Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend

Chapter 164

Translator: Dreamscribe“CEO-nim. This is the next list.”

“There’s more?”

“Yes. I think I now understand why Cyclone was struggling with a financial crisis. There are just too many unnecessary teams.”

After acquiring Cyclone, we officially began a full-scale overhaul.

The problem was that every time the Department Head brought over a list, it was covered in red names.

I had no idea there were this many teams in the company that were unnecessary.

No wonder the operation had been such a mess.

“But CEO-nim, looking at the list you returned... if we let go of this many employees, we won’t have enough people to keep things running. Wouldn’t that be critical to game operations...?”

There were indeed a lot of teams, and a lot of useless surplus staff, but even so, my intuitions were clear and unshakable.

I was drawing red lines through every name I saw.

“If we don’t do it now, we’ll never have another chance. Don’t you think we have to cut off all the rotten branches to keep the company running? And didn’t you say before that we should use the developers from the startups we acquired?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. So I’ve brought an additional list related to that.”

I looked over the list the Department Head handed me.

Until just now, I had been looking at a list completely painted in red, but now it felt like my eyes were being cleansed.

There were even a few names here that sparkled with golden light.

“How’s the situation with the startups right now?”

“It’s ambiguous. No, I should say it’s difficult. The US government keeps raising interest rates. Because of that, investors aren’t showing up, and since it’s hard to get loans too, startups are getting wiped out left and right.”

When the US government had implemented zero interest rates to boost the domestic economy, it was truly a boom era for startups.

Especially with the IT startup craze, a massive amount of money had flowed in.

But as the IT bubble burst, the startups were going down with it.

People had come to realize something.

That more than half of all startups were scams designed to steal investment money.

“But if there are real ones among them, they’ll definitely help our company. Plus, since many of these companies can’t function anymore, we might even be able to acquire them for a bargain.”

“And then we absorb the capable developers on our side?”

“Yes. The Chairman specifically instructed the Strategy Team to identify top talent, so they’ve already analyzed each startup.”

In other words, this was a list that had already gone through a filter.

No wonder they all seemed to emit a good light.

It was thanks to the HQ staff who had stepped in.

And more than anything, hyungnim was paying close attention to this matter as well.

After all, wasn’t this the game company our guild members were playing from?

“.......”

I checked off only the ones on the list that gave off good vibes.

But there were more good ones than I had expected, it even made me wonder if it was okay to acquire all of them.

'Good things are good things.'

Had my intuitions ever recommended something strange before?

I diligently continued checking through the list.

“Please purchase all the companies that are marked here.”

“They’re startups, sure... but there are quite a few.”

“Yes. Buy all of them if possible and have them immediately integrated into our company.”

“Understood. I’ll proceed with that request. Also, CEO-nim, Sentinel is trying to establish a base in Europe, but it seems the EU side is strongly opposed.”

We receive regular reports from Sentinel.

But the reports are always concise.

They just say things like they successfully defended against pirates during the recent security operations, without properly reporting the damage status or any other current details.

However, based on what I’ve heard from the shipping sector, ever since Sentinel began properly cooperating with the Nigerian military, they haven’t suffered a single loss from pirates.

So I stopped asking questions.

Because I believed they would handle things well on their own.

Wasn’t it also because of my intuitions that I hired those people?

“But recently, not just criminal organizations but pirates as well are moving freely between Africa and Europe, so establishing a base is becoming essential. That way, we can request help from the military when passing through certain national waters.”

“Isn’t this something that benefits Europe too? We’re voluntarily offering to provide security, even for ships that aren’t our own.”

“Yes, of course it’s beneficial for Europe as well. But it seems they’re extremely reluctant because it could be viewed as a military issue. Above all, there’s someone called Never Kylie, the Vice President of the EU, who is strongly opposed to it.”

Vice President Never Kylie is Greek.

And the location where our Sentinel is trying to establish a base is Greece.

That’s probably why the opposition is the strongest from that side.

“What is Sentinel saying about it?”

“They said they’ll do everything they can to establish a base in Europe.”

Since they said they’ll do their best, I had no intention of interfering.

Even if they fail, just the fact that shipping is currently operating safely makes me think Sentinel is fulfilling its role.

“Then I’ll go ahead and submit the documents, CEO-nim.”

“Yes.”

Just as I was about to send the Department Head off, the news I saw this morning suddenly came to mind.

“Oh. Wait a moment, Department Head.”

“Yes?”

“Did you watch the news this morning?”

“Yes. I check it every day.”

“Then you must have seen the news about China.”

“China?”

The Department Head shifted his gaze briefly.

“Ah. Are you talking about the Sichuan Province incident?”

“Yes. I heard there was a pretty big earthquake this time.”

The headline on the news this morning was about the earthquake in Sichuan Province.

A magnitude 7 earthquake had triggered a massive landslide, resulting in a natural disaster with over 1,000 deaths.

More than 100,000 people had suddenly lost their homes and become disaster victims.

Maybe because I saw such news first thing in the morning, it kept lingering in my mind.

Moreover, judging from how my intuitions reacted to that news, perhaps it meant there are many people there in desperate need of help.

“Contact the Kwangwoon Foundation and ask them to provide assistance in that area.”

“Yes. That’s a good idea. Especially since our Kwangwoon is currently working with the US on the semiconductor project and giving the impression of checking China. Sending volunteers along with donations might help a little in restoring relations.”

“That would be nice, but even if that’s not the case, just tell the Foundation to handle it with care.”

“Yes, CEO-nim.”

South Korea is considered one of the countries that dislike China the most, but that doesn’t mean we’re cold enough to turn our backs on people in need.

Only by helping when we can will we receive help when we’re the ones in trouble, that’s what humanity is about.

***

“Startups?”

“Yes. After Cyclone was handed over to Kwangwoon, they carried out a large-scale restructuring, right? So many personnel were cut that people were concerned about whether the company could even operate. To make up for that shortage, they tried to fill the gap with startups.”

Wall Street had been watching Kwangwoon’s moves very closely this time.

They were nervous, wondering why Kwangwoon had suddenly acquired a large game company like Cyclone and what kind of sinister plan they were plotting this time to shake up the financial market.

"Are they really serious about gathering startups to develop games?"

“Yes. At first, we thought so too, but the way things are unfolding now seems unusual.”

Reynold, Director of Gold Reagan, tilted his head.

“Because they acquired a large number of startups?”

"Yes. On the surface, it might really look like this is for game development. What Kwangwoon is pushing right now is XPT and KW Coin, isn't it? They're trying to integrate these two into games to create a new system."

“Right. So they’re gathering startups to develop that.”

“Yes. But as I said before, that’s just a justification. The real goal seems to be aimed elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere? Where?”

“Silicon Valley Bank.”

“What?”

Silicon Valley Bank is a major bank with assets totaling 300 billion dollars.

It’s also directly tied to the U.S. tech industry ecosystem.

“Why there?”

“All the startups’ money is concentrated in SVB, but now that Kwangwoon has started absorbing all these startups, massive funds are being withdrawn. Because of this, our Gold Reagan and other firms are urgently notifying clients to pull their money out of SVB as well.”

“Wait a second. Are you saying there’s going to be a bank run? At that huge bank?”

“It’s not impossible. As U.S. interest rates have gone up, the prices of the bonds SVB invested in have all plummeted, causing enormous losses. And now, with all the startups being acquired by Kwangwoon withdrawing their funds, the sudden wave of withdrawals has become unmanageable.”

Only then did Reynold begin to grasp what was happening.

Still, could a bank as large as Silicon Valley Bank really face a bank run?

“Our forecast is that, starting today, crowds of customers will rush to withdraw their deposits, and a bank run could happen as soon as this week.”

So Kwangwoon’s sudden acquisition of a game company…

Was this the real reason behind it?

“No way. Why on earth would Kwangwoon target SVB...”

But even a moment of thought made the reason clear.

“Isn’t it because of KW Coin? They’re trying to raise the value of the currency they’re pushing by toppling a bank and devaluing other currencies.”

Crashing SVB alone wouldn’t be enough to devalue global currency.

In fact, if currency values drop, KW Coin, which is tied to the dollar, could suffer too.

But what if one looked at the bigger picture?

If they topple banks one after another, continuously devalue other currencies, and only KW Coin maintains its value?

“Don’t tell me these crazy bastards seriously intend to make KW Coin the greatest currency in the world?”

***

“So that’s why she looked familiar. It really was this woman.”

Anthony smiled in satisfaction as he reviewed the documents received from his informants.

“But, Director, if this blows up, the impact could be bigger than expected.”

“Of course it will be. If this hits the media, everyone’s going to go crazy calling it ‘Qatar Gate’.”

Qatar Gate.

It hadn’t made major headlines yet, but once it did, that’s surely what people would start calling it.

That’s how massive the scale was.

“When Qatar hosted the World Cup, there were many who initially boycotted it, but now we know there was a reason they all suddenly changed their stance.”

“This is why oil money is so terrifying. With unlimited money, they just bribed people into silence.”

Qatar had been the center of controversy even before the World Cup began.

Especially the treatment of laborers like slaves, which raised serious human rights concerns.

Some countries even declared a boycott, but then everything quietly faded away as if nothing happened.

And now, it turned out there was a reason behind all of it.

Qatar had thrown around massive sums of money to ensure the World Cup’s success.

Among those involved was the Vice President of the EU.

“Not sure if we should call it luck, or if HQ deliberately set up this weak point. Either way, once this explodes, the biggest obstacle blocking Sentinel’s European expansion will be gone.”

“Yes. We’ve already sent the materials to various European media outlets. And we also handed over extensive documents to the Belgian side, who’s in charge of the EU’s investigation.”

With overwhelming, indisputable evidence and media pressing the issue, the EU wouldn’t be able to just let it slide.

Then the Vice President who was blocking Sentinel’s expansion would have no choice but to step down, and Sentinel would quietly establish a base in Greece, using the chaos to expand its power into Europe.

“Make sure this explodes for real. Don’t let them escape. And make it as loud and messy as possible, at least until we finish securing our foothold in Europe.”

“Yes.”

“What about the higher-ups? We submitted a concise report.”

“Ah. There were no special instructions.”

No instructions whatsoever.

That could only mean one thing.

Do as you see fit.

They’re watching everything we’re doing anyway.

“But there is one issue.”

“What issue?”

“After our report went in, HQ suddenly gave orders for the Kwangwoon Foundation to send staff to China.”

“China?”

“Yes. There was a major earthquake recently in Sichuan Province, right? They’re organizing volunteers along with donations to help rebuild the villages that were wiped out by the landslides.”

Anthony stroked his chin.

What kind of place was the Kwangwoon Foundation again?

A charity?

An organization that helps the poor?

If you really believe that, you’re an idiot.

Kwangwoon’s scholarship foundation does not exist to help anyone.

It’s merely a tool to realize Kwangwoon’s meticulous and sinister plans.

That place is filled with devils wearing the mask of angels.

“And now they’re suddenly going to China...?”

A thought flashed through Anthony’s mind.

“Start selecting people we can deploy to China right now.”

“Huh?”

“Why do you think the Kwangwoon Foundation is suddenly heading to China? Do you really think it’s to offer a helping hand? While Kwangwoon is currently teaming up with the U.S. to beat down China?”

“Ah. Then, don’t tell me...”

“They’re opening the way for us to enter China. Just like in Africa. Of course, we can’t release mercenaries under the pretense of security like we did in Africa.”

“Instead, we can disguise them as volunteers and infiltrate quietly.”

“Exactly. Anyone in this field knows what kind of place Sichuan Province is, right? It’s a very well-known Chinese military region. Sending volunteers there, what else could that mean? Kwangwoon wants to infiltrate us into the Chinese military zone.”

Sichuan Province houses numerous Chinese military bases.

In particular, it is a strategic military stronghold where secret special forces and the strategic command operate together.

Planting spies in a place like that is an excellent move.

“Kwangwoon is slowly taking control of the U.S. right now. But to seize global hegemony, America alone won’t be enough.”

“The Chinese front... it’s going to be pretty tough.”

“That’s why veterans like us are needed, right? Weapons that can run wild without legal restrictions.”

Africa, Europe, and now even China.

Kwangwoon’s claws were reaching out more boldly than ever.

Maybe that’s why.

This very moment felt far more thrilling than even when he worked at the CIA.