Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend

Chapter 81

Translator: DreamscribeDepartment Head Seo could feel the heavy tension hanging in the office.

In fact, it was because his own hands were also soaked in sweat.

But he had something called responsibility.

Wasn't he the Department Head of this Prime-Grade Department?

So it was the duty of a superior to check on the staff’s condition and lift the mood.

"Did everyone get some sleep? How’s your condition?"

The U.S. stock market opens at 10:30 p.m. Korea time and closes at 5 a.m.

To prepare for the battle that would occur during that time, they needed to get even a little sleep beforehand.

But judging by their expressions, it didn’t seem like anyone had slept properly.

"Don’t even ask. I couldn’t sleep at all."

"Just thinking about shaking up the U.S. stock market with 2 trillion won has my dopamine fully charged, but at the same time, I’m incredibly worried. Even a 1% loss here means 20 billion won. If we lose 10%, that’s a whopping 200 billion!!"

"Let’s not think so negatively."

"But the investment CEO-nim is pursuing involves VIX futures and a mix of various derivatives, right? Even a slight dip here could make hundreds of billions vanish in the blink of an eye."

Jung Jin-ho had declared a day trading operation, predicting that the U.S. stock market, which is currently considered the safest in the world, would soon become unstable, and had even pulled in an idle 1 trillion won from the head office.

He had instructed the employees to set up positions in advance.

The problem was that the position involving about 800 billion won was in extremely risky products.

These were VIX products betting on the collapse of XIV, and if the prediction was wrong, they might not be able to salvage a single penny.

"What about the other positions? How did that go?"

"Starting with Apple, he loaded up on most of the blue-chip stocks."

This meant he had loaded up on high-quality stocks.

That didn’t mean he went long.

"All short?"

"Yes. And with the full amount."

CEO Jung Jin-ho was convinced that something big was approaching.

Otherwise, why would he go all-in on shorting blue-chip stocks that were currently trending upward? On top of that, 800 billion was placed in VIX products, effectively playing Russian roulette.

"Will we be okay?"

"The new people in our department probably don’t know. Things like this used to happen all the time."

"So, this isn’t the first time we’ve traded in the trillions on short-term plays?"

"...Well, it is the first time. But anyway! What’s our company motto? ‘Do not have an ego!’ So we don’t need to worry about anything. We just do exactly what CEO-nim tells us to do!"

However, even Department Head Seo, the most loyal of CEO Jung Jin-ho’s loyalists, the kind who would dive into flames without hesitation if ordered, felt just as anxious about this situation.

It seemed that anxiety had shown on his face.

Even as he told them to calm down and trust CEO-nim, the employees’ expressions were full of unease.

"Even President Trump said it himself yesterday, didn’t he? That the market is currently the safest it has ever been. That it’s all thanks to him, and to stop worrying and just put your money in the stock market right now."

At that moment, Department Head Seo suddenly recalled the past Chinese bubble crisis.

The day before the Chinese bubble burst.

The Communist Party had said this:

[Put all the money you have right now into the Chinese stock market!]

And the next day, as if they had been waiting for it, the bubble burst and wiped out all the people's wealth.

Why did he keep getting the feeling that now was just like back then?

"But CEO-nim must be incredibly worried too, right? The dice has already been thrown."

Jung Jin-ho was a man with the heart of a beast.

But this was not something that could be calmed even with a beast’s heart.

Charging into the U.S. stock market with a staggering 2 trillion won to wage a day trading war was imminent.

For day trading to succeed, the U.S. market would have to experience a crash.

But if the market flowed normally, or even rose slightly instead of crashing?

Then not only the derivatives currently in play but also the shorted stock prices would backfire and result in massive losses.

Because of this, it was impossible to endure with a clear mind.

Even the long-time employees who had worked under Jung Jin-ho were on the verge of losing their minds, so how must Jung Jin-ho himself feel, being the one who had to bear all the responsibility for the investment?

“Good morning, everyone... no, wait. Good evening.”

“Oh. CEO-nim. You’re here.”

“Yes. It’s been a while since we gathered here in the Trading Room. Brings back old memories. Alright then, the meeting will start in five minutes.”

“Yes, CEO-nim!”

The employees stared blankly at the back of CEO Jung Jin-ho as he walked inside first.

“Hey. Did you see CEO-nim’s face?”

“He looked like he got a perfect night’s sleep, didn’t he?”

“Can you even sleep in this situation?”

“Not only that, he didn’t look the least bit worried. He actually seemed... kind of excited...”

At that moment, Department Head Seo felt oddly reassured, but at the same time, a wave of fear struck him.

It meant today was really going to be an all-day grind.

***

I’m human too, so of course I can’t help but feel nervous.

It’s a one-shot battle with a 2 trillion won bet.

Especially when it comes to VIX products, even the slightest fluctuation can make the money vanish in an instant.

That’s just the nature of VIX products.

Currently, a lot of capital is tied up in XIV and inverse VIX products, and they share one trait.

That is, they are automatically liquidated once they reach a certain threshold.

However, even if my prediction is correct and the VIX index in the U.S. market actually rises, I cannot afford to let my guard down.

If I recklessly move funds in and out, the large amount of money we’re handling now will cause slippage, that is, a significant difference between the price I intended and the actual market price, which could result in me taking all the loss.

This is why the more bullets you have, the more careful you have to be.

If you drop a large amount of bombs at once, it can suddenly turn into a wasteland and cause a price shock.

“.......”

This is a market where danger lurks at every turn.

And with day trading using VIX, the risks are even greater.

That’s why, even knowing that a crash could occur, the chances of losing money with VIX are higher than the chances of making money.

Of course, if I anticipate a short-term crash, I could just short various stocks instead of putting money into VIX.

‘But that’s just the safe route.’

To make a lot of money in a short time, and I mean a lot of money, using VIX is more appropriate.

As risky as it is, the returns are just as high.

Maybe that’s why.

Even as I worried about what would happen if I lost all this money, my hands were itching so badly I thought I’d go crazy with impatience.

I just wanted to get into the U.S. market as quickly as possible and dive into an intense battle alongside countless other investors.

And that thrill intensified the moment I stepped back into this Trading Room after a long time.

It reminded me of the days when I ruled the FX market.

“For those of you who haven’t been in our department long, this is probably your first time experiencing something like this. But it’s not as difficult as you think. Just think of it as a game. When I, the conductor, tell you to buy a stock, you press the buy button. When I say sell, you hit the sell button. Easy, right?”

It’s not a hard job.

All you have to do is follow my instinct. When I say buy or sell quickly, just do it exactly as instructed. That’s all.

“But because we’re human, we can make mistakes. And if you misclick, hundreds of billions, maybe even trillions, could disappear before your eyes.”

“......!”

“The faster, the better. But don’t act so hastily that you hit buy when you’re supposed to sell, or enter the wrong price. Be careful not to let that happen. Also remember, if you’re even one second late, the price could vary wildly.”

“Yes!”

“Then, everyone, prepare yourselves before the market opens.”

The employees returned to their desks and began final preparations.

But today could very well pass without incident.

Just in case, I hovered my hand over the yet-to-open S&P 500 index.

“......!?”

And then, as if it had been waiting for me, a vision struck my brain like a bullet.

It was Armageddon.

***

“Whew. Don’t make a mistake. Don’t make a mistake. Don’t make a mistake.”

The employees were sitting at their stations, loosening up their hands as they waited.

But perhaps because of the overwhelming tension, their hands were cold and covered in sweat.

“Everyone, don’t get too nervous. The more nervous you are, the more mistakes you’ll make.”

“But how can we not be nervous? What if we mess up a sell order?”

“It’s okay. That’s why I handed out the file earlier. I told you to practice with it.”

Since Department Head Seo had been doing this kind of work for a long time, he had even commissioned the creation of a training program that allowed precise buy and sell execution at specific prices.

He had distributed this to the employees.

“This is actually pretty effective for practice. I’ll call out the commands. Just follow exactly what I say.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Alright. Price is $120. Buy now!”

“Yes, sir!!”

Following Department Head Seo’s instructions, the employees were immersed in intense practice.

They were deeply absorbed in training when.

“Oh! It’s open!”

“Okay. Everyone get in position and standby. Wait for CEO-nim’s orders.”

The employees, now a bit more confident thanks to their practice, waited for CEO Jung Jin-ho’s command. But even after the market opened, things remained calm.

About an hour passed like that.

“Seems like today’s just another quiet day, huh?”

“Yeah. Usually if the market’s going to swing, it starts moving right from the opening.”

But seeing that there hadn’t been any significant movement so far, it looked like today might be...

“Huh? I-It’s moving.”

“What’s going on? W-Why is everyone freaking out all of a sudden?”

“Did some breaking news come out or something? Why is the market moving all at once like this?”

Suddenly, stock prices began to swing wildly.

Most notably, it was the VIX index that started shaking the most.

The index, which had been sitting at 11, shot up to 20 in an instant.

While they were staring blankly at the charts, a voice came through their headsets.

[Sell all the VIX products you’re holding right now. It’s okay to dump them all at once. Just throw everything you have.]

It was CEO Jung Jin-ho’s first instruction.

Startled, the VIX-handling employees quickly liquidated their positions.

It was a massive 800 billion won bomb.

Normally, the unwritten rule when unloading 800 billion is to split it into smaller parts.

But regardless of that, he had them dump the entire volume at once.

What was astonishing was that the dumped volume was instantly absorbed.

“Wow. That fast?”

“How much did we just make in one shot?”

But there was no time to be amazed.

[Buy again. This time, don’t buy all at once. You need to space out your orders and buy in intervals.]

“Huh? B-But we just sold everything?”

But that voice couldn’t reach CEO Jung Jin-ho.

The employees only had headphones.

They had no microphones.

“What are you doing! Stop zoning out and follow CEO-nim’s order! Didn’t you hear earlier? A second’s delay and it’s all over!”

“Ah- Yes, sir!!”

And it wasn’t just VIX.

The employees handling dozens of different stocks were receiving alternating buy and sell instructions in rapid succession.

“Huuup-!”

This was nothing like the practice.

What Department Head Seo had done earlier was mild.

Now, it felt like they were tasting the spiciest thing in the world.

Scalping in 1-minute intervals, or even in just a few seconds, not based on algorithms or personal judgment, but by following someone else’s command, turned out to be far more difficult than they had imagined.

If they clicked the wrong button by mistake, hundreds of billions could vanish in a single day. It was an insane game.

But as the buy and sell orders continued, and as they watched the unbelievable rise in profit rates, the dopamine in their brains began to explode.

‘But how is CEO-nim doing all this without even getting confused?’

Unlike the employees who just had to click buttons on command...

Jung Jin-ho had to look at each of these countless stocks one by one and repeatedly issue buy and sell orders.

Yet without a single mistake, without even slurring a syllable, he gave his instructions smoothly, as if this was something he had done a thousand times before.

More than the rising profits, it was CEO Jung Jin-ho himself, his unwavering voice, his flawless commands, that began to feel far more terrifying.

***

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Commonly known as the SEC.

As the leading financial regulatory body representing the United States, its role is to closely monitor the stock market, protect investors, and maintain market fairness.

That’s why, if a particular group attempts to disrupt the market, the SEC identifies and tracks them through intensive surveillance.

However, lately, the market had been so quiet that even the SEC had little to do.

Even if powerful players wanted to make a move, the VIX index was absurdly low, making it a bad time for anyone to try pulling off a major operation.

As a result, everyone was merely observing the market in silence.

“Director, it seems a large sum has been placed on a specific position starting about a month ago.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Technically, it started two months ago, but around a week ago, they added a substantial amount into VIX-related products and shorted several blue-chip stocks.”

“Who is it?”

“Gold Reagan. But the force that came in a week ago used Gold Reagan as their prime broker.”

At the mention of Gold Reagan, Director Alekster furrowed his brow.

Right now, the investment firm with the most swagger was undoubtedly Gold Reagan.

That was only natural.

After all, several key figures currently supporting President Trump were affiliated with Gold Reagan.

“If those guys set up positions in advance...”

“Doesn’t it mean they’re planning something?”

And with the backing of the President of the United States, no less.

It might sound like a conspiracy theory, but for those who’ve been around in this field, they know full well it’s customary for this kind of thing to happen whenever a new President takes office.

“Still, monitor them thoroughly. Especially the group that entered a month ago. Who are they?”

“We haven’t identified them in detail yet, but it’s from Korea.”

“Korea? They suddenly entered from there?"

“Yes. And they brought in over 1.8 billion dollars.”

“...What? 1.8 billion dollars?!”

When they heard the group was from Korea, they assumed it was nothing special.

But 1.8 billion dollars?

That’s more than enough to shake up the market.

No matter how massive the U.S. stock market is, the moment a group with over a billion dollars enters, market disruption follows.

“What kind of people from Korea would...”

“Director!”

Just then, one of the staff members rushed in urgently.

“You need to check the market status right now.”

“What’s going on?”

“The VIX index just shot past 20.”

“What?!”

For an index that had stayed around 11 to suddenly break through 20 was never a good sign.

Sure enough.

When the Director checked the market, the index that had just hit 20 was now already surpassing 25.

“What is this? Why is this happening all of a sudden?”

“Looks like the inevitable finally happened. Up until now, all the money’s been flowing into inverse VIX and XIV, right? But just now, the government released employment and wage data. The figures came out much higher than expected, and that impact is hitting the market directly.”

“And the market just explodes like this out of nowhere?”

“The nature of inverse VIX is that it loses money when the VIX index rises. It has an auto-liquidation feature for rebalancing. That’s why, as the auto-liquidation kicks in, stock prices drop, the VIX index rises, and a chain-reaction domino effect is happening.”

Higher employment and wage numbers suggest that interest rates might rise even further in the future.

Honestly, under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be a huge issue.

The real problem was that too much money had been poured into inverse VIX.

As small fluctuations triggered automatic liquidation for rebalancing, the situation suddenly escalated.

“Those government bastards knew this would happen, and they still made that announcement out of nowhere...”

So that’s why those Gold Reagan bastards had set up their positions in advance.

At this rate, the billions of dollars tied up in VIX products were on the verge of vanishing all at once.

And that wasn’t all.

The resulting stock price drop was threatening to wipe out hundreds of billions more.

It was Armageddon, plain and simple.

The beginning of Volmageddon.

“Wait. Forget about Gold Reagan for now. What about that group that came in from Korea?”

“Actually, that’s the most active trader at the moment. If you look at this, the data right now is absolutely absurd.”

“W-What? They executed all these trades in just one minute?”

“Yes. And they’re still trading. Using the entire 1.8 billion dollars.”

“S-So you’re saying these guys are doing day trading with 1.8 billion dollars?!”

What kind of crazy bastards are these!

Even a massive firm like Gold Reagan wouldn’t attempt day trading with 1.8 billion dollars.

But these lunatics were recklessly swinging around massive capital without any regard for common sense.

The problem was, normally, you lose money when you trade this aggressively. But they were making money.

“The U.S. stock market is crashing, and these foreign investors armed with 1.8 billion dollars are exploiting the chaos to plunder everything-”

At that moment, the director realized something.

Someone in Korea was invading America right now.