A Wall Street Genius's Final Investment Playbook-Chapter 201

$13 million an hour, $130 million a day?

Gerrard stared at Ha Si-heon’s calm face.

The serenity beneath those neat features only served to unsettle him more.

‘Madman!’

Swallowing the words that surged in his chest, Gerrard barely managed to calm himself.

In fact, if he thought about it, it wasn’t all that surprising.

‘He’s always been this kind of guy.’

From their very first meeting, Ha Si-heon had demanded $50 billion in exchange for cutting ties with Rachel.

The problem was that it wasn’t just bluster.

His track record of earning $12 billion in just a year and a half proved it.

“Even so, would you still try to solve this with money?”

Ha Si-heon asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

The subtle smile on his lips carried a hint of provocation.

“And if I did?”

Gerrard replied with a deliberately relaxed voice, maintaining a composed expression as if that kind of money was nothing to him.

“If I were to request it, how long would it take to develop such an algorithm?”

“Well, a month, maybe?”

Gerrard quickly did the math in his head.

$130 million a day, so in a month, about $4 billion.

‘Is he actually insane?’

An outrageous amount.

It was a proposal he wouldn’t have even considered under normal circumstances.

But…

“…”

Right now, Gerrard was desperate.

“Would installment payments be possible? Say, $5 million a month…”

He had the money, but funds of that scale were all tied up in a trust.

If he made a withdrawal, his family would find out — and that was absolutely not an option.

So, suppressing his pride, he barely managed to spit out the offer.

However, Ha Si-heon’s response was firm.

“You asked my price, and I told you. But as I’ve already said, time is more valuable to me than money right now. I wouldn’t do it even if you paid in advance, let alone in installments.”

It was too logical to argue against.

Gerrard bit his lip briefly before presenting a new proposal.

“Wouldn’t a relationship with me be useful to you in the future?”

Just as he had introduced Ha Si-heon to Ichan previously, he was offering his background and influence.

Being a descendant of the Marquis family was not a power to be taken lightly.

But Ha Si-heon’s answer was still razor-sharp.

“No thank you. I’m capable of managing just fine on my own now. I’m sorry, but I’d like to end this algorithm talk here.”

“…”

Ha Si-heon’s gaze was unbearably cold.

As if Gerrard meant nothing to him at all.

Gerrard fell silent, lost in thought.

‘Has this ever happened before?’

Money, background, family.

The weapons that always guaranteed Gerrard victory were useless before Ha Si-heon.

‘There must be another way…’

Just as he was desperately searching for an angle,

Ha Si-heon spoke again, this time in a softer tone.

“But if you have a concern, I could offer a simple consultation.”

“Consultation? Why?”

“Well, I owe Rachel a debt.”

At the mention of Rachel’s name, Gerrard’s eyebrows twitched.

‘Rachel? You? What kind of debt?’

But he held back the question.

It wouldn’t help at this moment.

What mattered was that, for whatever reason, Ha Si-heon was implying he might be willing to help.

“I don’t like being in debt, you see. So please feel free to speak.”

Ha Si-heon said it calmly, but there was a clever trap hidden in his words.

Gerrard quickly realized what that trap was.

“If I do, the debt between you and Rachel would be settled, but wouldn’t I end up owing you instead?”

“Oh? Would it turn out that way?”

Ha Si-heon’s smile was disgustingly perfect.

That expression twisted Gerrard’s insides.

‘You knew exactly what you were doing…’

Ha Si-heon understood the power dynamics of indebtedness perfectly.

So in truth, his offer amounted to this:

‘If you owe me, I’ll help you.’

“…”

Gerrard couldn’t respond right away.

A debt wasn’t a transaction.

It was a one-sided burden.

And you never knew when or how you’d have to repay it.

‘And this guy…’

Ha Si-heon was someone who had already shaken nations.

What would he demand?

And when the time came, would Gerrard even be able to repay that debt?

As Gerrard’s thoughts deepened, Ha Si-heon sighed lightly and abruptly stood up.

“If you don’t need my help, I’ll be on my way. I have a lot to do.”

He was ready to leave at any moment.

Gerrard instinctively reached out his hand and called out.

“Wait!”

Ha Si-heon turned and stared at him with a blank expression.

“I mean… how about a drink before you go? The night view from the terrace is quite nice. You said earlier you wanted to see the pool too, right?”

“There’s a pool at the hotel.”

“……”

“I’m a busy man too. I only came to see if you needed help, not to lounge around.”

Such a weak excuse wouldn’t be enough to hold him back.

“Actually… there’s something bothering me that I’d like your opinion on… just 30 minutes.”

“…”

Ha Si-heon didn’t respond to Gerrard’s plea.

He simply stared quietly, pressuring him with his gaze.

As if to say, “Is that all you have to say?”

“If you help me… I’ll consider myself indebted to you.”

Only after Gerrard reluctantly said those words did a victorious smile spread across Ha Si-heon’s face.

He nodded and glanced at his watch.

“Thirty minutes… that’ll be $6.5 million.”

“…”

“Just kidding. Of course, I won’t charge Rachel’s brother. We're close, after all.”

#

Rooftop garden.

The night view of San Francisco flowed over the surface of the infinity pool.

The lights of the city reflected on the gentle waves, twinkling like stars.

But…

“So, what’s troubling you?”

Ha Si-heon gave the scene only a passing glance before getting straight to the point.

“Well…”

As Gerrard trailed off, Ha Si-heon glanced at his watch again.

Gerrard quickly waved his hand.

“It’s not that I don’t want to talk! It’s just complicated, figuring out how much I can reveal about my family’s affairs to an outsider…”

It wasn’t a lie.

If the elders found out Gerrard had leaked internal matters, his qualifications as heir would come under scrutiny.

“I understand. If it’s an important issue, it’s right to approach it cautiously.”

Ha Si-heon’s tone was gentle, but there was subtle pressure behind it.

Gerrard quickly organized his thoughts.

‘Where should I begin…’

The situation was exceedingly complex.

Last year, following Ha Si-heon’s advice, Gerrard had acquired two pet food brands.

The amount was a staggering $29 billion.

Not a small sum, but the brands had solid market positions.

With integration and restructuring, he was confident they could produce explosive synergy.

The problem was his uncles.

— You’re spending company funds like water.

—On something as trivial as pet food…?

They were displeased with Gerrard’s decision.

Even his mother furrowed her brows.

—Isn’t it possible you’re neglecting the actual business by getting distracted with such a side venture?

Gerrard couldn’t completely disagree with the adults.

Marquis was a traditional confectionery company.

Historically, the pet food business was merely a side operation.

His great-grandfather had two sons, and the one who didn’t become heir was given something to do — that’s how the pet food business began.

Confectionery was the main business, pet food was a hobby.

That was the fixed mindset of the older generation.

However, Gerrard thought differently.

‘The confectionery industry is in decline.’

With growing interest in health, products like candy and chocolate were being increasingly shunned by consumers.

In contrast, the pet industry was rapidly expanding.

Especially among younger generations, the culture of treating pets as family had taken root, and demand for premium products was surging. frёeωebɳovel.com

—We can’t keep ignoring the pet business! The market is changing! We need to make this our new growth engine!

Moved by Gerrard’s passionate persuasion, the elders gave him a hesitant “Go ahead and try.”

But once the acquisition went through, their attitude changed.

They constantly interfered and openly voiced their complaints.

‘Don’t mind them. That’s just how they are, right?’

At first, Gerrard tried to comfort himself that way.

The Marquis family was never generous.

It was a sort of tradition, passed down from his great-grandfather.

Fathers were constantly displeased with their sons and kept testing them, and sons lived in anxiety over failing those tests.

The uncles who grew up in such an environment were no exception.

They claimed it was time to step down and look for a new leader, but the truth was different.

They weighed several candidates, enjoying the feeling of superiority.

But they never truly handed over power, always interfering and nitpicking.

Even so, Gerrard had confidence.

‘Just one more year…’

He would complete the brand integration and prove everything with results.

But—

In recent months, Gerrard’s confidence had started to falter.

A series of unexpected misfortunes had hit.

The first was the emergence of a powerful rival.

—BlueFood’s growth lately has been remarkable.

BlueFood was a rising startup focused on premium organic pet food.

Despite its small size, it had rapidly increased its market share this quarter, gaining attention in the industry.

—Was it really wise to invest so much in those large brands?

The implication being — instead of spending a fortune on big brands, maybe they should’ve acquired startups like BlueFood for a cheaper price.

Still, Gerrard didn’t waver.

‘You can’t say that for sure.’

The brands he acquired had loyal customers built over many years.

Once integration was complete, he could use that base to launch a premium line and quickly dominate the market.

But then, another problem struck.

—You have no eye for the market.

This time, it was an issue with securing raw materials.

Last year, dairy prices hit record highs.

To secure a stable supply, Gerrard rushed to make futures contracts — but the market shifted rapidly after summer.

With oversupply, dairy prices plummeted, leaving Gerrard stuck having bought materials at peak prices.

Meanwhile, the situation with cocoa was the exact opposite.

Heavy rains and El Niño in major production areas raised concerns about a poor harvest, causing prices to skyrocket.

Speculators jumped in, pushing cocoa prices to uncontrollable levels.

—A second mistake.

The uncles’ words now carried the weight of a serious warning, not just sneering.

Their words became a noose tightening around Gerrard’s heart.

—There’s only one chance left.

The rules of the Marquis family were clear.

Three mistakes were not tolerated.

If he failed again, he’d be out of the running for heir.

But then—

An unexpected proposal came.

—How about Gerrard take charge of the strategy for the Chinese market?

China was Marquis’ most critical battlefield.

It accounted for half of their global revenue and was a huge stage for not only the confectionery industry but also their aggressive expansion into pet food.

But—

‘They want to give me responsibility for such a critical strategy?’

Normally, he’d have been overjoyed at such an opportunity.

But this time was different.

China was now surrounded by too many uncertainties.

It was definitely a massive market, but signs of slowing economic growth were evident.

The country needed to transition from a manufacturing-based economy to a consumer-driven one.

But no one could say for sure whether that transition would be successful.

Wall Street even called China a “wild card” now.

From a business planning standpoint, it was a nightmare.

Should they keep expanding?

Would Chinese consumers prefer low-cost brands, or was it time to introduce a premium line?

What would happen to the exchange rate?

The questions kept piling up — but even experts had no clear answers.

‘That’s why they dumped it on me.’

No one could predict the current Chinese market.

Even if the uncles took charge, they’d probably fail.

But if Gerrard stepped up?

If he succeeded, the uncles could claim credit for choosing the right person and look wise.

But if he failed, the blame would land squarely on him.

And then they’d say, “Gerrard isn’t ready to lead the company.”

‘No… would it stop there?’

Maybe this was a plan from the start — to eliminate Gerrard from the list of successor candidates altogether.

His uncles were capable of anything.

But then his mother, sensing something, made an unexpected proposal.

—Work on it with me.

If he developed the strategy together with his mother, then even if they failed, two candidates would be equally to blame.

That way, Gerrard wouldn’t be disqualified as heir.

‘That would be the safer choice.’

It surely was—

But strangely, he didn’t like it.

Accepting his mother’s help meant the “training wheel system” would continue.

Gerrard would handle all the work, but important decisions would still be dictated by the older generation.

‘I’m sick of that. No more…’

Gerrard wanted to stand tall on his own.

He had already prepared everything.

All he needed now was one thing — time.

‘If I can just endure one more year…’

The effects of the pet food acquisition would begin to show.

Then his first mistake would become his first success, and no one would be able to question his abilities.

He would become the heir.

And he would lead Marquis with his own power, free from outdated interference.

That was Gerrard’s goal.

But to achieve it, the coming year was critical.

The Chinese market plan was the problem.

How could Gerrard navigate the unpredictable future of China that even experts couldn’t foresee?

That’s when one name came to mind — Ha Si-heon.

‘That guy…’

Ha Si-heon had an 80% prediction accuracy rate in the healthcare field.

If he applied his algorithms and data analysis…

Maybe they could actually find the answer.

“Are you done thinking yet?”

Ha Si-heon’s voice pulled Gerrard out of his thoughts.

There was a lot he wanted to say, but he couldn’t reveal all of this to an outsider.

“Do you know anything about the Chinese market?”

Gerrard decided to test the waters with a light question.

He planned to gauge Ha Si-heon’s reaction and decide how much to share.

But Ha Si-heon responded differently than expected.

A small smirk.

That annoyingly confident smile.

Behind that smile always came a shocking statement.

“Yes, actually. I’m quite familiar with China right now. It showed up in my algorithm.”

“In your algorithm…? But could it really read global markets too?”

As far as Gerrard knew, Ha Si-heon’s algorithm was focused on healthcare…

Just as he was about to ask more, Ha Si-heon said something even more surprising.

“Yes. In fact, it predicted a black swan event in China this year.”

Gerrard’s eyes widened.

“A black swan?”

It was a familiar term.

A black swan referred to an event that was extremely rare but caused massive shock when it happened.

In finance and economics, it was used to describe disasters or revolutionary changes.

“That’s… going to happen in China?”

A disaster — in the very arena where Gerrard’s heir test would unfold.

He couldn’t help but ask now.

“What’s going to happen?”

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