58. The fool was caught.
A few days later, with great skill, John sold all of his Nvidia shares.
We had held a total of 12.7% of Nvidia, and when we got rid of it all, we got a whopping $20 billion.
I was nervous that selling so cheaply would cause him to go berserk again, but fortunately, he calmed down because he believed me when I said he would invest again.
Then, as soon as we sold, it started to fall at a frightening rate, with a 9.8% one-day drop on October 24, followed by a catastrophic 18.7% drop on November 16 and a 12% drop on November 29.
We went from $70 a share to $30 a share in less than two months, which is a disaster.
It’s a good thing for us.
“Let’s take it slow. It’s going to look like this through the first half of next year.”
“Okay, boss, I’ll only buy when it drops below $35.”
“hahahahaha, do it.”
AMD, which we sold 30% of our holdings in September, did not fare much better in October.
The stock went from $32 in September to $16 by the end of October, so we ended up buying back in.
I secretly wish I had sold more, but AMD’s market capitalization wasn’t yet as high as Nvidia’s, so it would have made a difference if we had dumped more.
That was just me being greedy.
Besides, selling more would have really pissed Lisa off.
By the end of December, AMD stock was back in the $16 range, so I went on a buying spree.
“We’ll be buying through the end of the year and early January to increase our stake to over 60%.”
“Hmph, so AMD is all ours now?”
“hahahahaha, that’s what happens.”
And with billions of dollars left over after all those buybacks, how great is that?
“Great job this year.”
It’s already December 31st.
This year, December 31 falls on a Monday, and the U.S. stock market is open until today.
As a result, we’re working through the end of the day.
“What about employee vacations?”
“It’s a little shorter this year. I’m working through Dec. 31, so I’m off until Jan. 6. I can buy AMD and some other stocks from home.”
“Wow, is this really the problem with this floor, you can’t move when the market opens?”
“hahahahaha, I can’t help it.”
“You gave away all your bonuses, right?”
“Yeah, didn’t you hear the shouting earlier?”
“hahahaha, that’s what it was.”
“Yeah, it happens every year, but it wasn’t a ruckus.”
It’s a great feeling to share your accomplishments.
Even if it’s not much for me.
“And, boss.”
“Yes, John.”
“I think I’m going to have to get to know the new building.”
“Oh, that’s what I was going to say. It’s fine for now, but it’s going to be cramped by the end of next year, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, because we’re already over 70 employees.”
“Well, talk to George and see if we can find someplace nearby, maybe something a little bigger and more spacious so we don’t have to move again.”
“hahahahaha! Okay, I’ll look for a place where I won’t have to move again for at least 10 years.”
“Right on, John. Now, I’m going first because of my flight time.”
“Ah, boss. Next time, take a private jet.” “A private jet?”
“Yes. You don’t have to fly, you can rent one, and you’ll be traveling in style, no matter what time it is. I’ll make sure you have that arranged.”
“hahahahaha! Okay, then, happy new year! John!”
“Make yourself at home. But you do realize you’ll be gone for months like last time, right?”
“Hmph! I’ll be back soon.”
Last time I was in Korea, I must have gotten a little spooked.
After spending last year’s New Year’s Eve playing dead, I decided that this year I would definitely spend my New Year’s vacation in Korea, so I headed straight to LAX and hopped on a plane to Incheon.
Yes, the holidays are for family.
Even though the year was already over.
“Big brother, get up, it’s almost 12 o’clock!”
“Ai, I came in at dawn yesterday.”
“Ahhh! You smell like alcohol! You’ve been drinking too much!”
“Agh! Leave me alone—.”
All night long, Ki-dong and Seon-hyung drank and slept together, but Somi was yelling at them to get up.
When I threw back the covers and showed a fierce determination to sleep some more, Somi gave up and left my room.
Moments later.
“I made haejangguk, eat it.”
“Where is your mom going and why are you making all this noise?”
“Mom went to the foundation with Dad.”
“Huh? Why would mom go to the foundation?”
“Didn’t you know?”
“Don’t know what?”
“That your mom goes to the foundation about three days a week?”
“What do you mean, why does my mom go to work at the foundation?”
Is this some kind of sleep scratching someone’s leg?
“You really don’t know, my mom has been going to the foundation with my dad for a while because she was bored at home.”
“Huh? Really? I mean, what does your mom do out there?”
“Well, Dad says she’s surprisingly good at it, and she used to work for a big corporation.”
“I guess so, but—.”
Come to think of it, my mom worked with my dad until I was in the third grade.
They stopped when Dad’s business became successful.
“She’s always been a fast math person, right? So she’s supervising the support department, which seems to be a surprising fit. It worked out well. She’s been working at home on her own for free since I went to college.”
“Well, then. Eh, why don’t you say something—.”
Was she afraid of what I’d say?
It’s not like I’m a supermarket cashier, and there’s no reason for me to object.
I feel sick to my stomach.
Let’s eat.
Pow!
“Huh? What does this taste like? Who made this?”
This mysterious flavor is definitely not your mom’s cooking.
“What? I boiled it? Isn’t it good?”
“Ugh, huh? Did you?”
“Tasteless?”
Honestly, it doesn’t taste good.
But my sweet Somi must have cooked it for her brother, so how can she say it doesn’t taste good?
“Oh, no.”
“Then why the reaction?”
“It’s just, the flavor is a bit unique.”
“…”
What is this girl doing anyway?
Finishing her food?
I’d barely finished piling the food, which I’d named Haejangguk, on top of myself and washed it down with coffee when Somi cut to the chase.
“Bro, I want tea.”
“Huh? Why do you want tea? Do you want me to make you some kind of medicine?”
Does she have cold feet or something?
I’m going to have to make him a potion.
However, Somi’s reaction proved otherwise.
“Ai-san, I don’t mean I’m a car, I mean a car, a car, a car!”
“Hmm? Car? You mean a car?”
“Didn’t you say you’d buy me a car if I behave until my sophomore year of college?”
“Uh, uh, did I?”
“Awww, sh*t, you’re going to do this to me?”
“Hmph, I remember, I remember.”
Of course I remember.
“Did you get your driver’s license?”
“Yeah! I got it right after college.”
“Did you get it right? Shouldn’t it be easier to get a driver’s license in Korea?”
Seriously, Korean driver’s licenses are too hard.
That’s how I got mine, but it’s not like we’re mass-producing killing machines.
“My mom made me take training, so I took more than 10 hours, and she gave me a separate training, and I drive her car sometimes?”
“Yeah? Okay, I’ll buy you one.”
“Wow, wow, wow! You’re the best!”
“Hey! Hey! Get off me!”
I don’t know why he hugs me when he’s frustrated.
She’s a talker.
“But you, you have to keep one thing, no matter what.”
“Like what?”
“Do you realize that if I ever get caught driving drunk, I’ll never get behind the wheel again for the rest of my life?”
“What do you look at people for?”
“What do I see you as, a kid? Loud, okay?”
“Ugh!”
Somi, like the rest of us in the Kang family, loves to drink and is a good eater.
So, drinking and driving is a constant reminder.
“By the way, what kind of car do you want? Have you decided on a car?”
“Ugh! This one! hehehehe!”
Awww, you cute little pooch!
He was so cute with his tongue flapping.
“Voila! Look!”
“What is it, huh, a Mercedes C-class?”
“Mmm!”
“Can I have this?”
“Eh, I’m still a student, and I’m not going to drive this to school, and I can park it, but I don’t want kids staring at it.”
“hahahaha, dude!”
I honestly thought he was going to ask for a Porsche, but he was surprisingly modest and said he’d be happy with a Benz C-Class.
He doesn’t drive it to school, he only drives it to play, so I should buy him one.
“Come on, let’s get cleaned up and go!”
“Gazoo!”
We searched the internet and blindly went to the biggest showroom in Gangnam, but when we opened the door and walked in, all eyes were on us.
A phenomenon I see all the time when my brother and I go out together.
I was taller and had been training for nearly two hours a day for a long time, so I had great physique, and Somi had the goddess-like looks of an idol.
Furthermore, as we became more affluent, there was nothing we wore that wasn’t a luxury item.
She didn’t particularly set out to buy luxury goods, but it came naturally when she had so much money.
Anyway, it’s bound to attract attention.
Also, the car parked out front is the Porsche 911 I bought my dad last year.
He didn’t ask for it, but I knew from a young age that his dream car was a Porsche 911, so I bought it for him.
“Welcome, sir, how may I help you?”
A male employee, who looked to be about my age, came right up to me and asked.
“Uh, I need a ride for my brother.”
“Oh, so it’s your sister,” I said, “we’re a rare breed, so I knew you were in a relationship.”
“Why don’t you just show me your car?”
“Hum, I beg your pardon, but what kind of car do you want?”
“Since my brother is still young, please show me the C-class or E-class.”
Somi’s eyes widened at my words.
“Big brother, why E-class?” “Let’s see, let’s choose one of them.”
“hehehehe! It’s you!”
“Yay!”
Actually, I had been thinking of an E-class since Somi asked me to buy a C-class.
After all, she’s my sister, right?
The price difference was only about 2,000 to 3,000 won.
“hahahahaha! Okay, then come this way.”
An excited Somi followed the salesperson, who showed her the different models of C-Class and E-Class and explained.
Now that I’m here, I realize that Mercedes-Benz has a surprising number of models even within the same class.
As Somi sat in the car and tried out the controls, she suddenly heard a familiar female voice behind her.
An all-too-familiar voice.
“Is that Chul-shik?”
“…”
For a moment, my body stiffened.
The voice sounded so wistful.
I turned around to see who it was, and it was the same person.
It was Yeon-Joo.
“Yeo?”