And 7 million won returned to me as 7 million won.
What does this mean, you ask? It means just that. The Emperor returned exactly 7 million won to me a few days later.
“Isn’t it a bit too straightforward to return the money I gave you?”
When I asked this after checking my bank balance, the Emperor chuckled and said,
“It’s because I made that much profit. As much as I may seem, I’m someone who remembers favors. Thanks to you, I’ve got quite a bit of capital now, making things much easier for me.”
“…Could you tell me how you made such a profit?”
“Hmm.”
The Emperor thought for a moment and then spoke.
“Actually, I have a plan for that too; would you like to hear it?”
There was no way I could turn it down. Because, quite frustratingly, the Emperor had indeed been a huge help in our lives.
Not just a little help. It was such a big help that we didn’t even need to look for part-time jobs.
It’s kind of funny relying on the Emperor’s stocks like this. I mean… doesn’t it seem wrong? Just the other day we were fighting each other for our lives.
The problem was that once the Emperor moved past a situation, he was a man who didn’t hold grudges. While I was still sorting out my emotions, he seemed to assume it was all water under the bridge.
Otherwise, he would have had bad feelings towards me from the start.
“I’m thinking about doing a broadcast.”
“…A broadcast?”
I repeated his words.
“What kind of broadcast are you planning to do?”
“A stock broadcast. There are many broadcasts like that.”
“…”
Um…
For some reason, the thought of him doing a broadcast made me uneasy. I never thought of the Emperor as someone skilled in public relations. He was the type to achieve things with his own abilities and then announce them to the media to lead public opinion.
He only speaks the truth, but that truth brings definite benefits to the Empire and earns him support, creating that kind of public opinion.
“Are you perhaps planning to manipulate stock prices?”
I asked seriously.
I didn’t know much about economics. I understood the laws. I wasn’t sure if manipulating stocks to what extent counts as a crime, or if merely discussing this and that on a broadcast counts as manipulation.
But if it were the Emperor, it seemed totally possible.
“I’ve thought about it, actually.”
I placed my hand on my forehead.
“But getting involved in crime would cause us trouble in many ways. I’ve heard economic criminals tend to be dealt with quickly, and for us, even a year would be a huge loss.”
“Well then, how exactly do you plan to broadcast?”
“Literally, about market trends. Rather than naming companies, if I just discuss certain stocks, there shouldn’t be any major problems, right?”
I crossed my arms and thought for a while before nodding.
“Alright. That seems like it won’t be a big problem.”
“Good.”
The Emperor nodded and then looked up at the ceiling for a moment.
“But we can’t just do the broadcast right here in such a cramped house, can we? You guys will be appearing behind me.”
“…Well, that’s true.”
In response to my answer, the Emperor smiled and slightly extended his hand.
“So, how about you consider properly investing in me? I’ve multiplied the money enough to return you 7 million won. If you want, I could show you the proof.”
“…”
Are you saying that with a 20 million won investment, I could inflate it to 20 million won?
“Money, after all, comes back more when there’s more at stake. The story differs entirely when you invest 100,000 won as opposed to 10 million won.”
“But even so, I can’t give you everything.”
I made a firm statement.
“It’s not about the success or failure of the stocks. I still can’t fully trust you.”
“Do you think I would run away with your money?”
“It’s not impossible, is it?”
I spoke while trying my best to steer the atmosphere back in my favor.
“…How about this? I’ll add 300,000 won to the 7 million you just gave me, making it 10 million. How does that sound?”
“Hmm.”
The Emperor smiled.
…What’s going on? Why do I feel like I’m being cornered?
“Well then, let’s take our time and let the money grow slowly. There’s really no need to worry. I’ve kept the 7 million won you lent me handy.”
“…Is that so?”
So next time, does that mean the Emperor will have more money than me?
That’s a bit unsettling.
*
“That’s negotiation tactics, isn’t it?”
Alice said with a laugh, seemingly amused.
The three of us were gathered together in a café.
Alice and Claire were seriously considering part-time jobs. They knew well how risky this ‘investment’ could be.
No matter how much of a genius the Emperor was, he wouldn’t know everything about this world’s system.
But the Emperor had returned 1 million won to me just this morning. Honestly, at this point, I couldn’t help but be suspicious. Isn’t this a scam?
Borrow money and keep steadily paying it back several times to build trust. Then, once the other party fully believes in you, you pull a fast one and run away with the money.
“At least, I’m sure this isn’t that kind of scam. The Emperor isn’t someone who would be satisfied with just a few tens of millions. He’s probably using my money as seed money.”
“Then what about that negotiation tactic you mentioned?”
“It’s simple, right? Ask for an absurdly large amount that’s hard for the other party to give immediately, then lure them into investing a smaller amount than that. You thought about 20 million won, then ended up handing over a million. Logically, how many people would simply hand over half of their own wealth? Even if it’s ‘your father,’ you know? And it’s not just lending it; it’s ‘investing,’ right?”
“…”
“I think so too, sis.”
Claire said while spreading strawberry jam on her scone.
“I don’t think the Emperor seems cheap enough to scam us, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t deceive us either, right? There’s a possibility he crafted his words to create a favorable situation for himself.”
“…”
Their words left me momentarily speechless.
“Well, that just means you are that desperate,” Alice said, seeing my expression and trying to comfort me.
“Everyone feels they can’t resist investing when they see money rolling in like that. Unfortunately, there are scams of that sort out there too.”
Like manipulating the screen to show something, while in reality, no money is really moving at all.
Thinking back, it felt like that might have happened to me.
“You’re usually so skeptical, yet you seem to have a bit of a blind spot too.”
Claire chuckled.
“Let’s take some time to think this over. You mentioned you received 1 million, right?”
“Yes.”
I definitely saw the money come in.
“Then, let’s wait and see if your father can restore that 10 million.”
Alice said as she sipped her drink through a straw.
*
“How about it, does this make you believe me?”
The Emperor said after transferring over 15 million won to my account.
Honestly, he looked entirely confident about it.
This was just a week later.
“…So, does that mean you have more than this in your account?”
“Not right now.”
How impressive.
“So for now, there’s no need for me to give you money. I’ll manage what I have.”
“How on earth can you accumulate that much money?”
“Hmm? Naturally, I thoroughly read the world’s newspapers to get a sense of the situation. I don’t always win. There are times I lose. But since I have divided my investments thoroughly, I’m guaranteed to make profits in certain areas.”
“How much… and where do you invest?”
“I invest in about five different markets. As for the companies, it’s obviously a lot more than that.”
“You do all that by yourself?”
“Having ruled a vast empire, I’ve scrutinized every detail. Isn’t it all possible? Besides, with this tiny device in my palm, I can do anything. Oh, but it’d be better to have a computer for a better overview. Would it be okay to bring in a few monitors?”
“…”
I stared blankly at the Emperor for a while, then nodded.
“Excellent decision.”
The Emperor said with a smile.
“Oh, and regarding the broadcast, I thought about it again.”
“…What is it?”
“Instead of just having me on the broadcast, how about you three join me?”
“…”
“I think you three have enough appeal to catch people’s eyes.”
“…I’d rather do a separate broadcast.”
“Hmm, that’s a bit disappointing. The opportunity to start the broadcast quickly has vanished.”
But the Emperor raised his shoulders as if he didn’t care much.
It was oddly irritating.
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