Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Preparations for Preparation
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Something only I can do.
Obviously, it wouldn't be business.
Even if I wanted to do something like Yeon-a, I knew all too well that it wasn't my domain.
"This is tough..."
I scribbled various ideas in my memo app, but nothing solid came to mind.
In the end, what I could do boiled down to something involving money.
Doing things others couldn't easily afford with money—that would be something only I could pull off.
"But... does it have to be work?"
What if it wasn't business or a job? What if it was just something fun I could enjoy—wouldn't that count as something only I could do?
Shifting my perspective a bit, ideas started popping up one by one.
'Talk about a bucket list.'
I remembered back in middle school when the school showed us a movie and had everyone write down things they wanted to do.
What had I written back then?
It wouldn't come to me.
'That was ages ago.'
So I decided to start fresh and jot them down one by one.
"First... overseas travel."
I'd never been abroad even once.
No time, no money.
Now I had plenty of both, so anywhere was fair game.
"Buying a whole building right now... that'd be too easy."
I'd thought about snapping up a building and rearranging the shops inside however I liked.
I never imagined it'd become possible like this.
'...The more I write, the more keep coming.'
Fun fantasies bubbling up one after another.
I wanted to properly learn a musical instrument.
Take singing lessons too.
Head to the countryside for a laid-back farming life.
Or open a trendy cafe in the heart of the city.
Whatever it was.
'Nothing's impossible.'
As long as money allowed it, I could do it all.
Of course, some things on my list I couldn't do alone, but now I had Yeon-a by my side.
And doing stuff like this would naturally lead to making friends, right?
By the time I'd jotted down everything that came to mind, my phone's memo app was packed.
Some were pipe dreams like buying my own plane or helicopter, but they were all doable.
'Still, don't I need even more money for that stuff?'
Listing them out made me think I should earn a bit more anyway.
'To make all this happen.'
They say money begets money.
The cash I had now held the potential to generate even more.
'I could just let it sit in the bank and collect interest steadily...'
But blowing through it wildly might burn through even the interest faster than expected.
For the future, maybe I should invest wisely step by step.
Of course, I had no intention of doing it myself.
'So the first thing I need to do is...'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ —Ding-dong, ding-dong
With the cheerful chime, the next customer took a seat in front of Park Ha-na.
"What can I help you with today?"
Jet-black long hair, a pretty face.
Judging by her clothes, she was from a well-off family.
Her face looked a bit youthful, but coming to a securities firm alone meant she was probably an adult.
Park Ha-na smiled brightly as she asked, and the customer in front of her spoke up with an awkward gaze.
"I... came to sign up for a fund."
A fund.
Better returns than bank interest, but safer than diving into stocks or crypto yourself.
Still, even "safe" funds carried investment risks.
But since pros at a securities firm handled it, everyone agreed it was more stable and expert.
'Definitely different from the old days.'
Young investors had been surging lately.
Savings rates weren't cutting it anymore, and even fixed deposits weren't as popular as before.
As individual investors grew, so did fund subscribers proportionally.
This woman seemed like one of them.
'Young, loaded, and playing it smart.'
Ha-na felt a twinge of admiration and responded kindly.
"Sure thing, I'll help you with that. Could I see your ID?"
"Yes."
Taking the ID, Ha-na examined it closely.
Choi Yeon-bi, 21 years old.
Seeing that young age made it even more impressive.
'Rich folks are on another level.'
"All verified. So, what's your goal with the fund? Mind sharing your investment amount and target returns?"
"Um... stable asset growth. Nothing sky-high, just something I can invest in long-term."
Stable asset growth.
Ha-na nodded as she listened.
She tapped away at her keyboard, pulling up safe products.
While searching, she asked one more thing.
"Any ballpark figure in mind for the investment amount?"
Choi Yeon-bi paused at the question.
Ha-na smiled faintly, figuring it might be too small to say comfortably.
'Cute.'
But her answer was the last thing Ha-na expected.
"About... 100 billion."
"Yes~ 100 billion... wait...? 100 billion?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I stepped into the securities firm, drawing stares from everyone.
I was used to it by now, so it didn't faze me much.
"Right this way, Ms. Choi Yeon-bi."
Still, entering a place packed with such high-profile people made me feel a little shrunk.
'Was it always this crowded...?'
Just four people in sight, but each one radiated intensity.
"Please, have a seat. I'm the branch manager, Kim Tae-jin. These folks will handle your investment consultation."
"PB Executive Lee Yoon."
"Tax Accountant Ji Seo-hyun. Nice to meet you."
"Hello."
I'd read online that big investors got dedicated teams.
I figured it'd be fine, but experiencing it firsthand was still nerve-wracking.
'Even knowing what to expect, it hits different when it's real.'
Obviously, this beat showing up clueless.
At least I knew who these people were and what the firm was thinking.
Funds.
Simply put, handing my money to investment pros to grow it steadily.
Every field has its experts.
No money? Do it yourself. But with plenty? No need to handle everything.
Housework gets outsourced to maids these days—investing naturally has pros too.
Especially since I didn't trust myself here.
Zero experience in investing or finance.
Studying to study experts.
Investing to investment experts.
Way safer than fumbling with half-baked knowledge.
'Of course... I lowballed at 100 billion out of fear...'
I'd spent freely, but not on that scale.
Honestly, I was still second-guessing.
Maybe 10 billion would've been better...
No way a total newbie could dump 100 billion without sweating.
'But... I'm used to spending big now.'
Partly that, but mostly because even after 100 billion.
480 billion remained.
Still absurd no matter how I sliced it.
Anyway.
After all the agonizing, I committed the 100 billion.
'Let's grow it well.'
With that thought, I cautiously settled into the sofa.
The others sat after me.
"Coffee or green tea?"
"Ah... coffee, please."
A staffer standing by darted out at the request.
Then the three across from me turned their full attention my way.
A bit jittery, I glanced at the desk stacked with documents. The branch manager spoke first.
"We're truly grateful you're entrusting us with the fortune you've built through investing."
I nodded lightly.
It sounded ridiculous.
But in their eyes, I was a stock and crypto success story.
I'd checked to make sure my funds weren't flagged as dirty money—turns out it was all legit gains from stocks, coins, and such.
'Mind-blowing.'
Investment master Choi Yeon-bi, who'd never invested a dime.
Clean, verified post-tax 500 billion.
That's why I felt safe coming here for funds.
Anyway, the manager's praise and thanks didn't stop there.
After coffee arrived amid compliments for feats I hadn't done, we dove into funds proper.
"We heard you want stable fund management. Any specific products in mind?"
"Funds are new to me..."
"Understood. We'll keep it simple. First, take a look at these..."
Hearing the rundown reinforced it.
Investing to the experts.
A 500-billion investor needing basics might seem odd.
But no grounds to nitpick, so no issue.
'They'd find zero dirt anyway.'
It really hit how scary sudden windfalls were.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In the end, I invested about 120 billion.
100 billion in stable products yielding 3-5% annually.
15 billion in sector funds, the remaining 5 billion in hedge funds.
With 500 billion total, this might seem peanuts.
'First time dropping this much...'
Couldn't help the fear.
I knew investments could go negative, not just positive.
Cautiously.
If the 100 billion grew nicely, I could scale up.
My goal wasn't some grand trillion anyway.
Just keep living this life, doing what I want.
'Plenty already, though.'
Thrilled and amused at my own "financial planning," I left the firm in high spirits.
And that very evening.
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A super light heart.
Bucket list items lined up, investments made—confidence overflowing.
Today, tackling the first one.
None other than.
"Amusement park after forever."
"Yeon-bi best~"
"Whoa, park pass... I can really take it?"
VIP passes for legal line-cutting, rides galore.
Alone would've been boring, so I dragged Yeon-a and the models.
'This'll be fun.'
Had my heart raced like this en route to a park before?
Felt like a kid again.
"All aboard? Let's roll!"
With that, Yeon-a hit the van's accelerator.