to the third stage, rendering surgery futile. The only option is to target the cancer cells with chemotherapy. Each session of this targeted chemotherapy costs millions of won. It's a new drug, so it's not covered by medical insurance, and the cost falls entirely on me. My mother is resistant to other forms of chemotherapy, so this new drug is our only hope. Additionally, she needs to undergo dozens of treatments. As her only child, and due to my poor academic performance, I couldn't secure cancer insurance for her, so I have to pay the entire bill for her treatment. I have to make money. I need to earn a lot of it too."

Tears streaked down her cheeks as she spoke calmly. Lee Sang-hoon was unsure whether he should offer her tissues or pretend not to notice.

Deputy Jang rose from her seat and walked to the bathroom. I could hear the sound of running water and the rhythm of her face-washing. After a while, Deputy Jang emerged from the bathroom and approached Lee Sang-hoon.

"Did you know? Because I need to earn money, I'll do whatever President Wang asks of me. If it's not him, there's no one else who can offer me that much. Sang-hoon, think carefully. If you're only focused on making money, this place isn't bad. You can earn a substantial amount here, more than a newcomer could ever imagine. But rewarding? No, it's more accurate to call it a moral compromise. You'll continue to do things that go against your conscience."

"Yeah, I understand what you're saying, Deputy Jang. I will think deeply about it," Lee Sang-hoon responded. His situation was different from Jang's. He had joined the office because he felt it provided a conducive environment for studying stocks, but after hearing Deputy Jang's poignant story, he couldn't find happiness in it.

The two continued with their work in silence until they left the office. It wasn't until President Wang summoned them to leave that they exchanged awkward greetings and headed home. Lee Sang-hoon reconsidered his decision but ultimately determined that it was still worthwhile to go to the office and that there was no better environment available to him. With only a month left until the June timeline mentioned by the department head, it would be challenging to leave the current office and join a new company. Despite any reservations, Lee Sang-hoon resolved to stay at the office until June.

Observing Dae-sang Jang diligently tidying her desk despite her swollen eyes, Lee Sang-hoon felt a twinge of emotion. He wanted to offer words of comfort, but they didn't come. Instead, he greeted her lightly.

"Good morning."

"Yeah."

With a brief reply, she continued her task. Lee Sang-hoon settled at his desk, turned on the computer, and organized his thoughts.

"Let's recommend Americas as a stock pick. Avoid Jumi ingredients. I eat alone. The jumi's ingredient ratio is eight times mine."

After contemplating this all night and coming to the office to organize his thoughts once more, Lee Sang-hoon decided on his approach. The book offered insights into the future share price trends of two stocks: US shipbuilding's stock was projected to rise from 200,000 won to 300,000 won, and US material prices were anticipated to increase by about 8 times from 1,250 won. With these considerations in mind, Lee Sang-hoon pondered what strategy to employ.

While initially considering recommending the main material based on the anticipated rate of increase, he refrained from suggesting Joomi materials upon realizing that members' funds could distort the market. Although the book discussed future stock prices, Lee Sang-hoon hesitated, understanding the potential consequences of market distortion and the significance of reputation and financial responsibility.

"Just 50% of the US shipbuilding industry is enough. That's sufficient."

Lee Sang-hoon, reassuring himself, activated the Home Trading System (HTS) and placed an order for Joomi Materials. He allocated 2 million won from his primary account and the initial 1 million won provided by Deputy Jang at the outset of the market to this endeavor.

He deliberated over whether to invest the entire 4 million won in this account. Despite his faith in the book's insights, he resisted the urge to go all in, aware of the potential consequences of a single failure. Even if he believed the book to be 100% accurate, he recognized the need to be cautious. He was determined not to invest more than half of the total amount, mindful of the maxim that those unprepared for failure could be swiftly expelled from the market.

After finalizing his reservation with HTS and attempting to relax with a cup of tea, Chairman Wang entered through the office door.

"Good morning."

"Welcome."

"Okay. Has our researcher Sang-hoon Lee studied the market?"

"Yeah, I've done some research."

"Overflowing with confidence. Hahaha. Good. Later, let's take the stage and speak with assurance. This is a place where they try to take you down at any sign of weakness. Don't be daunted and don't falter. Understand?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Hahaha. Alright, let's get started."

Chairman Wang retreated into his office, while Lee Sang-hoon and Deputy Chief Jang settled in to prepare for the broadcast. About 30 people had gathered for the broadcast before the market opened. Leaning in, Lee Sang-hoon engaged Deputy Jang in conversation via chat, deliberately adopting his usual tone to ease the lingering tension and address his concerns.

"How many members are usually present at other locations? Are there as many as we have here?"

"We're relatively low in terms of numbers. In the case of experts in actual trading, there's a saying that around 100 members participate in the live broadcast, while the total membership stands at 500."

"Really? You have 500 members?"

Lee Sang-hoon exclaimed in surprise. If there were 500 members, it meant that 500 million won would be deposited in the bank account every month with a membership fee of 1 million won.

"No, it's that popular? With just membership fees, we could buy a building."

"I have considerable money too. Currently, we have only three people with Sanghoon, but I know that about ten people join every time a different expert moves. Furthermore, the place where these ten people gather isn't an officetel like ours, but a prosperous office.... It's also utilized frequently for member events.... Now that I think about it, there's still plenty left."

Listening to Deputy Jang's words, Lee Sang-hoon was taken aback. As Deputy Jang mentioned, he had more money to spend than President Wang, but he suspected that President Wang still had much more.

"Wow, this is something else. Now that's something. It would be far better to gather members and receive money from them than to gamble with my own money every day. It's no joke."

As Lee Sang-hoon shook his head, Deputy Jang smiled and spoke to him.

"Sang-hoon, consider how much effort must have been put into attracting those individuals to this point, along with the element of luck. Since you've offered good recommendations to the members, it's likely that word of mouth has drawn them in, right?"

"That's correct."

Listening to Deputy Jang's insights, Lee Sang-hoon realized the significance of the broadcast from the previous day, during which President Wang had stirred up some tension with his recommendation. It became evident that attracting members depended on the quality of stock recommendations. Once again, he recognized the importance of providing valuable recommendations to members.

As President Wang had mentioned, this could serve as a springboard for the future, but one misstep could lead to a downfall, and the wings could be broken. Lee Sang-hoon took note of Jang's words and consciously made his decision.

"Even stocks and life converge when an opportunity arises. This opportunity came my way, and I seized it. That's remarkable. It's an event that occurred unexpectedly, but I should make the most of it."

As the clock struck 9 o'clock, Lee Sang-hoon observed HTS, contemplating the comment he would use to set a positive tone.