Chapter 121
We were back on the road after Yeonhee overcame her sensory expansion side effects after reaching D-rank in Perception. All my stats and many of Yeonhee’s had become D cla.s.s, along with a number of traits and skills. While I had not gotten a reward for being the first D cla.s.s awakened, Yeonhee had gotten a Master Box for being the second E cla.s.s awakened.
I was wearing the item she had gotten as a necklace.
[Emperor Han’s Scimitar (Item) – Effect: It can be worn as a ring or a medal medallion. Physical Attack: 712 Magic damage absorption: 9400/9400 Cla.s.s: A] (EN: Um…I didn’t realize this until now. It seems that our very excellent translator has translated “medallion” as “medal”. As I’m thinking over 50 chapters have this error, this is impractical to go back and fix. Also, there is the possibility that in a few spots, the author meant “medal”. @[email protected] So, Dear Readers, please be kind when re-reading older chapters. ^_^ )
When Yeonhee’s Night Eyes skill became D cla.s.s, and her Perception reached D rank, she could also see things in numbers. She asked me a question.
“How can life be digitized?”
It seemed that she misunderstood things from being able to see offensive/defensive strength in numbers.
“You are right. Even the system cannot digitize life as there are innumerable variables.”
“But…?”
“When you go into high-cla.s.s dungeons, there are monsters with protective barriers.”
Yeonhee looked at the ring on her hand that could absorb up to 1000 physical damage.
“The numbers on items are all about protective barriers. We’re not really computer game characters that can still fight with 1 HP and die at 0, even if it seems like that sometimes. It is far more complex than that.”
“However, if barriers become the norm…”
“Then, things start to resemble computer games even more.”
Yeonhee needed to know only up to here, and I did not expand my explanation to fights between Awakened. High-rank hunter fights began after the barriers were nullified, but that was for the future.
**
I had come back to Korea since I had to take my qualification exams. I arrived two days before the test with gifts for my parents. (EN: Chapters 92, 114)
“I’m at the airport.”
-Why didn’t you tell me when you landed? I have to prepare a meal. You’re coming home now, right? Did you call Father?
“I will right after this call. I’ll see you at home.”
Yeonhee looked at me with warm eyes, after hearing my side of the call, and I was grateful she did not seem sad. I had returned to Korea after four months abroad and had heard that Korea had overcome the IMF Crisis on the way here. Things had speeded up compared to my past life.
I met Yeonhee again after I took my exams, and she was wearing a skirt.
“Look, I had it made in a shop.”
She raised her skirt quite up to show me a dagger sheathed in her thigh.
“Yes, but the view’s showing me other things…” (EN: ^_^ )
“Ah!”
I gave her a doc.u.ment I had prepared as Yeonhee smoothed her skirt down.
[Foreign Currency Deposit Certificate (Blank) Payment at Maturity: USD $20,000,000
Period: 1 year. Maturity Date: April 7th, 2001…]
“What is this?”
“Have you heard of something called unregistered bonds, or bearer bonds?”
(EN: A bearer bond is a bond or debt security issued by a business ent.i.ty such as a corporation or a government. As a bearer instrument, it differs from the more common types of investment securities in that it is unregistered—no records are kept of the owner, or the transactions involving ownership.)
“Is this it?”
“It’s for you. This is your pay for 23 out of 25 dungeons, as I had gone solo in two.”
“What?”
“Take this to your accounting firm, and they’ll explain it to you. Sell this in the market and don’t wait a year to pay taxes, pay them right away to avoid trouble. You should do this now.”
Yeonhee looked at the doc.u.ment like it was on fire and held it as such.
“It seems criminal…I’m not doing anything bad, right?”
“Don’t be afraid of it.”
“I mean, the amount…”
“The money’s clean. We will be going to j.a.pan in a week…”
That was when my cell phone rang.
**
Jonathan was banging on his keyboard, as Sunhoo had not answered back when he checked his email. He had sent his driver to Seoul after not being able to contact him for weeks. Jonathan rumpled his hair in irritation and shouted.
“Send Brian up!”
The problem was that things were going too well according to Sunhoo’s plans. The Texas Governor was nominated as the Republican presidential candidate. The oil market was steady. The dotcom crash made the FED lower the standard interest.
(EN: The Federal Reserve System, often referred to as the Federal Reserve or simply “the Fed,” is the central bank of the United States. It was created by the Congress to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system.)
Sunhoo’s long-term proposal had been detailed, and his short-term one had listed the firms Jonathan would need to buy shares in. That has not been difficult, but Jonathan’s headache came from what Brian was suggesting in order to maximize the long-term profit. Brian came in.
“I recognize the necessity.”
“We need to go into banking.” It was Brian’s job to keep pushing, despite Jonathan’s seeming reluctance.
“Is it really necessary?”
“If we lower estimates, we do not need to.”
“Don’t.”
Sunhoo’s proposal had been perfect, and it was Jonathan’s job to make the best of it.
“If we’re interested in the real estate markets, we have to go into banking to make mortgage loan products. You know that.”
Brian’s expression was dogged as they had been going over the same thing over and over again.
“I will speak frankly. I do not understand why you’re so hesitant. We have almost nothing to lose when thinking of the profits we may earn by going into banking.”
Brian looked at Jonathan’s face and saw something that made him push harder.
“Jonathan, our group has to go into banking.”
Brian showed the same report on the planned mortgage products that he had shown in previous meetings. One product branched out to tens of others, and they gathered together to make another product which branched out…
It was magic, and while Brian had not been the sole brain behind this, he had been the one to lead this project.
“Our group has to lead before other groups go in.”
“I need to think things over.”
Jonathan looked at the report again after Brian went out. The numbers were still alluring, and there would be almost no risk if they stepped back before the real estate bubble burst. He got gooseb.u.mps at realizing he was thinking of such things even before they were happening. Jonathan looked at his phone again and called Sunhoo.
-h.e.l.lo?
Jonathan stood up in reflex and stuttered for a moment before gulping a sip of water.
“When…when are you going to send an answer?”
-Banking?
“Yes!”
-No answer means to wait. It’s not been that long since we fought with the government.
Jonathan could not agree to Brian’s proposal because he had been warned by the government continuously not to go into banking.
“I know, but I can’t let other pigs grab this opportunity.”
-Just wait for a little while.
“Until when?”
-When no one can touch us.
“There’s more?”
-I can’t talk about this over the phone or by email. You will know soon enough, so trust me and wait. What about the short-term items?
“We’re buying from those that had fallen the sharpest.”
-Right, buy as much as you can. Don’t forget I wrote the long-term proposal as a list of things that should be prepared in advance. Focus on the short-term first. If you do well, our group will be called an empire. Try your best.
Jonathan sat back in his chair and thought things over. He now knew that Sunhoo would not be satisfied with grabbing a few markets in North America, and the thought chilled him. Sunhoo was planning to take over the world to Jonathan’s eyes. The terrifying thing was that it seemed like a probable future. (EN: Recommended music track reading this chapter: Tears for Fears-EveryBody Wants to Rule the World. ^_^ )