AsiaTV
"Hello. I'm Lee Sooyoung, assistant manager at Panta Bank's VIP Services Division."
"Ah, yes... Shin Jaewoo."
She looked younger than him. He'd thought she was just nervous, but her delivery was surprisingly crisp and clear. If anything, it was his words that had come out mumbled.
Definitely... she has that elite vibe.
That was his impression of Lee Sooyoung. Jeong Junyoung jumped in with more details.
"If you need any banking services in the future, just contact Assistant Manager Lee here. Think of her as your personal secretary."
Using a bank employee like a personal secretary, even though he wasn't technically a banker himself? Being a Royal Road customer really was something else.
"Of course, you can always reach me directly too. I'll make sure she prioritizes your service above all else."
"Yes, Head Manager."
"Assistant Manager Lee is now your dedicated handler, so she won't need to worry about other duties."
It sounded like she was a full-on personal secretary. Shin Jaewoo was hit with one surprise after another.
"Sooyoung, please escort the customer home."
That jogged his memory.
Oh right. Guess it's time to move.
His current place was a modest two-room apartment, nothing special. He could've afforded better, but he'd planned to find a newlywed home with Kim Hyeju later on.
But those plans are... pointless now.
His ex-girlfriend popped into his head again, for some reason.
Come to think of it...
One house sprang to mind—a place that had once been a pipe dream. But now? It was within reach.
"Yes, Head Manager. Shall we head down, sir?"
Lee Sooyoung's voice snapped him out of it.
"Ah, I can get home on my own."
He couldn't bear the thought of showing her his current digs. Even without any feelings for her.
Does that make me a guy after all?
Shin Jaewoo smirked inwardly. But this wasn't the time for that.
"Huh?"
"Instead..."
Lee Sooyoung looked flustered. Shin Jaewoo turned to her.
"I have one more request."
Jeong Junyoung reacted first. While she was still fumbling from inexperience, he stepped in smoothly.
"A request? Music to my ears. The more trust our VIP places in us, the happier we are. Please, go ahead."
Jeong Junyoung was clearly a pro. With that in mind, Shin Jaewoo spoke up.
"I'm looking for a house."
"A house... Do you mean a primary residence for yourself, sir?"
"Yes."
Shin Jaewoo nodded at Jeong Junyoung's clarifying question. Lee Sooyoung finally caught up, wiping the surprise from her face as she shifted into work mode.
"For your residence... Do you have a specific property in mind? Or if you give us a budget, we can scout options and send you a curated list."
He was curious about her recommendations, but he shook his head.
"I'd love to see a list, but there's one place I really want."
"What would that be, sir?"
Her expression turned all business, like a specialist in her element. Shin Jaewoo recalled the house—and more precisely, Kim Hyeju ogling it.
Thinking back... Hyeju was pretty vain, huh.
Luxury and vanity. Now that the rose-tinted glasses were off, he saw Kim Hyeju for what she was. She might not have chased designer brands outright, but she'd envied them—and drooled over even pricier ones on YouTube.
High-end mansions. Penthouses.
Those were her favorites. And one in particular had stolen her heart.
'Wow, living in a place like this would make me feel like a princess... What do you think, oppa? The view here's insane, right?'
Recalling her words, Shin Jaewoo pulled out his smartphone and queued up the YouTube video.
"This one."
The video Kim Hyeju had always watched.
"Ah, this place..."
Lee Sooyoung recognized it too. Jeong Junyoung nodded with a similar look.
"A beautiful property, isn't it?"
There was an odd nuance in Jeong Junyoung's tone. The white-walled Seongbuk-dong Mansion.
Total lot size: 620 pyeong. Building area: 333 pyeong. Two basement levels, two above ground. Listed at 19 billion won.
"I'd like to snag this as soon as possible."
The real estate agent's number was in the video, so he could've just called them. But honestly? Too much hassle.
"Can you help with the purchase?"
"Of course. Assistant Manager Lee, contact the agent right away."
"...Yes!"
Approved.
"We'll waive our fees for this, including your earlier requests."
Jeong Junyoung assured him. These deals wouldn't generate huge commissions anyway. And while they weren't charging service fees, he'd still cover actual costs like registration, agency fees, and such.
Shin Jaewoo returned to his apartment. Familiarity hit him first—followed by a wave of alienation.
Ah.
Everything from the bank felt like a dream. Panta Bank's VIP Services Division. That secretive lounge.
Though it seemed more for staff than actual customers.
Top-tier clients rarely visited in person, apparently. Anyway, that opulent space. But now he was back in this neighborhood.
"...Feels like I got bewitched."
The thought struck him in his familiar two-room setup. He made a wry face and headed to bed. The tension had worn off, bringing on drowsiness. Wait—no. He'd felt exhausted on the way home, but lying down chased sleep away.
100 billion won annual salary...
Shin Jaewoo sorted his thoughts. This "salary" referred to interest from the Royal Road deposit product. It would deposit quarterly into his existing bank account—not the Royal Road one.
So first payout in...
August. Roughly 2.75 billion won. Interest alone was absurd income. The realization drew a bewildered laugh.
Back when 100 million seemed huge.
Hundreds of millions a year made you rich. Now? He'd get that as "salary"—not even principal income.
And if I really get those 3 trillion in real estate...
He'd heard Seoul rental yields hovered around 2% of property value. That'd mean about 60 billion annually.
Annual income: 70 billion.
Combining Royal Road interest. The sheer scale overwhelmed him. Money he'd never earn in a lifetime—now passive.
He could blow hundreds of millions a month without batting an eye.
"...Insane."
Shin Jaewoo muttered. Hundreds of millions monthly. Tens of billions if the real estate panned out. His monthly haul.
I can splurge hundreds of millions a month now.
Or even billions going forward. No issue. That sparked an idea.
Should I check out AsiaTV?
AsiaTV. Internet streaming, basically. He'd dipped in occasionally before dating Kim Hyeju. Mostly "visual radio"—like variety shows—or StarCraft.
Haven't watched since the college tournament.
Last time was StarCraft too, when it dominated AsiaTV. Major BJ streamers forming Star crews, competing. Viewership hitting 50k, 100k per stream.
They still do Star college leagues, I think.
But those were fan-funded by top BJs. After that, the hype died. He caught updates via YouTubers uploading clips.
These days, everyone's jumping into Excel, right?
Excel Crew. Famous even back then for insane Star Balloon explosions. But niche. People wondered why the donations, and Shin Jaewoo had tried once—stared blankly for half an hour and quit. No clue why anyone would donate; it wasn't that fun.
Anyway.
Wonder what it's like now?
He installed the app. Nothing better to do. Browse a bit, then read some webnovels.
Huh? Seong Jinwoo.
Seong Jinwoo. Someone he'd really liked.