I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 53: Yoo Seon-jun (3)

First, I’d set up shell companies in Japan or the U.S. to ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) bypass domestic regulations and funnel money offshore. Then I’d short everything.

A plan this refined meant she was sure of the timing of the crash. Which meant she went long until right before the pop and shorted right after—meaning she probably doubled her gains...

Even without knowing the exact figure, it had to be at least tens of billions of won.

His mind reeled. Just how far ahead had this once-little cousin of his gotten while he wasn’t looking?

“...I really suck at gambling, don’t I.”

Should’ve bought in at a lower point?

“So, what now? You’re going to help me, right? Oppa?”

Yoo Ha-yeon tilted her head, puffed her cheeks, and did her best cutesy act.

It wasn’t cute at all. It was terrifying.

“What do you mean, ‘what now’? There’s no turning back. I’m already in—might as well see it through.”

With a long sigh, Yoo Seon-jun took his first steps into the depths of Daehwa Securities.

“Ahaha, thanks! Oppa~!”

Yoo Ha-yeon beamed.

***

Fwooo...

I looked at Yoo Seon-jun chain-smoking with a dissatisfied glare.

“Didn’t you say you were quitting? That smoking’s bad for your health?”

“...I’m stressed right now, Ha-yeon.”

Tsk.

I snatched the cigarette from his mouth and stubbed it out in the ashtray.

“Hey! That was a fresh one...”

“What are you talking about? If we go by that logic, we’ll never stop. Doesn’t even feel rude to me. Now hand over the rest.”

I snatched every pack he had and shook my head with a grumble.

“This is exactly why your health’s a mess. What if you collapse from lung problems after working your ass off? And think about the people around you, too.”

“...Didn’t expect you to care so much about someone else’s health.”

“What do you mean ‘someone else’? We’re in the same boat now. It’d be a real pain if you suddenly dropped dead from lung cancer at a critical moment, got it?”

Well, he talks a good game at least.

Yoo Seon-jun mumbled and then blurted out,

“So... how much did you make?”

“Hmm... it’s a secret?”

Honestly, even I don’t know exactly how much I have. It’s not like Forbes is keeping track of my assets.

And I broke everything up into so many tiny parts. Some in Eastern Europe, some in the Alpha Fund, some in Daehwa Electronics stock, some in Daehwa Securities shares...

At this point, even I can’t tell what’s liquid, what’s spent, and what’s just sitting there waiting.

And most importantly, my money was still growing—right now, in real time.

“I can at least tell you when I made it. Remember that Europe trip? I made a killing then... let’s just leave it at that.”

“...Did you play around with Eastern European government bonds?”

“Close enough. Ah, speaking of, I’d actually like you to take a trip to Europe after this is done. There are some companies in Eastern Europe I want to acquire, and I think you’d be the perfect proxy.”

Yoo Seon-jun closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, then exhaled and spoke.

“Fine, let’s say I accept that. I don’t know how you did it, but whatever. Still, Dad’s people and Uncle’s people are watching me constantly. How the hell am I supposed to pull this off?”

It was tricky. Yoo Seon-jun was definitely useful, but the risk of being caught by the uncles was also high.

“I’ll assign someone to you. Maybe Si-hyun? If it’s her, she’ll avoid surveillance and do fine.”

“...You sure about that?”

I smiled sweetly and nodded.

“Totally. You saw the vibe around here, right? No one dares defy me anymore. Just pretend you’re taking a trip to Europe together and get it done. Oh—and don’t touch her, okay?”

They’re both unmarried, so it wouldn’t be awkward. Besides, Si-hyun’s not even his type, so no risk there...

More importantly, it’s about time I promote Lee Si-hyun to chief secretary and set up an actual secretariat. I can’t stay by her side forever.

Even if distance strains loyalty, as long as I manage it right, it’ll be fine.

“Hah, like I’d ever. She’s got, like, a dozen snakes in her belly. What do you take me for...?”

Yoo Seon-jun shook his head in disgust.

“Ehhh, that’s kinda harsh, oppa.”

“....”

After a long sigh, Yoo Seon-jun fell into some unknown train of thought, then looked back at me and asked,

“So, Ha-yeon. Are you confident you won’t get caught? You’ve kept it secret from me until now, but no matter how careful you are... you won’t be able to hide it from Grandpa forever.”

“We’ll see.”

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I gave a vague smile.

Will I get caught?

Probably, someday. But—

“As long as I can hold out a few more years, it doesn’t matter.”

By then, even Chairman Yoo Seong-pil, not just Jin-ha, won’t be able to touch me.

“That’s... a pretty scary thing to say.”

But Yoo Seon-jun didn’t deny it.

***

October 1990, Budapest, Hungary.

While the privatization of state-owned enterprises was in full swing, a decadent-looking East Asian pretty boy sat on a hotel bed, gazing out at the Budapest skyline.

“...Seriously, this is impressive. You spent that much money in Poland and you still have tons left?”

Lee Si-hyun, who was accompanying Yoo Seon-jun as his bodyguard, responded with a reluctant expression. She was holding a large suitcase in her hand.

“Well... I don’t really know, sir. I’m just following the young lady’s orders.”

“Of course you are.”

He flipped through some papers and reviewed the companies they were supposed to acquire.

“All of them are financial firms, huh. Is my little sister trying to become an honorary Jew or something? If she spends another 200 billion here...”

Once he arrived in Europe, for some unknown reason, several of the paper companies that had only existed on documents were running like legitimate businesses.

And not just one or two—several.

“Haah... If this gets out, I’m dead. Not just because Grandpa would kill me... Europe itself would freak out and slap Korea in the face. If this goes wrong, it’s not just Daehwa Group—we’re talking the whole Republic of Korea going up in smoke.”

“...Is it really that serious?”

Si-hyun asked, alarmed. Yoo Seon-jun let out a long sigh and answered.

“Of course it is. I don’t know what kind of trick Ha-yeon pulled, but this is financial crime. It’s not just that she disguised paper companies as real ones—she outright bought the history of a few companies and made them look like fully native enterprises.”

If that were all, it might’ve been okay. That sort of thing happens quietly here and there.

But...

These weren’t just one or two firms. And they were clearly under the control of a private individual with intent to intervene in financial markets.

If someone controls several of the largest banks in Eastern Europe and subtly tweaks a few policies under the radar, it could shake Europe’s entire economy.

“...Still, isn’t that a bit odd? I mean, the young lady is amazing, yes, but that amount of money isn’t exactly huge, right? I’m not saying hundreds of billions of won is small, but... Daehwa Group alone makes over 10 trillion annually.”

“That’s not the point. She spent 300 billion in Poland... 200 billion in Hungary... so including the rest, we’re easily looking at over 1 trillion. And I’m talking in cash, not assets. Hiding that kind of liquid money and making it instantly usable across Europe—that’s what’s insane.”

“....”

Even if she raked in a fortune through investments in Japan and the U.S.... sneaking that money out is a different matter entirely.

It would’ve required a massive network, expert-level finesse—and above all, a lot of time.

“This just means she already knew everything. If Yoo Ha-yeon already knew the future of Eastern Europe... then it makes sense. Time solves everything, after all.”

Smuggling 1 trillion won in one month is nothing like doing it over a year. She must’ve prepared everything in advance and worked on it slowly.

A monster.

Even the one thing most child prodigies lack—patience—she had in full supply.

“Yeah... a few years ago, didn’t she say something like this? That Eastern Europe would collapse? Or that we suddenly needed to set up a local corporation overseas or something like that...”

Eastern European countries aren’t stupid. They place restrictions on foreign capital acquiring their domestic companies. Most will only allow sales to locals or other European firms.

So setting up a local branch at the last minute is useless—there are usually conditions like having to operate the business for several years first.

But... if she predicted even that—

“...!”

Si-hyun’s eyes widened.

“Hah, of course.”

With a chill running down his spine, Yoo Seon-jun furrowed his brows. He couldn’t even begin to guess how far Ha-yeon’s influence had spread.

“You... okay?”

Si-hyun asked, suddenly sounding worried.

‘Is she afraid I’ll bolt out of fear? Or the opposite?’

It was true—now that he understood the extent of it, fear was creeping up the more he learned. It felt like walking up to a promising sprout only to discover it was a towering fifty-meter tree.

But still...

Yeah.

He couldn’t deny it was thrilling.

“It’s a gamble... but screw it. Let’s give it a shot.”

Life is just one giant casino anyway.

Might as well bet on the pot with the highest stakes.

***

After becoming the largest shareholder of Hungary’s top state-owned bank, Yoo Seon-jun found himself with a natural question.

Is she planning to emigrate to Europe or something, with how much she’s investing here?

Since he didn’t know who really ran the Alpha Fund, that was a logical guess.

He assumed all those carefully-crafted paper companies were Ha-yeon’s creations.

Of course, contrary to his guess, Yoo Ha-yeon—while a genius—was no miracle worker. This was the work of skilled professionals employed by the Alpha Fund.

The nearly one trillion won she’d invested was just part of the overall plan—something Yoo Seon-jun didn’t know.

He smiled faintly and nodded.

“Guess I need to work even harder, then.”

A bird that doesn’t fly or cry for three years... when it finally flies, it pierces the heavens; when it finally cries, it shocks the world. A man should be the same.

Scratch scratch.

For the first time in a very long time, Yoo Seon-jun picked up a pen of his own will and began to study.

***

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.

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“Miss, is there a reason it had to be Europe?”

“Hmm? Why did I send Seon-jun oppa to Europe? Well... I just figured he should do a little traveling too, and there were errands to run, so I killed two birds with one stone. It wasn’t even that hard a job.”

“Ah, I see... I was worried you might overwork your cousin. Not everyone’s built like you, Miss.”

I chuckled quietly.

If you throw too much at a sheltered chaebol heir from the start, he’ll bolt.

You’re supposed to start them slow, then gradually pile on the tasks.

Once he comes back from working comfortably in Europe, he won’t complain when things get more demanding, right?