The next morning
As Seok-won descended the stairs, the delicious aroma of food filled his senses.
Heading toward the kitchen, he spotted his parents already seated at the dining table and gave a polite bow.
"Good morning."
"Yes, good morning," Madam Jo Deok-rae responded warmly with a bright smile.
Chairman Park Tae-hong, seated at the head of the table, spoke in his usual gruff manner.
"You're here. Sit down and eat."
"Yes, Father."
As Seok-won took his seat, Mrs. Gunsan, the housekeeper, placed a bowl of rice and utensils in front of him.
The scent of freshly steamed rice made him smile as he picked up his spoon.
"Breakfast smells amazing today."
"Eat as much as you like. Let me know if you want more."
Taking his first spoonful of the rich soybean paste stew—made with beef brisket, zucchini, mushrooms, and tofu, with a kick of Cheongyang chili—Seok-won followed it with a bite of braised beef jangjorim over warm white rice.
Adding just the right amount of crunchy, well-fermented radish kimchi, he thought to himself that this was the ultimate comfort meal.
"Here, have some of this too."
Across the table, Madam Jo Deok-rae carefully deboned a piece of barley-grilled fish and placed it on top of his rice.
"It tastes best when you dip it in green tea."
She had always been a doting mother, but ever since last night—when she learned that Seok-won had acquired Gucci using the fortune he had built from investing in Netscape—it seemed like she was being even more attentive.
Feeling a bit awkward, Seok-won did as she suggested, dipping the fish-topped rice into green tea before taking a bite.
"It's really good."
"Isn't it?"
Smiling with satisfaction, Madam Jo placed another piece of fish onto his rice.
"Ahem. I happen to like barley-grilled fish too, you know."
"I put a whole one in front of you. Eat that."
Chairman Park Tae-hong frowned in dissatisfaction.
"So, you're carefully deboning it for him, but I'm supposed to fend for myself?"
"Oh, come on. You're not a child. Do you want me to do it for you too?"
"Forget it."
Scoffing, Chairman Park roughly pulled at the fish with his chopsticks, not bothering to remove the bones properly before popping a large piece into his mouth.
"Oh, for heaven's sake. Just give it to me."
Unable to watch any longer, Madam Jo took his plate and meticulously deboned the fish for him.
"I said I'm fine."
"Fine? You mean like last time when you nearly choked on a bone?"
With an exasperated sigh, she placed the neatly prepared fish on his rice. Seeing no way out, Chairman Park Tae-hong reluctantly took a bite.
Watching his parents—who, unlike many other chaebol families, still had a loving and affectionate relationship—Seok-won stifled a chuckle and naturally shifted the conversation.
"I need to go to the U.S. next week for some business."
Chairman Park, his earlier irritation gone, turned his gaze toward Seok-won.
"It's not for the company. Is it about one of your investments?"
"Yes."
Nodding, Seok-won responded, and unlike usual, Chairman Park Tae-hong showed great interest.
"Did you find another promising venture like that Netscape company?"
His eyes sparkled with curiosity, but Seok-won shook his head.
"Not exactly. I just want to check in on the companies I've invested in, make sure they're running smoothly, and scout for any new potential opportunities while I'm there."
Chairman Park nodded in understanding.
"That makes sense. Whether it's a company or a plant, you can't just leave it alone after putting money into it. You have to keep an eye on how it's growing."
He then asked again,
"How long will you be staying?"
"I'm planning for about a week, but it might change depending on the situation over there."
"The U.S. isn't exactly close, and I'm sure you'll have a lot to take care of once you're there. Don't rush—take your time and handle your business properly."
At that moment, Madam Jo Deok-rae placed another piece of deboned grilled fish on Chairman Park's rice and spoke with a teasing tone.
"What a surprise—usually, you complain that he's always traveling instead of focusing on company affairs."
"Ahem. When did I ever say that?"
"Oh, look at you, acting innocent."
She smirked playfully.
"You're only saying this because you found out our son made a fortune through his investments, aren't you?"
"Stop talking nonsense and just eat your meal."
Caught red-handed, Chairman Park awkwardly cleared his throat and focused on chewing the piece of fish his wife had just placed on his rice.
Seeing this, Madam Jo Deok-rae winked at Seok-won, who struggled to hold back his laughter.
***
Wall Street, New York.
Inside an office with a breathtaking view of the city's towering skyline, George Soros, the CEO of Quantum Fund and a legendary investor, sat across from Rodney, the CIO.
They were deep in conversation.
"How was Russia?"
Soros placed his teacup down and responded to Rodney's question.
"It's been quite some time since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, but the political situation remains unstable."
Soros, who had once brought the Bank of England to its knees and reaped immense profits, was now actively engaged in philanthropy. Alongside managing the Quantum Fund, he had established a foundation dedicated to human rights and refugee protection.
Initially focusing on Eastern Europe—particularly his homeland, Hungary—he had recently expanded his efforts to Russia.
To help his foundation gain a foothold there, Soros had spent a considerable time in Moscow before returning just a short while ago.
"It seems the aftermath of the coup attempt from two years ago still lingers."
"Unlike the August Coup of 1991, which was orchestrated by the Communist Party, President Ivanov himself sent T-80 tanks into Red Square, bombarding the opposition-occupied parliament building in full view of the people. How could public sentiment possibly remain positive?"
"I remember watching that on television—I was shocked."
Leaning back in his chair, Soros let out a bitter sigh.
"A man who became President of the Russian Federation by standing in front of coup tanks unarmed... only a few years later, he returned to the same square, unleashing those very tanks on his own opposition with brutal artillery fire. The irony is staggering."
"Indeed. The extent of the Russian people's disillusionment was clear from that year's parliamentary election results."
"Exactly."
Just two months after the shelling of parliament, the ruling party led by President Ivanov suffered a crushing defeat in the elections, securing only 15.5% of the vote and losing its majority.
"If he still hasn't regained public trust, his party will have little chance of winning the parliamentary elections set for December this year."
"Not just the parliamentary elections—there's a strong chance Ivanov will fail to secure re-election in next year's presidential race as well."
"If he loses, do you think someone as power-hungry as Ivanov will step down peacefully?"
"I doubt it. A smooth transition of power seems unlikely."
Rodney leaned forward, concern etched on his face.
"With such instability, shouldn't we reconsider our investments in Russia?"
Soros, concerned about conflicts of interest, adhered to a strict principle: he would not invest in any country where his philanthropic foundation was active.
However, despite Russia's current struggles following the collapse of communism, it was still a nation with immense potential—once powerful enough to rival the United States. This exception led him to allocate a significant amount of capital there.
Seeing Rodney's worried expression, Soros crossed his arms and responded.
"It's a chaotic time, yes, but do you really think a nuclear-armed nation will collapse?"
"That may be true, but if the Communist Party returns to power, there's a chance we could see a resurgence of the Cold War."
Soros shook his head, unconvinced.
"Had they remained behind the Iron Curtain, perhaps. But now that they've had a taste of freedom, no matter how much the Communist Party tries, they won't be able to drag Russia back to the past."
"I wonder if that's really the case."
"If anything, the current political and economic turmoil has driven asset values to rock-bottom levels—making this the perfect time for high-yield investments."
Rodney couldn't quite shake his unease, but Soros's confidence made it difficult to argue. More importantly, even he had to admit that Russia presented an extremely attractive investment opportunity. Accepting the reasoning, Rodney let the matter drop.
"By the way, I checked the markets on my way here—over the past few months, the yen has dropped significantly."
"Yes. It had been hovering around 75 yen per dollar, but now it's fluctuating past 102 yen. That's nearly a 30-yen plunge in a short span—an incredible shift."
Soros stroked his chin thoughtfully before asking,
"How do you see the yen's future?"
"Given the current conditions, it looks like Japan has firmly committed to a weak yen policy."
"Exactly. I agree. More importantly, with the White House and the Federal Reserve both favoring a strong dollar, it'll be difficult for the yen to make a comeback anytime soon."
Rodney nodded in agreement.
"When I first heard that Park Seok-won was selling knock-in, knock-out options to Japanese companies, I thought he was making an improbable bet. But now, I see I underestimated him."
"I, too, expected Eldorado Fund to take a substantial loss. I imagine the Japanese firms that entered those option contracts felt the same way."
Soros chuckled at the thought.
"If I had known the yen would drop this much, I definitely wouldn't have entered those option contracts."
"That's true."
Soros muttered with a slight smile, clearly entertained.
"Now that the yen is over 100 to the dollar, those options must have been triggered, and the Japanese companies that entered those contracts are likely in full-blown panic."
"They'll have to convert four times the contract amount at the agreed exchange rate, so the forex losses will be substantial."
"What was the agreed rate again?"
"I believe it was 90 yen to the dollar."
Soros let out a small gasp.
"Even if they liquidate the option contracts now, they're still looking at a profit of over 10%."
"But the Japanese companies that made the deals seem to be holding on to the options and not rushing to liquidate."
Soros immediately grasped the situation and smirked.
"They're probably waiting for the yen to rebound so they can minimize their losses."
"It seems so."
"They can't even see that the exchange rate is still more likely to move downward. It's a pretty stupid move."
Rodney nodded in agreement, his expression matching Soros's sharp criticism.
"If the yen weakens further, they'll realize their mistake and regret it deeply."
Soros thought for a moment, then spoke with a hint of admiration.
"If you think about it, Park Seok-won really is impressive for having predicted all this and designed the strategy."
"He's exceptional, especially considering how he handled the yen attack last time."
"Right. He's definitely someone who will make it big."
Rodney, noticing Soros's tone, slyly probed.
"I take it you're still a bit disappointed we didn't manage to recruit him for our fund?"
"Talent is always better when you have more of it, don't you think?"
"I can't argue with that."
Soros picked up his cold teacup, then set it down again with a faint sigh.
"Thinking about it now, if we had recognized his talent early and brought him into the fund, we probably wouldn't have been able to keep him for long anyway."
Rodney's face stiffened slightly, taken aback by Soros's rare praise.
TL/n -
Boris Yeltsin (1931–2007) was a Russian politician who played a key role in the dissolution of the Soviet Union and became the first President of the Russian Federation. His presidency (1991–1999) was marked by radical economic reforms, political turmoil, and a shift from communism to a market economy.
Early life & Rise to Power =>
Born in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) in 1931.
Joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and rose through the ranks.
Became Moscow's Party Chief (1985) under Mikhail Gorbachev but was later removed after criticizing corruption and slow reforms.
In 1990, he left the Communist Party and positioned himself as a reformist, gaining public support.
Collapse of the Soviet Union (1991
In June 1991, he was elected the first President of Russia (then still part of the USSR).
In August 1991, he became a national hero for defying the Soviet coup attempt against Gorbachev. He famously stood on a tank outside the Russian parliament (White House) to rally support.
After the USSR dissolved in December 1991, Yeltsin became the first leader of an independent Russia.
Presidency (1991–1999)
1. Economic Reforms ("Shock Therapy")
Introduced rapid market reforms to transition from communism.
Prices were liberalized, and state-owned businesses were privatized—but this led to hyperinflation, economic collapse, and the rise of oligarchs.
2. 1993 Constitutional Crisis
Conflict with the Russian parliament escalated in October 1993.
Yeltsin dissolved parliament, but lawmakers resisted and barricaded themselves inside the White House.
He ordered the army to fire tank shells at the building, ending the standoff.
This led to a new constitution that gave Yeltsin strong presidential powers.
3. Chechen Wars (1994–1996, 1999)
Yeltsin launched a brutal war in Chechnya (1994) to stop its independence movement.
The war ended in a humiliating Russian defeat in 1996.
Fighting resumed in 1999 before Yeltsin left office.
4. Declining Health & Resignation
By the late 1990s, Yeltsin's health deteriorated (due to alcoholism and heart issues).
The 1998 financial crisis led to economic collapse and public anger.
On December 31, 1999, he unexpectedly resigned, handing power to Vladimir Putin.