The Regressed Vault Keeper Took It All

Chapter 15: I Paid a Visit to Namsan

Chairman Cha Sang-woo, having failed to persuade the board of directors, convened an emergency press conference.

The hastily prepared venue was crowded with reporters, and the constant flashes of cameras only added to the restless atmosphere.

Cha Sang-woo’s face, standing at the podium, was stiff, but his eyes were resolute.

He opened his mouth before the microphone.

“An urgent matter requires me to speak before you today.”

At his low yet forceful words, the commotion in the hall briefly subsided.

“Recently, our stock market—especially certain stocks—has been swept up in a frenzy of speculation that has crossed the line. This undermines the order of a healthy market and poses a grave threat to the very foundation of our national economy!”

His voice carried deep concern and anger.

After taking a breath, he dropped a statement like a nuclear bomb.

“To ensure market stability, the Korea Stock Exchange will employ every possible measure. Raising margin requirements, limiting price fluctuation ranges, and moreover……”

He paused, sharply scanning the reporters.

“……if the overheating does not subside, we will not hesitate to consider suspending trading of the concerned stocks, or even delisting them altogether!”

At the word “delisting,” the press conference erupted into an uproar.

Reporters’ hands flew across their notepads, and the buzzing of voices grew louder.

Cha Sang-woo coldly observed the scene as he concluded.

“I urge market participants to exercise sound judgment. That is all.”

Finishing his remarks, he turned away firmly.

Questions poured down like a waterfall, but Cha Sang-woo ignored them and left the conference hall without answering a single one.

---

As expected, things unfolded just as I remembered.

“How…… how could such a thing…….”

Even Yang Sobo was so shocked that he could not finish his sentence.

“Rumors in the air, Chairman Cha Sang-woo’s unbending character, and a market overflowing with greed. Combine these three elements, and the outcome was entirely predictable. Only, no one wished to acknowledge it, deliberately turning away.”

I answered calmly.

Of course, my true source was the memory of the past.

Yang Sobo, as if probing my intentions, asked,

“You believe this turmoil will soon come to an end, don’t you?”

“Yes. Chairman Cha Sang-woo will soon be driven out.”

I spoke with conviction.

The true owners of this board would never tolerate his sense of justice.

Park Jeong-ho and the entire securities industry would rise up like a swarm of bees to demand his resignation, and in the end, he would be forced to kneel before the power of money.

That was a crucial piece of the plan I had laid out.

To use the market’s fear to pressure Kim Jin-ho, while simultaneously planting the impression among other forces that Yang Sobo had foreseen this development.

Though the chaos would be brief, its impact would be anything but small.

“And we must take advantage of this confusion.”

I revealed the next part of my plan.

“Now is the perfect opportunity to pour every available resource into buying Daijeung shares.”

Nearly half of the available funds had already been consumed in operating expenses and fees for the previous KEPCO stock operation.

Until now, we had been buying Daijeung shares cautiously, careful not to affect the price too much while securing physical stock. But that caution was no longer necessary.

Terrified investors would soon be throwing away their shares in panic.

We had to scoop up as much as possible, right now.

Once this short-lived chaos passed, these shares would become something one could not buy even if one wanted to.

That was when Park Jeong-ho would seize nearly all the available supply and begin his aggressive price-raising campaign.

“Once the buying is complete…… all we have to do is wait. The frenzy of people reigniting will return to us as pure gold.”

Whether he sensed the certainty within my cold words, Yang Sobo fell into thought as he listened to my plan.

“Very well. Do as you see fit.”

At last, he made his decision.

“We will act according to your plan.”

“Thank you, sir.”

I stood and bowed politely.

---

The moment I opened the door, the secret office in Myeong-dong was a scene of utter chaos.

The aftermath of Chairman Cha Sang-woo’s statement about reviewing delisting, broadcasted through radio news, was far stronger than expected.

“Damn it! Put everyone on hold! Suspend all buying for now!”

Kang Cheol-min shouted into the receiver so loudly it seemed his eardrums might burst.

His usual air of seasoned composure was nowhere to be found, his face flushed with panic and agitation.

“Cha Sang-woo, that old fool, must have gone mad! Delisting, out of nowhere—what the hell is this!”

Yoon Ji-seong, his hair disheveled as though he had been tearing at it, frantically pored over documents and the stock board with bloodshot eyes.

Even the taciturn Ma Dong-jin wore a grim expression as he flicked his abacus beads, sighing short breaths again and again.

The office was filled with the constant ringing of telephones, shouts, and the rustle of turning papers, all tangled into an explosive atmosphere that felt ready to blow at any moment.

It was as though the chaos of the trading floor had spread here whole.

I strode calmly into the middle of this storm and clapped my hands once, lightly.

At the sharp sound, all noise and movement in the office froze.

They seemed to have only just noticed I had entered.

Three pairs of eyes turned to me at once.

In them were a mix of confusion—what should we do now—and a sliver of expectation, that perhaps I could resolve this situation.

“First…… withdraw all of our men from the trading floor.”

My calm voice sliced through the previously noisy air.

“Shouldn’t we at least sell what we’ve secured while we still can?”

Kang Cheol-min shouted in desperation, but I shook my head firmly.

“No. Just pull them out. We will not release a single share we’ve secured.”

At my command, Kang Cheol-min once again reached for the telephone.

I quickly stopped him.

Telephones were dangerous.

I did not want to leave even the smallest risk unattended.

“From today, no phones are to be used for the time being. Deliver instructions directly.”

“You mean…… we’re supposed to run around in person? In this situation…….”

At his protest, I shrugged and added, giving them a slight shock on purpose.

“Yesterday, I paid a visit to Namsan.”

“N-Namsan?”

The eyes of the two men, except Ma Dong-jin who had witnessed my situation firsthand yesterday, widened like rabbits.

Kang Cheol-min even stuttered. In those days, the word “Namsan” carried a weight of pure terror.

“Fortunately, thanks to Mr. Yang’s help, I was released quickly, so you need not be so alarmed.”

I spoke nonchalantly, as though nothing had happened.

At my calm demeanor, Yoon Ji-seong muttered in disbelief.

“Rumors abound that once you’re dragged to Namsan, you don’t come out in one piece……”

I brushed imaginary dust off my shoulder and smiled.

“As you can see, nothing happened to me.”

Ma Dong-jin asked the critical question, his voice steady.

“Does the KCIA…… know about our plan?”

“No. They don’t. I think they only wanted to test whether Mr. Yang had been involved in the mass sell-off of KEPCO shares.”

I gave a brief explanation of what had happened at Namsan, then issued new instructions to Kang Cheol-min.

“For today, tell all our men to rest. At times like this, we must remain calm.”

Without a word, Kang Cheol-min nodded and left the office.

I brushed aside the messy piles of papers on the table and sat down.

“Please, sit.”

The two remaining men sat with tense expressions.

“Have you confirmed Park Jeong-ho’s response?”

“There’s been no particular movement yet. We confirmed he went into the Stock Exchange, but his whereabouts since then remain unknown.”

That was Yoon Ji-seong’s report.

‘By now, he’s probably barking down at Cha Sang-woo.’

I could see it without even needing to. I nodded, roughly guessing in my mind.

“How much usable capital do we have left?”

At my question, Ma Dong-jin opened the ledger and explained.

“Excluding operating funds, the amount currently available is exactly 2.2 million hwan.”

“So we’ve spent about half of the 4.3 million.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“And the average purchase price?”

“Up to now, the average purchase price has been holding at the 3-hwan line.”

On the office blackboard, yesterday’s closing price of Daijeung shares was written—over 4 hwan.

When I silently looked at the blackboard, Ma Dong-jin added further explanation.

“It wasn’t easy. Unlike deferred trades, quietly gathering physical stock was slow. Prices kept climbing, too. Still, we tried our best to avoid attracting attention……”

I raised a hand, stopping his words.

“No. An average purchase of 3 hwan is beyond my expectations. It seems Kang Cheol-min didn’t survive in this business for so long without reason.”

Deliberately driving up prices while buying was easy.

But quietly accumulating shares without influencing the market—that was an entirely different skill.

Kang Cheol-min had pulled off the hard part.

“Good.”

Thanks to competent teammates, the work was smooth.

How different this was from the past, when I had to shoulder everything alone.

Before long, Kang Cheol-min returned, breathing heavily.

“All…… huff, relayed. Told them to rest today……”

He finished speaking, then swallowed as he looked out the window. Unease lingered faintly in his eyes.

“The trading floor is hell itself. With delisting being mentioned, everyone is dumping. Daijeung shares or not, it’s a flood of panic selling! At this rate, people will get hurt……”

I cut him off.

“Good.”

For a moment, the air in the office felt chilled.

The strange smile that brushed my lips seemed to be caught by all three of them.

I stepped to the window, gazing at the Stock Exchange building thrown into pandemonium.

Crowds stumbling about, drowned in despair and fear.

It was within this chaos that I had to seize opportunity.

“This turmoil is our opportunity.”

“Opportunity? In this madness, what are you saying!”

Kang Cheol-min demanded.

“Delisting means stock trades will have to happen over-the-counter, between themselves. It means the market’s credibility disappears. That’s……”

That, for me, was the real chance.

I turned away from the window and back to the table.

Staring straight at the three men, I declared,

“Starting tomorrow, for three days, we will commit the remaining 2.2 million hwan in full.”

“A-all of it? Now?”

Even Ma Dong-jin’s voice wavered with dismay.

“Yes. All of it.”

Kang Cheol-min stared at me, his mouth hanging open.

“But, there are conditions.”

I paused briefly, to deliver my will clearly.

“Among the Daijeung shares hitting the market, anything listed below 2 hwan 50 jeon—buy it all. Do not even look at anything above that. Within three days, all funds are to be exhausted and buying complete.”

“Below 2 hwan 50 jeon only? You want us to take all of that? But what if the price falls even further?”

Kang Cheol-min asked, baffled.

“Our purpose is not to buy cheap. It’s to absorb the panic-sold stock quietly, by supporting those sales. We need to show steady buying pressure around 2 hwan 50 jeon so they keep selling. Our true goal is to secure as many shares as possible.”

At my explanation, the office’s clamor fell silent as if it had been a lie.

For a moment, the three men simply stared at me blankly.

They had finally realized my intent—to seize opportunity from within chaos and turn the board to our advantage.

“There’s no time. Prepare thoroughly and move starting tomorrow. In three days, we will be the ones laughing.”

At my final words, spoken with certainty, they asked no further questions.

Each returned to his place and began working busily again.

This time, unlike before, their movements carried a unified sense of purpose toward a clear goal.

Inside the office, a heat of resolve gathered, starkly different from the madness of the trading floor outside.

---

The frenzy at the Stock Exchange finally subsided, and darkness descended over its tightly shut doors.

The shouts of investors, who had spent the day riding between heaven and hell, had faded away, leaving not even a faint echo.

I left the secret office.

Like a heavy shadow, Ma Dong-jin followed behind me.

“Are you returning to the mansion?”

His low voice echoed faintly on the quiet street.

I shook my head.

“No. There’s someone I must meet.”

I headed into a secluded alley behind the Stock Exchange building.

The old back gate, firmly closed, looked as though it hadn’t been touched for a long time.

I held my breath and waited. Soon enough, with a creak, the back door opened, and Chairman Cha Sang-woo emerged, visibly weary.

He glanced around cautiously, then, without hesitation, stepped into the darkness.

“……Let’s go.”

I spoke shortly, and Ma Dong-jin asked in puzzlement,

“You intend to meet Chairman Cha Sang-woo directly?”

I nodded silently.

Left alone, Cha Sang-woo’s safety would surely be in danger.

Someone like Park Jeong-ho would never leave a principled man like him unharmed.

A man who had graduated from the Faculty of Law at Keijō Imperial University and earned a master’s in economics at the University of Chicago—I could not allow such talent to disappear in vain.

It was then that a coarse voice rang out from the shadows.

“Hey! Cha Sang-woo!”

Followed by an urgent shout.

“Wh-who are you people!”

“Do you know how much blood I lost because of you, you bastard!”

As expected, what I had feared began to unfold.

Without hesitation, I dashed into the deeper part of the alley, from where the voices had come.

Three or four burly men were surrounding Chairman Cha Sang-woo, one already grabbing his collar.

Their eyes burned with rage and killing intent.

This was no mere protest by an investor.

I charged in, kicking the man who held his collar square in the back with all my strength.

“Ugh!”

With a dull sound, the man staggered and flew forward.

Startled by my sudden intrusion, the others turned their gazes on me at once.

Immediately behind, Ma Dong-jin stepped solidly in front of me, glaring at them.

His sheer presence chilled the dark alley’s air.

I sneered at the men.

“If you invested, take responsibility yourself. What’s with blaming others?”

Their eyes grew darker, more menacing.

As I thought, these were undoubtedly thugs sent by Park Jeong-ho.

In their eyes flickered not the anger of investors who had lost money, but the murderous aura of men carrying out orders.