The Regressed Vault Keeper Took It All

Chapter 9: Excessive Greed Is the Shortcut to Ruin

“Hoho. Well then, young friend. It’s not too late at all. Hurry and buy them now, even at this moment. How much capital did you bring?”

Park Jeong-ho asked in a deliberately benevolent tone.

“I barely managed to borrow 100,000 hwan from Teacher Yang. This should be enough, shouldn’t it?”

I fiddled with my pocket, showing a faint trace of unease.

I acted exactly like a greenhorn who was stepping into the stock market for the first time.

Awkward, hesitant, and slightly intimidated before such a large sum of money.

This was the mask I wanted them to see.

“Oh? That miserly old Yang actually handed over 100,000 hwan? To you? Hoho, this is surprising. From what I heard, you were a man who used to wallow in the beggars’ den of Cheonggyecheon not too long ago…… Seems you’ve caught his eye for real, eh?”

Park Jeong-ho pretended to admire me, but his sharp gaze was probing.

Just from the way he mentioned Yang Sobo and brought up my past, it was clear.

He was trying to test Yang Sobo’s intentions through me.

‘So, they’ve already looked into my background.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

That information couldn’t have come from Kim Jin-ho.

I had never let such things slip deliberately.

I turned my eyes to Chief Choi, who was standing beside them.

Even when our eyes met, he remained expressionless like a wall, showing no hint of emotion.

Most likely, he was Park Jeong-ho’s informant.

“Ah, I should have introduced him first. This is Chief Choi from the KCIA. He’s an extremely capable elite who works tirelessly for the nation’s economy. Chief Choi, this young man is Baek Min-woo, someone whom Elder Yang has recently been keeping an eye on.”

Reading my gaze, Park Jeong-ho seized the moment to make the introduction.

‘So he brought up the KCIA name on purpose.’

Whether he was testing me or flaunting his authority, it didn’t matter.

Either way, I just needed to react as he wanted.

I made a slightly surprised expression and bowed my waist.

“My name is Baek Min-woo. To think you came from the KCIA… Truly remarkable.”

But Chief Choi barely acknowledged my greeting, speaking coldly toward Park Jeong-ho instead.

“President Park, we don’t have time.”

“Ah, yes, yes, I understand. My, how strict you are.”

Park Jeong-ho waved his hand in an exaggerated manner, sneaking glances at Chief Choi.

No matter how influential he was in the stock market, even he wasn’t free from the KCIA’s shadow.

He turned back to me to conclude his words.

“Young friend, I’m sorry, but we must leave now. Make sure you buy Daegung stock within today and keep it in your hands, understood? Later, you won’t be able to buy it even if you wanted to.”

Just as Park Jeong-ho stressed this, as though giving me a final chance, and began to turn away, I spoke up.

“Thank you, President Park. Ah, but what do you think about KEPCO stock?”

I asked as though the thought had just occurred to me.

“When I looked around the assembly hall earlier, there seemed to be just as many people seeking KEPCO stock as there were chasing Daegung stock.”

All three of them stopped walking at the same time.

The easy smile vanished instantly from Park Jeong-ho’s face.

Kim Jin-ho’s unease was written all over him, while the eyebrows of Chief Choi, who had remained expressionless, twitched faintly.

“KEPCO stock?”

Park Jeong-ho shot me a sharp look, his voice now edged with wariness.

“Yes. I overheard people shouting about it downstairs. But the price per share is so high that someone like me couldn’t even dream of buying it. It was far more expensive than Daegung stock. Is it really such a good stock?”

I looked every bit the clueless youth who simply blurted out what he had heard in the market.

That must have been exactly how I appeared in Park Jeong-ho’s eyes.

The wariness that briefly flickered across his face soon shifted into a sly smile.

He chuckled, slapped my shoulder lightly, and said,

“Hoho, young friend, you’ve got sharp ears. KEPCO stock? Of course it’s good. It’s the company responsible for the nation’s electricity. There’s no way it could fail. But……”

Lowering his voice as though he feared eavesdroppers, he whispered,

“When the market’s this strong, stocks like Daegung that rise lightly and quickly are the ones that serve as true moneymakers. As for KEPCO stock… Well. That’s the kind of thing we big players buy and hold long-term. But for a young fellow like you who wants to see quick returns, it’s not exactly ideal.”

He spoke in the tone of an experienced investor advising a beginner.

Yet his eyes were still fixed on me, carefully observing my reaction.

Was I truly an ignorant fool? Or was I hiding another intention? He was clearly trying to judge.

Chief Choi beside him remained expressionless, but his gaze had grown sharper.

He didn’t react to Park Jeong-ho’s words, only kept staring straight at me.

“I see. As expected, you’re amazing, President Park. And here I didn’t even know that…….”

I muttered, putting on a slightly regretful expression at his advice.

“But seeing how many people were after it, I thought maybe there was something there… Seems I was mistaken.”

“Hahaha! Don’t trouble yourself over that. That’s how stocks work—they live and die by rumors. But real information isn’t something just anyone can get their hands on. Now, remember what I’ve said. Right now, it’s Daegung stock without a doubt. Understood?”

“Yes. Thank you, President Park.”

With the reaction Park Jeong-ho had just shown me, I could be certain.

‘It’s not yet time to sell. So, 60,000 hwan must really be his target price.’

That was the very reason I had come here today.

To test him and gauge his reaction.

I had once heard directly from Park Jeong-ho how he manipulated stock prices.

I had worried that my intervention might alter the flow, but it seemed that fear was unfounded.

If he were planning to sell now, he would have used me as a channel to leak word back to Yang Sobo.

Chief Choi lost interest in me and spoke to Park Jeong-ho again, urging him.

“President Park, we really have no time.”

“My, my. Even though this young man only held me up for a moment, you’re already pressing me.”

Brushing off Chief Choi’s urging, Park Jeong-ho gave me one last meaningful glance.

“Young friend, I wish you luck.”

Then, he and Chief Choi left the second floor in a hurry.

Once the two of them were gone, Kim Jin-ho approached me.

Looking around cautiously, he pulled me toward a corner of the second floor.

“Hey, what the hell are you up to?”

I tilted my head, pretending ignorance.

He clicked his tongue openly before asking,

“Where on earth did you hear about KEPCO stock?”

“I told you, I overheard people talking about it at the assembly hall.”

“Did Elder Yang perhaps… say anything else to you?”

“Teacher Yang?”

At my question, Kim Jin-ho glanced around again before lowering his voice.

“Yes. Like… say, about fund management, or some other investment opportunity…… Did he give you any kind of hint like that?”

Suspicion and unease filled his eyes.

Did he think Yang Sobo was keeping an eye on him through me?

‘Pathetic fool. And yet he thought he could betray Yang Sobo with nerves like that.’

I mocked him inwardly, though outwardly I answered with sincerity.

“Not at all. He only said he wanted to see what I’d do with this money. That he would simply watch the results.”

“Really… really, that’s the truth?”

“Of course. Unless you’d like me to pass along a message to Teacher Yang on your behalf?”

At that, Kim Jin-ho instantly backed away.

He looked terrified at the thought that such a question might reach Yang Sobo’s ears.

“No! No, that won’t be necessary.”

Kim Jin-ho waved his hands in dismay.

He glanced at me suspiciously for a moment before speaking as if giving up on something.

“Anyway…… make sure you buy Daegung stock. KEPCO stock is not something a greenhorn like you should concern yourself with, so drop it.”

“Yes. Thank you for the advice. Then I’ll be on my way.”

Leaving Kim Jin-ho behind, I descended to the assembly hall on the first floor.

Still boiling with greed and excitement, I headed straight to the counter.

“Daegung stock, all 100,000 hwan, at the best available price right now.”

The counter clerk processed the order slip swiftly, as if used to such transactions.

Soon the confirmation slip was in my hand.

It was less than I had calculated.

In just a few days—no, even in the short moment while speaking with Park Jeong-ho—the flames of madness had risen another 25 jeon.

I stuffed the slip roughly into my pocket and turned my back on the hall.

The naïve smile had vanished from my lips, leaving only a cold grin behind.

Late at night.

A heavy silence filled the study of Yang Sobo’s mansion.

In his hands was a document that Zhang Wei had delivered.

It was packed with the detailed progress of the bold, reckless plan that a young man named Baek Min-woo had carried out over the past ten days.

“Hoho……. He doesn’t shy away from danger, does he? Such a brazen brat.”

For once, an expression appeared on Yang Sobo’s face.

A faint smile touched his lips.

Alongside it rose another feeling—whether it was astonishment or disbelief, even he could not tell.

“Great Master. Are you truly sure about this? The problem isn’t merely the ten million hwan. Baek Min-woo’s methods are far too risky. Wash sales and spreading information…… If anything goes wrong, the sparks could reach you as well.”

Zhang Wei asked cautiously.

His face was as cold as usual, but a subtle trace of unease flickered across it.

Yang Sobo knew well of Zhang Wei’s loyalty, but this time, he believed the worry was unfounded.

“There’s no chance sparks of this level will fly back to me. What startled me is something else. That a mere twenty-year-old brat—someone who not long ago rolled around in a beggars’ den—could create a plan that shows such insight, it’s hard to believe.”

What amazed Yang Sobo was not Baek Min-woo’s recklessness or boldness.

It was that Baek Min-woo moved as though he could see straight through Park Jeong-ho and the KCIA’s maneuvers as clearly as the palm of his hand.

His fearless actions, driven by what was almost foresight, were astonishing.

“Even the information he spread wasn’t false. The claim about using U.S. aid funds to overhaul the power grid—that was true. Isn’t it astonishing? That brat knew a top-secret detail that only a handful of people in the Supreme Council knew.”

Yang Sobo lightly shook the papers in his hand.

“Even so, it was far too dangerous. One misstep and not just the ten million hwan, but everything could have gone up in smoke.”

“If that had happened, then it would have ended there. A promise is a promise.”

Yang Sobo suddenly thought of Yang Yeong’s face.

Baek Min-woo was the young man who had found his granddaughter—the one he had thought lost, no, believed dead.

For that, ten million hwan was not too high a price.

“That brat was the recipient of my very first pledge of support.”

Zhang Wei bowed his head without further argument.

Questioning his master’s decision was not his way.

“In that case…… I will make every preparation so that even if something goes wrong, no blame will ever reach you, Great Master.”

Knowing that this was spoken from genuine loyalty, Yang Sobo simply nodded faintly.

His gaze returned to the document.

“A brat……. I thought he was acting only out of youthful bravado, but he has quite the ability. Good. Show me clearly just how far your capacity extends.”

In Yang Sobo’s eyes glimmered both cold calculation and a strange sense of expectation toward the unpredictable variable called Baek Min-woo.

At last, the nerve-wracking ten days came to an end.

Late at night, the secret operations room in Myeong-dong buzzed with a different kind of tension and excitement.

I was facing three men, receiving the final status report.

“At last…… at last, we’ve done it! At today’s closing price, it hit exactly 50,000 hwan!”

The first to speak was Kang Cheol-min.

His voice carried both astonishment—like he could hardly believe it himself—and the joy of achieving the target.

I forced myself to remain calm as I asked Yoon Ji-seong,

“What of Park Jeong-ho’s line of movement?”

“They remain as active as ever. They continue to generate steady trading volume among themselves, making it appear as if the price is stable. They are deceiving the market into thinking it will rise forever.”

Yoon Ji-seong reported his analysis, pushing up his glasses.

His cold voice was as precise as the report itself.

“So, they show no intention of selling yet.”

“Correct. On the contrary, there are even signs of additional buying pressure. At this rate, shouldn’t we hold on a bit longer as well? The way things are going, it looks like we’ll break past 60,000 hwan in no time. As for the deferred settlement deadline…… honestly, if we slip the brokers some cash, we could extend it further. The market sentiment is just that strong right now.”

Kang Cheol-min suggested again, his voice brimming with excitement.

Already, the greed for greater profit was gleaming in his eyes.

But I shook my head firmly.

“Excessive greed is the shortcut to ruin. We’ve reached our goal. Now is the time to withdraw.”

I turned to Ma Dong-jin, who was in charge of funds.

“How much available capital do we have left?”

“Exactly 920,000 hwan remain.”

Ma Dong-jin replied with a hardened expression.

At his words, a moment of silence fell over the faces of Kang Cheol-min and Yoon Ji-seong.

To raise the price to 50,000 hwan, we had kept wash trading alive—paying enormous transaction fees.

More than ninety percent of the ten million hwan had vanished into thin air in just half a month as fees.

It was the price of running wild on a gambling board made of thin ice, all for the sake of results.

“Good.”

Without the slightest hesitation, I issued the final order.

“Tomorrow morning, at the market opening, we will sell all 2,000 shares of KEPCO stock we hold. Kang Cheol-min, use every person and broker line you can mobilize to ensure no one can trace who’s selling.”

At my command, tension flickered once again across their faces.

No one could predict what ripples would spread when 2,000 shares hit the market at once—or whether we could truly unload them all near the peak price of 50,000 hwan.

I glanced at the stock exchange outside the window, shrouded in the night’s darkness, and smiled faintly.

“Are you not curious to see how that stage will shake tomorrow?”

At my words, the three men’s gazes all turned to the stock exchange outside.