Shut Up and Take My Money
The sky was azure and clear, bathed in warm, generous sunlight.
Here we were in the United States—specifically, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas, nestled deep within the bountiful expanse of North America. Hyung-jun and I had officially set foot on the ultimate cheat map, presided over by Earth’s own server admin.
Stepping through the private terminal gate reserved exclusively for business jets, I nudged my sunglasses up the bridge of my nose and let out an appreciative whistle. “Man, look at that unobstructed view. You can see the horizon in literally every direction. God really handed this server host all the cheat codes.”
“It’s my first time in the States too,” Hyung-jun remarked, trailing right behind me with an equally awed expression. “I’ve gotta admit, it’s pretty damn spectacular.”
We had touched down aboard a private jet dispatched personally by Nylon Musk. Our objective: scout out investment opportunities. This sudden transatlantic expedition had all originated from a phone call with Musk just a few days prior.
“Us… go to America?”
“Yeah! Aren’t you boys practically drowning in excess liquidity these days?”
“Well, I mean… that’s true, but…”
“I’ve got a fantastic investment opportunity lined up. Why not fly over and take a look? It’s practically tailor-made for you.”
“That does sound… somewhat tempting.”
“Then I’ll send my jet to pick you up. Pack your bags! It’s not like you’ve got anything pressing on your plate anyway—just think of it as a luxury vacation in a nice place.”
And just like that, as fast as parching beans over a lightning flash, our trip to America was set in stone.
Truth be told, this journey was something we genuinely needed. According to the balance sheets Hyung-jun had organized for me recently, Arcane Technology was currently sitting on roughly forty-five billion dollars in liquid cash. Compared to our astronomical revenue, we spent virtually nothing, meaning that fortune was multiplying in real time by the second.
Worse still, we had zero avenues for tax write-offs.
Our cost of goods sold converged neatly on zero percent. The executive compensation allocated to Hyung-jun and me was a rounding error against our total revenue. We had gone on a shopping spree snapping up high-end lab equipment under the guise of R&D, but even that barely amounted to a few tens of millions of dollars.
If things continued at this rate, even after scraping together every tax incentive under the sun, we were staring down the barrel of paying a straight twelve percent corporate tax on ninety-five billion dollars of gross sales from Magician.
It was only natural that Hyung-jun had been grumbling non-stop about needing to manufacture expenses—whether through venture investments or corporate acquisitions. Musk had simply reached out and scratched an unbearable itch.
“Haha! Welcome to America, my friends!”
Just outside the gate, Musk stood waiting, throwing his arms wide in welcome.
“Good to see you in person after so long, Techno King,” I replied with a grin. “Judging by how radiant your face looks, life must be treating you pretty well lately.”
“Hahaha! Better than ever! Do you have any idea how much Magician has accelerated our operations?” Musk gave a playful wink. “Not that we’ve officially announced it to the public just yet, of course. Come on, let’s get moving. I’ve arranged a ride.”
A massive, polished limousine waited by the curb. Sinking into its plush leather seats, the vehicle glided forward with effortless grace. Live long enough, and you really do get to see everything—even enjoying this kind of absurd luxury.
“So, Techno King,” Hyung-jun piped up, cutting to the chase. “Where are we headed right now?”
“Your accommodations, of course. You need to wash off the road dust and shake off the jet lag first, don’t you?”
“Well, yes, that makes sense.” Hyung-jun’s expression twitched with faint suspicion, and I felt the exact same way. Since when does Nylon Musk make such sensible, grounded decisions?
Right on cue, before the thought could even settle, Musk dropped his next line.
“And that great investment opportunity I mentioned? It happens to be right there too.”
“Pardon?”
Hyung-jun and I tilted our heads simultaneously. An investment opportunity… inside our hotel? Seeing the giant question marks hovering over our bewildered faces, Musk let out a hearty laugh.
“You’ll understand once we arrive. See it with your own eyes and decide for yourselves.”
Musk brought us to an antique, historic property brimming with the nostalgic grandeur of early twentieth-century America: the Commodore Perry Estate Hotel.
It wasn’t the towering glass-and-steel skyscraper people typically envision when picturing a luxury hotel. Instead, it was a sprawling, two-story Italian Renaissance Revival estate nestled within lush green woodlands. It felt less like a commercial lodging and more like stepping onto the private grounds of a European nobleman’s countryside villa—an architectural marvel of effortless elegance.
“Well? How do you like it? A cookie-cutter skyscraper hotel felt too dull, so I picked something with character.”
“Not dull at all,” I replied honestly. “We love it.”
Had Hyung-jun and I booked this trip ourselves, an estate like this wouldn’t have even crossed our minds. In that regard, I had to give Musk credit for treating us to a novel experience.
“Glad to hear it. The entire estate has been booked out for tonight’s party, so don’t worry about any expenses. Make yourselves at home and relax.”
“A party?”
“Yes, a party.” Musk smirked. “A joint networking event connecting promising deep-tech startups with top-tier venture investors. We’ve invited only thoroughly vetted founders with verified technology, so browsing the floor should be quite entertaining. Even better if you find something worth writing a check for.”
Hyung-jun and I exchanged glances. So that was what he meant by a great investment opportunity. Then again, even if Musk had handpicked a specific startup for us, there was no guarantee it would match our tastes; after all, our philosophy on technology differed wildly from his. In that sense, setting the stage and letting us browse for ourselves was far more considerate.
“Well, it’s bad manners to keep weary travelers on their feet, so I’ll catch you both later. I’ll have the concierge send up your invitations. Look forward to it!”
With that breezy farewell, Musk vanished like a sudden gust of wind.
“Every time I run into that guy, it feels like a category five hurricane just swept through the room.”
“Agreed,” I sighed. The man was a savant at dragging everyone around him into his own orbit. “Still, it’s not like his whirlwind is hurting us. Might as well enjoy the perks.”
“Fair point. Let’s appreciate the five-star lodging and make the most of it.”
After casually dropping our bags in our designated suite, we set out to explore the historic grounds.
After thoroughly exploring the estate’s picturesque courtyards and gardens, night fell over Austin.
Illuminated by warm architectural lighting, the estate took on a dramatic, romantic aura distinctly different from its daytime charm. Inside the grand ballroom, crystal chandeliers glittered overhead, casting a radiant glow over impeccably dressed ladies and gentlemen clinking champagne flutes and conversing in quiet, melodic tones.
The joint networking gala Musk had promised was officially underway. Hyung-jun and I, clad in tailored suits we had prepared in advance, stepped into the hall.
The atmosphere reeked of effortless, generational prestige. Even to an untrained eye like mine, everyone mingling here carried the undeniable swagger of someone who moved markets. Their polished poise and understated elegance radiated a subtle, intimidating aura that felt distinctly out of reach for an ordinary commoner like me.
Fortunately, I wasn’t suffering alone.
“Man… this is rough,” muttered the guy standing right next to me.
“Give me a break. You’re a born silver-spoon chaebol heir who’s been to a million high-society galas. What’s got you trembling in your boots?”
“We don’t have galas like this in Korea!” Hyung-jun hissed back defensively. “Besides, when it comes to rolling with the real global power players, even my family’s pedigree doesn’t make the cut. I haven’t even heard rumors about what goes on inside the absolute top inner circles.”
“So this is that mythical ‘inner circle’ everyone talks about?”
“Pretty much.”
Grabbing a glass of champagne each, we quietly drifted toward an unoccupied corner of the hall. Watching the crowd from the periphery, I noticed a few scattered individuals trying and failing to breach the invisible forcefields surrounding the wealthy titans, retreating with sunken shoulders and intimidated expressions. Are those the tech startup founders looking for funding?
A strange pang of sympathy welled up inside me. Maybe I’d wander over later and ask them what kind of tech they were developing.
Looking at the ballroom this way, the social hierarchy was laid bare in stark relief: those who held the power to choose, and those desperate to be chosen. From the raw yearning in their eyes to the effortless composure of the elite, the dynamic mirrored the grand banquets held by high nobility back in my previous world. Old memories of my life as a mage resurfaced, souring my mood just a fraction.
“Where the hell did Musk run off to anyway? He invited us here and told us to catch him later, and now he’s nowhere to be seen.”
“Probably off working the room with other VIPs. He basically hosted the whole event. Give it time, he’ll pop up.”
As we stood there sipping champagne to kill time, a voice suddenly chimed in from beside us.
“Excuse me. I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Are you gentlemen new invitees to the circle?”
Turning around, we found a well-groomed, middle-aged Caucasian gentleman smiling warmly, a sleek business card case resting in his hand.
“Ah, yes, that’s right,” Hyung-jun answered politely, stepping forward into his PR persona. “The atmosphere is a little unfamiliar to us, so we were just taking it in from the sidelines.”
The man’s smile deepened with affable understanding as he smoothly withdrew a card from his case and offered it across. “Completely understandable for your first time. I’m David Miller, head of venture capital investments at BlackRock.”
“BlackRock…? Ah, pardon my manners. I’m Kim Hyung-jun, CEO of Arcane Technology. And this is our CTO, Park Ji-hyuk.”
Hyung-jun and I retrieved our own cards and handed them over. Mr. Miller slipped them into his fingers without glancing down, maintaining polite eye contact as he pressed on.
“So, have you had much success networking tonight? I’d love to hear more about your proprietary technology. It feels a bit shameless to toot our own horn, but BlackRock truly offers an unrivaled incubator ecosystem for emerging tech.”
“Well… about that…” Hyung-jun trailed off, wearing a visibly conflicted grimace.
This guy had completely misunderstood our presence here, assuming we were just another hungry startup looking to pitch for seed money. Honestly, I couldn’t blame him. Even to my own eyes, our awkward wallflower aura looked far more like desperate supplicants than high-rolling investors.
Still, best to clear up the confusion right away.
“We’re well aware that BlackRock is the premier investment firm in the world,” I said with an easy smile. “However, we didn’t come here seeking capital. We came to deploy it. We’re currently looking for promising ventures to invest in.”
Mr. Miller’s eyebrows arched in mild surprise. “Oh? Is that so? What particular sectors are you currently looking at?”
Man, this guy is persistent.
“Lately, our attention has been drawn toward next-generation energy storage,” I explained casually. “Now that commercial solid-state battery mass production is becoming an immediate reality, related peripheral technologies have been surging into the limelight. We figured this would be the perfect time to unearth the next Arcane Technology…”
Miller’s voice cut off abruptly. He tilted his head, blinking twice in rapid succession. “…Arcane Technology?”
His gaze dropped to the business cards resting in his palm. He read the embossed lettering once. Twice. And then—
“ARCANE TECHNOLOGY?!”
An earth-shattering bellow tore from his throat.
Every single head in our vicinity whipped toward us in an instant. Within seconds, the shockwave of that cry rippled across the entire ballroom.
“Did he say Arcane Technology…?”
“The outfit that engineered Magician?!”
“The founders of Arcane Technology are here? In Austin?!”
“So that’s what Nylon Musk meant when he teased an unbelievable surprise!”
The ambient murmur of polite chatter swelled into a deafening roar of astonishment. Uh oh. This is getting way out of hand.
I jabbed my elbow hard into Hyung-jun’s ribs. ‘I think we’re utterly screwed.’
‘Not think,’ Hyung-jun flashed back with wide, terrified eyes. ‘We ARE screwed.’
Like iron filings drawn to a massive electromagnet, the crowd began converging on our corner from every direction. The tension ratcheted up by the millisecond until a sudden shout broke the dam, turning the refined Renaissance ballroom into a chaotic fish market.
“Oh my god! You’re the CEO of Arcane Technology?! It is an absolute honor! I’m with Sequoia Capital—”
“Please, speak with us first! We would love to discuss an equity investment round. Andreessen Horowitz has been following your work—”
“We heard about the equity stake granted to the AATF! Do you have any plans to open your next funding round to institutional partners? Goldman Sachs can offer—”
It was absolute, unadulterated pandemonium.
Just moments ago, their gazes had dismissed us as inexperienced greenhorns from the Far East looking for handouts. Now, that condescension had completely inverted into unbridled awe, ravenous curiosity, and burning lust for an investment allocation.
To sum it up in internet terms, the entire room was screaming a single, unanimous demand:
Shut up and take my money!
A blizzard of embossed business cards thrust toward our chests from every angle, practically suffocating us in cardstock. Nope, absolutely not. We’re gonna get trampled to death at this rate!
“Hey! Move, move!”
I grabbed Hyung-jun by the forearm and hauled him behind me like a battering ram.
“Excuse us! Please direct all investment inquiries to our official press email! We’re coming through!”
Dodging an unrelenting barrage of pitch decks and business cards, we fought desperately through the sea of Armani suits and evening gowns, clawing our way toward the exit. A chorus of desperate shouts hailed down behind our backs, but we didn’t possess an ounce of mental bandwidth to acknowledge them.
Bursting through the double doors, we collapsed out onto the outdoor terrace.
Fortunately, the terrace was secluded, cool, and blessedly free of human traffic. Breathing a ragged sigh of relief, Hyung-jun and I slumped into a pair of patio chairs.
“Ugh… what a total disaster.”
“Tell me about it,” Hyung-jun wheezed, wiping his brow. “I’m used to getting swarmed by bloodthirsty journalists, but having global venture capitalists mob us like boyband fans? I never saw that coming.”
“That’s what happens when you spend all your time cooped up in the lab like a shut-in.”
Groaning, I peeked through the glass doors back into the ballroom. Thankfully, none of the venture vultures seemed inclined to chase us out onto the patio. We were finally safe to catch our breath and enjoy the night air.
Leaning back, I loosened my necktie with a weary tug.
“So what’s the plan now? At this rate, we can’t even dip our toes into browsing for startups.”
“Seriously. Why is it so ridiculously hard for us to just spend our own damn money?”
“Should we just buy a fleet of company supercars, a couple of private jets, and a million-acre plot of land for a new research campus?”
“Honestly? That sounds fantastic. Let’s do it first thing tomorrow.”
As Hyung-jun and I traded half-baked nonsense to blow off steam, a peculiar gloom drifted over from the adjacent table.
Two men, looking unmistakably like ‘our kind’—the deep-tech engineering breed—sat huddled over their drinks in mournful silence, their faces as pale and defeated as if they were attending a wake. Reading the room, the diagnosis was painfully obvious: a pair of exhausted founders who had completely struck out with the investors inside.
A sudden spark of genuine curiosity ignited in my chest.