A Wall Street Genius's Final Investment Playbook-Chapter 105

Even amidst all this chaos, there were those cheering.

They were none other than Epicura’s shareholders.

For them, it felt like a continuous string of dazzling, dreamlike days.

Epicura’s stock price, which had once plummeted to rock bottom, making it hard to even recover the principal, had now…

Grown wings and soared.

Following the opening of the pop-up store, the stock price jumped 15% in an instant.

As the craze spread like wildfire, it surged another 64% in a steep upward trend.

Moreover, this rise showed no sign of stopping even at this very moment.

The stock, which had been hovering around $45, had now surpassed $84.94 and was still climbing without hitting its peak.

As a result, in less than a month, Epicura recorded an astonishing 88.89% increase.

Epicura’s shareholders could not help but be ecstatic.

Those monitoring the stock price in real time let out mixed cries of admiration and excitement, while congratulatory and celebratory messages flooded online communities and social media.

– Whitmer is a genius, undoubtedly the greatest CEO ever!

– This is the birth of the second Chipotle!

– Holding strong pays off!

– Time to buy more!

However…

Amidst the dominant voices of joy, there were also cautious ones.

Some shareholders voiced concerns that this success might only be temporary.

– Once the queues disappear, won’t the price drop?

– It’s rising too fast… feels like a major correction is coming.

– Timing the profit-taking is going to be key.

Their concerns were valid.

After all, the long lines in front of Double Crab House couldn’t last forever.

What would happen to the stock price once things settled down?

A decline was inevitable.

Though it might not crash to its previous lows, a downward turn was only a matter of time.

But just then…

Investment reports from Wall Street poured in. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

<Goldman Sachs raises Epicura’s target stock price from $84 to $120>

<GT Group upgrades Epicura to ‘Strong Buy’… Target price raised to $127>

<BAML: "Double Crab House will emerge as a major force in fast-casual dining…" Target price set at $132>

They all unanimously reassessed Epicura’s corporate value more highly.

Of course, even experts didn’t believe this overheated market trend would last forever.

However, even if the heat eventually subsided, most forecasts predicted that its ripple effects would linger for a long time.

<Epicura’s social responsibility initiatives will elevate its brand value and contribute to long-term financial growth. Just as companies like Ben & Jerry’s and Starbucks have successfully implemented value-based management, this customer-centric approach is likely to attract loyal customers and lead to steady performance improvements.>

<Epicura’s recent actions go beyond simple brand revamps and hold the potential to drive real financial inflows. The influx of ESG funds and socially responsible investment (SRI) capital is expected to be a key driver of stock growth.>

<Double Crab House has already established itself as a leader in the rapidly growing fast-casual market. Compared to quick-service (3.8%) and full-service dining (2.4%), the fast-casual sector continues to grow at a staggering annual rate of 13%, making it a blue ocean. Given Epicura’s newfound national brand recognition, its success goes beyond mere momentary popularity—there is a solid foundation for long-term growth.>

The biggest challenge for any brand is gaining recognition.

However, Double Crab House made a powerful impression nationwide the moment it debuted.

Moreover, its customer base was bound to develop a deep loyalty to the brand.

Epicura’s strategy of promoting social responsibility aligned perfectly with socially conscious consumers and the ‘ethical consumption’ trend, making it a formidable force.

This directly translated to stable and sustainable revenue.

Furthermore, Epicura also met the criteria for ESG-focused management.

Previously, it was merely a slow-growth stock attractive for dividends.

But now, it had transformed into a high-growth ESG blue-chip stock.

Due to this shift in corporate structure, a massive influx of institutional funds was expected.

Of course, all these projections depended on Epicura’s future moves.

Then, at that very moment, shocking news broke.

<Epicura announces simultaneous nationwide opening of 200 Double Crab House locations>

Epicura had unveiled a bold expansion plan to open 200 stores all at once.

For a newly launched brand, this was an unprecedentedly daring move.

Double Crab House was originally a local brand based in the Chicago area.

Typically, when regional brands expand nationwide, they take a gradual approach.

They first open a small number of pilot stores in major cities to gauge market response.

Then, if successful, they expand strategically, adding 10–20 locations in major urban and high-traffic areas.

Only after proving their success do they roll out 100+ stores in mid-sized cities and suburban regions.

However, Epicura had boldly skipped all these steps, announcing the immediate opening of 200 locations nationwide.

Normally, such reckless expansion would be met with skepticism.

Expanding too quickly without adequate preparation often led to failure.

Yet, rather than concerns, Epicura’s stock price skyrocketed by another 24%.

Double Crab House had already secured national brand awareness.

The market believed it could handle large-scale expansion.

Following this announcement, Epicura’s stock price…

$104.46

$105.39

At last, it had broken past $100.

A historic moment as Epicura’s stock reached triple digits.

Shareholders erupted in celebration, their cheers soaring to the skies.

Now, only three days remained until the general shareholders' meeting.

But no one doubted the outcome of the election.

—Have you all submitted your proxy votes?

—Proxy votes? Ballots? Whitmer is going to win anyway.

—But do we really need to? The Great White Shark is already done for. LOL.

—Whitmer's ultimate comeback. This could be a movie.

The Great White Shark vs. Whitmer.

No one hesitated in making this choice.

After all, the one responsible for all these miracles was none other than Whitmer.

—At first, when they said he'd be the ‘Nvidia of the restaurant industry,' I thought it was nonsense.

– Forget Chipotle! Whitmer is the real revolutionary of the restaurant world.

– Epicura = Chipotle 2.0.

– Best investment of my life!

Whitmer once painted a grand, almost delusional vision of Epicura becoming the second Chipotle.

Yet, that promise was slowly becoming reality.

Right now, all the shareholders could see was the endlessly soaring stock price and a dazzling future.

Perhaps Epicura truly would become the Nvidia of the restaurant industry.

Would they change the captain while the ship was sailing with the wind at full speed?

That was absurd.

Moreover, this fledgling brand was inseparable from Whitmer himself.

His very presence was deeply embedded in its identity.

To remove him and run Double Crab House independently?

That was simply unimaginable.

***

Meanwhile, at Shark Capital, the atmosphere was akin to a funeral.

The Great White Shark hadn’t shown up to work for a whole week.

This was unprecedented.

In response, the PM (Portfolio Manager) went directly to his residence in Greenwich.

And then—

"You’re here?"

The Great White Shark, whom he met after a week, looked unexpectedly calm.

He even had a faint smile on his face as he asked,

"Did you try negotiating?"

The Great White Shark had instructed the PM to negotiate board seats with Whitmer.

Even if they withdrew their candidate, they should at least secure a few seats in return.

That way, they could publicly frame their retreat as a dignified exit through negotiation.

A so-called honorable withdrawal.

But he already knew.

Whitmer had no reason to agree to such a deal.

If there was any justification, it would be to maintain a smooth relationship with the Great White Shark for the future.

If even that was rejected, it would mean a complete severance between them.

For now, everything was fine because the wind was at Whitmer’s back, but what if Epicura faced a crisis in the future?

The Great White Shark would be lying in wait, ready to pounce.

Giving up one seat now could prevent that risk in advance.

"What’s the answer?"

"Well…"

The PM hesitated, his troubled expression revealing everything.

"We made the offer, but he rejected it."

"So, he really thinks I've lost my bite."

The Great White Shark's eyes narrowed, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

A cold smile.

A smile that meant, ‘We’ll see about that.’

Seeing that the Great White Shark remained completely unfazed, the PM felt both surprised and relieved.

But no matter how strong his mindset was, reality remained unchanged.

"Should we… pull out?"

The PM asked cautiously.

The Great White Shark nodded.

Seeing the PM’s darkened expression, he chuckled again.

"Consider it a strategic retreat."

"A strategic retreat… Do we have another plan?"

"You have to think long-term. Losing today doesn't mean losing forever. Who knows what will happen a few years from now?"

He was acknowledging defeat in this round but already planning for the next battle.

"This just makes the next fight even more important. Focus all our efforts on the Yahoo deal."

The Great White Shark’s eyes still burned with determination as he spoke of his next prey.

Though Yahoo was a declining company, it still held a massive 40% stake in Alibaba.

Other sharks had tried and failed to seize it multiple times.

But if the Great White Shark won this fight?

He could prove that he was still a force to be reckoned with.

His defeat at Epicura could be written off as nothing more than an unfortunate mishap.

"We’ll meet on Monday. Be fully prepared."

After sending the PM away,

The Great White Shark walked to the private theater in his residence.

Stepping over shattered glass fragments on the floor, he took a seat and resumed the paused screen.

[Excuse me, but what do you mean we abandoned our customers? When did we ever do that?]

It was a recording of the broadcast.

For the past week, he had watched this same footage hundreds of times.

To analyze the cause of his crushing defeat.

And now, he had reached a conclusion.

"So it was… him."

The mastermind behind this entire ordeal was none other than that young Asian analyst.

He had suspected it during the live broadcast.

But after rewatching it, his certainty only grew.

All of these intricate schemes had originated from that seemingly insignificant junior analyst.

"Unbelievable."

A short, incredulous laugh escaped his lips.

A mere analyst had orchestrated all of this?

It defied everything he knew.

But in reality, things that defied logic happened all the time.

‘How could I have avoided this?’

He had spent an entire week locked in his house, obsessing over that question.

Because understanding the problem was the only way to avoid repeating the same mistake.

But there was only one conclusion.

There was no way to avoid it.

Because he had never even imagined that something like this could happen.

"Using race like this…?"

They had turned a racial controversy into a nationwide storm, made themselves martyrs to public outrage, and then flipped the narrative at the last moment to use it as a foundation of support?

It was insane.

And the mastermind behind it all was a rookie analyst who had just entered Wall Street?

How could anyone have predicted this?

It was a ‘black swan’—an event so rare and unpredictable that, when it occurred, it shook everything.

He had failed to see it, and he had paid the price.

"A complete monster just appeared out of nowhere."

The Great White Shark himself had been called a monster.

But this rookie…

He was something beyond even that.

And because he had overlooked him, he had suffered this crushing defeat.

But…

"This isn't over yet."

He wasn’t finished.

He wasn’t someone who would disappear after just one defeat.

Sure, he had been hit hard this time.

But all he needed was time to recover and rise again.

He had to show the world that he was still a dominant force.

"Ha Si-heon, huh…"

That kid wasn’t someone who would just disappear from this industry.

Which meant…

Someday, they would meet again.

And when that day came—

He wouldn’t let his guard down.

He would devour him whole.

But that was a battle for the future.

For now, he had to accept the present outcome.

His chest ached with frustration, but he would remember this pain well.

Because one day, he would return it in full.

That evening, breaking news shook the financial world.

<Shark Capital withdraws from the proxy battle…>

The Great White Shark had officially withdrawn his board nominations.

In other words, he was refusing to participate in the election at all.

With that, the board member appointments were removed from the agenda of the upcoming shareholder meeting.

All twelve directors Whitmer had put forward—

The ones who had led the sale of Harbor Lobster and the acquisition of Double Crab House—

Would remain in their positions.

Epicura had won. Completely.