The Overly Competent Junior Employee

“You predicted the bull market, didn’t you?”

A month later, it had been a month since the market entered a full-fledged bull run.

Over the past month, the KOSPI index, representing the Korean stock market, had risen by 6%, providing some relief to market participants.

A 6% rise in the market index meant that many individual stocks had seen double-digit gains.

“I don’t think I predicted a bull market.”

Dokyung was having an exclusive interview with a Today Money reporter who had visited his office today.

Today Money was the online economic newspaper that had written an external article about the clash between Dokyung and Jo Hyun-seok on the “Men Who Read Stocks” broadcast.

It was an article that had escalated what could have been a contained fight among viewers who watched the broadcast. At the time, Jo Hyun-seok, who had fallen for Dokyung’s provocation, overreacted by spewing increasingly inflammatory words, further escalating the situation.

The messy fight had dragged on for over a month, and in the end, Dokyung had won by decision.

Looking back now that it was over, it was as if he had created his own self-destruct switch.

“This is the part I found most frustrating as these articles came out. I merely said that we should find trustworthy companies even in a bear market.”

Because his opponent was Jo Hyun-seok, a representative bearish analyst, Dokyung, who had taken the opposite position, had become the spokesperson for the bulls.

Of course, Dokyung had seen the market bottoming out and rising, but he wasn’t a bull.

“But retail investors have started calling you ‘Call Dokyung.'”

“Call Dokyung?”

Dokyung chuckled at the reporter’s words.

“Call” was a title often attached to the names of prominent market bulls.

“I’m not a bull, but I don’t dislike it. It’s like I’ve been knighted.”

The reporter smiled at Dokyung’s joke and spoke.

“How do you think the market will fare going forward…”

“As I’ve consistently said throughout this incident, I believe the market is not something that can be predicted. Something that could shake the economy could happen tomorrow.”

Just as the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis in April 2007 changed the global economic landscape overnight, events and accidents were unpredictable by humans.

“Like the Lehman crisis?”

“Yes. The Lehman crisis was also something we couldn’t predict. However.”

Dokyung opened his mouth with a serious expression, looking at the reporter.

“Even in that situation, there were people who predicted the economic crisis and made a fortune by taking short positions.”

“Ah, you’re talking about the protagonists of the movie ‘The Big Short,’ right?”

“Yes, how do you think they knew?”

“In the movie, they visit real estate properties… and realize the problems in the housing market when they see mortgage loans being approved even under pet names.”

Dokyung nodded at the reporter’s answer.

“That’s exactly what I want to say. We can’t predict the market. However, we can predict the future with data.”

This was what Dokyung most wanted to say after going through this incident.

He too had once been an individual investor, and the companies he invested in were all well-known conglomerates.

There was a belief that these big companies would continue to grow.

But that belief was shaken by pessimists like Jo Hyun-seok and the negative economic outlooks in daily news, leading him to sell his stocks impatiently.

“You need to believe in the stocks you currently hold. If you bought that company, it’s good to think about why you bought it in the first place.”

Of course, the stocks he sold started to fall due to the negative economic outlook, and at that time, he praised his own judgment for selling.

But the problem came after that.

He ended up believing the negative news more than trusting the companies he had invested in, and as a result, he became afraid to invest in stocks again.

When the decline stopped and the bull market returned, he became someone who kept predicting further declines.

“And if you’ve found the reason you bought it, you need to find data that supports that reason. Whether sales are increasing… how the company’s profits are doing…”

Dokyung hoped that investors wouldn’t make the same mistakes he had.

After all, stocks were practically the only high-yield investment method accessible with relatively little money.

Of course, stocks were high-risk investment products, but they could become low-risk investments depending on how much one studied.

“Ah, so you’re saying we need to find the data.”

“That’s right. I didn’t call for a rise in this bear market, I just said we should find companies we can believe in.”

The reporter, who had been diligently taking notes on Dokyung’s words, nodded.

“Thank you for your insightful words. My last question was about your outlook for the future market, but…”

“I think I’ve already answered that.”

“Yes. The entire interview is one answer. You’re telling us to study, right?”

“Yes. If I had to sum it up in one line, that’s it.”

As Dokyung nodded with a smile, the reporter organized his notebook, stood up, and extended his hand to Dokyung.

“At first, when I heard you were a junior PB, I thought you’d fall for my questions. But…”

Dokyung shook hands with the reporter and looked at him.

“You don’t fall easily. And you’re not emotional either.”

“If you’re emotional, you can’t invest in stocks, can you? And I’m someone who manages other people’s money.”

“I’ll support your philosophy, PB-nim. Please make time for us often in the future.”

“I only came forward this time because I had something I needed to say. Please go easy on me.”

Dokyung spoke as if shivering, implying he didn’t want to meet reporters anymore, and the reporter smiled.

“It’s because the view count was so high. I’m trying to claim you before other reporters catch on.”

“If it’s not about such difficult topics, I’m okay anytime.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll be in touch often. Take care.”

The reporter said goodbye and left the room, and Dokyung saw him out, came back into the room, and sighed.

“Whew… I can’t work like this.”

Over the past few months, Dokyung had won many spoils from his unofficial war with Jo Hyun-seok.

The number of clients entrusting money to him had increased, and reporters were seeking him out more often, like today.

Of course, from Dokyung’s perspective, whose main job was to attract client assets, this was incredibly fortunate, but he was starting to tire of the flood of attention.

“I need to live a bit more quietly.”

Thinking that he should focus more on managing his clients’ assets quietly, for their sake if nothing else, he sat down and started working.

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“Come in.”

A month later, Dokyung was summoned by Ryu Tae-hwa, the branch manager of Yuseong Investment Securities’ Seongnam Branch, and visited the manager’s office.

As Dokyung entered, Ryu Tae-hwa stood up and gestured towards the sofa, indicating for him to sit.

Once Dokyung was seated, Ryu Tae-hwa brought over some drinks, placed them in front of Dokyung, sat down, and began to speak.

“Client acquisition has increased tremendously.”

Indeed, since the end of the fight with Jo Hyun-seok, Dokyung had acquired over 20 new clients for asset management, with funds totaling 400 million won.

“I suppose it’s because I’m in charge of small-scale clients, so they approach me more easily than others.”

In the case of Choi Woojin, who was in the same branch, PB services could only be requested from 50 million won and up. Woojin was a high-return PB and the representative PB of the Seongnam branch, so his entry amount was high.

On the other hand, Dokyung, being a junior PB, could take on services from 10 million won and up. As a result, clients could easily approach him, entrusting money they would have put into savings accounts or funds they didn’t urgently need.

“Your skills aren’t junior at all, they’re better than those PBs over at the Leaders Branch.”

Dokyung smiled slightly and bowed his head at Ryu Tae-hwa’s words.

Ryu Tae-hwa, who had been stingy with praise, had recently started complimenting him freely like this.

“Anyway, you say you don’t want to take on new clients for a while?”

“Yes, I’m currently managing 70 clients.”

“It’s grown that much already.”

“Yes, I’d like to focus on the assets of my existing clients for a while.”

“Good. That’s your decision, so let’s do that. It’s certainly not easy to manage the money of 70 people alone.”

Ryu Tae-hwa nodded and placed a document on the table.

“This is what you requested from me. It’s been approved by the compliance team at headquarters.”

Dokyung received the document Ryu Tae-hwa handed over with a bright smile.

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. It’s something all other PBs do, it’s funny that they wouldn’t let juniors do it.”

What Dokyung had requested from Ryu Tae-hwa was permission to create a group chat to notify clients.

PBs and analysts often created group chats to inform clients about market conditions and analyses.

It wasn’t a typical chat room where two-way communication was possible, but a chat room where only one person could speak, like making announcements. This restriction was put in place to prevent potential slip-ups during two-way communication with clients.

“You can create it from tomorrow and then give the address to your clients.”

Dokyung bowed his head once more at Ryu Tae-hwa’s words, and Ryu Tae-hwa looked at him and spoke.

“Well, I think I should receive one more bow.”

“Pardon?”

“Dokyung-ssi, do you still go to headquarters every weekend for training?”

“Yes. Of course, I’m still receiving junior PB training.”

Dokyung was still a junior PB, so he was going to headquarters every weekend for training.

“You won’t have to go from this week.”

“What?”

“I requested that headquarters exempt you from training based on your performance, and they replied that they would remove your junior PB label. Naturally, your salary will also increase to that of a regular PB.”

Dokyung looked at Ryu Tae-hwa with wide eyes.

Ryu Tae-hwa had mentioned in passing that he would help Dokyung quickly shed his junior PB status, but Dokyung had taken it as mere praise.

“I promised you before, didn’t I?”

“I just thought… you were trying to encourage me, Branch Manager…”

“I don’t make empty promises. Anyway, congratulations. You’re now a full-fledged PB. About a year faster than others, right?”

“Thank you very much.”

Dokyung stood up and bowed to Ryu Tae-hwa.

He had just become a PB a year ago, and now he was becoming a regular PB a year faster than others.

“No need to thank me. Your performance is better than some 10-year PBs, so the company understood. Thank your own skills.”

“No, you could have just let it pass, but you spoke to headquarters about it. I should be grateful.”

As Dokyung said this and bowed once more, Ryu Tae-hwa grinned.

“Really, what I’ve given you is so small, yet how many times have you thanked me today?”

Ryu Tae-hwa said this, but Dokyung was sincerely grateful.

Other employees had various restrictions for 1-2 years as junior PBs, receiving training and management from headquarters, but Dokyung had now shed these restrictions, making it easier for him to move.

“I’m truly grateful.”

“I understand. Well then, work hard this week too, and if you have any difficulties, come find me. My door is always open.”

“Yes, I understand.”

As Ryu Tae-hwa nodded, Dokyung bowed and left the room.

“Whew…”

As soon as he left the room, Dokyung let out a long sigh, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then clenched his fist.

He was so happy he felt like shouting out loud.

“Stay calm, this is just the real beginning.”

Dokyung shook his head and smiled brightly, thinking that he still had a long way to go towards his dream, and that he had just barely been appointed as a regular PB.

“Well, I guess it’s okay to be happy for just one day.”