Episode 17. Making Money is Too Easy (2)
Today, Kang Dae-oh, who opened the store at the same time as usual, took out his smartphone as soon as he finished preparing to welcome customers.
Lee Seojun tilted his head at Kang Dae-oh, who was diligently looking at something.
“Boss. What are you doing?”
Kang Dae-oh was the type of person who rarely looked at his smartphone after coming to work, unless something special happened.
Rather than to focus on work…
It was closer to meaning that he was so busy with work that he didn’t even have time to look at his phone.
So, if he had even a little break, Kang Dae-oh would try to sit down and rest his eyes for a moment instead of looking at his smartphone.
But today, he was engrossed in his smartphone.
From Lee Seojun’s perspective, who had seen Kang Dae-oh up close normally, he couldn’t help but be concerned.
“I’m going to try that for the first time in a while.”
“What is… that?”
“This.”
Kang Dae-oh tilted his smartphone screen so Lee Seojun could see it clearly.
What was visible on the screen was none other than.
“Isn’t that stocks?”
“That’s right.”
It was a stock-related app.
Before marrying Min Seung-yeon, Kang Dae-oh had dabbled in stocks very briefly.
His goal was to try and inflate his money a little more to add to his wedding funds.
He had tried everything from famous brand companies everyone knew by name to so-called penny stocks.
But in the end, it was a stop-loss ending.
After that day, Kang Dae-oh decided.
That he would never look at stocks again.
However.
If Kang Yeyoung, who knew future stock information, was involved, this resolve could be broken.
“There’s a stock an expert recommended to buy right now. I’m going to buy that.”
“They say you shouldn’t do stocks based on what others say.”
“Normally, yes. But… that’s strange. How do I switch to the buy screen from here?”
It had been so long that he was confused.
Then Lee Seojun pointed to a category on the left side.
“If you look at the menu there, you’ll see the sell and buy execution screens.”
“Oh? You’re right. Thanks, Seojun. But you, by any chance…?”
Seeing him find the buy screen right away.
“Did you do stocks too?”
“Yes. I’m still doing it. Though it’s a small amount.”
“Really? What’s your rate of return?”
“It’s in the negative, you know. I’m just holding onto it for now. Hoping it’ll rise someday.”
“Where did you invest?”
Lee Seojun showed his stock app, just like Kang Dae-oh, and directly showed him where he had invested.
“It’s Biryong Tech.”
“…Of all places, there?”
“Ah. It’s on a downward trend now, but it’ll definitely rise later.”
“Based on what?”
“It’s an AI-related stock, you know. It’s also linked to the hot metaverse these days.”
Lee Seojun had high hopes for the AI theme.
Of course, it’s understandable that expectations are high.
Because there’s a very high possibility that AI, not humans, will dominate the future.
However, the list of confidential stock information Kang Dae-oh heard from Kang Yeyoung did not include the name Biryong Tech.
“It would be best to pull out of there if you can. It’ll be delisted after a few quiet months.”
“Huh? Delisted?”
“Yeah. Take a look at its financial statements. It’ll be hard to see it as a healthy company, won’t it?”
“……”
One of the companies Kang Yeyoung told Kang Dae-oh never to invest in was Biryong Tech, which Lee Seojun had invested in.
Kang Dae-oh generally had no intention of telling others what to do with their stocks.
But Lee Seojun was a special employee to him.
He was also the first part-timer he had ever hired.
As a boss, he couldn’t just stand by and watch him work hard only to pour all his earned money into a stock that would be delisted.
And if possible, including Kang Dae-oh and his family, even his acquaintances.
Wouldn’t it be better if everyone lived well and prospered together?
“Boss, where are you planning to invest?”
“Me? Jeun Mulsan.”
“Where is that?”
“It’s under Unha Group.”
“Huh? Unha Group is a large corporation, isn’t it? Was Jeun Mulsan an affiliate there?”
“Yeah. People probably don’t know that well.”
“Oh my… I thought it was a penny stock, but it was a super blue-chip stock.”
Its low recognition certainly contributed to its undervaluation.
The lack of significant positive news was also a factor in its undervaluation.
However, this problem would soon be resolved.
Because major positive news would break out one after another starting from the second half of this year.
The source was Kang Yeyoung’s memories.
Kang Dae-oh made a cool transaction at market price without setting a desired limit price.
Moreover, the amount was not small.
Watching Kang Dae-oh burn through thousands in an instant, Lee Seojun was speechless.
Nevertheless, Kang Dae-oh had strong conviction.
That these thousands of won.
Would return as hundreds of millions in no time.
Lee Seojun, who had witnessed Kang Dae-oh’s bold decision right beside him, took out his smartphone as if he had made up his mind.
He boldly cut his losses from Biryong Tech, then pointed to Jeun Mulsan and said.
“Can I ride the same boat? Boss. No, captain.”
“You’re going to buy Jeun Mulsan?”
“Yes.”
“Didn’t you just say that you shouldn’t do stocks based on what others say?”
“How can you and I be strangers, Boss?”
Kang Dae-oh let out a chuckle at Lee Seojun’s jest.
“Alright, I understand. But you’ll have to treat me to a big meal soon.”
“If I make a profit, I’ll treat not only you, Boss, but all the part-timers to beef!”
“I should record this.”
Earning money and getting beef from a part-timer.
It was hitting two birds with one stone for Kang Dae-oh.
A few days later.
Min Seung-yeon’s birthday dawned.
Looking at her daughters neatly dressed in their going-out clothes, Min Seung-yeon let out a hollow laugh.
“Is it because it’s my birthday today that you’ve finished preparing the kids for going out?”
“That’s right. You don’t need to suffer with childcare even on your birthday, do you?”
To ensure Min Seung-yeon had a comfortable rest for this one day, he even gave up going to work.
Anyway, since Lee Seojun and the part-timers were there.
It seemed everyone had gotten the hang of the work to some extent, so there was no big problem even if he left the store entirely to them like this.
If something difficult for Lee Seojun to handle were to happen, he could just contact Kang Dae-oh.
“You change your clothes quickly and come out too. We’re busy today.”
“How busy are we?”
“After lunch. We’ll stop by the department store to buy some clothes you like, honey. Then go see a movie, have dinner, and so on.”
“Clothes? I’m fine, so instead, buy lots of cute clothes for the kids.”
From the moment she became a mother, she prioritized her children over herself.
However, to Kang Dae-oh, both his children and his wife were equally precious beings.
Without Kang Dae-oh even needing to step in, the children urged Min Seung-yeon not to do that and to come quickly.
“Mom, take this chance to ask Dad to buy you lots of pretty clothes.”
“If not now, when would you?”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
Kang Yera, Kang Yebin, Kang Yeyoung. Faced with the three princesses’ combined attack, Mom had no choice but to say yes.
Min Seung-yeon and her family, wearing their newly bought clothes from the department store, headed to the restaurant Kang Dae-oh had reserved in advance.
Min Seung-yeon showed great discomfort with her changed attire.
“These kinds of clothes suit young people, but I don’t think they suit an ajumma like me…”
She was so busy being conscious of other people’s eyes.
Then, the second daughter, Kang Yebin, who embodied seriousness among the three sisters, vehemently denied her mother’s words with a stern face.
“Who would think Mom is an ajumma? You’re so pretty.”
Kang Dae-oh also nodded his head vigorously up and down, as if agreeing with Kang Yebin’s words.
Despite being the mother of three children, Min Seung-yeon was still beautiful.
It was while the family was continuing their precious meal.
“Oh? Aren’t you the people who came to play in Yeongjongdo a while ago?”
A man recognized Kang Dae-oh and his family and asked in surprise.
Kang Dae-oh was also surprised.
He had never imagined he would see that male waiter who took such an amazing family photo again here.
Min Seung-yeon also showed a surprised expression.
“Weren’t you working at the resort?”
“I transferred here. Yeongjongdo was too far from where I live. But since I haven’t seen you, you even have a third princess now.”
Kang Yeyoung naturally didn’t know who he was.
Kang Dae-oh whispered in a low voice, only audible to Kang Yeyoung.
“Before you were born, our family went on a summer vacation to a resort in Yeongjongdo. He’s the staff member who took our photos then.”
“Ah, so that swimming pool photo then…”
“That’s right, that one.”
Although she hadn’t seen the waiter in person, the photo he took was framed and had become an excellent interior decoration in the home where Kang Dae-oh and his family lived.
Every time Kang Yeyoung saw that photo, she wondered if it hadn’t been taken by a professional photographer.
To meet the person who gave their family such good memories again here.
This might even be an opportunity.
“Excuse me, but if possible, could you take a photo for us again this time?”
The male waiter smiled faintly and readily accepted Kang Dae-oh’s request.
“Yes, of course.”
They decided to take the family photo with Kang Dae-oh’s smartphone, which he had bought most recently.
The male staff member asked the family for detailed poses and postures.
“Mother, please hold the youngest daughter. And the eldest daughter, please stand a bit closer to your father. Yes, good. That’s it!”
Click!
The photo-taking proceeded smoothly.
It ended so quickly that they even doubted if the photo was taken properly.
However, the result was quite good, just like last time.
“As expected, you take great photos.”
Kang Dae-oh gave the male staff member a thumbs-up.
Min Seung-yeon as well.
The three sisters, who had deep knowledge of the entertainment industry, also genuinely admired the male staff member’s photography skills.
If even his daughters, who had worked with professional photographers multiple times, acknowledged his skill, it meant he was quite talented.
Kang Dae-oh seriously suggested to the male staff member.
“Do you have any thoughts of entering the photography field? I think you’d do well.”
“I plan to keep photography as just a hobby. The moment a hobby becomes a job, I feel like I won’t be able to enjoy it anymore. So, I don’t think I can do it like you, Boss Kang.”
Kang Dae-oh was also a case where his hobby became his profession.
Yet, he still enjoyed his work to this day.
But the man politely declined Kang Dae-oh’s offer, saying he didn’t have the confidence for it.
The world is wide, and there are many people with various dispositions and types.
“Then I’ll be going now. I hope you have a good time.”
Watching him leave first, Kang Dae-oh tilted his head for a moment.
‘Wait, did I ever tell that person I run a cafe?’
Maybe he knew because he saw the interview video.
‘Well… it’s nothing to worry too much about.’
Without needing to think deeply, he decided to just let it go.
