Ding!
A notification sound rang from my smartphone.
Checking the screen, I saw an email from Raymond.
The body of the email briefly summarized the schedule of an event I was to attend in about ten days.
It also ntioned that the physical invitation would be mailed to Goldman.
A natural smile tugged at my lips.
This event wasn’t just any ordinary gathering.
It was a eting with none other than the Theranos Board of Directors.
The gala was a black-tie event.
n wore tuxedos with bow ties, and won dressed in elegant gowns.
This year's gala seed to be held to celebrate the most noteworthy philanthropists and innovators.
And if Theranos board mbers were attending, that ant the rest of the guests would also be from similar high social circles.
I glanced down at my attire absentmindedly.
‘First, I need to match the level.’
I was just entering my second year as an analyst, and my wardrobe was filled with business suits fitting for soone at my career level.
But wearing such suits to a gala was out of the question.
As if being an Asian in a crowd where there were likely few wasn’t enough, showing up in shabby attire would surely make others treat like so kind of plague.
Thus, I decided to purchase new clothes.
‘And I happen to have so extra funds now.’
I had successfully received the $150,000 bonus that Pierce had ntioned earlier.
Since it was completely unexpected inco, spending a bit of it wouldn’t hurt.
I settled on Brioni as the brand of choice.
But then…
That…
“Oh? Are you by any chance… the shark hunter?”
The store clerk, who should have maintained the dignity befitting the brand, suddenly beca overly excited upon seeing .
Without giving a chance to respond, he launched into a fervent speech.
“Wow, no way! I’m a huge fan! I rewatch that broadcast all the ti—”
“Thank you, but I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
I politely cut him off and got straight to the point.
“How long would it take to make a bespoke suit? Assuming you expedite the process as much as possible.”
Off-the-rack suits in my size were always too loose-fitting.
That’s why I intended to order a bespoke, tailored suit, but this process naturally took quite a bit of ti.
“Even if we start consultations today, it would take one week for fabric selection and design etings, three fittings every two weeks, six weeks for production… at least 13 weeks in total.”
The previously excited clerk quickly switched to a professional deanor as he answered.
Thirteen weeks at minimum.
“Is there a way to expedite the process with additional costs?”
“Our reservations are currently full, so that would be difficult. Besides, a true artisan’s work shouldn’t be rushed.”
Indeed, so things in this world couldn’t be bought with money.
And ti was a pri example of that.
The gala was in ten days.
Since bespoke tailoring wasn’t an option within the tifra, I had no choice but to go with ready-to-wear.
However, while getting the fit adjusted and making alterations, a thought struck .
“No, I’ll go ahead and order a bespoke suit as well.”
“But the ti…”
“Thirteen weeks ans about three months, doesn’t it? That’s more than enough.”
Three months later.
By then, I would be quite the public figure.
And a person of status needed attire that matched.
After solving the clothing issue, I also purchased a proper pair of shoes.
And since I was at it, I decided to treat myself and bought a new set of bedding.
“Oh! Are you the shark—”
Another store clerk recognized .
But I preemptively cut her off.
“I’m in a hurry. I’d like to see Egyptian cotton products with a thread count of at least 1,200.”
Bedding was crucial for , as I suffered from severe insomnia.
Ever since my regression, I had been using cheap bedding, which ant it always took at least an hour to fall asleep.
I had planned to buy a proper set at so point, but work kept getting in the way.
So now was the ti to finally get it.
After selecting just a few items, I had sohow already spent nearly $50,000.
‘Should I stop here…?’
If I spent like I did in my past life, I’d be left with nothing.
Pierce’s bonus was $150,000.
After taxes, that left with $95,000.
After shopping, only $45,000 remained.
I decided to put this amount into savings.
And by savings, I ant…
Cryptocurrency.
For now, it was just a small amount.
I was only depositing $3,000 per month.
As I had ntioned before, it would be difficult to fund my dical expenses with cryptocurrency.
To access funds, I’d need to withdraw a large sum all at once, and crypto wasn’t ideal for that purpose.
Besides, I needed clinical trial funds imdiately.
By the end of this year, I had to begin rapamycin trials, and in 2017, I needed to start clinical trials for my own treatnt.
Waiting until crypto hit its peak wasn’t an option.
From what I rembered, Bitcoin briefly hit $20,000 at the end of 2017, then dropped again, only surpassing $50,000 in 2021.
If I waited until then to fund my trials, I would be as good as dead.
So, this wasn’t ant for my dical expenses—just pure savings.
However, there was one critical rule for this savings plan.
It had to remain an absolute secret.
No one around could know that I was investing in cryptocurrency.
‘Just in case I need it.’
If my predictions were correct, I might need a large sum of money around 2020 or 2021.
There might even be a high-stakes auction.
By then, people competing with would erge, trying to match my financial power.
They would estimate my wealth based on my visible assets and prepare just a bit more than that.
This cryptocurrency was my hidden ace.
Imagine this—
My opponent calculates my ammunition down to the last bullet, moving accordingly…
And then, I suddenly pull out a stockpile of hidden bullets?
By that ti, this minor savings plan would have multiplied in value at least 150 tis.
It would be an amount too significant to ignore.
That was my aim.
Victory in battle isn’t determined solely by the quantity of ammunition.
If an opponent accurately gauges my firepower, they can craft an appropriate strategy.
That’s why a secretly prepared trump card can be the decisive factor in a fight.
Of course, this was all a matter for the distant future.
For now, I needed to focus on the present.
Just then—
The long-awaited ssage arrived.
This ti, it was from Pierce.
***
“et the team you’ll be working with in the task force. Introduce yourselves.”
Four unfamiliar faces stood before .
“This is Mia Scott from the Risk Managent Departnt, Ruben Marshall from the PE Group, and Ted Kane from the Legal Team.”
A TF team, or task force team, is a temporary team assembled for a specific purpose.
As I had requested, Pierce ford a TF team for risk managent regarding Theranos and placed in it.
“Sean will handle most of the fieldwork. The rest of you should consider yourselves advisors, providing input as needed.”
Aside from regular etings, these team mbers would continue their usual duties in their respective departnts.
However, if anything urgent arose, I could seek their counsel.
Market risk analysis, regulatory compliance, startup investnt caution, legal consultation—this team covered a broad range of expertise.
“Well then, I’ll leave the rest of the explanation to Sean.”
As Pierce took his seat, I stood up.
“Our client in Goldman’s asset managent division, RP Solutions, has requested strategic consulting.”
RP Solutions was none other than the company founded by David.
In other words, it was a nonprofit subsidiary under the Castleman Foundation.
RP stood for "Rare Path," aning "Solutions for a Rare Path," but…
‘That’s awful.’
Still, it was his choice, so I decided to respect it.
“RP Solutions has already decided to invest $30 million in the startup Theranos and has submitted a term sheet.”
A term sheet is a docunt summarizing the key terms of an agreent.
In other words, David’s company had pledged a $30 million investnt in Theranos.
Of course, this was a planned move.
My strategy required a ‘victim,’ and RP Solutions would play that role.
After my eting with Prescott from the Heritage Group, I had concluded that persuading the existing victims was nearly impossible.
Despite being presented with clear evidence of fraud, he hesitated, intimidated by the reputation of the board mbers.
‘The other victims probably won’t be any different.’
To be blunt, no sane person would willingly comply with my request.
Finding and convincing the existing victims one by one would be a futile waste of ti.
So, the answer was simple—
‘If there isn’t a victim to use, create one.’
That was one of the reasons I had convinced David to establish this company.
“RP Solutions requires due diligence and strategic consulting regarding its investnt in Theranos and has specifically requested risk managent support…”
After my brief explanation, the eting concluded.
Once everyone had left the conference room, Pierce approached .
“Report any progress imdiately.”
For reference, Pierce was the head of this TF team.
“I expect updates on business trips, new risk factors, and schedules—everything.”
“Yes, understood.”
“…”
I had answered obediently, but Pierce’s sharp gaze remained fixed on .
“I’ve been invited to the gala in ten days, where the board mbers will be present.”
“I will submit all relevant matters in report format.”
“Not just reports—send updates via email, imdiately.”
“Yes, understood.”
“…”
Pierce stared at for a mont longer before finally turning away.
‘Did he figure it out?’
Pierce seed to suspect that I had a specific reason for pulling him into this.
However, he likely hadn’t yet grasped the full extent of it.
On the surface, my reason for approaching Pierce was that, as a mber of the M&A division, I didn’t have the freedom to act independently.
But in reality, I had another objective.
I needed to prepare after hearing Raymond’s warning.
— Theranos has top-tier law firms on retainer and frequently initiates lawsuits.
Hols sues anyone who so much as questions Theranos’ actions.
So the mont I start seriously investigating them, I can expect a lawsuit to land on my desk.
And this won’t just be a scare tactic—it could escalate into an actual legal battle.
And in that battle, I must win.
If I lose, I’ll be forced to return all the funds I painstakingly siphoned away.
So the bottom line is…
This fight will inevitably end in court.
I need to prepare accordingly.
‘Which ans acting alone is dangerous.’
If I went at this alone and Hols sent a lawsuit my way, Goldman would likely reprimand just to avoid any complications.
In that case, the jury would only see as a ‘problematic employee who got disciplined by Goldman.’
Worse, it could be misinterpreted as ddling in an unrelated matter out of personal resentnt toward Hols.
‘That would be unacceptable.’
That was precisely why I brought Pierce into this.
I needed to establish legitimacy from the start.
If I acted as a mber of a TF team personally assembled by Pierce—
And if this team was specifically created for Theranos risk managent—
Then my actions would clearly be within the scope of my job.
The jury would see as soone simply doing what needed to be done.
Jury perception was key.
Beyond that, involving Pierce also had practical benefits.
For one, it saved a significant amount of ti and money.
‘I won’t need to hire a lawyer myself.’
To counter Hols’ legal threats, I would need an attorney.
Raymond was too expensive and couldn’t represent due to a conflict of interest.
That ant I would have to find a lawyer myself—an effort that would cost both ti and money.
But if I acted under Pierce’s authority—
Since this team was created by a Goldman executive, Goldman’s legal team would be obligated to handle the case.
Instead of fighting Theranos, Goldman would do it for .
Pierce’s constant talk about ‘debts’ like a loan shark was annoying, but…
Considering the trouble he’d be going through, I figured I could owe him this one.
This lawsuit might beco one of the most high-profile cases in history.
And it would all start with Pierce.
Since he was the one who ford this team, he would be blad when the storm hit.
I could only imagine how much flak he would get from Goldman’s CEO and other executives.
But that was a problem for later.
Right now—
‘I have soone to et.’
I had secured a legal shield.
Now, it was ti to start shaking Theranos for real.
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