Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend

Chapter 223

Translator: Dreamscribe"Are you feeling alright, CEO-nim?"

"Yes. I got plenty of rest, so I'm fine. Even if I am being held captive here."

"Haha. Everyone knows how much the Chairman cares about the CEO-nim. He knows you'd push yourself too hard the moment you stepped out of here."

It was probably because he happened to witness me collapsing from overwork right before his eyes.

Hyungnim had thrown me into the VIP Ward.

On top of that, he forced a month-long leave on me.

"Isn't this, like, the Chairman's tyranny? Power harassment? Something like that?"

"Ahem. You'd have to take that up with the Chairman directly......"

I was only joking, of course.

If I were in his shoes and hyungnim collapsed right in front of me, I'd probably do the same if not worse.

"I wish medical technology would advance faster. Like a drug that eliminates overwork entirely, or something that makes the body younger and healthier."

"Haha. That's the stuff of dreams."

"So what happened while I was out? Hyungnim wouldn't even let me receive reports."

It took three days before I was finally allowed to receive even basic reports.

"After you were carried off like that, sir, things were pretty chaotic. But nothing disrupted the work. Fortunately, you'd already moved all our assets into the stock market before that happened."

I carefully reviewed the report the Department Head handed me.

Among the contents, one figure stood out above everything else.

"Fifty quadrillion......"

"Yes. An absurd number. Honestly, even looking at it now, I keep thinking it must be a system error."

I felt the same way.

I had been running some rough estimates in my head.

I'd guessed it would be at least twenty quadrillion, but fifty quadrillion?

It was a catastrophic number that far exceeded my expectations.

All this time, our goal had been for our securities firm to surpass the assets of the largest fund companies, and we had blown past their peak of ten quadrillion as if it were nothing.

"The timing was almost uncanny. The moment you collapsed, multiple stock exchanges shut down simultaneously. It seems they acted to prevent the markets, which had just stabilized, from overheating again."

"There was probably an element of keeping us in check too, right?"

"Yes. They couldn't have known exactly how much we'd made. But they must have known we'd poured in an astronomical sum and earned just as much in return. So it's safe to say they shut things down before we could sell off all those assets and shake the markets."

So that's why my Intuition had cut off.

At first, I'd thought the ability had shut down due to overwork.

But it seemed that when the major exchanges closed, my Intuition had nothing left to do, and the Awakening state dissolved, causing me to collapse.

"But you'll need to be more careful next time. The doctors said if you'd pushed yourself any further, it could have been truly dangerous."

In a way, one could say the stock exchanges that were trying to keep Kwangwoon in check had saved my life.

Anyway, it felt like I'd thoroughly enjoyed the one festival day that comes only once in a lifetime.

And I'd managed to save the crumbling global stock markets in the process.

"How's public opinion?"

"Excellent. People are praising you, saying you really did save the global markets just like you said you would on the media. Of course, it's true that Kwangwoon made enormous profits in the process, but since civilization would have collapsed without us, it doesn't seem like anyone's viewing it negatively."

Since we'd shown that kind of courage, perhaps that level of reward was only fair.

We'd announced we were going to save the global markets and poured money in, so I'd expected public opinion to turn sour once people found out how much we'd actually earned.

"We did make an enormous amount of money. But the important thing is that we haven't cashed out any of it. All the money is still sitting in the stock market, and because we haven't withdrawn it, public opinion can't help but be favorable."

Of course, in the process, we'd bought and sold thousands of times over.

But modern society ultimately cares about results over process, doesn't it?

The fact that we hadn't liquidated our fifty-quadrillion-won worth of assets and had simply left everything in stocks might have been what shielded us from criticism.

"......."

What if my Intuition hadn't cut off at that moment?

Would I have tried to cash it all out?

"Oh, right. Also, sir. Several companies are currently up for sale. Some that were once called corporate giants are among them, and Tesla is in the mix. As you know, we invested heavily in the World Link side of things. But the value plummeted so drastically this time that Milon Tusk ultimately filed for bankruptcy and put all his assets on the market."

"Tesla?"

I took a moment to search my memory.

I hadn't put a single cent into Tesla?

"During this round of investments, you didn't put even one dollar into Tesla."

That meant my Intuition had coldly turned its back on Tesla.

I didn't know why, but Milon Tusk's grand dream of going to Mars seemed to be crumbling before my eyes.

"He's put up all his shares in Tesla and every company he personally owns. He must have decided there was no way to hold on any longer."

"Then there must be a ton of competitors lining up?"

"Actually, no. These companies are all oriented toward the goal of reaching Mars, aren't they? Their entire corporate strategy is built around that. It seems the burden of that is making everyone reluctant to acquire them."

Electric vehicles, androids, rocket technology, tunnel boring machines, and more.

Milon Tusk owned a remarkably diverse array of companies.

And every one of those companies shared a single goal.

Terraforming Mars.

"So the banks are currently hoping Kwangwoon will acquire these companies."

"Including the debt?"

"The debt forgiveness terms would have to be negotiated. They'd need to squeeze as much as possible out of Milon Tusk. And apparently Tusk has agreed to this. He said he'd give up everything he has, as long as he's allowed to remain involved in management."

Resolving the debt Milon Tusk had taken on through these companies honestly wasn't a burden for Kwangwoon.

We were already the company with the most money in the world.

But letting him stay involved in management......

I closed my eyes for a moment.

"......!"

In that instant, my Intuition sent me a signal.

Thankfully, it was still alive.

I'd been briefly worried that the overwork might have destroyed the ability entirely.

"First, tell him to delete all his SNS accounts. So he can focus solely on management. And could you show me the list of Affiliates?"

Looking at the list, the man had his fingers in far more companies than I'd expected.

"Ten are publicly known. Another ten are ones where he's either cut off investment or they're still in early development."

Among them, a few shone with bright light.

Others did not.

It seemed like the right move was to sort through them and save only the ones worth saving.

But one company on that list jumped out at me.

"AI Link?"

"Ah. It's technology that connects the brain to a computer. They're currently running tests on patients with speech impairments. The core of this technology is integrating AI to achieve complete unity with humans."

"That's a bit...... unsettling, honestly."

"Yes. But apparently, if it's ever commercialized, it could treat a huge range of disabilities. They say progress has been more significant than expected."

Merging AI and humans into one.

It was chilling, yet at the same time, it was a technology that was absolutely necessary.

Above all, it could be the ultimate means of eliminating the disabilities that had plagued humanity for so long.

Milon Tusk had even shown on social media how far this technology had come. He'd interviewed people who were benefiting from it, too.

And if this technology advanced further, it could take the Safe Biochip we were already planning to develop to the next level.

We wouldn't even need to go to a hospital; we could detect what illness someone had and take swift action.

Most importantly, my Intuition was emitting the brightest light for this technology above all others.

"Proceed with the acquisitions as I've marked, and tell them we'll be investing heavily in AI Link in particular. As much as they need."

"Yes, CEO-nim."

This was about overcoming disability, humanity's greatest barrier.

If we could conquer that, spending any amount of money was justified.

* * *

"......."

Anthony's eyes seemed to hold every last ounce of his tangled emotions.

"When I started working in intelligence, I went through a lot, and I spent plenty of time imagining what kind of person I'd become someday. But I never once imagined anything like this."

"I think that's true for everyone at Sentinel, General Director."

The Nuclear Football, capable of bringing about the end of the world.

It was a briefcase that could issue launch orders not only for nuclear weapons across China, but also for nuclear submarines roaming the world's oceans.

Having just one wasn't enough to issue commands, of course.

But possessing one of the three alone carried immense influence.

"Is it confirmed that Tian Gang has one?"

"Yes. After thorough investigation, we're certain Tian Gang possesses one. It appears he seized it from Li Jinping's side when they eliminated him."

"Then where's the last one?"

"Its whereabouts are still unknown."

In the end, that last one was the problem.

Finding that final piece was the key to bringing some order to China's chaotic situation.

But nobody could track down where that last piece was.

"What about Yang Wei?"

"We've taken good care of him. Paid him generously, brought him over to the U.S., and set up a Safe House for him. Should we...... eliminate him?"

"No. We need to make sure he's seen living comfortably. That way, people will trust Kwangwoon more and be willing to cooperate with us."

This Nuclear Football was only the beginning.

Because beyond China, there was still the Russia problem to deal with.

"Keep the lines of communication wide open with Russia too. We need to show them we're always ready for peaceful cooperation."

Anthony carefully ran his hand over the Nuclear Football.

He would probably never have to use it.

But the fact that the power to lead the entire world to ruin had finally come into Kwangwoon's hands, and that he himself had been the one to bring one of them in, stirred emotions he couldn't put into words.

* * *

"So...... what happened? Did you find someone to acquire our companies?"

"As you know, everyone was watching Kwangwoon's moves, so no one stepped up for acquisition negotiations. But fortunately......"

"Fortunately?"

"Kwangwoon accepted all of the banks' conditions. And just as you wanted, Board Chairman, they'll let you continue to participate in management."

Milon Tusk's legs gave out beneath him.

He'd spent days unable to sleep, trembling with anxiety over this very issue.

But thankfully, Kwangwoon hadn't abandoned him.

"However, they won't be saving all the Affiliates. On top of that, you'll be demoted to a Director position, required to delete all your SNS accounts, and forbidden from appearing in any media going forward."

"......Fine. I'll accept that."

The message was clear: focus on nothing but the work.

No more going on media and pulling Aggro.

It also meant they acknowledged his ability, at least.

"But which Affiliates are they keeping, and which ones are they cutting?"

"This is the list."

"......."

As he reviewed the list his secretary handed him, Milon Tusk's gaze stopped on one entry.

"Wait. What's this investment figure? They're putting tens of billions of dollars into this?"

"Yes. Tens of billions to start, and they said they'd provide additional funding as needed."

Kwangwoon had declared an investment of tens of billions of dollars into AI Link.

But this company was unlisted.

That meant the intention wasn't to drive up a stock price. They genuinely saw value in the technology and wanted to invest.

"What about the other industries? Rockets, androids, things like that."

"Those were allocated standard amounts. AI Link was the only one that received a massive injection."

Only then did Milon Tusk let out a hollow laugh.

He finally understood why Kwangwoon had targeted him and driven his companies to the brink of destruction.

"It was because of this company."

"Sir?"

"Look here, they've written some excuse about overcoming disabilities. You think Kwangwoon earmarked tens of billions of dollars because they genuinely care about conquering disability?"

Kwangwoon was not a place of compassion or deep generosity.

This was nothing more than a convenient justification.

"Overcoming disability, what does that really mean? It's not simply about making someone who can't walk, walk again, or making someone who can't hear, hear again. It's about curing the fundamental disability that every human being faces."

"A fundamental disability?"

"Yes. Death. Death is humanity's greatest flaw, its most inescapable disability. Kwangwoon is trying to conquer that."

When Milon Tusk created AI Link, he hadn't openly declared his intention to overcome human death.

He'd only expressed the will to combine humans with computers, conquer disabilities, and advance technology.

But Kwangwoon had known the true purpose of this company from the very beginning.

That once this technology advanced further, it could overcome even death itself.

"Once AI and human consciousness are linked, we'll be able to artificially replace our aging bodies. As long as you swap out the parts on schedule, a human can live forever without dying. And we've already pushed this technology to a certain stage."

AI Link's technology had now grown to a level no other company could hope to match.

It was still unofficial, so no announcements had been made, but Kwangwoon had known all along that this company's technology was the best in the world.

"That's why they came after me. They wanted to force me to cough up this company no matter what. It's easier to seize something that's already been developed than to spend their own money and time building it from scratch."

It was simply absurd.

If they'd wanted this technology that badly, they could have at least offered to invest.

Instead of talking, they'd just physically crushed him and taken it by force.

"So...... Kwangwoon is going to use this company to develop technology for Eternal Life?"

"That would be the ultimate goal, yes. But it won't be a technology available to everyone equally. Only those chosen by Kwangwoon will have access to Eternal Life."

Of course, no one could say when that technology would be developed.

One thing was certain: if Kwangwoon kept pouring in astronomical sums as it was doing now, it would be developed eventually.

"They've already taken over the global financial markets and even the political sphere, haven't they? This is the final step."

Living forever while ruling over all.

Kwangwoon, no. Jung Jin-ho was now trying to become a god in the truest sense.