I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 85: A Sad Life (3)

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“Anyway, what’s this all about?”

Cha Ba-da grumbled and pressed me for answers.

I kept turning my head and pretending not to hear, but finally, I replied with feigned indifference.

“Well... just thinking. How about you transfer to our school?”

“...Why?”

“Wouldn’t it be fun? I mean, it’s way more exciting when there’s actual competition. Imagine it—kids from the top chaebol families dividing the school into factions and battling it out. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

Ba-da sighed.

“Haah... And here I was wondering what you were going to say. You really do live for entertainment, don’t you? That’s why you came today while she was around, isn’t it?”

“That’s not it. Who cares if the watering can is here or not?”

The watering can trembling in my arms gave a little shiver. Hey now—stay still.

“Then why’d you let yourself get hit with water when you could’ve avoided it?”

Hmm.

Why did I let myself get drenched? Well... to build tension for a more satisfying revenge later. Like a hidden mastermind biding her time—classic stuff.

It’s not that I couldn’t dodge it. Really.

‘Tch. I even brought Ji-yeon hoping she’d get hit instead...’

I’d decided to stay still, trusting Seo Ji-yeon to take the fall, but... oof, I forgot she’s still a middle schooler.

Ugh. No point stomping around now muttering, “Ah, I should’ve done this or that back then”—it’s just not cool.

“Anyway, Ba-da, what were you all talking about over there?”

“What, you didn’t know?”

How would I know? Sure, this time I came with some idea, but normally I don’t.

I just don’t care.

“Of course not. It’s not like I’m in your little clique.”

“...Clique? I mean, yeah, it’s kind of lame, but it’s still where all the chaebol kids hang out.”

“Isn’t that exactly what a clique is?”

I shrugged and gave the watering can a pat.

“Come on, Eun-ah. Drink some more water. You seemed to really love it earlier—have lots and lots, okay?”

“Y-Yess...”

I topped off the watering can with water. Hoo... it would’ve been better if it were something stickier.

Ba-da winced at the sight but didn’t stop me. Even if the watering can wasn’t the ringleader, her personality was just as nasty.

“This gathering’s for study abroad... and experiential learning.”

“Mhm.”

“IlSan Group arranged a pretty good opportunity this time... Our elders told us to go broaden our horizons on Wall Street.”

Of course. Rich families loving study abroad? That’s nothing new.

I smiled brightly and whispered.

“Want me to guess? Alpha Fund, right?”

Ba-da’s eyes widened.

“...How did you know?”

Well... I was the final decision-maker.

I’d nearly choked on my drink when I saw the email from Ha Yeong-il back in the States.

***

Rumors had been quietly circulating in chaebol circles—centered around IlSan Group—that Alpha Fund had ties to Daehwa Group.

Which also meant... most chaebol families had no idea.

Naturally, no adult would share that kind of info with kids. And even if they did, they’d still hate me anyway.

These kids...

They believed they were special, but really, they were just ordinary kids holding onto the illusion of grandeur.

“Wow! A bull!”

The kids rushed over to touch the iconic Wall Street bull.

“Whoa, those horns are huge.”

“Hehe, hey hey, look here—it’s the bull’s balls!”

In the heart of American finance, the kids chattered with glee. Adults spoke of “broadening horizons” and all that, but kids were still just kids.

Very few had any interest in such complex things.

“Still, I’m glad I know someone here. Dad said it was only thanks to Chang-ho hyung that I could even come.”

One boy, proud of himself, chattered on excitedly from Nomura Securities’ New York branch. He was a direct heir of IlSan Group—roughly 4th in the business rankings—and I disliked him because his face was ugly.

Ignoring him, I looked around Nomura Securities. He wasn’t completely wrong, after all.

‘First time here in this life. I’ll be heading to Alpha Fund this afternoon, so better pay close attention now.’

And then I was briefly surprised to see a familiar name from the news suddenly appear.

I didn’t expect Sun Chang-ho, the next chairman of IlSan Group, to be here. So at this point, he was at Nomura, huh?

–Shff.

“...Mister? Are you asleep?”

Leaning against a pillar, Sun Chang-ho was lost deep in thought. Even as I approached, he didn’t react.

“...There’s something going on. Alpha Fund, Ha Yeong-il, Daehwa Group... Hmm...”

‘...What?’

Surprised, I backed away and quietly slipped behind him. Even today’s boring routine had its rewards.

Later, I’ll have to make sure this guy gets a no-entry stamp at immigration.

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“Didn’t they say there was a Korean working at Alpha Fund? I think I heard that before...”

“Eh, you probably heard wrong. If there really were, wouldn’t they have come out to meet us by now? Sure, there’s plenty of money around here, but still—out of curiosity if nothing else.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

There were even some high schoolers in the group, so Alpha Fund treated us fairly seriously. In just three years, we’d be potential clients.

There were a surprising number of young people on Wall Street in general, and... at least within Alpha Fund, they had a strange fondness for Koreans.

Thanks to that, I didn’t experience much racism or discomfort during the tour.

–“Eek!”

Well, there was the minor issue of someone repeatedly getting splashed with water, suspiciously often.

‘Hmph, that’s what happens when you go around swinging a watering can like an idiot.’

After a few playful incidents, the looks people gave me started to get a little weird.

“...Ha-yeon, maybe tone it down a bit.”

Ba-da whispered discreetly.

“What the heck? I haven’t done anything.”

I exaggerated a shrug, and Ba-da gave me a look full of trust as she replied,

“Well, since it’s you, you probably did something.”

You trust me too much. But still—it feels good.

“All right, all right. I’m getting bored anyway, so I’ll head out.”

“...Okay.”

I figured I’d bonded enough with Ba-da today. Yep, we’re definitely close now.

As I decided that we’d built a solid relationship over the past few hours, I slipped away from the group with a convenient excuse.

–Dash.

Then I ran off to the meeting point with Ha Yeong-il. Some discreetly joining bodyguards appeared at my side to escort me.

Since I was here on Wall Street, I had things to get done.

–Creak.

As I opened the door, I was met with a familiar sight.

“Hey, hey! Long time no see, Yeong-il.”

The now-dignified legend of Wall Street, Ha Yeong-il, smiled and nodded.

“It’s been a while, Miss. I was so surprised when I heard you were coming this time. You really do have unique tastes. The kids don’t know, right?”

“Of course not. Heheh...”

I grinned widely, expecting a delicious reaction that would make it all worth hiding my power.

“Did you come just to visit this time?”

Ha Yeong-il asked carefully. Every time I showed up, I brought some kind of bombshell, so he naturally assumed this visit was no different.

That was a bias.

And I decided to reinforce that bias even further.

“Of course not! Ahaha, I found something really fun.”

–Rustle.

I pulled a small envelope from the bodyguard’s hand.

[Madoff Fund]

A well-known fund on Wall Street. Currently managing about 5 billion dollars.

Naturally, Ha Yeong-il knew the name.

“...Madoff Fund? Isn’t that one of the more stable funds? Unlike typical hedge funds, it’s known for avoiding major risks and consistently delivering returns...”

Right. That’s how it’s known—for now.

Which means, in other words, it’s not true.

The Madoff Fund, celebrated for its solid reputation on Wall Street... was a Ponzi scheme. A fund that promises consistent profits under any market condition? That’s impossible.

Isn’t it incredible? A Ponzi scheme of five billion dollars!

By 2008, it would swell to sixty-five billion—the biggest Ponzi scheme in history—and right now, it was sitting in the palm of my hand.

‘Ah, this is thrilling. Way better than goofing around with kids.’

But at this point, there were only suspicions—no hard proof. I smiled sweetly and spoke to Ha Yeong-il.

“So, I did a little digging. You remember the pound short sale from last time...? Madoff Fund didn’t do anything, right?”

“...That’s true.”

“Wasn’t that weird? A blatant opportunity to make a killing, and they didn’t even touch it? And this is coming from someone [N O V E L I G H T] who was chairman of NASDAQ? Also—have you ever heard where Madoff is actually investing?”

Ha Yeong-il tilted his head, puzzled.

Madoff still looked completely clean on the surface. But Wall Street is a place where everyone’s swinging around insane amounts of leverage. So, someone who does nothing can look virtuous—it's a kind of optical illusion.

Maybe he felt a twinge of guilt, because he voiced a doubt.

“Well... it’s honestly hard to believe. But it’s Madoff, you know? He must have some way of generating returns. He does run a brokerage, after all...”

I tapped the document with my index finger.

“That’s why we check. Seems I’m not the only one who’s suspicious.”

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Warren Buffett once said something famous during the dot-com bubble:

“Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.”

—“When I tried it, I could tell who was naked even without the tide going out. Buffett’s a liar.”

...Okay, no one actually interprets it like that.

It’s a metaphor about bull markets.

During a bubble, stock prices shoot up regardless of a company’s value, but once the bubble pops, only the solid ones stay afloat while the rest burst.

But... think about it.

When the tide recedes, even the good companies struggle and have to drop down with it.

So what if someone wasn’t really swimming, but standing on some kind of hidden platform?

The answer’s simple:

When the tide goes out... the machine gets exposed.

That person would be standing on a rigged platform, looking down at everyone in bewilderment.

***

A few months later.

News articles started popping up. Some of my Wall Street operatives—who now moved exactly how I wanted—began testing the waters.

[SEC issues partial warning to Madoff-affiliated funds... Questions raised over consistent 10% annual return. Madoff pushes back citing other fund examples.]

[Former NASDAQ chairman under fire? Alpha Fund, known for aggressive strategies, pulls investment from Madoff Fund.]

“Whew, this is nice. People should really play in the big leagues.”

The stones were set...

Now it was time to run the numbers and make my next move.

It was time to go teach Wall Street what moral behavior really looks like.