Chapter 46. Prisoner (1)

At my words, David chuckled.

"I wish it were that simple."

He handed me a document.

"What is it?"

"It's my employment contract. I never thought I'd be the one to bring such a document."

I skimmed it once and signed it.

"What do I need to do?"

"As the CEO, you will lead Continuu Capital. You and I are co-CEOs, but I have to return to Korea anyway."

So, for now, the company only has two CEOs.

With the employment contract officially signed, I immediately disclosed the company's financial status.

"The remaining money after the payment of the deposit is $112 million."

"I see."

David's expression was slightly dubious.

Indeed, while $112 million is an unimaginable sum for an individual, it's a small amount for a private equity fund. To even claim to be an investment firm, one needs at least $1 billion.

The scale of capital is crucial for an investment company. Without it, you can't even get a seat at the table.

"But where did you get this money? Where did you get the investment from?"

"No, I earned it hard."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"......How?"

Earning $100 million as an individual is no easy feat.

To continue working together, I needed to clear up his doubts.

I told him, "Ask any questions you have."

* * *

There were many things I wanted to ask.

David started by asking about the Primus Fund.

"How did you find out about the fund's insolvency?"

"The returns were too high for a fund that only invests in AAA bonds. It also showed consistent returns regardless of interest rate changes. So, I investigated the trading records and found discrepancies, which led me to suspect it."

It's surprisingly simple once you know. It's almost unbelievable that no one noticed it before.

Most frauds seem obvious once they are exposed, but uncovering the truth in a situation where everyone is deceived is not something just anyone can do.

The subsequent story was quite thrilling.

"You rode the momentum stock and made ten times your investment, then invested in junk bonds and made another ten times?"

"Yes."

Investing in momentum stocks to make ten times your money isn't that impressive. Anyone can do it with the right information.

But investing in junk bonds was different.

"Did you meet Chairman Yoo Jae-ho in person?"

"Yes. Yoo Group's headquarters is in our neighborhood. It wasn't far from my house."

"......Is Chairman Yoo Jae-ho of Yoo Group someone you can easily meet if you live in the same neighborhood?"

Yoo Group is a global IT giant and a leader in the semiconductor market. I knew that Chairman Yoo Jae-ho was not someone an ordinary person could easily meet.

"Ah! Fortunately, a college friend connected me. The rich have connections with each other."

Convincing Chairman Yoo Jae-ho to acquire Dongwoo Precision was so impressive that I couldn't help but admire it.

"I have one more question."

"What is it?"

"If Chairman Yoo Jae-ho had refused the acquisition, BW would have been worthless, right? You didn't know if you would meet him or if you could persuade him. Why did you buy the shares first and then meet him? Shouldn't you have met him and persuaded him before buying?"

In response to this question, Han Miro shrugged.

"I was confident it would work out. And if it's a good enough company for someone else to acquire, it makes sense for me to buy it first, doesn't it?"

It's easy to say, but it takes a lot of guts to do it.

'Joining IB for half a year, exposing the fraud, leaving the company, and then making 100 times the investment through momentum stocks and junk bonds.'

It's hard to believe.

The market is full of investment products that can multiply your money tenfold, but only a few people can actually make money from them.

It's easy to talk, but hard to execute.

But he did it.

'He's not an ordinary person, after all.'

After thinking for a moment, David spoke.

"What is the goal of Continuu Capital?"

Han Miro said matter-of-factly, "To be the best in the world. If not, I would have lived off this money for the rest of my life. Why would I start a company?"

"Ha ha."

David couldn't help but laugh.

At least, working with this person wouldn't be boring.

"What are your plans for the future?"

"I plan to invest in high-growth startups."

He frowned slightly.

"It's not as easy as it sounds."

"True."

It's a fact that the growth potential of newly established private companies is higher than that of established public companies. However, the risks are also higher. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

Nine out of ten startups fail within three years, and only one in ten of those that survive becomes a big success. The probability is less than 1%.

David's previous firm, Victory Investment, went bankrupt due to a failed startup investment.

Even private equity funds with thorough analysis by experts can fail in their investments, so startup investments are not easy.

However, Han Miro was confident. He looked as if he knew which companies would succeed.

"I've already selected the companies to invest in."

"Really?"

"Let's talk about the details on the way."

The two of us took a taxi to the airport.

* * *

Our destination was LA.

To save money, we took economy class. Fortunately, David didn't complain.

Sitting in the cramped seat, I suddenly missed the 'free business class ticket' I had given to Chris. Did I give it away for nothing?

I asked David to draft the contract to send to Sean O'Connor while we were on the plane.

David asked, bewildered, "You invested $100,000 in a young man you met by chance in a bar yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"The burgers there were delicious."

David looked at me, unable to believe it.

"So, you decided to invest because the burgers were delicious?"

I said calmly, "Even if his business doesn't do well, he can still make a profit by selling those burgers. They were the best in New York. You should try them sometime."

"......"

He still looked confused but drafted the contract to send to Sean O'Connor. He asked for the name and location of the restaurant, seemingly curious about the taste.

"Do you like burgers?"

"My daughter loves them. I don't get to eat them often, but after hearing this, I really want to get some for her."

Indeed, a doting father.

Thinking of his daughter, he smiled and asked me, "So, which company are you going to invest in this time?"

"Do you like movies?"

David nodded.

"Yes. I don't get to watch many because of my busy schedule, though."

There aren't many people who dislike movies.

"Then, what kind of movies do you like?"

"I like light comedies and action movies."

"Surprising."

"What did you think I would like?"

"Movies like Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Ben-Hur, The Shawshank Redemption?"

At my words, David chuckled.

"I don't dislike them, but I don't want to think too much while watching a movie. I prefer something I can watch without much thought."

"Good to know you like light movies. I'll recommend a movie to you."

"What movie?"

"You'll see."

I handed him my tablet, and he asked, "Are you going to watch it now?"

"Yes. Think of it as work. You don't have much to do on the plane anyway."

"Alright. It's been a while since I watched a movie."

David set up the tablet and put on the headphones.

The movie started with the studio logo. After about five minutes, he paused the movie, took off the headphones, and looked at me in surprise.

"What is this......?"

I told him, "Keep watching. We'll talk after you finish."

"But......"

"You have to watch it all the way through."

"But......"

"Put the headphones back on."

Under my insistence, he put the headphones back on, and I kindly pressed play for him.

* * *

Two hours passed.

When the movie ended and the credits rolled, David took off the headphones again.

Han Miro asked with an expectant look, "How was it?"

It was a cultural shock that was hard to process.

After a while, he groaned, "What kind of movie is this?"

The movie was Zombienado.

It's about a tornado that sucks up zombies, causing them to rain down from the sky, and the protagonist's family fighting against them.

The story alone is absurd, and the poor CG and acting only add to it.

'Is this what they call a B-movie?'

No, this is more than a B-movie!

I had never seen or heard of such a movie in my life.

"Isn't it funny?"

"Funny? You think this is funny?"

"Hey, a lot of people find it funny."

David asked, as if challenging me, "Why did you make me watch this movie?"

But surprisingly, there was a reason.

"I'm on my way to acquire the studio that made this movie."

"Really?"

"They say the production of Zombienado 2 has been halted due to a lack of budget. I plan to acquire the studio and produce it."

"Ah......"

David was principled and stubborn to a fault. He never forgot the favors he received when he was in trouble and had just pledged to work hard for Continuu Capital.

But after hearing this, his thoughts changed.

'Damn, I must have made a mistake. Should I quit now?'

* * *

Simon Linus and Fernando Sanchez.

They first met in a college club. They were both movie enthusiasts and had surprisingly similar tastes.

Most importantly, they had a strong aversion to Hollywood.

"Modern Hollywood movies are a mess."

"Does it even make sense for investors who don't understand movies to dictate everything?"

"Movies controlled by capital are not true movies!"

"Tell Hollywood to go to hell!"

After graduation, they joined forces to start a film studio.

Thus, Prisoner was born.

Their goal was to make their own movies without being swayed by Hollywood's big money.

Although they had a co-CEO system, Simon naturally took charge of running the studio since Fernando was the director.

They produced low-budget films without any external investment.

They supplied these films to cable TV and OTT platforms to cover production costs and secure the budget for the next film.

Over five years, they produced over a dozen films and gained a following of fans who liked Prisoner's movies.

They decided to scale up.

Fernando Sanchez, the director, declared boldly, "I will show the Hollywood morons what real movies are!"