The cherry blossoms at SNU were different. They didn't just look like flowers; they looked like victory.
Kang Min-jun walked up the steep incline of the Gwanak campus. He wore a navy blazer he had bought at an outlet mall, a white shirt, and cheap loafers. He looked like any other freshman—hopeful, nervous, and slightly out of breath.
But his eyes were scanning the crowd with the precision of a facial recognition algorithm.
Future Minister of Finance (Class of '12). Future CEO of CJ ENM (Class of '11). Future convicted embezzler (Class of '12).
He recognized them all. In his past life, he had served these people. He had fetched their coffee, cooked their books, and gone to prison for their sins. Now, he was their classmate.
"Hey! Business Administration Freshman?" A senior with a megaphone shouted, waving a flag. "Class 1! Over here! The bus for the OT (Orientation Trip) is leaving!"
Min-jun adjusted his backpack. The Orientation Trip. A two-day drinking binge in a remote resort where the hierarchy of the next four years was established. He had to go. In Korea, In-maek (Human Connections) was an asset class more valuable than gold.
7:00 PM. Daemyung Resort, Hongcheon. The Banquet Hall.
The air smelled of cheap soju and grilled pork belly. Three hundred students sat cross-legged on the floor in a massive grid.
"Drink! Drink! Drink!"
The chant was deafening. A senior was pouring a mixture of soju and beer into a large metal bowl. Min-jun sat in the back of the circle. He watched the dynamic.
The students were already segregating. In the center were the "Royals". Kids from Gangnam, graduates of Daewon Foreign Language High or studying abroad prep schools. They wore Moncler jackets and checked their iPhones with boredom. They spoke a mix of Korean and English. On the periphery were the "Mud Spoons". Scholarship students from the provinces, looking terrified, trying too hard to please the seniors.
"You," a senior pointed at Min-jun. "You're the full scholarship guy, right? The 'Dragon from the Ditch'?"
The room went quiet. The Royals looked over, amused. In SNU, being poor was a novelty. Being poor and smart enough to get a full ride was a curiosity.
"Yes, Sunbae-nim," Min-jun said calmly.
"Impressive. My mom said the quota system is getting harder," the senior laughed, handing Min-jun a glass. "Welcome to the elite. Drink up."
Min-jun took the glass. In his past life, he would have downed it instantly to show loyalty. But today, he held it.
"Sunbae-nim," Min-jun said. "I have a liver condition. I can't drink ethanol."
The senior frowned. "Liver condition? You're twenty years old."
"Genetic," Min-jun lied smoothly. "But I'll pour for you."
He stood up and poured the senior a drink with perfect, practiced corporate etiquette—two hands on the bottle, label hidden, slight bow. It was the muscle memory of a Director who had poured for Chairmen for a decade. The senior was taken aback by the sheer professionalism of the pour. It wasn't the clumsy pour of a freshman. It was the pour of a subordinate who knew his place—or a master manipulating the room.
"Uh... right," the senior stammered, drinking his own cup. "You're... interesting."
Min-jun sat back down. He felt eyes on him. Across the circle, a girl was watching him. She sat with the Royals, but she wasn't laughing. She had sharp, fox-like eyes and a bob cut. She wore a simple sweater that Min-jun recognized as cashmere worth 2 million won.
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Hong Ye-eun. Daughter of the Hanseong Ilbo (Media Group) owner. Future Editor-in-Chief. A woman who could destroy a company with a single editorial.
She noticed, Min-jun thought. She saw the pour.
11:00 PM. The Smoking Area.
Min-jun stood outside in the cold mountain air. He didn't smoke, but he needed to escape the noise.
"You don't have a liver condition."
Min-jun turned. Hong Ye-eun was leaning against a pillar, holding a slim cigarette.
"And you shouldn't be smoking, Sunbae-nim," Min-jun replied. "It stains the teeth."
"I'm a freshman, like you," Ye-eun said, exhaling smoke. "And that pour back there. That wasn't a student pour. That was a 'Salaryman Survival' pour. Who taught you? Your dad?"
"My grandfather," Min-jun said. "He's old-fashioned."
"Bullshit," Ye-eun smiled. It was a sharp, dangerous smile. "You're hiding something, Kang Min-jun. You dress like a pauper, but you scan the room like you're auditing it."
"I'm just observant."
"I'm observant too," Ye-eun flicked the ash. "My father runs a newspaper. Information is my family business. I looked up the freshman list. You got a perfect score on the math section of the CSAT. But your high school records show you slept through every math class for two years."
She stepped closer. "A genius who hides his talent? Or a cheater?"
"Neither," Min-jun said. "Just an investor who knows when to expend energy."
"Investor?" Ye-eun laughed. "What do you invest in? Lunch money?"
Min-jun pulled out his phone. He opened the news app. [Election 2012: Ahn Cheol-soo's Approval Rating Surges]
"Do you know AhnLab?" Min-jun asked.
"The antivirus company? Of course. Ahn Cheol-soo founded it."
"He's going to run for President," Min-jun said. "He hasn't announced it yet. But he will."
"Everyone knows he might. That's just a rumor."
"In Korea," Min-jun looked at the moon. "Rumors are liquidity. Look at the chart for AhnLab (053800)."
"It's trading at 20,000 won. It's a boring software stock. But in political season, fundamentals don't matter. It becomes a 'Theme Stock'. A meme."
Min-jun looked at Ye-eun. "It's going to 150,000 won by September. That's a 600% return."
Ye-eun stared at him. "You're crazy. You're predicting a bubble based on politics?"
"I'm predicting human nature. People want a savior. Ahn Cheol-soo is the savior narrative for 2012. The stock is the donation plate."
Ye-eun dropped her cigarette and crushed it with her designer boot. "You're interesting, Kang Min-jun. Most guys here try to impress me with their dad's car. You're trying to impress me with... a stock tip?"
"I'm not trying to impress you," Min-jun said, walking back toward the hall. "I'm giving you a free sample. Because one day, I'm going to need a favor from your newspaper."
He left her standing in the smoke. He knew she would buy. She was a gambler at heart. And when AhnLab exploded, she would owe him.
March 5, 2012. The Library.
Min-jun sat at a terminal in the SNU library. He checked his personal account. Cash Balance: ~2.1 Million KRW.
It was pathetic. Hermes was growing, but every won of profit was reinvested into expansion. He couldn't touch it. H-Semicon was doing well, but it was collateralized. He needed liquid cash to survive university life without asking his parents.
He looked at AhnLab (053800). Current Price: 19,800 KRW.
It was risky. Theme stocks were essentially gambling. If Ahn Cheol-soo decided not to run, the stock would halve instantly. But Min-jun remembered the history books. Ahn Cheol-soo would ride the wave until late 2012 before withdrawing to support Moon Jae-in. Until then, it was a rocket ship.
"All in," Min-jun whispered.
He bought 100 shares. It wasn't much. But it was the start of his "Political Capital" fund.
April 2012. The Surge.
The prophecy began to fulfill itself. As the election cycle heated up, the media went into a frenzy over Ahn Cheol-soo. Every time he mentioned "youth" or "reform," the stock jumped 10%.
AhnLab Price Action: March: 20,000 KRW. April: 35,000 KRW. May: 50,000 KRW.
The SNU campus was buzzing. Students who had opened trading accounts were glued to their phones during lectures. "Did you see AhnLab?" "I made 500,000 won yesterday!"
Min-jun sat in his Macroeconomics class, listening to the professor explain the Efficient Market Hypothesis. Efficient? Min-jun smirked. The market is a popularity contest.
He received a text message. Sender: Hong Ye-eun. "We need to talk. I bought at 22,000. I'm up 150%. How did you know?"
Min-jun didn't reply. He let the leverage build. Social capital, like financial capital, compounded best when you left it alone.
[TRANSACTION LOG]
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Date: March 5, 2012
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Asset: AhnLab (053800) [Political Theme Stock]
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Action: BUY
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Quantity: 105 Shares
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Entry Price: 19,800 KRW
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Total Cost: ~2,080,000 KRW (Almost entire liquid savings)
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Current Price (May 2012): ~52,000 KRW
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Unrealized Gain: +160%
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Status: HOLD. Target Exit: September 2012 (Pre-Withdrawal).