-Make! America! Greeeeeeeeeeeat! Again!
The Pennsylvania shooting incident plunged American politics into yet another whirlwind.
The Republican approval rating, which had been lagging behind, surpassed the Democrats’ in one fell swoop.
Donald, surrounded by bodyguards with both fists clenched, called to mind Washington, the hero of the Revolutionary War, and his signature pledge of protectionism looked, to anyone’s eyes, like legislation for Americans.
-Everyone! I hear Bidon was looking for Secretary McCallan again today. He died three years ago!
-Fuck Bidon! Son of a bitch Bidon!
-Can we entrust America to this dementia patient who can barely take care of himself?
-No!
-What do you want, everyone?! That dementia patient’s America, smothered under a skirt? Or our America, standing proud like this even under threat of assassination?!
-Donald! Donald! Donald!
-I promise you! At the first presidential debate, I’ll flatten Bidon’s nose completely!
With the presidential election fever raging on the far side of the globe, our pension fund became so busy that we spent our nights wide awake.
“Now that everyone’s here, let’s begin the meeting.”
The first risk management meeting, chaired by Department Head Oh.
The faces of the director, team leaders, and managers all looked haggard, as if by prior agreement. It seemed everyone had stood night watch over the Nasdaq yesterday.
“Director Choi, you do the briefing. What’s the situation in the U.S.?”
“Yes... it’s mixed. After the shooting incident, Republican approval surpassed the Democrats’ in one stroke. There was even a report of an attempted assassination yesterday... In any case, it looks like the Republican concrete base will gather in force.”
“And the Democrats?”
“...President Bidon looked for former Secretary McCallan again yesterday. This is already the third time.”
“Unbelievable. Then are the rumors about his health really true?”
Everyone lowered their heads.
In truth, rumors about Bidon’s health had been raised steadily since the beginning of his administration.
At first, his gait seemed strange, then at some point he began to stammer, and now he could not even remember the dead.
“We don’t know yet. The White House is firmly denying it.”
“Haa... So he isn’t stepping down?”
“No. In several recent interviews, Bidon has repeatedly expressed his determination to finish the race. He said he’d cleanly dispel the health rumors at the first presidential debate.”
I smiled bitterly.
He would not. The presidential debate would instead become an extremely decisive stage proving the rumors about his health.
Bidon, who had easily crushed Donald four years ago, was instead driven into a corner in this debate, showed nothing but agitated reactions, and ultimately withdrew midway.
Kamilla, who took over after him, seemed poised to attack Donald’s morality with her prosecutorial background and rally the Democrats around her skin color, but the result was... a crushing defeat that had her giving a concession speech eight hours after the vote count began.
Department Head Oh sighed and said,
“What’s the current structure of the U.S. Senate and House?”
“...The Republicans hold a majority in both chambers.”
Department Head Oh looked at the team managers.
“All right, every possibility is now open. Assuming Donald may regain power, give me the market outlook going forward.”
As everyone held their breath, Manager Park raised his hand.
“Sir... if that happens, everything will change. We really will have to overhaul our entire portfolio.”
He was vicious from the very first sentence.
“Donald is a typical conspiracy theorist. Even now he keeps saying the climate crisis is a fraud. Accordingly, businesses such as electric vehicles and renewable energy will all plunge. Coal, oil, and internal combustion vehicle stocks will have no choice but to rise again. Also, if he really implements protectionism, the Apple factories built in China will be the first to shut down, and that will actually be a negative. I think we need to be cautious with Big Tech companies.”
Unfortunately, the Teslan and Apple just mentioned were the number one and number two companies by Nasdaq market capitalization. The pension fund had the most capital tied up in them.
“Hold on. But didn’t Teslan CEO Mustin support Donald?”
“T-that’s true.”
“Hmm... something doesn’t add up, does it? If the Donald administration scraps carbon policy, internal combustion vehicles will inevitably rise. And if he cuts electric vehicle subsidies on top of that, Teslan takes a direct hit. So why is Mustin supporting Donald?”
“Y-you’re right...”
“The way I see it, there’s something there. Mustin may look like that, but he’s a businessman. He’s a bastard with no blood or tears when it comes to money. There’s definitely something.”
I swallowed a groan.
There was nothing... not a damn thing. Why an electric vehicle CEO supported Donald in this presidential election remained a mystery unsolved even sixty years later.
Regarding this, many people predicted that Teslan wanted a game of chicken right now, and that if electric vehicle subsidies were abolished, other companies would go bankrupt, so Mustin was making his decisive move... but those were just interpretations forced to fit.
The two fell apart within a year of the administration taking office, and their relationship ended in such a sordid, filthy mess that Mustin even mentioned the “Epstein files.”
“It makes no sense otherwise. Whether you look at their characters or their political agendas, those two are a picture that should never go together. There’s no way both sides could be doing this without some kind of understanding.”
“...That’s true.”
Just then, Director Choi of the overseas team opened his mouth.
“Director. I agree with that thought as well. Of course we need to respond to risk to some extent, but there’s no need to suffer losses due to excessive worry. Donald? In his first term, he was a wet-noodle president. He failed to keep almost all his pledges, and at the end he agitated about a stolen election and even had the U.S. Congress attacked.”
“Director Choi, you think there won’t be much change?”
“Yes. Donald can never beat the Nasdaq. He can never beat the stubbornness of physicists either. Even if he really does something insane, I think it will normalize before long.”
“What does everyone else think?”
Everyone merely watched one another in silence.
Protectionism was, in effect, suicide for the American economy. If Apple’s factories in China were moved to the U.S., an iPhone that cost one million won would cost ten million.
No matter how powerful the authority of the American president was, could he overcome such market concerns?
“Good. Looks like everyone is of the same mind. In truth, I was talking under the worst-case assumption, but for now, the Democrats still seem to have the edge. For the time being, let’s maintain the current portfolio and keep an eye on the U.S.”
-Yes, understood.
Just as everyone rose from their seats, Department Head Oh’s call stopped me in my tracks.
“Hey, Team Leader Lee. Why are you so quiet these days? Ever since you took charge of the external managers, I haven’t seen you participate in meetings.”
“Have I been? Haha.”
“Let’s hear your opinion. What do you think?”
“My opinion isn’t greatly different either. I agree with Director Choi.”
I was newly impressed by their insight.
Of course, how could people who did not know the future know about the great Nasdaq crash... but at least the big picture, that Donald could not beat the stock market, matched.
“However... I do have a slightly different thought.”
“A different thought?”
“Sir, I think the Republicans will win. I think Bidon won’t even finish the race, they’ll muddle through a candidate replacement, and then hand power over to Donald.”
“Well, that’s...”
“And unlike his first term, I think second-term Donald will look a bit different. He’ll really implement protectionism, and accordingly, he’ll definitely give the stock market a major shock. Of course, it won’t be a shock that lasts long.”
“The guy who was a wet-noodle president in his first term becomes a firebrand president in his second?”
“The situation is very different from back then, when his party was a minority against an opposition-controlled legislature. And during this Republican primary, Donald’s closest aides ran in the race and took shots at him. Because of that, Donald’s current inner circle is being filled almost entirely with yes-men.”
Department Head Oh’s expression hardened.
“Damn it. I knew I shouldn’t have asked you. Now that I’ve heard it, I’m suddenly confused. Then what, what happens? Are all the Apple factories in China really going to the U.S.? Is protectionism possible?”
“Haha. No. How could the American president beat the market? However, if this prediction of mine proves correct, please listen carefully to my opinion just once later. I think there will be a moment when we have to sell.”
Department Head Oh glared at me and smacked me on the back.
“Fine. If everything you say is right, I’ll listen carefully. By the way, Changcheng Fund’s returns are excellent. Those people invested half their assets in cryptocurrency, and in three months they achieved the highest return among our external managers. How did you spot such a treasure?”
*
“Did you say Ms. Meilin?”
“Yes. Hello, Assemblyman. My name is Zhang Meilin.”
Near Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Lee Chanho, who had easily obtained his master’s degree, looked at Meilin with an expression of displeasure.
He was disappointed. No matter how he looked at her delicate, youthful face, she did not seem connected to money. At the very least, this kind of conversation should have been held with dignified middle-aged people.
“I heard your father runs a large business?”
“Yes. He has several businesses. Some of them are military supply businesses. My father values people more than money, but perhaps connections are more important in big business after all. I suppose that’s why he sent me to you, Assemblyman. Hoho.”
“Well... you’re a more cheerful young lady than I expected. That’s right. Personnel is everything. Wherever you go, people are what matter.”
“That’s right.”
“But why would a Chinese businessman want to meet someone like me? No matter how I look at it, we have no point of contact.”
Meilin smiled and handed him a box.
“Assemblyman. How could people have a point of contact from the very beginning? You talk slowly and find that point of contact along the way.”
“What is this?”
“It is a modest gift from us. It’s nothing much, so please don’t feel burdened...”
“How much is it?”
“...Pardon?”
Lee Chanho put a cigarette in his mouth and adopted an overbearing attitude.
“I’m a man who’s rolled around in the political arena for ages. Do you think I’ve only received one or two gifts like this? I asked how much.”
“I-it’s modest. Two hundred thousand dollars.”
“Two hundred thousand dollars... Two hundred thousand dollars... So what do you want from me?”
“Good connections.”
“Young lady, I’m not someone who likes dragging conversations out like that. What specifically do you want? Do you want to buy land in Korea? Do you need a loan? Or is there some company you want to acquire and you need mediation?”
Meilin sneered inwardly.
She had clearly heard he was out of power. She knew he was a nobody. She had come after finding out everything there was to know, yet he spoke as if he held full authority.
“No. I just want connections. To be more precise, I want to build ties with you, Assemblyman, and with your friends.”
Lee Chanho burst into laughter.
“Oho. Now we’re finally communicating a little. So you want me to introduce you to people? Political figures, at that?”
“Yes. That said, I have no intention of making unreasonable demands. I’d like to maintain a small connection for now, and later, when there is a time I truly need it, ask for your help.”
“Look, young lady. Do Korean politicians look like a joke to you?”
“...Pardon?”
“Do you think I’d fall for a pittance like this?”
Meilin was flustered. Sejun had definitely told her he was an easy man... Could the information have been wrong?
“The unit price doesn’t match. The unit price.”
“...Pardon?”
“This is the kind of money I used to take from corporations twenty years ago. It’s nowhere near enough to foster a friendship. Tsk, tsk.”