I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 25: Daehwa Securities (3)

July 1st, 1987.

While South Korea was heating up in the wake of President Jeon Doo-gwang’s June 29 Declaration, and all public attention was consumed by political issues—

—I was sitting in a dim room deep inside Daehwa Securities, plotting schemes and laughing joyfully.

“Si-hyun, isn’t this fun?”

“...What exactly do you mean?”

She was struggling to process even half of what I’d said, scribbling everything down into her notebook while frowning in concentration.

“Just... you know. Scheming something shady in a dark, closed-off room like this.”

“Is that... your kind of thing?”

She gave me a baffled look. I shrugged and answered casually.

“Well, something like that.”

This kind of thing was always my favorite. Playing puppet master in the shadows... that sort of game.

Call it childish if you want, but it’s fun—what can I say? If I ever got to watch the world truly dance in the palm of my hand, it would probably feel like a drug-induced high.

Which means I’m probably a born power addict.

Lee Si-hyun finished organizing some documents and looked up at me.

“You didn’t bring this up now by coincidence, did you?”

“Sharp. It’s easier to siphon off money in a political mess like this.”

Sending foreign currency out of Korea, and receiving money legally in the U.S.—either one was no easy task.

I’d kept everything legal so far on the U.S. side, so that was fine. The problem was Korea. If the money is sent out illegally from Korea, then it’s illegal in the U.S. too.

In any case, it ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) means you need government approval.

But in times like this? Slip a bribe to the right official, and both problems are solved. I wasn’t about to miss that opportunity.

“...That’s going to be my job, isn’t it?”

“Yup. That’s what secretaries are for, right?”

I smiled brightly as I blessed her with more work.

“Haaah... I really didn’t think this was what I’d be doing. I thought I’d be more of a babysitter, but now look at me... mm. I’ve turned into this kind of person.”

Lee Si-hyun stared down at her hands like they were unfamiliar, then sighed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay you generously. Soon, you won’t have to handle this grunt work anymore—so enjoy it while it lasts.”

Lee Si-hyun was the first aide I’d gained in this life. She’s someone who needs to be used wisely. I can’t keep making her play errand girl forever.

“...Ugh, you have way too much faith in me. If I get caught, I’m dead, right? Am I going to get silenced one day and buried in a field somewhere?”

“If you don’t betray me, that won’t happen. Ah, but... if you mess up and they catch your tail, I might have to cut you loose...”

Hearing that, Si-hyun grimaced and shook her head.

“Ugh, that’s... harsh.”

Well, realistically, nothing like that will happen. It’s not like I’m doing anything wildly illegal either...

Still, it’s fun to mess with her a bit more.

“Hmm, but I believe you’d know when to end things yourself. If that time ever comes, I’ll take care of your siblings.”

I whispered with a sly smile. Goosebumps rose on her arms.

“...So if I don’t time it right, I get... helped along? That kind of situation?”

“Probably, yeah. But hey—at least you won’t be tortured. Look on the bright side.”

“That’s... a little disappointing, honestly. You’re really cold.”

“Still, I’ll cry for you. For at least a day. I’ve still got that much tear capacity left.”

“Tears? The kind that pour out after a single bite of Shin Ramyun? You did that last time, didn’t you...”

Si-hyun chuckled and stretched her arms out.

“...”

So she still has energy to joke. Good. That means she’s not panicking.

“You’ll figure out the job on your own, right?”

This was a task she had to handle without help. The secretary’s office couldn’t be involved. This had to be all her.

And from what I’ve seen, Lee Si-hyun had a timid side. I was a little worried.

Was my first-ever secretary ready to get her hands dirty?

“Yes. Leave it to me, Miss.”

She nodded with confidence.

***

I glanced at the calendar.

July 1st, 1987...

There wasn’t much left of the year.

There was also one more reason I hadn’t told either of them.

The reason why now, of all times.

‘Black Monday.’

If I knew this and still missed it, I wouldn’t be worthy of calling myself a financier. I was aiming for this as my opening move in the U.S.

What is Black Monday?

On October 19th, 1987, the Dow Jones Index plunged by 508 points in a single day.

In percentage terms, it fell 22.6%. Even during the infamous Great Depression, the stock index had never dropped that sharply in a day.

No one’s really sure what caused it. At some point, everyone just lost it and fell into panic.

But we do know this—by then, the stock market had just started becoming digitized. The ability to trade in real time made panic happen faster and hit harder.

Normally, there’d be steps: people talk, rumors spread, then trades are made...

But with technology progressing, the stock index drops were plain to see—and worse, automated trading systems were being introduced.

So if the index dropped past a certain point, the system would automatically sell. That structure made a panic sell-off inevitable.

Of course, after this, the system gets changed. Things like circuit breakers and sidecars are implemented.

It’s like forcibly unplugging the computer for a while—to give people time to cool their heads.

“Hey, you guys seem out of your minds—take a break and come back later.” That kind of system.

But as I said, all of that only came after Black Monday. Meaning—those protections don’t exist yet.

Which means...

On Black Monday, the perfect one-day trade frenzy—

—could provide just enough seed money to run a hedge fund, even with just a little bit of capital.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

***

A few days later.

I returned to Daehwa Securities to meet with Ha Joo-seong again. But this time, it wasn’t the three of us.

“Is this the person? The one who’s going to lead our... fund.”

After all, I was still a minor. That meant I needed a legal representative.

And that representative had to be someone I could absolutely trust.

“Yes, my name is Ha Yeong-il. I’ve heard a lot about you, Miss.”

A tall young man with a clean-cut appearance bowed politely to me. Decent height, decent face... Appearance: check.

“But... hmm, your surname feels... oddly familiar?”

No way.

I turned to look silently at Ha Joo-seong. He patted the young man on the shoulder proudly.

“He’s my son. Born while I was working in the U.S., so he has American citizenship too. Ivy League graduate.”

“...”

Well, he met all the conditions I’d listed. He could legally operate in the U.S., he was Ha Joo-seong’s son, so he’d definitely have financial knowledge...

And him being Korean-born? On Wall Street, results are everything. George Soros himself was a Hungarian immigrant.

In fact, this might actually be a major asset when we enter the tightly closed Korean market in the '90s.

South Korea isn’t some backward country. Once Japan’s bubble bursts, Korea becomes one of the most-watched rising economies in East Asia.

Koreans, being neighbors with Japan and China, tend to undervalue their own country, but at least during this period, the people on Wall Street viewed Korea as a very important target—because there was so much to sink their teeth into.

Financially primitive as hell, but somehow home to cutting-edge semiconductor conglomerates? Of course they’d see Korea as a feast. Practically boneless chicken, ready to be devoured.

And on top of that—he’s the son of an executive. From their perspective, that means access to a local power broker.

This will definitely work.

And...

Well, ability aside, he’s absurdly trustworthy. We’re basically tied into a shared fate without even signing a contract.

So blood really is the best bond.

I finally understood why chaebols cling to hereditary management. There’s just no better answer than family.

“How old are you?”

“I’m 23 this year.”

Hmm, that’s three years younger than Si-hyun... Twenty-three, huh...

Is this... really okay?

I glanced sideways at Ha Joo-seong with that thought in mind. He grinned, unbothered.

“Well, Miss, you’re ten years old right now, aren’t you?”

...True enough.

On Wall Street, age and lack of experience don’t matter that much if you’ve got skill. Hell, the guy who brought down Barings Bank with its 230-year history was only 28.

Still...

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

Ah, screw it.

You’re twenty-three this year. Ha Yeong-il—approved!

Good. From now on, you’re going to become a Wall Street legend.

***

On the way back from meeting Ha Yeong-il, Lee Si-hyun leaned in and whispered quietly in my ear.

“My siblings are almost adults now.”

“...So what?”

“I’m just saying. There are other trustworthy people out there.”

...Hmm. Maybe I’ll at least hear their names.

“Fine, who are they? Now that I think about it, I’ve only heard you mention your siblings—I don’t even know their names. You said there were two, right?”

“Yeah. The boy is Si-woo, the girl is Si-a. They’re twins.”

...You’ve got to be kidding me.

So my greatest nemesis was right in front of me all along. Et tu, Brutus?!

“Rejected. Tell them to come back with new names.”

“Why? Why?!”

Because I just don’t like those names.