Chapter 42. David Lockhart (1)

Although I had given up my lifetime business class ticket, Bridgeworld Airlines issued a business class ticket for this one time. After flying for two hours from Atlanta Airport, I arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport and pulled my suitcase outside.

It felt like I had just completed a long journey, but thinking about it, only six hours had passed since I boarded the flight to Orlando.

"Finally, New York."

I pulled my luggage and headed straight to Wall Street.

At the southern end of Manhattan, dozens of high-rise buildings lined up.

"Amazing."

This is the center of global finance.

Not only CBs and IBs, but also world-renowned private equity funds and hedge funds are gathered here. At this very moment, millions or even tens of millions of dollars in transactions are being made somewhere in those tall buildings.

It's hard to imagine how much money is circulating here.

"Indeed, one must play in the big waters."

To work in the U.S., it's convenient to have a U.S. number.

I first visited a mobile carrier branch and activated a prepaid phone. Then, I submitted the documents for establishing a corporation.

The total capital was 113 million dollars!

I had poured all the money I had earned from penny stocks and junk bonds. The company name, as decided, was 'Continue Capital'.

I called Seo Woo.

"The corporation is established."

[Oh! Thank you. But do I have to do anything?]

"No. Just enjoy your life and eat some rice cakes."

You can't even imagine how much this will be worth later.

Last time, I took the bus, so this time it's your turn to give me a ride.

Until yesterday, I was unemployed, but now I'm the president of a legitimate investment company, albeit a ghost company with no employees or office.

Well, everyone starts this way, right?

Still, thinking that I've created my own company, a sense of responsibility is starting to grow.

[What will you do now?]

"I need to hire employees. I've already sent out emails for interviews tomorrow."

* * *

The biggest news on Wall Street recently was the bankruptcy of Victory Investment.

Victory Investment had been known for its aggressive investments. Instead of diversifying across various industries and stocks, they focused on a few high-growth stocks, which led to high returns.

This approach worked well when things were going smoothly, but once problems started, they spiraled out of control.

When the privately held company that made up the largest portion of their portfolio collapsed due to accounting fraud, Victory Investment also fell.

And David Lockhart became unemployed.

He graduated from New York University Law School, obtained a law license, and joined Victory Investment.

Originally, he had hoped to work at a law firm, but he chose a private equity fund because it offered a higher salary.

He gained knowledge about investments while handling various legal consultations at the private equity fund and earned a great reputation in the market.

As a lawyer, he was also knowledgeable about accounting.

He reported several times that the company's accounting practices were suspicious, but his concerns were ignored by the management.

However, when the scandal broke, the responsibility fell on him.

It was announced that the cause of the investment failure was his failure to properly review the financial statements.

Investors called him en masse to protest, and he was branded as a failed investor in the market.

Ironically, the management, who were responsible for the investments, had already moved on before the company went bankrupt, taking millions of dollars in severance pay.

But he stayed until the end to clean up the mess.

In any case, with the company gone, he needed to find a new job.

David posted on job websites and sent out resumes everywhere. However, re-employment was not easy.

Rumors had spread throughout Wall Street that he was responsible for the downfall of Victory Investment. Who would hire someone who had caused a company to go bankrupt due to investment failures?

As the period of unemployment lengthened, his debts increased, and collection notices from the bank started arriving.

David became increasingly anxious.

'I need to find a new job quickly.'

Despite the desperate situation, he couldn't give up.

He had a daughter with his girlfriend while he was in law school. After his girlfriend left, he raised his daughter alone.

His daughter was the most precious thing in his life. He would give his life for her.

However, his daughter was suffering from malignant lymphoma and had to be hospitalized for treatment, even though she was of school age.

He earned a decent salary, but it was not enough to cover his daughter's medical expenses.

After losing his job, he had to pay the hospital bills with loans.

He borrowed money from everyone he knew, but now he had reached his limit.

He received calls and collection notices every day, but there was no one left to borrow from.

If his unemployment continued, his health insurance would also be cut off.

'If that happens, it's all over!'

He prayed to God.

'I don't care what happens to me. Please help my daughter!'

Fortunately, he received a call for an interview from a place. To him, in his despair, it felt like a divine grace.

"Great!"

The email was from Shark Management.

A hedge fund founded by Michael Preston, the eldest son of the prestigious Preston family, it was a rising star on Wall Street.

This was his best opportunity.

He had to seize this chance by any means.

David got a haircut and shave for the first time in a long while, cleaned his suit, and polished his shoes. He prepared thoroughly for the interview.

However, two days before the interview, another email arrived.

"Continue Capital? What kind of place is this?"

* * *

David Lockhart dressed in a suit and went out on time for the appointment.

Although he was naturally thinking of Shark Management, he hadn't secured the job yet. He needed to prepare for the possibility of failing the interview.

The interview location was not the company office but a Starbucks near Central Park.

When he entered and looked around, an Asian man stood up and raised his hand.

"Are you David Lockhart?"

"Yes."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Han Miru."

"Are you Korean?"

"Yes. Shall we have a cup of coffee first?"

David sat down and carefully observed his counterpart. He appeared to be in his mid-20s.

"Thank you for coming. I really wanted to meet you after reading your resume."

"Me?"

Han Miru smiled.

"Yes. I was impressed by your investment experience and the fact that you are a lawyer. Legal knowledge is quite necessary for this kind of work."

David noticed that his counterpart was a foreigner from his English pronunciation.

"Do you live in New York?"

"No, I've only been here for a few hours."

"Did you come from Korea just to meet me?"

"Yes."

"You said the company name is Continue Capital?"

"Yes."

"I've never heard of it. I couldn't find much information when I searched. Where is the headquarters located?"

"I'm still looking for it."

"Is the headquarters in Korea, and you're setting up a U.S. branch?"

Han Miru laughed awkwardly.

"To be precise, Continue Capital is an investment firm I established yesterday. We don't have a headquarters yet, and we plan to set it up in the U.S."

"......What?"

"I need someone to run the investment company properly. That's why I sent you an email right after establishing the corporation. If you sign a contract with me, you'll be the first employee of Continue Capital."

"......"

He was so stunned that he couldn't speak.

Regaining his composure, David asked bluntly.

"Are you joking?"

"Of course not."

He was starting to get angry.

"I'm not in a position to joke around."

He needed to arrange his daughter's medical expenses immediately. Even the time spent here was precious.

"I'm not joking. I really want to hire you."

David stared at him intently. Han Miru did not avoid his gaze.

From his expression, it didn't seem like he was joking.

However, even if it wasn't a joke, he had no intention of joining a newly established company with nothing. He needed money immediately.

'This is a waste of time.'

There was no need to continue the conversation.

"I'll get up now."

As he turned to leave, Han Miru said one more thing.

"I'll give you a signing bonus of one million dollars."

His body froze at those words.

David turned his head and asked.

"Really?"

"Does it sound like a joke? Sit down, please."

David, who had been about to stand up, sat back down.

"Are you really offering one million dollars?"

"Yes. It's just a signing bonus. Your salary will be paid separately."

'One million dollars!'

With that money, he could solve his immediate problems.

Although it was hard to believe, he asked anyway.

"How many years' worth is the signing bonus, and when can you pay it?"

"It's a lump sum, and I can pay it immediately."

David's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Of course. I can transfer it right now."

Despite his light tone, his eyes were sharp.

David swallowed hard.

'Is he serious?'

One million dollars could move his daughter to a better hospital and provide her with the best treatment. He could pay off his debts and not worry about medical expenses for a while.

For his daughter, he wouldn't hesitate to sell his soul to the devil.

"What are the contract terms?"

Han Miru smiled.

"Run Continue Capital. I think the position of co-CEO would be appropriate. I'm thinking of a ten-year contract, but I hope we can continue working together after that. What do you think?"

David was skilled at grasping the essence of things.

When evaluating a company, he focused on its true value rather than inflated sales or performance.

The same applied to people.

However, for some reason, he couldn't figure out the man in front of him.

This was the first time he had encountered such a situation, and his mind was becoming increasingly confused.

'Why is he making me such an offer?'

Regardless, the important thing was that he had offered a one million dollar signing bonus. He needed that money immediately.

There was no guarantee he would get the job at Shark Management even if he had the interview tomorrow.

'Should I accept this offer?'

After much thought, David spoke.

"What about the salary?"

"How about this? I can't give you a large sum right away, so let's start with an annual salary of 100,000 dollars."

100,000 dollars is relatively high compared to a regular employee but low by Wall Street standards. He had earned over 300,000 dollars at Victory Investment.

'Is he offering a low base salary with a high performance bonus?'

However, Han Miru wasn't finished.

"In exchange, I'll double it every year."