Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Sell-Off
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The moment I woke up and checked the exchange app, dozens of sell notification pop-ups were waiting for me.
"It's finally here."
It had only been a week.
The mad race had sprinted across a tower built from the corpses of retail investors and somehow shattered the 40,000% barrier.
Current return: 44,792%
An unreal number.
I'd seen news back in my old world about dog coins or frog coins skyrocketing tens of thousands of percent in days, but actually being the one cashing in felt downright surreal.
I figured it was just a perk of being a transmigrator. Time to dump it all. I never had much greed for money anyway, so stupid thoughts like "just a bit more" never crossed my mind.
I cleanly dumped every last holding I had left.
The poor suckers high on the hype would devour it all and collectively crash... but who held a knife to their throats and forced them to buy? Their choice.
Once I'd literally flung every share into the abyss, my final payout came to over 6.7 billion yen.
"Ha... haha."
670 billion won in Korean currency.
What the hell is this?
I pinched my cheek, but the number of commas on the smartphone screen didn't budge.
Was this a dream or reality? Predicting it and seeing it were worlds apart. It was almost laughable how a tiny cluster of digital digits on this minuscule screen could dictate a person's status and change their life.
Well then, time to withdraw it all.
The second I tapped "Withdraw" without a second thought, my phone rang with an incoming call.
Unknown number.
"Hello?"
- "Good day. This is Tanaka Tairo from Client Asset Management. We've confirmed a withdrawal request from your account for 6.7 billion yen, so I'm calling to verify."
Verify what?
"Ah, yes. That's right. I just dumped everything and was about to withdraw."
- "Congratulations on the successful trade. However, due to the massive amount, there are some procedures you'll need to follow."
"Procedures? Is there more required?"
- "Yes, that's correct, but... a single transfer of this size far exceeds our internal risk limits. To ensure safe payout to you, we recommend splitting it over several days—"
Ah, so that's how it is.
Makes sense. Handing over 6.7 billion yen at once would be a crisis for the exchange. Totally understandable. But this guy's tone rubbed me the wrong way.
When they should be groveling for understanding, he says "procedures you'll need to follow."
I knew crypto exchanges had a thuggish underbelly, but this was blatant arm-twisting.
"Safe? How is delaying my money 'safe'? The real risk is the exchange holding onto it."
His words weren't kind, so mine weren't either.
He paused for a moment before speaking again.
- "You're right, but even for us, processing an astronomical sum like this in one go is difficult."
His words were polite, but the tone screamed, "We're not giving it to you—what are you gonna do about it?"
Have they lost their minds?
For a middling large sum, maybe, but trying to pull this with an astronomical amount like this? They're just digging in their heels.
Let's try talking calmly first.
"I understand, but I have a big stock trade coming up soon. Any way around it?"
That should get through.
But Tanaka showed no sign of budging.
- "Sorry, sir. We don't have any options on our end. Split withdrawals are the best we can do."
No alternatives, no apology in his voice.
As I sat there dumbfounded, he continued.
- "We fully understand your disappointment, but we can't violate regulations. A single transfer could get held up by the bank's money laundering suspicions... plus we have mandatory FSA reporting—"
This guy's pissing me off.
"FSA reporting is your problem. Just admit your liquidity can't handle it. Broke already?"
- "...Sir, that's a misunderstanding. We have internal approval processes, and amounts over the limit need compliance sign-off. If you could just be patient—"
"Patient? Why should I? I sold, but can't cash out? Then this isn't cash—it's an IOU. You're saying the numbers in my account are fake?"
I came on strong, and he coughed awkwardly.
"Cut the crap and get your superior. Desk director or higher."
Why are there so many infuriating people in the world?
- "...Please hold a moment. I'll connect you right away."
Short silence, then a new voice—thicker, colder.
- "Good day. VIP Manager Matsuda Daigo here. I've been briefed on your case. First, I must ask for your understanding, but funds of this scale can't be transferred in one lump sum. Per FSA guidelines, large transfers require reporting, and for the exchange, it's a risk—"
Well, now.
Switches phones and straight to excuses.
"Risk... You're not scared of the FSA—you're scared of your own liquidity drying up, right? If I pull it all now, your cash flow craters. Got some shady investments tying up funds or something?"
Hand over my money, you bastards.
- "...Sir, our exchange operates soundly."
"Soundly? A customer wants his money, and you sic a team to block him? Yeah, I get it—the amount's huge, can't pay all at once. But didn't I tell you? I've got an important stock trade. Still not clicking?"
I heard a short intake of breath.
"No prime brokerage service at your exchange? Why not mention it? Think I wouldn't know? Hiding it on purpose?"
This uses the cash in my exchange account as collateral. Linked brokerage accounts treat my 6.7 billion yen—still digital—as investable margin, letting me trade stocks without withdrawing.
Any team lead at a crypto exchange would know this service cold.
Fine, I get you can't cough up all the cash at once.
But when a mega-whale like me asks for cooperation on urgent stock trades, offering linked services like brokerage is their job.
Acting like this means they think I'm a sucker.
- "..."
"Checked my profile, huh? Figured I'm some dumb 20-year-old who struck it rich on alts overnight... Wrong guy."
"Dumping your problems on the customer is incompetence. Talking directly to someone who made this trade means finding solutions—not repeating 'no, no, wait it out' like parrots."
But even after I finished, all I got was awkward coughs and faint sighs.
"Tch. What about CFD trading? Not offering that either? Or did you ever plan to explain alternatives? Hey, you listening?"
This is arbitrage trading where the exchange trades on my behalf using my account balance. Not ideal.
I wanted to buy and hold actual stocks.
Anyway, it's clear they're offering zero alternatives as a service provider.
"No answer? Cat got your tongue? 6.7 billion yen pocket change?"
- "...Sir. To be frank, pulling this amount at once causes us internal issues. With FSA reporting, we face accountability..."
Parrot bastard.
Keeps yapping about the FSA.
His voice trembled—he knew he was bluffing hopelessly.
Me snapping about illegal fund uses earlier was just me talking shit, but...
Do they actually have that problem?
This desperate stonewalling is shady gambling site territory, not a mid-tier exchange.
I drew my trump card.
She responded sharply, true to form.
Use tools when they're useful.
Meanwhile, the phone speaker droned on with Matsuda or whoever reciting finance laws and refusing payout. I had all the time to wait for Mesui's reply.
- "...Therefore, demanding an astronomical sum like that all at once is unreasonable—"
I cut off the still-chattering Tanaka or whoever with icy words.
"You know Yamaguchi Kenta?"
- "...Pardon?"
"FSA Inspection Bureau Chief Yamaguchi Kenta. Know him?"
The line froze solid.
Dead silence for a while.
- "...Y-you know Director Yamaguchi?"
I chuckled lowly and continued.
"Know him? You idiots... You pulled this thug act without knowing who I am? Total misread. Funny timing—I'm having dinner with Kenta tonight. Got a great story now. Shall we dig? Why's your liquidity in the toilet?"
In truth, I was just a Korean student at the academy, but a power player's name can be stronger than any threat.
Finally, Matsuda Daigo's tone flipped.
- "Terribly sorry, sir. We'll prioritize your request. The institutional sales head will call directly shortly. Please hold—don't hang up."
Should've listened when I was nice.