As Seok-won reviewed the latest European news on the Bloomberg terminal installed on one side of his desk, there was a knock at the door. Na Seongmi opened it and stepped inside.
"Sir, Assistant Manager Han Jisung is here, as you requested."
"Let him in."
"Yes, sir."
After giving a brief reply, Na Seongmi stepped out. Not long after, a lean man who appeared to be in his late twenties walked in.
Approaching the desk, the man bowed at a precise 90-degree angle and greeted him.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Han Jisung."
Seok-won, who had felt the need for a personal secretary to assist him both domestically and abroad, had asked Chief Secretary Gil to recommend a suitable candidate.
In response, Secretary Gil had sent over three resumes, and among them, Seok-won had chosen Han Jisung, the man standing before him today.
Seok-won scanned Han Jisung from head to toe. Dressed modestly and giving off a reserved impression, he didn't stand out too much. Rising from his seat, Seok-won extended a hand.
"I'm Park Seok-won."
"It's a pleasure to work with you."
Han Jisung quickly grasped his hand with both of his and shook it politely.
"Let's talk over at the sofa."
"Yes, sir."
Seok-won stepped around his desk and took the center seat on the sofa.
Only after observing this did Han Jisung take a seat on the empty sofa to the right.
It was a small gesture, but the fact that he waited for Seok-won to sit first did not go unnoticed. Internally, Seok-won nodded in approval.
"What would you like to drink?"
"I'm fine, thank you."
"Don't hesitate—order whatever you'd like."
"Then... I'll have coffee, please."
Turning to Na Seongmi, who was standing by the door, Seok-won instructed, "Secretary Na, bring us two cups of coffee."
"Yes, sir."
As Na Seongmi exited and closed the door behind her, Seok-won turned back to Han Jisung, who was sitting upright with perfect posture.
"I saw in your resume that you served as a KATUSA in the U.S. 8th Army. Is that correct?"
"Yes, I served at Camp Casey in Dongducheon."
KATUSA (Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army) referred to South Korean soldiers assigned to the U.S. Forces Korea to assist with tasks such as interpretation.
"Then you must be quite fluent in English."
"I'm proficient enough for smooth communication."
Though he answered modestly, his resume indicated a TOEIC score exceeding 950 and noted that he could speak both English and Chinese.
"Getting promoted to assistant manager in just three years—your advancement was quite fast."
"It was thanks to the support and trust of my superiors."
"Before that, I heard you worked in the sales department at Daehung Textiles."
"Yes, that's correct."
Crossing one leg over the other, Seok-won asked, "Here, you'll be serving as my personal secretary, always accompanying me. Do you think you can handle that?"
"It's an unfamiliar role for me, but if you entrust me with the job, I'll do my utmost to support you."
Seok-won nodded inwardly at his unwavering response.
His sincere yet confident demeanor made him seem like a trustworthy person.
"There will be times when you'll have to work on weekends and holidays, and you may have to travel abroad for extended periods. This job leaves little room for personal life—will that be okay?"
"Fortunately, I'm still single, with no family to take care of or a partner to consider. That allows me to focus entirely on work. Besides, assisting you will give me the chance to meet various people and gain valuable experiences, which I believe will greatly broaden my perspective."
"Oh dear, no girlfriend? That's a bit of a sad story."
At that, Han Jisung gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of his head.
Just then, Na Seongmi entered with a tray, setting down two warm cups of coffee in front of them before quietly stepping out again.
Feeling they had spoken enough for now, Seok-won took on a more serious expression and asked the most important question.
"As you work with me, people will occasionally ask you about me. How will you handle those situations?"
"I don't know much about secretarial work yet, but since I'll be serving you closely, I believe the most crucial duty I must uphold is confidentiality."
"So, you're saying you won't speak freely?"
"That's correct."
Seok-won picked up his coffee cup and looked at him with a calm but scrutinizing gaze.
"What if Chief Secretary Gil or even my father asks you?"
"I'd feel sorry for Chief Secretary Gil, given that he recommended me, but I believe keeping silent is essential to fulfilling my role properly."
Whether he would truly act that way remained to be seen, but for now, Seok-won was willing to give him a passing grade.
Setting his coffee cup down after taking a sip, Seok-won gave a slight nod.
"Alright. Then let's begin your work starting today. Step outside—Secretary Na will guide you from here."
"Thank you."
Han Jisung stood up, gave a polite bow, and left the room.
Seok-won remained seated, waiting briefly until the door closed completely. Then, he picked up the keyphone receiver from the side table and pressed a button.
After a few rings, Chief Secretary Gil Seongho answered.
[Hello?]
"I hope I'm not interrupting your work."
[Hahaha, no matter how busy I am, I always have time to answer a call from the young master. What's the occasion?]
Still holding the receiver, Seok-won glanced at the spot where Han Jisung had just been sitting.
The neatly emptied coffee cup sat precisely aligned on its saucer, a small detail that hinted at his meticulous nature.
"The assistant manager you recommended came by today."
[Ah, I see. So, what did you think?]
"I'll need more time to assess him properly, but my first impression wasn't bad."
[He's quick-witted and highly competent. Most importantly, he's reserved and not the type to speak carelessly, making him a perfect fit as a personal secretary.]
Seok-won raised his eyebrows in mild surprise.
"I don't think I've ever heard you praise someone like this before, Chief Secretary Gil."
[That's how exceptional he is. If you hadn't needed a personal secretary, I would have brought him into the head office's secretarial team myself.]
"It seems like I ended up stealing him from you."
Seok-won chuckled, and Gil Seongho responded playfully.
[That means you owe me one.]
"I'll be sure to repay the favor when the opportunity arises."
[Haha, I was just joking. In any case, I'm relieved to hear that Assistant Manager Han made a good impression.]
"Since he came with your recommendation, I had no doubts. But still, I do owe you, so I should at least treat you to a meal sometime."
[Just let me know when.]
"Will do. You're busy, so I'll let you go."
[Understood. Take care.]
Seok-won placed the receiver back down just as Na Seongmi knocked and entered to clear the teacups. Seeing her, he rose from the sofa.
* * *
Nihonbashi, Chuo City, Tokyo, Japan.
Two large sedans pulled up in a neat row in front of the imposing headquarters of Nomura Securities.
As the car door opened, a Caucasian man in his late thirties stepped out from the backseat, wearing a gray overcoat. He was none other than John Porter, the head of Eldorado Fund's Japan branch.
Standing in place for a moment, John looked up at the towering building, then shrugged and muttered to himself,
"No matter how many times I see them, Tokyo's buildings are utterly lacking in character. Just a collection of dull, lifeless designs."
At that moment, one of his associates, Ryder—an old colleague from their days at Lehman Brothers—approached after exiting the second car.
"What are you looking at so intently?"
"Nothing," John replied, shifting his gaze and heading toward the building's entrance.
Inside, the lobby was lavishly decorated with polished artificial marble. As John and his entourage entered, two well-dressed men approached them.
"You must be from Eldorado Fund?"
John gave them a once-over before responding in fluent Japanese.
"That's right."
One of the two men, who appeared to be the more senior, quickly retrieved a business card from his inner pocket and handed it over with both hands.
"I'm Okamura, Manager of the Derivatives Division at Nomura Securities."
John Porter took the card and glanced at it. The name "Hideo Okamura" was printed beneath the title.
At John's slight nod, Ryder stepped forward, handed over his own business card, and asked,
"We have a meeting scheduled with Executive Director Usami today."
"Yes, he is waiting for you in the conference room on the 15th floor. Please follow me."
With that, Manager Okamura led the way, and John, along with his entourage, followed behind.
They took the elevator straight up and were escorted to the VIP conference room.
As expected for a space reserved for high-profile meetings, the room featured plush carpeting, antique Japanese-style paintings, and calligraphy framed in expensive mounts adorning the walls.
A large, visibly aged Chinese porcelain vase stood in one corner. Looking at it, John felt as if he were gazing at a relic from Japan's economic bubble era rather than admiring an antique.
As the group entered, Executive Director Usami, dressed in a custom-tailored suit, rose from his seat, flanked by his subordinates.
"Mr. Usami, it's been a while."
John, who had known Usami since his time at Lehman Brothers' Japan office, extended his hand with a pleasant smile.
"Good to see you. I believe the last time we met was at the New Year's event at the Imperial Hotel?"
"That's right. Now that the weather has warmed up, we should hit the golf course together sometime."
"Haha, that sounds like a great idea."
Laughing lightly, Usami then gestured toward a neatly dressed man wearing silver-rimmed glasses.
"This is Nakamura, our Head of Derivatives."
"Nakamura Shoichi," the man introduced himself, presenting his business card.
John also retrieved his card, handing it over as he responded,
"John Porter. As you know, I head Eldorado Fund's Japan branch. I look forward to working with you."
"The pleasure is mine."
After exchanging pleasantries and business cards, both sides took their seats around an elegant wooden conference table.
Two female employees in tailored uniforms entered carrying trays, placing aromatic coffee and light refreshments before them before quietly exiting.
Breaking the silence, Usami turned to John and spoke first.
"I understand you're interested in a credit default swap contract with us."
John smiled calmly and nodded.
"That's correct."
Usami tapped his fingertips on the folder in front of him and remarked,
"I reviewed the proposal you sent over, and I found the underlying assets quite unusual."
"If it were a standard CDS transaction, I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of preparing a detailed proposal."
"Hmm, that's a fair point," Usami chuckled as he adjusted his posture.
"Just to confirm, could you once again state what the proposed underlying assets are?"
John picked up his coffee cup, took a measured sip, then placed it down before answering.
"The stock exchange indices of three Asian countries—South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia."